Introduction
Long ago, more years than mortal men dare count, the oni walked the land, and the people lived in fear. The world was a harsh place, and even crueler than it is now, for these beasts had in them nothing but the hunger for the flesh of men, and we lived in terror, teetering always on the brink of extinction. Sometimes, they simply leveled our settlements, stripped us of our food and our lives, and left us to rot. Others, more insidious oni with beautiful faces, would lure away our strong and youthful men and women, never to return. These haunting demons, those with human masks, were the most dangerous and powerful of them all, and like the rest, they were a plague on our world.
In time, we grew stronger. We raised our children to hunt the oni, to push back, and the strongest of these Hunters were those born to the beautiful demons and their human victims. They were strong, and resilient, and exquisite like their unnatural parents, but even they were not enough. Until, many centuries ago, they appeared. One from the Darkness, one from the Sun, and the last from the Moon, or so it is said.
The Three.
Perhaps they were oni themselves, lovely and terrible but somehow merciful. Perhaps they were those born of humans and the most powerful of demons. Perhaps they were something else, created by the gods themselves to save us. But when they appeared, the world trembled before them, and not even the oni could stand against their might. The first was a man, fierce of spirit and skilled of blade, who drank in the blood of his foes, rendering those who came before him incapable even of remembering their own names for their fear of his visage. The second was a man gentle of thought and tranquil of air, upon whom no oni’s foul witchery would work, and who held the power of life and death in his hands. The third was a woman, brave of heart and stalwart of limb, who could transform herself into a great, savage beast, tearing through the ones who opposed her without hesitation. Together, the three exterminated the oni and brought peace once more, allowing humankind to flourish in the absence of their predators.
What none ever realized was that the Three were not made for that moment. Each of them, even then, had a weakness, a fatal flaw that they were woefully unaware of, that kept them from reaching their potential and fulfilling their true purpose. They were body, mind and heart. Strength, Knowledge and Will. Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and they embodied these traits exquisitely. But what was Power without Mercy? What was Wisdom without Hope? What was Courage without Restraint? Just as much a plague on the world as what they had eradicated.
Until He who had wrought them looked upon them and sighed. From that sigh, they say, was born the Key. The being that would speak Mercy to Power, Hope to Wisdom, and Restraint to Courage. Embodied in a child, the Key came to walk among us, or so they say. Where it is or how it might be found, it is difficult to say. But there are those who would see it destroyed, and with it, any chance for the Three to fulfill their truest design.
In time, we grew stronger. We raised our children to hunt the oni, to push back, and the strongest of these Hunters were those born to the beautiful demons and their human victims. They were strong, and resilient, and exquisite like their unnatural parents, but even they were not enough. Until, many centuries ago, they appeared. One from the Darkness, one from the Sun, and the last from the Moon, or so it is said.
The Three.
Perhaps they were oni themselves, lovely and terrible but somehow merciful. Perhaps they were those born of humans and the most powerful of demons. Perhaps they were something else, created by the gods themselves to save us. But when they appeared, the world trembled before them, and not even the oni could stand against their might. The first was a man, fierce of spirit and skilled of blade, who drank in the blood of his foes, rendering those who came before him incapable even of remembering their own names for their fear of his visage. The second was a man gentle of thought and tranquil of air, upon whom no oni’s foul witchery would work, and who held the power of life and death in his hands. The third was a woman, brave of heart and stalwart of limb, who could transform herself into a great, savage beast, tearing through the ones who opposed her without hesitation. Together, the three exterminated the oni and brought peace once more, allowing humankind to flourish in the absence of their predators.
What none ever realized was that the Three were not made for that moment. Each of them, even then, had a weakness, a fatal flaw that they were woefully unaware of, that kept them from reaching their potential and fulfilling their true purpose. They were body, mind and heart. Strength, Knowledge and Will. Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and they embodied these traits exquisitely. But what was Power without Mercy? What was Wisdom without Hope? What was Courage without Restraint? Just as much a plague on the world as what they had eradicated.
Until He who had wrought them looked upon them and sighed. From that sigh, they say, was born the Key. The being that would speak Mercy to Power, Hope to Wisdom, and Restraint to Courage. Embodied in a child, the Key came to walk among us, or so they say. Where it is or how it might be found, it is difficult to say. But there are those who would see it destroyed, and with it, any chance for the Three to fulfill their truest design.
Threads
No threads found.
The Story
Shimamaki Village was a quiet place, usually, given to a little period of bustle every morning when the markets opened, but otherwise quite the sleepy little town. Located on the island of Hokkaido near the ocean, its primary resource was fish, and there were plenty to be found. It had been a stable place for many years, safe from territorial aggression by other regions due partially to its remote location. Of course, it also had a reputation of being exceedingly well-guarded, by the occupants of the large castle to Shimamaki’s immediate north. There lived the lord of all Hokkaido, and his household.
One member of that household, well-known to much of the town, was currently happily tucking into lunch within the village’s sole inn and restaurant. Reiko, dressed in a modest brown kimono and practical tabi and geta, hardly would have drawn much notice, were it not for the extraordinary fineness of her youthful features. As it was, the worst of the awkwardness had long since faded, and she was taken to be merely the very lovely daughter of one of the lord’s servants.
That was undoubtedly for the best.
Delicately lifting a mouthful of rice into the air, she was momentarily distracted by the arrival of yet another group of people, this a family of four, who took the last available table on the inn’s lower floor. She almost felt bad for taking up a table by herself, but Sayuri was not with her today, and as such, she had use for only one of the two cushions at this particular area. Well, at least all of this meant very good business for Tsuyoshi, the innkeeper, and his family. The weather outside was absolutely beautiful today, the climate having entered mid-spring with a healthy vigor. The blossoms were in full showing, and the fish were plentiful again after a hard winter. It was sorely-needed good news for the town. While the Fujiwara family of aristocrats kept the town afloat when it could not sustain itself, the villagers were proud people, and preferred it when their food was supplying the lord, as it most often did in return for his protection.
She didn’t have the heart to tell them that the lord scarcely noticed either way. He was certainly in no danger of starvation from fish shortage. And only throwing all of his money into the ocean could possibly spend it fast enough to ruin him.
Chewing thoughtfully over the rice, she smiled and waved to Chizu, Tsuyoshi’s youngest daughter. She was only about five, and liked to wander around the inn during mealtimes and talk to people, most of whom indulged her with patient warmth. Reiko was among her favorite people, but today it would seem that she was distracted by the bright blue of Mori-san’s new kimono, and so Reiko would be eating her meal in relative peace.
Ayla, however, was outside of the small restaurant, rolling her shoulders back in a nonchalant fashion. Dressed in a simple white kimono, she bore no shoes and simply appeared to have been a weary traveler. Nearly a week into living in the place, and already Ayla was bored. Aram had the luxury of playing the simple doctor to the village, however; she had no such luck. She wasn't exactly a people person, and took on simple jobs as any mercenary would. Today, however, saw no such luck in finding such work. She took a soft breath, and before she could take another step, her stomach released a small growl. She raised a brow at herself, and then glanced towards the contents of the restaurant.
"Might as well," she spoke to no one in particular. The aroma, when she entered, immediately flooded her senses, and a grin covered her face. Perhaps she could partake and listen in on the conversations around her. It would be a good spot to sort out information and, perhaps, find a job for herself. The only problem, though, seemed to be in the restaurant's occupancy. It seemed they were at their limit. There were, in fact, two available spots, however; she was less inclined to believe the men at the first table would take kindly to her sudden appearance. Instead, she went to place her meal order, and made her way toward the other available table, where a young woman sat.
"It was either this one, or that one over there," she spoke to the young woman, sitting down and flicking her thumb over her shoulder towards the previous table. "Personally, it would matter little either way, but as it is, I think I would enjoy your company more," she continued, allowing a small smile to cross her face. That, and she was less likely to make a scene. She didn't want to explain why a group of human men were in a bloodied pile to Aram. He'd only scowl at her, but say nothing.
Reiko blinked several times in quick succession when an unknown woman sat down in front of her, explaining the decision with a terse gesture behind her. Leaning to the side enough to see around the lady, the young woman noted that the men in question were actually several of the fishermen, a rough-looking lot. “Oh, that’s just Kosaburo-san and his sons. They look a bit… mean, but they’re actually quite kind.” Or, at least they had been to her. There wasn’t really anyone in the town who caused too much trouble, though there were a few people who were unfortunately too fond of sake and had to be watched in case they drank too much and didn’t make it home some night.
Realizing how her statement might be taken, she paused, smiling very slightly and turning a faint shade of pink. “This one didn’t mean you couldn’t sit here, though. I’m happy to have someone to keep company with, actually.” Reiko thought she knew everyone in town, however, and this woman certainly wasn’t one of the villagers. She would certainly remember meeting someone like her.
The lady sitting in front of her was absolutely beautiful, there was no denying that. She had porcelain skin even paler than Reiko’s, and hair to match, a most extraordinary snowy color. It reminded her of how Tsuya’s looked, when he did that strange thing she didn't like. But there was something different about her scent—she was definitely not one of Reiko’s kind. Ruby-red eyes met crystalline blue ones, and she felt a slight stab of irrational jealousy, pushing it aside as quickly as it had formed. She was rarely one to hold onto such things, though she felt them like anyone else.
“This one has not seen you about before,” Reiko confessed, setting her chopsticks down momentarily. “This one's name is Reiko Hino. Might you be a traveler of some sort?” She was admittedly curious as to how someone so unusual-looking had come to be in Shimamaki, but then… the people here were used to seeing strange-looking folk by now. Practically the lord’s whole family was incredibly beautiful and oddly-hued. This woman was not one of them, though—Reiko knew that without having to ask.
Ayla simply continued staring at the young woman, who had now introduced herself as Reiko Hino. Oddly, the name sounded familiar, as if she'd heard it before. For one reason or another, Ayla could not remember why, and chose to let it go. She'd remember eventually if it was important. She mused the question over lightly, trying to find the best way to say what she wanted to. "You could say that," she finally admitted, taking a sip of from the cup of water provided to her earlier. "My brother and I just moved here, about a week ago now," she continued, setting the cup down and returned her gaze to Reiko.
"I doubt we will be here long. We do not stay in one place for too long," considering that she might accidentally maim someone. Though, that wasn't her fault, really. Aram, however, had decided to uproot them and move, to all places, Shimamaki. Why, he did not say. She wasn't one to question her brother's motives, however; it did irk her a bit to have to just suddenly move. "Ayla," she spoke, "I'm afraid is the only name I have to give," since she was without a surname. It was one of the things their creator did not bestow upon them, and perhaps for good reason. She didn't know, nor did she care to know.
"Reiko, is it?" she questioned, her tone taking a lighter tone to it. "You seem to know this village fairly well, right?" she continued, leaning over slightly to prop herself on her elbows. "I haven't seen much of the village quite yet, would you care to show it to me? It would keep most of the attention off of me if I had a cute little guide," she questioned, the smile turning into a mischievous grin.
Reiko cleared her throat, slightly awkwardly, considering the odd… compliment? She figured it was a compliment, anyway. When her unease had subsided a little, though, she nodded her head. “This one would be happy to show you around, Ayla-san.” And she really would. She had come into the village this morning from a desire to get away from home, after all, and any chance to prolong her time here was welcome, especially when the company was interesting.
“But this one would recommend finishing lunch first. Tsuyoshi really does make amazing food.” Even as she was speaking, Ayla’s order arrived at their table, Tsuyoshi’s wife Emiko the waitress placing it before Ayla with a friendly smile and a short bow, along with a word of greeting for Reiko.
When both had finished their food, Reiko paid for the order, with a smile and her insistence that it was a welcoming gift, and the two had made their way outside, Reiko realizing that Ayla was a bit taller than herself, but only perhaps by a couple of inches. It made walking next to her rather easy, because their strides were about matched. The first stop on the tour was the marketplace, not far from the inn. “You might have already noticed, but it’s really busy here in the mornings,” she advised. “Less so in the afternoon, though it will pick up again as people come by to get ingredients for dinners. The village makes most of its money in the fish trade, and we trade with other towns in Hokkaido for fabrics and the like.” There were, of course, also farmers in the surrounding area, and so they didn’t usually want for rice or vegetables or tofu, either.
“This street is usually the one they decorate for festivals, too. It’s the widest one, and basically everyone in the village can fit comfortably along it.” She smiled softly, recalling the paper lanterns in festive colors from the last Tanabata. “We don't have a temple here, but the castle keeps a couple of priests on retainer to provide any religious services that people need, and the last lord has a shrine dedicated to his memory a few miles north of the castle. People sometimes pray there.”
She chose not to mention that people meant herself and basically no one else.
She couldn't refuse the younger girl, even if she wanted to, and allowed Reiko to pay for the meals, before being chauffeured off into the village. She listened when the girl spoke, letting her words and descriptions take root while glancing in no particular direction. She would like to see a festival one day. The last one she had seen was over a thousand years ago, and it had been the one she and her brothers had witnessed for their victory. Since then, she and Aram hadn't stayed long enough in any one village to witness a festival. Perhaps this time around, they could at least see one. Maybe she'll suggest it to him, later?
Fishing as a way of life? She could fish... with her arrows. Maybe that could be a way of work here, since it seemed to flourish? She wouldn't have to risk being exposed to anything, but then again, she wouldn't be blowing off steam either. A conundrum for another time, at least. Instead, she chose to focus on the last statement. "Personally, I do not believe in anything. Religion is... useless," she stated, turning to glance at Reiko. "But I suppose there is something I believe in," for what kind of fool would she be not to? Her father was a god, was he not?
"This previous lord, you speak of, must have been a generous lord. Not many have shrines in remembrance to them," or at least not the most favorable ones. That, she could attest to. How many lords has she seen rise and fall? Today, if she were to mention at least one of their names, no one would remember him. "Perhaps I should visit this shrine to see for myself, one day," she spoke, shaking her head softly. Another time, perhaps. "Tell me, what is it exactly you believe in, Rei-chan?" she inquired, changing the subject. It would be interesting to see what these people believed in, if they believed in anything.
Honestly, the topic of the previous lord was not something Reiko wanted to linger upon, and so she was glad when the conversation took a more innocuous turn. Perhaps most people would not consider religion an uncontroversial topic, but it was much better than talking about the rest. “Believe?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly to the side as she directed them off the main road and into the residential areas. The houses were all roughly the same size, small but cozy rather than run-down, the thatching on the roofs well-maintained and fragrant.
There were a few children playing a game in the street, something that involved a ball and a lot of running. For a moment, she stopped to watch them, humming a thoughtful note in the back of her throat. “This one supposes I don’t really know. Growing up, I… this one's father was everything. He might has well have been a god, in this one's universe. Ever since he died, I guess I haven’t ever believed in anything else quite the same way. This one has brothers, too, but I think sometimes that they’re just as lost as this one is.” She smiled softly and shook her head. Troublesome, they were, but she loved them all dearly.
“This one supposes... I believe that people can change things for the better, can make the best of their own lives. This one doesn't know if that requires the help of a god or not, but if it gives them the hope they need to believe that something else is out there, watching over them like my father watched over me, then… this one can’t blame them for wanting to believe.” She laughed softly. “This one is sorry, Ayla-san; I did not mean to be so serious!”
Ayla tried to frown, to give Reiko a solemn expression, however; she seemed to fail at it, and merely chuckled lightly. "I guess, in a way, we are all lost children, then," she responded, allowing the soft chuckles to reside. If she could believe that, perhaps she would be a good advisor to Aram? He needed a change of views. "I do believe there is still more to this village you haven't quite shown me, little one," she stated, drawing attention away from Reiko's apology. "And, you should never be sorry for being yourself, even if you were being serious," she replied with a grin. "Now, which shop has the sweets?"
One member of that household, well-known to much of the town, was currently happily tucking into lunch within the village’s sole inn and restaurant. Reiko, dressed in a modest brown kimono and practical tabi and geta, hardly would have drawn much notice, were it not for the extraordinary fineness of her youthful features. As it was, the worst of the awkwardness had long since faded, and she was taken to be merely the very lovely daughter of one of the lord’s servants.
That was undoubtedly for the best.
Delicately lifting a mouthful of rice into the air, she was momentarily distracted by the arrival of yet another group of people, this a family of four, who took the last available table on the inn’s lower floor. She almost felt bad for taking up a table by herself, but Sayuri was not with her today, and as such, she had use for only one of the two cushions at this particular area. Well, at least all of this meant very good business for Tsuyoshi, the innkeeper, and his family. The weather outside was absolutely beautiful today, the climate having entered mid-spring with a healthy vigor. The blossoms were in full showing, and the fish were plentiful again after a hard winter. It was sorely-needed good news for the town. While the Fujiwara family of aristocrats kept the town afloat when it could not sustain itself, the villagers were proud people, and preferred it when their food was supplying the lord, as it most often did in return for his protection.
She didn’t have the heart to tell them that the lord scarcely noticed either way. He was certainly in no danger of starvation from fish shortage. And only throwing all of his money into the ocean could possibly spend it fast enough to ruin him.
Chewing thoughtfully over the rice, she smiled and waved to Chizu, Tsuyoshi’s youngest daughter. She was only about five, and liked to wander around the inn during mealtimes and talk to people, most of whom indulged her with patient warmth. Reiko was among her favorite people, but today it would seem that she was distracted by the bright blue of Mori-san’s new kimono, and so Reiko would be eating her meal in relative peace.
Ayla, however, was outside of the small restaurant, rolling her shoulders back in a nonchalant fashion. Dressed in a simple white kimono, she bore no shoes and simply appeared to have been a weary traveler. Nearly a week into living in the place, and already Ayla was bored. Aram had the luxury of playing the simple doctor to the village, however; she had no such luck. She wasn't exactly a people person, and took on simple jobs as any mercenary would. Today, however, saw no such luck in finding such work. She took a soft breath, and before she could take another step, her stomach released a small growl. She raised a brow at herself, and then glanced towards the contents of the restaurant.
"Might as well," she spoke to no one in particular. The aroma, when she entered, immediately flooded her senses, and a grin covered her face. Perhaps she could partake and listen in on the conversations around her. It would be a good spot to sort out information and, perhaps, find a job for herself. The only problem, though, seemed to be in the restaurant's occupancy. It seemed they were at their limit. There were, in fact, two available spots, however; she was less inclined to believe the men at the first table would take kindly to her sudden appearance. Instead, she went to place her meal order, and made her way toward the other available table, where a young woman sat.
"It was either this one, or that one over there," she spoke to the young woman, sitting down and flicking her thumb over her shoulder towards the previous table. "Personally, it would matter little either way, but as it is, I think I would enjoy your company more," she continued, allowing a small smile to cross her face. That, and she was less likely to make a scene. She didn't want to explain why a group of human men were in a bloodied pile to Aram. He'd only scowl at her, but say nothing.
Reiko blinked several times in quick succession when an unknown woman sat down in front of her, explaining the decision with a terse gesture behind her. Leaning to the side enough to see around the lady, the young woman noted that the men in question were actually several of the fishermen, a rough-looking lot. “Oh, that’s just Kosaburo-san and his sons. They look a bit… mean, but they’re actually quite kind.” Or, at least they had been to her. There wasn’t really anyone in the town who caused too much trouble, though there were a few people who were unfortunately too fond of sake and had to be watched in case they drank too much and didn’t make it home some night.
Realizing how her statement might be taken, she paused, smiling very slightly and turning a faint shade of pink. “This one didn’t mean you couldn’t sit here, though. I’m happy to have someone to keep company with, actually.” Reiko thought she knew everyone in town, however, and this woman certainly wasn’t one of the villagers. She would certainly remember meeting someone like her.
The lady sitting in front of her was absolutely beautiful, there was no denying that. She had porcelain skin even paler than Reiko’s, and hair to match, a most extraordinary snowy color. It reminded her of how Tsuya’s looked, when he did that strange thing she didn't like. But there was something different about her scent—she was definitely not one of Reiko’s kind. Ruby-red eyes met crystalline blue ones, and she felt a slight stab of irrational jealousy, pushing it aside as quickly as it had formed. She was rarely one to hold onto such things, though she felt them like anyone else.
“This one has not seen you about before,” Reiko confessed, setting her chopsticks down momentarily. “This one's name is Reiko Hino. Might you be a traveler of some sort?” She was admittedly curious as to how someone so unusual-looking had come to be in Shimamaki, but then… the people here were used to seeing strange-looking folk by now. Practically the lord’s whole family was incredibly beautiful and oddly-hued. This woman was not one of them, though—Reiko knew that without having to ask.
Ayla simply continued staring at the young woman, who had now introduced herself as Reiko Hino. Oddly, the name sounded familiar, as if she'd heard it before. For one reason or another, Ayla could not remember why, and chose to let it go. She'd remember eventually if it was important. She mused the question over lightly, trying to find the best way to say what she wanted to. "You could say that," she finally admitted, taking a sip of from the cup of water provided to her earlier. "My brother and I just moved here, about a week ago now," she continued, setting the cup down and returned her gaze to Reiko.
"I doubt we will be here long. We do not stay in one place for too long," considering that she might accidentally maim someone. Though, that wasn't her fault, really. Aram, however, had decided to uproot them and move, to all places, Shimamaki. Why, he did not say. She wasn't one to question her brother's motives, however; it did irk her a bit to have to just suddenly move. "Ayla," she spoke, "I'm afraid is the only name I have to give," since she was without a surname. It was one of the things their creator did not bestow upon them, and perhaps for good reason. She didn't know, nor did she care to know.
"Reiko, is it?" she questioned, her tone taking a lighter tone to it. "You seem to know this village fairly well, right?" she continued, leaning over slightly to prop herself on her elbows. "I haven't seen much of the village quite yet, would you care to show it to me? It would keep most of the attention off of me if I had a cute little guide," she questioned, the smile turning into a mischievous grin.
Reiko cleared her throat, slightly awkwardly, considering the odd… compliment? She figured it was a compliment, anyway. When her unease had subsided a little, though, she nodded her head. “This one would be happy to show you around, Ayla-san.” And she really would. She had come into the village this morning from a desire to get away from home, after all, and any chance to prolong her time here was welcome, especially when the company was interesting.
“But this one would recommend finishing lunch first. Tsuyoshi really does make amazing food.” Even as she was speaking, Ayla’s order arrived at their table, Tsuyoshi’s wife Emiko the waitress placing it before Ayla with a friendly smile and a short bow, along with a word of greeting for Reiko.
When both had finished their food, Reiko paid for the order, with a smile and her insistence that it was a welcoming gift, and the two had made their way outside, Reiko realizing that Ayla was a bit taller than herself, but only perhaps by a couple of inches. It made walking next to her rather easy, because their strides were about matched. The first stop on the tour was the marketplace, not far from the inn. “You might have already noticed, but it’s really busy here in the mornings,” she advised. “Less so in the afternoon, though it will pick up again as people come by to get ingredients for dinners. The village makes most of its money in the fish trade, and we trade with other towns in Hokkaido for fabrics and the like.” There were, of course, also farmers in the surrounding area, and so they didn’t usually want for rice or vegetables or tofu, either.
“This street is usually the one they decorate for festivals, too. It’s the widest one, and basically everyone in the village can fit comfortably along it.” She smiled softly, recalling the paper lanterns in festive colors from the last Tanabata. “We don't have a temple here, but the castle keeps a couple of priests on retainer to provide any religious services that people need, and the last lord has a shrine dedicated to his memory a few miles north of the castle. People sometimes pray there.”
She chose not to mention that people meant herself and basically no one else.
She couldn't refuse the younger girl, even if she wanted to, and allowed Reiko to pay for the meals, before being chauffeured off into the village. She listened when the girl spoke, letting her words and descriptions take root while glancing in no particular direction. She would like to see a festival one day. The last one she had seen was over a thousand years ago, and it had been the one she and her brothers had witnessed for their victory. Since then, she and Aram hadn't stayed long enough in any one village to witness a festival. Perhaps this time around, they could at least see one. Maybe she'll suggest it to him, later?
Fishing as a way of life? She could fish... with her arrows. Maybe that could be a way of work here, since it seemed to flourish? She wouldn't have to risk being exposed to anything, but then again, she wouldn't be blowing off steam either. A conundrum for another time, at least. Instead, she chose to focus on the last statement. "Personally, I do not believe in anything. Religion is... useless," she stated, turning to glance at Reiko. "But I suppose there is something I believe in," for what kind of fool would she be not to? Her father was a god, was he not?
"This previous lord, you speak of, must have been a generous lord. Not many have shrines in remembrance to them," or at least not the most favorable ones. That, she could attest to. How many lords has she seen rise and fall? Today, if she were to mention at least one of their names, no one would remember him. "Perhaps I should visit this shrine to see for myself, one day," she spoke, shaking her head softly. Another time, perhaps. "Tell me, what is it exactly you believe in, Rei-chan?" she inquired, changing the subject. It would be interesting to see what these people believed in, if they believed in anything.
Honestly, the topic of the previous lord was not something Reiko wanted to linger upon, and so she was glad when the conversation took a more innocuous turn. Perhaps most people would not consider religion an uncontroversial topic, but it was much better than talking about the rest. “Believe?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly to the side as she directed them off the main road and into the residential areas. The houses were all roughly the same size, small but cozy rather than run-down, the thatching on the roofs well-maintained and fragrant.
There were a few children playing a game in the street, something that involved a ball and a lot of running. For a moment, she stopped to watch them, humming a thoughtful note in the back of her throat. “This one supposes I don’t really know. Growing up, I… this one's father was everything. He might has well have been a god, in this one's universe. Ever since he died, I guess I haven’t ever believed in anything else quite the same way. This one has brothers, too, but I think sometimes that they’re just as lost as this one is.” She smiled softly and shook her head. Troublesome, they were, but she loved them all dearly.
“This one supposes... I believe that people can change things for the better, can make the best of their own lives. This one doesn't know if that requires the help of a god or not, but if it gives them the hope they need to believe that something else is out there, watching over them like my father watched over me, then… this one can’t blame them for wanting to believe.” She laughed softly. “This one is sorry, Ayla-san; I did not mean to be so serious!”
Ayla tried to frown, to give Reiko a solemn expression, however; she seemed to fail at it, and merely chuckled lightly. "I guess, in a way, we are all lost children, then," she responded, allowing the soft chuckles to reside. If she could believe that, perhaps she would be a good advisor to Aram? He needed a change of views. "I do believe there is still more to this village you haven't quite shown me, little one," she stated, drawing attention away from Reiko's apology. "And, you should never be sorry for being yourself, even if you were being serious," she replied with a grin. "Now, which shop has the sweets?"
"You seem awfully excited this morning.” The statement was delivered in a dry, observational tone, and she could feel his eyes lazily tracking her across the room, as she moved this way and that, gathering her things together for her venture into town. She paused for a moment in the act of bringing a comb to her dark curtain of hair, and glanced at him in the mirror.
He lounged in a carelessly-easy manner on several cushions, placed at a corner of her small quarters, the front of his haori gaping open just far enough to expose more well-muscled chest than was perhaps strictly decorous, but he wasn’t one for decorum, and that much was plain. He held a long-stemmed pipe in one hand, though out of deference for her preferences, he did not light it whilst he was in here. His aureate hair was tossed casually about his head, as though he’d either just woken or hadn’t bothered to set it to rights whenever he had. The front ends of it brushed his thick eyelashes, doing nothing to mask the clear-eyed intensity of the stare he gave her mirror-self. Their eyes were the same color, but only in a loose sense of the term. His were bright, beautiful, exquisite, even—hers were simply… not.
His narrowed, and she remembered that she’d intended to give him a response. Breaking the eye contact in the mirror, she gained a small half-smile and looked down at the modest arrangement of ornaments and tools in front of her. Reiko had never worn cosmetics, partly because she didn’t know how to apply them and partly because no one had ever expected it of her. Not her father, and certainly not her brothers. She didn’t see any reason to bother, for it seemed a strange and laborious process, and somehow deceptive. She would rather be honestly plain than dishonestly pretty.
"Remember how I told you I’d met someone new in town the other day? We agreed to meet up again today. It’s the rice festival, and she said she wanted to see one, so…” Reiko allowed herself to trail off, sensing the moment he moved, standing smoothly and approaching her from behind. The mark at the juncture of her neck and shoulder tingled faintly at his proximity, but it was not an uncomfortable sensation. It felt… warm.
She made a small noise of token protest when he plucked the comb from her grip, taking a lock of her hair in his other hand and carefully working the wood-and-ivory implement through it, holding fast so that the tangles would not pull at her scalp. One disadvantage of having hair as long as Reiko’s was that it didn’t seem to stay neat through sleep, and required a great deal of looking-after. But she couldn’t bring herself to cut it. She wondered if Ayla ever had these problems, and if so, who helped her brush her hair. Or perhaps she was simply able to do it by herself.
He paused partway through the task, gently setting down the lock he’d been neatening, leaning down from his considerable height to rest his cheek against the side of her head, his eyes fluttering closed as he took a deep breath. She could feel the slight tremors in his hands, the way his jaw was locked tightly in place. Reaching up and slightly behind her, she placed her palm over the nape of his neck, softly tangling her fingers in the cornsilk of his hair. It was best that she act as though she didn’t sense his unease, she knew. So instead of acknowledging it, she spoke of something else, a light smile in her voice. "You need another haircut, Tsu. You’re starting to look shaggy.”
His head dropped a little further, his arms winding around her waist, and she felt rather than saw him smile against the skin of her neck. "I think the word you were looking for is enticing,” he replied, and she chuckled.
"This one hardly thinks anyone should mind if you had a trim, Tsu. I suspect they would flock to you even if you were bald.” She laughed a little louder when she heard the grumble of vague disgust he made in reply, his slight tremors subsiding. He didn’t let her go, though, not for a while, and she stood steadily in place, letting him lean on her and draw from her constancy. He was like a flame, beautiful and bright and dangerous, but no flame could exist for long without something to contain it, lest it burn itself out consuming everything else.
In the end, he loosened his hold, then finished with her hair, which she tied into a simple bun atop her head, allowing the remainder to flow down her back in a single tail to her waist. Adjusting her tan obi over the russet kimono, she tucked a few extra strands of hair behind her ears, then turned to smile at her brother.
"This one will be back before nightfall. Try not to pick a fight with Jirō, okay?”
He smirked down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Such impudence, you telling me what to do. I can’t help it; Jirō’s face just makes me want to hit something sometimes. Mostly, I just want to hit his face. It’s really a miracle that I have this much restraint.”
"A saint, you are,” she teased back, then shook her head, winding her arms around him in a quick hug before she drew away. "Now this one really must go, or I’ll be late.” He nodded and waved her off, looking vaguely dissatisfied still, but then Tatsuya usually looked like that; it was something Reiko had gotten used to.
Down in the village, preparations for the rice festival were well underway. It was one of the smaller events Shiramaki held annually, but also one of the most family-oriented. Rice dishes of all kinds were on display and for purchase, and families milled about over the main street, neighbors talking and laughing with one another while the children tossed little balls made of rice paper. The atmosphere was a relaxed one, and the sake was already flowing, though of course it wouldn’t become a predominantly drink-centered event until later in the afternoon and evening, when the children had gone home and only the younger and older adults remained.
Glancing around, Reiko attempted to locate Ayla by her hair, but she didn’t seem to yet be present, so the younger woman settled in to wait, exchanging a few mon for a rice ball, which she nibbled on as she watched the people go by, leaning up against the side of the vendor's stall.
How long had it been since she'd been excited about something? A faint humming sound could be heard coming from the back of Ayla's throat, a smile spreading across her painted lips. She couldn't recall the last time something so small made her feel happy. Maybe she was reading too into it? Pulling the final strands of her snow-white hair up, she glanced sideways, noticing the empty spot and sighed. He'd be gone today, attending to small injuries and sicknesses. He hadn't left without parting words of advice, though, and the reminder caused the smile on Ayla's face to widen to a grin.
"You worry too much," were the only words that echoed within the home as she parted for the festival. The sounds of people laughing and whispering to each other, filled Ayla's ears. She allowed an impassive look cross her face as her eye twitched. She could hear some of them speaking about her, however; it was nothing of what she was used to. She could hear a name, very faintly, and she pursed her lips together. They were accustomed to strange appearances, it would seem. Shaking the thought from her head, she allowed her nose to lead her. There was a very particular scent Reiko emitted, and it was one Ayla knew she wouldn't forget soon.
"Starting without me, I see?" Ayla stated as she found the person she was searching for. Reiko, apparently, was snacking on a rice ball, and Ayla feigned a hurt look.
Reiko swallowed, her face breaking into a bright smile, like dawn over the ocean. Her eyes narrowed then, in a slightly sly expression, and her free hand produced a second rice ball. "Yes,” she confessed without an ounce of shame, "but this one is confident you will forgive me. It is hard to be around all the food and not want to eat!” The villagers of Shimemaki really went all-out for this festival, small as it was. They liked to showcase their skills and their goods, and everything on display would be delicious—this she knew from experience.
She offered the second rice ball to Ayla with a small bow. "For you, Ayla-san. Shall we go and see what else is on offer?” By now, Reiko knew most of what would be set up, of course, but Ayla wouldn’t. Getting to do these things with someone who had not yet experienced them was making it all seem so much fresher and more engaging to her as well, and she found that the smile simply would not leave her lips.
The feigned hurt look was replaced by a smile as Ayla took the rice ball from Reiko. She inspected it, turning it in her hands before taking a bite from it. "It would seem that you are correct, Rei-chan. This one has forgiven you," she responded, mimicking Reiko's speech. She took another bite from the rice ball and tapped her chin in a thoughtful manner. "The aromas do seem enticing," she stated, leaving her finger to rest on her chin. She pulled it away and laughed lightly.
"Since you are my lead, where should we head first? Shall we visit the vendors and try their food?" she suggested, raising her brow slightly. She didn't much care for the food right now, though the smells seemed nice enough. She wanted to do something. No one would hire her as a mercenary, yet, and she had pent up energy she needed to burn. Even though it wasn't a full moon, Ayla was half tempted to visit the neighboring forest and just run. She frowned at the thought, seeing Aram's disappointed face lingering in her memory. She chuckled lightly at the thought, but pushed it aside.
Reiko contemplated the look on Ayla’s face for a moment, wondering what, exactly, had made her laugh at that moment, but in the end, she decided it wasn’t something she should ask about. Correctly interpreting the other woman’s attitude as slightly restless and desirous of activity, she started to the west. "This one doesn’t know if it is the kind of thing you’re interested in, Ayla-san, but I do believe there will be an archery contest a bit later in this direction.”
Actually, the realization that she didn’t know whether Ayla would care to watch or participate in an archery contest reminded her that she didn’t know much about the other woman at all. "May this one ask what it is that you do? A few of the villagers have mentioned a new doctor in the area; would that be you?” It was really the only recent change anyone had mentioned, actually, though apparently there had been two arrivals at around the same time, so it was possible that Ayla and the doctor were two different people. It would have indeed been unusual to meet a woman doctor, but then, just as the folk around here were used to people with strange appearances, professions did not always run in the expected manner, either. The local blacksmith, for example, was a woman, too.
Ayla's trail of thoughts came to a halt when Reiko mentioned an archery contest. A light, for a fraction of a second, bloomed behind her eyes as she turned to the younger woman. Before she could answer about the archery contest, her thoughts were taken elsewhere by Reiko's words. She contemplated for a minute how she would respond. "That title belongs to my brother," she finally answered, pausing for a moment to adjust the sleeves to her kimono. She slipped her hands in the folds, and continued walking beside Reiko.
"Remember when I told you that my brother and I moved here? He is the one who took up shop as the local doctor," she began, a placid expression falling upon her face. It was one more of annoyance, as she continued to think about it. Ayla, however, chose not to linger upon the subject, and glanced down at Reiko. "Believe it or not, I own my own restaurant," she spoke, truth spilling from the words. She'd opened it the first week they had arrived, however; Aram was the one who mainly managed it. It wasn't safe for her, so he said.
"Before that, though," she paused for a second, collecting her thoughts together before she continued. "I was a warrior," she she neglected to say which war it was that she fought in. Over the last few centuries, there were numerous wars, and the most recent one was only a few decades ago. She allowed a melancholic laugh to escape her lips and sighed. How long had it truly been since she'd seen war? She glanced away, momentarily from Reiko, and allowed her facial expressions to soften.
"What I am interested in now, is to see if my skills as an archer are still good," but Ayla knew they were. "I'm afraid I might be a little out of practice," she continued, a grin spreading across her lips. "What of you, Rei-Rei-chan? What is it that you do? You... do not look like one who labors, nor do you have that particular scent of one," she turned to ask. Reiko had the scent of something clean, something that was not accustomed to hard labor, however; Ayla knew better than anyone that scents and appearances were deceiving.
Well, that idea seemed to have gone over well, and Reiko felt a small blooming of pleasant warmth in her chest. She was glad she’d been able to pick out something that interested her newest acquaintance, and accepted the explanation about Ayla’s brother easily enough. She wondered if he was as beautiful as his sister was, but dismissed it as unlikely, and moreover, irrelevant. It would certainly be interesting if he had hair like hers, though; Reiko only knew one other person with a similar shade, and that was her youngest brother. Though his was more silver than white.
"Oh, this one should visit your restaurant sometime, then,” she mused thoughtfully. She had not yet heard of the new business opening up in town—perhaps she simply hadn’t been paying enough attention to the gossip lately. She wasn’t able to visit town as much as she liked, but it struck her as possible that she could bring Sayuri to the place, as her friend was quite fond of trying new foods. Reiko was, too, of course, but her appetite was only quite small, for most things.
She wasn’t exactly sure how to answer the question. What did she do with herself? Reiko had what most people would probably describe as an extravagant lifestyle, and she didn’t need to work as such. Still, it would be an exaggeration to say that she lived a carefree sort of existence. Much the opposite, in fact. "This one is afraid I lack the skills for a trade,” she replied quietly. "Though… this one is not much to look at, but I have also fought in defense of the land, from time to time.” Though she had never been in a war, as such, there were always border skirmishes, and the occasional attempt to seize portions of the Fujiwara domain by other lords, ones that didn’t escalate to anything more than minor armed conflicts. The last had ended a couple of months ago.
Ayla raised her brow in curiosity when Reiko spoke, and stopped, her hand latching onto Reiko's arm. She pulled the girl closer to her, and peered down at her, grabbing her chin and turning her head from side to side. It was as if she were inspecting Reiko, and for a moment, she held Reiko's face in place, staring into her doe-like eyes. Ayla's own eyes narrowed slightly before a bright smile appeared across her face. "You are correct," she spoke, releasing Reiko's face.
"You might not look like much, but," she continued, bringing a finger up to her lips. "It is because there is too much to look at," she finished, closing her left eye in the process before dropping her hand. "You musn't doubt your own worth, Rei-Rei-chan. If you have done as you say, you are much more to look at," she stated softly before continuing ahead of the young woman. A flash of something crossed Ayla's face, and it wasn't something pleasant, however; she kept it at bay. It was a peeve of hers when people said things such as that, especially coming from a woman.
She'd had her fair share of womanly responsibilities told to her that it was the reason she and Aram had moved around so often. She felt her eye twitch slightly, however, and tossed her thoughts in a different direction. "I will be looking forward to your visit, Rei-chan. I'll have to tell Onii-chan to prepare something special for you," she smiled over her shoulder towards Reiko as she spoke. She wouldn't let Aram anywhere near a stove, though. The last time he prepared something, it nearly kept her in bed for three weeks. Even with all the medicine at his disposal, nothing could cure her. It simply had to pass through her system.
The memory caused her face to pale further as a light shiver went down her spine.
Reiko was not especially used to being touched so casually, really; only members of her family and Sayuri ever came into contact with her at all. So perhaps it was unsurprising that she froze like a deer exposed to bright light when Ayla took hold of her chin, turning her face this way and that. She didn’t understand exactly the meaning of what was said after that, but she had the sense that she had somehow upset the other woman. What was wrong with saying that she didn’t look much like a warrior? It was quite evidently true—Reiko was small, and her construction had an obvious aspect of delicacy. It was deceptively so, to some extent, but the impression she gave off was definitely more porcelain than steel.
She had been taught to always make her thoughts and feelings as clear as possible, to avoid misunderstandings. Her father had told her this, and told her that he had learned it the hard way, that a misunderstanding had estranged him from someone he cared about a great deal, and that he’d always regretted it. While Reiko could not say that she and Ayla were close, she certainly didn’t want to make anything turn sour.
"You are upset.” Though the expression had been but the briefest flash over Ayla’s features, Reiko knew it with certainty. She could feel it, in a way that other people could not. "This one is sorry, Ayla-san. This one did not mean to say anything offensive. This one was only suggesting that this one does not look like a fighter, or any other kind of extraordinary person like that. This one did not mean to imply anything else.” Eyes wide, she blinked, then dropped into a perfectly-positioned bow, her head ducked, eyes on the ground. It was deep, and perhaps more formal than it needed to be, more like someone would bow to a superior, but she did not want to offend by seeming insincere in her apology, either. Better to apologize too much than not enough.
Ayla blinked slowly at first, trying to process what Reiko had spoken. She blinked again when the girl bowed, and continued to stare at Reiko. Why was she apologizing? Why was she bowing in such a formal way? Ayla felt something stir in her chest, and she placed both of her hands on Reiko's shoulders, pulling the girl back up to stand properly. Her eyes had darkened considerably, however; the aura she exuded wasn't one of malice or ill-intent. It was solemn, and if anything, a bit depressed. Perhaps she read into Reiko's words wrong, but it was not necessary for Reiko to apologize for it.
"This is why Aram tells me to think before I speak, but do not apologize Rei-chan. You did nothing wrong. Please, do not apologize," she spoke, sighing softly through her nose. "Besides... I don't like it when people bow," she continued, though the last words spoken were mumbled. She didn't have any particular reason, however; Ayla never really liked it when people bowed to her, or if she had to bow to someone else. Something inside always stirred when people bowed, and though they no longer bow to her, or even Aram, having been forgotten, it still irked her.
"How about we go to that archery competition, ne?" she stated, trying to change the subject. It was making her a little uncomfortable, and she didn't want to linger on the subject. Besides, she was itching to see what kind of competition she would have during the contest. Would it even be considered a contest? Should she not compete? Would it be fair if she competed?
Reiko was surprised, again, to be forced back upright, but it appeared that any damage had been mended, however that had happened, and so she let herself relax slightly, though she never lost her straight-backed posture. A small smile appeared on her face, and she nodded slightly. "I prefer the sword, but I would be happy to cheer for you,” she offered, a note of warm cheer suffusing her voice.
It had certainly been an interesting day so far.
He lounged in a carelessly-easy manner on several cushions, placed at a corner of her small quarters, the front of his haori gaping open just far enough to expose more well-muscled chest than was perhaps strictly decorous, but he wasn’t one for decorum, and that much was plain. He held a long-stemmed pipe in one hand, though out of deference for her preferences, he did not light it whilst he was in here. His aureate hair was tossed casually about his head, as though he’d either just woken or hadn’t bothered to set it to rights whenever he had. The front ends of it brushed his thick eyelashes, doing nothing to mask the clear-eyed intensity of the stare he gave her mirror-self. Their eyes were the same color, but only in a loose sense of the term. His were bright, beautiful, exquisite, even—hers were simply… not.
His narrowed, and she remembered that she’d intended to give him a response. Breaking the eye contact in the mirror, she gained a small half-smile and looked down at the modest arrangement of ornaments and tools in front of her. Reiko had never worn cosmetics, partly because she didn’t know how to apply them and partly because no one had ever expected it of her. Not her father, and certainly not her brothers. She didn’t see any reason to bother, for it seemed a strange and laborious process, and somehow deceptive. She would rather be honestly plain than dishonestly pretty.
"Remember how I told you I’d met someone new in town the other day? We agreed to meet up again today. It’s the rice festival, and she said she wanted to see one, so…” Reiko allowed herself to trail off, sensing the moment he moved, standing smoothly and approaching her from behind. The mark at the juncture of her neck and shoulder tingled faintly at his proximity, but it was not an uncomfortable sensation. It felt… warm.
She made a small noise of token protest when he plucked the comb from her grip, taking a lock of her hair in his other hand and carefully working the wood-and-ivory implement through it, holding fast so that the tangles would not pull at her scalp. One disadvantage of having hair as long as Reiko’s was that it didn’t seem to stay neat through sleep, and required a great deal of looking-after. But she couldn’t bring herself to cut it. She wondered if Ayla ever had these problems, and if so, who helped her brush her hair. Or perhaps she was simply able to do it by herself.
He paused partway through the task, gently setting down the lock he’d been neatening, leaning down from his considerable height to rest his cheek against the side of her head, his eyes fluttering closed as he took a deep breath. She could feel the slight tremors in his hands, the way his jaw was locked tightly in place. Reaching up and slightly behind her, she placed her palm over the nape of his neck, softly tangling her fingers in the cornsilk of his hair. It was best that she act as though she didn’t sense his unease, she knew. So instead of acknowledging it, she spoke of something else, a light smile in her voice. "You need another haircut, Tsu. You’re starting to look shaggy.”
His head dropped a little further, his arms winding around her waist, and she felt rather than saw him smile against the skin of her neck. "I think the word you were looking for is enticing,” he replied, and she chuckled.
"This one hardly thinks anyone should mind if you had a trim, Tsu. I suspect they would flock to you even if you were bald.” She laughed a little louder when she heard the grumble of vague disgust he made in reply, his slight tremors subsiding. He didn’t let her go, though, not for a while, and she stood steadily in place, letting him lean on her and draw from her constancy. He was like a flame, beautiful and bright and dangerous, but no flame could exist for long without something to contain it, lest it burn itself out consuming everything else.
In the end, he loosened his hold, then finished with her hair, which she tied into a simple bun atop her head, allowing the remainder to flow down her back in a single tail to her waist. Adjusting her tan obi over the russet kimono, she tucked a few extra strands of hair behind her ears, then turned to smile at her brother.
"This one will be back before nightfall. Try not to pick a fight with Jirō, okay?”
He smirked down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Such impudence, you telling me what to do. I can’t help it; Jirō’s face just makes me want to hit something sometimes. Mostly, I just want to hit his face. It’s really a miracle that I have this much restraint.”
"A saint, you are,” she teased back, then shook her head, winding her arms around him in a quick hug before she drew away. "Now this one really must go, or I’ll be late.” He nodded and waved her off, looking vaguely dissatisfied still, but then Tatsuya usually looked like that; it was something Reiko had gotten used to.
Down in the village, preparations for the rice festival were well underway. It was one of the smaller events Shiramaki held annually, but also one of the most family-oriented. Rice dishes of all kinds were on display and for purchase, and families milled about over the main street, neighbors talking and laughing with one another while the children tossed little balls made of rice paper. The atmosphere was a relaxed one, and the sake was already flowing, though of course it wouldn’t become a predominantly drink-centered event until later in the afternoon and evening, when the children had gone home and only the younger and older adults remained.
Glancing around, Reiko attempted to locate Ayla by her hair, but she didn’t seem to yet be present, so the younger woman settled in to wait, exchanging a few mon for a rice ball, which she nibbled on as she watched the people go by, leaning up against the side of the vendor's stall.
How long had it been since she'd been excited about something? A faint humming sound could be heard coming from the back of Ayla's throat, a smile spreading across her painted lips. She couldn't recall the last time something so small made her feel happy. Maybe she was reading too into it? Pulling the final strands of her snow-white hair up, she glanced sideways, noticing the empty spot and sighed. He'd be gone today, attending to small injuries and sicknesses. He hadn't left without parting words of advice, though, and the reminder caused the smile on Ayla's face to widen to a grin.
"You worry too much," were the only words that echoed within the home as she parted for the festival. The sounds of people laughing and whispering to each other, filled Ayla's ears. She allowed an impassive look cross her face as her eye twitched. She could hear some of them speaking about her, however; it was nothing of what she was used to. She could hear a name, very faintly, and she pursed her lips together. They were accustomed to strange appearances, it would seem. Shaking the thought from her head, she allowed her nose to lead her. There was a very particular scent Reiko emitted, and it was one Ayla knew she wouldn't forget soon.
"Starting without me, I see?" Ayla stated as she found the person she was searching for. Reiko, apparently, was snacking on a rice ball, and Ayla feigned a hurt look.
Reiko swallowed, her face breaking into a bright smile, like dawn over the ocean. Her eyes narrowed then, in a slightly sly expression, and her free hand produced a second rice ball. "Yes,” she confessed without an ounce of shame, "but this one is confident you will forgive me. It is hard to be around all the food and not want to eat!” The villagers of Shimemaki really went all-out for this festival, small as it was. They liked to showcase their skills and their goods, and everything on display would be delicious—this she knew from experience.
She offered the second rice ball to Ayla with a small bow. "For you, Ayla-san. Shall we go and see what else is on offer?” By now, Reiko knew most of what would be set up, of course, but Ayla wouldn’t. Getting to do these things with someone who had not yet experienced them was making it all seem so much fresher and more engaging to her as well, and she found that the smile simply would not leave her lips.
The feigned hurt look was replaced by a smile as Ayla took the rice ball from Reiko. She inspected it, turning it in her hands before taking a bite from it. "It would seem that you are correct, Rei-chan. This one has forgiven you," she responded, mimicking Reiko's speech. She took another bite from the rice ball and tapped her chin in a thoughtful manner. "The aromas do seem enticing," she stated, leaving her finger to rest on her chin. She pulled it away and laughed lightly.
"Since you are my lead, where should we head first? Shall we visit the vendors and try their food?" she suggested, raising her brow slightly. She didn't much care for the food right now, though the smells seemed nice enough. She wanted to do something. No one would hire her as a mercenary, yet, and she had pent up energy she needed to burn. Even though it wasn't a full moon, Ayla was half tempted to visit the neighboring forest and just run. She frowned at the thought, seeing Aram's disappointed face lingering in her memory. She chuckled lightly at the thought, but pushed it aside.
Reiko contemplated the look on Ayla’s face for a moment, wondering what, exactly, had made her laugh at that moment, but in the end, she decided it wasn’t something she should ask about. Correctly interpreting the other woman’s attitude as slightly restless and desirous of activity, she started to the west. "This one doesn’t know if it is the kind of thing you’re interested in, Ayla-san, but I do believe there will be an archery contest a bit later in this direction.”
Actually, the realization that she didn’t know whether Ayla would care to watch or participate in an archery contest reminded her that she didn’t know much about the other woman at all. "May this one ask what it is that you do? A few of the villagers have mentioned a new doctor in the area; would that be you?” It was really the only recent change anyone had mentioned, actually, though apparently there had been two arrivals at around the same time, so it was possible that Ayla and the doctor were two different people. It would have indeed been unusual to meet a woman doctor, but then, just as the folk around here were used to people with strange appearances, professions did not always run in the expected manner, either. The local blacksmith, for example, was a woman, too.
Ayla's trail of thoughts came to a halt when Reiko mentioned an archery contest. A light, for a fraction of a second, bloomed behind her eyes as she turned to the younger woman. Before she could answer about the archery contest, her thoughts were taken elsewhere by Reiko's words. She contemplated for a minute how she would respond. "That title belongs to my brother," she finally answered, pausing for a moment to adjust the sleeves to her kimono. She slipped her hands in the folds, and continued walking beside Reiko.
"Remember when I told you that my brother and I moved here? He is the one who took up shop as the local doctor," she began, a placid expression falling upon her face. It was one more of annoyance, as she continued to think about it. Ayla, however, chose not to linger upon the subject, and glanced down at Reiko. "Believe it or not, I own my own restaurant," she spoke, truth spilling from the words. She'd opened it the first week they had arrived, however; Aram was the one who mainly managed it. It wasn't safe for her, so he said.
"Before that, though," she paused for a second, collecting her thoughts together before she continued. "I was a warrior," she she neglected to say which war it was that she fought in. Over the last few centuries, there were numerous wars, and the most recent one was only a few decades ago. She allowed a melancholic laugh to escape her lips and sighed. How long had it truly been since she'd seen war? She glanced away, momentarily from Reiko, and allowed her facial expressions to soften.
"What I am interested in now, is to see if my skills as an archer are still good," but Ayla knew they were. "I'm afraid I might be a little out of practice," she continued, a grin spreading across her lips. "What of you, Rei-Rei-chan? What is it that you do? You... do not look like one who labors, nor do you have that particular scent of one," she turned to ask. Reiko had the scent of something clean, something that was not accustomed to hard labor, however; Ayla knew better than anyone that scents and appearances were deceiving.
Well, that idea seemed to have gone over well, and Reiko felt a small blooming of pleasant warmth in her chest. She was glad she’d been able to pick out something that interested her newest acquaintance, and accepted the explanation about Ayla’s brother easily enough. She wondered if he was as beautiful as his sister was, but dismissed it as unlikely, and moreover, irrelevant. It would certainly be interesting if he had hair like hers, though; Reiko only knew one other person with a similar shade, and that was her youngest brother. Though his was more silver than white.
"Oh, this one should visit your restaurant sometime, then,” she mused thoughtfully. She had not yet heard of the new business opening up in town—perhaps she simply hadn’t been paying enough attention to the gossip lately. She wasn’t able to visit town as much as she liked, but it struck her as possible that she could bring Sayuri to the place, as her friend was quite fond of trying new foods. Reiko was, too, of course, but her appetite was only quite small, for most things.
She wasn’t exactly sure how to answer the question. What did she do with herself? Reiko had what most people would probably describe as an extravagant lifestyle, and she didn’t need to work as such. Still, it would be an exaggeration to say that she lived a carefree sort of existence. Much the opposite, in fact. "This one is afraid I lack the skills for a trade,” she replied quietly. "Though… this one is not much to look at, but I have also fought in defense of the land, from time to time.” Though she had never been in a war, as such, there were always border skirmishes, and the occasional attempt to seize portions of the Fujiwara domain by other lords, ones that didn’t escalate to anything more than minor armed conflicts. The last had ended a couple of months ago.
Ayla raised her brow in curiosity when Reiko spoke, and stopped, her hand latching onto Reiko's arm. She pulled the girl closer to her, and peered down at her, grabbing her chin and turning her head from side to side. It was as if she were inspecting Reiko, and for a moment, she held Reiko's face in place, staring into her doe-like eyes. Ayla's own eyes narrowed slightly before a bright smile appeared across her face. "You are correct," she spoke, releasing Reiko's face.
"You might not look like much, but," she continued, bringing a finger up to her lips. "It is because there is too much to look at," she finished, closing her left eye in the process before dropping her hand. "You musn't doubt your own worth, Rei-Rei-chan. If you have done as you say, you are much more to look at," she stated softly before continuing ahead of the young woman. A flash of something crossed Ayla's face, and it wasn't something pleasant, however; she kept it at bay. It was a peeve of hers when people said things such as that, especially coming from a woman.
She'd had her fair share of womanly responsibilities told to her that it was the reason she and Aram had moved around so often. She felt her eye twitch slightly, however, and tossed her thoughts in a different direction. "I will be looking forward to your visit, Rei-chan. I'll have to tell Onii-chan to prepare something special for you," she smiled over her shoulder towards Reiko as she spoke. She wouldn't let Aram anywhere near a stove, though. The last time he prepared something, it nearly kept her in bed for three weeks. Even with all the medicine at his disposal, nothing could cure her. It simply had to pass through her system.
The memory caused her face to pale further as a light shiver went down her spine.
Reiko was not especially used to being touched so casually, really; only members of her family and Sayuri ever came into contact with her at all. So perhaps it was unsurprising that she froze like a deer exposed to bright light when Ayla took hold of her chin, turning her face this way and that. She didn’t understand exactly the meaning of what was said after that, but she had the sense that she had somehow upset the other woman. What was wrong with saying that she didn’t look much like a warrior? It was quite evidently true—Reiko was small, and her construction had an obvious aspect of delicacy. It was deceptively so, to some extent, but the impression she gave off was definitely more porcelain than steel.
She had been taught to always make her thoughts and feelings as clear as possible, to avoid misunderstandings. Her father had told her this, and told her that he had learned it the hard way, that a misunderstanding had estranged him from someone he cared about a great deal, and that he’d always regretted it. While Reiko could not say that she and Ayla were close, she certainly didn’t want to make anything turn sour.
"You are upset.” Though the expression had been but the briefest flash over Ayla’s features, Reiko knew it with certainty. She could feel it, in a way that other people could not. "This one is sorry, Ayla-san. This one did not mean to say anything offensive. This one was only suggesting that this one does not look like a fighter, or any other kind of extraordinary person like that. This one did not mean to imply anything else.” Eyes wide, she blinked, then dropped into a perfectly-positioned bow, her head ducked, eyes on the ground. It was deep, and perhaps more formal than it needed to be, more like someone would bow to a superior, but she did not want to offend by seeming insincere in her apology, either. Better to apologize too much than not enough.
Ayla blinked slowly at first, trying to process what Reiko had spoken. She blinked again when the girl bowed, and continued to stare at Reiko. Why was she apologizing? Why was she bowing in such a formal way? Ayla felt something stir in her chest, and she placed both of her hands on Reiko's shoulders, pulling the girl back up to stand properly. Her eyes had darkened considerably, however; the aura she exuded wasn't one of malice or ill-intent. It was solemn, and if anything, a bit depressed. Perhaps she read into Reiko's words wrong, but it was not necessary for Reiko to apologize for it.
"This is why Aram tells me to think before I speak, but do not apologize Rei-chan. You did nothing wrong. Please, do not apologize," she spoke, sighing softly through her nose. "Besides... I don't like it when people bow," she continued, though the last words spoken were mumbled. She didn't have any particular reason, however; Ayla never really liked it when people bowed to her, or if she had to bow to someone else. Something inside always stirred when people bowed, and though they no longer bow to her, or even Aram, having been forgotten, it still irked her.
"How about we go to that archery competition, ne?" she stated, trying to change the subject. It was making her a little uncomfortable, and she didn't want to linger on the subject. Besides, she was itching to see what kind of competition she would have during the contest. Would it even be considered a contest? Should she not compete? Would it be fair if she competed?
Reiko was surprised, again, to be forced back upright, but it appeared that any damage had been mended, however that had happened, and so she let herself relax slightly, though she never lost her straight-backed posture. A small smile appeared on her face, and she nodded slightly. "I prefer the sword, but I would be happy to cheer for you,” she offered, a note of warm cheer suffusing her voice.
It had certainly been an interesting day so far.
The light from the moon glowed eeriely down below, glistening off of the white sheen of Ayla's hair. Her eyes, normally a powder blue, were flickering gold, and her hair was taking on shades of black. Her lips were curled back, her fangs extended like a vampire's, however; Ayla was no vampire. For all that she was, she was anything but a vampire. A feral growl passed through her lips as she tried to calm herself. How could the smallest of insults have set her off so completely? Her eyes trailed up towards the sky, and she cursed beneath her breath. The full moon, how she hated it so. If it weren't for Masashi, for what he said, she wouldn't be on the verge of a transformation.
"I'm going to kill that man," she stated through clenched teeth. She could feel the itch, the one that always came before she snapped. She could see the day's events playing through her mind, every touch against her skin, and every word that was spoken. She loathed people like Masashi. How dare he think he could simply take what did not belong to him? How dare he think he could make her, of all people, submit to him because she was a woman? The way he slid his finger against her arm, the way his breath lingered in front of her face, it only caused the beast inside of her to stir more. She belonged to no one.
The final thread holding her control together, snapped, and the sounds of bones popping and realigning themselves, echoed throughout the forest. Short grunts could be heard following each pop as the wind seemed to pick up. The tresses, no longer their snow-white shade but instead a deep black, seemed to extend, covering Ayla's entire form. When the black ball finally shed, where Ayla once stood, was a white wolf. It was large, larger than what would have been deemed normal for its standards. She stood on all four of her legs, a howl that echoed anger filled the area as she ran.
Where her limbs were taking her towards, she did not know. All she knew was that there was a scent that filled her nostrils, and she wanted to destroy it. The beast would have what it was due.
Deeper in the forest, the scene was quite the opposite: where Ayla’s state was one of uncontained violence and rage, Reiko was rather tranquil, humming pleasantly to herself as her feet carried her softly over the leaf-strewn ground. Several spheres of light hovered around her, moving as she did and bathing the surrounding area in a soft, contented golden glow. She was dressed in the manner of a man, at the moment, the garmets somewhat oversized, being tailored-down versions of clothes that had once belonged to Takahiro, the smallest of her brothers. Of course, “smallest” was relative—Takahiro was still a good eight inches taller than she was, which meant she’d had to hem the loose grey hakama considerably. She didn’t mind, of course; having something to do was often a blessing of its own.
Tonight, she was out gathering herbs, mostly so she could use the leaves in tea. She grew some in her garden, but others were abundant in the wild, and so she saw little need to cultivate them. A medium-sized, flat basket rested against one thin hip, her arm draped carelessly over the other side. Her hair was simply braided over one shoulder, as there was no image to maintain at the moment, not even for the villagers. She could be as comfortable as she liked, baggy men’s clothes and relaxed hairstyle included.
She was laying some sprigs in her basket when she sensed something out of the ordinary. A great deal of hostility was headed in her direction, but it was… confused. Muddled, somehow, or not completely lucid. Sometimes, animals were like that, but this anger was too… focused to be the frustration of an animal. Besides, they usually only became violent as part of a fear or protection response. This was an aggressive angry. And that was distinctive of the human, or humanesque, condition.
Perhaps contrary to the common sense of anyone with a lick of self-preservation, Reiko turned herself towards that feeling, pointing her feet southward, and starting in that direction. Something was wrong—and she intended to find out what.
Ayla kept her gaze focused in front of her, the scent of the night breeze filling her nostrils along with his scent, however; there was another scent that filled her senses. She knew that scent, right? It was... familiar, however; his scent flooded her again, and she ignored it. Her paws dug into the earth, carrying her across the forest floor as she headed towards her destination. It wasn't until the other scent, the familiar one, assaulted her senses a bit stronger this time, and it brought her to an abrupt stop. The earth beneath her paws seemed to fold over, destroying the plants that were once planted there. Blue eyes were fixated upon the young woman's form, teeth pulled back into a snarl.
This woman, who was she? Why was her scent familiar? It didn't matter. She was not the one Ayla was after. She wanted Masashi, and she wanted him dead. The creature before Reiko did not care if she was in the way, and as if to signal this, Ayla charged Reiko. She would not care if this human was harmed in the process. She should not stand between a wolf and what it wanted to kill.
Reiko began to question the wisdom of her decision only when she came face-to-face with the being emitting the tangled web of aggressive feelings. For what seemed like a long moment, they simply stared at one another. The wolf’s coloration reminded her oddly of Ayla; if she survived this, perhaps she would have to tell the other woman that there was another blue-eyed, white haired creature about. It was a silly thought, really, and it tapered off into nothingness when she was charged. Dropping the basket, Reiko sprang to the side, her legs carrying her much further than any human legs could. She landed sideways against the trunk of a nearby tree, using the strength in her legs to redirect her trajectory, carrying her over the charging wolf and allowing her to land softly behind the beast.
She drew in a soft breath, unsure if it would make to attack her again. She had brought no weapon with her, not believing she would need one so close to her own home. She kept herself calm, though, knowing that if her emotions reached a certain level of distress, it would summon Tatsuya here, and his solution to the situation would be to kill the creature. Reiko didn’t want to do that. She knew not what it really was, for it could be no wolf that felt so human, but that didn’t mean it deserved to die.
Her once focused gaze was abruptly shifted to the young woman. How did she manage to dodge so easily? She was a human, was she not? No human should be able to move like that, and even as a wolf, she knew that. The wolf's mind may be in control, however; it still knew the difference between human and something else. She fixated her gaze on Reiko, the hairs along her back rising. Was this being dangerous as they once were? A deep growl escaped Ayla, stepping forward and lowering her head in a threatening manner.
Her jaws opened, her teeth glistening beneath the moon of the same color. This woman needed to perish, Masashi could wait. With that in mind, the wolf had a new target, and once again, charged Reiko. She wouldn't let this creature get away. Her claws stretched out, intent on grabbing the young woman and tearing her apart.
Though the spring was much faster than she expected, Reiko managed to mostly evade it, the extended claws—too sharp for a canine’s—catching her on the shoulder before she could move out of the way completely. They shredded the sleeve of her gi, cutting into the flesh beneath and spilling her blood down her arm. Several drops fell from the tips of her fingers to the forest floor, and Reiko raised her other hand to apply pressure to the injury, more a reflex than anything. It was a deep cut, but nowhere vital, and it would be healed very soon regardless.
"Wait,” she said, her voice soft but still quite audible. How she knew the wolf would understand her, she could not say, but she had the feeling that it would. "I don’t mean you any harm. I don’t want to hurt you. There’s really nothing to be angry about, is there?” Slowly, she reached out, not physically, but with her mind, in that strange way she could only describe as connecting her emotions to those of another. The touch, such as it was, was tentative, and still the anger and violent intent hit her like a brick wall, causing her to flinch back a bit. But she remained steady, and licked her lips nervously, sending her own feelings, gentle and without hostility, through the connection in the other direction.
She could feel the connection attempt, but Ayla shook from it. She would not be dissuaded from her current mission. Her eyes, however, did flicker from the powder blue, to a molten gold color, before retaining the blue again. For a brief moment, Ayla had managed to retain her senses, however; it seemed not to last. There was reason for her anger. Originally, that source of anger belonged to Masashi, but when Reiko showed up, it shifted to her. She did not know what Reiko was, and if she posed as much of a threat as they had, then she needed to be dealt with.
She shook the warmth the woman was trying to send, and charged her again, however; instead of running the young woman over, Ayla came to an abrupt stop. She was a few inches away from Reiko, her jaws open, teeth extended and ready to sink into Reiko's flesh, however; she stopped. The gold once more took hold of Ayla's eyes, and her lips receded over her teeth. She growled, still, at Reiko, her eyes taking caution intead of hostility. "Reiko?" Ayla conveyed, though her lips did not move. It was stated, rather than questioned, however; she could still feel the beast clawing its way back out.
"Why are you out by yourself, it is not safe," she continued, forgetting momentarily that she was still in wolf form. She could feel the previous warmth from Reiko, and felt the previous anger subsiding softly. It wasn't completely gone, however; Ayla had more control of it now than she did a few minutes ago. She could, for a brief moment, smell blood on the air, and it took Ayla a moment to realize that part of Reiko's attire was ruined. A slow sigh escaped her as she brought a paw up to her head. "Aram is not going to be pleased about this," whether she told him or not, he always knew.
What on earth…? She was being spoken to, but it wasn’t a voice, in the usual sense. Nor, however, was it the telepathy Takahiro could use. This was something distinct from both, or caught somewhere in between. It was hard to say. One thing she did know, however, was that she recognized the creature in front of her. "Ayla-san?” her voice carried a perceptible note of disbelief, like she could not quite reconcile the image of the woman she’d met with that of the wolf in front of her. And yet… had she not heard, before, that such a thing was possible? Did not even more unbelievable things happen to her from time to time? Did she not live the sort of life where this should be, if not expected, at the very least possible?
She did, and she was well aware of it. Heedless of the blood still on her gi, she smiled softly, allowing the empathetic link to establish itself more fully. She could feel that Ayla’s rage, though still simmering somewhere beneath the surface of her consciousness, no longer threatened to consume her, and that was good enough, for the moment. "I’m glad you’re all right.” She was also glad she’d made the decision not to fight the wolf, and not to alert Tatsuya to her distress. It was difficult, concealing things from him through the Mark, and interestingly, it seemed to get more and more difficult as she accepted its presence, rather than easier to control.
"It seems I am not my usual self," she mused, glancing away from Reiko as she gave a dejected sigh. Aram really wasn't going to like this little fact, however; Ayla focused back on Reiko, and raised a brow. "I am fine, but why are you? You should be dead," she stated, giving Reiko a gentle push with her paw. She was vaguely aware of what happened, if the destroyed patches of earth were anything to go by, and also the dried blood on Reiko's gi. Ayla was fast, and she knew for a fact that she was faster than a human, however; there were two other creatures that were faster or on par with her.
"So it seems we are both creatures of mysteries, are we not?" she chuckled, though it wasn't darkly. It held an amused note to it, and the sounds of bones realigning themselves filled the air once more. Though she still lost control from time to time, Ayla learned to master the art of remaining partially clothed when she reverted back. It wasn't an easy thing, and it had taken her nearly five centuries to get it right. She'd grown tired of Aram's facial expressions when she shifted back, and Amon... her thoughts paused there as she pulled the sleeve of her torn kimono back over her shoulder.
"Care to join me on a stroll?" she didn't feel like being alone at the moment.
Reiko paused a moment, then nodded, casting one of her little bobbing lights in front of the both of them, to illuminate the path forward. "This one’s father used to tell me stories,” she murmured softly, shrugging out of her gi. She still wore the second kosode layer underneath, and had bandage-bindings on besides, but Ayla wasn’t quite as clothed, and she didn’t want anyone to come across her in such an indecent state. With a deft motion, she draped the gi over the other woman’s shoulders, still warm with her body heat.
"Sorry about the blood; this one is afraid I don’t have anything else to offer you. Anyway, like this one said… he told this one that people like you existed. He said some people called you werewolves.” He’d had a different word, but he wasn’t sure if he’d used it for all members of the kind, or just the one he’d known. She wondered how many there could be, anyway. Maybe the first one had had many children, or changed many others. It was certainly possible. "He said it was harder to stay in a humanlike form on the night of the full moon, or when they were upset.” Both of which would help explain Ayla’s state tonight.
She paused a moment, then looked down slightly, shaking her head. "As for this one… well, you’re right that I’m not human. This one is something much worse than that.” The truth was, she tried not to think of it, what she really was. It disgusted her, on some level, and it was much nicer to ignore it and imagine that she was just an especially long-lived human, without this terrible thirst. But she couldn’t no matter how much she might want to, and deep down, she knew that was for the best. What monster should be able to forget its own nature?
"This one is… a vampire. An oni.”
Ayla was going to object the gi, however; once the clothing was draped over her shoulders, she held her tongue, and tucked it closer around her. She could smell Reiko's blood on it, but she chose to ignore it when Reiko apologized about it. She released a dejected sigh and shook her head, remaining silent as Reiko continued to speak. Others? Like her? As far as she knew, she was the only one of her kind. She'd never had kids, and she never turned anyone. She wasn't even sure she was capable of turning someone. She'd bitten a few people before, but they were all still human. Not that they didn't deserve the bites, because they did.
The only people who knew of her state, though, were Aram and Amon. She had been careful enough to keep her secret a secret, so how could Reiko have known? It wasn't plausible that Reiko would know of this secret of hers, and before she could ask how Reiko knew, it all made sense at the next set of words. Vampire. There was only one person she knew of that could have told Reiko those stories, and Ayla stopped in her tracks. Something, like a weight, applied itself to her chest, and for a moment, Ayla couldn't breathe. It didn't make sense. There was no way she could be his child, could she?
"What you are is nothing worse than an human, Rei-chan. Oni... are terrible creatures, and what I see before me is not a terrible thing. For what kind of creature would shed its clothing and share it with another? Horrid creatures do not do that for others," she spoke, offering a warm smile in the process. "Your father must have been a knowledgeable being, to know what I am," She neglected to say that she was the only werewolf. Reiko did not need to know that, and Aram would not be pleased with her if she told the vampiress. Maybe Ayla was over analyzing it? Maybe Reiko was a child of a different person who still knew of the three? Was that even possible?
Reiko’s expression didn’t seem to change much, the lights floating around her dimming to a dull grey, but she didn’t reply to the reassurance. It was nice of Ayla to say so, but the fact remained that she drank the blood of innocent people to survive. Only a monster was capable of something like that. She let out a soft sigh, smiling to mask her discomfort a bit. "You don’t have to worry, though. This one is not going to tell anyone your secret. If you… um… if you find that you are losing yourself again, this one will be glad to assist you in the future, if this one can.” She wasn’t sure that anything she had done had helped Ayla at all, really, but in case it had, she figured making the offer couldn’t hurt.
"I'm going to kill that man," she stated through clenched teeth. She could feel the itch, the one that always came before she snapped. She could see the day's events playing through her mind, every touch against her skin, and every word that was spoken. She loathed people like Masashi. How dare he think he could simply take what did not belong to him? How dare he think he could make her, of all people, submit to him because she was a woman? The way he slid his finger against her arm, the way his breath lingered in front of her face, it only caused the beast inside of her to stir more. She belonged to no one.
The final thread holding her control together, snapped, and the sounds of bones popping and realigning themselves, echoed throughout the forest. Short grunts could be heard following each pop as the wind seemed to pick up. The tresses, no longer their snow-white shade but instead a deep black, seemed to extend, covering Ayla's entire form. When the black ball finally shed, where Ayla once stood, was a white wolf. It was large, larger than what would have been deemed normal for its standards. She stood on all four of her legs, a howl that echoed anger filled the area as she ran.
Where her limbs were taking her towards, she did not know. All she knew was that there was a scent that filled her nostrils, and she wanted to destroy it. The beast would have what it was due.
Deeper in the forest, the scene was quite the opposite: where Ayla’s state was one of uncontained violence and rage, Reiko was rather tranquil, humming pleasantly to herself as her feet carried her softly over the leaf-strewn ground. Several spheres of light hovered around her, moving as she did and bathing the surrounding area in a soft, contented golden glow. She was dressed in the manner of a man, at the moment, the garmets somewhat oversized, being tailored-down versions of clothes that had once belonged to Takahiro, the smallest of her brothers. Of course, “smallest” was relative—Takahiro was still a good eight inches taller than she was, which meant she’d had to hem the loose grey hakama considerably. She didn’t mind, of course; having something to do was often a blessing of its own.
Tonight, she was out gathering herbs, mostly so she could use the leaves in tea. She grew some in her garden, but others were abundant in the wild, and so she saw little need to cultivate them. A medium-sized, flat basket rested against one thin hip, her arm draped carelessly over the other side. Her hair was simply braided over one shoulder, as there was no image to maintain at the moment, not even for the villagers. She could be as comfortable as she liked, baggy men’s clothes and relaxed hairstyle included.
She was laying some sprigs in her basket when she sensed something out of the ordinary. A great deal of hostility was headed in her direction, but it was… confused. Muddled, somehow, or not completely lucid. Sometimes, animals were like that, but this anger was too… focused to be the frustration of an animal. Besides, they usually only became violent as part of a fear or protection response. This was an aggressive angry. And that was distinctive of the human, or humanesque, condition.
Perhaps contrary to the common sense of anyone with a lick of self-preservation, Reiko turned herself towards that feeling, pointing her feet southward, and starting in that direction. Something was wrong—and she intended to find out what.
Ayla kept her gaze focused in front of her, the scent of the night breeze filling her nostrils along with his scent, however; there was another scent that filled her senses. She knew that scent, right? It was... familiar, however; his scent flooded her again, and she ignored it. Her paws dug into the earth, carrying her across the forest floor as she headed towards her destination. It wasn't until the other scent, the familiar one, assaulted her senses a bit stronger this time, and it brought her to an abrupt stop. The earth beneath her paws seemed to fold over, destroying the plants that were once planted there. Blue eyes were fixated upon the young woman's form, teeth pulled back into a snarl.
This woman, who was she? Why was her scent familiar? It didn't matter. She was not the one Ayla was after. She wanted Masashi, and she wanted him dead. The creature before Reiko did not care if she was in the way, and as if to signal this, Ayla charged Reiko. She would not care if this human was harmed in the process. She should not stand between a wolf and what it wanted to kill.
Reiko began to question the wisdom of her decision only when she came face-to-face with the being emitting the tangled web of aggressive feelings. For what seemed like a long moment, they simply stared at one another. The wolf’s coloration reminded her oddly of Ayla; if she survived this, perhaps she would have to tell the other woman that there was another blue-eyed, white haired creature about. It was a silly thought, really, and it tapered off into nothingness when she was charged. Dropping the basket, Reiko sprang to the side, her legs carrying her much further than any human legs could. She landed sideways against the trunk of a nearby tree, using the strength in her legs to redirect her trajectory, carrying her over the charging wolf and allowing her to land softly behind the beast.
She drew in a soft breath, unsure if it would make to attack her again. She had brought no weapon with her, not believing she would need one so close to her own home. She kept herself calm, though, knowing that if her emotions reached a certain level of distress, it would summon Tatsuya here, and his solution to the situation would be to kill the creature. Reiko didn’t want to do that. She knew not what it really was, for it could be no wolf that felt so human, but that didn’t mean it deserved to die.
Her once focused gaze was abruptly shifted to the young woman. How did she manage to dodge so easily? She was a human, was she not? No human should be able to move like that, and even as a wolf, she knew that. The wolf's mind may be in control, however; it still knew the difference between human and something else. She fixated her gaze on Reiko, the hairs along her back rising. Was this being dangerous as they once were? A deep growl escaped Ayla, stepping forward and lowering her head in a threatening manner.
Her jaws opened, her teeth glistening beneath the moon of the same color. This woman needed to perish, Masashi could wait. With that in mind, the wolf had a new target, and once again, charged Reiko. She wouldn't let this creature get away. Her claws stretched out, intent on grabbing the young woman and tearing her apart.
Though the spring was much faster than she expected, Reiko managed to mostly evade it, the extended claws—too sharp for a canine’s—catching her on the shoulder before she could move out of the way completely. They shredded the sleeve of her gi, cutting into the flesh beneath and spilling her blood down her arm. Several drops fell from the tips of her fingers to the forest floor, and Reiko raised her other hand to apply pressure to the injury, more a reflex than anything. It was a deep cut, but nowhere vital, and it would be healed very soon regardless.
"Wait,” she said, her voice soft but still quite audible. How she knew the wolf would understand her, she could not say, but she had the feeling that it would. "I don’t mean you any harm. I don’t want to hurt you. There’s really nothing to be angry about, is there?” Slowly, she reached out, not physically, but with her mind, in that strange way she could only describe as connecting her emotions to those of another. The touch, such as it was, was tentative, and still the anger and violent intent hit her like a brick wall, causing her to flinch back a bit. But she remained steady, and licked her lips nervously, sending her own feelings, gentle and without hostility, through the connection in the other direction.
She could feel the connection attempt, but Ayla shook from it. She would not be dissuaded from her current mission. Her eyes, however, did flicker from the powder blue, to a molten gold color, before retaining the blue again. For a brief moment, Ayla had managed to retain her senses, however; it seemed not to last. There was reason for her anger. Originally, that source of anger belonged to Masashi, but when Reiko showed up, it shifted to her. She did not know what Reiko was, and if she posed as much of a threat as they had, then she needed to be dealt with.
She shook the warmth the woman was trying to send, and charged her again, however; instead of running the young woman over, Ayla came to an abrupt stop. She was a few inches away from Reiko, her jaws open, teeth extended and ready to sink into Reiko's flesh, however; she stopped. The gold once more took hold of Ayla's eyes, and her lips receded over her teeth. She growled, still, at Reiko, her eyes taking caution intead of hostility. "Reiko?" Ayla conveyed, though her lips did not move. It was stated, rather than questioned, however; she could still feel the beast clawing its way back out.
"Why are you out by yourself, it is not safe," she continued, forgetting momentarily that she was still in wolf form. She could feel the previous warmth from Reiko, and felt the previous anger subsiding softly. It wasn't completely gone, however; Ayla had more control of it now than she did a few minutes ago. She could, for a brief moment, smell blood on the air, and it took Ayla a moment to realize that part of Reiko's attire was ruined. A slow sigh escaped her as she brought a paw up to her head. "Aram is not going to be pleased about this," whether she told him or not, he always knew.
What on earth…? She was being spoken to, but it wasn’t a voice, in the usual sense. Nor, however, was it the telepathy Takahiro could use. This was something distinct from both, or caught somewhere in between. It was hard to say. One thing she did know, however, was that she recognized the creature in front of her. "Ayla-san?” her voice carried a perceptible note of disbelief, like she could not quite reconcile the image of the woman she’d met with that of the wolf in front of her. And yet… had she not heard, before, that such a thing was possible? Did not even more unbelievable things happen to her from time to time? Did she not live the sort of life where this should be, if not expected, at the very least possible?
She did, and she was well aware of it. Heedless of the blood still on her gi, she smiled softly, allowing the empathetic link to establish itself more fully. She could feel that Ayla’s rage, though still simmering somewhere beneath the surface of her consciousness, no longer threatened to consume her, and that was good enough, for the moment. "I’m glad you’re all right.” She was also glad she’d made the decision not to fight the wolf, and not to alert Tatsuya to her distress. It was difficult, concealing things from him through the Mark, and interestingly, it seemed to get more and more difficult as she accepted its presence, rather than easier to control.
"It seems I am not my usual self," she mused, glancing away from Reiko as she gave a dejected sigh. Aram really wasn't going to like this little fact, however; Ayla focused back on Reiko, and raised a brow. "I am fine, but why are you? You should be dead," she stated, giving Reiko a gentle push with her paw. She was vaguely aware of what happened, if the destroyed patches of earth were anything to go by, and also the dried blood on Reiko's gi. Ayla was fast, and she knew for a fact that she was faster than a human, however; there were two other creatures that were faster or on par with her.
"So it seems we are both creatures of mysteries, are we not?" she chuckled, though it wasn't darkly. It held an amused note to it, and the sounds of bones realigning themselves filled the air once more. Though she still lost control from time to time, Ayla learned to master the art of remaining partially clothed when she reverted back. It wasn't an easy thing, and it had taken her nearly five centuries to get it right. She'd grown tired of Aram's facial expressions when she shifted back, and Amon... her thoughts paused there as she pulled the sleeve of her torn kimono back over her shoulder.
"Care to join me on a stroll?" she didn't feel like being alone at the moment.
Reiko paused a moment, then nodded, casting one of her little bobbing lights in front of the both of them, to illuminate the path forward. "This one’s father used to tell me stories,” she murmured softly, shrugging out of her gi. She still wore the second kosode layer underneath, and had bandage-bindings on besides, but Ayla wasn’t quite as clothed, and she didn’t want anyone to come across her in such an indecent state. With a deft motion, she draped the gi over the other woman’s shoulders, still warm with her body heat.
"Sorry about the blood; this one is afraid I don’t have anything else to offer you. Anyway, like this one said… he told this one that people like you existed. He said some people called you werewolves.” He’d had a different word, but he wasn’t sure if he’d used it for all members of the kind, or just the one he’d known. She wondered how many there could be, anyway. Maybe the first one had had many children, or changed many others. It was certainly possible. "He said it was harder to stay in a humanlike form on the night of the full moon, or when they were upset.” Both of which would help explain Ayla’s state tonight.
She paused a moment, then looked down slightly, shaking her head. "As for this one… well, you’re right that I’m not human. This one is something much worse than that.” The truth was, she tried not to think of it, what she really was. It disgusted her, on some level, and it was much nicer to ignore it and imagine that she was just an especially long-lived human, without this terrible thirst. But she couldn’t no matter how much she might want to, and deep down, she knew that was for the best. What monster should be able to forget its own nature?
"This one is… a vampire. An oni.”
Ayla was going to object the gi, however; once the clothing was draped over her shoulders, she held her tongue, and tucked it closer around her. She could smell Reiko's blood on it, but she chose to ignore it when Reiko apologized about it. She released a dejected sigh and shook her head, remaining silent as Reiko continued to speak. Others? Like her? As far as she knew, she was the only one of her kind. She'd never had kids, and she never turned anyone. She wasn't even sure she was capable of turning someone. She'd bitten a few people before, but they were all still human. Not that they didn't deserve the bites, because they did.
The only people who knew of her state, though, were Aram and Amon. She had been careful enough to keep her secret a secret, so how could Reiko have known? It wasn't plausible that Reiko would know of this secret of hers, and before she could ask how Reiko knew, it all made sense at the next set of words. Vampire. There was only one person she knew of that could have told Reiko those stories, and Ayla stopped in her tracks. Something, like a weight, applied itself to her chest, and for a moment, Ayla couldn't breathe. It didn't make sense. There was no way she could be his child, could she?
"What you are is nothing worse than an human, Rei-chan. Oni... are terrible creatures, and what I see before me is not a terrible thing. For what kind of creature would shed its clothing and share it with another? Horrid creatures do not do that for others," she spoke, offering a warm smile in the process. "Your father must have been a knowledgeable being, to know what I am," She neglected to say that she was the only werewolf. Reiko did not need to know that, and Aram would not be pleased with her if she told the vampiress. Maybe Ayla was over analyzing it? Maybe Reiko was a child of a different person who still knew of the three? Was that even possible?
Reiko’s expression didn’t seem to change much, the lights floating around her dimming to a dull grey, but she didn’t reply to the reassurance. It was nice of Ayla to say so, but the fact remained that she drank the blood of innocent people to survive. Only a monster was capable of something like that. She let out a soft sigh, smiling to mask her discomfort a bit. "You don’t have to worry, though. This one is not going to tell anyone your secret. If you… um… if you find that you are losing yourself again, this one will be glad to assist you in the future, if this one can.” She wasn’t sure that anything she had done had helped Ayla at all, really, but in case it had, she figured making the offer couldn’t hurt.
Reiko hummed happily to herself as she fastened Sayuri’s obi in place, the pale blue of the fabric a sharp contrast against the hue of the kimono itself. Her own yukata was much simpler in design, the colors duller, though both were suitable for going out into the town. Reiko never made much use of all the nicest pieces in her wardrobe, most of them inherited from her mother, but she felt absolutely no reservations about sharing them with Sayuri. In fact, she probably would have given them all to the other girl if she thought her adopted sister would ever accept.
It had been about twelve years ago that the human girl had been introduced to their household, the last survivor of a pitched battle somewhere to the south, somewhere near Edo. Her father had rescued the child from what was sure to be a fate of poverty, death, or work in one of the brothels in the red lantern district, and brought her here, where the household had sort of collectively looked after her. Her father had officially adopted her, and so even after he died, she was a welcome ward of the house, though Reiko knew that some of her brothers weren’t especially keen on a human sharing one of the family names. Too bad for them—Sayu was here to stay.
And today she was free, so Reiko was taking her into town to meet Ayla. It had occurred to her that it must be awfully lonely, living like Ayla did, with only a brother for company most of the time. Not that there was anything wrong with brothers, of course, but there were things you could only get out of friendships with other females, and it was Sayuri herself that had taught Reiko that, as she grew up and they became closer, in the manner of two women rather than a lady and a little girl.
With sure hands, Reiko wound Sayuri’s dark hair up into a simple, but flattering topknot. The length was not as absurd as hers, but there was still a fair amount of it to be dealt with, and Reiko never bothered to hide the fact that she enjoyed doing her friend’s hair this way. It was soft and shiny, and pleasant to work through with her bare hands. A small, glittering ornament provided the final touch, and she stepped back, smiling softly into the mirror.
"Looks like we’re ready. This one hopes you’re hungry; Ayla-san owns a restaurant and this one would feel bad if we didn’t go there to eat!”
Sayuri had never been one to tell Reiko no, so when the older Hino spoke of venturing into town, Sayuri had happily obliged. She sat, motionless, while Reiko played with her hair, fixing it in a way that always looked pleasant. A gentle smile played on her lips, listening the brush strokes and the way her hair moved with Reiko's careful hands. Once she was finished, Sayuri turned and grinned at her surrogate sister. "Of course, I'm hungry. Can't you hear my stomach?" she replied, and as if on cue, her stomach released a small growling noise. A faint blush covered Sayuri's face as she placed a hand over her abdomen.
"I was only joking," she stated nervously. Still, she managed to smooth herself over and coughed into her hand. "I am surprised that a woman owns an establishment. Oh, but I don't mean it that way," Sayuri stated, waving her hands in front of herself as if to dismiss the idea. "I only meant it that those who are not from this village own such things and are still women," she corrected herself. She wondered how the woman fared before coming to their lord's village. Surely she didn't own a restaurant before? That, however, was a question for another time.
"Forget I mentioned anything. I am hungry, Reiko-chan. Let's go get something to eat. I would like to meet this Ayla-san, of yours," she confessed.
Reiko of course took no offense whatsoever, merely smiling a little wider and nodding. "Mhm. We shall!” The two left the estate without much difficulty, seeing as how they had every right to, and though the path down to the village was a little bit slower due to Sayuri’s presence, Reiko didn't mind at all, nor did she mention it, and the two passed the time as they always did, chatting about this and that. At one point, the recent negotiations between the Fujiwara house and a southern human daimyo came up, but only because the daimyo would soon be visiting, it seemed. It had been a very long time since the estate had any guests, indeed, which made it quite an interesting piece of gossip.
Other than that, though, their banter was light, and they walked with linked arm, stopping to greet many of the villagers they knew before eventually making it to Ayla’s restaurant. The signboard out of the front read simply ‘cuisine,’ and so she took it that the place didn’t have a name as of yet. Entering through the open doorway, the women seated themselves at a small table, and were soon given menus by a young waitress, a local village girl named Hana. Ayla had said she would join them, so they left an extra place for her as well.
Sayuri sat in comfortable silence as they awaited Reiko's friend. She decided to read the menu, instead, and glanced over the recipes. There was one that caught her eye and as another person approached the table, she set the menu down. It didn't take her long to realize who this person was, given the white hair and pale blue eyes meeting her own dark gray eyes. It took her a moment to realize that the woman, Ayla, was giving her a questioning look, and that she had been staring at the woman for what was longer than necessary. Immediately, Sayuri allowed her eyes to widen slightly, and muttered an apology. An amused smile crossed Ayla's face as she took a seat in the empty spot.
"You don't have to apologize, I'm used to it," Ayla replied, leaning on her hands as she stared at the young woman. She could tell by her scent that she was a human, which oddly reminded her of geraniums. There were, however, other scents softly mingled with hers, scents that were not human. Was she being used as a source of food? That didn't seem right. If that were the case, the young human wouldn't be human. "I'm glad you made it, Rei-Rei-chan," she stated, taking her attention off of Sayuri and placing it on Reiko. "Is she your mistress, Rei-chan?" she teased, watching as a faint blush spread across Sayuri's face.
"I am nothing of the sort!" Sayuri blurted, allowing the red to brighten. Ayla raised a questioning brow before chuckling lowly.
"Oh? Is that right?" Ayla questioned, keeping her gaze on Reiko.
"That's not very nice, Ayla-san,” Reiko said, her tone mild, but her eyes glinting with faint amusement. "Sayuri-chan is this one’s sister. Tou-chan adopted her about twelve years ago.” She smiled fractionally—just a bit. Reiko wasn’t one to grin or flash her teeth when she smiled, mostly out of cautious habit. Her fangs were not always visible when she did, but she didn’t want to risk it amongst humans. Sayu knew, of course, what she and her brothers were, but most did not, and everyone had been impressed by their father that things were better that way.
"But of course, if this one were interested in having a mistress, this one might ask Sayu-chan. She is very smart, and kind, and pretty, too.” Her smile widened just a little, as though she hadn’t said something hopelessly embarrassing for her friend, and she hid it behind one of the menus, her shoulders shaking just faintly with well-stifled laughter.
"Oh? Now I'm jealous, Rei-chan. And here I thought you would have chosen me," Ayla spoke, a frown tugging at the ends of her lips as she grasped Reiko's hands from the menu. It was enough for the blush on Sayuri's face to turn into a bright, tomato red, color. She rubbed her hands up and down her face, much to Ayla's amusement, but only succeeded in turning her face red. "You should know, Yu-chan, that I do not like sharing, but in this case," she stated, releasing Reiko's hands and gently grasped Sayuri's. Sayuri felt as though her heart were going to jump from her chest at any given moment, and her vision seemed to blur.
"You are a horrible onee-chan, Reiko-chan," she managed through light stutters. Ayla, however, could not contain the small fits of laughter that finally escaped her, and let Sayuri's hands go. "And you, Ayla-san, are a horrible person," though the blush receded, a small smile perched itself upon her lips, Ayla's own turning into a feral grin.
"I've been called worse," she stated, shrugging her shoulders in the process. She was being completely honest about it, too. "So Tou-chan adopted you, eh?" Ayla questioned, slightly curious as to why a vampire would take in a human ward. There must have been some reason behind it, other than as a late night snack. The red finally subsided from Sayuri's face as she glanced down, folding her hands together and letting them rest on her lap.
"Yes, that is right. Fujiwara-dono adopted me when I was eight. If it weren't for him, I don't know where I'd be right now," and it could have been any place, really. She was, and would be, forever grateful to the Lord for showing up when he did. "But I am glad he did save me, because I got to meet Reiko-chan," she continued, smiling as she glanced at her surrogate sister. Ayla tried her best not to sigh at the story. Just who was this lord to have done such a thing? She set the thought aside, though, and turned towards Reiko.
"Well, then I am as well, because then I wouldn't have met you either. Sorry Rei-chan, but I think I might take Yu-chan from you. I think she'd make a better mistress for me, wouldn't you?" Ayla spoke, moving her hands so that she placed them gently on Sayuri's. Sayuri's face turned a lovely shade of red, again.
Reiko snorted, the sound turning into a series of giggles, and shook her head. "But Sayu-chan needs someone gentle, Ayla-san. You’re much too willful to be her type, is it not so?” She leaned to the side, knocking her shoulder into Sayuri’s in a playful sort of way. Honestly, she was just as bad as Sayu when people teased her this way, and she knew her friend was about at the limit of what she could take before dissolving into a puddle of embarrassed goo, so she decided to ease up on her a little, just in time for the waitress to come back with their drinks and appetizers, as well as to take Ayla’s order.
"Mm, it smells delicious!” The appetizers were dango, actually, but they smelled of some unique spice or another, and she picked one up delicately, nipping off the end of it and smiling. It was quite something—plain food given a little more taste by an innovation in preparation rather than basic constitution. "Did you come up with this recipe, Ayla-san?”
"And how do you know someone willful isn't what she needs?" Ayla continued, however; she pulled back in time to see Sayuri's body shaking slightly. She chuckled lightly, glanced at the waitress, and placed her order. There was only one dish she liked, and it was one of her own. Sayuri, however, looked like she was about to pass out before taking a drink of water set before her. Ayla blinked slowly at Reiko's question, and a frown appeared on her face. She was tempted to say yes, that the recipe was indeed hers, however; this one, oddly, belonged to Aram. He couldn't cook for the life of him, and she was hesitant to try the ingredient. As it turned out, though, the food became better. She never thanked him for that, actually.
"No, unfortunately. The recipe is one my brother made. Don't get me wrong, I love the man, but don't... just don't ever ask him to cook for you unless you have a death wish," she stated in a serious tone. Her gaze did not waver from its position, causing Sayuri to raise a brow. Was his cooking that dangerous? Surely it wasn't too bad, was it? It was enough to cause Sayuri's blush to fade, and a look of curiosity crossed her face.
"You have siblings, Ayla-san?" she questioned, the slight curiousity peeking through her voice. Ayla nodded in response, and a light brightened behind Sayuri's dark eyes. "Are they your older siblings, or are you the oldest?" she found herself asking, leaning a little further on the table. It was nice to have siblings, even if Reiko was the only one who tolerated her. "I bet they have hair as pretty as yours," that caused Ayla to snort, startling Sayuri in the process.
"No, they do not have the same shade of hair as I do, thankfully," she responded first. "And I only have one older brother, now. I... lost my oldest a long time ago," she continued, trying to keep her voice from softening at the last sentence. "But that is a story for another time," she stated, waving a hand in front of her as she tried to grin.
Reiko’s eyes softened. Knowing what it was like, to lose someone precious like that, she wasn’t going to make Ayla talk about it if she didn’t want to. So instead, she shifted the topic. "We have six brothers,” she said, shooting Sayuri a knowing look. Really, only a few of them ever paid much attention to their human sister, but perhaps that was to be expected. When you were as old as some of them, she imagined the dozen years Sayu had been with them were not nearly enough for them to have become accustomed to her, certainly not enough for most to pay her much mind. There were some who were colder than others, but it wasn’t like any of them actively disliked her, either.
"Tatsuya’s the oldest. Then there’s Jirō, Tsubasa, Kentaro, Daichi, and Takahiro. Actually, all of them except for Takahiro are this one’s half-brothers, but that doesn’t make much of a difference. Most of the time.” They’d been a little contentious along the family lines recently, but she didn’t feel the need to dump all of her family issues on Ayla in a casual conversation like this, and furthermore, she knew for a fact that some of them would be unhappy with her if they’d learned she did so.
"It’s a pretty big household, which means things can be quite chaotic sometimes, with the eight of us, staff, retainers, and so on, but it’s also quite enjoyable.” Since Sayu had just essentially outed her as the former daimyo’s daughter, she didn’t feel the need to be as delicate about her position as she had been. "You’re welcome to come visit, if you ever have the inclination.”
Sayuri gave an apologetic smile as Ayla listened to what Reiko was saying. She seemed to have a large family, how did they manage that? Surely they didn't have much to their name, right? It took all of five seconds to realize that the lord Reiko had spoken of before, and the one Sayuri mentioned, were one and the same. It all fell into place for Ayla, as she chuckled lightly. "Rei-chan, you had me fooled. Here I thought you were some commoner like myself," she stated, leaning on her hands. Sayuri blinked slowly as she glanced between the two. What would have given Ayla that impression? She glanced towards Reiko, and it made a bit more sense.
"It is because Rei-chan does not dress as a lady of the house should," Sayuri chimed in softly. "Perhaps we ought to change that, Ayla-san?" she stated, turning to face Reiko with an innocent smile. Ayla's grin, however, wasn't so innocent. She let a soft humming noise be her response as her gaze fixed on Reiko, sharp like a predator's fixed on its prey. "Since Rei-chan has invited, perhaps we can make use of this invitation," she added.
"I do believe you are right, Yu-chan. Reiko has invited, and I would be a poor friend indeed to refuse. I would like to see Rei-chan out of her clothes, after all. I'm sure it'd be a delightful appearance once she was adorned in proper clothing," Ayla spoke, allowing the mischief to coat her words. She only teased, though, and wouldn't do anything of the sort. As appealing as it sounded, dressing up the princess to see what was beneath that layer of hair would be entertaining, however; she had a feeling Reiko wouldn't be too keen on the thought. Of the visit, maybe, but not the undressing and being dressed portion of the visit.
Reiko appeared to choke on the mouthful of water she’d been about to swallow, and only just barely managed to get it down before erupting into a fit of coughing, her face just about as red as Sayu’s had been earlier. "You will do no such thing. This one dresses perfectly well, thank you.” She’d never been one for pretty things, honestly, feeling that they were wasted on someone like her. Even now, Sayuri was dressed more like a lady of nobility than she was. More than that though, the thought of being dressed up like a doll, while not entirely unappealing as a way to amuse herself and her friends, was generally something she preferred to do to others. Why waste the effort on her when Ayla would look so much better in red? Or blue, or violet. Really any color.
She wrenched her thoughts away from that though, and hastily changed the topic. "A-anyway, Ayla-san, what made you want to open a restaurant…?” Lighter conversation was probably better for the moment.
It had been about twelve years ago that the human girl had been introduced to their household, the last survivor of a pitched battle somewhere to the south, somewhere near Edo. Her father had rescued the child from what was sure to be a fate of poverty, death, or work in one of the brothels in the red lantern district, and brought her here, where the household had sort of collectively looked after her. Her father had officially adopted her, and so even after he died, she was a welcome ward of the house, though Reiko knew that some of her brothers weren’t especially keen on a human sharing one of the family names. Too bad for them—Sayu was here to stay.
And today she was free, so Reiko was taking her into town to meet Ayla. It had occurred to her that it must be awfully lonely, living like Ayla did, with only a brother for company most of the time. Not that there was anything wrong with brothers, of course, but there were things you could only get out of friendships with other females, and it was Sayuri herself that had taught Reiko that, as she grew up and they became closer, in the manner of two women rather than a lady and a little girl.
With sure hands, Reiko wound Sayuri’s dark hair up into a simple, but flattering topknot. The length was not as absurd as hers, but there was still a fair amount of it to be dealt with, and Reiko never bothered to hide the fact that she enjoyed doing her friend’s hair this way. It was soft and shiny, and pleasant to work through with her bare hands. A small, glittering ornament provided the final touch, and she stepped back, smiling softly into the mirror.
"Looks like we’re ready. This one hopes you’re hungry; Ayla-san owns a restaurant and this one would feel bad if we didn’t go there to eat!”
Sayuri had never been one to tell Reiko no, so when the older Hino spoke of venturing into town, Sayuri had happily obliged. She sat, motionless, while Reiko played with her hair, fixing it in a way that always looked pleasant. A gentle smile played on her lips, listening the brush strokes and the way her hair moved with Reiko's careful hands. Once she was finished, Sayuri turned and grinned at her surrogate sister. "Of course, I'm hungry. Can't you hear my stomach?" she replied, and as if on cue, her stomach released a small growling noise. A faint blush covered Sayuri's face as she placed a hand over her abdomen.
"I was only joking," she stated nervously. Still, she managed to smooth herself over and coughed into her hand. "I am surprised that a woman owns an establishment. Oh, but I don't mean it that way," Sayuri stated, waving her hands in front of herself as if to dismiss the idea. "I only meant it that those who are not from this village own such things and are still women," she corrected herself. She wondered how the woman fared before coming to their lord's village. Surely she didn't own a restaurant before? That, however, was a question for another time.
"Forget I mentioned anything. I am hungry, Reiko-chan. Let's go get something to eat. I would like to meet this Ayla-san, of yours," she confessed.
Reiko of course took no offense whatsoever, merely smiling a little wider and nodding. "Mhm. We shall!” The two left the estate without much difficulty, seeing as how they had every right to, and though the path down to the village was a little bit slower due to Sayuri’s presence, Reiko didn't mind at all, nor did she mention it, and the two passed the time as they always did, chatting about this and that. At one point, the recent negotiations between the Fujiwara house and a southern human daimyo came up, but only because the daimyo would soon be visiting, it seemed. It had been a very long time since the estate had any guests, indeed, which made it quite an interesting piece of gossip.
Other than that, though, their banter was light, and they walked with linked arm, stopping to greet many of the villagers they knew before eventually making it to Ayla’s restaurant. The signboard out of the front read simply ‘cuisine,’ and so she took it that the place didn’t have a name as of yet. Entering through the open doorway, the women seated themselves at a small table, and were soon given menus by a young waitress, a local village girl named Hana. Ayla had said she would join them, so they left an extra place for her as well.
Sayuri sat in comfortable silence as they awaited Reiko's friend. She decided to read the menu, instead, and glanced over the recipes. There was one that caught her eye and as another person approached the table, she set the menu down. It didn't take her long to realize who this person was, given the white hair and pale blue eyes meeting her own dark gray eyes. It took her a moment to realize that the woman, Ayla, was giving her a questioning look, and that she had been staring at the woman for what was longer than necessary. Immediately, Sayuri allowed her eyes to widen slightly, and muttered an apology. An amused smile crossed Ayla's face as she took a seat in the empty spot.
"You don't have to apologize, I'm used to it," Ayla replied, leaning on her hands as she stared at the young woman. She could tell by her scent that she was a human, which oddly reminded her of geraniums. There were, however, other scents softly mingled with hers, scents that were not human. Was she being used as a source of food? That didn't seem right. If that were the case, the young human wouldn't be human. "I'm glad you made it, Rei-Rei-chan," she stated, taking her attention off of Sayuri and placing it on Reiko. "Is she your mistress, Rei-chan?" she teased, watching as a faint blush spread across Sayuri's face.
"I am nothing of the sort!" Sayuri blurted, allowing the red to brighten. Ayla raised a questioning brow before chuckling lowly.
"Oh? Is that right?" Ayla questioned, keeping her gaze on Reiko.
"That's not very nice, Ayla-san,” Reiko said, her tone mild, but her eyes glinting with faint amusement. "Sayuri-chan is this one’s sister. Tou-chan adopted her about twelve years ago.” She smiled fractionally—just a bit. Reiko wasn’t one to grin or flash her teeth when she smiled, mostly out of cautious habit. Her fangs were not always visible when she did, but she didn’t want to risk it amongst humans. Sayu knew, of course, what she and her brothers were, but most did not, and everyone had been impressed by their father that things were better that way.
"But of course, if this one were interested in having a mistress, this one might ask Sayu-chan. She is very smart, and kind, and pretty, too.” Her smile widened just a little, as though she hadn’t said something hopelessly embarrassing for her friend, and she hid it behind one of the menus, her shoulders shaking just faintly with well-stifled laughter.
"Oh? Now I'm jealous, Rei-chan. And here I thought you would have chosen me," Ayla spoke, a frown tugging at the ends of her lips as she grasped Reiko's hands from the menu. It was enough for the blush on Sayuri's face to turn into a bright, tomato red, color. She rubbed her hands up and down her face, much to Ayla's amusement, but only succeeded in turning her face red. "You should know, Yu-chan, that I do not like sharing, but in this case," she stated, releasing Reiko's hands and gently grasped Sayuri's. Sayuri felt as though her heart were going to jump from her chest at any given moment, and her vision seemed to blur.
"You are a horrible onee-chan, Reiko-chan," she managed through light stutters. Ayla, however, could not contain the small fits of laughter that finally escaped her, and let Sayuri's hands go. "And you, Ayla-san, are a horrible person," though the blush receded, a small smile perched itself upon her lips, Ayla's own turning into a feral grin.
"I've been called worse," she stated, shrugging her shoulders in the process. She was being completely honest about it, too. "So Tou-chan adopted you, eh?" Ayla questioned, slightly curious as to why a vampire would take in a human ward. There must have been some reason behind it, other than as a late night snack. The red finally subsided from Sayuri's face as she glanced down, folding her hands together and letting them rest on her lap.
"Yes, that is right. Fujiwara-dono adopted me when I was eight. If it weren't for him, I don't know where I'd be right now," and it could have been any place, really. She was, and would be, forever grateful to the Lord for showing up when he did. "But I am glad he did save me, because I got to meet Reiko-chan," she continued, smiling as she glanced at her surrogate sister. Ayla tried her best not to sigh at the story. Just who was this lord to have done such a thing? She set the thought aside, though, and turned towards Reiko.
"Well, then I am as well, because then I wouldn't have met you either. Sorry Rei-chan, but I think I might take Yu-chan from you. I think she'd make a better mistress for me, wouldn't you?" Ayla spoke, moving her hands so that she placed them gently on Sayuri's. Sayuri's face turned a lovely shade of red, again.
Reiko snorted, the sound turning into a series of giggles, and shook her head. "But Sayu-chan needs someone gentle, Ayla-san. You’re much too willful to be her type, is it not so?” She leaned to the side, knocking her shoulder into Sayuri’s in a playful sort of way. Honestly, she was just as bad as Sayu when people teased her this way, and she knew her friend was about at the limit of what she could take before dissolving into a puddle of embarrassed goo, so she decided to ease up on her a little, just in time for the waitress to come back with their drinks and appetizers, as well as to take Ayla’s order.
"Mm, it smells delicious!” The appetizers were dango, actually, but they smelled of some unique spice or another, and she picked one up delicately, nipping off the end of it and smiling. It was quite something—plain food given a little more taste by an innovation in preparation rather than basic constitution. "Did you come up with this recipe, Ayla-san?”
"And how do you know someone willful isn't what she needs?" Ayla continued, however; she pulled back in time to see Sayuri's body shaking slightly. She chuckled lightly, glanced at the waitress, and placed her order. There was only one dish she liked, and it was one of her own. Sayuri, however, looked like she was about to pass out before taking a drink of water set before her. Ayla blinked slowly at Reiko's question, and a frown appeared on her face. She was tempted to say yes, that the recipe was indeed hers, however; this one, oddly, belonged to Aram. He couldn't cook for the life of him, and she was hesitant to try the ingredient. As it turned out, though, the food became better. She never thanked him for that, actually.
"No, unfortunately. The recipe is one my brother made. Don't get me wrong, I love the man, but don't... just don't ever ask him to cook for you unless you have a death wish," she stated in a serious tone. Her gaze did not waver from its position, causing Sayuri to raise a brow. Was his cooking that dangerous? Surely it wasn't too bad, was it? It was enough to cause Sayuri's blush to fade, and a look of curiosity crossed her face.
"You have siblings, Ayla-san?" she questioned, the slight curiousity peeking through her voice. Ayla nodded in response, and a light brightened behind Sayuri's dark eyes. "Are they your older siblings, or are you the oldest?" she found herself asking, leaning a little further on the table. It was nice to have siblings, even if Reiko was the only one who tolerated her. "I bet they have hair as pretty as yours," that caused Ayla to snort, startling Sayuri in the process.
"No, they do not have the same shade of hair as I do, thankfully," she responded first. "And I only have one older brother, now. I... lost my oldest a long time ago," she continued, trying to keep her voice from softening at the last sentence. "But that is a story for another time," she stated, waving a hand in front of her as she tried to grin.
Reiko’s eyes softened. Knowing what it was like, to lose someone precious like that, she wasn’t going to make Ayla talk about it if she didn’t want to. So instead, she shifted the topic. "We have six brothers,” she said, shooting Sayuri a knowing look. Really, only a few of them ever paid much attention to their human sister, but perhaps that was to be expected. When you were as old as some of them, she imagined the dozen years Sayu had been with them were not nearly enough for them to have become accustomed to her, certainly not enough for most to pay her much mind. There were some who were colder than others, but it wasn’t like any of them actively disliked her, either.
"Tatsuya’s the oldest. Then there’s Jirō, Tsubasa, Kentaro, Daichi, and Takahiro. Actually, all of them except for Takahiro are this one’s half-brothers, but that doesn’t make much of a difference. Most of the time.” They’d been a little contentious along the family lines recently, but she didn’t feel the need to dump all of her family issues on Ayla in a casual conversation like this, and furthermore, she knew for a fact that some of them would be unhappy with her if they’d learned she did so.
"It’s a pretty big household, which means things can be quite chaotic sometimes, with the eight of us, staff, retainers, and so on, but it’s also quite enjoyable.” Since Sayu had just essentially outed her as the former daimyo’s daughter, she didn’t feel the need to be as delicate about her position as she had been. "You’re welcome to come visit, if you ever have the inclination.”
Sayuri gave an apologetic smile as Ayla listened to what Reiko was saying. She seemed to have a large family, how did they manage that? Surely they didn't have much to their name, right? It took all of five seconds to realize that the lord Reiko had spoken of before, and the one Sayuri mentioned, were one and the same. It all fell into place for Ayla, as she chuckled lightly. "Rei-chan, you had me fooled. Here I thought you were some commoner like myself," she stated, leaning on her hands. Sayuri blinked slowly as she glanced between the two. What would have given Ayla that impression? She glanced towards Reiko, and it made a bit more sense.
"It is because Rei-chan does not dress as a lady of the house should," Sayuri chimed in softly. "Perhaps we ought to change that, Ayla-san?" she stated, turning to face Reiko with an innocent smile. Ayla's grin, however, wasn't so innocent. She let a soft humming noise be her response as her gaze fixed on Reiko, sharp like a predator's fixed on its prey. "Since Rei-chan has invited, perhaps we can make use of this invitation," she added.
"I do believe you are right, Yu-chan. Reiko has invited, and I would be a poor friend indeed to refuse. I would like to see Rei-chan out of her clothes, after all. I'm sure it'd be a delightful appearance once she was adorned in proper clothing," Ayla spoke, allowing the mischief to coat her words. She only teased, though, and wouldn't do anything of the sort. As appealing as it sounded, dressing up the princess to see what was beneath that layer of hair would be entertaining, however; she had a feeling Reiko wouldn't be too keen on the thought. Of the visit, maybe, but not the undressing and being dressed portion of the visit.
Reiko appeared to choke on the mouthful of water she’d been about to swallow, and only just barely managed to get it down before erupting into a fit of coughing, her face just about as red as Sayu’s had been earlier. "You will do no such thing. This one dresses perfectly well, thank you.” She’d never been one for pretty things, honestly, feeling that they were wasted on someone like her. Even now, Sayuri was dressed more like a lady of nobility than she was. More than that though, the thought of being dressed up like a doll, while not entirely unappealing as a way to amuse herself and her friends, was generally something she preferred to do to others. Why waste the effort on her when Ayla would look so much better in red? Or blue, or violet. Really any color.
She wrenched her thoughts away from that though, and hastily changed the topic. "A-anyway, Ayla-san, what made you want to open a restaurant…?” Lighter conversation was probably better for the moment.
Tatsuya folded his arms into his sleeves, his lip curling slightly at the variety of smells filtering in through his nose. Honestly, he didn’t know how Reiko could stand the village. The people were not particularly unclean, but the whole place smelled strongly of fish, and, in the afternoon as it was now, sweat. It failed to turn his stomach the way it had when he was a child, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it in the slightest.
Picking up on the thread of something more exotically-scented in the air, he tracked it through the busy market. Ordinarily, people had to mind themselves not to run into each other, and had he been another man, he might well have gone to lengths to duck around people and so forth. As it was, however, people ducked around him. This was partially due to the fact that he was openly wearing a sword, and thus readily identifiable as belonging to the lord’s household or perhaps as a ronin, but the exquisite quality of his rather simple garments basically eliminated the latter possibility. Few knew him to actually be the lord, but some did. These took care to bow low, but not too low, as he had made his displeasure for recognition known with them.
Partially, however, the deference of others was due to his appearance. Not his coloration—enough members of his family had ventured out this way that even golden hair like his was not completely unthinkable, but rather they avoided him because of the way he carried himself. Reiko was graceful, but it was an understated, gentle grace. Tatsuya had all the gentleness of a tiger, and all the associated predatory carriage. It wasn’t something he did particularly on purpose, but it served his ends here, getting him to his destination much faster.
When at last he spotted the woman he was looking for, he snorted softly, under his breath, a flicker of amusement passing through his red eyes. Not for anything the woman was doing, but rather for something he recalled. Reiko, in attempting to convince him to come, had used the argument that the person he was seeking was exceptionally lovely. Not a completely ill-chosen ploy, but certainly not enough to motivate him to come all the way out here to find her. Still, his sister had not been wrong, as such.
He drew within relatively polite distance, his face smoothed over into impassiveness, and blinked slowly. When he spoke, he wasn’t loud, but nevertheless his voice cut clearly through the other sounds of the marketplace, a deep, smooth baritone.
"Ayla.”
A frown marred Ayla's lips as she glanced down at the product. Aram, as he'd always been, was currently busy, and could not afford the time to go into the market place for a few necessities that were needed. Given that Ayla was the one always cooking, Aram had been charged with the gathering of ingredients. Today, however, proved to be otherwise. She sighed heavily through her nose as the scents filtered through. The product wasn't especially bad, however; none of it smelled good. Perhaps she should just go get everything fresh, from the outside. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought. Another day, maybe, she'd do it, but for now, she needed to mingle with the humans. She didn't do it as often as one might think, given her restaurant, but Aram had been insistent.
As she reached to pick up a piece of fruit, the sound of someone's voice startled her, and she dropped it back into its place. She furrowed her brows and turned towards the source, ready to snap at whoever called her, however; she found her thoughts, and voice, momentarily gone. Her eyes widened a fraction before resettling, and she released a breath she did not know she was holding. For a moment, she thought it was him. She thought it was her brother, however; though he bore a resemblance to Amon, he was definitely not. Still, it did not help the fact that her heart had felt like it stopped beating, and a painful squeeze nearly rendered it dead.
"What do you want?" she stated, the sound of her voice coming out rather deadpanned. A hint of annoyance could be heard behind it, but she was trying her best not to let it show. She did not know who he was, only that he looked like someone she once knew. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but she chose not to think further on the subject. She was afraid of what it would do to her if she did. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to stare at the male before her. Something seemed familiar about him, and it wasn't just the resemblance to Amon. She could detect the faint scent of someone she knew, but she couldn't quite place it.
"I am busy, so if you have something to say, could you hurry it up? I don't have all day," she continued.
Tatsuya lifted his chin slightly, making it clear that he was looking down his nose at her. It was actually a rather subtle gesture, but the way he did it left no room for ambiguity as to his meaning. He would have to talk to Reiko about her choice in friends, if the ones she picked were routinely so rude. That didn’t count him of course; Tatsuya fully believed himself well within his rights to be as discourteous as he liked, particularly if he was treated that way first.
"Reiko will not be coming to see you today. I can’t imagine why.” Actually, he knew perfectly well why, but the sarcastic tone he used conveyed perfectly the insult meant. His message delivered—if not explained to the extent he was sure his sister would have preferred, Tatsuya turned away and began to walk again in the opposite direction. If he was in town already, he might as well pay a visit to the local constabulary. It was the one function of this place that he ever bothered to personally take an interest in—the enforcement of its laws.
She could feel the hairs along the back of her neck raising, and she didn't like it. If she could have, she would have growled at the way he peered down at her. She would not lie and say she enjoyed people looking down at her, and though it was in a subtle way, she knew that was exactly what he was doing. She was about to snap at him until he spoke. A visible look of confusion crossed her face before the entirety of his statement filtered through. Reiko wouldn't be making it? That was odd to Ayla. Reiko always came. What could have possibly happened that she had to send someone like him to tell her? She gritted her teeth and stalked after the retreating man. Once she was in reach, her arm jerked out and grabbed him by the elbow, effectively stopping him.
"What do you mean she's not coming? What's going on with Rei-Rei-chan?" she nearly demanded. If he knew why she wasn't coming, then he needed to tell her.
The moment Tatsuya felt an unwelcome presence on his arm, his free hand went to the blade at his hip, and faster than one could blink, it was unsheathed, the bare steel laying against the marble skin of Ayla’s collarbone, the edge of it flirting dangerously with the flesh of her neck. It was an automatic reaction, really, and he didn’t look pleased about it, his eyes darkening to the color of blood. "Remove your hand.” His tone was chilly, completely contained, consciously restrained, and indeed the temperature of the air surrounding them dropped perceptibly.
As soon as the blade was drawn, it took all of Ayla's restraint not to literally bare her fangs at the man. Her eyes never left his as they took a more defiant appearance to them, however; she hadn't realized her hand was still on his arm. She didn't mean for it to linger, but she wanted to know what was going on with Reiko. Her hand removed itself from its grasp, and instead, she placed two fingers on the tip of the blade, pushing it away just slightly. It wasn't the first time a blade had been pointed at her, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. A visible tremor went through her being, but it was not one of fear. It was one of irritability and annoyance.
"This isn't the first time a blade has been drawn on me, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, boy," she stated. It was taking every ounce of self control she had to not simply break him, or at least maim him, but for Aram's sake, she wouldn't. Instead, she'd simply let her displeasure be known. "Where is Reiko?" she repeated.
"Do not be so confident, hag,” he replied, just as coldly, but he withdrew the blade as soon as she moved her hand. In truth, it had been little more than an automatic reaction, as instinctive as breathing. Reiko had told him what Ayla was, mostly because she couldn’t really keep secrets from him anyway, and he’d been incensed when he’d figured out what she’d risked in discovering this fact. That didn’t mean he was afraid—quite the contrary. Tatsuya didn’t really understand fear; he wasn’t wired for it.
The sword slid home in the sheath with a decisive click; there was no reason for her to know how much he knew. Or even who he was. "She is otherwise occupied today; one of her brothers called a diplomatic meeting with some neighboring lord. She is acting as mediator. Dynastic matters are considerably more important than meeting with some friend, are they not? She is, after all, a princess.” He raised a brow, the arrogance in the gesture not even on his own behalf, really. For all she knew, he was a particularly uppity samurai serving the house. Actually, the fact amused him, but he did not let it show.
"Hag? That's a new one," she replied in a nonchalant fashion. She was old, and she knew it, but the way he said it made her more iritable than she already was. When the explanation followed after, though, the tension resided slightly. "You know, you have one of those faces that just makes me want to punch it, just so you know, asshole," she stated, her face pulled into a rather meaningful glare. She'd actually meant it, though. It was taking a lot out of her to not just hurt him in some way or fashion.
"Then we can both have new experiences today, because I have never up until this point met a woman I found quite so distasteful,” Tatsuya sniped right back, though there was a flicker of something that passed over his eyes. He was quite entertained with this change in their interaction, though he didn’t make a show of it.
"If being a princess entails attending such matters, I'd hate for her to become Empress," Ayla muttered, more to herself than to the man beside her. She continued to glare at him, though. She really did have the urge to punch him in his face... or at least bite it off. She shook the last thought from her head. That would be the last thing she did, but she wasn't against the idea. "I hate ronin like you. Well, if she's not coming, I'll simply have to make an effort to go see her. Not today, though. I don't want to intrude on her," she stated, trailing off on the last of the sentence as if she were talking to herself. She ignored the male in front of her for a moment, though the hostility was still present.
"Should I simply call you the Asshole Ronin, or do assholes like you actually have a name? I'd rather not be so forward around Rei-Rei-chan," she stated, her eye visibly twitching.
"You can call me whatever you like, and I shall call you hag or old bitch, and I assure you the lady Reiko will not so much as bat an eyelash.” She’d heard worse things in the arguments their brothers got into with each other. Tsubasa, in particular, had a very colorful vocabulary, though it took a bit of work to get him riled enough to use it. Shrugging, Tatsuya folded his arms back into his sleeves, his face regaining the exact same blasé expression it had possessed when first he spoke.
"If you really do intend to come see her, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. Maybe by then you’ll be a little less bark and a little more bite; I certainly wouldn’t mind.” He let a slow smile, predatory and feral, creep onto his face before it faded, and turned to leave.
That had been… interesting.
"Then you shall be referred to as Fucking Asshole. Seems about right," she retorted, a hint of gold leaking into her eyes. If it were not for the humans around them, she'd have done more than just bark at him.
"Fucking asshole," he really was asking for it.
Picking up on the thread of something more exotically-scented in the air, he tracked it through the busy market. Ordinarily, people had to mind themselves not to run into each other, and had he been another man, he might well have gone to lengths to duck around people and so forth. As it was, however, people ducked around him. This was partially due to the fact that he was openly wearing a sword, and thus readily identifiable as belonging to the lord’s household or perhaps as a ronin, but the exquisite quality of his rather simple garments basically eliminated the latter possibility. Few knew him to actually be the lord, but some did. These took care to bow low, but not too low, as he had made his displeasure for recognition known with them.
Partially, however, the deference of others was due to his appearance. Not his coloration—enough members of his family had ventured out this way that even golden hair like his was not completely unthinkable, but rather they avoided him because of the way he carried himself. Reiko was graceful, but it was an understated, gentle grace. Tatsuya had all the gentleness of a tiger, and all the associated predatory carriage. It wasn’t something he did particularly on purpose, but it served his ends here, getting him to his destination much faster.
When at last he spotted the woman he was looking for, he snorted softly, under his breath, a flicker of amusement passing through his red eyes. Not for anything the woman was doing, but rather for something he recalled. Reiko, in attempting to convince him to come, had used the argument that the person he was seeking was exceptionally lovely. Not a completely ill-chosen ploy, but certainly not enough to motivate him to come all the way out here to find her. Still, his sister had not been wrong, as such.
He drew within relatively polite distance, his face smoothed over into impassiveness, and blinked slowly. When he spoke, he wasn’t loud, but nevertheless his voice cut clearly through the other sounds of the marketplace, a deep, smooth baritone.
"Ayla.”
A frown marred Ayla's lips as she glanced down at the product. Aram, as he'd always been, was currently busy, and could not afford the time to go into the market place for a few necessities that were needed. Given that Ayla was the one always cooking, Aram had been charged with the gathering of ingredients. Today, however, proved to be otherwise. She sighed heavily through her nose as the scents filtered through. The product wasn't especially bad, however; none of it smelled good. Perhaps she should just go get everything fresh, from the outside. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought. Another day, maybe, she'd do it, but for now, she needed to mingle with the humans. She didn't do it as often as one might think, given her restaurant, but Aram had been insistent.
As she reached to pick up a piece of fruit, the sound of someone's voice startled her, and she dropped it back into its place. She furrowed her brows and turned towards the source, ready to snap at whoever called her, however; she found her thoughts, and voice, momentarily gone. Her eyes widened a fraction before resettling, and she released a breath she did not know she was holding. For a moment, she thought it was him. She thought it was her brother, however; though he bore a resemblance to Amon, he was definitely not. Still, it did not help the fact that her heart had felt like it stopped beating, and a painful squeeze nearly rendered it dead.
"What do you want?" she stated, the sound of her voice coming out rather deadpanned. A hint of annoyance could be heard behind it, but she was trying her best not to let it show. She did not know who he was, only that he looked like someone she once knew. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but she chose not to think further on the subject. She was afraid of what it would do to her if she did. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to stare at the male before her. Something seemed familiar about him, and it wasn't just the resemblance to Amon. She could detect the faint scent of someone she knew, but she couldn't quite place it.
"I am busy, so if you have something to say, could you hurry it up? I don't have all day," she continued.
Tatsuya lifted his chin slightly, making it clear that he was looking down his nose at her. It was actually a rather subtle gesture, but the way he did it left no room for ambiguity as to his meaning. He would have to talk to Reiko about her choice in friends, if the ones she picked were routinely so rude. That didn’t count him of course; Tatsuya fully believed himself well within his rights to be as discourteous as he liked, particularly if he was treated that way first.
"Reiko will not be coming to see you today. I can’t imagine why.” Actually, he knew perfectly well why, but the sarcastic tone he used conveyed perfectly the insult meant. His message delivered—if not explained to the extent he was sure his sister would have preferred, Tatsuya turned away and began to walk again in the opposite direction. If he was in town already, he might as well pay a visit to the local constabulary. It was the one function of this place that he ever bothered to personally take an interest in—the enforcement of its laws.
She could feel the hairs along the back of her neck raising, and she didn't like it. If she could have, she would have growled at the way he peered down at her. She would not lie and say she enjoyed people looking down at her, and though it was in a subtle way, she knew that was exactly what he was doing. She was about to snap at him until he spoke. A visible look of confusion crossed her face before the entirety of his statement filtered through. Reiko wouldn't be making it? That was odd to Ayla. Reiko always came. What could have possibly happened that she had to send someone like him to tell her? She gritted her teeth and stalked after the retreating man. Once she was in reach, her arm jerked out and grabbed him by the elbow, effectively stopping him.
"What do you mean she's not coming? What's going on with Rei-Rei-chan?" she nearly demanded. If he knew why she wasn't coming, then he needed to tell her.
The moment Tatsuya felt an unwelcome presence on his arm, his free hand went to the blade at his hip, and faster than one could blink, it was unsheathed, the bare steel laying against the marble skin of Ayla’s collarbone, the edge of it flirting dangerously with the flesh of her neck. It was an automatic reaction, really, and he didn’t look pleased about it, his eyes darkening to the color of blood. "Remove your hand.” His tone was chilly, completely contained, consciously restrained, and indeed the temperature of the air surrounding them dropped perceptibly.
As soon as the blade was drawn, it took all of Ayla's restraint not to literally bare her fangs at the man. Her eyes never left his as they took a more defiant appearance to them, however; she hadn't realized her hand was still on his arm. She didn't mean for it to linger, but she wanted to know what was going on with Reiko. Her hand removed itself from its grasp, and instead, she placed two fingers on the tip of the blade, pushing it away just slightly. It wasn't the first time a blade had been pointed at her, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. A visible tremor went through her being, but it was not one of fear. It was one of irritability and annoyance.
"This isn't the first time a blade has been drawn on me, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, boy," she stated. It was taking every ounce of self control she had to not simply break him, or at least maim him, but for Aram's sake, she wouldn't. Instead, she'd simply let her displeasure be known. "Where is Reiko?" she repeated.
"Do not be so confident, hag,” he replied, just as coldly, but he withdrew the blade as soon as she moved her hand. In truth, it had been little more than an automatic reaction, as instinctive as breathing. Reiko had told him what Ayla was, mostly because she couldn’t really keep secrets from him anyway, and he’d been incensed when he’d figured out what she’d risked in discovering this fact. That didn’t mean he was afraid—quite the contrary. Tatsuya didn’t really understand fear; he wasn’t wired for it.
The sword slid home in the sheath with a decisive click; there was no reason for her to know how much he knew. Or even who he was. "She is otherwise occupied today; one of her brothers called a diplomatic meeting with some neighboring lord. She is acting as mediator. Dynastic matters are considerably more important than meeting with some friend, are they not? She is, after all, a princess.” He raised a brow, the arrogance in the gesture not even on his own behalf, really. For all she knew, he was a particularly uppity samurai serving the house. Actually, the fact amused him, but he did not let it show.
"Hag? That's a new one," she replied in a nonchalant fashion. She was old, and she knew it, but the way he said it made her more iritable than she already was. When the explanation followed after, though, the tension resided slightly. "You know, you have one of those faces that just makes me want to punch it, just so you know, asshole," she stated, her face pulled into a rather meaningful glare. She'd actually meant it, though. It was taking a lot out of her to not just hurt him in some way or fashion.
"Then we can both have new experiences today, because I have never up until this point met a woman I found quite so distasteful,” Tatsuya sniped right back, though there was a flicker of something that passed over his eyes. He was quite entertained with this change in their interaction, though he didn’t make a show of it.
"If being a princess entails attending such matters, I'd hate for her to become Empress," Ayla muttered, more to herself than to the man beside her. She continued to glare at him, though. She really did have the urge to punch him in his face... or at least bite it off. She shook the last thought from her head. That would be the last thing she did, but she wasn't against the idea. "I hate ronin like you. Well, if she's not coming, I'll simply have to make an effort to go see her. Not today, though. I don't want to intrude on her," she stated, trailing off on the last of the sentence as if she were talking to herself. She ignored the male in front of her for a moment, though the hostility was still present.
"Should I simply call you the Asshole Ronin, or do assholes like you actually have a name? I'd rather not be so forward around Rei-Rei-chan," she stated, her eye visibly twitching.
"You can call me whatever you like, and I shall call you hag or old bitch, and I assure you the lady Reiko will not so much as bat an eyelash.” She’d heard worse things in the arguments their brothers got into with each other. Tsubasa, in particular, had a very colorful vocabulary, though it took a bit of work to get him riled enough to use it. Shrugging, Tatsuya folded his arms back into his sleeves, his face regaining the exact same blasé expression it had possessed when first he spoke.
"If you really do intend to come see her, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. Maybe by then you’ll be a little less bark and a little more bite; I certainly wouldn’t mind.” He let a slow smile, predatory and feral, creep onto his face before it faded, and turned to leave.
That had been… interesting.
"Then you shall be referred to as Fucking Asshole. Seems about right," she retorted, a hint of gold leaking into her eyes. If it were not for the humans around them, she'd have done more than just bark at him.
"Fucking asshole," he really was asking for it.
"Oh, of course we’re late!” Reiko wasn’t usually one to raise her voice, and to be honest, she wasn’t really doing so now, either, but there was a certain urgency to her tone that was usually absent. Negotiations with the ningen lords were still ongoing, and the session that day had ended later than planned, meaning that she had to hurry to dress herself in something more suitable for going out into town. In the end, she didn’t want to waste the time with an obi, so she forewent her yukata and various kimono, and simply stepped into her practice gear—a red gi a few shades darker than her eyes, and dark grey hakama. It was more color than she usually wore, but not at all ornamental, save that her family’s crest was emblazoned on the back of the gi in gold. She chose to tie her hair up in a simple topknot, reasoning that Ayla-san wouldn’t much care if she looked like a boy.
Fortunately, Sayuri was already prepared to depart, and at a brisk pace, though one still manageable for the human girl, they made their way down to the village. They were meeting Ayla out on the other side of it today, something about her wanting to explore the outlying farms and countryside. Reiko certainly didn’t mind—their lands were beautiful; she’d always thought that her father must have selected them at least in part because they were distinctively lovely for all four seasons of the year. Now, in late fall, the harvesters would be finishing their work, and storing away the rice for the winter months. The brewers would be making ready to ferment much of it into a special kind of regional sake, too. Winter would be upon them soon, and with it, a great deal of snow.
"This one wonders when we’ll get the first snowfall of the year,” she mused, partly to herself and partly to Sayu. "Tatsuya’s always a little less grumpy in winter, but Kentaro gets worse.” She shook her head faintly. Maybe it was because they had abilities related to ice and fire respectively? She touched the mark on her neck for just a moment, feeling a gentle pulse of warmth from it when she did. It was a little piece of comfort she’d grown accustomed to over the last year or so, since it had been put there. A faint smile curled the corner of her mouth.
Sayuri merely smiled and tried not to laugh at her friend. Reiko was in a hurry to meet Ayla, and she could understand the haste behind their strides. "You shouldn't worry too much about it, Reiko. I'm sure Ayla will understand. You've been busy with the lords," she spoke, trying to reassure Reiko that it would be fine if they were late by a little bit. The remainder of the walk had been fairly quiet until Reiko spoke, and Sayuri lifted her head towards the sky. It felt nice this time of year, and she had to say, fall was one of her favorite seasons. Spring, however, was her favorite of the four, though. It signaled a new year, a new beginning, and brought with it, the blooming of flowers.
"If we are lucky, we might, and Kentaro's always been a grumpy person, though. I don't think anything could make him any less," she returned, scoffing lightly to herself. "He always seems calm around you, though, no matter what season it is," she added, elbowing Reiko in the side with a hint of teasing to her tone. The smirk stayed on her face for a while longer before it receded into a soft smile. She turned her attention towards the path in front of them.
"Do you think something will be settled soon?" she asked suddenly, peering at Reiko from the side. "I mean, it's nothing too serious, right? They'll be gone soon and we'll have more time for us?" she continued all at once, referring to the current affairs between the lord and Reiko's family.
Reiko’s lips pursed. On the matter of Kentaro, she didn’t say anything; what Sayuri said was true. He was calmer around her than anyone else. What was less obvious was that they all were. Her brothers, they… it was difficult being what they were, and somehow, she was able to ease that discomfort a bit. It was something she was happy to do for them, honestly.
The other matter was one she could contribute to, though. "It’s… hard to say, really.” She sighed, tilting her head back and peering into the sky for just a moment. Her feet were sure over the ground even when she wasn't watching her step, to the point where she almost seemed to float over the path rather than walk. "Part of it is that the negotiations never had a set agenda. Some of the lords want to talk trade, but are wary of alliance, afraid of being betrayed. Others are more concerned with peace pacts, and not in need of anything for trade. And of course, there are always questions of what we can do to cement any kind of alliances, trade or otherwise. Names on paper do not mean much to people who have seen battle, and this one’s brothers are like that, too.”
Of course, matters were further complicated by the fact that her family was so unusual. Tatsuya, while apparently unattached, had been clear that he was unavailable for alliance marriage. At one point, Daichi had suggested using her to cement an especially important agreement, only to cause a massive furor among the lot of them about whether that was in any way acceptable. The consensus was that it was not, though they all had different reasons for thinking so. None of them wanted to take on a human wife. Even those who would have entered an alliance marriage with no issues personally knew that they could not expose the secret of what they were to anyone, and for that reason alone, could invite no more humans into their household than were already present.
That avenue being closed off was a bit of a sticking point for some of their visitors, who were used to doing things that way. So they’d had to find ways around each time, a difficult thing to say the least. Reiko’s head felt like it had been filled with nothing but politics for months, and her outings to the village felt like the only things keeping her sane. "So… we’re dealing with some obstacles. But I’m sure we will have few, if any, visitors in the winter, since travel is so much more difficult this far north.” It would be a little bit of respite, anyway.
"Oh," was the only response Sayuri gave. She didn't quite understand the politics that Reiko and her family were in, but she knew enough that they were never easy. She rubbed Reiko's back, gently, before allowing her arm to fall to her side. "If I can help in anyway, let me know Rei-Rei. I can help too, you know. Even if it's minimal, it's something, right?" she stated, grinning like she'd said something smart for once. Sayuri was, in her own way, intelligent, but by her family's standards, she might as well be an infant still. She shook the thought from her mind and laced her arm with Reiko's, humming softly to herself.
"We need to find you a suitable kimono, one of these days, Reiko-chan. Going around in Hakama's and gi's are not acceptable anymore," she stated, nodding her head once as she changed the subject. Reiko probably had more than enough of the negotiations to last her a life time, and didn't need to be prodded any further. "Besides, you might actually catch an eye or two," she stated, allowing a devious grin to spread upon her lips. She could hear the faint sounds of the market place up a head. Perhaps they should stop first? She knew Reiko wouldn't want to, already being late to meet Ayla as they were, however; what was a few more minutes?
Reiko groaned softly. She knew Sayuri meant well and was really only teasing, but she wasn’t especially fond of being reminded that she dressed substandardly for someone of her station. Part of it, she supposed, was just the fact that she couldn’t stand being looked at for too long. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, of course—her kind had an inborn magnetism that attracted humans to them. It was just part of the way they’d been made, or evolved, or whatever term a person preferred to use. She’d found through practice that loose, boyish garments and dull colors and fabrics helped her blend in, which was really all she wanted to do most of the time. She didn’t have the time or inclination to be catching eyes, as her friend put it. Sayuri could do enough of that for the both of them, and she would happily be plain old Reiko in the background.
Besides, she had far too much to do. Her brothers and the household needed her, and it was nice to feel needed. She had enough in her life as it was, and plenty of time for other things later, should she decide she wanted them. It wasn’t that she thought she never wanted that kind of thing, but… there was always something she needed to do first, and besides that… why burden a human with herself? She would vastly outlive them, and she saw what her mother’s death had done to her father. No, it was best to avoid that.
She saw her friend glancing towards the market and shrugged slightly. "We can go through that way if you want to,” she offered. It wouldn’t take much longer than going around the other way, and it was always nice to mingle with the townspeople for a while. "Maybe this one can get Kentaro some of those anman he likes…” Her brother was oddly fond of the sweet, red bean paste confections. She thought it was kind of funny that someone so stern liked something that most often wound up in the hands of children.
Sayuri smiled brightly and proceeded to drag Reiko towards the market. She hadn't missed the soft groan Reiko released, and it only made the mischievous smile broaden. She'd buy something for Reiko, and claim it was for herself. She could always present it to Reiko later and claim it as a gift. And then she could force her to wear it. She laughed slightly to herself, covering her mouth in the process as they roamed through the town. "You know, for someone so," she paused, trying to find the right word to describe Kentaro, but couldn't. "I wouldn't have placed Kentaro as one for anman. Does he really like those?" she found herself asking with a slight hint of curiosity.
Before she could finish her thought out loud, she glanced towards the nearest stall, and blinked three times in rapid succession. It took almost every ounce of restraint she had not to start laughing at the sight. There was a man standing at one of the vegetable stands, staring precariously at a head of cabbage. It almost looked as if he were expecting it to jump out at him, and he poked it with a forefinger. She shook her head faintly as she pulled Reiko along with her.
Aram, however, continued to stare at the cabbage. Ayla had told him how to point out which ones were ripe and ready, but his memory seemed to fail him at the moment. They all looked the same to him, but he knew he had to be careful when choosing. He poked one of the cabbage's in an attempt to recall how to tell them apart, but sighed dejectedly. The stall manager, however, didn't seem all too pleased with the way his produce was being handled. He folded his arms against his chest as Aram continued to stare at the vegetable.
"Excuse me, how much for this one?" he questioned, lifting the cabbage he had prodded earlier. He had to be careful on what he bought, as well. He didn't understand why Ayla always sent him to gather their necessities. He always ended up broke, afterwards. It didn't matter what he bought, but they always were in need of money. It was a bit odd, considering what he did, and Ayla's restaurant, however; Aram could never discern why they were always without. He sighed inwardly as he waited for the man to tell him a price, and when he did, he nodded and reached for his bag.
"Inoue-san.” Reiko’s greeting to the vegetable vendor was tinged with the faintest hint of disappointment. She’d caught parts of the conversation between the stall vendor and a stranger as Sayuri tugged her by, but she’d gently dug in her heels and forced them to a stop when she heard the price the vendor had named. It was far too much for a few heads of cabbage, and likely, Inoue had expected the stranger to barter for it, rather than going straight for his coins.
“Hino-san. I, um…” He flushed slightly, embarrassed at having been caught out in such a thing, but her smile caused him to relax, and he cleared his throat slightly. Shaking her head a little, Reiko stepped up next to the stranger, her eyes on the vegetables. Taking the one he was holding delicately out of his hand, she turned it over carefully in hers.
"You’re rather lucky, sir. Inoue-san doesn’t sell rotten vegetables, but this one will probably only be fresh for another day or two at most.” She could tell from the smell of it. "If you’d planned to cook it tonight, it would be fine, but if you are buying for a few more days, you will want different ones…” she trailed off, humming a contemplative note, then inhaled delicately, moving a few of the cabbages in the cart aside until she found the one she wanted. A small, bright smile broke out on her face, and she picked it up, turning to face the stranger.
"Like this one.”
Aram, startled to say the least, was not expecting someone to speak out. He glanced down towards the newcomer, and then towards her companion. He titled his head in slight confusion as his eyes lingered a bit longer on Reiko's form. He knew her, or at least had a sense that he did. From where, he couldn't seem to put his mind to it, but nonetheless, nodded his head. "I'm afraid I'm not that good at gathering the necessary items," he stated awkwardly to her. He took the product from her hand and inspected it. It didn't look any different than the one he had, but he would take her word for it.
"Okonomiyaki was on the menu today," he started, allowing his shoulders to slump just lightly. "But we didn't have any cabbage," or any of the other ingredients they would need. "And I would be more than willing to pay the price Inoue-san has named. They are, after all, his product," he continued, once again going for his coin purse. Sayuri had to muffle a laugh, but the slight shaking of her shoulders signaled she was doing a poor job on it.
"Have you never shopped properly, before?" she asked, earning a repeat of "properly," and a slight look of confusion. She shook her head softly and glanced towards Reiko. "I don't think he's used to it, Reiko-chan. Do you think you have enough time to explain it?" she stated, glancing towards Reiko as Aram tried to shake his head in refusal.
"There's no need for that, really. I'm always happy to contribute to their needs as they are to mine," he quickly interjected. There was no need for them to do something like that, especially if they were on their way towards somewhere.
Reiko snorted softly. This man, whomever he was, was quite hopeless. She felt a strange tug of familiarity, like she knew him from somewhere, but perhaps it was simply her mind playing tricks on her, or else she had seen him around in the village before. She thought she would remember a face like that, handsome as it was, but then… she was rather used to that sort of thing. "But sir, no vendor asks for what they actually expect. You’re supposed to barter down to something reasonable. This one bets Inoue-san here would even have felt pretty guilty accepting asking price from you, is it not so, Inoue-san?” She turned her ruby-red eyes on the vendor, who ducked his head, scrubbing at the nape of his neck with his hand.
“Hino-san is right, sir. Everyone here barters. I, uh… I honestly asked for a little too much at first anyway, because you looked like you weren’t too good at it.” Reiko supposed it was true—there was a sort of guilelessness to this man’s face that suggested… not innocence, exactly. His eyes carried too much weight for that, she thought. Not that she’d really kept up more than a couple seconds of eye contact to be sure. But perhaps 'purity' was the right word. Or… whatever it was that made monks and priests and holy men seem so far removed from the trivialities of daily life. That kind of particular distance.
But if he was in charge of buying supplies, be they for his family or just himself, she couldn’t well let him continue without knowing how. "Okay. What did you say the asking price was again, Inoue-san?” He repeated the figure with a twinge of embarrassment, but her gentle smile mollified him. It was with that same smile on her face that she bargained him down, every bit as surprisingly sharp on the market street as she was in the meeting room with all the lords and their retainers. Her father had not raised a stupid daughter, or one who needed to depend on anyone else. When it was done, they’d moved down to about half of what Inoue had initially asked.
"Usually, it’s not half, more like… three-quarters of what they ask is a good range to shoot for. You’ll probably still get a little overcharged, but something tells this one you won’t mind.” Her eyes glittered with amusement when she turned them on him. "And this one is sure your family will appreciate what you mange to save, ne?”
Aram watched with mild astonishment as Reiko managed to dwindle the asking price. Really, he wouldn't have minded paying the asking price, but there was some truth behind her words. When it was done, and his items were purchased, his coin purse still felt, oddly, heavy. A gentle smile found its way on his face as he thought of a way to use it. There was something he spotted nearby that he could get, though she wouldn't be too happy about it. She wasn't particular to gifts of any kind, but it would be a nice thought. He pushed it to the back of his mind and turned his attention towards Reiko.
"Thank you," he spoke, giving a polite bow before returning to his previous posture. "Yes, my sister will be happy to know that there is a little extra coin left. Usually I return with an empty purse," he stated, and Sayuri was half tempted to think he was lying. Before anything else could be said, Sayuri grabbed Reiko's arm and began dragging her away, leaving Aram in his spot to blink slowly.
"You're welcome, Kyabetsu-san! Reiko we're going to be late. Ayla's not going to be happy," she stated as she continued dragging Reiko away. Aram allowed her statement to sink in before shaking his head. It would seem he ran into Ayla's friends. Perhaps he will not tell her it was he who held them up. A slight shiver went down his spine.
Fortunately, Sayuri was already prepared to depart, and at a brisk pace, though one still manageable for the human girl, they made their way down to the village. They were meeting Ayla out on the other side of it today, something about her wanting to explore the outlying farms and countryside. Reiko certainly didn’t mind—their lands were beautiful; she’d always thought that her father must have selected them at least in part because they were distinctively lovely for all four seasons of the year. Now, in late fall, the harvesters would be finishing their work, and storing away the rice for the winter months. The brewers would be making ready to ferment much of it into a special kind of regional sake, too. Winter would be upon them soon, and with it, a great deal of snow.
"This one wonders when we’ll get the first snowfall of the year,” she mused, partly to herself and partly to Sayu. "Tatsuya’s always a little less grumpy in winter, but Kentaro gets worse.” She shook her head faintly. Maybe it was because they had abilities related to ice and fire respectively? She touched the mark on her neck for just a moment, feeling a gentle pulse of warmth from it when she did. It was a little piece of comfort she’d grown accustomed to over the last year or so, since it had been put there. A faint smile curled the corner of her mouth.
Sayuri merely smiled and tried not to laugh at her friend. Reiko was in a hurry to meet Ayla, and she could understand the haste behind their strides. "You shouldn't worry too much about it, Reiko. I'm sure Ayla will understand. You've been busy with the lords," she spoke, trying to reassure Reiko that it would be fine if they were late by a little bit. The remainder of the walk had been fairly quiet until Reiko spoke, and Sayuri lifted her head towards the sky. It felt nice this time of year, and she had to say, fall was one of her favorite seasons. Spring, however, was her favorite of the four, though. It signaled a new year, a new beginning, and brought with it, the blooming of flowers.
"If we are lucky, we might, and Kentaro's always been a grumpy person, though. I don't think anything could make him any less," she returned, scoffing lightly to herself. "He always seems calm around you, though, no matter what season it is," she added, elbowing Reiko in the side with a hint of teasing to her tone. The smirk stayed on her face for a while longer before it receded into a soft smile. She turned her attention towards the path in front of them.
"Do you think something will be settled soon?" she asked suddenly, peering at Reiko from the side. "I mean, it's nothing too serious, right? They'll be gone soon and we'll have more time for us?" she continued all at once, referring to the current affairs between the lord and Reiko's family.
Reiko’s lips pursed. On the matter of Kentaro, she didn’t say anything; what Sayuri said was true. He was calmer around her than anyone else. What was less obvious was that they all were. Her brothers, they… it was difficult being what they were, and somehow, she was able to ease that discomfort a bit. It was something she was happy to do for them, honestly.
The other matter was one she could contribute to, though. "It’s… hard to say, really.” She sighed, tilting her head back and peering into the sky for just a moment. Her feet were sure over the ground even when she wasn't watching her step, to the point where she almost seemed to float over the path rather than walk. "Part of it is that the negotiations never had a set agenda. Some of the lords want to talk trade, but are wary of alliance, afraid of being betrayed. Others are more concerned with peace pacts, and not in need of anything for trade. And of course, there are always questions of what we can do to cement any kind of alliances, trade or otherwise. Names on paper do not mean much to people who have seen battle, and this one’s brothers are like that, too.”
Of course, matters were further complicated by the fact that her family was so unusual. Tatsuya, while apparently unattached, had been clear that he was unavailable for alliance marriage. At one point, Daichi had suggested using her to cement an especially important agreement, only to cause a massive furor among the lot of them about whether that was in any way acceptable. The consensus was that it was not, though they all had different reasons for thinking so. None of them wanted to take on a human wife. Even those who would have entered an alliance marriage with no issues personally knew that they could not expose the secret of what they were to anyone, and for that reason alone, could invite no more humans into their household than were already present.
That avenue being closed off was a bit of a sticking point for some of their visitors, who were used to doing things that way. So they’d had to find ways around each time, a difficult thing to say the least. Reiko’s head felt like it had been filled with nothing but politics for months, and her outings to the village felt like the only things keeping her sane. "So… we’re dealing with some obstacles. But I’m sure we will have few, if any, visitors in the winter, since travel is so much more difficult this far north.” It would be a little bit of respite, anyway.
"Oh," was the only response Sayuri gave. She didn't quite understand the politics that Reiko and her family were in, but she knew enough that they were never easy. She rubbed Reiko's back, gently, before allowing her arm to fall to her side. "If I can help in anyway, let me know Rei-Rei. I can help too, you know. Even if it's minimal, it's something, right?" she stated, grinning like she'd said something smart for once. Sayuri was, in her own way, intelligent, but by her family's standards, she might as well be an infant still. She shook the thought from her mind and laced her arm with Reiko's, humming softly to herself.
"We need to find you a suitable kimono, one of these days, Reiko-chan. Going around in Hakama's and gi's are not acceptable anymore," she stated, nodding her head once as she changed the subject. Reiko probably had more than enough of the negotiations to last her a life time, and didn't need to be prodded any further. "Besides, you might actually catch an eye or two," she stated, allowing a devious grin to spread upon her lips. She could hear the faint sounds of the market place up a head. Perhaps they should stop first? She knew Reiko wouldn't want to, already being late to meet Ayla as they were, however; what was a few more minutes?
Reiko groaned softly. She knew Sayuri meant well and was really only teasing, but she wasn’t especially fond of being reminded that she dressed substandardly for someone of her station. Part of it, she supposed, was just the fact that she couldn’t stand being looked at for too long. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, of course—her kind had an inborn magnetism that attracted humans to them. It was just part of the way they’d been made, or evolved, or whatever term a person preferred to use. She’d found through practice that loose, boyish garments and dull colors and fabrics helped her blend in, which was really all she wanted to do most of the time. She didn’t have the time or inclination to be catching eyes, as her friend put it. Sayuri could do enough of that for the both of them, and she would happily be plain old Reiko in the background.
Besides, she had far too much to do. Her brothers and the household needed her, and it was nice to feel needed. She had enough in her life as it was, and plenty of time for other things later, should she decide she wanted them. It wasn’t that she thought she never wanted that kind of thing, but… there was always something she needed to do first, and besides that… why burden a human with herself? She would vastly outlive them, and she saw what her mother’s death had done to her father. No, it was best to avoid that.
She saw her friend glancing towards the market and shrugged slightly. "We can go through that way if you want to,” she offered. It wouldn’t take much longer than going around the other way, and it was always nice to mingle with the townspeople for a while. "Maybe this one can get Kentaro some of those anman he likes…” Her brother was oddly fond of the sweet, red bean paste confections. She thought it was kind of funny that someone so stern liked something that most often wound up in the hands of children.
Sayuri smiled brightly and proceeded to drag Reiko towards the market. She hadn't missed the soft groan Reiko released, and it only made the mischievous smile broaden. She'd buy something for Reiko, and claim it was for herself. She could always present it to Reiko later and claim it as a gift. And then she could force her to wear it. She laughed slightly to herself, covering her mouth in the process as they roamed through the town. "You know, for someone so," she paused, trying to find the right word to describe Kentaro, but couldn't. "I wouldn't have placed Kentaro as one for anman. Does he really like those?" she found herself asking with a slight hint of curiosity.
Before she could finish her thought out loud, she glanced towards the nearest stall, and blinked three times in rapid succession. It took almost every ounce of restraint she had not to start laughing at the sight. There was a man standing at one of the vegetable stands, staring precariously at a head of cabbage. It almost looked as if he were expecting it to jump out at him, and he poked it with a forefinger. She shook her head faintly as she pulled Reiko along with her.
Aram, however, continued to stare at the cabbage. Ayla had told him how to point out which ones were ripe and ready, but his memory seemed to fail him at the moment. They all looked the same to him, but he knew he had to be careful when choosing. He poked one of the cabbage's in an attempt to recall how to tell them apart, but sighed dejectedly. The stall manager, however, didn't seem all too pleased with the way his produce was being handled. He folded his arms against his chest as Aram continued to stare at the vegetable.
"Excuse me, how much for this one?" he questioned, lifting the cabbage he had prodded earlier. He had to be careful on what he bought, as well. He didn't understand why Ayla always sent him to gather their necessities. He always ended up broke, afterwards. It didn't matter what he bought, but they always were in need of money. It was a bit odd, considering what he did, and Ayla's restaurant, however; Aram could never discern why they were always without. He sighed inwardly as he waited for the man to tell him a price, and when he did, he nodded and reached for his bag.
"Inoue-san.” Reiko’s greeting to the vegetable vendor was tinged with the faintest hint of disappointment. She’d caught parts of the conversation between the stall vendor and a stranger as Sayuri tugged her by, but she’d gently dug in her heels and forced them to a stop when she heard the price the vendor had named. It was far too much for a few heads of cabbage, and likely, Inoue had expected the stranger to barter for it, rather than going straight for his coins.
“Hino-san. I, um…” He flushed slightly, embarrassed at having been caught out in such a thing, but her smile caused him to relax, and he cleared his throat slightly. Shaking her head a little, Reiko stepped up next to the stranger, her eyes on the vegetables. Taking the one he was holding delicately out of his hand, she turned it over carefully in hers.
"You’re rather lucky, sir. Inoue-san doesn’t sell rotten vegetables, but this one will probably only be fresh for another day or two at most.” She could tell from the smell of it. "If you’d planned to cook it tonight, it would be fine, but if you are buying for a few more days, you will want different ones…” she trailed off, humming a contemplative note, then inhaled delicately, moving a few of the cabbages in the cart aside until she found the one she wanted. A small, bright smile broke out on her face, and she picked it up, turning to face the stranger.
"Like this one.”
Aram, startled to say the least, was not expecting someone to speak out. He glanced down towards the newcomer, and then towards her companion. He titled his head in slight confusion as his eyes lingered a bit longer on Reiko's form. He knew her, or at least had a sense that he did. From where, he couldn't seem to put his mind to it, but nonetheless, nodded his head. "I'm afraid I'm not that good at gathering the necessary items," he stated awkwardly to her. He took the product from her hand and inspected it. It didn't look any different than the one he had, but he would take her word for it.
"Okonomiyaki was on the menu today," he started, allowing his shoulders to slump just lightly. "But we didn't have any cabbage," or any of the other ingredients they would need. "And I would be more than willing to pay the price Inoue-san has named. They are, after all, his product," he continued, once again going for his coin purse. Sayuri had to muffle a laugh, but the slight shaking of her shoulders signaled she was doing a poor job on it.
"Have you never shopped properly, before?" she asked, earning a repeat of "properly," and a slight look of confusion. She shook her head softly and glanced towards Reiko. "I don't think he's used to it, Reiko-chan. Do you think you have enough time to explain it?" she stated, glancing towards Reiko as Aram tried to shake his head in refusal.
"There's no need for that, really. I'm always happy to contribute to their needs as they are to mine," he quickly interjected. There was no need for them to do something like that, especially if they were on their way towards somewhere.
Reiko snorted softly. This man, whomever he was, was quite hopeless. She felt a strange tug of familiarity, like she knew him from somewhere, but perhaps it was simply her mind playing tricks on her, or else she had seen him around in the village before. She thought she would remember a face like that, handsome as it was, but then… she was rather used to that sort of thing. "But sir, no vendor asks for what they actually expect. You’re supposed to barter down to something reasonable. This one bets Inoue-san here would even have felt pretty guilty accepting asking price from you, is it not so, Inoue-san?” She turned her ruby-red eyes on the vendor, who ducked his head, scrubbing at the nape of his neck with his hand.
“Hino-san is right, sir. Everyone here barters. I, uh… I honestly asked for a little too much at first anyway, because you looked like you weren’t too good at it.” Reiko supposed it was true—there was a sort of guilelessness to this man’s face that suggested… not innocence, exactly. His eyes carried too much weight for that, she thought. Not that she’d really kept up more than a couple seconds of eye contact to be sure. But perhaps 'purity' was the right word. Or… whatever it was that made monks and priests and holy men seem so far removed from the trivialities of daily life. That kind of particular distance.
But if he was in charge of buying supplies, be they for his family or just himself, she couldn’t well let him continue without knowing how. "Okay. What did you say the asking price was again, Inoue-san?” He repeated the figure with a twinge of embarrassment, but her gentle smile mollified him. It was with that same smile on her face that she bargained him down, every bit as surprisingly sharp on the market street as she was in the meeting room with all the lords and their retainers. Her father had not raised a stupid daughter, or one who needed to depend on anyone else. When it was done, they’d moved down to about half of what Inoue had initially asked.
"Usually, it’s not half, more like… three-quarters of what they ask is a good range to shoot for. You’ll probably still get a little overcharged, but something tells this one you won’t mind.” Her eyes glittered with amusement when she turned them on him. "And this one is sure your family will appreciate what you mange to save, ne?”
Aram watched with mild astonishment as Reiko managed to dwindle the asking price. Really, he wouldn't have minded paying the asking price, but there was some truth behind her words. When it was done, and his items were purchased, his coin purse still felt, oddly, heavy. A gentle smile found its way on his face as he thought of a way to use it. There was something he spotted nearby that he could get, though she wouldn't be too happy about it. She wasn't particular to gifts of any kind, but it would be a nice thought. He pushed it to the back of his mind and turned his attention towards Reiko.
"Thank you," he spoke, giving a polite bow before returning to his previous posture. "Yes, my sister will be happy to know that there is a little extra coin left. Usually I return with an empty purse," he stated, and Sayuri was half tempted to think he was lying. Before anything else could be said, Sayuri grabbed Reiko's arm and began dragging her away, leaving Aram in his spot to blink slowly.
"You're welcome, Kyabetsu-san! Reiko we're going to be late. Ayla's not going to be happy," she stated as she continued dragging Reiko away. Aram allowed her statement to sink in before shaking his head. It would seem he ran into Ayla's friends. Perhaps he will not tell her it was he who held them up. A slight shiver went down his spine.
He could see it, the way her jaw was clenched and the way her muscles were tensed. Something was bothering her, and Ayla was too stubborn to admit it. Aram had inquired about it, however; she refused to speak about it, and instead, allowed whatever it was to continue to bother her. He was slightly grateful that, whatever it was, hadn't coaxed anything out, and she was able to keep a lid on her temper. The sound of a grunt caught his attention, and Aram lifted his head to spot Ayla sitting across from him, taking one of the cups and poured tea into it. It was his own blend, a mixture of calming herbs and jasmine to hide the bitter notes. He could see by the strain on her face that it was one she did not particularly like.
"Will you tell me?" it sounded like a simple whisper, however; Ayla flinched beneath the tone. It was a demand, and she knew it. She lifted her gaze towards him, deep blue eyes mixing with pale ones, and released a defeated sigh. Aram smiled gently, knowing he had won the silent battle at last. She remained silent for a few more minutes, contemplating how she would word herself. She knew if she didn't, Aram would take it the wrong way, and he would place the blame on her and scold her for being so careless. Honestly, it wasn't her fault. She was irritable, the ronin came out of nowhere, and just happened to be a the place at the wrong time. But she couldn't exactly say it like that could she?
"Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you," she began, however; his eyes did not relinquish their hold upon her form, and she gave a defeated sigh, the light anger surfacing forward. "It wasn't my fault, and nothing happened, but that asshole," she continued, her voice carrying off slightly as a slight shift in the air caused Aram to raise a questioning brow. It didn't take much to rile Ayla, for that he knew, but for someone to be on her mind this long, and to have earned such a title, must have been quite an experience for her. He took a sip from his tea, and continued to stare at her, his gaze never leaving her. It caused the tension in her muscles to grow, however; he fixed her with a stare, and she calmed herself.
"You don't understand, Ara, he came out of nowhere," she continued, and a frown marred Aram's face at the word he. He released a sigh as she continued. "He had the nerve to look down on me with his arrogant stature. He was taller, and I had to look up at him, but still. What gave him the right to talk to me like that? That... that asshole," she stated, her teeth grinding together as she continued. Aram let out a startled chuckle, causing her to stop in her ramblings and turned towards him, giving him a "what's so funny" stare. He merely shook his head, and gestured for her to continue. She narrowed her eyes, but hesitantly obliged.
"The bastard called me an old hag," she added, drawing out the last word in an attempt to mimic the way he spoke it.
"Perhaps an unkind way of saying it, but Ayla," he started, however; her gaze fixed on him, harshly, as if daring him to continue that sentence. He sighed in defeat and placed his cup down. "Perhaps if you hadn't addressed the ronin so rudely, things wouldn't have turned out that way for you. You have a temper, Ayla, and you need to control it. It wasn't his fault that he caused you to drop the fruit back into the bin and sca... startled you," he finally spoke, causing the frown on Ayla's face to deepen. She sighed harshly through her nose, and pinched the bridge. With her eyes closed, and brows furrowed, Aram smiled knowingly.
"It wasn't my fault," she continued, straining her voice in the process. "He shouldn't have just strutted in like he owned the place. Plus, how did he know my name!?" she drawled out, a slight hint of panic entering her voice. How did he know her name?
"Didn't you say Reiko sent him?"
"Don't correct me when I'm wrong," she snapped back, immediately recoiling. That's right, he said Reiko sent him. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her hands against her face. "Still doesn't give him the right," she muttered, releasing a defeated breath as she took to her cup again. It still irked her, how he had done that. She wasn't too engrossed in the fruit to have missed him, however; she decided to leave out the fact that he bore a strong similarity to Amon. She glanced towards Aram over the brim of her cup, watching as his eyes closed. She took a moment to enjoy the silence, allowing the serenity to seep into her. It calmed her slightly, and she chuckled lightly to herself.
"You're welcome," he spoke, saying nothing more on the matter. He could see by the way Ayla's eyes were fixed on him, that something else was bothering her too. He quirked a brow in her direction as a sly smirk covered her features. Leaning forward, she placed her hand beneath her chin, and allowed the smirk to continue to grow.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but," she began, slowly leaning closer. "Yu-chan let slip that they were late because someone didn't know how to barter for cabbage. Said she called him kyabetsu-san. Pray tell, dear brother, were you the reason Yu-chan and Rei-chan were late meeting me?" she asked, the sly smile still worming its way upon her face. From the way he bit back a startled choke from his tea, Ayla could only confirm that it was him. Of course, it could have been any other person in the market that day, but it was too much of a coincidence that he actually brought back money from his previous endeavor.
"Well, you see I was just..." he began, stuttering through his sentence. Ayla merely raised a brow as a tint of pink dusted his cheeks.
"Oh? So it's like that, is it?" she stated, allowing the teasing tone in her voice to seep through.
"It is not like that, Ayla. She merely helped in acquiring what was needed for you,"
"Uh-huh, whatever you say, dear brother."
He forgot how horrible his sister could be.
"Will you tell me?" it sounded like a simple whisper, however; Ayla flinched beneath the tone. It was a demand, and she knew it. She lifted her gaze towards him, deep blue eyes mixing with pale ones, and released a defeated sigh. Aram smiled gently, knowing he had won the silent battle at last. She remained silent for a few more minutes, contemplating how she would word herself. She knew if she didn't, Aram would take it the wrong way, and he would place the blame on her and scold her for being so careless. Honestly, it wasn't her fault. She was irritable, the ronin came out of nowhere, and just happened to be a the place at the wrong time. But she couldn't exactly say it like that could she?
"Nothing out of the ordinary, I assure you," she began, however; his eyes did not relinquish their hold upon her form, and she gave a defeated sigh, the light anger surfacing forward. "It wasn't my fault, and nothing happened, but that asshole," she continued, her voice carrying off slightly as a slight shift in the air caused Aram to raise a questioning brow. It didn't take much to rile Ayla, for that he knew, but for someone to be on her mind this long, and to have earned such a title, must have been quite an experience for her. He took a sip from his tea, and continued to stare at her, his gaze never leaving her. It caused the tension in her muscles to grow, however; he fixed her with a stare, and she calmed herself.
"You don't understand, Ara, he came out of nowhere," she continued, and a frown marred Aram's face at the word he. He released a sigh as she continued. "He had the nerve to look down on me with his arrogant stature. He was taller, and I had to look up at him, but still. What gave him the right to talk to me like that? That... that asshole," she stated, her teeth grinding together as she continued. Aram let out a startled chuckle, causing her to stop in her ramblings and turned towards him, giving him a "what's so funny" stare. He merely shook his head, and gestured for her to continue. She narrowed her eyes, but hesitantly obliged.
"The bastard called me an old hag," she added, drawing out the last word in an attempt to mimic the way he spoke it.
"Perhaps an unkind way of saying it, but Ayla," he started, however; her gaze fixed on him, harshly, as if daring him to continue that sentence. He sighed in defeat and placed his cup down. "Perhaps if you hadn't addressed the ronin so rudely, things wouldn't have turned out that way for you. You have a temper, Ayla, and you need to control it. It wasn't his fault that he caused you to drop the fruit back into the bin and sca... startled you," he finally spoke, causing the frown on Ayla's face to deepen. She sighed harshly through her nose, and pinched the bridge. With her eyes closed, and brows furrowed, Aram smiled knowingly.
"It wasn't my fault," she continued, straining her voice in the process. "He shouldn't have just strutted in like he owned the place. Plus, how did he know my name!?" she drawled out, a slight hint of panic entering her voice. How did he know her name?
"Didn't you say Reiko sent him?"
"Don't correct me when I'm wrong," she snapped back, immediately recoiling. That's right, he said Reiko sent him. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her hands against her face. "Still doesn't give him the right," she muttered, releasing a defeated breath as she took to her cup again. It still irked her, how he had done that. She wasn't too engrossed in the fruit to have missed him, however; she decided to leave out the fact that he bore a strong similarity to Amon. She glanced towards Aram over the brim of her cup, watching as his eyes closed. She took a moment to enjoy the silence, allowing the serenity to seep into her. It calmed her slightly, and she chuckled lightly to herself.
"You're welcome," he spoke, saying nothing more on the matter. He could see by the way Ayla's eyes were fixed on him, that something else was bothering her too. He quirked a brow in her direction as a sly smirk covered her features. Leaning forward, she placed her hand beneath her chin, and allowed the smirk to continue to grow.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but," she began, slowly leaning closer. "Yu-chan let slip that they were late because someone didn't know how to barter for cabbage. Said she called him kyabetsu-san. Pray tell, dear brother, were you the reason Yu-chan and Rei-chan were late meeting me?" she asked, the sly smile still worming its way upon her face. From the way he bit back a startled choke from his tea, Ayla could only confirm that it was him. Of course, it could have been any other person in the market that day, but it was too much of a coincidence that he actually brought back money from his previous endeavor.
"Well, you see I was just..." he began, stuttering through his sentence. Ayla merely raised a brow as a tint of pink dusted his cheeks.
"Oh? So it's like that, is it?" she stated, allowing the teasing tone in her voice to seep through.
"It is not like that, Ayla. She merely helped in acquiring what was needed for you,"
"Uh-huh, whatever you say, dear brother."
He forgot how horrible his sister could be.
Sitting this properly was beginning to make her back stiff. Discreetly, Reiko glanced around the room—her brothers were in various states between feigning interest and obviously, utterly bored as the talks dragged on. This was thankfully the last major meeting they would be having before the human lords went home for the winter, but the problem was, if they didn’t get these trade agreements hammered out, they’d just be hosting more meetings in the spring, or else having to journey southward to the estates in question. Honestly, they’d probably have to do that anyway…
It wasn’t like she didn’t like the idea of traveling, but a diplomatic trip of that sort would not be a primarily pleasant experience, exactly. Meetings like this were not her idea of fun, but she understood their necessity. Just as well—she was keeping her composure better than most, and someone had to. Jirō, of course, was just as home here as he was anywhere, well-versed in the technical details of trade routes and what each region specialized in. Reiko knew most of it, but she let him do most of the talking, since it was still very strange to most of the human lords that a woman was even allowed to sit in the meeting, let alone actively participate. Still, this was her home, and they went by her family’s rules, and so when she really felt the need to say something, she said it. She thought she might be making some inroads, or at least slowly gaining the acceptance and tolerance of the men in the room, since nothing she said was vapid or stupid.
Tsubasa was bored out of his skull and not really trying to hide it. He sat slouched over, elbow propped on a knee and chin in his hand, occasionally yawning. Still, she knew he was keeping track of what was happening, because the few times Jirō had asked him to contribute an opinion, mostly about smithing, he was able to do so without needing to be caught up on the conversation. Kentaro, who sat immediately next to her, was restless and itched to be out of the room, but only she knew that, because his posture was even better than hers, even if he was overly stiff. He also scared at least half the guests, which was why Jirō wanted him to be around, no doubt.
Daichi was busy pretending not to care, but she caught the occasional flickers of irritation or satisfaction passing over his face when people talked. And Takahiro just sat patiently, a small, disarming smile on his face, blind eyes shut. Tatsuya, of course, was not in attendance.
It was all no different than it had been every meeting they’d had for the past eight months. Not all with the same humans, of course, but one territory at a time. They’d begun with the ambitious, rather daring Akarui-sama, who had been the one to approach them with talks of alliance and trade, even knowing the reputation of the Lords of Hokkaido (and the House of Fujiwara) for being filled with mysterious, reticent, and really quite powerful military commanders. But once he’d done it, the others were falling over themselves for the same alliance, mainly so they’d know Akarui-dono would not turn his new favorite allies on them. They couldn’t refuse without playing into that fear, and that was something they didn’t want to do. Warring with humans was, as Jirō would put it, absolutely pointless. Reiko was just glad the patience of her brothers had lasted this long, but she knew it was fraying.
She interrupted the lord speaking about his family’s trade in dyes. “Please pardon this one, Dojima-sama, but this one is feeling a bit weary, and needs something to drink and eat. Perhaps you would be willing to tell this one more about that indigo over refreshments?” Actually, she was probably the least tired of anyone here, having a tolerance for people that many of her siblings lacked, and a great deal more physical endurance than most people, human or otherwise, but it was, in a way, saving face for everyone. She was a woman, and so asking for a reprieve was expected of her as a member of the fairer sex, and also something they could not refuse and still be mannerly. It would also allow everyone to rest before their nerves became frayed enough to say something they would regret.
It was agreed that a break would be a good idea, and she resigned herself to lunch with a rather dull topic of conversation, knowing that she did it for the right reasons, at least.
"You had lunch with a human.” Tatsuya’s voice contained a note that on anyone else would have been considered pouting or even sulky. Reiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She really didn’t understand him sometimes.
The two of them reclined in her garden, enjoying the late fall underneath the deep red leaves of her favorite maple tree. Spring may be the season for blossoms, but autumn was for the leaves. “So it was. This one learned an awful lot about dye, but thankfully it sped up the rest of the negotiations, and so any diplomatic visits in spring will be for tying up loose ends and nothing too serious.” She’d been rather pleased with herself about that, actually. Dojima-sama had been somewhat reluctant to make an actual deal, believing that the terms on offer were not generous enough for what his good were worth. But, armed with her new knowledge and some degree of rapport with the stodgy old human, she’d managed to talk him around. It was nice to feel useful.
Tatsuya made a dissatisfied noise in the back of his throat, narrowing his bright red eyes. "He was staring at you.”
…Only for her brother to successfully imply that her success was due to the fact that the lord had a crush. It stung, but Reiko didn’t let it show. “Well, this one is not really sure what to say to that, Tsu. This one didn’t notice anything of the sort, and so if he was, it wasn’t offensive to this one.” She calmly sipped her tea, setting it down beside her in just enough time for her wrist to be grasped, an action which compelled her to actually meet his eyes, her own lit with query.
"I don't like it when they do that.” He stared back gravely, but she sighed. He could be so childish sometimes. Didn’t he have any idea how unfair he was being? She supposed not; she didn’t believe he would intentionally be so.
“And yet, there is nothing to be done. This one cannot change what has already been done.” His lips pursed, she shook her head. “Tsu, this one was the only female in the room. Perhaps Dojima-dono was simply bored.” Or maybe even interested in what she had to say. She swallowed the comment. When Tsu got like this, he wasn’t speaking from a place of thinking of her as less, or as property. He worried, and the worry was sharpened because he physically required her proximity. All of them did, and she knew that. It was her choice to satisfy that need, and realistically, it gave her a lot more power over them than they would ever have over her, no matter how things seemed on the outside. That frightened her a little, being needed in the same way one needed air, though thankfully not in quite the same doses.
The dissatisfied look to his face didn’t quite go away, not even when he carded his fingers through the hair just above her temple. When he pulled the inky mass all over one shoulder, she knew what he wanted, and tilted her head to the side so he could nuzzle at the nape of her neck and bite down. So relaxed was she that it barely even hurt, certainly not enough for her to flinch or anything. She held his head as he drank, her heart a steady drumbeat in her ears, somehow magnified by the sensation of being fed from.
“This one is not going anywhere, you know,” she murmured softly. “This one belongs here, and this one knows that.” He made a contented noise and pulled away, lifting his head so that they were virtually nose-to-nose. That close, he studied her for a moment.
"Good.” He briefly pressed his lips to her forehead, and she knew it was as close to an apology as he was capable of. Perhaps he understood what his words did to her more than she’d initially suspected. He set her hair to rights, then stood, nodding slightly before he departed the garden. Reiko sighed, slumping back against the tree slightly. She felt… it was hard to put it to words. Something in her was dissatisfied, restless, but she knew she should not be. This was where the belonged, because this was her family, and however much they fought or strained apart, she knew that they were bound together by threads that nothing could sever. She had always been content with her lot here, and yet… for the first time that she recalled, thinking about those things could not cause the unquiet itch beneath her skin to subside.
She had a bad feeling about something, but she knew not what.
It wasn’t like she didn’t like the idea of traveling, but a diplomatic trip of that sort would not be a primarily pleasant experience, exactly. Meetings like this were not her idea of fun, but she understood their necessity. Just as well—she was keeping her composure better than most, and someone had to. Jirō, of course, was just as home here as he was anywhere, well-versed in the technical details of trade routes and what each region specialized in. Reiko knew most of it, but she let him do most of the talking, since it was still very strange to most of the human lords that a woman was even allowed to sit in the meeting, let alone actively participate. Still, this was her home, and they went by her family’s rules, and so when she really felt the need to say something, she said it. She thought she might be making some inroads, or at least slowly gaining the acceptance and tolerance of the men in the room, since nothing she said was vapid or stupid.
Tsubasa was bored out of his skull and not really trying to hide it. He sat slouched over, elbow propped on a knee and chin in his hand, occasionally yawning. Still, she knew he was keeping track of what was happening, because the few times Jirō had asked him to contribute an opinion, mostly about smithing, he was able to do so without needing to be caught up on the conversation. Kentaro, who sat immediately next to her, was restless and itched to be out of the room, but only she knew that, because his posture was even better than hers, even if he was overly stiff. He also scared at least half the guests, which was why Jirō wanted him to be around, no doubt.
Daichi was busy pretending not to care, but she caught the occasional flickers of irritation or satisfaction passing over his face when people talked. And Takahiro just sat patiently, a small, disarming smile on his face, blind eyes shut. Tatsuya, of course, was not in attendance.
It was all no different than it had been every meeting they’d had for the past eight months. Not all with the same humans, of course, but one territory at a time. They’d begun with the ambitious, rather daring Akarui-sama, who had been the one to approach them with talks of alliance and trade, even knowing the reputation of the Lords of Hokkaido (and the House of Fujiwara) for being filled with mysterious, reticent, and really quite powerful military commanders. But once he’d done it, the others were falling over themselves for the same alliance, mainly so they’d know Akarui-dono would not turn his new favorite allies on them. They couldn’t refuse without playing into that fear, and that was something they didn’t want to do. Warring with humans was, as Jirō would put it, absolutely pointless. Reiko was just glad the patience of her brothers had lasted this long, but she knew it was fraying.
She interrupted the lord speaking about his family’s trade in dyes. “Please pardon this one, Dojima-sama, but this one is feeling a bit weary, and needs something to drink and eat. Perhaps you would be willing to tell this one more about that indigo over refreshments?” Actually, she was probably the least tired of anyone here, having a tolerance for people that many of her siblings lacked, and a great deal more physical endurance than most people, human or otherwise, but it was, in a way, saving face for everyone. She was a woman, and so asking for a reprieve was expected of her as a member of the fairer sex, and also something they could not refuse and still be mannerly. It would also allow everyone to rest before their nerves became frayed enough to say something they would regret.
It was agreed that a break would be a good idea, and she resigned herself to lunch with a rather dull topic of conversation, knowing that she did it for the right reasons, at least.
"You had lunch with a human.” Tatsuya’s voice contained a note that on anyone else would have been considered pouting or even sulky. Reiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She really didn’t understand him sometimes.
The two of them reclined in her garden, enjoying the late fall underneath the deep red leaves of her favorite maple tree. Spring may be the season for blossoms, but autumn was for the leaves. “So it was. This one learned an awful lot about dye, but thankfully it sped up the rest of the negotiations, and so any diplomatic visits in spring will be for tying up loose ends and nothing too serious.” She’d been rather pleased with herself about that, actually. Dojima-sama had been somewhat reluctant to make an actual deal, believing that the terms on offer were not generous enough for what his good were worth. But, armed with her new knowledge and some degree of rapport with the stodgy old human, she’d managed to talk him around. It was nice to feel useful.
Tatsuya made a dissatisfied noise in the back of his throat, narrowing his bright red eyes. "He was staring at you.”
…Only for her brother to successfully imply that her success was due to the fact that the lord had a crush. It stung, but Reiko didn’t let it show. “Well, this one is not really sure what to say to that, Tsu. This one didn’t notice anything of the sort, and so if he was, it wasn’t offensive to this one.” She calmly sipped her tea, setting it down beside her in just enough time for her wrist to be grasped, an action which compelled her to actually meet his eyes, her own lit with query.
"I don't like it when they do that.” He stared back gravely, but she sighed. He could be so childish sometimes. Didn’t he have any idea how unfair he was being? She supposed not; she didn’t believe he would intentionally be so.
“And yet, there is nothing to be done. This one cannot change what has already been done.” His lips pursed, she shook her head. “Tsu, this one was the only female in the room. Perhaps Dojima-dono was simply bored.” Or maybe even interested in what she had to say. She swallowed the comment. When Tsu got like this, he wasn’t speaking from a place of thinking of her as less, or as property. He worried, and the worry was sharpened because he physically required her proximity. All of them did, and she knew that. It was her choice to satisfy that need, and realistically, it gave her a lot more power over them than they would ever have over her, no matter how things seemed on the outside. That frightened her a little, being needed in the same way one needed air, though thankfully not in quite the same doses.
The dissatisfied look to his face didn’t quite go away, not even when he carded his fingers through the hair just above her temple. When he pulled the inky mass all over one shoulder, she knew what he wanted, and tilted her head to the side so he could nuzzle at the nape of her neck and bite down. So relaxed was she that it barely even hurt, certainly not enough for her to flinch or anything. She held his head as he drank, her heart a steady drumbeat in her ears, somehow magnified by the sensation of being fed from.
“This one is not going anywhere, you know,” she murmured softly. “This one belongs here, and this one knows that.” He made a contented noise and pulled away, lifting his head so that they were virtually nose-to-nose. That close, he studied her for a moment.
"Good.” He briefly pressed his lips to her forehead, and she knew it was as close to an apology as he was capable of. Perhaps he understood what his words did to her more than she’d initially suspected. He set her hair to rights, then stood, nodding slightly before he departed the garden. Reiko sighed, slumping back against the tree slightly. She felt… it was hard to put it to words. Something in her was dissatisfied, restless, but she knew she should not be. This was where the belonged, because this was her family, and however much they fought or strained apart, she knew that they were bound together by threads that nothing could sever. She had always been content with her lot here, and yet… for the first time that she recalled, thinking about those things could not cause the unquiet itch beneath her skin to subside.
She had a bad feeling about something, but she knew not what.
The winters in Hokkaido were long and cold, the snow on the ground often persisting well into the spring. This particular one had passed without much incident in the region itself, though there were rumors of conflicts beginning further south. Some of the lords down there were clashing with one another. As yet, it had not yet devolved into outright war, but tensions were high, and many eyes had turned north now that the House of Fujiwara was now once again a player on the political landscape of the rest of the country. Especially so since one of the parties currently colliding was Heisuke Akarui, a recent ally of the lord in the north, at least on paper. The time may soon be upon them to prove that allegiance, because his opponent was no one who had treated with them.
Reiko dearly hoped not. So far, Akarui-dono hadn’t asked for anything like that, perhaps choosing to take care of the matter by himself, and she dearly hoped that it would remain that way. Her family’s army might be relatively small, but because it was composed almost exclusively of vampires, even ten of them could do extensive damage, functioning as a strike squad. She shuddered to think about how many human lives one of her brothers could take before he tired. No, it was better to avoid that kind of exposure, and all the questions and fear that would follow.
Reiko sighed, her feet crunching quietly in the snow the only other sound on the road into town. Most people were in the comfort of their own homes right now, or else at one of the public eating establishments. It was about dinner time, the sky darkening overhead, snow falling in fat, soft flakes to the ground. Many stuck to her conical, straw hat, that and her thicker yukata the only concessions she really made to the weather. It wasn’t as though it bothered her, after all.
Losing her desire to make it all the way into the town, she tipped her head back to look up at the sky, stopping in the middle of the road for a while and staring at the brilliant smatterings of stars visible through the occasional gap in the clouds. "I wonder what you would have done,” she murmured softly, speaking aloud, as she often did, to the father who had left her behind ten years ago. Almost eleven now, she realized, and still it seemed as though at any moment, he might come over the hill to the east, full of stories of adventure, of what he’d really been doing for the last decade, and chastising her for imagining him, her great and loving father, dead like any ordinary mortal man. The imagining was so vivid it hurt her heart, and almost against her own will, she did turn to the eastern hill, only to find that indeed, someone was even now mounting it, heading towards her, or more likely the town that lay past her.
Aram sighed softly to himself, allowing the cool breeze to wash over him. Cold it may have been, but Aram's mind was distracted. As of late, visions had ceased to plague him, and he was allowed his sanity. That, however, was what worried him. Visions always came to him, whether they were in small intervals or all at once. They didn't just stop. Perhaps he was reading too much into it, and needed to meditate on it further, however; for the moment, he would enjoy the rest of his day. There wasn't anything else he could accomplish today, even if he tried. Glancing up from his spot, he spotted a figure in the distance, and tilted his head to the side. He blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting and a soft smile plagued his lips.
"Reiko-san, good evening,"" he greeted, giving her a polite bow and pausing a few feet away from her. "Care to join me for a walk?" he asked, his eyes never glancing away. "The day is still on us, and I am afraid I may be swindled by Inoue-san again if you are not with me,"" he continued, the barest switch from a smile to a smirk, present upon his face. If he noticed the difference, he didn't let on.
"Kyabetsu-san?” Reiko was surprised to run into the man again, though perhaps she shouldn’t be. She tended to meet most of the villagers with fair frequency, considering all the time she spent in the town. Of course, it only took a second more for her to realize how she’d addressed him, upon which her eyes widened slightly, and she dropped into a bow. "Oh, please excuse this one. This one… does not know your name, and addressed you without thinking.” It was rather rude of him to continue to call him after a vegetable. Perhaps beautiful women like Sayuri could get away with such things, but she knew she couldn’t—and she did feel rather bad that she’d forgotten to ask his name the first time they met. Though it was a little odd to her that he used her first name. Perhaps he was a more casual person than most?
"Ah, forgive this one for saying so, but this one believes that Inoue-san’s shop may be closed already. It is winter, and past twilight. But… perhaps if we hurry, we may catch him before he goes home?” If he truly wanted her help in a matter like that, well… she thought it odd, but she wouldn’t say no.
"Kyabetsu-san?" he mimicked the words she had spoken earlier, and blinked his eyes in slight confusion. A light chuckle escaped him in light remembrance as he shook his head. "It is no reason to apologize." he stated, watching her as she bowed. The smile returned, fully, to his face as he digested her sentences. He pursed his lips lightly, thinking it over for a minute before he continued.
"While Kyabetsu-san is not my actual name, I do not mind you addressing me as such," he added, a light chuckle hiding behind his tone. He surmised, however, by the way she spoke, that she would not continue to do so. Instead, he opted to give her his name. "But if you must call me something other than that, Aram is what you may use. And you misunderstand, Reiko-san," he started, stopping momentarily to shift in his spot.
"I was returning from meditation and simply on my way home. Your company, however, would be appreciated through the rest of the walk home. Perhaps I can assist you on your endeavor as well, Reiko-san?" he questioned, his head tilting slightly to the left.
Something about this man reminded her, just a little bit, of a crane. One of those delicate and graceful birds that seemed to be only half of this world, and half of something much more mysterious and magical. It was probably silly of her to think so, however, considering that she knew a great deal of what most people would consider otherworldly beings, and to her knowledge, there was nothing like that even in the expanded sense of the world. She smiled shyly, looking back down at the ground in front of her, still a bit embarrassed, but honestly… there was something else, too. Something that wasn’t shame, but still unsettled her somewhat. She couldn’t quite put a name to it, yet.
Of course, when he gave her his actual name, her eyes found his again, widened slightly with her surprise. "Aram-san?” It tickled her memory, something recent, but also something much older, she was almost sure. As if she’d first heard it years ago. Her hands, clasped together in front of her, tightened a little, a strange little flush of nervousness trickling down her back. "Then… you must be Ayla-san’s brother. This one is so sorry; this one had no idea!” A faint glaze of pink came over her cheeks—it was always embarrassing to make such an awkward impression on the family of someone you knew and liked so well She hoped he didn’t think too little of her for her previous faux pas.
"T-this one has no particular errands today. This one, um…” she tried to find the words that would properly explain her presence. "Just wanted to be outside for a while,” she finished lamely, and yet, it was essentially the truth. The castle felt like it suffocated sometimes, despite the best intentions of others, and she needed time outside of it, else she might well lose her sense of what was really important.
Aram could not help the small shake of his head at Reiko. She was timid, perhaps, or just used to being formal with others. Either way, Aram merely waited patiently for her response, and when it was given, he nodded. "Ayla is my sister, yes. I hope she has not spoken ill of me,"" he jested, knowing well that Ayla would not have done so. Perhaps spoken with the intent to embarrass him, but not to tarnish him.
"You could not have known who I was, Reiko-san. Do not fret over it. I didn't introduce myself properly, the first time we met. You should know, though, Ayla has not forgiven me for keeping you that day," he stated, adding the last statement in as a means to divert the apology. "But if you do not mind, would it be imposing if I joined you?"" he asked. "I would understand if you do not wish my company, but it seems that you are in no hurry to return, and as chance would have it, neither am I," he concluded, waiting for her reply.
Reiko contemplated that for a moment. On the one hand, it wasn’t exactly good manners for a woman to be seen about alone with a man not of her family. On the other… that was only if they were seen, and the offer itself seemed to contain nothing untoward. It wasn’t like someone like him would make her that kind of overture anyway. Content in her line of reasoning, she nodded slightly. "If you would find something worth having in this one’s company, this one would be happy to walk with you.” She hadn’t been headed anywhere in particular, and so she struck off in the direction of his home, which would ordinarily carry them through the main part of town. She chose instead, however, to take a longer, but less public route around the village.
Snow still fell around them, for the most part swallowing all sound. Their breaths puffed out in front of them, forming little temporary clouds that rose towards the sky. "Forgive this one for asking, but… is Aram-san like Ayla-san? That is… do you…” she pursed her lips, trying to find a delicate way to phrase it. Ayla wouldn’t have cared, she knew, but honestly Reiko knew little about the man beside her, probably even less than he knew about her. "Do you change? When the moon is full?”
Aram pursed his lips, momentarily, before allowing the smile to return to his lips. He would have commented upon her statement, however; he chose to remain silent, and enjoy their walk. Silent as it was, he allowed it to remain so, taking in the small things around them. He was brought from his thoughts when Reiko spoke, and registered what she had spoken. His lips pursed into a fine line, and his brows furrowed. Ayla had shifted in front of Reiko? She hadn't told him anything of the sort, and he hadn't seen it. He let loose a sigh, allowing it to be drawn out, and folded his arms into the fabric of his shirt.
"Ayla is... she is a creature of her own. I haven't met many like her, however; you may put your mind at ease in knowing that I am not like her. I do not shift when the moon is full," he answered, trying to put the words into a way that wouldn't let on that Ayla was the only one of her kind. "To be honest, she and I are not blood siblings, however; we have been together for many years. She was raised with me, and as such, I consider her my sister. Family is more than blood, as I'm sure you know," he stated with a knowing smile.
"What of you, Reiko-san? Ayla speaks of you very fondly, and she mentioned you had siblings as well," he asked, turning his head slightly so that he was gazing at her through the corners of his eyes.
"Oh, this one did not mean to imply anything,” Reiko pointed out. "This one would not be uneasy if you were the same. Ayla didn’t hurt this one, after all. This one was only curious.” She nodded softly, though, indicating that she understood the point he was making. It sounded, from how he said it, like there were at least a couple of other people like Ayla was, which would make sense, she supposed. Though her father had been the first of their kind, he had had many children, and turned others, too. Perhaps that was also what had happened in Ayla’s case.
She was a little embarrassed, in a pleasant sort of way, to hear that her Ayla spoke of her highly, and she hummed a small note in the back of her throat when he asked her about her family. There was something about the way he asked, gentle and serene, but somehow pointed, like he was really interested in the answer, and wasn’t asking only for the sake of something to talk about. She wasn’t sure what to think of it, exactly. Still, she had no reason to lie, not about this. "This one has many brothers,” she said, her tone taking on a kind of quiet fondness. "They are all very different, from this one and each other, but they are all this one has.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, only to discover that he was studying her, and she quickly looked back to the path in front of her, feeling that little twinge of nervousness again. Talking to strangers didn’t usually make her uneasy. Was it simply because she wanted to make a good impression on her friend’s family?
"This one has an adopted sister, too. But this one’s parents are gone now.” She smiled slightly, tipping her head back to seek out some of the stars again, but they were all obscured by clouds now. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, creeping under the brim of her hat due to the angle. "This one was just remembering, actually. Tou-chan would sometimes leave town, and come back into it on this road.”
He hummed a soft note in the back of his throat when Reiko spoke, listening to the words she spoke and seemed to dissect each one. She loved her family, dearly it seemed, and it was apparent in the tone she used for them. It was affectionate and warm, something he remembered vaguely from him. Though he'd never been the sort, it was pleasant to know how it had changed him into the person he was. Dismissing the thought from his mind, he chose to glance up the same time she did, and peered at the stars. He did not have the cover of the conical hat that Reiko did, and most of his hair was covered in white specks. He rummaged a hand through his hair, and shook the flakes free.
"In the end, all one truly has is family," he commented, though it was hard to interpret what he meant by that. It was vague, and perhaps a little more of an open thought to himself than it was a statement. Unlike her, Aram never knew his Father. Their creator had been a blank entity in their lives, void of any appearance save the voice he heard once. He only knew his siblings, and that they had been created for a sole purpose. What their purpose was now, however; was still a bit of a mystery to him. He had seen things, but they had been a blur to him.
"Ah, forgive me, Reiko-san. It seems I have lost myself in thought," he stated, shaking himself loose of the thoughts. "Is that so? Your tou-chan must have played a big part in your life. You speak of him with reverence. I suppose your family is lucky to have one such as you, then. I can see why Ayla has taken such a shine to you,"" he stated, a small hint of appreciation laced behind the final words.
Reiko coughed slightly, trying and failing not to color at the praise. She shook her head though, modest almost by reflex. "This one is nothing so special, Aram-san. This one just loves her family, as this one should.” They fell silent after that, though, allowing the rest of the walk to pass in a surprisingly-comfortable silence, each keeping their own thoughts company, though somehow, their paces never fell out of sync. It felt curiously like she’d done it all before.
At length, they reached the home he shared with Ayla, and Reiko bowed again. "It was nice to meet you properly, Aram-san. Perhaps… perhaps this one will see you again, when next she comes to visit Ayla-san.”
Aram returned the bow, pausing momentarily as he straightened his posture back out. "Perhaps. I venture out more than I should," he spoke, though he said nothing further. He cast a glance towards the home he shared with his sister and contemplated whether or not to alert Ayla that he was back, and with Reiko, however; he thought better of it. She would either know Reiko was outside just by scent, or she'd figure it out some other way. For now, he was content to be with Reiko outside for the moment.
"Until we meet again, Reiko-san," and with that, he disappeared into the home, choosing to keep his thoughts to himself for the time.
Reiko dearly hoped not. So far, Akarui-dono hadn’t asked for anything like that, perhaps choosing to take care of the matter by himself, and she dearly hoped that it would remain that way. Her family’s army might be relatively small, but because it was composed almost exclusively of vampires, even ten of them could do extensive damage, functioning as a strike squad. She shuddered to think about how many human lives one of her brothers could take before he tired. No, it was better to avoid that kind of exposure, and all the questions and fear that would follow.
Reiko sighed, her feet crunching quietly in the snow the only other sound on the road into town. Most people were in the comfort of their own homes right now, or else at one of the public eating establishments. It was about dinner time, the sky darkening overhead, snow falling in fat, soft flakes to the ground. Many stuck to her conical, straw hat, that and her thicker yukata the only concessions she really made to the weather. It wasn’t as though it bothered her, after all.
Losing her desire to make it all the way into the town, she tipped her head back to look up at the sky, stopping in the middle of the road for a while and staring at the brilliant smatterings of stars visible through the occasional gap in the clouds. "I wonder what you would have done,” she murmured softly, speaking aloud, as she often did, to the father who had left her behind ten years ago. Almost eleven now, she realized, and still it seemed as though at any moment, he might come over the hill to the east, full of stories of adventure, of what he’d really been doing for the last decade, and chastising her for imagining him, her great and loving father, dead like any ordinary mortal man. The imagining was so vivid it hurt her heart, and almost against her own will, she did turn to the eastern hill, only to find that indeed, someone was even now mounting it, heading towards her, or more likely the town that lay past her.
Aram sighed softly to himself, allowing the cool breeze to wash over him. Cold it may have been, but Aram's mind was distracted. As of late, visions had ceased to plague him, and he was allowed his sanity. That, however, was what worried him. Visions always came to him, whether they were in small intervals or all at once. They didn't just stop. Perhaps he was reading too much into it, and needed to meditate on it further, however; for the moment, he would enjoy the rest of his day. There wasn't anything else he could accomplish today, even if he tried. Glancing up from his spot, he spotted a figure in the distance, and tilted his head to the side. He blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting and a soft smile plagued his lips.
"Reiko-san, good evening,"" he greeted, giving her a polite bow and pausing a few feet away from her. "Care to join me for a walk?" he asked, his eyes never glancing away. "The day is still on us, and I am afraid I may be swindled by Inoue-san again if you are not with me,"" he continued, the barest switch from a smile to a smirk, present upon his face. If he noticed the difference, he didn't let on.
"Kyabetsu-san?” Reiko was surprised to run into the man again, though perhaps she shouldn’t be. She tended to meet most of the villagers with fair frequency, considering all the time she spent in the town. Of course, it only took a second more for her to realize how she’d addressed him, upon which her eyes widened slightly, and she dropped into a bow. "Oh, please excuse this one. This one… does not know your name, and addressed you without thinking.” It was rather rude of him to continue to call him after a vegetable. Perhaps beautiful women like Sayuri could get away with such things, but she knew she couldn’t—and she did feel rather bad that she’d forgotten to ask his name the first time they met. Though it was a little odd to her that he used her first name. Perhaps he was a more casual person than most?
"Ah, forgive this one for saying so, but this one believes that Inoue-san’s shop may be closed already. It is winter, and past twilight. But… perhaps if we hurry, we may catch him before he goes home?” If he truly wanted her help in a matter like that, well… she thought it odd, but she wouldn’t say no.
"Kyabetsu-san?" he mimicked the words she had spoken earlier, and blinked his eyes in slight confusion. A light chuckle escaped him in light remembrance as he shook his head. "It is no reason to apologize." he stated, watching her as she bowed. The smile returned, fully, to his face as he digested her sentences. He pursed his lips lightly, thinking it over for a minute before he continued.
"While Kyabetsu-san is not my actual name, I do not mind you addressing me as such," he added, a light chuckle hiding behind his tone. He surmised, however, by the way she spoke, that she would not continue to do so. Instead, he opted to give her his name. "But if you must call me something other than that, Aram is what you may use. And you misunderstand, Reiko-san," he started, stopping momentarily to shift in his spot.
"I was returning from meditation and simply on my way home. Your company, however, would be appreciated through the rest of the walk home. Perhaps I can assist you on your endeavor as well, Reiko-san?" he questioned, his head tilting slightly to the left.
Something about this man reminded her, just a little bit, of a crane. One of those delicate and graceful birds that seemed to be only half of this world, and half of something much more mysterious and magical. It was probably silly of her to think so, however, considering that she knew a great deal of what most people would consider otherworldly beings, and to her knowledge, there was nothing like that even in the expanded sense of the world. She smiled shyly, looking back down at the ground in front of her, still a bit embarrassed, but honestly… there was something else, too. Something that wasn’t shame, but still unsettled her somewhat. She couldn’t quite put a name to it, yet.
Of course, when he gave her his actual name, her eyes found his again, widened slightly with her surprise. "Aram-san?” It tickled her memory, something recent, but also something much older, she was almost sure. As if she’d first heard it years ago. Her hands, clasped together in front of her, tightened a little, a strange little flush of nervousness trickling down her back. "Then… you must be Ayla-san’s brother. This one is so sorry; this one had no idea!” A faint glaze of pink came over her cheeks—it was always embarrassing to make such an awkward impression on the family of someone you knew and liked so well She hoped he didn’t think too little of her for her previous faux pas.
"T-this one has no particular errands today. This one, um…” she tried to find the words that would properly explain her presence. "Just wanted to be outside for a while,” she finished lamely, and yet, it was essentially the truth. The castle felt like it suffocated sometimes, despite the best intentions of others, and she needed time outside of it, else she might well lose her sense of what was really important.
Aram could not help the small shake of his head at Reiko. She was timid, perhaps, or just used to being formal with others. Either way, Aram merely waited patiently for her response, and when it was given, he nodded. "Ayla is my sister, yes. I hope she has not spoken ill of me,"" he jested, knowing well that Ayla would not have done so. Perhaps spoken with the intent to embarrass him, but not to tarnish him.
"You could not have known who I was, Reiko-san. Do not fret over it. I didn't introduce myself properly, the first time we met. You should know, though, Ayla has not forgiven me for keeping you that day," he stated, adding the last statement in as a means to divert the apology. "But if you do not mind, would it be imposing if I joined you?"" he asked. "I would understand if you do not wish my company, but it seems that you are in no hurry to return, and as chance would have it, neither am I," he concluded, waiting for her reply.
Reiko contemplated that for a moment. On the one hand, it wasn’t exactly good manners for a woman to be seen about alone with a man not of her family. On the other… that was only if they were seen, and the offer itself seemed to contain nothing untoward. It wasn’t like someone like him would make her that kind of overture anyway. Content in her line of reasoning, she nodded slightly. "If you would find something worth having in this one’s company, this one would be happy to walk with you.” She hadn’t been headed anywhere in particular, and so she struck off in the direction of his home, which would ordinarily carry them through the main part of town. She chose instead, however, to take a longer, but less public route around the village.
Snow still fell around them, for the most part swallowing all sound. Their breaths puffed out in front of them, forming little temporary clouds that rose towards the sky. "Forgive this one for asking, but… is Aram-san like Ayla-san? That is… do you…” she pursed her lips, trying to find a delicate way to phrase it. Ayla wouldn’t have cared, she knew, but honestly Reiko knew little about the man beside her, probably even less than he knew about her. "Do you change? When the moon is full?”
Aram pursed his lips, momentarily, before allowing the smile to return to his lips. He would have commented upon her statement, however; he chose to remain silent, and enjoy their walk. Silent as it was, he allowed it to remain so, taking in the small things around them. He was brought from his thoughts when Reiko spoke, and registered what she had spoken. His lips pursed into a fine line, and his brows furrowed. Ayla had shifted in front of Reiko? She hadn't told him anything of the sort, and he hadn't seen it. He let loose a sigh, allowing it to be drawn out, and folded his arms into the fabric of his shirt.
"Ayla is... she is a creature of her own. I haven't met many like her, however; you may put your mind at ease in knowing that I am not like her. I do not shift when the moon is full," he answered, trying to put the words into a way that wouldn't let on that Ayla was the only one of her kind. "To be honest, she and I are not blood siblings, however; we have been together for many years. She was raised with me, and as such, I consider her my sister. Family is more than blood, as I'm sure you know," he stated with a knowing smile.
"What of you, Reiko-san? Ayla speaks of you very fondly, and she mentioned you had siblings as well," he asked, turning his head slightly so that he was gazing at her through the corners of his eyes.
"Oh, this one did not mean to imply anything,” Reiko pointed out. "This one would not be uneasy if you were the same. Ayla didn’t hurt this one, after all. This one was only curious.” She nodded softly, though, indicating that she understood the point he was making. It sounded, from how he said it, like there were at least a couple of other people like Ayla was, which would make sense, she supposed. Though her father had been the first of their kind, he had had many children, and turned others, too. Perhaps that was also what had happened in Ayla’s case.
She was a little embarrassed, in a pleasant sort of way, to hear that her Ayla spoke of her highly, and she hummed a small note in the back of her throat when he asked her about her family. There was something about the way he asked, gentle and serene, but somehow pointed, like he was really interested in the answer, and wasn’t asking only for the sake of something to talk about. She wasn’t sure what to think of it, exactly. Still, she had no reason to lie, not about this. "This one has many brothers,” she said, her tone taking on a kind of quiet fondness. "They are all very different, from this one and each other, but they are all this one has.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, only to discover that he was studying her, and she quickly looked back to the path in front of her, feeling that little twinge of nervousness again. Talking to strangers didn’t usually make her uneasy. Was it simply because she wanted to make a good impression on her friend’s family?
"This one has an adopted sister, too. But this one’s parents are gone now.” She smiled slightly, tipping her head back to seek out some of the stars again, but they were all obscured by clouds now. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, creeping under the brim of her hat due to the angle. "This one was just remembering, actually. Tou-chan would sometimes leave town, and come back into it on this road.”
He hummed a soft note in the back of his throat when Reiko spoke, listening to the words she spoke and seemed to dissect each one. She loved her family, dearly it seemed, and it was apparent in the tone she used for them. It was affectionate and warm, something he remembered vaguely from him. Though he'd never been the sort, it was pleasant to know how it had changed him into the person he was. Dismissing the thought from his mind, he chose to glance up the same time she did, and peered at the stars. He did not have the cover of the conical hat that Reiko did, and most of his hair was covered in white specks. He rummaged a hand through his hair, and shook the flakes free.
"In the end, all one truly has is family," he commented, though it was hard to interpret what he meant by that. It was vague, and perhaps a little more of an open thought to himself than it was a statement. Unlike her, Aram never knew his Father. Their creator had been a blank entity in their lives, void of any appearance save the voice he heard once. He only knew his siblings, and that they had been created for a sole purpose. What their purpose was now, however; was still a bit of a mystery to him. He had seen things, but they had been a blur to him.
"Ah, forgive me, Reiko-san. It seems I have lost myself in thought," he stated, shaking himself loose of the thoughts. "Is that so? Your tou-chan must have played a big part in your life. You speak of him with reverence. I suppose your family is lucky to have one such as you, then. I can see why Ayla has taken such a shine to you,"" he stated, a small hint of appreciation laced behind the final words.
Reiko coughed slightly, trying and failing not to color at the praise. She shook her head though, modest almost by reflex. "This one is nothing so special, Aram-san. This one just loves her family, as this one should.” They fell silent after that, though, allowing the rest of the walk to pass in a surprisingly-comfortable silence, each keeping their own thoughts company, though somehow, their paces never fell out of sync. It felt curiously like she’d done it all before.
At length, they reached the home he shared with Ayla, and Reiko bowed again. "It was nice to meet you properly, Aram-san. Perhaps… perhaps this one will see you again, when next she comes to visit Ayla-san.”
Aram returned the bow, pausing momentarily as he straightened his posture back out. "Perhaps. I venture out more than I should," he spoke, though he said nothing further. He cast a glance towards the home he shared with his sister and contemplated whether or not to alert Ayla that he was back, and with Reiko, however; he thought better of it. She would either know Reiko was outside just by scent, or she'd figure it out some other way. For now, he was content to be with Reiko outside for the moment.
"Until we meet again, Reiko-san," and with that, he disappeared into the home, choosing to keep his thoughts to himself for the time.
"I really don’t see why you insist that I must come with you.” Tatsuya’s tone was gruff, but contained the faintest hint of petulance, and he frowned down at his younger sister, who looked back up at him and smiled knowingly. He didn’t especially like going into town with all the humans, but she was insistent on dragging them all there from time to time, arguing to no one’s satisfaction that it would help them rule more effectively if they knew their subjects personally. And yet, she’d managed to convince all of them to accompany her at one time or another. Kentaro went most regularly, though Tatsuya suspected this was more out of a desire to make sure she stayed out of trouble than any desire to associate with the townspeople.
He supposed he might as well do the same. At the very least, knowing who Reiko knew was likely to alert him to any potential problems that she would be far too naïve to predict. He was not oblivious to the various ways that people might attempt to take advantage of his sister’s kindness, her generosity, or even—he nearly snarled at the thought—her person. He just didn’t trust humans to keep themselves in check, base creatures that they tended to be, and he didn’t trust Reiko to be stringent enough in her own defense, or the allotment of her grace and goodwill. She’d love anyone who gave her the time of day, for no other reason than the potential she saw in them, to be better than they were.
If he’d considered it much further, he would have suspected that this was also how she could bring herself to love him, and would have considered the idea that he might not be so different from a human—after all, when had he ever bothered to restrain his desires and whims? It was not a train of thought that he followed, in part because he could sense those conclusions lurking there, and turned from them.
He knew his flaws well. Tatsuya was possessive of his sister, overprotective, both to the point that he was abound to misinterpret friendliness and good intentions in others for something more sinister. Or, at least the possibility. Everyone who accepted her generosity was a potential extortionist. Everyone who smiled at her a certain way or admired the fall of her hair or the fairness of her face had something dark in mind, or might. It made him bristle, and he exuded, quite purposefully, a foreboding presence that made it known, without ever needing a word or even a look, that she was his, and he would not hesitate to act accordingly. It was for the best—after all, what could any of them possibly understand of her? They saw only a tiny fraction of what she really was. They saw a ray of light, when he knew she was the sun itself. They didn’t deserve her.
"Suya, you’re scaring people.” Her tone contained a note of reproach, and that was all it took. For all his dark thoughts, for all his very real hostile intent, that phrase curbed him, brought short his fulminating darkness, cowed him into compliance. He hated to think that he was making her unhappy. The aura eased off, enough at least that it was no longer enough to cause fear, just unease. He substituted glares at anyone who got close enough in the crowd, even women whose attentions he normally would have welcomed. Even he had priorities, after all.
He loitered behind her while she bargained at various stalls for the ingredients the cooks would need for dinner tonight, to feed the servants. The Fujiwara household employed humans, and saw to all their needs, though strictly speaking, this was servant’s work. But Reiko was insistent that the cook was too old to be making the daily journey into town in weather this cold, and so she did it instead.
For once, Ayla had managed to forget about the seething anger that had clouded her the past few weeks. Each day, she recalled, was one spent fuming over the incident that happened long ago in the market. Grudges were held in voluminous quantities, and she did not know the reason as to why she held this grudge. Perhaps because he had dug beneath her skin in a way that irritated her most? She wasn't sure, but she was glad to be rid of the thoughts and the tension. She had the intentions of celebrating it by cooking something for Aram. He'd been leaving more as of late and was hardly home. Perhaps he finally found someone? The thought alone caused a snort to escape her, causing a passing vendor to stare at her momentarily before continuing on their way.
"The day he finds someone is the day I'm no longer needed," she muttered to herself. There was some truth in the words she had spoken. Aram wasn't exactly weak that he couldn't take care of himself, however; he was oblivious to certain qualities that made them human. Perhaps the Father wanted them to retain some humanity, however; Aram was a hapless fool. He may have been protective of her, but there was without a reasonable doubt that she was the one who was protective. "Then maybe..." she began, lifting her gaze towards the sky as she did so. Her eyes glazed over slightly as memories played over, fondly. A familiar scent, however, snapped her from her stupor, and she turned towards the source, a bright smile covering her face.
She followed it until she spotted the one responsible and immediately headed straight for her. "Rei-Rei-chan!" she stated, making herself known to Reiko as she took the young girl in an embrace. She rubbed her face affectionately against Reiko's cheek, and released her, only for her blood to spike in temperature when she noticed who Reiko was with. She was going to have to have a talk with fate because at the moment, she wanted to rip her pretty little throat out. She opted to glare at the man standing by Reiko before turning her attention back to the brunette.
"I've missed you," she stated, never relinquishing her hold on Reiko. She would ignore the Fucking Asshole, for now.
Tatsuya, on the other hand, merely sniffed, curling his lip as though her very scent was offensive to him, and watched through narrowed eyes as the uncouth woman had the audacity to embrace his sister. Clearly she had no sense of proper respect or boundaries. Reiko herself might not like to lord it over others, but she was in fact nobility, and as such, she deserved to be treated with more consideration than two harlots might show each other. His face smoothed over into icy disdain and seemed to freeze there, the air around them dropping in temperature a further few degrees. Tatsuya was suited to the winter, really.
Reiko shot him a look from the corner of her eye, equal parts confusion and subtle remonstrance. He doubted the bitch gave her as much credit, but he knew she’d picked up on the latent hostility the woman was projecting at him, just as she had certainly picked up on his rather highhanded response to it. Gently, her arms wrapped around Ayla’s waist for a moment, though she politely drew back thereafter.
"This one has missed you too, Ayla-san.” Though why anyone would miss that creature was something Tatsuya could not begin to comprehend. As soon as she stepped back far enough, he reached out and placed a hand atop her head, regarding the hag with the same cold, imperious stare that had so infuriated her the first time.
"Oh! This one believes you have met, but just in case… this is this one’s older brother, Minamoto Tatsuya.” Reiko didn’t react overmuch to the touch of his hand, nor seem in the least uncomfortable, which perhaps lent some credence to the way he’d been introduced. After all, he’d never told the woman that he was Reiko’s brother—he’d allowed her to come to her own conclusions about what he was, and she had thought him a ronin.
Ayla blinked slowly, processing what Reiko had spoken. Brother? This was her brother? All formality seemed to drop from Ayla as her face pulled into an unreadable expression. There was no possible way this man could be related to her Reiko. He was an asshole, someone she wanted to maul and rip apart, however; she stared at the two of them. "This fucking asshole is your brother?" she finally found her words, refusing to censor herself now. That stare was causing the hairs along her neck to rise as she tried to remain civil. She made a promise to Aram, and she was so close to breaking it.
"You're joking, right?" she continued, still in slight denial. Her hand twitched slightly, watching as his hand rested on Reiko's head. She could feel the tension in her throat, the way it was becoming a little tighter to breathe. She really wanted to do something. And part of that was maul. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. The twitching ceased, temporarily, and she turned towards him. "Then I guess that makes you 'Your Fucking Highness'" she stated, folding her arms into the sleeves of her kimono.
Even as the air seemed to chill slightly, she made no notice of discomfort. She was an animal, something not of their kind, but something else. The cold did not bother her. Instead, her eye twitched visibly at her displeasure of being in his company. "Does he have to be here?" she questioned, trying her best to be a little civil for Reiko as she jabbed a finger in his direction.
Reiko, for her part, didn’t even blink at Ayla’s coarse language. Rather, she took in a deep breath, and sighed it out softly. Tatsuya merely raised an eyebrow, still as coolly unconcerned as he’d been to begin. He did enjoy getting under the skin of other people now and then—okay, often, but he rarely let them do the same in return. This time would be no exception. "Suya, what did you do?”
He frowned slightly, focusing his attention on his sister rather than the fly buzzing about her. He didn’t like that she sounded a little disappointed. "I only carried your message. It is hardly my concern if this friend of yours did not take kindly to it.” His eyes snapped to Ayla at her mode of address, and a serpentine smile slid onto his face. "Your fucking Highness is right, bitch. Take care to grovel properly next time.” He sounded almost bored, as though her very existence was of no consequence to him, and proceeded to ignore the rest of what she said. As though she had more right to be around his family than he did. No, quite the opposite, and he was at least confident that Reiko would not send him away.
The thin thread holding her anger at bay snapped. She tried her best to be civil in front of Reiko, for Aram's sake and the young girl's sake, however; Tatsuya managed to crawl beneath her skin. The anger seeped from her, radiating in a red aura for those who could sense such things, and every hair on her stood on end. Grovel? He expected her to grovel? She bowed to no one. She wasn't his property, she wasn't his subject. She didn't have to do anything of the sort if she desired not to.
"You expect me to grovel... to you. I don't fucking think so. You're still just a fucking asshole, and you'll get no such royalties from me," she spat, her hands falling to her sides and clenching tightly into balled fists. "And I'd like to see you try," she threatened, her voice deepening a notch. She'd like to see him try and get such things from her. All she really wanted to do right now was wipe that stupid smile off of his face. "I promise you I'll do more than just bark, this time," she added, remembering his last statement from before and momentarily forgetting Reiko's presence.
Tatsuya’s raised brow lifted another half-inch or so. "Anytime and anywhere, woman. All you have to do is name it.” He still managed to sound like he was bored senseless by her mere existence, his tone level and flat and even slightly put-upon, but anything else he might have said was stopped by a small hand upon his chest.
Reiko.
Given the loose state of his gi, her palm was directly on his skin, and as it always did, the contact gentled him, relaxed muscles that had tensed, just fractionally, and killed any hint of his temper before it even rose. "Both of you must stop this right now.” Her brows were furrowed, and she focused red eyes on Ayla, the flinty glint to them harder than usual. "You are not children, and you will not act like it here, in front of all these people.” Indeed, their budding confrontation, and Ayla’s very evident temper, seemed to have stopped many a passerby in their tracks, some looking torn between helping the small, delicate-looking girl intervene and fleeing to somewhere safe, where the air would not be so thick and choking as their auras were making it here.
Slowly shaking her head, the girl continued. "Suya, Ayla-san is this one’s precious friend, and if you care for this one as you say you do, you will please respect that. Ayla-san… I know he is not the most polite person, but Tatsuya is this one’s brother, and is very dear to this one. This one asks you to please be patient with him, if you can. This one loves him no less than you love Aram-san, this one thinks.” Her voice was quiet, her entreaty polite, but she was firm. Ayla knew how important her family was to her—the question was whether or not she would respect it.
Whatever Ayla was going to retort back, was immediately silenced by her biting her tongue: literally. A deep growl resonated in the back of her throat, however; it died as soon as it appeared. She knew how important her family was, even if it was only Aram and herself now. She glanced at Reiko, and allowed her gaze to soften. Instead, her posture shifted, allowing her hair to spill over her shoulders as she gave a formal bow to Reiko. "I am sorry, Hino-san," she began, her voice soft and compliant. "Forgive me," she stated, keeping herself in a bowed position. The anger that radiated from her dispersed into light waves before disappearing completely.
Reiko was right. She loved Aram as he was, however; Aram wasn't him. She finally allowed herself to straighten her posture back out as her face fell blank. She glanced at Tatsuya, and back at Reiko and furrowed her brows. She almost scoffed at how similar it seemed to her, staring at a reflection of herself and Aram in the two before her. A brief flicker of disgust, however, passed over her face when she compared herself to him. She wasn't like him, and she wouldn't be.
"I am sure there is no difference in the love you have for him and the one I share for Aram. If he is dear to you, then I will try on your behalf," to be patient with him didn't seem like it would be an easy thing. She hoped, dearly, that this would be the last time she would run into him.
"Please, raise your head. This one does not need to be bowed to.” Tatsuya disagreed, but he kept his mouth shut out of respect for his sister’s wishes. He didn’t struggle much to do what she asked, really—he hadn’t been angry with the werewolf so much as he’d enjoyed provoking her, and for now at least, he was willing to let that go. Reiko’s smile was gentle, and she reached out to touch Ayla gently on the shoulder, smiling softly.
"Okay, well… now that this is over with, this one should probably get back to her shopping. Which fish are the freshest today, Ayla-san?” Tatsuya knew her own nose, or his, were adequate to the purpose of determining that, which meant that Reiko was likely just using it as a way to gently turn the conversation around and keep all three of them in each others’ company. He wasn’t sure why she bothered, but decided he’d probably never understand what she saw in that woman anyway. He had to admit, she’d played them both very well. He couldn’t continue to provoke the woman, nor she react to him with so much temper, without directly coming into conflict with Reiko’s stated wishes, and stated in such a way as to appeal to the parts of them that had personal concern for her. It was quite the maneuver.
He hadn’t known her capable. It would seem his little sister was more grown than he’d estimated. Tatsuya wasn’t sure whether to be proud or disturbed.
He supposed he might as well do the same. At the very least, knowing who Reiko knew was likely to alert him to any potential problems that she would be far too naïve to predict. He was not oblivious to the various ways that people might attempt to take advantage of his sister’s kindness, her generosity, or even—he nearly snarled at the thought—her person. He just didn’t trust humans to keep themselves in check, base creatures that they tended to be, and he didn’t trust Reiko to be stringent enough in her own defense, or the allotment of her grace and goodwill. She’d love anyone who gave her the time of day, for no other reason than the potential she saw in them, to be better than they were.
If he’d considered it much further, he would have suspected that this was also how she could bring herself to love him, and would have considered the idea that he might not be so different from a human—after all, when had he ever bothered to restrain his desires and whims? It was not a train of thought that he followed, in part because he could sense those conclusions lurking there, and turned from them.
He knew his flaws well. Tatsuya was possessive of his sister, overprotective, both to the point that he was abound to misinterpret friendliness and good intentions in others for something more sinister. Or, at least the possibility. Everyone who accepted her generosity was a potential extortionist. Everyone who smiled at her a certain way or admired the fall of her hair or the fairness of her face had something dark in mind, or might. It made him bristle, and he exuded, quite purposefully, a foreboding presence that made it known, without ever needing a word or even a look, that she was his, and he would not hesitate to act accordingly. It was for the best—after all, what could any of them possibly understand of her? They saw only a tiny fraction of what she really was. They saw a ray of light, when he knew she was the sun itself. They didn’t deserve her.
"Suya, you’re scaring people.” Her tone contained a note of reproach, and that was all it took. For all his dark thoughts, for all his very real hostile intent, that phrase curbed him, brought short his fulminating darkness, cowed him into compliance. He hated to think that he was making her unhappy. The aura eased off, enough at least that it was no longer enough to cause fear, just unease. He substituted glares at anyone who got close enough in the crowd, even women whose attentions he normally would have welcomed. Even he had priorities, after all.
He loitered behind her while she bargained at various stalls for the ingredients the cooks would need for dinner tonight, to feed the servants. The Fujiwara household employed humans, and saw to all their needs, though strictly speaking, this was servant’s work. But Reiko was insistent that the cook was too old to be making the daily journey into town in weather this cold, and so she did it instead.
For once, Ayla had managed to forget about the seething anger that had clouded her the past few weeks. Each day, she recalled, was one spent fuming over the incident that happened long ago in the market. Grudges were held in voluminous quantities, and she did not know the reason as to why she held this grudge. Perhaps because he had dug beneath her skin in a way that irritated her most? She wasn't sure, but she was glad to be rid of the thoughts and the tension. She had the intentions of celebrating it by cooking something for Aram. He'd been leaving more as of late and was hardly home. Perhaps he finally found someone? The thought alone caused a snort to escape her, causing a passing vendor to stare at her momentarily before continuing on their way.
"The day he finds someone is the day I'm no longer needed," she muttered to herself. There was some truth in the words she had spoken. Aram wasn't exactly weak that he couldn't take care of himself, however; he was oblivious to certain qualities that made them human. Perhaps the Father wanted them to retain some humanity, however; Aram was a hapless fool. He may have been protective of her, but there was without a reasonable doubt that she was the one who was protective. "Then maybe..." she began, lifting her gaze towards the sky as she did so. Her eyes glazed over slightly as memories played over, fondly. A familiar scent, however, snapped her from her stupor, and she turned towards the source, a bright smile covering her face.
She followed it until she spotted the one responsible and immediately headed straight for her. "Rei-Rei-chan!" she stated, making herself known to Reiko as she took the young girl in an embrace. She rubbed her face affectionately against Reiko's cheek, and released her, only for her blood to spike in temperature when she noticed who Reiko was with. She was going to have to have a talk with fate because at the moment, she wanted to rip her pretty little throat out. She opted to glare at the man standing by Reiko before turning her attention back to the brunette.
"I've missed you," she stated, never relinquishing her hold on Reiko. She would ignore the Fucking Asshole, for now.
Tatsuya, on the other hand, merely sniffed, curling his lip as though her very scent was offensive to him, and watched through narrowed eyes as the uncouth woman had the audacity to embrace his sister. Clearly she had no sense of proper respect or boundaries. Reiko herself might not like to lord it over others, but she was in fact nobility, and as such, she deserved to be treated with more consideration than two harlots might show each other. His face smoothed over into icy disdain and seemed to freeze there, the air around them dropping in temperature a further few degrees. Tatsuya was suited to the winter, really.
Reiko shot him a look from the corner of her eye, equal parts confusion and subtle remonstrance. He doubted the bitch gave her as much credit, but he knew she’d picked up on the latent hostility the woman was projecting at him, just as she had certainly picked up on his rather highhanded response to it. Gently, her arms wrapped around Ayla’s waist for a moment, though she politely drew back thereafter.
"This one has missed you too, Ayla-san.” Though why anyone would miss that creature was something Tatsuya could not begin to comprehend. As soon as she stepped back far enough, he reached out and placed a hand atop her head, regarding the hag with the same cold, imperious stare that had so infuriated her the first time.
"Oh! This one believes you have met, but just in case… this is this one’s older brother, Minamoto Tatsuya.” Reiko didn’t react overmuch to the touch of his hand, nor seem in the least uncomfortable, which perhaps lent some credence to the way he’d been introduced. After all, he’d never told the woman that he was Reiko’s brother—he’d allowed her to come to her own conclusions about what he was, and she had thought him a ronin.
Ayla blinked slowly, processing what Reiko had spoken. Brother? This was her brother? All formality seemed to drop from Ayla as her face pulled into an unreadable expression. There was no possible way this man could be related to her Reiko. He was an asshole, someone she wanted to maul and rip apart, however; she stared at the two of them. "This fucking asshole is your brother?" she finally found her words, refusing to censor herself now. That stare was causing the hairs along her neck to rise as she tried to remain civil. She made a promise to Aram, and she was so close to breaking it.
"You're joking, right?" she continued, still in slight denial. Her hand twitched slightly, watching as his hand rested on Reiko's head. She could feel the tension in her throat, the way it was becoming a little tighter to breathe. She really wanted to do something. And part of that was maul. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. The twitching ceased, temporarily, and she turned towards him. "Then I guess that makes you 'Your Fucking Highness'" she stated, folding her arms into the sleeves of her kimono.
Even as the air seemed to chill slightly, she made no notice of discomfort. She was an animal, something not of their kind, but something else. The cold did not bother her. Instead, her eye twitched visibly at her displeasure of being in his company. "Does he have to be here?" she questioned, trying her best to be a little civil for Reiko as she jabbed a finger in his direction.
Reiko, for her part, didn’t even blink at Ayla’s coarse language. Rather, she took in a deep breath, and sighed it out softly. Tatsuya merely raised an eyebrow, still as coolly unconcerned as he’d been to begin. He did enjoy getting under the skin of other people now and then—okay, often, but he rarely let them do the same in return. This time would be no exception. "Suya, what did you do?”
He frowned slightly, focusing his attention on his sister rather than the fly buzzing about her. He didn’t like that she sounded a little disappointed. "I only carried your message. It is hardly my concern if this friend of yours did not take kindly to it.” His eyes snapped to Ayla at her mode of address, and a serpentine smile slid onto his face. "Your fucking Highness is right, bitch. Take care to grovel properly next time.” He sounded almost bored, as though her very existence was of no consequence to him, and proceeded to ignore the rest of what she said. As though she had more right to be around his family than he did. No, quite the opposite, and he was at least confident that Reiko would not send him away.
The thin thread holding her anger at bay snapped. She tried her best to be civil in front of Reiko, for Aram's sake and the young girl's sake, however; Tatsuya managed to crawl beneath her skin. The anger seeped from her, radiating in a red aura for those who could sense such things, and every hair on her stood on end. Grovel? He expected her to grovel? She bowed to no one. She wasn't his property, she wasn't his subject. She didn't have to do anything of the sort if she desired not to.
"You expect me to grovel... to you. I don't fucking think so. You're still just a fucking asshole, and you'll get no such royalties from me," she spat, her hands falling to her sides and clenching tightly into balled fists. "And I'd like to see you try," she threatened, her voice deepening a notch. She'd like to see him try and get such things from her. All she really wanted to do right now was wipe that stupid smile off of his face. "I promise you I'll do more than just bark, this time," she added, remembering his last statement from before and momentarily forgetting Reiko's presence.
Tatsuya’s raised brow lifted another half-inch or so. "Anytime and anywhere, woman. All you have to do is name it.” He still managed to sound like he was bored senseless by her mere existence, his tone level and flat and even slightly put-upon, but anything else he might have said was stopped by a small hand upon his chest.
Reiko.
Given the loose state of his gi, her palm was directly on his skin, and as it always did, the contact gentled him, relaxed muscles that had tensed, just fractionally, and killed any hint of his temper before it even rose. "Both of you must stop this right now.” Her brows were furrowed, and she focused red eyes on Ayla, the flinty glint to them harder than usual. "You are not children, and you will not act like it here, in front of all these people.” Indeed, their budding confrontation, and Ayla’s very evident temper, seemed to have stopped many a passerby in their tracks, some looking torn between helping the small, delicate-looking girl intervene and fleeing to somewhere safe, where the air would not be so thick and choking as their auras were making it here.
Slowly shaking her head, the girl continued. "Suya, Ayla-san is this one’s precious friend, and if you care for this one as you say you do, you will please respect that. Ayla-san… I know he is not the most polite person, but Tatsuya is this one’s brother, and is very dear to this one. This one asks you to please be patient with him, if you can. This one loves him no less than you love Aram-san, this one thinks.” Her voice was quiet, her entreaty polite, but she was firm. Ayla knew how important her family was to her—the question was whether or not she would respect it.
Whatever Ayla was going to retort back, was immediately silenced by her biting her tongue: literally. A deep growl resonated in the back of her throat, however; it died as soon as it appeared. She knew how important her family was, even if it was only Aram and herself now. She glanced at Reiko, and allowed her gaze to soften. Instead, her posture shifted, allowing her hair to spill over her shoulders as she gave a formal bow to Reiko. "I am sorry, Hino-san," she began, her voice soft and compliant. "Forgive me," she stated, keeping herself in a bowed position. The anger that radiated from her dispersed into light waves before disappearing completely.
Reiko was right. She loved Aram as he was, however; Aram wasn't him. She finally allowed herself to straighten her posture back out as her face fell blank. She glanced at Tatsuya, and back at Reiko and furrowed her brows. She almost scoffed at how similar it seemed to her, staring at a reflection of herself and Aram in the two before her. A brief flicker of disgust, however, passed over her face when she compared herself to him. She wasn't like him, and she wouldn't be.
"I am sure there is no difference in the love you have for him and the one I share for Aram. If he is dear to you, then I will try on your behalf," to be patient with him didn't seem like it would be an easy thing. She hoped, dearly, that this would be the last time she would run into him.
"Please, raise your head. This one does not need to be bowed to.” Tatsuya disagreed, but he kept his mouth shut out of respect for his sister’s wishes. He didn’t struggle much to do what she asked, really—he hadn’t been angry with the werewolf so much as he’d enjoyed provoking her, and for now at least, he was willing to let that go. Reiko’s smile was gentle, and she reached out to touch Ayla gently on the shoulder, smiling softly.
"Okay, well… now that this is over with, this one should probably get back to her shopping. Which fish are the freshest today, Ayla-san?” Tatsuya knew her own nose, or his, were adequate to the purpose of determining that, which meant that Reiko was likely just using it as a way to gently turn the conversation around and keep all three of them in each others’ company. He wasn’t sure why she bothered, but decided he’d probably never understand what she saw in that woman anyway. He had to admit, she’d played them both very well. He couldn’t continue to provoke the woman, nor she react to him with so much temper, without directly coming into conflict with Reiko’s stated wishes, and stated in such a way as to appeal to the parts of them that had personal concern for her. It was quite the maneuver.
He hadn’t known her capable. It would seem his little sister was more grown than he’d estimated. Tatsuya wasn’t sure whether to be proud or disturbed.
Sayuri continued to pace in her spot. Excitement was evident on her face with the light brightening her dark eyes. For the moment, she had managed to drag Reiko out of the estate and back into the village. Rumors were circulating that there was a fortune teller around, and that most of what he had spoken of, came true. She knew it was a bit childish of her, however; if what they were speaking of was true, she had to know. What would her future look like? Was she destined for marriage and children? The thought alone caused butterflies within her stomach, however; as soon as they came, they disappeared. What if her future wasn't there? What if she was destined for a short life?
"I don't know if this is such a good idea now," she muttered to herself, grabbing onto Reiko's arm. It was her idea, after all, to visit. "Rei-chan!" she nearly wined, second-guessing herself. She clung to the older girl and pursed her lips up at her. "You're so cruel to me, Rei-chan. How could you bring me here!?" she continued as she continued to pout. She knew it wasn't Reiko's fault, but her own. She dragged Reiko here, not the other way around. Instead, she continued to wail lightly until something sparked in her stomach. It was a pleasant feeling, and it managed to calm her. Maybe she was over thinking this? Shaking her head, she waited patiently for the person to come out of the tent.
"Are you going to get one too, Rei-chan?" she asked, a hint of something light and playful behind her question. "Because it won't be fair if I'm the only one doing it," even if she was the one who instigated to come here. As much as she wanted to know her own future, she also wanted to know what Reiko's would be. She wouldn't live like her family did, and knew she would eventually die before the rest of them. She just wanted to know if Reiko would be okay. She was slightly worried, however; she quelled the fear long enough for her to wait for Reiko's response.
Reiko smiled slightly at Sayu’s antics; she was probably the only person in the world to whom the vampire girl felt like an older family member. She was so used to being younger than her family—it was nice to feel like she had someone to indulge and look after, even if Sayuri didn’t really need her to. She did, however, huff her frustration slightly when her friend seemed to be having second thoughts, and then shook her head. "This one is not so sure this one would want to know the future, Sayu-chan.” Especially not considering how bleak she’d been feeling recently, some unnamable dread taking root in her heart and pressing down on her chest like lead.
"But if you really want this one to come with you, she will.” Reiko hadn’t heard much more than rumors of the strangely-accurate fortunes that had been read to the townspeople, apparently by some mysterious stranger. It was all a little silly for her taste, but then she wasn’t so close-minded as to believe it was impossible for someone to have some grip on precognition. The things that her family was capable of weren’t supposed to be possible, either. "Where are we supposed to go, anyway?”
"Yes I really want you to come. I wouldn't have dragged you here otherwise," she stated, shaking her head slightly. She released Reiko and allowed one of her hands to fall to her side while the other tapped her chin. She didn't know exactly where the place was located, and only knew that it was somewhere on the outskirts of the market place. It could have been any number of places. She released a nervous chuckle before glancing back at Reiko.
"I don't know, honestly," she confessed, glancing back into the market place. "I heard it was on the outskirts of the market place, but I don't know where exactly. In all my excitement, I forgot to ask," she continued, laughing nervously before turning towards one of the passing villagers. She left Reiko's side for a moment, asking if the villager knew, and to her luck, they did. Once she found out the location, she turned to Reiko with a large grin on her face. Grabbing her arm, Sayuri led Reiko through the streets.
"Oh look! This must be it!" she exclaimed, pointing to a rather plain home. There was a sign outside, the words for fortune barely legible as Sayuri resisted the urge to giggle. The kanji was written so poorly, that she could barely make out any of the other words, however; there was no doubt that this was the place. "Here goes nothing," she stated more to herself, and continued to drag Reiko along. Her hold on the older girl, however, loosened once she was inside.
She blinked a few times, trying to process what she had just seen. The place looked every bit as old as it appeared. Parts of the roof were caved in, and some of the tatami doors were torn. Was the fortune teller really in a place like this? She heard the sound of someone laughing, a woman, and tilted her head to the side to find the source. The woman seemed to give a polite bow before standing, making her way out and paused momentarily in front of Sayuri and Reiko. She greeted them before making her way out fully, and Sayuri stood in her spot trying to process the place, still.
"Oh. I wasn't expecting more company," a familiar voice spoke as Aram appeared. He glanced at Sayuri and Reiko, smiling softly when his gaze landed upon the older girl, and Sayuri kept her gaze on the man. "Can I help with something, Reiko-san, Sayuri-san?" he questioned, his gaze lingering upon the two of them.
Reiko’s lips were pursed slightly as she took in the house. Most of those in the village were in much better condition than this—her family kept the tariffs mostly concentrated on those who could afford them, so that nobody fell into financial trouble unless they gambled themselves into it. She suspected this house had once belonged to such a person, but now it seemed to be the one Ayla and Aram were sharing, and she felt a stab of guilt for not knowing that their circumstances were like this. It wasn’t like it would be terribly difficult for her to do something to help, but she suspected that both of them had too much pride to just accept money from her or something like that. Aram almost had too much pride to barter, and she knew Ayla wouldn’t just accept charity, either.
She almost didn’t hear him speak, so absorbed was she in trying to figure out how she was going to get them to accept her help, at least with the repairs and such. But thankfully, she did, and she moved her eyes from an obvious hole in the floor up to his own, red meeting blue. She smiled, not especially broadly, and tilted her head in Sayuri’s direction. "Sayu-chan heard about a fortuneteller in town, and she wanted to have her fortune read. This one is… company, she supposes.” Shrugging lightly, she removed her shoes before stepping properly into the house, treating it as if it were in perfectly fine condition and not at all run-down. Respect was important, no matter what circumstances someone found themselves in, after all.
"This one did not expect it to be you, Aram-san. Are you busy, or do you have time to see us?”
Sayuri kept the fits of giggles under control as she followed behind Reiko. Aram, however, merely chuckled lowly before motioning them towards the same hall he had just been in. "I always have time for Ayla's friends. Fortune teller? Is that what they are calling me now?" he mused out loudly as Sayuri nodded her head. Once they were in the small of the living area, Aram set aside a new spot for Reiko to make herself comfortable. They didn't have chairs quite yet, so the only comfort he could offer her was a pillowed cushion. "Is there a reason as to why you'd like your fortune read, Sayuri-san?" he questioned, turning his attention to Sayuri. She stumbled over her words for a moment, trying to put them together the way she wanted them to be.
"Well," she began, folding her hands in her lap as she sat, her posture correcting itself before it could falter. "I just thought it would be interesting to know what my life had in store for me. I mean, we only have such a short time and..." she paused, shifting her gaze towards Reiko. She wouldn't live forever, she knew that. She just wanted to know if she'd have a purpose to her family before she left. It wasn't a thought she entertained, but one that she had accepted. Instead, the smile brightened on her face as Aram gave a knowing one in return. He reached over the table, motioning for Sayuri to give him her hands in the process.
She complied, and he allowed the warmth of her hands to cover his own. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and waited for something to spark. They remained like that for a few minutes, the silence filling the home as if it were empty. Sayuri could feel the tension building in her hands as she tried to remain calm. Is this how he did things? It felt a little intimate for her, however; she relaxed when the smile faded from his face, and he opened his eyes. The usual blue of his eyes was replaced, almost entirely, by the faint gold that usually resided within his eyes, however; as quickly as he'd opened them, the color receded back to the usual blue.
"You will find yourself in a position to help where no help can be found. It will not be a choice to make so lightly, however; it will give you and those you love, peace of mind. The union may also bear fruit to something you wish for," he stated, but there was more. Her future, one that seemed so bright and innocent, would not be very pleasant. She would endure, suffer perhaps, but she would preserver till she could no longer. It would eventually kill her. It pained him to know that her future wasn't what she wanted, however; it would bring her peace, for now. Sayuri, however, seemed confused by his words until it finally clicked.
"You mean... I'm... what?" she stated in a confused stupor. She turned to Reiko, pointed a finger at herself, and allowed a light tint of pink to dust her features. "I'm.. going to get married," she finally stated. Aram only nodded to confirm her statement, and she beamed at Reiko. She lunged herself towards the girl, wrapping her arms around her neck and tried her best not to let the excitement overwhelm her. "I'm going to get married, Rei-chan," she repeated. Aram's face, however, faltered slightly as he continued to dwell upon her future.
"What about you, Reiko-san? Would you like to see what the future has in store for you as well?" he questioned, trying to tune out what he had seen previously. Perhaps Reiko wouldn't share a similar fate, however; he wasn't so sure he wanted to know, now.
Reiko hadn’t missed the telltale shift in Aram’s facial expression. There was something more to what he’d seen, and it troubled him. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though not from anger, more like thoughtfulness. She knew she didn’t want to ask with Sayu right there, of course; it might be something to bring up later. She still wasn’t sure she believed he could see the future, but if he could and she didn’t ask him about it, she would feel quite the fool.
When the offer was extended to her, though, she tilted her head to the side, still hugging Sayu. Before the other girl could pull away, she made sure to plaster a convincing smile on her face. She knew she was good at this, misleading with the expressions her face could make, even if she tried not to do it. Still, she didn’t want to bother her sister-friend over something that could be nothing, not when Sayuri herself clearly believed what she was told. "Oh, um…” She hesitated when the offer was extended to her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know her future, if indeed he could see it. To her, the future was something one made, with one’s own two hands and the people around them. Certainly, there were constraints—some things were just not possible. But even the improbable could be made real with work and a little luck.
"This one… she supposes it could not hurt.” Giving Sayu a chance to right herself, Reiko shuffled over so that she occupied the spot her friend always had, and extended a hand, palm upwards, fingers curled gently inwards. She caught a glimpse of her own calluses and winced a little. They weren’t awful, of course, but… she lacked soft, feminine hands, from all the time she’d spent practicing with a sword. Sayu’s hands were much prettier than hers, in all honesty.
Aram took her hand into his, clasping his free hand over hers and his, and did as before. He closed his eyes and waited for a spark. Time seemed to stand still for Aram. He continued to wait, however; minutes seemed to pass and Aram found himself stunned. For as long as he had lived, he could always see someone's future. There were no blanks, no empty space, however; he couldn't see hers. Tentatively, he released Reiko's hand, and opened his eyes, peering into the girl's own ruby colored orbs. He studied her for a moment, furrowed his brows, and tilted his head to the left.
"I apologize, Reiko-san," he stated, realizing he'd been staring far longer than what was deemed proper. It dumbfounded him, though. Why couldn't he see her future? Moments ago, he had dreaded knowing her future, but now, he was curious. "I can't see your future. I... don't understand it," he continued, causing the confused look to pass onto Sayuri's. She pursed her lips together as she turned to her friend. Aram merely shook his head and pulled his hands into his lap.
"It seems I am drawing a blank," he confessed. "Perhaps... there are some things I cannot see, after all," he continued, trying to make light of the situation. Still, it bothered him. He would have to investigate upon it at a later time. For now, he had guests to attend to.
Reiko blinked several times, a light dusting of color rising to the surface of her cheekbones as she found herself the object of a rather intent scrutiny. She wasn’t sure he realized he was doing it, and indeed, he soon came to himself and apologized. She wasn’t sure why he couldn’t read her future, but if anything it actually gave her more confidence that he could do something of the kind in other cases. Or at least, something happened. If he just made up his predictions, there would have been no reason why he couldn’t make one up in her case, too.
"Oh,” she murmured softly, looking down at her hand with traces of confusion. "Well, in that case don’t worry about it. Sometimes, odd things happen to this one at the most unexpected times. Perhaps you’re just tired from the other fortunes you read today.” She smiled, as comfortingly as she could, and her hands moved to her waist, deftly untying her purse and counting out three ryo. Normally, she expected such a service would go for no more than a few mon, but… she’d just pretend she didn’t know that, and hope he managed to keep enough of it to do something about the hole in the roof. They were lucky it hadn’t snowed in a few weeks, but Hokkaido’s winters were long—they may yet see more before it was over.
"Thank you for your time, Aram-san. We should not keep you from your work longer than necessary.” She bowed slightly in her sitting position.
Aram glanced at the three ryo she had offered, and blinked. He couldn't take this, it was too much. He tried to hand her back the ryo, however; Sayuri glanced at him and pursed her lips. She shook her head and he sighed in defeat. "Perhaps you are right. The day has been long and perhaps the fatigue has settled more than I thought it has," he stated as he returned the bow. Sayuri resisted the urge to giggle at the behavior between the two, and stood.
"Thank you, Kyabetsu-san, for the fortunes. We should have lunch together, one day. You, Rei-chan, Ayla-chan, and myself! It'll be fun," she stated, smiling brightly. Aram allowed a thoughtful gaze to cross his face before he nodded. "Good, then it's settled," she continued before grabbing Reiko's arm. She bid Aram farewell, as he returned it, and they left his abode. Sayuri continued to beam as she allowed his reading to plague her mind.
"I'm going to get married."
"I don't know if this is such a good idea now," she muttered to herself, grabbing onto Reiko's arm. It was her idea, after all, to visit. "Rei-chan!" she nearly wined, second-guessing herself. She clung to the older girl and pursed her lips up at her. "You're so cruel to me, Rei-chan. How could you bring me here!?" she continued as she continued to pout. She knew it wasn't Reiko's fault, but her own. She dragged Reiko here, not the other way around. Instead, she continued to wail lightly until something sparked in her stomach. It was a pleasant feeling, and it managed to calm her. Maybe she was over thinking this? Shaking her head, she waited patiently for the person to come out of the tent.
"Are you going to get one too, Rei-chan?" she asked, a hint of something light and playful behind her question. "Because it won't be fair if I'm the only one doing it," even if she was the one who instigated to come here. As much as she wanted to know her own future, she also wanted to know what Reiko's would be. She wouldn't live like her family did, and knew she would eventually die before the rest of them. She just wanted to know if Reiko would be okay. She was slightly worried, however; she quelled the fear long enough for her to wait for Reiko's response.
Reiko smiled slightly at Sayu’s antics; she was probably the only person in the world to whom the vampire girl felt like an older family member. She was so used to being younger than her family—it was nice to feel like she had someone to indulge and look after, even if Sayuri didn’t really need her to. She did, however, huff her frustration slightly when her friend seemed to be having second thoughts, and then shook her head. "This one is not so sure this one would want to know the future, Sayu-chan.” Especially not considering how bleak she’d been feeling recently, some unnamable dread taking root in her heart and pressing down on her chest like lead.
"But if you really want this one to come with you, she will.” Reiko hadn’t heard much more than rumors of the strangely-accurate fortunes that had been read to the townspeople, apparently by some mysterious stranger. It was all a little silly for her taste, but then she wasn’t so close-minded as to believe it was impossible for someone to have some grip on precognition. The things that her family was capable of weren’t supposed to be possible, either. "Where are we supposed to go, anyway?”
"Yes I really want you to come. I wouldn't have dragged you here otherwise," she stated, shaking her head slightly. She released Reiko and allowed one of her hands to fall to her side while the other tapped her chin. She didn't know exactly where the place was located, and only knew that it was somewhere on the outskirts of the market place. It could have been any number of places. She released a nervous chuckle before glancing back at Reiko.
"I don't know, honestly," she confessed, glancing back into the market place. "I heard it was on the outskirts of the market place, but I don't know where exactly. In all my excitement, I forgot to ask," she continued, laughing nervously before turning towards one of the passing villagers. She left Reiko's side for a moment, asking if the villager knew, and to her luck, they did. Once she found out the location, she turned to Reiko with a large grin on her face. Grabbing her arm, Sayuri led Reiko through the streets.
"Oh look! This must be it!" she exclaimed, pointing to a rather plain home. There was a sign outside, the words for fortune barely legible as Sayuri resisted the urge to giggle. The kanji was written so poorly, that she could barely make out any of the other words, however; there was no doubt that this was the place. "Here goes nothing," she stated more to herself, and continued to drag Reiko along. Her hold on the older girl, however, loosened once she was inside.
She blinked a few times, trying to process what she had just seen. The place looked every bit as old as it appeared. Parts of the roof were caved in, and some of the tatami doors were torn. Was the fortune teller really in a place like this? She heard the sound of someone laughing, a woman, and tilted her head to the side to find the source. The woman seemed to give a polite bow before standing, making her way out and paused momentarily in front of Sayuri and Reiko. She greeted them before making her way out fully, and Sayuri stood in her spot trying to process the place, still.
"Oh. I wasn't expecting more company," a familiar voice spoke as Aram appeared. He glanced at Sayuri and Reiko, smiling softly when his gaze landed upon the older girl, and Sayuri kept her gaze on the man. "Can I help with something, Reiko-san, Sayuri-san?" he questioned, his gaze lingering upon the two of them.
Reiko’s lips were pursed slightly as she took in the house. Most of those in the village were in much better condition than this—her family kept the tariffs mostly concentrated on those who could afford them, so that nobody fell into financial trouble unless they gambled themselves into it. She suspected this house had once belonged to such a person, but now it seemed to be the one Ayla and Aram were sharing, and she felt a stab of guilt for not knowing that their circumstances were like this. It wasn’t like it would be terribly difficult for her to do something to help, but she suspected that both of them had too much pride to just accept money from her or something like that. Aram almost had too much pride to barter, and she knew Ayla wouldn’t just accept charity, either.
She almost didn’t hear him speak, so absorbed was she in trying to figure out how she was going to get them to accept her help, at least with the repairs and such. But thankfully, she did, and she moved her eyes from an obvious hole in the floor up to his own, red meeting blue. She smiled, not especially broadly, and tilted her head in Sayuri’s direction. "Sayu-chan heard about a fortuneteller in town, and she wanted to have her fortune read. This one is… company, she supposes.” Shrugging lightly, she removed her shoes before stepping properly into the house, treating it as if it were in perfectly fine condition and not at all run-down. Respect was important, no matter what circumstances someone found themselves in, after all.
"This one did not expect it to be you, Aram-san. Are you busy, or do you have time to see us?”
Sayuri kept the fits of giggles under control as she followed behind Reiko. Aram, however, merely chuckled lowly before motioning them towards the same hall he had just been in. "I always have time for Ayla's friends. Fortune teller? Is that what they are calling me now?" he mused out loudly as Sayuri nodded her head. Once they were in the small of the living area, Aram set aside a new spot for Reiko to make herself comfortable. They didn't have chairs quite yet, so the only comfort he could offer her was a pillowed cushion. "Is there a reason as to why you'd like your fortune read, Sayuri-san?" he questioned, turning his attention to Sayuri. She stumbled over her words for a moment, trying to put them together the way she wanted them to be.
"Well," she began, folding her hands in her lap as she sat, her posture correcting itself before it could falter. "I just thought it would be interesting to know what my life had in store for me. I mean, we only have such a short time and..." she paused, shifting her gaze towards Reiko. She wouldn't live forever, she knew that. She just wanted to know if she'd have a purpose to her family before she left. It wasn't a thought she entertained, but one that she had accepted. Instead, the smile brightened on her face as Aram gave a knowing one in return. He reached over the table, motioning for Sayuri to give him her hands in the process.
She complied, and he allowed the warmth of her hands to cover his own. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and waited for something to spark. They remained like that for a few minutes, the silence filling the home as if it were empty. Sayuri could feel the tension building in her hands as she tried to remain calm. Is this how he did things? It felt a little intimate for her, however; she relaxed when the smile faded from his face, and he opened his eyes. The usual blue of his eyes was replaced, almost entirely, by the faint gold that usually resided within his eyes, however; as quickly as he'd opened them, the color receded back to the usual blue.
"You will find yourself in a position to help where no help can be found. It will not be a choice to make so lightly, however; it will give you and those you love, peace of mind. The union may also bear fruit to something you wish for," he stated, but there was more. Her future, one that seemed so bright and innocent, would not be very pleasant. She would endure, suffer perhaps, but she would preserver till she could no longer. It would eventually kill her. It pained him to know that her future wasn't what she wanted, however; it would bring her peace, for now. Sayuri, however, seemed confused by his words until it finally clicked.
"You mean... I'm... what?" she stated in a confused stupor. She turned to Reiko, pointed a finger at herself, and allowed a light tint of pink to dust her features. "I'm.. going to get married," she finally stated. Aram only nodded to confirm her statement, and she beamed at Reiko. She lunged herself towards the girl, wrapping her arms around her neck and tried her best not to let the excitement overwhelm her. "I'm going to get married, Rei-chan," she repeated. Aram's face, however, faltered slightly as he continued to dwell upon her future.
"What about you, Reiko-san? Would you like to see what the future has in store for you as well?" he questioned, trying to tune out what he had seen previously. Perhaps Reiko wouldn't share a similar fate, however; he wasn't so sure he wanted to know, now.
Reiko hadn’t missed the telltale shift in Aram’s facial expression. There was something more to what he’d seen, and it troubled him. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though not from anger, more like thoughtfulness. She knew she didn’t want to ask with Sayu right there, of course; it might be something to bring up later. She still wasn’t sure she believed he could see the future, but if he could and she didn’t ask him about it, she would feel quite the fool.
When the offer was extended to her, though, she tilted her head to the side, still hugging Sayu. Before the other girl could pull away, she made sure to plaster a convincing smile on her face. She knew she was good at this, misleading with the expressions her face could make, even if she tried not to do it. Still, she didn’t want to bother her sister-friend over something that could be nothing, not when Sayuri herself clearly believed what she was told. "Oh, um…” She hesitated when the offer was extended to her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know her future, if indeed he could see it. To her, the future was something one made, with one’s own two hands and the people around them. Certainly, there were constraints—some things were just not possible. But even the improbable could be made real with work and a little luck.
"This one… she supposes it could not hurt.” Giving Sayu a chance to right herself, Reiko shuffled over so that she occupied the spot her friend always had, and extended a hand, palm upwards, fingers curled gently inwards. She caught a glimpse of her own calluses and winced a little. They weren’t awful, of course, but… she lacked soft, feminine hands, from all the time she’d spent practicing with a sword. Sayu’s hands were much prettier than hers, in all honesty.
Aram took her hand into his, clasping his free hand over hers and his, and did as before. He closed his eyes and waited for a spark. Time seemed to stand still for Aram. He continued to wait, however; minutes seemed to pass and Aram found himself stunned. For as long as he had lived, he could always see someone's future. There were no blanks, no empty space, however; he couldn't see hers. Tentatively, he released Reiko's hand, and opened his eyes, peering into the girl's own ruby colored orbs. He studied her for a moment, furrowed his brows, and tilted his head to the left.
"I apologize, Reiko-san," he stated, realizing he'd been staring far longer than what was deemed proper. It dumbfounded him, though. Why couldn't he see her future? Moments ago, he had dreaded knowing her future, but now, he was curious. "I can't see your future. I... don't understand it," he continued, causing the confused look to pass onto Sayuri's. She pursed her lips together as she turned to her friend. Aram merely shook his head and pulled his hands into his lap.
"It seems I am drawing a blank," he confessed. "Perhaps... there are some things I cannot see, after all," he continued, trying to make light of the situation. Still, it bothered him. He would have to investigate upon it at a later time. For now, he had guests to attend to.
Reiko blinked several times, a light dusting of color rising to the surface of her cheekbones as she found herself the object of a rather intent scrutiny. She wasn’t sure he realized he was doing it, and indeed, he soon came to himself and apologized. She wasn’t sure why he couldn’t read her future, but if anything it actually gave her more confidence that he could do something of the kind in other cases. Or at least, something happened. If he just made up his predictions, there would have been no reason why he couldn’t make one up in her case, too.
"Oh,” she murmured softly, looking down at her hand with traces of confusion. "Well, in that case don’t worry about it. Sometimes, odd things happen to this one at the most unexpected times. Perhaps you’re just tired from the other fortunes you read today.” She smiled, as comfortingly as she could, and her hands moved to her waist, deftly untying her purse and counting out three ryo. Normally, she expected such a service would go for no more than a few mon, but… she’d just pretend she didn’t know that, and hope he managed to keep enough of it to do something about the hole in the roof. They were lucky it hadn’t snowed in a few weeks, but Hokkaido’s winters were long—they may yet see more before it was over.
"Thank you for your time, Aram-san. We should not keep you from your work longer than necessary.” She bowed slightly in her sitting position.
Aram glanced at the three ryo she had offered, and blinked. He couldn't take this, it was too much. He tried to hand her back the ryo, however; Sayuri glanced at him and pursed her lips. She shook her head and he sighed in defeat. "Perhaps you are right. The day has been long and perhaps the fatigue has settled more than I thought it has," he stated as he returned the bow. Sayuri resisted the urge to giggle at the behavior between the two, and stood.
"Thank you, Kyabetsu-san, for the fortunes. We should have lunch together, one day. You, Rei-chan, Ayla-chan, and myself! It'll be fun," she stated, smiling brightly. Aram allowed a thoughtful gaze to cross his face before he nodded. "Good, then it's settled," she continued before grabbing Reiko's arm. She bid Aram farewell, as he returned it, and they left his abode. Sayuri continued to beam as she allowed his reading to plague her mind.
"I'm going to get married."
The end of winter brought with it more news of the south: what had begun as a minor territorial conflict had escalated into a war, between the Akarui domain of Kanto and the neighboring territory to the south, run by a man named Sanada Nobuhiro. Perhaps it was not surprising, then, that as soon as the winter had departed far enough for Hokkaido to be easily traversable again, Akarui Heisuke paid the Fujiwara residence an official visit.
He came in quite the procession, too, a line of several carriages carrying a proper formal detachement from his household—representatives, advisers, servants, and even a few concubines, though these were hidden away in a closed carriage and not visible to the public as the procession came through the main road in Shimamaki. Reiko was in town at the time, walking down the road with Ayla, when the first of the line became visible, and she pursed her lips, concern creeping into her expression quite evidently.
"That’s… Akarui-sama’s crest. We were not supposed to be seeing him again until we sent our contingent in a few weeks.” Something must have happened—and something big, from the looks of it. Reiko had her guess as to what it might be, but she dare not voice it aloud just yet. Turning to her friend, she smiled apologetically. "Forgive this one, Ayla-san. It would appear that she is needed at home.”
To say Ayla was disappointed, would have been an understatement. She visibly frowned when Reiko spoke, and gave the young girl a flat look. "Must you really?" she asked, keeping her gaze focused. The look upon Reiko's face meant that she had to, and Ayla conceded. Taking a deep breath, she placed a gentle hand on Reiko's shoulder. "Can 'this one' at least escort you home?" she asked, mimicking Reiko's speech pattern. She glanced up towards the small army of people that arrived. Her eyes narrowed in a soft manner before taking her gaze away from them.
"But if you'd rather go your own way, I'll just have to follow you to make sure you get there safely," she added, giving Reiko little chance to deny her request. However, Ayla wouldn't be so forceful upon Reiko if she truly did not wish her to escort her home.
Reiko nodded, smiling a little. "You’re welcome, of course, Ayla-san. This one can’t promise it will be very interesting, since everyone will be preoccupied with Akarui-dono’s arrival, but you are always welcome in this one’s home.” With that, the two of them set off for the north of town, taking the seldom-used road up towards the Fujiwara estate.
Though, as one could easily see upon cresting the hill nearest the location, estate was a bit of an understatement. It was nothing less than a castle, and an impressive one at that. Several outbuildings sat just outside the walls—a couple of guard stations, a house for the groundskeeper, and the like, but the majority of the place was blocked off with a wall, beyond which the layered roofs could be seen to rise. The skeletons of trees told of the beauty the place would have in the warmer months, and from somewhere near the center of the place, motes of golden light seemed to float up towards the sky, gently blinking in the light. The castle was traditional in the extreme from the architecture, but there was a sort of elegant, light beauty to it, despite the fact that it was obviously a fortress above all else.
They reached the front gate, where the guards on duty both bowed deeply to Reiko. “Welcome home, Hime-sama.” She gave them a soft smile and waved her hand to allow them to straighten, then turned to Ayla behind her. "Well… this is it. Would you like to come in, or shall this one be seeing you later?”
Ayla merely smiled and accompanied Reiko to her home. The smile that adorned her face, however, fell flat when they approached Reiko's estate. She glanced down at Reiko, and back at the palace. It took a minute for it to fully process before Ayla chuckled lightly. "I'd rather not cause trouble for the Hime-sama. Perhaps I shall see you some other time, Rei-chan," she stated, grinning at her friend. She wasn't in the particular mood to visit such a place, and honestly, buildings like these brought back things she'd rather not remember. And on top of that, she knew a certain asshole might be around. She didn't want to cause trouble for Reiko.
"Ayla-san! Rei-chan!" a voice called out as Ayla turned to spot Sayuri. The younger girl gave a polite bow before standing next to Reiko. "But Ayla-san, you should stay. After Akarui-sama states his business, and Reiko-chan is finished with it, we could show you around," she began, however; Ayla merely shook her head and bid the two farewell. As Ayla left, Sayuri turned towards Reiko, and frowned.
"What do you think Akarui-sama wants? It's... early, isn't it?" she questioned. She was hardly, if ever, part of the socializations her sister attended, and didn't know much about what was going on. Of course, she knew the things that Reiko told her, but Sayuri didn't want to feel left out this time.
Reiko looked a bit disappointed when Ayla said she wasn’t coming any further, but she understood. The castle was a lot to take in, and honestly, it was much better that no one antagonize her brothers right now. This was going to be important—Reiko could sense it. So she bid her friend farewell and turned to Sayuri, smiling thinly. "He’s probably here about the war, Sayu-chan. It has grown much more fierce in the south than it used to be. Akarui-dono may be seeking our help, because we are allies now.” It was a grim thought—Reiko did not like to entertain speculations about what would happen if her family’s soldiers were unleashed on a field of battle. Not all of them were vampires; most in fact were not. But they were an especially fierce and loyal brand of soldier, trained by vampires, and they were quite elite by comparison to the average samurai, if Tsubasa had told her the truth.
"You should come with us to greet him,” she continued, her smile softening a little bit. "A little hospitality will be most welcome, this one is sure. The journey from Kanto is not easy, and this one thinks that perhaps Akarui-dono’s household must be tired.” Most of the lead servants and retainers of House Fujiwara were already assembling, and Jirō was already there, acting as head of household for this matter, which Reiko doubted Tatsuya would have any interest in.
The two of them moved into the lineup next to Kentaro, who along with Takahiro, was also present. "Taro, why is Akarui-dono’s household accompanying him here?” That was the one thing Reiko didn’t understand about this. If it were an alliance visit, he would have perhaps one or two of his top generals with him, and enough servants to keep them comfortable. That would be it—this was many more people than that.
Kentaro pursed his lips faintly, his face otherwise as expressionless as ever. When he answered, his voice was flat. “I suspect he seeks refuge.”
Sayuri remained silent as Reiko spoke, acknowledging that she had heard the older woman speak. The war down south was growing more fierce? She shivered at the thought of the idea of sending aid to Akarui, however; it wasn't her call to make. Instead, she remained silent as she mused the thought over, walking quietly next to Reiko's side as the two made their way through the compound. Once they reached their destination, Sayuri blinked as she stood a little behind Reiko. Refuge? Why would Akarui seek refuge with them?
"You think they seek refuge? Does that mean that the war has turned against his favor?" she questioned her thoughts outloud, glancing up nervously towards Kentaro. He always unnerved her, and made it a little uncomfortable just being near. She shifted in her spot as she kept glancing from him, and towards Akarui and his household.
An odd look crossed Kentaro’s face as he turned his head to glance at Sayuri, as though he were trying to place how he knew her. Reiko resisted the urge to sigh. Her brother didn’t mean anything by it, she knew; Sayu was a relatively new development in his life, given how many centuries it extended. He usually took a while to get used to such adjustments, if they didn’t immediately concern him. Probably he’d forgotten who she was, exactly. He seemed to either recall or decide it didn’t matter though, because he nodded, feathery strands of blond hair falling into his eyes at the motion. He was the only one who shared the beautiful shade with Tatsuya.
“It would be a fair guess.” His tone was still flat and rather inexpressive, but it wasn’t hostile at all. Taro wasn’t one to stand on rank or ceremony, and so Sayuri’s informal mode of address didn’t bother him, really. “His lands have not recovered form his grandfather’s poor management. He has far fewer troops than his foe.” Reiko pursed her lips, nodding her understanding.
It was at this point that the procession finally made its way inside the gates, and from the most ornate of the carriages stepped Heisuke himself, followed by two of his generals. Only two? Reiko wondered if the others had fallen on the field of battle. She recalled him having seven, previously.
Jirō stepped forward, and Heisuke approached him first, bowing somewhat, his long brown topknot falling over his shoulder with the motion. He straightened up, bringing green eyes to rest briefly on the other members of the family, flicking from Kentaro and Takahiro to Sayuri and Reiko. He turned them back to Jirō, though.
“Minamoto-dono. I have come to request asylum for my household and my family. Our castle has been seized by southern forces, who employed the use of dishonest tactics to overthrow my rightful seat as protector of the Kanto region and its people.”
Jirō nodded slightly. “In recognition of our alliance and the treaty between our domains, the house of Fujiwara grants you asylum, and with you your household and retainers.”
Sayuri sighed softly once Kentaro spoke. She glanced away from him and towards Heisuke and his Generals, watching them with mild interest as he approached and Jirō stepped forward. When he spoke, and Jirō granted him sanctuary, she frowned slightly. "Akarui-sama will be staying with us, it seems," she stated more to herself. Something akin to a shiver rolled down her spine. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, really, and felt more like a static shock. She expelled any thought from her mind and turned to Reiko and Kentaro.
"I shall help see to Akarui-sama's accommodations, then," she stated, glancing at the both of them. Servants were usually the ones who did such things, however; as Reiko stated before, a little hospitality would be nice. She knew that the other brothers would not see to things, and Reiko would likely be busy handling other affair. It would be the least she could do.
He came in quite the procession, too, a line of several carriages carrying a proper formal detachement from his household—representatives, advisers, servants, and even a few concubines, though these were hidden away in a closed carriage and not visible to the public as the procession came through the main road in Shimamaki. Reiko was in town at the time, walking down the road with Ayla, when the first of the line became visible, and she pursed her lips, concern creeping into her expression quite evidently.
"That’s… Akarui-sama’s crest. We were not supposed to be seeing him again until we sent our contingent in a few weeks.” Something must have happened—and something big, from the looks of it. Reiko had her guess as to what it might be, but she dare not voice it aloud just yet. Turning to her friend, she smiled apologetically. "Forgive this one, Ayla-san. It would appear that she is needed at home.”
To say Ayla was disappointed, would have been an understatement. She visibly frowned when Reiko spoke, and gave the young girl a flat look. "Must you really?" she asked, keeping her gaze focused. The look upon Reiko's face meant that she had to, and Ayla conceded. Taking a deep breath, she placed a gentle hand on Reiko's shoulder. "Can 'this one' at least escort you home?" she asked, mimicking Reiko's speech pattern. She glanced up towards the small army of people that arrived. Her eyes narrowed in a soft manner before taking her gaze away from them.
"But if you'd rather go your own way, I'll just have to follow you to make sure you get there safely," she added, giving Reiko little chance to deny her request. However, Ayla wouldn't be so forceful upon Reiko if she truly did not wish her to escort her home.
Reiko nodded, smiling a little. "You’re welcome, of course, Ayla-san. This one can’t promise it will be very interesting, since everyone will be preoccupied with Akarui-dono’s arrival, but you are always welcome in this one’s home.” With that, the two of them set off for the north of town, taking the seldom-used road up towards the Fujiwara estate.
Though, as one could easily see upon cresting the hill nearest the location, estate was a bit of an understatement. It was nothing less than a castle, and an impressive one at that. Several outbuildings sat just outside the walls—a couple of guard stations, a house for the groundskeeper, and the like, but the majority of the place was blocked off with a wall, beyond which the layered roofs could be seen to rise. The skeletons of trees told of the beauty the place would have in the warmer months, and from somewhere near the center of the place, motes of golden light seemed to float up towards the sky, gently blinking in the light. The castle was traditional in the extreme from the architecture, but there was a sort of elegant, light beauty to it, despite the fact that it was obviously a fortress above all else.
They reached the front gate, where the guards on duty both bowed deeply to Reiko. “Welcome home, Hime-sama.” She gave them a soft smile and waved her hand to allow them to straighten, then turned to Ayla behind her. "Well… this is it. Would you like to come in, or shall this one be seeing you later?”
Ayla merely smiled and accompanied Reiko to her home. The smile that adorned her face, however, fell flat when they approached Reiko's estate. She glanced down at Reiko, and back at the palace. It took a minute for it to fully process before Ayla chuckled lightly. "I'd rather not cause trouble for the Hime-sama. Perhaps I shall see you some other time, Rei-chan," she stated, grinning at her friend. She wasn't in the particular mood to visit such a place, and honestly, buildings like these brought back things she'd rather not remember. And on top of that, she knew a certain asshole might be around. She didn't want to cause trouble for Reiko.
"Ayla-san! Rei-chan!" a voice called out as Ayla turned to spot Sayuri. The younger girl gave a polite bow before standing next to Reiko. "But Ayla-san, you should stay. After Akarui-sama states his business, and Reiko-chan is finished with it, we could show you around," she began, however; Ayla merely shook her head and bid the two farewell. As Ayla left, Sayuri turned towards Reiko, and frowned.
"What do you think Akarui-sama wants? It's... early, isn't it?" she questioned. She was hardly, if ever, part of the socializations her sister attended, and didn't know much about what was going on. Of course, she knew the things that Reiko told her, but Sayuri didn't want to feel left out this time.
Reiko looked a bit disappointed when Ayla said she wasn’t coming any further, but she understood. The castle was a lot to take in, and honestly, it was much better that no one antagonize her brothers right now. This was going to be important—Reiko could sense it. So she bid her friend farewell and turned to Sayuri, smiling thinly. "He’s probably here about the war, Sayu-chan. It has grown much more fierce in the south than it used to be. Akarui-dono may be seeking our help, because we are allies now.” It was a grim thought—Reiko did not like to entertain speculations about what would happen if her family’s soldiers were unleashed on a field of battle. Not all of them were vampires; most in fact were not. But they were an especially fierce and loyal brand of soldier, trained by vampires, and they were quite elite by comparison to the average samurai, if Tsubasa had told her the truth.
"You should come with us to greet him,” she continued, her smile softening a little bit. "A little hospitality will be most welcome, this one is sure. The journey from Kanto is not easy, and this one thinks that perhaps Akarui-dono’s household must be tired.” Most of the lead servants and retainers of House Fujiwara were already assembling, and Jirō was already there, acting as head of household for this matter, which Reiko doubted Tatsuya would have any interest in.
The two of them moved into the lineup next to Kentaro, who along with Takahiro, was also present. "Taro, why is Akarui-dono’s household accompanying him here?” That was the one thing Reiko didn’t understand about this. If it were an alliance visit, he would have perhaps one or two of his top generals with him, and enough servants to keep them comfortable. That would be it—this was many more people than that.
Kentaro pursed his lips faintly, his face otherwise as expressionless as ever. When he answered, his voice was flat. “I suspect he seeks refuge.”
Sayuri remained silent as Reiko spoke, acknowledging that she had heard the older woman speak. The war down south was growing more fierce? She shivered at the thought of the idea of sending aid to Akarui, however; it wasn't her call to make. Instead, she remained silent as she mused the thought over, walking quietly next to Reiko's side as the two made their way through the compound. Once they reached their destination, Sayuri blinked as she stood a little behind Reiko. Refuge? Why would Akarui seek refuge with them?
"You think they seek refuge? Does that mean that the war has turned against his favor?" she questioned her thoughts outloud, glancing up nervously towards Kentaro. He always unnerved her, and made it a little uncomfortable just being near. She shifted in her spot as she kept glancing from him, and towards Akarui and his household.
An odd look crossed Kentaro’s face as he turned his head to glance at Sayuri, as though he were trying to place how he knew her. Reiko resisted the urge to sigh. Her brother didn’t mean anything by it, she knew; Sayu was a relatively new development in his life, given how many centuries it extended. He usually took a while to get used to such adjustments, if they didn’t immediately concern him. Probably he’d forgotten who she was, exactly. He seemed to either recall or decide it didn’t matter though, because he nodded, feathery strands of blond hair falling into his eyes at the motion. He was the only one who shared the beautiful shade with Tatsuya.
“It would be a fair guess.” His tone was still flat and rather inexpressive, but it wasn’t hostile at all. Taro wasn’t one to stand on rank or ceremony, and so Sayuri’s informal mode of address didn’t bother him, really. “His lands have not recovered form his grandfather’s poor management. He has far fewer troops than his foe.” Reiko pursed her lips, nodding her understanding.
It was at this point that the procession finally made its way inside the gates, and from the most ornate of the carriages stepped Heisuke himself, followed by two of his generals. Only two? Reiko wondered if the others had fallen on the field of battle. She recalled him having seven, previously.
Jirō stepped forward, and Heisuke approached him first, bowing somewhat, his long brown topknot falling over his shoulder with the motion. He straightened up, bringing green eyes to rest briefly on the other members of the family, flicking from Kentaro and Takahiro to Sayuri and Reiko. He turned them back to Jirō, though.
“Minamoto-dono. I have come to request asylum for my household and my family. Our castle has been seized by southern forces, who employed the use of dishonest tactics to overthrow my rightful seat as protector of the Kanto region and its people.”
Jirō nodded slightly. “In recognition of our alliance and the treaty between our domains, the house of Fujiwara grants you asylum, and with you your household and retainers.”
Sayuri sighed softly once Kentaro spoke. She glanced away from him and towards Heisuke and his Generals, watching them with mild interest as he approached and Jirō stepped forward. When he spoke, and Jirō granted him sanctuary, she frowned slightly. "Akarui-sama will be staying with us, it seems," she stated more to herself. Something akin to a shiver rolled down her spine. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, really, and felt more like a static shock. She expelled any thought from her mind and turned to Reiko and Kentaro.
"I shall help see to Akarui-sama's accommodations, then," she stated, glancing at the both of them. Servants were usually the ones who did such things, however; as Reiko stated before, a little hospitality would be nice. She knew that the other brothers would not see to things, and Reiko would likely be busy handling other affair. It would be the least she could do.
One month.
The household had been filled with humans for a month. And not the humans he was accustomed to either, the servants and that girl his father had adopted for whatever reason. No, these were foreign humans, and he found, not much to his surprise, that he didn’t like them being present. In fact, he hated it so much that he was actually spending a great deal more time around the town and in the surrounding areas, because the townspeople who knew him respected him and were tolerable, and those that were not left him well enough alone.
Not like the humans in the complex.
He supposed that it might have been, at least a little bit, his own fault. Tatsuya was used to living in a certain way, and making certain… lifestyle choices that humans sometimes did not approve of, and he’d not bothered to consider the negative consequences this sort of thing could have when he had to occupy the same area as them for an extended period of time. His father had enacted a strict “no fraternizing” policy with the servants, one that all of his sons kept to even after his death: the Fujiwara estate was staffed by people who were well-paid, discreet, and never involved with the family, outside the occasional casual friendship, and even those were strikingly rare. This was better for everyone; it prevented a lot of awkwardness and unanswerable questions.
The same rule, for Tatsuya at least, had never applied to guests of the estate, and being of the avowed opinion that any woman was allowed to choose what she wanted to do for herself without the input of her father or brothers or whatever, had taken the opportunity to invite several of that Akarui’s female relatives, retainers, and servants of various kinds to his bed. Most had accepted, and if that were simply the end of it, as he’d explained it would be, there would have been no problem.
Unfortunately, someone had run their mouth, and now he was being accused by an insistent general of the visiting household of being a rakish philanderer, which he was, but the issue was that this particular human believed that he should compensate for his behavior by marrying the girl in question, something about preserving honor or some such horror as that. She didn’t get to have an opinion of her own, of course, and so while he was relatively sure she was not especially interested in coercing him in such a way, her father saw opportunity, and was attempting to exploit it.
Honestly, Tatsuya would have told him where he could shove his honor, guest or not, but the disappointed look in his sister’s eyes had stopped him. It had also enraged him, and he’d left before he’d done something worse. Who was some insolent human to tell him what was right and wrong? Who was he to make Reiko so ashamed of her brother? What right did he have to say any of those things in front of his sister? He hated that it had happened and he hated how that look in her eyes made him feel, and he’d decided it was better to get away from it than anything else.
It was really just one in an irritating series of incidents that had been regularly driving him from his own home of late, something he found ridiculous. Honestly, he’d sooner have sent the humans packing, stupid alliance be damned. Heisuke was an entitled little upstart prick, and frankly, Tatsuya didn’t care if his house had an alliance with puny human lords or not. What was the worst they could do? Send their armies to Hokkaido to lay siege to his castle? Not likely; that would be sending lambs to slaughter.
So it was in a foul mood that he stomped into town grumbling invectives under his breath. He needed some kind of distraction, and his best option right now was probably the okiya.
"Now where did he go," Ayla muttered beneath her breath, releasing a frustrated sigh as she glanced back and forth. Normally, she could find him with a quick sniff of the air, and follow his scent, however; Aram had a tendency to just disappear sometimes, and it irked her to no end. It didn't help that the part of town she was in, was filled with overwhelming scents, and some even burned her nose. They were supposed to be getting a few things from the vendors, and she told Aram to stick with her, so that they could have some left over money to put aside, but apparently he had different ideas. Instead, she continued venturing around the area, stopping every so often to glance at a vendor's item.
There was one that caught her attention, but as she made to question the pricing on it, a familiar scent hit her like a stone wall, and her eyes widened a fraction. She tried to calm the beast in her as she lifted her head in the general area it was coming from. Strange, how she could smell him, and not her brother, however; those thoughts were immediately banished when Aram's scent came from the same area. Something or someone somewhere must really have it out for her, and she rubbed her temples in a frustrated motion. Maybe she would be lucky and Aram would be no where near the Minamoto male, and she could avoid him like the plague that he was. Or he could be somewhere near the man, instead.
"Only one way to find out," she muttered to herself, taking off in a slow walk. Aram, however, was no where near the man, but instead, currently stalled by a small group of people asking him questions. He was, after all, a doctor in the village, and most of the questions were related. It didn't take Ayla long to find the Minamoto heir, and her lips pulled back into a slight recoil of disdain. But she managed to smooth it into a fine line and walked so that she was next to him. It was apparent he wasn't going to stop any time soon, and swallowing her pride, Ayla popped the question.
"Have you seen a bird man walking around with a stupid grin on his face?" she asked, giving the only description she could of her brother.
Tatsuya, still extremely agitated, was parting his lips to tell her to fuck off when two things hit him at once. First, that Reiko would be even more disappointed in him if she found out he’d been cruel to her friend, again. Secondly, the question she’d just asked him was absolutely bizarre, so much so that it almost defied any attempt to make a snarling reply. Instead, he furrowed his brows, turning to look down at her with obvious perplexity on his features. She was walking beside him, forced to hasten where he strode casually due to the height difference.
“What?” the question was inflected flatly, almost as though he were still actually processing it. When it did finally catch up with him, he frowned skeptically. “You’re asking me… if I’ve seen a man with feathers?” He shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath.
“I really need a drink.”
Ayla's expression flattened, and she glanced up at him. It was partially her fault, the description she gave him was rather vague. She'd been told by Aram that people used to call him the Crane Doctor because he reminded them of such, and she found it silly. "A man who reminds people of a bird," she corrected, "but he has been known to put feathers in his band," she continued, arching a brow when he mentioned he needed a drink. It took her a second to realize he needed an actual drink, and not what she assumed it to be. Reiko had, after all, told her what they were a while ago. She shrugged her shoulders, rolling them slightly, before folding her hands into the sleeves of her kimono.
"If that's what you need, I won't keep you from it, however," she stated, facing forward so he would miss a spark of mischief crossing her features. She had promised Reiko she wouldn't cause trouble for her family, but that didn't mean she couldn't prod the bull either. "I think I'll tag along for the moment. A drink sounds interesting, and I wonder how much you could drink before you fell under," she continued, lowering her speech towards the end like a whisper.
Well, worse things had happened in his life than a pretty woman inviting herself along for a drink with him, he supposed. Even if he found her insufferable, he was willing to bet a little alcohol would blunt the edges of his irritation. That was why he was after the stuff in the first place. “Suit yourself,” he replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “But I’m not carrying you home after you pass out.” She spoke like she’d stay conscious to see him fall under, but he very much doubted it.
A few more cross-streets put them in front of the Red Lotus, the only okiya in town, one that doubled as a higher-class bar with professional entertainment. The girls there weren’t lacking in talent, either, which meant that there was always nice music to add to the ambiance, something he appreciated more than his attitude might suggest.
He opened the door and gestured Ayla through first. His own presence went immediately noticed behind, with an older woman who appeared to be the owner of the establishment immediately breaking out into a brilliant smile. “Tatsu-chan! It’s been such a long time.” She flowed over to them more than she walked, laying her palms on either side of his face and raising herself to the tips of her toes. He, surprisingly enough, leaned down obligingly, and she kissed him on the cheek before moving her hands to his shoulders. “You know, I keep waiting for you to change, and you never do.”
Her eyes moved past him to his companion, and the smile remained. “And a welcome to your lovely companion. Would the two of you be wanting a private room?” She arched both brows, tilting her head to the side. The occasional streak of silver in her inky hair caught the light, glittering like one of her ornaments.
“Just the table on the engawa, Setsuka-san,” he replied, “And some of your hot sake.” She nodded sagely and gestured to one of the other girls, who immediately bowed before them and led them onto the covered porch, where a low table and several cushions waited. Though the early spring air was still chill, the view looked out towards the ocean, which, considering that the sun was just beginning to set, was truly spectacular.
Tatsuya settled into one of them, and it wasn’t long before the girl was back, this time with several jugs of heated sake, which she set on the table with a skeptical look at himself and Ayla. To be fair, this much would be enough to put four humans out for a long time, but he doubted it would do the same to the two of them. Reaching into one side of his haori, he withdrew an elegant, carved pipe and some tobacco, packing the bowl with the plant and striking a match against the side of the table before lighting it and shaking the match out. “So why’re you looking for a bird-man anyway?”
"I heard they make good stew," was her curt reply, though she was only half-joking. He huffed, the sound actually amused, a small smile playing over his lips. She reached for one of the empty cups before pouring herself some of the drink, staring at it for a second before downing it. The smell of his smoke, however, was enough to cause her to crinkle her nose a bit, the only sign of some discomfort. She shook it from herself though, and continued with her explanation. "This particular bird-man that I am searching for happens to be my brother. It seems he has been lost... again."
He seemed to do that a lot, or so she thought. "He's not particularly good with navigating the place yet. And he is conned very easily," she stated, her face pulling into a flat expression. If she had the choice, he wouldn't be the one buying things. Ever. She could understand his need to help people, but they weren't in the best position at the moment to help, at least not in that way. Their home was still under the weather so to speak. The roof was still partially collapsed, the door that was supposed to be their front was hanging by a thread on a hinge, and their futons were not the most comfortable of things to sleep on.
"And I worry about him," she spoke, the slightest hint of emotion leaking into her voice, and softening her features. He was all she had left, and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to him. She knew he could take care of himself well-enough, but still, it did not stop her from worrying. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she decided to focus on something other than that. "I didn't take you for the type, but then again you're a fucking asshole, so it's not a surprise," she stated, gesturing to their current place. She held no malice for him at the moment, but it was what she resigned herself to calling him. He'd get no formalities or politeness from her.
He was saved from the need to comment on her family situation by the return of an old mode of address, and he snorts, smoke billowing from his nose in a way that was strangely reminiscent of the way dragons were depicted. He seemed to suit his name quite well in that moment, as it turned out. “The type? To come to a place like this? It wasn’t obvious?” He exhaled again, fragrant smoke wafting into the air. “Though… I expect you’re thinking something different about my reasons than I am.”
He opened one of the jugs of sake, taking out the stopper with a pop sound, holding his pipe in his teeth while he poured two bowls, pushing one deftly over to where Ayla was sitting. It came to a stop at the edge of the table, steaming slightly from its heat. “I am, after all, an educated fucking asshole.” He’d never felt the need to pay for the more erotic services offered here, but he was a welcome patron nevertheless, as perhaps most aptly demonstrated by Setsuka’s reaction to his presence. Still, he wasn’t the kind of person who felt the need to explain himself, especially not to strangers.
"Never said you weren't, and I'm not one to judge on appearance." she chided, taking the cup and holding it instead of drinking. She of all people should know better than that. "You are, after all, Rei-Rei's brother," she would expect nothing less of her family. "But I've been wrong before," she spoke, finally downing the cup. She remained quiet for a moment longer, grabbing another cup of sake and leaving it to warm her face a bit. For once, it felt nice, to just sit where she was and allow the surrounding area out of her senses. It felt familiar, in a sense, and she felt a bit at ease.
She hadn't counted how many drinks she had after that, but it was clear the drinks were finally starting to take hold of her. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the sun?" she stated out of the blue, referring to the coloration of his hair.
There was a moment when, much to his own embarrassment, Tatsuya nearly choked on the mouthful of sake he was swallowing. He recovered quickly, though, and stared across the table at her, trying to decide what to make of that statement. In the end, he decided it was meant innocently, the sort of innocence brought on by the first stages of amicable drunkenness. With a blink of surprise, he realized that they were already through three of the jugs, and the fourth had only about half the contents left. He was starting to feel the blur at the edge of his senses, but not to any great extent.
“Funny how appearances can deceive, isn’t it?” he muttered into his cup. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like snow?” For a moment, he contemplated his own words—the more obvious comparison was the moon, of course, and he could have even hinted that he knew what she was by that reference. So why compare her to the snow? He pursed his lips momentarily, then shook his head. He must be really out of it, or maybe it was just the warmth of the sake. Glancing outside, he noted the moon herself rising, a thin sliver of crescent tonight, and its light glinted off the drifts of snow and ice that were still left from winter.
On impulse, he reached out with a hand, making a casual flicking gesture. The nearest snowdrift reacted instantly, hurling its powdery flakes back up into the air, where they caught the light and glimmered as they fell slowly down towards the earth. Chilly, lovely, present. Hm.
Maybe it was the more apt comparison, after all.
The household had been filled with humans for a month. And not the humans he was accustomed to either, the servants and that girl his father had adopted for whatever reason. No, these were foreign humans, and he found, not much to his surprise, that he didn’t like them being present. In fact, he hated it so much that he was actually spending a great deal more time around the town and in the surrounding areas, because the townspeople who knew him respected him and were tolerable, and those that were not left him well enough alone.
Not like the humans in the complex.
He supposed that it might have been, at least a little bit, his own fault. Tatsuya was used to living in a certain way, and making certain… lifestyle choices that humans sometimes did not approve of, and he’d not bothered to consider the negative consequences this sort of thing could have when he had to occupy the same area as them for an extended period of time. His father had enacted a strict “no fraternizing” policy with the servants, one that all of his sons kept to even after his death: the Fujiwara estate was staffed by people who were well-paid, discreet, and never involved with the family, outside the occasional casual friendship, and even those were strikingly rare. This was better for everyone; it prevented a lot of awkwardness and unanswerable questions.
The same rule, for Tatsuya at least, had never applied to guests of the estate, and being of the avowed opinion that any woman was allowed to choose what she wanted to do for herself without the input of her father or brothers or whatever, had taken the opportunity to invite several of that Akarui’s female relatives, retainers, and servants of various kinds to his bed. Most had accepted, and if that were simply the end of it, as he’d explained it would be, there would have been no problem.
Unfortunately, someone had run their mouth, and now he was being accused by an insistent general of the visiting household of being a rakish philanderer, which he was, but the issue was that this particular human believed that he should compensate for his behavior by marrying the girl in question, something about preserving honor or some such horror as that. She didn’t get to have an opinion of her own, of course, and so while he was relatively sure she was not especially interested in coercing him in such a way, her father saw opportunity, and was attempting to exploit it.
Honestly, Tatsuya would have told him where he could shove his honor, guest or not, but the disappointed look in his sister’s eyes had stopped him. It had also enraged him, and he’d left before he’d done something worse. Who was some insolent human to tell him what was right and wrong? Who was he to make Reiko so ashamed of her brother? What right did he have to say any of those things in front of his sister? He hated that it had happened and he hated how that look in her eyes made him feel, and he’d decided it was better to get away from it than anything else.
It was really just one in an irritating series of incidents that had been regularly driving him from his own home of late, something he found ridiculous. Honestly, he’d sooner have sent the humans packing, stupid alliance be damned. Heisuke was an entitled little upstart prick, and frankly, Tatsuya didn’t care if his house had an alliance with puny human lords or not. What was the worst they could do? Send their armies to Hokkaido to lay siege to his castle? Not likely; that would be sending lambs to slaughter.
So it was in a foul mood that he stomped into town grumbling invectives under his breath. He needed some kind of distraction, and his best option right now was probably the okiya.
"Now where did he go," Ayla muttered beneath her breath, releasing a frustrated sigh as she glanced back and forth. Normally, she could find him with a quick sniff of the air, and follow his scent, however; Aram had a tendency to just disappear sometimes, and it irked her to no end. It didn't help that the part of town she was in, was filled with overwhelming scents, and some even burned her nose. They were supposed to be getting a few things from the vendors, and she told Aram to stick with her, so that they could have some left over money to put aside, but apparently he had different ideas. Instead, she continued venturing around the area, stopping every so often to glance at a vendor's item.
There was one that caught her attention, but as she made to question the pricing on it, a familiar scent hit her like a stone wall, and her eyes widened a fraction. She tried to calm the beast in her as she lifted her head in the general area it was coming from. Strange, how she could smell him, and not her brother, however; those thoughts were immediately banished when Aram's scent came from the same area. Something or someone somewhere must really have it out for her, and she rubbed her temples in a frustrated motion. Maybe she would be lucky and Aram would be no where near the Minamoto male, and she could avoid him like the plague that he was. Or he could be somewhere near the man, instead.
"Only one way to find out," she muttered to herself, taking off in a slow walk. Aram, however, was no where near the man, but instead, currently stalled by a small group of people asking him questions. He was, after all, a doctor in the village, and most of the questions were related. It didn't take Ayla long to find the Minamoto heir, and her lips pulled back into a slight recoil of disdain. But she managed to smooth it into a fine line and walked so that she was next to him. It was apparent he wasn't going to stop any time soon, and swallowing her pride, Ayla popped the question.
"Have you seen a bird man walking around with a stupid grin on his face?" she asked, giving the only description she could of her brother.
Tatsuya, still extremely agitated, was parting his lips to tell her to fuck off when two things hit him at once. First, that Reiko would be even more disappointed in him if she found out he’d been cruel to her friend, again. Secondly, the question she’d just asked him was absolutely bizarre, so much so that it almost defied any attempt to make a snarling reply. Instead, he furrowed his brows, turning to look down at her with obvious perplexity on his features. She was walking beside him, forced to hasten where he strode casually due to the height difference.
“What?” the question was inflected flatly, almost as though he were still actually processing it. When it did finally catch up with him, he frowned skeptically. “You’re asking me… if I’ve seen a man with feathers?” He shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath.
“I really need a drink.”
Ayla's expression flattened, and she glanced up at him. It was partially her fault, the description she gave him was rather vague. She'd been told by Aram that people used to call him the Crane Doctor because he reminded them of such, and she found it silly. "A man who reminds people of a bird," she corrected, "but he has been known to put feathers in his band," she continued, arching a brow when he mentioned he needed a drink. It took her a second to realize he needed an actual drink, and not what she assumed it to be. Reiko had, after all, told her what they were a while ago. She shrugged her shoulders, rolling them slightly, before folding her hands into the sleeves of her kimono.
"If that's what you need, I won't keep you from it, however," she stated, facing forward so he would miss a spark of mischief crossing her features. She had promised Reiko she wouldn't cause trouble for her family, but that didn't mean she couldn't prod the bull either. "I think I'll tag along for the moment. A drink sounds interesting, and I wonder how much you could drink before you fell under," she continued, lowering her speech towards the end like a whisper.
Well, worse things had happened in his life than a pretty woman inviting herself along for a drink with him, he supposed. Even if he found her insufferable, he was willing to bet a little alcohol would blunt the edges of his irritation. That was why he was after the stuff in the first place. “Suit yourself,” he replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “But I’m not carrying you home after you pass out.” She spoke like she’d stay conscious to see him fall under, but he very much doubted it.
A few more cross-streets put them in front of the Red Lotus, the only okiya in town, one that doubled as a higher-class bar with professional entertainment. The girls there weren’t lacking in talent, either, which meant that there was always nice music to add to the ambiance, something he appreciated more than his attitude might suggest.
He opened the door and gestured Ayla through first. His own presence went immediately noticed behind, with an older woman who appeared to be the owner of the establishment immediately breaking out into a brilliant smile. “Tatsu-chan! It’s been such a long time.” She flowed over to them more than she walked, laying her palms on either side of his face and raising herself to the tips of her toes. He, surprisingly enough, leaned down obligingly, and she kissed him on the cheek before moving her hands to his shoulders. “You know, I keep waiting for you to change, and you never do.”
Her eyes moved past him to his companion, and the smile remained. “And a welcome to your lovely companion. Would the two of you be wanting a private room?” She arched both brows, tilting her head to the side. The occasional streak of silver in her inky hair caught the light, glittering like one of her ornaments.
“Just the table on the engawa, Setsuka-san,” he replied, “And some of your hot sake.” She nodded sagely and gestured to one of the other girls, who immediately bowed before them and led them onto the covered porch, where a low table and several cushions waited. Though the early spring air was still chill, the view looked out towards the ocean, which, considering that the sun was just beginning to set, was truly spectacular.
Tatsuya settled into one of them, and it wasn’t long before the girl was back, this time with several jugs of heated sake, which she set on the table with a skeptical look at himself and Ayla. To be fair, this much would be enough to put four humans out for a long time, but he doubted it would do the same to the two of them. Reaching into one side of his haori, he withdrew an elegant, carved pipe and some tobacco, packing the bowl with the plant and striking a match against the side of the table before lighting it and shaking the match out. “So why’re you looking for a bird-man anyway?”
"I heard they make good stew," was her curt reply, though she was only half-joking. He huffed, the sound actually amused, a small smile playing over his lips. She reached for one of the empty cups before pouring herself some of the drink, staring at it for a second before downing it. The smell of his smoke, however, was enough to cause her to crinkle her nose a bit, the only sign of some discomfort. She shook it from herself though, and continued with her explanation. "This particular bird-man that I am searching for happens to be my brother. It seems he has been lost... again."
He seemed to do that a lot, or so she thought. "He's not particularly good with navigating the place yet. And he is conned very easily," she stated, her face pulling into a flat expression. If she had the choice, he wouldn't be the one buying things. Ever. She could understand his need to help people, but they weren't in the best position at the moment to help, at least not in that way. Their home was still under the weather so to speak. The roof was still partially collapsed, the door that was supposed to be their front was hanging by a thread on a hinge, and their futons were not the most comfortable of things to sleep on.
"And I worry about him," she spoke, the slightest hint of emotion leaking into her voice, and softening her features. He was all she had left, and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to him. She knew he could take care of himself well-enough, but still, it did not stop her from worrying. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she decided to focus on something other than that. "I didn't take you for the type, but then again you're a fucking asshole, so it's not a surprise," she stated, gesturing to their current place. She held no malice for him at the moment, but it was what she resigned herself to calling him. He'd get no formalities or politeness from her.
He was saved from the need to comment on her family situation by the return of an old mode of address, and he snorts, smoke billowing from his nose in a way that was strangely reminiscent of the way dragons were depicted. He seemed to suit his name quite well in that moment, as it turned out. “The type? To come to a place like this? It wasn’t obvious?” He exhaled again, fragrant smoke wafting into the air. “Though… I expect you’re thinking something different about my reasons than I am.”
He opened one of the jugs of sake, taking out the stopper with a pop sound, holding his pipe in his teeth while he poured two bowls, pushing one deftly over to where Ayla was sitting. It came to a stop at the edge of the table, steaming slightly from its heat. “I am, after all, an educated fucking asshole.” He’d never felt the need to pay for the more erotic services offered here, but he was a welcome patron nevertheless, as perhaps most aptly demonstrated by Setsuka’s reaction to his presence. Still, he wasn’t the kind of person who felt the need to explain himself, especially not to strangers.
"Never said you weren't, and I'm not one to judge on appearance." she chided, taking the cup and holding it instead of drinking. She of all people should know better than that. "You are, after all, Rei-Rei's brother," she would expect nothing less of her family. "But I've been wrong before," she spoke, finally downing the cup. She remained quiet for a moment longer, grabbing another cup of sake and leaving it to warm her face a bit. For once, it felt nice, to just sit where she was and allow the surrounding area out of her senses. It felt familiar, in a sense, and she felt a bit at ease.
She hadn't counted how many drinks she had after that, but it was clear the drinks were finally starting to take hold of her. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the sun?" she stated out of the blue, referring to the coloration of his hair.
There was a moment when, much to his own embarrassment, Tatsuya nearly choked on the mouthful of sake he was swallowing. He recovered quickly, though, and stared across the table at her, trying to decide what to make of that statement. In the end, he decided it was meant innocently, the sort of innocence brought on by the first stages of amicable drunkenness. With a blink of surprise, he realized that they were already through three of the jugs, and the fourth had only about half the contents left. He was starting to feel the blur at the edge of his senses, but not to any great extent.
“Funny how appearances can deceive, isn’t it?” he muttered into his cup. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like snow?” For a moment, he contemplated his own words—the more obvious comparison was the moon, of course, and he could have even hinted that he knew what she was by that reference. So why compare her to the snow? He pursed his lips momentarily, then shook his head. He must be really out of it, or maybe it was just the warmth of the sake. Glancing outside, he noted the moon herself rising, a thin sliver of crescent tonight, and its light glinted off the drifts of snow and ice that were still left from winter.
On impulse, he reached out with a hand, making a casual flicking gesture. The nearest snowdrift reacted instantly, hurling its powdery flakes back up into the air, where they caught the light and glimmered as they fell slowly down towards the earth. Chilly, lovely, present. Hm.
Maybe it was the more apt comparison, after all.
"Snow?" she repeated the statement like a question, but one that was more thoughtful than anything. She'd been called a lot of things in her life, but never snow. She huffed a bit, taking another drink before filling her cup again. She was already starting to feel the sake in her system, if the slight haze in her eyes was anything to go by. "I guess there's a first time for everything, then," she continued drinking her cup, but choosing not to refill it immediately.
"But the sun fits you well, I suppose. Bright, intense, annoying," she stated, the slight tilt of her lips the beginning of a smirk. From there, she finished off her drink, and several others after that. When she passed out, however, it wasn't immediate at first. She was leaning slightly in her chair, her eyes heavily lidded, and the faintest of smiles playing upon her face. It was an odd sight, especially when it was given so freely. Then, the slight slump in her shoulders gave way before her eyes closed completely, but not before mouthing a few words.
"Don't you dare leave me here."
Tatsuya sighed heavily, setting his own drink down and moving smoothly to her side, so as to catch her before she fell totally over and smacked her head on the side of the table. If her durability was anything like his, he should probably be more worried about the table if that were to happen, but in any case, he didn’t want his sister complaining to him that her friend had a cut on her temple or a black eye, regardless of how well it would heal.
He frowned down at her unconscious form, and sighed again, this one with a note of irritation. “Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t going to take your drunk ass home?” But of course she was somewhat beyond answering him by that point, breathing rather peacefully in her sleep, and he sighed a third time before realizing the fact and frowning more deeply. He wasn’t anyone’s concerned friend, but he supposed he ought to get her home, and let that bird-man brother of hers play nursemaid to her inebriated self.
Maneuvering so that she was resting comfortably against his side, Tatsuya removed a pouch from between his layers of kimono, counting out enough money for the sake and a generous tip, then put it back and shifted, lifting Ayla into his hold by her back and the crooks of her knees, supporting her head against his chest. What a pain. He supposed it was fortunate she smelled nice, like moonflowers with a hint of plum from the sake, and he unexpectedly found himself salivating slightly in the back of his mouth. Probably Reiko wouldn’t approve if he fed from her friend, either, would she?
He pushed the temptation to the back of his mind and stood, carrying Ayla out of the okiya like she weighed nothing. He ran into Setsuka on the way out, but she let him off with only a look and a parting shot about how to treat a lady, bit his bit down on the rejoinder that this was definitely no lady. There was no point insulting her if she wasn’t even awake to hear it, since he’d get no reaction.
The trip back through town was mostly quiet; few people were still out this late at night, and those that were let him pass without bothering him, as was usual, though he could almost hear them thinking. No doubt tomorrow the fact that the golden-haired samurai from up at the castle (since no one publicly talked about the lord, even if they knew it was him) had been seen in a rather intimate position with the newcomer, the one with moonsilver tresses that were actually currently proving to be a bit of a pain for how distracting they were. The color was, he had to admit, rather fetching, and the texture they had against his arm was inviting him to touch further. It maybe wasn’t quite as smooth and silky as Reiko’s but something about it invited touch all the same.
Well, he’d be indirectly getting back at her for all this with the embarrassment she might suffer for being seen with him, since she made it clear she didn’t like him. The best part was, he didn’t really have a choice but to go this way, because he didn’t know where she lived and so had to locate her home by tracking her scent back to it, and she’d come this way. So he couldn’t be any more discreet than he was being, and was thus conveniently blameless.
Several minutes later, he stopped at the building on the outskirts of town that had to be her home, blinking at it in disbelief. He had some difficulty reconciling the notion of her living here. It was a shack, to put it as politely as possible, and honestly hovel was the better word. It looked from here like pieces of the ceiling were caving in, and he could tell from gaps in the wooden slats composing the wall that it was hardly any protection from the elements. It struck him that Reiko must know she lived here, and he found himself surprised that she hadn’t already done something ridiculous like insist the two of them come to live at the castle or something.
Wondering if maybe he wasn’t mistaken about this being Ayla’s house after all, he moved to the front door and knocked, shifting her slightly in his grip so as to avoid her slipping out of it. She was remarkably more cooperative when sleeping, he decided.
It wasn't so much as the knock, that woke Aram, but more-so the door falling off of its last thread that did the trick. Startled somewhat, he rubbed his eyes and stood from his futon, making his way slowly towards the front door. "Ayla? Did you break the door again?" he called out softly, opening his eyes to see that it was someone else, with Ayla in their arms. He blinked, as if trying to focus his eye sight, and tilted his head to the side. It took a long moment before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Please tell me you did not find her in a tree," he spoke. The last time he had to go looking for his sister, she'd been up in one of the trees, dangling dangerously from one of the branches. He knew the fall wouldn't kill her, or hurt her for that matter, but if someone had seen her, there would be questions. Those were questions he'd rather avoid, though. "I apologize if she has inconvenienced you in any way," he spoke, taking a step forward to retrieve Ayla, however; the moment he reached for her, she seemed to recoil, and gripped tightly to the front of Tatsuya's kimono.
"No, the sun's warm," were the only murmured words she gave, and Aram pursed his lips into a fine line. He glanced at Tatsuya, his head tilting again, to the side, and studied the man. He had vaguely similar qualities, but none that Aram could immediately point to, and instead, he merely sighed and stepped to the side.
"I apologize in advance, but it seems she will not let go. Could you, perhaps, just bring her inside? I'm sure she'll let go once she realizes she's in familiar territory," he stated, glancing at his sister who seemed to be content where she was. He wondered, briefly, why that was. This man before him seemed familiar to her, in some sense, and a brief thought of asshole flickered across his mind. Was this the same person she'd been so angry about a few months prior? He almost chuckled if that were the case. He wondered, for a moment, how she would react to have this kind of information told to her. Poorly, he supposed.
Tatsuya had spent most of the short exchange looking at the front door, now on the floor of the hovel, with what could best be described as disbelief. Ayla’s hands clutching at the front of his kimono drew his eyes to her, though, and he scoffed at her muttered words, lifting his red gaze to her brother. He blinked, and an expression of surprise flashed over his features before he chuckled, a rumble of sound more than anything, muted to suit the time of day.
“I guess she wasn’t wrong,” he said, shaking his head. There was something about the other man that was vaguely birdlike. He could see why someone might find it appropriate to compare him to, for instance, a crane, but Tatsuya was more perceptive than most, and what he saw was a hunting falcon cleverly disguised as a crane.
He stepped easily over the threshold, avoiding the door with a sort of easy grace that meant he failed to even jostle Ayla. He bit down on his tongue to stifle whatever comment he might have made about the house itself—though that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it. He’d definitely be bringing it up with Reiko, because he knew there was no way she would tolerate such a thing, even if he, personally, didn’t care. She’d be glad he told her, and that was reason enough to do it.
Finding the threadbare futon that clearly belonged to Ayla, he crouched to put her in it, then changed his mind and re-covered it, so that the top layer served as additional cushion rather than a blanket. It was a bit of a struggle to get her to relinquish her sleepy grip, but Tatsuya had a lot of experience escaping from clinging people without harming them, and he put it to work, until she was laying on the futon, on her side since it was a very bad idea for someone that drunk to lay on their back.
Standing, he loosened his outer obi, sliding out of the top layer of his kimono, though the lower one remained, tied much less ornately. The heavy silk, white save where it was embroidered at the bottom, sleeves, and shoulders with gold, he draped carefully over her, seeing as how it was bound to be a good deal warmer than anything else in the area. Also considerably more expensive, but it wasn't like he'd ever given a shit about that before, and he wasn't planning to start now. Slinging his outer obi over his shoulder, he turned back to Aram. “She’ll probably have a wicked hangover in the morning. I’m not sure if you’ve got anything for that, but you might want to have it around. I can’t imagine she’s pleasant in that condition.”
A look of confusion crossed Aram's face when Tatsuya first spoke, and he pursed his lips further together, causing his eyes to narrow in the slightest of manner. She wasn't wrong, about what? He pondered a second longer on the thought before moving out of the other man's way so that he could set Ayla to her bed. He watched in mild amusement as Tatsuya rearranged her futon, and his brow arched the faintest clue of his amusement when the man gave her his outer kimono and covered her with it. He had to keep himself from the slight chuckle when he saw her roll further into the kimono, trying to make herself as small as possible. He heard the faint words of asshole muttered beneath her breath, and shook his head. He would never understand what made his sister tick, however; his thoughts were pulled elsewhere when Tatsuya spoke.
"There are a few teas and herbs we have that will provide her with some relief. I cannot say for sure if she's unpleasant with a hangover. She is my sister, whatever the ailments she may bring," he replied. She could be a little loud in some places that disturbed him at times, but he could never recall a moment his sister had been unpleasant. Unless he counted the times she shifted when she wasn't supposed to, but any other time he couldn't say.
"If you'd like, I can prepare you some before you leave so that you'll have them as well. You don't have to, but I'm sure she'd feel better knowing that you had something to ease yours, as well," he stated, though he couldn't say for she really would. If this was, indeed the same man whom she had called an asshole those months ago, she would probably be upset with him later. But at the moment, she was asleep, and they were not, and he could do as he pleased for the moment.
"Ah, forgive the forwardness, but I am Aram," he stated, realizing he hadn't introduced himself quite yet. He gave the other male a more formal bow before straightening himself out, showing more respect for Tatsuya than Ayla had.
Tatsuya scoffed slightly, waving off the offer of assistance. “I won’t get a hangover,” he assured with a wave of his hand, inclining his head in response to the other man’s bow. “Minamoto Tatsuya, but I won’t linger.” It wasn’t like he had any reason to remain, so he chose not to, heading for the doorway and frowning when he once again stepped over the door.
On his way out, he picked up the whole thing, fitting it back over the frame as well as he could, so as to at least block out what of the cold could be held at bay by the wood.
Minamoto Tatsuya. The name seemed very familiar to Aram, and he tried to place where he'd heard it from. It seemed so long ago since he heard a name like that, however; he chose not to linger on the thought longer than it already had. He frowned slightly when Tatsuya fixed the door and shook his head.
"We should really get that fixed," among other things.
"But the sun fits you well, I suppose. Bright, intense, annoying," she stated, the slight tilt of her lips the beginning of a smirk. From there, she finished off her drink, and several others after that. When she passed out, however, it wasn't immediate at first. She was leaning slightly in her chair, her eyes heavily lidded, and the faintest of smiles playing upon her face. It was an odd sight, especially when it was given so freely. Then, the slight slump in her shoulders gave way before her eyes closed completely, but not before mouthing a few words.
"Don't you dare leave me here."
Tatsuya sighed heavily, setting his own drink down and moving smoothly to her side, so as to catch her before she fell totally over and smacked her head on the side of the table. If her durability was anything like his, he should probably be more worried about the table if that were to happen, but in any case, he didn’t want his sister complaining to him that her friend had a cut on her temple or a black eye, regardless of how well it would heal.
He frowned down at her unconscious form, and sighed again, this one with a note of irritation. “Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t going to take your drunk ass home?” But of course she was somewhat beyond answering him by that point, breathing rather peacefully in her sleep, and he sighed a third time before realizing the fact and frowning more deeply. He wasn’t anyone’s concerned friend, but he supposed he ought to get her home, and let that bird-man brother of hers play nursemaid to her inebriated self.
Maneuvering so that she was resting comfortably against his side, Tatsuya removed a pouch from between his layers of kimono, counting out enough money for the sake and a generous tip, then put it back and shifted, lifting Ayla into his hold by her back and the crooks of her knees, supporting her head against his chest. What a pain. He supposed it was fortunate she smelled nice, like moonflowers with a hint of plum from the sake, and he unexpectedly found himself salivating slightly in the back of his mouth. Probably Reiko wouldn’t approve if he fed from her friend, either, would she?
He pushed the temptation to the back of his mind and stood, carrying Ayla out of the okiya like she weighed nothing. He ran into Setsuka on the way out, but she let him off with only a look and a parting shot about how to treat a lady, bit his bit down on the rejoinder that this was definitely no lady. There was no point insulting her if she wasn’t even awake to hear it, since he’d get no reaction.
The trip back through town was mostly quiet; few people were still out this late at night, and those that were let him pass without bothering him, as was usual, though he could almost hear them thinking. No doubt tomorrow the fact that the golden-haired samurai from up at the castle (since no one publicly talked about the lord, even if they knew it was him) had been seen in a rather intimate position with the newcomer, the one with moonsilver tresses that were actually currently proving to be a bit of a pain for how distracting they were. The color was, he had to admit, rather fetching, and the texture they had against his arm was inviting him to touch further. It maybe wasn’t quite as smooth and silky as Reiko’s but something about it invited touch all the same.
Well, he’d be indirectly getting back at her for all this with the embarrassment she might suffer for being seen with him, since she made it clear she didn’t like him. The best part was, he didn’t really have a choice but to go this way, because he didn’t know where she lived and so had to locate her home by tracking her scent back to it, and she’d come this way. So he couldn’t be any more discreet than he was being, and was thus conveniently blameless.
Several minutes later, he stopped at the building on the outskirts of town that had to be her home, blinking at it in disbelief. He had some difficulty reconciling the notion of her living here. It was a shack, to put it as politely as possible, and honestly hovel was the better word. It looked from here like pieces of the ceiling were caving in, and he could tell from gaps in the wooden slats composing the wall that it was hardly any protection from the elements. It struck him that Reiko must know she lived here, and he found himself surprised that she hadn’t already done something ridiculous like insist the two of them come to live at the castle or something.
Wondering if maybe he wasn’t mistaken about this being Ayla’s house after all, he moved to the front door and knocked, shifting her slightly in his grip so as to avoid her slipping out of it. She was remarkably more cooperative when sleeping, he decided.
It wasn't so much as the knock, that woke Aram, but more-so the door falling off of its last thread that did the trick. Startled somewhat, he rubbed his eyes and stood from his futon, making his way slowly towards the front door. "Ayla? Did you break the door again?" he called out softly, opening his eyes to see that it was someone else, with Ayla in their arms. He blinked, as if trying to focus his eye sight, and tilted his head to the side. It took a long moment before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Please tell me you did not find her in a tree," he spoke. The last time he had to go looking for his sister, she'd been up in one of the trees, dangling dangerously from one of the branches. He knew the fall wouldn't kill her, or hurt her for that matter, but if someone had seen her, there would be questions. Those were questions he'd rather avoid, though. "I apologize if she has inconvenienced you in any way," he spoke, taking a step forward to retrieve Ayla, however; the moment he reached for her, she seemed to recoil, and gripped tightly to the front of Tatsuya's kimono.
"No, the sun's warm," were the only murmured words she gave, and Aram pursed his lips into a fine line. He glanced at Tatsuya, his head tilting again, to the side, and studied the man. He had vaguely similar qualities, but none that Aram could immediately point to, and instead, he merely sighed and stepped to the side.
"I apologize in advance, but it seems she will not let go. Could you, perhaps, just bring her inside? I'm sure she'll let go once she realizes she's in familiar territory," he stated, glancing at his sister who seemed to be content where she was. He wondered, briefly, why that was. This man before him seemed familiar to her, in some sense, and a brief thought of asshole flickered across his mind. Was this the same person she'd been so angry about a few months prior? He almost chuckled if that were the case. He wondered, for a moment, how she would react to have this kind of information told to her. Poorly, he supposed.
Tatsuya had spent most of the short exchange looking at the front door, now on the floor of the hovel, with what could best be described as disbelief. Ayla’s hands clutching at the front of his kimono drew his eyes to her, though, and he scoffed at her muttered words, lifting his red gaze to her brother. He blinked, and an expression of surprise flashed over his features before he chuckled, a rumble of sound more than anything, muted to suit the time of day.
“I guess she wasn’t wrong,” he said, shaking his head. There was something about the other man that was vaguely birdlike. He could see why someone might find it appropriate to compare him to, for instance, a crane, but Tatsuya was more perceptive than most, and what he saw was a hunting falcon cleverly disguised as a crane.
He stepped easily over the threshold, avoiding the door with a sort of easy grace that meant he failed to even jostle Ayla. He bit down on his tongue to stifle whatever comment he might have made about the house itself—though that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it. He’d definitely be bringing it up with Reiko, because he knew there was no way she would tolerate such a thing, even if he, personally, didn’t care. She’d be glad he told her, and that was reason enough to do it.
Finding the threadbare futon that clearly belonged to Ayla, he crouched to put her in it, then changed his mind and re-covered it, so that the top layer served as additional cushion rather than a blanket. It was a bit of a struggle to get her to relinquish her sleepy grip, but Tatsuya had a lot of experience escaping from clinging people without harming them, and he put it to work, until she was laying on the futon, on her side since it was a very bad idea for someone that drunk to lay on their back.
Standing, he loosened his outer obi, sliding out of the top layer of his kimono, though the lower one remained, tied much less ornately. The heavy silk, white save where it was embroidered at the bottom, sleeves, and shoulders with gold, he draped carefully over her, seeing as how it was bound to be a good deal warmer than anything else in the area. Also considerably more expensive, but it wasn't like he'd ever given a shit about that before, and he wasn't planning to start now. Slinging his outer obi over his shoulder, he turned back to Aram. “She’ll probably have a wicked hangover in the morning. I’m not sure if you’ve got anything for that, but you might want to have it around. I can’t imagine she’s pleasant in that condition.”
A look of confusion crossed Aram's face when Tatsuya first spoke, and he pursed his lips further together, causing his eyes to narrow in the slightest of manner. She wasn't wrong, about what? He pondered a second longer on the thought before moving out of the other man's way so that he could set Ayla to her bed. He watched in mild amusement as Tatsuya rearranged her futon, and his brow arched the faintest clue of his amusement when the man gave her his outer kimono and covered her with it. He had to keep himself from the slight chuckle when he saw her roll further into the kimono, trying to make herself as small as possible. He heard the faint words of asshole muttered beneath her breath, and shook his head. He would never understand what made his sister tick, however; his thoughts were pulled elsewhere when Tatsuya spoke.
"There are a few teas and herbs we have that will provide her with some relief. I cannot say for sure if she's unpleasant with a hangover. She is my sister, whatever the ailments she may bring," he replied. She could be a little loud in some places that disturbed him at times, but he could never recall a moment his sister had been unpleasant. Unless he counted the times she shifted when she wasn't supposed to, but any other time he couldn't say.
"If you'd like, I can prepare you some before you leave so that you'll have them as well. You don't have to, but I'm sure she'd feel better knowing that you had something to ease yours, as well," he stated, though he couldn't say for she really would. If this was, indeed the same man whom she had called an asshole those months ago, she would probably be upset with him later. But at the moment, she was asleep, and they were not, and he could do as he pleased for the moment.
"Ah, forgive the forwardness, but I am Aram," he stated, realizing he hadn't introduced himself quite yet. He gave the other male a more formal bow before straightening himself out, showing more respect for Tatsuya than Ayla had.
Tatsuya scoffed slightly, waving off the offer of assistance. “I won’t get a hangover,” he assured with a wave of his hand, inclining his head in response to the other man’s bow. “Minamoto Tatsuya, but I won’t linger.” It wasn’t like he had any reason to remain, so he chose not to, heading for the doorway and frowning when he once again stepped over the door.
On his way out, he picked up the whole thing, fitting it back over the frame as well as he could, so as to at least block out what of the cold could be held at bay by the wood.
Minamoto Tatsuya. The name seemed very familiar to Aram, and he tried to place where he'd heard it from. It seemed so long ago since he heard a name like that, however; he chose not to linger on the thought longer than it already had. He frowned slightly when Tatsuya fixed the door and shook his head.
"We should really get that fixed," among other things.
The next morning, as luck would have it, saw Reiko up earlier than usual, though in fairness, her days weren’t always days, considering the schedule her family tended to prefer. But today, she wanted to time something just right, so she had chosen now as most likely to work, and dressed herself accordingly, in rough linen practice garments that served as her best approximation of work clothes. She’d lent Sauyri more of the same, and Kentaro had his own, of course, as well as quite a lot of materials, most of which he was carrying over one shoulder, but she’d arranged for the rest to be delivered on time as well.
They were about ready to depart when one of the inner doors slid open, and Tatsuya stepped out, eyeing them suspiciously for a moment. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain hovel standing outside the village, now would it? Perhaps one that contains a she-wolf and a bird-man?”
It took Reiko a heartbeat to decide that he was talking about Ayla and Aram, and she nodded slightly. “Erm… well… yes. It does. We were going to fix up their house, actually. While they’re both out. Since they probably won’t let us do it if they know.” She smiled thinly, almost looking as though she expected him to reprimand her, and Tatsuya sighed, the sound a bit grumpy but not especially irate. He exchanged a glance with Kentaro, then rolled his eyes.
“Fine. But since I doubt you know the first thing about construction, I’m coming along.” It was almost worth all the trouble he knew this was going to be for the expression on her face—bewildered shock followed swiftly by a warm smile, just for him. Tatsuya had to consciously exert effort not to smile back; it would seem he’d done something right, if she was so pleased with him. With a nod to Sayuri as well, the four of them set off down the path to the outskirts of the village, taking a left rather than a right when the road forked, so as to lead them towards where the siblings lived.
“How do you know they won’t be there, anyway?” He lifted a brow, a bit surprised to see the mischief that glimmered in his little sister’s eyes.
“Ayla always goes in to manage the restaurant by this time, and Aram is usually out on his medical rounds around now. This is the best time to make sure neither of them is actually at home.” He blinked, frowning thoughtfully. It would seem she’d really thought this through. He should have known she couldn’t know about the condition of their house and not do anything about it. It didn’t surprise him, really—he’d gotten used to her customary tenderheartedness, though he still thought it was troublesome when directed outside their family.
Sayuri remained quiet during the exchange between Tatsuya and Reiko, a smile of her own lingering on her face when he decided to tag along. She stayed closer to Reiko, holding onto whatever she could hold, and adjusted her clothing so that it fit better. They were going to be doing manual labor, though exactly how much of that she would be doing, she couldn't say. Kentaro and Tatsuya alone could handle all of it, but she knew Reiko wouldn't allow them to take all the credit. She blinked slowly when Tatsuya questioned Reiko, and chuckled lightly at Reiko's response.
"Kyabetsu-san and Ayla-chan usually don't come back until late at night, so we'll have plenty of time," she added. Of course, the only reason why she knew that was thanks to one of the villagers. She tilted her head from side to side, softly, as she spoke. She was in a good mood, and she doubted that anything could change that. Plus, it helped her feel more at ease around the two Minamoto males. Family they were, but it didn't stop a sense of nervousness around them, especially Kentaro. She shook it from herself, though, and smiled when they happened upon the home they were to repair.
"This... might take awhile yet," she spoke, glancing at the home. It appeared the door came off again, perhaps by a none too gentle closure, and one of the shoji windows appeared to have had some kind of fight with something sharp. Perhaps a sword?. The roof had further collapsed on itself, and the frown that appeared, deepened. "How have they been sleeping?" she stated more to herself than to the other three. The elements had not been too kind this winter, and she could recall a few days of snowfall, but this? She turned towards Reiko, her eyes showcasing her confusion.
“Not that much time,” Reiko replied, allowing the last question to remain unanswered. Instead, she nodded slightly and then raised her fingers to her lips, whistling sharply. When she did, several small groups of humans made their way into the area, clearly professional carpenters, builders, and laborers. “Because we’re building from the bottom up.”
Kentaro’s expression didn’t change, but a flicker of surprise crossed Tatsuya’s face. Reiko’s smile was almost sly as he glanced with obvious puzzlement at the humans. “You’re knocking it down and building something new? How did you manage to convince that tightwad Jirō to give you the funds?”
Her eyes glittered. “This one didn’t have to. All these people have been paid with my money. This one got a cut of the trade deal for indigo, and hasn’t spent any of this one’s monthly allowance in years. So this was not too much at all.” Her smile grew as Tatsuya glanced back, clearly impressed by her forethought. And indeed, she had put a lot of planning into this: many of the parts of the new house had been prebuilt by the carpenters, and once the few belongings in the home had been moved out, the entire thing was razed, the rubble cleared away, and the landscapers started their work, reading from blueprints labeled in neat, meticulous handwriting.
“And I suppose you drew the plans, too?” Tatsuya’s tone had shifted, sounding quite wry now.
Reiko shook her head slightly. “Actually, Kentaro did those. This one designed the gardens, and helped him with the plans, but the architecture and the blueprints are his work.” Kentaro blinked, but that was as much confirmation as he gave of what she said.
Within a couple of hours, the landscapers had properly cleared the area, and the builders went to work on the existing foundations, which they determined to be good enough to rebuild on. That would save them a great deal of time. There were close to thirty human workers here, and the builders got to work as the landscapers moved on to the gardens. Reiko and the others mostly took directions from the people who knew what they were doing, and the unnatural strength of Tatsuya and Kentaro helped things proceed much faster. Everything that could have been built ahead of time clearly was, so after they got the skeleton of the new house up, everything else followed pretty quickly.
It was clear that Reiko and Kentaro had designed the new house to be much more spacious: in addition to a living area and a kitchen, there were three separate bedrooms and a washroom, making the space over three times the size of the old hut. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was a comfortable home, comparable with anything else in the village, which was generally much more prosperous than similar settlements. Reiko had also ordered a lot of furniture, including new futons, kitchen utensils, and blankets, from local artisans.
By the middle of the evening, Reiko was planting herbs in the garden, both medicinal and for food, separated by section. She figured that one part of the plot would help Aram with his medicines and the other would serve Ayla’s restaurant well, so she made sure to label them carefully, with little signs painted by Sayuri. Kentaro was working on the name plaque for the doorway, carving it out of a block of cherry wood, and Tatsuya was still helping spread the tatami mats on the floors and arrange the furniture. Reiko’s face was streaked with dirt, but she was wearing a smile of utter contentment.
Sayuri wasn't nearly as streaked with dirt as the others were, perhaps because she wasn't doing much to begin with. She was, instead, resigned to painting the signs that labeled the plant life for the garden and the smaller things. She had not realized how relaxed she was until she glanced up from the last sign, looking to her side and finding Kentaro not too far away. She blinked as she watched him work, slightly awed by the woodwork even if it was just a name plaque. Her lips pursed together though, when she realized that Ayla had not given a family name, only her given one. Did they even have one? It would be odd if they didn't, but perhaps they chose not to take it?
"Did Reiko say what their family name was?" she asked, the question in a slightly curious tone. She wouldn't deny to the curiosity bubbling beneath her since she could address the two a little more formally if the time came for it. She didn't want to resort to just calling them Ayla and Aram, or in Aram's case, Kyabetsu-san. She snickered slightly at the thought. "I don't recall them ever giving one," she murmured softly as an after thought.
Kentaro glanced down to his side, blinking his red eyes at the speaker. It took him a second to decide what he was going to say, or perhaps merely a second to recognize her, but in any case he replied with a shake of his head. His hair was paler than Tatsuya’s, such a light blonde it was almost platinum. “They do not have one, so she is giving them one.” It didn’t take a genius to guess who she was, and Kentaro turned his hands so that the woodwork was visible. Into the wood were etched two characters, “help,” and “wisteria.” The latter appeared in the Fujiwara clan name. Together, they read ‘Sato’.
He glanced down at the little sign in her hand and the brush in her other, and tilted his head to the side. “Your handwriting is beautiful,” he told her, his tone flat and matter-of-fact.
She blinked, slowly at first, when he'd spoken. They didn't have one, so Reiko gave them one? She stiffled a short laugh. Leave it to her sister to do something like that, however; when she read the name, she couldn't help the small fits of laughter that came after. It seemed like a suitable name, given what was going on and all, and once she calmed herself, the second set of Kentaro's words filtered through her ears. She blinked again, almost in slight disbelief, and a small blush krept across her cheeks. She removed her gaze from him, and fumbled with the words she wanted to say.
"T-t-thank y-you," she stuttered, cursing herself for sounding silly. "S-so are you," she replied, the blush deepening on her face. Your woodwork, I meant," she added, feeling herself becoming slightly dizzy. She'd meant to tell him his woodwork was beautiful, but her words came out sounding a little less like what she'd intended, and could have been mistaken for something else. She hoped he wouldn't take it any bad way. She tried to calm the blush on her face in order to keep herself from passing out. She hated those spells, honestly.
Kentaro looked back down at his own handiwork, unsure what about it was supposed to be beautiful. He supposed it was skilled enough, but he had little regard for his own creations. He was no artist, merely someone who whiled away time on woodwork. Still, he nodded his thanks and returned his attention to what he was doing, which now included staining the plaque with a dark lacquer and then painting the characters themselves in a white one. By the time both had dried, the garden was fully set up and the workers were departing, since all that was left was moving the furniture in and around so as to set everything up.
Reiko, far too embarrassed at the prospect of setting up a man’s room, left her brothers to take care of Aram’s things while she and Sayuri set up Ayla’s. Curiously, among the woman’s personal possessions was a man’s kimono, and it looked quite a bit familiar. She could have sworn Tatsuya had one just like it, and indeed it smelled a bit like him too. Reiko’s brows furrowed. The last she had known of it, the two of them did not like one another, certainly not enough for Tatsuya to give Ayla his kimono.
It was definitely something she’d ask about later, but for the moment, she put the garment away with the rest of Ayla’s clothes, and rolled out the brand-new futon. It was about then that she noticed the slightly-distracted look on Sayuri’s face and the residual pink on her cheeks, and tilted her head to the side curiously. “Sayu? Is everything all right?”
The kimono Sayuri was holding fell, gracelessly, out of her hands as she turned towards Reiko, a slight look of bewilderment on her face. She glanced back and forth before realizing the question was directed at her, and laughed sheepishly. "Me? Ah, yeah, no, I mean," she responded, her words coming out jumbled over the other. She took a deep breath and settled the kimono down before turning towards Reiko.
"It's just, I mean I know he didn't mean anything by it but," she began. She spoke with a little speed to her voice, the embarrassment and nervousness laced behind them, and tried to calm the sudden rise in her heart beat. "Kentaro, and don't take this the wrong way, told me my handwriting was... beautiful," she finally answered, the last of the sentence coming out in a mere, muffled, whisper. She knew Reiko would still hear her, though, and she played with her thumbs.
"And I may have accidentally told him he was too, even though I meant his woodwork," she added, the words still whispered and spoken as if they were all one word.
Reiko looked confused for a moment, then smiled softly. “Is there something wrong with that? Kentaro tends to just say what he thinks. He wouldn’t tell you that if he didn’t think it was true. And, well… this one is sure he understood what you really meant.” She paused a moment, contemplating something, and hesitated just slightly before she finished her thought.
“And… I think you probably made him happy, by saying that. He doesn’t seem like it, but he’s not the kind of person who thinks much of himself, so thank you, for saying that to him. Maybe he’ll believe it if it comes from someone besides me.”
A look of disbelief crossed over Sayuri's face when Reiko spoke, and the blush on her face receded. Her lips pursed into a fine line as she lowered her head in thought. "Then we'll just have to rectify that!" she exclaimed, a look of determination crossing her features. She could still feel the blood pumping through her veins, threatening to resurface in the form of another blush, but she fought it down well enough. "Y-you're welcome, Rei-chan," she finally replied, coming down from her little burst.
"It really was pretty, he should do something like that more often. People would enjoy it," even if he wouldn't exactly be open to the idea. It's not like they were low in funds, either, but she believed that he could make a name for himself as a carpenter of sorts. "I would," she muttered beneath her breath, the blush finally returning to her face as she went back to work on Ayla's clothing and items.
Reiko said nothing further, but the smile never did leave her face.
They were about ready to depart when one of the inner doors slid open, and Tatsuya stepped out, eyeing them suspiciously for a moment. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain hovel standing outside the village, now would it? Perhaps one that contains a she-wolf and a bird-man?”
It took Reiko a heartbeat to decide that he was talking about Ayla and Aram, and she nodded slightly. “Erm… well… yes. It does. We were going to fix up their house, actually. While they’re both out. Since they probably won’t let us do it if they know.” She smiled thinly, almost looking as though she expected him to reprimand her, and Tatsuya sighed, the sound a bit grumpy but not especially irate. He exchanged a glance with Kentaro, then rolled his eyes.
“Fine. But since I doubt you know the first thing about construction, I’m coming along.” It was almost worth all the trouble he knew this was going to be for the expression on her face—bewildered shock followed swiftly by a warm smile, just for him. Tatsuya had to consciously exert effort not to smile back; it would seem he’d done something right, if she was so pleased with him. With a nod to Sayuri as well, the four of them set off down the path to the outskirts of the village, taking a left rather than a right when the road forked, so as to lead them towards where the siblings lived.
“How do you know they won’t be there, anyway?” He lifted a brow, a bit surprised to see the mischief that glimmered in his little sister’s eyes.
“Ayla always goes in to manage the restaurant by this time, and Aram is usually out on his medical rounds around now. This is the best time to make sure neither of them is actually at home.” He blinked, frowning thoughtfully. It would seem she’d really thought this through. He should have known she couldn’t know about the condition of their house and not do anything about it. It didn’t surprise him, really—he’d gotten used to her customary tenderheartedness, though he still thought it was troublesome when directed outside their family.
Sayuri remained quiet during the exchange between Tatsuya and Reiko, a smile of her own lingering on her face when he decided to tag along. She stayed closer to Reiko, holding onto whatever she could hold, and adjusted her clothing so that it fit better. They were going to be doing manual labor, though exactly how much of that she would be doing, she couldn't say. Kentaro and Tatsuya alone could handle all of it, but she knew Reiko wouldn't allow them to take all the credit. She blinked slowly when Tatsuya questioned Reiko, and chuckled lightly at Reiko's response.
"Kyabetsu-san and Ayla-chan usually don't come back until late at night, so we'll have plenty of time," she added. Of course, the only reason why she knew that was thanks to one of the villagers. She tilted her head from side to side, softly, as she spoke. She was in a good mood, and she doubted that anything could change that. Plus, it helped her feel more at ease around the two Minamoto males. Family they were, but it didn't stop a sense of nervousness around them, especially Kentaro. She shook it from herself, though, and smiled when they happened upon the home they were to repair.
"This... might take awhile yet," she spoke, glancing at the home. It appeared the door came off again, perhaps by a none too gentle closure, and one of the shoji windows appeared to have had some kind of fight with something sharp. Perhaps a sword?. The roof had further collapsed on itself, and the frown that appeared, deepened. "How have they been sleeping?" she stated more to herself than to the other three. The elements had not been too kind this winter, and she could recall a few days of snowfall, but this? She turned towards Reiko, her eyes showcasing her confusion.
“Not that much time,” Reiko replied, allowing the last question to remain unanswered. Instead, she nodded slightly and then raised her fingers to her lips, whistling sharply. When she did, several small groups of humans made their way into the area, clearly professional carpenters, builders, and laborers. “Because we’re building from the bottom up.”
Kentaro’s expression didn’t change, but a flicker of surprise crossed Tatsuya’s face. Reiko’s smile was almost sly as he glanced with obvious puzzlement at the humans. “You’re knocking it down and building something new? How did you manage to convince that tightwad Jirō to give you the funds?”
Her eyes glittered. “This one didn’t have to. All these people have been paid with my money. This one got a cut of the trade deal for indigo, and hasn’t spent any of this one’s monthly allowance in years. So this was not too much at all.” Her smile grew as Tatsuya glanced back, clearly impressed by her forethought. And indeed, she had put a lot of planning into this: many of the parts of the new house had been prebuilt by the carpenters, and once the few belongings in the home had been moved out, the entire thing was razed, the rubble cleared away, and the landscapers started their work, reading from blueprints labeled in neat, meticulous handwriting.
“And I suppose you drew the plans, too?” Tatsuya’s tone had shifted, sounding quite wry now.
Reiko shook her head slightly. “Actually, Kentaro did those. This one designed the gardens, and helped him with the plans, but the architecture and the blueprints are his work.” Kentaro blinked, but that was as much confirmation as he gave of what she said.
Within a couple of hours, the landscapers had properly cleared the area, and the builders went to work on the existing foundations, which they determined to be good enough to rebuild on. That would save them a great deal of time. There were close to thirty human workers here, and the builders got to work as the landscapers moved on to the gardens. Reiko and the others mostly took directions from the people who knew what they were doing, and the unnatural strength of Tatsuya and Kentaro helped things proceed much faster. Everything that could have been built ahead of time clearly was, so after they got the skeleton of the new house up, everything else followed pretty quickly.
It was clear that Reiko and Kentaro had designed the new house to be much more spacious: in addition to a living area and a kitchen, there were three separate bedrooms and a washroom, making the space over three times the size of the old hut. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was a comfortable home, comparable with anything else in the village, which was generally much more prosperous than similar settlements. Reiko had also ordered a lot of furniture, including new futons, kitchen utensils, and blankets, from local artisans.
By the middle of the evening, Reiko was planting herbs in the garden, both medicinal and for food, separated by section. She figured that one part of the plot would help Aram with his medicines and the other would serve Ayla’s restaurant well, so she made sure to label them carefully, with little signs painted by Sayuri. Kentaro was working on the name plaque for the doorway, carving it out of a block of cherry wood, and Tatsuya was still helping spread the tatami mats on the floors and arrange the furniture. Reiko’s face was streaked with dirt, but she was wearing a smile of utter contentment.
Sayuri wasn't nearly as streaked with dirt as the others were, perhaps because she wasn't doing much to begin with. She was, instead, resigned to painting the signs that labeled the plant life for the garden and the smaller things. She had not realized how relaxed she was until she glanced up from the last sign, looking to her side and finding Kentaro not too far away. She blinked as she watched him work, slightly awed by the woodwork even if it was just a name plaque. Her lips pursed together though, when she realized that Ayla had not given a family name, only her given one. Did they even have one? It would be odd if they didn't, but perhaps they chose not to take it?
"Did Reiko say what their family name was?" she asked, the question in a slightly curious tone. She wouldn't deny to the curiosity bubbling beneath her since she could address the two a little more formally if the time came for it. She didn't want to resort to just calling them Ayla and Aram, or in Aram's case, Kyabetsu-san. She snickered slightly at the thought. "I don't recall them ever giving one," she murmured softly as an after thought.
Kentaro glanced down to his side, blinking his red eyes at the speaker. It took him a second to decide what he was going to say, or perhaps merely a second to recognize her, but in any case he replied with a shake of his head. His hair was paler than Tatsuya’s, such a light blonde it was almost platinum. “They do not have one, so she is giving them one.” It didn’t take a genius to guess who she was, and Kentaro turned his hands so that the woodwork was visible. Into the wood were etched two characters, “help,” and “wisteria.” The latter appeared in the Fujiwara clan name. Together, they read ‘Sato’.
He glanced down at the little sign in her hand and the brush in her other, and tilted his head to the side. “Your handwriting is beautiful,” he told her, his tone flat and matter-of-fact.
She blinked, slowly at first, when he'd spoken. They didn't have one, so Reiko gave them one? She stiffled a short laugh. Leave it to her sister to do something like that, however; when she read the name, she couldn't help the small fits of laughter that came after. It seemed like a suitable name, given what was going on and all, and once she calmed herself, the second set of Kentaro's words filtered through her ears. She blinked again, almost in slight disbelief, and a small blush krept across her cheeks. She removed her gaze from him, and fumbled with the words she wanted to say.
"T-t-thank y-you," she stuttered, cursing herself for sounding silly. "S-so are you," she replied, the blush deepening on her face. Your woodwork, I meant," she added, feeling herself becoming slightly dizzy. She'd meant to tell him his woodwork was beautiful, but her words came out sounding a little less like what she'd intended, and could have been mistaken for something else. She hoped he wouldn't take it any bad way. She tried to calm the blush on her face in order to keep herself from passing out. She hated those spells, honestly.
Kentaro looked back down at his own handiwork, unsure what about it was supposed to be beautiful. He supposed it was skilled enough, but he had little regard for his own creations. He was no artist, merely someone who whiled away time on woodwork. Still, he nodded his thanks and returned his attention to what he was doing, which now included staining the plaque with a dark lacquer and then painting the characters themselves in a white one. By the time both had dried, the garden was fully set up and the workers were departing, since all that was left was moving the furniture in and around so as to set everything up.
Reiko, far too embarrassed at the prospect of setting up a man’s room, left her brothers to take care of Aram’s things while she and Sayuri set up Ayla’s. Curiously, among the woman’s personal possessions was a man’s kimono, and it looked quite a bit familiar. She could have sworn Tatsuya had one just like it, and indeed it smelled a bit like him too. Reiko’s brows furrowed. The last she had known of it, the two of them did not like one another, certainly not enough for Tatsuya to give Ayla his kimono.
It was definitely something she’d ask about later, but for the moment, she put the garment away with the rest of Ayla’s clothes, and rolled out the brand-new futon. It was about then that she noticed the slightly-distracted look on Sayuri’s face and the residual pink on her cheeks, and tilted her head to the side curiously. “Sayu? Is everything all right?”
The kimono Sayuri was holding fell, gracelessly, out of her hands as she turned towards Reiko, a slight look of bewilderment on her face. She glanced back and forth before realizing the question was directed at her, and laughed sheepishly. "Me? Ah, yeah, no, I mean," she responded, her words coming out jumbled over the other. She took a deep breath and settled the kimono down before turning towards Reiko.
"It's just, I mean I know he didn't mean anything by it but," she began. She spoke with a little speed to her voice, the embarrassment and nervousness laced behind them, and tried to calm the sudden rise in her heart beat. "Kentaro, and don't take this the wrong way, told me my handwriting was... beautiful," she finally answered, the last of the sentence coming out in a mere, muffled, whisper. She knew Reiko would still hear her, though, and she played with her thumbs.
"And I may have accidentally told him he was too, even though I meant his woodwork," she added, the words still whispered and spoken as if they were all one word.
Reiko looked confused for a moment, then smiled softly. “Is there something wrong with that? Kentaro tends to just say what he thinks. He wouldn’t tell you that if he didn’t think it was true. And, well… this one is sure he understood what you really meant.” She paused a moment, contemplating something, and hesitated just slightly before she finished her thought.
“And… I think you probably made him happy, by saying that. He doesn’t seem like it, but he’s not the kind of person who thinks much of himself, so thank you, for saying that to him. Maybe he’ll believe it if it comes from someone besides me.”
A look of disbelief crossed over Sayuri's face when Reiko spoke, and the blush on her face receded. Her lips pursed into a fine line as she lowered her head in thought. "Then we'll just have to rectify that!" she exclaimed, a look of determination crossing her features. She could still feel the blood pumping through her veins, threatening to resurface in the form of another blush, but she fought it down well enough. "Y-you're welcome, Rei-chan," she finally replied, coming down from her little burst.
"It really was pretty, he should do something like that more often. People would enjoy it," even if he wouldn't exactly be open to the idea. It's not like they were low in funds, either, but she believed that he could make a name for himself as a carpenter of sorts. "I would," she muttered beneath her breath, the blush finally returning to her face as she went back to work on Ayla's clothing and items.
Reiko said nothing further, but the smile never did leave her face.
The evening sun had descended by the time everyone was finished, the last of the workers making final touches before leaving completely. They had, somehow, managed to convince Tatsuya and Kentaro to stay for a surprise for the two siblings, and Sayuri currently was situated between Reiko in the middle, and Kentaro to her left. She could see one of the siblings, Kyabetsu-san, approaching the home, his eyes half closed and not paying much attention. Sayuri couldn't keep the silly grin off of her face as she watched him make a full stop in front of the new home.
Aram, however, blinked owlishly at his new abode, tilting his head to the side and staring in confusion. He remained in that position for a few minutes, perhaps half an hour, before Ayla came upon him, arching a confused brow before turning towards their house. "The hell?" she muttered, finally snapping Aram out of his slight daze to right his head and stare at his sister, who turned towards him with an equally confused look. "What happened to our shit-hole?" she questioned, earning a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'm not certain, but it appears there is a 'Sato" family living here, now," he stated, his voice calm and still trying to discern if he hadn't taken a wrong turn somewhere. If that were the case, it wouldn't be a coincidence that Ayla was here too. Maybe she took a wrong turn, too? He turned to ask her the question, however; she seemed fixated on the home in front of them. Part of her knew this is where they lived, but another part of her had a hard time believing that this was their home. "Ayla?" he questioned, watching as her lips pursed into a fine line.
"Did someone just move in where we were living? Who the hell do they think they are?!" she stated, rolling up the sleeves of her kimono as she made her way towards the home. Before she could get too far, and before Aram could stop her, the sound of laughter caught her attention, and for a brief moment, Ayla's eyes turned a soft golden. A quick look from Aram, however, was all it took for them to recede back to their natural color. Ayla, however, recognized the sound.
"Sayuri?" she called out, glancing towards the spot the sound came from. Very faintly, the scent of her friends came into view, causing Ayla to frown. "Reiko, Sayuri, care to explain?" she stated, folding her arms against her chest as Aram laid a hand on her shoulder.
Reiko had to admit, this was not what she was planning on. When Aram had arrived home, they’d remained hidden mostly because they were waiting for him to do something, react somehow, but he’d just stood there and stared at the new building. That was when the doubt had seeded in her chest, and it had rapidly sprouted when Ayla arrived, and seemed to be angry more than surprised.
Sayu, who didn’t seem to have caught onto the atmosphere, had laughed then, giving away their position, and her doubts had found full bloom the way Ayla was standing now, restrained slightly by Aram’s hand but stiffened, and something about the situation was familiar to Reiko—like this was what her friend was like just in advance of a change.
She felt both Kentaro and Tatsuya stiffen beside her, and immediately stepped forward, though who she was attempting to protect from whom was unclear. In any case, this was her responsibility, and she intended to own up to the consequences. She held herself as upright as she could. “This is… we built it. For the two of you.” She took a deep breath, her father’s advice echoing in her mind.
Leave nothing to chance. If someone doesn’t understand your intentions, explain them as honestly and clearly as you can. Entire friendships have been destroyed because people were not honest or forthright with each other. If you value your friends, you’ll never let that happen. If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize. That’s your responsibility.
“This one visited your house before, and… this one saw how it was exposed to the elements, how difficult it must have been to live there. This one believes it is unfair for this one’s friends, people who have been so unkind to this one, to live in conditions like that.” She pursed her lips, having not anticipated how difficult this would really be. She’d thought it would be easy to always act like her father said, but looking at them now and not knowing how they were going to react—it was probably the most frightening thing she’d ever done.
“So… this one began to plan. This one hired may people in the village to help, and enlisted this one’s brothers and sister, and today, we built a house for you. This one wants you to be comfortable here, and to live well. This one… this one wants you to be a part of the village, and a part of this one’s life, and to be warm and safe at night.” She swallowed thickly—it was difficult to tell in the dark, but her eyes were glistening, perhaps with unshed tears.
She bowed at the waist, low and deep, the end of her ponytail brushing the ground under their feet. “If this one has presumed too much, this one apologizes. No harm or insult was meant. But if any was taken, this one asks that you place it solely upon this one, and not the others.” She remained bowed, looking firmly at the ground, and wondered if she should not have used a dogeza instead.
Ayla hadn't meant to sound angry, however; she realized how upset Reiko had become, and before she could move, or even say anything, Aram was standing in front of Reiko. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, moving her gently so that she was no longer bowing, but instead able to see him. He held a warm smile on his face before retracting his hand, and folded them in front of himself, and, instead, repeated the action Reiko had. He bowed. "Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, his head still bowed before righting himself.
"Ayla meant nothing by her words, but we were confused as to the house and who lived here. It is thoughtful of you to consider us in such high regards that you would do this for us. Though you should not have concerned yourself with our well-beings. We would have been fine," he spoke, his voice as gentle as he could make it. Ayla, however, stood off to the side, a frown still etched on her face as she stared at Reiko, ignoring the rest of the group. She glanced at Aram, and then back to Reiko before making up her mind.
She made her way so that she was now in front of Reiko, and stood staring at the young woman. A small smile finally wormed its way upon her face, and she repeated Aram's previous posture, bowing in response before quickly straightening up, grabbing Reiko by her arms and pulling the young woman into an embrace. "I'm sorry Reiko, I didn't mean to upset you," she murmured against Reiko's hair. She finally removed herself, her hands still lingering on Reiko's shoulders. "But could you let us know next time? We thought we'd been kicked out of our home," she stated, the playfullness laced in her voice.
Reiko’s cheeks warmed, and she knew they were a light shade of pink, one she hoped wasn’t visible in the darkness, and she glanced back and forth between the two of them before offering a watery smile, her hands loosely placed over Ayla’s arms which grasped her shoulders. “Of course,” she said softly, then shook her head slightly. “The only reason this one didn’t tell you was because this one was afraid you wouldn’t accept it.”
Behind her, Tatsuya’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he crossed his arms across his chest, his gaze sliding to Aram and remaining there for a pointed moment, but he said nothing. Kentaro, on the other hand, cleared his throat softly. It reminded Reiko of something else, which she was somehow sure was his intention. “Oh! And about ‘Sato’… this one knows you do not have a surname, and this one would like you to accept that one. This one chose it because you have helped this one so much—and if you would like, this one can officially file documents that register you as occupants of this village under that name.” It was impossible to officially be a citizen of Shimamaki without a full name and a proper residence, and now they had both, after all.
"You're not wrong," Ayla muttered beneath her breath. They would have refused her help simply because they (meaning she) would have felt indebted to Reiko. Ayla blinked, this time slowly, when Reiko spoke of having a surname. They hadn't need of one before, but she supposed if it was required, there were worse things than having "Sato" as a surname. Aram, however, narrowed his eyes slightly, as if figuring something out. He glanced towards their name plaque, and studied the characters before turning his gaze towards them. He knew Amon had taken on a name, one that he eventually made for himself, and if he remembered correctly, "Fujiwara" was the name he'd taken as a family name.
"We'd be honored," he finally spoke. He knew Tatsuya was Minamoto, and Ayla had mentioned Hino for Reiko. But what she had said, could it be possible? He chose not to dwell on it, at least not at the moment, and watched as Sayuri wormed her way towards the other two, grabbing Ayla's arm and moving it so that all three of them were in a group hug. His lips twitched slightly at the sight, but shook his head. These two, they could be, but he needed more time to make the connections.
"Sato Ayla and Aram, hm," Ayla spoke, chuckling softly at how ridiculous it might have sounded to most of the others. They did, after all, not possess conventional names. Perhaps they should have to blend in better? "I suppose it'll have a nice ring to it, eventually," she continued.
"Maybe, but Sato Kyabetsu-san sounds better," Sayuri spoke, causing Aram to sputter on his words. He'd forgotten, for a moment, that was what they had named him before. Ayla laughed at his expresssion.
Reiko chuckled, too, but she gently extricated herself from the three-way hug. “Actually, there is one more thing this one wishes to do, if you will allow it.” She noted some confused looks in response, but only smiled, making her way back around to the front of the house. She stood in front of the stairs up to the engawa, roughly aligned with the front door, though of course about ten feet forward from it in total.
Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head, looking almost as though she were praying. Slowly, the smell in the air seemed to shift, as though her own blend of natural scents were spreading outwards to perfume the area. It smelled of plums, oranges, and wisteria, mostly, as though the ground beneath their feet were a carpet of petals instead of dirt. The air started to shimmer, and from Reiko burst dozens of tiny spheres of light, like little miniature suns, which spread over the grounds of the house and hung in the air, natural lanterns.
The plants in the garden perked up, their roots taking firm hold in the earth, the residual dirt of construction growing over with green shoots of natural grass, and the atmosphere warmed to a comfortable temperature. The tang in the air faded, until it smelled only extremely fresh and verdant, but the little light spheres remained, drifting slowly around. Reiko opened her eyes and smiled.
“There. Now it’s safe, too,” she murmured, almost to herself, and turned back around to face the others. “Well? Don’t you want to see the inside?”
Ayla almost chuckled darkly at Reiko's muttered statement. They didn't really need it to be safe, but she kept her thoughts to herself and appreciated the sentimentality of it. Aram, on the other hand continued to smile, a little odd even for Ayla. "Of course," he stated, making the first step forward. He stood next to Reiko and glanced behind him as if to say Are you coming? and Ayla scoffed slightly. Somewhere beneath the noise, Jerk could be heard muttered softly before she walked, Sayuri to her side, towards the front door.
"Only if that means you're staying for the night. I'll make something to drink, or eat if you're hungry," Ayla stated. Sayuri almost agreed, however; she would wait to see if Reiko accepted or not. "And I suppose the invitation extends to you, too," she added, narrowing her eyes slightly towards Tatsuya, but said nothing to the other carbon copy. He could stay if he wished, or he could leave. Ayla cared neither of what they decided.
"That's not very nice, Aya," he spoke, causing Ayla to flinch slightly. He only ever called her that during certain occasions, and she heaved a heavy sigh. "You all are the ones who built this place, it is only fair," he continued. And it was their right, technically. Ayla rolled her eyes before taking the first step into the remodled home.
"The hell?" were the only words she managed to say. It really was a different place than what they originally had. Aram just sighed.
Tatsuya snorted from behind her, but the truth of the matter was that he watched Reiko very closely. She seemed enthused by the prospect of a night with her friends, and though he wanted quite earnestly to put a stop to that, he knew it would upset her if he did. He could feel her present happiness through their bond, and though he was still deeply suspicious of the whole thing, he couldn’t quite bring himself to ruin her mood. He exchanged a look with Kentaro, who nodded. He would stay, and Tatsuya would go.
After conveying as much to Reiko and reminding her of the need for a chaperone, he took his leave. All of this was a bit too sentimental for him anyway, and he couldn’t say he cared any more about those two than they did about him. Kentaro was completely immune to anything awkward or even boring, so it wouldn’t bother him a bit to stay, and Tatsuya trusted him to look after their sister.
After Tatsuya’s departure, Reiko and Sayuri led the short tour of the new house, explaining where everything was and where they had put some of the siblings’ belongings, just in case they couldn’t find something later. The group of five ended up back in the main room, which now had a table with enough space for six, so it wasn’t hard to get everyone seated. Reiko demonstrated that the little light spheres could be pushed around with just a touch, and that though they were composed of light, they weren’t hot or anything, and wouldn’t start fires or anything of the kind.
“The only thing that might be bad is that they change color with this one’s condition,” she said, her mouth pulling to the side. “Actually, this one will probably put them out, but maybe you would like one or two to stay? They can be quite convenient.”
"And have the possibility of having something of Rei-Rei's go?" Ayla spoke, shooting a glance towards Aram who merely sipped on a cup of tea. She shot him a small grin, one that caused him to slightly choke on his drink before he muttered an apology. "We will keep them. We could always use something to keep the place lit, that way Ara here won't get himself lost in the dark," she stated, watching with faint amusement as Aram tried to recompose himself. He chose to remain silent, finding it difficult to say anything that Ayla wouldn't twist into something it wasn't.
"It would be nice to know what you are feeling every now and then," he spoke. Since he couldn't see her future, and still couldn't, knowing something so small as her emotions might help him see. Ayla, of course, grinned a little devilish grin, and folded her arms beneath her chin.
"Is that right?" she stated, Aram merely nodding and not taking note of the sly note her voice had produced. "You hear that Rei-Rei? Aram wants to know what you're feeling," she stated, her eyes flickering towards Reiko as Sayuri snorted.
Kentaro blinked as the orb of light nearest him flashed a cloudy grey, followed immediately by a bright magenta, before it faded into something close to its original sunny gold, with a thread of green floating near the center. He knew what all those things meant, but it was unlikely the others did. Tatsuya would not be pleased, had he seen it, and the younger Minamoto brother thought to himself that it was rather fortunate that the older was no longer present.
Reiko kept her face impressively neutral for all the blinking her orbs were doing, though she could not avoid looking slightly unsure of what to say, at least until she seemed to realize something. “Well, this one supposes this one would think it strange, too, if there were only one future this one could not see.” She chose to interpret it as a kind of curiosity rather than… whatever Ayla seemed to be trying to imply. She smiled reassuringly at Aram, as though to inform him that she wasn’t getting the wrong idea about anything, his sister’s efforts included.
Aram gave Reiko a thankful smile, however; Ayla merely laughed at the two. It was adorable, if she had to find something as such, and she raised a curious brow at Reiko's statement. So Aram couldn't see her future? It was, she'd admit, a little odd, but she didn't seem to linger on it any further. He would eventually. He always did. Instead, she chose to move on to Sayuri, who seemed quite content that the focus was on Reiko at the moment. She blinked as she locked gazes with Ayla, and subconciously rubbed at her face. Was there something on it?
"I take it that yours hasn't come true yet," she stated, watching as a slow blush crept up on Sayuri's face. "Oh? Has it?" Ayla continued, causing Sayuri's face to deepen in color. She stuttered her first few words, trying to organize them correctly in her head so she could properly respond to Ayla's statement.
"No, Ayla-san, it hasn't," she finally managed to mutter, causing Ayla to sigh. This was no fun if she couldn't get more of a reaction out of the two of them, and so she resigned to standing. "But... I think it would be nice if it happened soon," she stated, a soft smile lingering in her eyes rather than her lips. Aram took this moment to raise an eyebrow. Did she really want that future to come so soon? Granted, she didn't know all that was in store for her, and he could only feel a little bad about not being completely honest with her.
Ayla could see Aram's inner turmoil, and chose to speak before he could say anything he wouldn't otherwise. "Well, if you're hungry, now's the time to place an order. I've got three extra mouths, though I'm not sure blondie over there will eat anything. Do you want something to eat?" she stated, directing the comment to Kentaro and the others. If they weren't hungry, then she could always put on some tea, or let Aram do that. He made the best tea.
Kentaro shrugged. “I will eat whatever the others do.” He wasn’t the sort of person who usually bothered with human food, and had little preference for one kind over another. Reiko grinned and put in her usual from the restaurant, hoping Ayla would enjoy the new kitchen facilities. She’d been working all day, after all, and while she couldn’t really get hungry in the same way humans did, filling her stomach seemed to dull her thirst a little, and so she preferred to do that whenever possible.
“So Aram-sama, what is the silliest fortune you’ve ever read?”
Aram mused the question over. He couldn't seem to recall a silly fortune he'd ever had. Most of them always ended the same; with the person dead. Or in some cases, they seemed to have lived a fulfilled life. Those were truly rare, and also his most precious ones. To be able to see a future where it worked out rather than poorly, he longed for something like that. He would never tell anyone that, of course, but instead, shrugged slightly.
"To be honest, they're never silly. Each fortune I've read always came true. Sometimes they weren't exactly what was desired, but it came true nonetheless. One tried to change her outcome, but...," he paused, pursing his lips as he recalled the one incident. "It did not go so well," was the only response he gave. "Sometimes, though, they do change. It is very rare that they do," he continued, his eyes lingering a bit on Sayuri. Hers had not changed, not in the slightest.
Reiko mulled that over for a bit, her expression becoming thoughtful. “Fate is such a strange thing," she murmured quietly. “This one's father used to talk about it sometimes, too. But he believed that anything could change, if you tried hard enough. This one is sure that sounds naïve to you, but... some of the things this one saw him do, I guess this one believes that, too." She shook her head as if to rid herself of the thought, and then smiled a little too brightly, as if to make up for the fact that her spheres were now a soft blue.
“But anyway, let's talk about happier things, since this is the occasion for them, no?"
Aram, however, blinked owlishly at his new abode, tilting his head to the side and staring in confusion. He remained in that position for a few minutes, perhaps half an hour, before Ayla came upon him, arching a confused brow before turning towards their house. "The hell?" she muttered, finally snapping Aram out of his slight daze to right his head and stare at his sister, who turned towards him with an equally confused look. "What happened to our shit-hole?" she questioned, earning a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'm not certain, but it appears there is a 'Sato" family living here, now," he stated, his voice calm and still trying to discern if he hadn't taken a wrong turn somewhere. If that were the case, it wouldn't be a coincidence that Ayla was here too. Maybe she took a wrong turn, too? He turned to ask her the question, however; she seemed fixated on the home in front of them. Part of her knew this is where they lived, but another part of her had a hard time believing that this was their home. "Ayla?" he questioned, watching as her lips pursed into a fine line.
"Did someone just move in where we were living? Who the hell do they think they are?!" she stated, rolling up the sleeves of her kimono as she made her way towards the home. Before she could get too far, and before Aram could stop her, the sound of laughter caught her attention, and for a brief moment, Ayla's eyes turned a soft golden. A quick look from Aram, however, was all it took for them to recede back to their natural color. Ayla, however, recognized the sound.
"Sayuri?" she called out, glancing towards the spot the sound came from. Very faintly, the scent of her friends came into view, causing Ayla to frown. "Reiko, Sayuri, care to explain?" she stated, folding her arms against her chest as Aram laid a hand on her shoulder.
Reiko had to admit, this was not what she was planning on. When Aram had arrived home, they’d remained hidden mostly because they were waiting for him to do something, react somehow, but he’d just stood there and stared at the new building. That was when the doubt had seeded in her chest, and it had rapidly sprouted when Ayla arrived, and seemed to be angry more than surprised.
Sayu, who didn’t seem to have caught onto the atmosphere, had laughed then, giving away their position, and her doubts had found full bloom the way Ayla was standing now, restrained slightly by Aram’s hand but stiffened, and something about the situation was familiar to Reiko—like this was what her friend was like just in advance of a change.
She felt both Kentaro and Tatsuya stiffen beside her, and immediately stepped forward, though who she was attempting to protect from whom was unclear. In any case, this was her responsibility, and she intended to own up to the consequences. She held herself as upright as she could. “This is… we built it. For the two of you.” She took a deep breath, her father’s advice echoing in her mind.
Leave nothing to chance. If someone doesn’t understand your intentions, explain them as honestly and clearly as you can. Entire friendships have been destroyed because people were not honest or forthright with each other. If you value your friends, you’ll never let that happen. If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize. That’s your responsibility.
“This one visited your house before, and… this one saw how it was exposed to the elements, how difficult it must have been to live there. This one believes it is unfair for this one’s friends, people who have been so unkind to this one, to live in conditions like that.” She pursed her lips, having not anticipated how difficult this would really be. She’d thought it would be easy to always act like her father said, but looking at them now and not knowing how they were going to react—it was probably the most frightening thing she’d ever done.
“So… this one began to plan. This one hired may people in the village to help, and enlisted this one’s brothers and sister, and today, we built a house for you. This one wants you to be comfortable here, and to live well. This one… this one wants you to be a part of the village, and a part of this one’s life, and to be warm and safe at night.” She swallowed thickly—it was difficult to tell in the dark, but her eyes were glistening, perhaps with unshed tears.
She bowed at the waist, low and deep, the end of her ponytail brushing the ground under their feet. “If this one has presumed too much, this one apologizes. No harm or insult was meant. But if any was taken, this one asks that you place it solely upon this one, and not the others.” She remained bowed, looking firmly at the ground, and wondered if she should not have used a dogeza instead.
Ayla hadn't meant to sound angry, however; she realized how upset Reiko had become, and before she could move, or even say anything, Aram was standing in front of Reiko. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, moving her gently so that she was no longer bowing, but instead able to see him. He held a warm smile on his face before retracting his hand, and folded them in front of himself, and, instead, repeated the action Reiko had. He bowed. "Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, his head still bowed before righting himself.
"Ayla meant nothing by her words, but we were confused as to the house and who lived here. It is thoughtful of you to consider us in such high regards that you would do this for us. Though you should not have concerned yourself with our well-beings. We would have been fine," he spoke, his voice as gentle as he could make it. Ayla, however, stood off to the side, a frown still etched on her face as she stared at Reiko, ignoring the rest of the group. She glanced at Aram, and then back to Reiko before making up her mind.
She made her way so that she was now in front of Reiko, and stood staring at the young woman. A small smile finally wormed its way upon her face, and she repeated Aram's previous posture, bowing in response before quickly straightening up, grabbing Reiko by her arms and pulling the young woman into an embrace. "I'm sorry Reiko, I didn't mean to upset you," she murmured against Reiko's hair. She finally removed herself, her hands still lingering on Reiko's shoulders. "But could you let us know next time? We thought we'd been kicked out of our home," she stated, the playfullness laced in her voice.
Reiko’s cheeks warmed, and she knew they were a light shade of pink, one she hoped wasn’t visible in the darkness, and she glanced back and forth between the two of them before offering a watery smile, her hands loosely placed over Ayla’s arms which grasped her shoulders. “Of course,” she said softly, then shook her head slightly. “The only reason this one didn’t tell you was because this one was afraid you wouldn’t accept it.”
Behind her, Tatsuya’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he crossed his arms across his chest, his gaze sliding to Aram and remaining there for a pointed moment, but he said nothing. Kentaro, on the other hand, cleared his throat softly. It reminded Reiko of something else, which she was somehow sure was his intention. “Oh! And about ‘Sato’… this one knows you do not have a surname, and this one would like you to accept that one. This one chose it because you have helped this one so much—and if you would like, this one can officially file documents that register you as occupants of this village under that name.” It was impossible to officially be a citizen of Shimamaki without a full name and a proper residence, and now they had both, after all.
"You're not wrong," Ayla muttered beneath her breath. They would have refused her help simply because they (meaning she) would have felt indebted to Reiko. Ayla blinked, this time slowly, when Reiko spoke of having a surname. They hadn't need of one before, but she supposed if it was required, there were worse things than having "Sato" as a surname. Aram, however, narrowed his eyes slightly, as if figuring something out. He glanced towards their name plaque, and studied the characters before turning his gaze towards them. He knew Amon had taken on a name, one that he eventually made for himself, and if he remembered correctly, "Fujiwara" was the name he'd taken as a family name.
"We'd be honored," he finally spoke. He knew Tatsuya was Minamoto, and Ayla had mentioned Hino for Reiko. But what she had said, could it be possible? He chose not to dwell on it, at least not at the moment, and watched as Sayuri wormed her way towards the other two, grabbing Ayla's arm and moving it so that all three of them were in a group hug. His lips twitched slightly at the sight, but shook his head. These two, they could be, but he needed more time to make the connections.
"Sato Ayla and Aram, hm," Ayla spoke, chuckling softly at how ridiculous it might have sounded to most of the others. They did, after all, not possess conventional names. Perhaps they should have to blend in better? "I suppose it'll have a nice ring to it, eventually," she continued.
"Maybe, but Sato Kyabetsu-san sounds better," Sayuri spoke, causing Aram to sputter on his words. He'd forgotten, for a moment, that was what they had named him before. Ayla laughed at his expresssion.
Reiko chuckled, too, but she gently extricated herself from the three-way hug. “Actually, there is one more thing this one wishes to do, if you will allow it.” She noted some confused looks in response, but only smiled, making her way back around to the front of the house. She stood in front of the stairs up to the engawa, roughly aligned with the front door, though of course about ten feet forward from it in total.
Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head, looking almost as though she were praying. Slowly, the smell in the air seemed to shift, as though her own blend of natural scents were spreading outwards to perfume the area. It smelled of plums, oranges, and wisteria, mostly, as though the ground beneath their feet were a carpet of petals instead of dirt. The air started to shimmer, and from Reiko burst dozens of tiny spheres of light, like little miniature suns, which spread over the grounds of the house and hung in the air, natural lanterns.
The plants in the garden perked up, their roots taking firm hold in the earth, the residual dirt of construction growing over with green shoots of natural grass, and the atmosphere warmed to a comfortable temperature. The tang in the air faded, until it smelled only extremely fresh and verdant, but the little light spheres remained, drifting slowly around. Reiko opened her eyes and smiled.
“There. Now it’s safe, too,” she murmured, almost to herself, and turned back around to face the others. “Well? Don’t you want to see the inside?”
Ayla almost chuckled darkly at Reiko's muttered statement. They didn't really need it to be safe, but she kept her thoughts to herself and appreciated the sentimentality of it. Aram, on the other hand continued to smile, a little odd even for Ayla. "Of course," he stated, making the first step forward. He stood next to Reiko and glanced behind him as if to say Are you coming? and Ayla scoffed slightly. Somewhere beneath the noise, Jerk could be heard muttered softly before she walked, Sayuri to her side, towards the front door.
"Only if that means you're staying for the night. I'll make something to drink, or eat if you're hungry," Ayla stated. Sayuri almost agreed, however; she would wait to see if Reiko accepted or not. "And I suppose the invitation extends to you, too," she added, narrowing her eyes slightly towards Tatsuya, but said nothing to the other carbon copy. He could stay if he wished, or he could leave. Ayla cared neither of what they decided.
"That's not very nice, Aya," he spoke, causing Ayla to flinch slightly. He only ever called her that during certain occasions, and she heaved a heavy sigh. "You all are the ones who built this place, it is only fair," he continued. And it was their right, technically. Ayla rolled her eyes before taking the first step into the remodled home.
"The hell?" were the only words she managed to say. It really was a different place than what they originally had. Aram just sighed.
Tatsuya snorted from behind her, but the truth of the matter was that he watched Reiko very closely. She seemed enthused by the prospect of a night with her friends, and though he wanted quite earnestly to put a stop to that, he knew it would upset her if he did. He could feel her present happiness through their bond, and though he was still deeply suspicious of the whole thing, he couldn’t quite bring himself to ruin her mood. He exchanged a look with Kentaro, who nodded. He would stay, and Tatsuya would go.
After conveying as much to Reiko and reminding her of the need for a chaperone, he took his leave. All of this was a bit too sentimental for him anyway, and he couldn’t say he cared any more about those two than they did about him. Kentaro was completely immune to anything awkward or even boring, so it wouldn’t bother him a bit to stay, and Tatsuya trusted him to look after their sister.
After Tatsuya’s departure, Reiko and Sayuri led the short tour of the new house, explaining where everything was and where they had put some of the siblings’ belongings, just in case they couldn’t find something later. The group of five ended up back in the main room, which now had a table with enough space for six, so it wasn’t hard to get everyone seated. Reiko demonstrated that the little light spheres could be pushed around with just a touch, and that though they were composed of light, they weren’t hot or anything, and wouldn’t start fires or anything of the kind.
“The only thing that might be bad is that they change color with this one’s condition,” she said, her mouth pulling to the side. “Actually, this one will probably put them out, but maybe you would like one or two to stay? They can be quite convenient.”
"And have the possibility of having something of Rei-Rei's go?" Ayla spoke, shooting a glance towards Aram who merely sipped on a cup of tea. She shot him a small grin, one that caused him to slightly choke on his drink before he muttered an apology. "We will keep them. We could always use something to keep the place lit, that way Ara here won't get himself lost in the dark," she stated, watching with faint amusement as Aram tried to recompose himself. He chose to remain silent, finding it difficult to say anything that Ayla wouldn't twist into something it wasn't.
"It would be nice to know what you are feeling every now and then," he spoke. Since he couldn't see her future, and still couldn't, knowing something so small as her emotions might help him see. Ayla, of course, grinned a little devilish grin, and folded her arms beneath her chin.
"Is that right?" she stated, Aram merely nodding and not taking note of the sly note her voice had produced. "You hear that Rei-Rei? Aram wants to know what you're feeling," she stated, her eyes flickering towards Reiko as Sayuri snorted.
Kentaro blinked as the orb of light nearest him flashed a cloudy grey, followed immediately by a bright magenta, before it faded into something close to its original sunny gold, with a thread of green floating near the center. He knew what all those things meant, but it was unlikely the others did. Tatsuya would not be pleased, had he seen it, and the younger Minamoto brother thought to himself that it was rather fortunate that the older was no longer present.
Reiko kept her face impressively neutral for all the blinking her orbs were doing, though she could not avoid looking slightly unsure of what to say, at least until she seemed to realize something. “Well, this one supposes this one would think it strange, too, if there were only one future this one could not see.” She chose to interpret it as a kind of curiosity rather than… whatever Ayla seemed to be trying to imply. She smiled reassuringly at Aram, as though to inform him that she wasn’t getting the wrong idea about anything, his sister’s efforts included.
Aram gave Reiko a thankful smile, however; Ayla merely laughed at the two. It was adorable, if she had to find something as such, and she raised a curious brow at Reiko's statement. So Aram couldn't see her future? It was, she'd admit, a little odd, but she didn't seem to linger on it any further. He would eventually. He always did. Instead, she chose to move on to Sayuri, who seemed quite content that the focus was on Reiko at the moment. She blinked as she locked gazes with Ayla, and subconciously rubbed at her face. Was there something on it?
"I take it that yours hasn't come true yet," she stated, watching as a slow blush crept up on Sayuri's face. "Oh? Has it?" Ayla continued, causing Sayuri's face to deepen in color. She stuttered her first few words, trying to organize them correctly in her head so she could properly respond to Ayla's statement.
"No, Ayla-san, it hasn't," she finally managed to mutter, causing Ayla to sigh. This was no fun if she couldn't get more of a reaction out of the two of them, and so she resigned to standing. "But... I think it would be nice if it happened soon," she stated, a soft smile lingering in her eyes rather than her lips. Aram took this moment to raise an eyebrow. Did she really want that future to come so soon? Granted, she didn't know all that was in store for her, and he could only feel a little bad about not being completely honest with her.
Ayla could see Aram's inner turmoil, and chose to speak before he could say anything he wouldn't otherwise. "Well, if you're hungry, now's the time to place an order. I've got three extra mouths, though I'm not sure blondie over there will eat anything. Do you want something to eat?" she stated, directing the comment to Kentaro and the others. If they weren't hungry, then she could always put on some tea, or let Aram do that. He made the best tea.
Kentaro shrugged. “I will eat whatever the others do.” He wasn’t the sort of person who usually bothered with human food, and had little preference for one kind over another. Reiko grinned and put in her usual from the restaurant, hoping Ayla would enjoy the new kitchen facilities. She’d been working all day, after all, and while she couldn’t really get hungry in the same way humans did, filling her stomach seemed to dull her thirst a little, and so she preferred to do that whenever possible.
“So Aram-sama, what is the silliest fortune you’ve ever read?”
Aram mused the question over. He couldn't seem to recall a silly fortune he'd ever had. Most of them always ended the same; with the person dead. Or in some cases, they seemed to have lived a fulfilled life. Those were truly rare, and also his most precious ones. To be able to see a future where it worked out rather than poorly, he longed for something like that. He would never tell anyone that, of course, but instead, shrugged slightly.
"To be honest, they're never silly. Each fortune I've read always came true. Sometimes they weren't exactly what was desired, but it came true nonetheless. One tried to change her outcome, but...," he paused, pursing his lips as he recalled the one incident. "It did not go so well," was the only response he gave. "Sometimes, though, they do change. It is very rare that they do," he continued, his eyes lingering a bit on Sayuri. Hers had not changed, not in the slightest.
Reiko mulled that over for a bit, her expression becoming thoughtful. “Fate is such a strange thing," she murmured quietly. “This one's father used to talk about it sometimes, too. But he believed that anything could change, if you tried hard enough. This one is sure that sounds naïve to you, but... some of the things this one saw him do, I guess this one believes that, too." She shook her head as if to rid herself of the thought, and then smiled a little too brightly, as if to make up for the fact that her spheres were now a soft blue.
“But anyway, let's talk about happier things, since this is the occasion for them, no?"
He wasn't going to ever get used to seeing their home like it was. In all honesty, he'd actually liked their quaint home, flaws and all. But Aram had always liked the small things like that. It held a sense of consistency to it, something he knew could change in just the blink of an eye. Though it had, he supposed it was also a lot nicer sleeping in a dryer area too. He sighed contently, taking a sip of his tea as he did so. He didn't know where Ayla was, currently, and that slightly concerned him. She was never up to any good when she disappeared like that, and he glanced out one of the windows. The sun was still high, so it was probably mid afternoon.
"I suppose I should go find her before she causes trouble," he spoke to himself, standing from his spot to set his tea and dishware away. Once he was finished, he paused momentarily, an image flittering across his mind. A frown settled onto his face. It was too fast to make out any details, but there was a strange feeling lingering behind. He pushed it to the back of his mind. It was something to meditate on later, but for now, he had other priorities. Once he was satisfied the door was closed properly, and wouldn't fall off its handles, he left. He was still getting used to that.
"Alright, where are you Ayla," he spoke to no one in particular as he journeyed into the village. It was quieter than usual, but the people in the streets seemed happy and content. Surely she wasn't here. It wouldn't be this quiet and calm if she were. Something did, however, catch his attention, and he made his way back towards it. A shopkeeper had just set out a fresh batch of dumplings, and he eyed them somewhat intently. He wasn't quite hungry yet, but they did look delicious.
“Oh, Takahiro, look. They have dumplings—you should try some!” Though the crowd was big enough that the street was fairly loud, it wasn’t too hard to pick out Reiko’s voice. Not because it was loud, but because the tone was markedly different from the norm.
The woman herself, in a russet-orange gi and brown hakama, had her arm looped through one belonging to a man with white-silver hair, dressed in shades of blue. The milky color of his eyes, as well as the way he walked so closely to her, implied that he was blind. He wore a patient smile, dipping his head at her enthusiasm.
“All right, all right. I’ll try.” They approached the stand, at which point Reiko must have noticed him.
“Aram-san! It’s good to see you.” She beamed at him, waving her free hand. “Were you going to try the dumplings, too?”
Aram smiled in her direction, dipping his head in a proper greeting. "Actually, I was contemplating whether or not I was going to," he confessed. He stood so that he was standing up straight, properly, and glanced at the two before him. "But if the two of you are so inclined, so shall I. They do look delicious, and it's been a while since I last had dumplings. Ayla has been making the same thing for three days straight ever since she discovered her kitchen," he spoke, a slight humorous tone to him. His eyes were bright and he smiled at the two of them.
"Ah, but where are my manners," he continued, turning so that he was facing the man linked to Reiko. "I am Aram, and you must be related to Reiko, if I may be so bold as to presume," he greeted. He caught the name Takahiro, but he didn't need to see in order to see the slight resemblance they had to each other. They may be of different coloration, but there was some subtle hints in their facial structure.
“Ah, yes,” the man said, turning in Aram’s general direction. Reiko let go of his arm and slipped past the both of them to speak to the dumpling vendor. “Takahiro Hino.” He bowed slightly, remaining in his spot. “I’ve heard much about you, Aram-san. Or perhaps I should say Saitō-san?” He smiled mildly.
Aram was confused for a second before it settled in that they had adopted the surname, Saitō. He'd forgotten that, and he'd also somewhat forgotten that it was, perhaps, improper to call someone by their given name. He'd have to remedy that. Clearing his throat, he shook his head to himself. "Ah, yes, that is correct. Forgive me, I had forgotten Hino-san was gracious enough to bequeath us that name," he spoke, his voice full of sincerity. He'd never be anything other, after all.
"I hope everything you've heard has been pleasant enough," he questioned, a sort of lightness in his voice.
Takahiro’s mouth turned up in a close-lipped smile. “It has all been extremely complimentary, I assure you. Reiko is very fond of you and your sister—she is always telling me about this or that thing one of you said or did.” He smoothed down one of the sleeves of his haori, a deep, ocean-colored blue hue. For one with no sight, he seemed to have a real sense of color coordination. Or maybe someone else did on his behalf.
“I doubt Tatsuya would ever say it, so perhaps I should: you do have our gratitude, for that.” His eyes moved slightly beyond Aram’s shoulder, to about where Reiko was. “It is difficult to explain what she means to us in words, for it is not the same kind of thing as human siblings feel. But I think it will suffice for me to point out that her happiness is important to all of us. Perhaps moreso than our own.”
He was a little taken back by that statement. He didn't realize that she was speaking of them and of what they said. It allowed a small smile to cross his face at the thought, and he turned to stare in the general area where Reiko was. She was a bright thing, wasn't she? He smiled and turned his attention back towards Takahiro. "Hino-san is too kind," he spoke, and thought for a minute. "I suppose she just has a sort of air about her. She does the same thing for Ayla, though I doubt she realizes it," he continued.
"But, we are here for dumplings, are we not? Let's see how good they are," he said, offering his arm in place of Reiko's. She was, after all checking out the dumplings herself.
Takahiro dipped his chin, resting a hand amiably on Aram’s forearm. His calluses caught the material slightly—it would seem that even he was accustomed either to manual labor or swordplay of some kind, though he wore no visible weapons now. His stride was confident despite his inability to see; he stopped easily just beside Reiko and withdrew his arm.
She had clearly just finished her negotiations, for she turned towards them with several skewers of dango. She held Takahiro’s out end-first; he grasped it easily and brought it back towards him. With the other hand, she extended one towards Aram. “Since you’re not very good at bargaining, this one did that for you,” she said, a faint glitter of amusement in her bright red eyes.
"Forgive my inadequacy," Aram stated, bowing slightly in apology. The smile on his face, however, belied his actual apology. "But thank you for helping," he spoke, taking the dango from her in the process. He stared at it for a moment before taking a hesitant bite. He blinked for a moment, lost in the flavor. He didn't know dumplings could taste this good. Maybe he'll get Ayla to make some when she returns, or if he ever finds her. It'd be nice to have something other than okonomiyaki or donburi.
"This is really good," he spoke, and he could hear the way it sounded. He was genuinely surprised. "What brings you here, Reiko-san? I doubt you were out for dumplings," he decided to ask, trying to shift his attention from the dango. It was a little distracting.
Her smile dimmed a little at that, and she sighed. “This one’s brothers are in negotiation with Akarui-dono. This one wanted to join, but Akarui-dono’s advisors were not very happy with the idea of me being there.” Her expression fell the rest of the way, but she seemed to make some effort to perk herself up. “Takahiro offered to go with this one down to the village for a while, so that I wouldn’t have to sit and think about what was going on in the meeting.”
Gradually, they moved away from the stand, to permit the small queue behind them to move. “But how about you, Aram-san? Is there some business we’re keeping you from?” She seemed halfway to an apology already.
He hummed when she spoke, taking another bite of his dango. Akarui-dono, he was the one that Sayuri would be promised to, if he remembered correctly. He did not allow his face to falter, and instead, pushed the thought to the back of his mind. It would not end well, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Instead, he pulled a smile to his face when she asked her question.
"I assure you, I have no intentions of doing any more bartering. I am leaving that all to Ayla, now," he spoke, chuckling softly. "But no, Reiko-san, I do not have any business to attend to, currently. I am seeking Ayla. She disappeared and hasn't come back yet. I am... worried," though that wasn't exactly it. He wasn't worried about her. He was worried that she might be doing something stupid. Like aggravating the Minamoto male, or some other person she shouldn't be.
An expression of understanding suddenly dawned over Reiko. “I think… I know where she is,” she replied, sighing softly. “Suya left the negotiations a while ago. He looked… unhappy, and he said he was going to the bar. I think… she might be with him, actually.” She reached up, rubbing at a spot at the juncture of her neck and shoulder just covered by her gi.
When her hand came away, he could see what looked like a mark in ink for just a moment, before fabric covered it again.
“That would explain quite a lot,” Takahiro agreed, quite sanguine.
"Oh," was the only thing that he could say. He pursed his lips together, though, in a slight frown. What was she doing with him? She was going to get herself in trouble one of these days, he just knew it. Well, perhaps if she settled down, she'd be able to stay out of trouble. His frown deepened at the thought. She wouldn't, and he knew why. Now was not the time for such thoughts, though. He was in the presence of Reiko and her sibling.
"Well I suppose that does explain a lot," he finally admitted, but said nothing further. He blinked, though, suddenly remembering what he'd originally wanted to say. "Ah, Reiko-san. I've been meaning to thank you," he stated suddenly, glancing down at her in the process. He had thanked her the day of the construction of their home, but it had felt somewhat inadequate. Like he could have done more, but couldn't. It was an odd feeling, but now that he had the chance, he could say so now.
"The home you've built for us, it is a gracious gift to have bestowed upon us and I would like to thank you, properly," he continued, though had it been anyone else, those words could have come off a little wrong. But Aram was not that kind of person.
She blinked up at him; she really was quite a small person. A confused look crossed her face for a moment, but then she shook her head, sending a ripple through her extremely long black ponytail. “You don’t have to thank me for that, Aram-san. Really, it was selfish of me—I just wanted to make sure my friends were living in a nice place. It doesn’t… It doesn’t really deserve any special thanks.” There was a very slight pink color rising in her cheeks, and she shook her head again.
Takahiro quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Aram chuckled softly at her reaction. An endearing thing, perhaps, but nonetheless, he shook his head. "Selfish or not, I appreciate it. Perhaps one day Ayla and I can make you a proper dinner to make up for it. Besides," he spoke, tilting his head to the side and smiling, "I think it was very considerate of you to do such a thing for us. We have only known you for a few months, and yet you think so kindly of us," he continued.
"You have an endearing and kind sister, Hino-san," he spoke to Takahiro this time.
If anything, Reiko blushed darker, but Takahiro only nodded, half-smiling.
“That I do.”
"I suppose I should go find her before she causes trouble," he spoke to himself, standing from his spot to set his tea and dishware away. Once he was finished, he paused momentarily, an image flittering across his mind. A frown settled onto his face. It was too fast to make out any details, but there was a strange feeling lingering behind. He pushed it to the back of his mind. It was something to meditate on later, but for now, he had other priorities. Once he was satisfied the door was closed properly, and wouldn't fall off its handles, he left. He was still getting used to that.
"Alright, where are you Ayla," he spoke to no one in particular as he journeyed into the village. It was quieter than usual, but the people in the streets seemed happy and content. Surely she wasn't here. It wouldn't be this quiet and calm if she were. Something did, however, catch his attention, and he made his way back towards it. A shopkeeper had just set out a fresh batch of dumplings, and he eyed them somewhat intently. He wasn't quite hungry yet, but they did look delicious.
“Oh, Takahiro, look. They have dumplings—you should try some!” Though the crowd was big enough that the street was fairly loud, it wasn’t too hard to pick out Reiko’s voice. Not because it was loud, but because the tone was markedly different from the norm.
The woman herself, in a russet-orange gi and brown hakama, had her arm looped through one belonging to a man with white-silver hair, dressed in shades of blue. The milky color of his eyes, as well as the way he walked so closely to her, implied that he was blind. He wore a patient smile, dipping his head at her enthusiasm.
“All right, all right. I’ll try.” They approached the stand, at which point Reiko must have noticed him.
“Aram-san! It’s good to see you.” She beamed at him, waving her free hand. “Were you going to try the dumplings, too?”
Aram smiled in her direction, dipping his head in a proper greeting. "Actually, I was contemplating whether or not I was going to," he confessed. He stood so that he was standing up straight, properly, and glanced at the two before him. "But if the two of you are so inclined, so shall I. They do look delicious, and it's been a while since I last had dumplings. Ayla has been making the same thing for three days straight ever since she discovered her kitchen," he spoke, a slight humorous tone to him. His eyes were bright and he smiled at the two of them.
"Ah, but where are my manners," he continued, turning so that he was facing the man linked to Reiko. "I am Aram, and you must be related to Reiko, if I may be so bold as to presume," he greeted. He caught the name Takahiro, but he didn't need to see in order to see the slight resemblance they had to each other. They may be of different coloration, but there was some subtle hints in their facial structure.
“Ah, yes,” the man said, turning in Aram’s general direction. Reiko let go of his arm and slipped past the both of them to speak to the dumpling vendor. “Takahiro Hino.” He bowed slightly, remaining in his spot. “I’ve heard much about you, Aram-san. Or perhaps I should say Saitō-san?” He smiled mildly.
Aram was confused for a second before it settled in that they had adopted the surname, Saitō. He'd forgotten that, and he'd also somewhat forgotten that it was, perhaps, improper to call someone by their given name. He'd have to remedy that. Clearing his throat, he shook his head to himself. "Ah, yes, that is correct. Forgive me, I had forgotten Hino-san was gracious enough to bequeath us that name," he spoke, his voice full of sincerity. He'd never be anything other, after all.
"I hope everything you've heard has been pleasant enough," he questioned, a sort of lightness in his voice.
Takahiro’s mouth turned up in a close-lipped smile. “It has all been extremely complimentary, I assure you. Reiko is very fond of you and your sister—she is always telling me about this or that thing one of you said or did.” He smoothed down one of the sleeves of his haori, a deep, ocean-colored blue hue. For one with no sight, he seemed to have a real sense of color coordination. Or maybe someone else did on his behalf.
“I doubt Tatsuya would ever say it, so perhaps I should: you do have our gratitude, for that.” His eyes moved slightly beyond Aram’s shoulder, to about where Reiko was. “It is difficult to explain what she means to us in words, for it is not the same kind of thing as human siblings feel. But I think it will suffice for me to point out that her happiness is important to all of us. Perhaps moreso than our own.”
He was a little taken back by that statement. He didn't realize that she was speaking of them and of what they said. It allowed a small smile to cross his face at the thought, and he turned to stare in the general area where Reiko was. She was a bright thing, wasn't she? He smiled and turned his attention back towards Takahiro. "Hino-san is too kind," he spoke, and thought for a minute. "I suppose she just has a sort of air about her. She does the same thing for Ayla, though I doubt she realizes it," he continued.
"But, we are here for dumplings, are we not? Let's see how good they are," he said, offering his arm in place of Reiko's. She was, after all checking out the dumplings herself.
Takahiro dipped his chin, resting a hand amiably on Aram’s forearm. His calluses caught the material slightly—it would seem that even he was accustomed either to manual labor or swordplay of some kind, though he wore no visible weapons now. His stride was confident despite his inability to see; he stopped easily just beside Reiko and withdrew his arm.
She had clearly just finished her negotiations, for she turned towards them with several skewers of dango. She held Takahiro’s out end-first; he grasped it easily and brought it back towards him. With the other hand, she extended one towards Aram. “Since you’re not very good at bargaining, this one did that for you,” she said, a faint glitter of amusement in her bright red eyes.
"Forgive my inadequacy," Aram stated, bowing slightly in apology. The smile on his face, however, belied his actual apology. "But thank you for helping," he spoke, taking the dango from her in the process. He stared at it for a moment before taking a hesitant bite. He blinked for a moment, lost in the flavor. He didn't know dumplings could taste this good. Maybe he'll get Ayla to make some when she returns, or if he ever finds her. It'd be nice to have something other than okonomiyaki or donburi.
"This is really good," he spoke, and he could hear the way it sounded. He was genuinely surprised. "What brings you here, Reiko-san? I doubt you were out for dumplings," he decided to ask, trying to shift his attention from the dango. It was a little distracting.
Her smile dimmed a little at that, and she sighed. “This one’s brothers are in negotiation with Akarui-dono. This one wanted to join, but Akarui-dono’s advisors were not very happy with the idea of me being there.” Her expression fell the rest of the way, but she seemed to make some effort to perk herself up. “Takahiro offered to go with this one down to the village for a while, so that I wouldn’t have to sit and think about what was going on in the meeting.”
Gradually, they moved away from the stand, to permit the small queue behind them to move. “But how about you, Aram-san? Is there some business we’re keeping you from?” She seemed halfway to an apology already.
He hummed when she spoke, taking another bite of his dango. Akarui-dono, he was the one that Sayuri would be promised to, if he remembered correctly. He did not allow his face to falter, and instead, pushed the thought to the back of his mind. It would not end well, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Instead, he pulled a smile to his face when she asked her question.
"I assure you, I have no intentions of doing any more bartering. I am leaving that all to Ayla, now," he spoke, chuckling softly. "But no, Reiko-san, I do not have any business to attend to, currently. I am seeking Ayla. She disappeared and hasn't come back yet. I am... worried," though that wasn't exactly it. He wasn't worried about her. He was worried that she might be doing something stupid. Like aggravating the Minamoto male, or some other person she shouldn't be.
An expression of understanding suddenly dawned over Reiko. “I think… I know where she is,” she replied, sighing softly. “Suya left the negotiations a while ago. He looked… unhappy, and he said he was going to the bar. I think… she might be with him, actually.” She reached up, rubbing at a spot at the juncture of her neck and shoulder just covered by her gi.
When her hand came away, he could see what looked like a mark in ink for just a moment, before fabric covered it again.
“That would explain quite a lot,” Takahiro agreed, quite sanguine.
"Oh," was the only thing that he could say. He pursed his lips together, though, in a slight frown. What was she doing with him? She was going to get herself in trouble one of these days, he just knew it. Well, perhaps if she settled down, she'd be able to stay out of trouble. His frown deepened at the thought. She wouldn't, and he knew why. Now was not the time for such thoughts, though. He was in the presence of Reiko and her sibling.
"Well I suppose that does explain a lot," he finally admitted, but said nothing further. He blinked, though, suddenly remembering what he'd originally wanted to say. "Ah, Reiko-san. I've been meaning to thank you," he stated suddenly, glancing down at her in the process. He had thanked her the day of the construction of their home, but it had felt somewhat inadequate. Like he could have done more, but couldn't. It was an odd feeling, but now that he had the chance, he could say so now.
"The home you've built for us, it is a gracious gift to have bestowed upon us and I would like to thank you, properly," he continued, though had it been anyone else, those words could have come off a little wrong. But Aram was not that kind of person.
She blinked up at him; she really was quite a small person. A confused look crossed her face for a moment, but then she shook her head, sending a ripple through her extremely long black ponytail. “You don’t have to thank me for that, Aram-san. Really, it was selfish of me—I just wanted to make sure my friends were living in a nice place. It doesn’t… It doesn’t really deserve any special thanks.” There was a very slight pink color rising in her cheeks, and she shook her head again.
Takahiro quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Aram chuckled softly at her reaction. An endearing thing, perhaps, but nonetheless, he shook his head. "Selfish or not, I appreciate it. Perhaps one day Ayla and I can make you a proper dinner to make up for it. Besides," he spoke, tilting his head to the side and smiling, "I think it was very considerate of you to do such a thing for us. We have only known you for a few months, and yet you think so kindly of us," he continued.
"You have an endearing and kind sister, Hino-san," he spoke to Takahiro this time.
If anything, Reiko blushed darker, but Takahiro only nodded, half-smiling.
“That I do.”
It was odd, being in the same vicinity as he was. It wasn't intentional at all. In fact, he was the last thing on her mind, however; as it was, they were together, again. She'd been at least three bottles in, challenged to a contest by one of the patrons. Hideyoshi, if she remembered his name correctly. Or was it Hidenori? Ah, now she remembered, it was Nobutaka. Apparently he thought he could out drink her, and that he would be entitled to something if he'd won, however; she'd managed to outlast him. He was currently slumped over one of the chairs in the back, sleeping it off. She was smirking, however; it had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
She'd spotted him in the back, and contemplated on just leaving it be. He irritated her to no end, and she really hated his face. Something about it always just raised her hackles. Maybe it was because he seemed to always look down at her, or maybe she was reading too much into it. But she had decided (perhaps because she was slightly drunk) to go bother him. Apparently one thing led to another, and they were currently drinking together. She still couldn't understand why she was drinking with him, only that she was.
"Why the long face?" she finally stated, breaking the, oddly, comfortable silence between them.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, lifting his sake dish to his mouth and taking a swallow. Pushing a breath out of his nose when he lowered it, he set the ceramic down on the table with a soft clink. From somewhere to their right, the soft sounds of a shamisen floated towards them. Tatsuya tilted his head as if to listen closely for a moment, but then he spoke. His tone was unusually serious.
“Why haven’t you told her yet?” he asked, frowning. “I’ve been trying to figure it out. Do you just not want her to know? She’d probably only like you more if she knew.”
Ayla cocked a confused brow in his direction. Told who what? She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, trying to focus properly before she responded to his statement. As far as she knew, Reiko knew what she was. She assumed he was talking about her. What else did she have to say and why would it make Reiko like her more? She took a slow drink before placing the cup down, leaning slightly back in her spot to stare at the ceiling. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she finally responded. And she didn't.
"Reiko already knows who I am, what else is there?" she continued, lowering her gaze to settle on him. Where did this even come from? And what was not to get? It wasn't as if she was keeping anything from her. And if she was, it was probably for good measure. "You're not making any sense."
“You can’t be serious.” He spoke the words softly, watching her through narrowed red eyes. There was a faint note of disbelief in his tone, though no aggression; he didn’t seem to think she was being dishonest. “You mean you really haven’t noticed? I thought you knew. You have to know. It's obvious.” He studied her for a few seconds more, pouring himself another drink.
Tatsuya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and first two fingers. “Why is it suddenly my job to deal with this shit?”
Now she was definitely confused. She had to know what? What was so obvious that she didn't know? Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to understand what he meant. She wasn't that drunk, she knew that. But he was not making any sense. What did he have to deal with? Taking another drink, perhaps a little too fast, she set the cup down and pushed it away from her.
"Obviously I haven't noticed shit. If I did, don't you think I would have said something?" she spoke. Now she was just confused about the whole thing.
“Depends,” he muttered. Clearly something was bothering him; the way he frowned—not scowled, there was a difference—indicated that. He seemed to be trying to figure something out; maybe how to tell her whatever it was he’d thought she already knew.
Finally, he knocked back another drink and set his glass down with a clink. “The only thing my mother gave me was the color of her hair,” he said, leaning forward and down slightly so that their eyes were on the same level and he was looking directly into hers. “Pretend it’s black for a second.” He raised one hand to his right eye and covered it, hiding it from view and leaving only one to hold both of hers. In the lanternlight, the color darkened to something sanguine.
“Who do I remind you of?”
Ayla narrowed her eyes for a second, trying to imagine him with dark hair. She tilted her head slightly, and as he covered his eye with one hand, something dawned on her. There was something vaguely familiar about the way he looked. Who he looked like, and as she continued to stare it became obvious. This, this man before her was him, or at least part of him. This was Amon's, Ichirō's son. The sudden realization must have hit her harder than she thought it did, because she jolted back suddenly. She'd forgotten over the centuries what he had looked like, since the last time she saw Ichirō was almost eight hundred years ago. She'd only seen Tatsuya when he was a boy, and even then it didn't make an impression on her.
Because it hurt to know that he was his kid.
"Ichirō, you're his kid," she finally found her voice, though it was soft and cracked. She seemed to sober up quickly after that realization. "That's why..." she'd been so hostile with him the first time they met. Now she knew why, because this was his kid. That meant so was Reiko, then. Her eyes widened slightly at that. She hadn't met Reiko when she was born. Or had she? Now she couldn't even remember that.
His hand fell back away from his eye, thudding to the table below them with a heavy sound. “I only ever met you once,” he said. “And I was so young it took me longer than it should have to remember. Reiko never knew you—but she knows the stories the old man told. About the sun-man and the moon-lady, and how he and his friends fought the oni a really long time ago.”
Tatsuya tugged the sake jug towards him with a soft grumble in the back of his throat, topping off her dish before refilling his own as well. “I figured you had to know—no one who knew him ever shuts up about how much I resemble him. I don’t blame you for not remembering some little brat from eight hundred years ago, but I figured you’d remember his face if it stared back at you long enough.” He snorted. “No one ever forgot the old man, even if he only met them once.” He threw back his head and the sake dish with it; his throat worked as he swallowed.
She sighed deeply, taking the drink he'd poured her and drank it slowly. She could feel the way it burned the back of her throat just lightly, but anything at this moment would do to drown the bitterness that she knew was crawling up. "That's because he always had a sort of charm to him. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't forget him," she knew that from experience. She scoffed lightly, though. "Yeah, well you're still a brat even now. Though I guess that still makes you a bratty asshole," she threw out, choosing not to look at him now.
The resemblance, it was uncanny now, and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. Did Aram know? Is that why they came to this village? Her eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. He had to have known, otherwise he wouldn't have brought her here. He knew how she felt about that, and why she wanted to forget in the first place. She'd have to have a talk with him about it, later. For now, she just wanted to drink and maybe temporarily forget again.
Tatsuya made a vaguely-discontented grumbling noise, but it seemed he wasn’t in the mood to riposte. He glanced at her over the rim of his cup. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. He never said it, but I always guessed that the way he ditched you guys wasn’t something you all agreed on. It’s none of my business anyway. And I won’t tell Reiko who you really are. But if you’re going to go, do better than he did and at least tell her why. In person. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going anywhere," and she didn't want to. Reiko was her friend, whether she was connected to him or not. Some part of her did want to leave, but how much longer could she keep running from this? She sighed heavily, downing the rest of her drink.
"Besides, I'm not done pestering you, yet."
She'd spotted him in the back, and contemplated on just leaving it be. He irritated her to no end, and she really hated his face. Something about it always just raised her hackles. Maybe it was because he seemed to always look down at her, or maybe she was reading too much into it. But she had decided (perhaps because she was slightly drunk) to go bother him. Apparently one thing led to another, and they were currently drinking together. She still couldn't understand why she was drinking with him, only that she was.
"Why the long face?" she finally stated, breaking the, oddly, comfortable silence between them.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, lifting his sake dish to his mouth and taking a swallow. Pushing a breath out of his nose when he lowered it, he set the ceramic down on the table with a soft clink. From somewhere to their right, the soft sounds of a shamisen floated towards them. Tatsuya tilted his head as if to listen closely for a moment, but then he spoke. His tone was unusually serious.
“Why haven’t you told her yet?” he asked, frowning. “I’ve been trying to figure it out. Do you just not want her to know? She’d probably only like you more if she knew.”
Ayla cocked a confused brow in his direction. Told who what? She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, trying to focus properly before she responded to his statement. As far as she knew, Reiko knew what she was. She assumed he was talking about her. What else did she have to say and why would it make Reiko like her more? She took a slow drink before placing the cup down, leaning slightly back in her spot to stare at the ceiling. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she finally responded. And she didn't.
"Reiko already knows who I am, what else is there?" she continued, lowering her gaze to settle on him. Where did this even come from? And what was not to get? It wasn't as if she was keeping anything from her. And if she was, it was probably for good measure. "You're not making any sense."
“You can’t be serious.” He spoke the words softly, watching her through narrowed red eyes. There was a faint note of disbelief in his tone, though no aggression; he didn’t seem to think she was being dishonest. “You mean you really haven’t noticed? I thought you knew. You have to know. It's obvious.” He studied her for a few seconds more, pouring himself another drink.
Tatsuya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and first two fingers. “Why is it suddenly my job to deal with this shit?”
Now she was definitely confused. She had to know what? What was so obvious that she didn't know? Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to understand what he meant. She wasn't that drunk, she knew that. But he was not making any sense. What did he have to deal with? Taking another drink, perhaps a little too fast, she set the cup down and pushed it away from her.
"Obviously I haven't noticed shit. If I did, don't you think I would have said something?" she spoke. Now she was just confused about the whole thing.
“Depends,” he muttered. Clearly something was bothering him; the way he frowned—not scowled, there was a difference—indicated that. He seemed to be trying to figure something out; maybe how to tell her whatever it was he’d thought she already knew.
Finally, he knocked back another drink and set his glass down with a clink. “The only thing my mother gave me was the color of her hair,” he said, leaning forward and down slightly so that their eyes were on the same level and he was looking directly into hers. “Pretend it’s black for a second.” He raised one hand to his right eye and covered it, hiding it from view and leaving only one to hold both of hers. In the lanternlight, the color darkened to something sanguine.
“Who do I remind you of?”
Ayla narrowed her eyes for a second, trying to imagine him with dark hair. She tilted her head slightly, and as he covered his eye with one hand, something dawned on her. There was something vaguely familiar about the way he looked. Who he looked like, and as she continued to stare it became obvious. This, this man before her was him, or at least part of him. This was Amon's, Ichirō's son. The sudden realization must have hit her harder than she thought it did, because she jolted back suddenly. She'd forgotten over the centuries what he had looked like, since the last time she saw Ichirō was almost eight hundred years ago. She'd only seen Tatsuya when he was a boy, and even then it didn't make an impression on her.
Because it hurt to know that he was his kid.
"Ichirō, you're his kid," she finally found her voice, though it was soft and cracked. She seemed to sober up quickly after that realization. "That's why..." she'd been so hostile with him the first time they met. Now she knew why, because this was his kid. That meant so was Reiko, then. Her eyes widened slightly at that. She hadn't met Reiko when she was born. Or had she? Now she couldn't even remember that.
His hand fell back away from his eye, thudding to the table below them with a heavy sound. “I only ever met you once,” he said. “And I was so young it took me longer than it should have to remember. Reiko never knew you—but she knows the stories the old man told. About the sun-man and the moon-lady, and how he and his friends fought the oni a really long time ago.”
Tatsuya tugged the sake jug towards him with a soft grumble in the back of his throat, topping off her dish before refilling his own as well. “I figured you had to know—no one who knew him ever shuts up about how much I resemble him. I don’t blame you for not remembering some little brat from eight hundred years ago, but I figured you’d remember his face if it stared back at you long enough.” He snorted. “No one ever forgot the old man, even if he only met them once.” He threw back his head and the sake dish with it; his throat worked as he swallowed.
She sighed deeply, taking the drink he'd poured her and drank it slowly. She could feel the way it burned the back of her throat just lightly, but anything at this moment would do to drown the bitterness that she knew was crawling up. "That's because he always had a sort of charm to him. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't forget him," she knew that from experience. She scoffed lightly, though. "Yeah, well you're still a brat even now. Though I guess that still makes you a bratty asshole," she threw out, choosing not to look at him now.
The resemblance, it was uncanny now, and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. Did Aram know? Is that why they came to this village? Her eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. He had to have known, otherwise he wouldn't have brought her here. He knew how she felt about that, and why she wanted to forget in the first place. She'd have to have a talk with him about it, later. For now, she just wanted to drink and maybe temporarily forget again.
Tatsuya made a vaguely-discontented grumbling noise, but it seemed he wasn’t in the mood to riposte. He glanced at her over the rim of his cup. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. He never said it, but I always guessed that the way he ditched you guys wasn’t something you all agreed on. It’s none of my business anyway. And I won’t tell Reiko who you really are. But if you’re going to go, do better than he did and at least tell her why. In person. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going anywhere," and she didn't want to. Reiko was her friend, whether she was connected to him or not. Some part of her did want to leave, but how much longer could she keep running from this? She sighed heavily, downing the rest of her drink.
"Besides, I'm not done pestering you, yet."
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Kentaro lifted the delicate horsehair brush to the wood balanced on his knee, painting softly with the grain of the plaque. It had been stained a deep red color yesterday; all that remained was to add the detailing. Perhaps ordinarily, he would simply have outlined the kanji in black and filled in the carving itself with white, but for this particular hyōsatsu, he was inclined to attempt something slightly more… delicate. The characters themselves were less complex than some others, having a kind of simple elegance to them that invited embellishment. 小百合. Lily.
So he’d painted the carved lines with a shiny black lacquer, which was only partly dry now. Into it, he dropped tiny flecks of white; on impact they spattered outwards just a bit, creating a natural bloom or impact pattern that he shaped into more defined petal-strictures with the finest brush he possessed.
It was slow going, but Kentaro didn’t mind. Everything in his life was slow—that was simply the way of it when you had hundreds of years behind you and most likely hundreds more to come. He could one day fall in battle, perhaps. But it had been a long time since battle was at his doorstep. Even if it returned, he would be prepared for it.
He always was.
He shifted; the bark of the tree behind him rubbed though his clothes just enough to remind him it was there. As Reiko was off the estate and out of range, her motes of light had shifted to a warm gold and remained that way—even in the full sun of midafternoon, they gave the atmosphere a certain something that was hard to find anywhere else. He seldom paid it much introspective attention; it just was.
Carefully, he shaped another long-petaled flower from a drop of lacquer, taking care not to mix it with the black and grey the whole thing as a result. But he wanted it to be smooth; waiting for the layer underneath to dry would give the wrong effect.
"Minamoto-san," a soft voice called out to him. "Minamoto-san, I brought you some tea," the voice made herself known as she stood in front of Kentaro. She was smiling down at him, her eyes glancing from his face to his work. "It's, that's really nice, Minamoto-san," she stated, nodding her head in the direction of his sign.
He paused in his motions, glancing askance at her. Nodding to the spot next to him, he indicated without words that she was welcome to sit. His eyes moved back to what he was doing, though he angled it slightly away from her, so as to make it less clear what the characters actually were.
She turned slightly so that she could take the seat he had nodded towards, holding onto the plate that held the two cups of tea. Once she was settled, she set the plate to the side and grabbed hold of one of the cups, and offered it in his direction. "I didn't know what kind you liked, so I made a simple one. It's just lavender," she spoke, glancing down at her hands. "Is it a special request?" she asked, trying to make small talk, apparently.
He shook his head, though he set the brush down long enough to accept the cup of tea she offered. He didn’t care much for one kind over another—they tended to mostly taste the same for him. He knew other people could tell the difference, but he wasn’t much of a connoisseur. Raising the cup to his mouth in the hand that once held his brush, he took a scalding sip without discomfort, then set the cup down near his knee.
He wasn’t honestly sure why she chose to talk to him—Kentaro had never been what anyone would call an apt conversationalist. On the contrary; he was actively bad at it. Jirō said he had no charisma, which was true. The others all had various names for it. As one would expect, Reiko’s was the kindest—she said he was just stoic, and better at listening than speaking thoughtlessly like everyone else. That was probably too kind, though.
“No,” he replied to the question. Those at least he usually knew what to do with. “No one asks me to do this. Most people don’t know I can.” All his projects, few as they were, were things he decided he wanted to do, for whatever reason.
She only nodded, taking a small sip from her own cup. "You would be good at it, if they did," she offered, glancing up slightly at him. "Like the sign you made for Ayla-san and Aram-san. That.. that was beautiful," she continued, and said nothing further. She seemed nervous to be here, fiddling with the cup in her hand or occasionally glancing to and from his face. It was almost like she couldn't stare at him for more than a few seconds. That, and her face would take on a strange pink hue. It wasn't quite red, but the more she kept glancing at him, the more color it would get.
"Ah, I know," she stated suddenly, the cup in her hand slipping just slightly. She managed to catch it before it fell completely, though, and laughed a little nervously. "Aram-san needs a new sign for his work place. Is there any way I can request a sign from you that says fortune, on it?" she questioned, staring directly at him this time.
Kentaro blinked red eyes at her. She was such a strange girl… but then again, if she weren’t, she probably wouldn’t be talking to him of all people in the first place. And he probably wouldn’t have remembered her name. He was bad at that sort of thing, too. Really the only thing he considered himself particularly good at was fighting—even this was just something he did to quell that instinct in him. Being here, in Reiko’s garden, helped too.
Though even considering the fact that he wasn’t able to focus on his project, he didn’t have too much difficulty suppressing that itch under his skin right now, either. Maybe it was the tea?
He nodded slowly when she made the request. As he had little preference himself as to what he carved, taking a suggestion for something useful didn’t bother him. “I can do that,” he agreed readily, picking his brush back up and dipping it back into the white lacquer. He only had a few flowers left; then the kanji would be fully painted-in. Kentaro didn’t consider himself much of a judge of beauty, but he liked the effect of the little lilies within the lettering. They contrasted with the black and also the dark wood of the rest of the hyōsatsu.
“It will be summer soon,” he noted, surprising himself. It didn’t really register on his face that he had, though. “Those humans will have been here for half a year.” He paused; a question occurred to him.
“Do you prefer their company to ours? We are… not very similar, I think.”
She seemed thoroughly happy that he had accepted her request, however; she tilted her head in slight confusion at his question. "Not very similar?" she repeated, as if the thought hadn't really occured to her. She hummed a soft note in the back of her throat as she furrowed her brows slightly. "I... don't, actually," she answered. She'd been with the family for a little over a decade, or so, perhaps she'd just grown accustomed to them.
"Fujiwara-dono was kind enough to take me in, and I am happy to be part of this family. I... don't see any difference between you or Akarui-sama or his vassals. I mean," she continued, though she tore her gaze away from him to stare at the ground. "Akarui-sama is Akarui-sama, just as you are Kentaro-san. If there were truly any difference between having their company as to yours, I think," she paused momentarily as if to contemplate what she wanted to say next.
"I would still prefer yours."
Maybe that made sense. She had been with his family for quite a long time, by human standards. Still, he was a bit puzzled that she didn’t find them difficult to relate to. Even Kentaro knew that the lives of his family members were lived at a very different pace and in a very different manner than those of humans. Perhaps she was accustomed to it by now.
“I see,” he replied, lacking much else to say. With the final stroke of his brush, he finished the last of the flowers, then brought the entire wooden block halfway between his knees and his face. Inhaling through his nose, he carefully applied his power to his breath to heat and dry it, exhaling onto the lacquer to set it.
When he was satisfied with the result he held it out to her. No doubt she would be able to see that the finished product indeed read Sayuri.
“For outside your room, if you like.”
She blinked, looking a little surprised. Slowly, she reached out to the sign and took it, staring at it with a small smile spreading over her lips. "You really do create beautiful things, Kentaro-san, thank you," she stated, tracing the characters with her forefinger. She seemed genuinely happy with it.
“You are welcome, Sayuri-san.”
So he’d painted the carved lines with a shiny black lacquer, which was only partly dry now. Into it, he dropped tiny flecks of white; on impact they spattered outwards just a bit, creating a natural bloom or impact pattern that he shaped into more defined petal-strictures with the finest brush he possessed.
It was slow going, but Kentaro didn’t mind. Everything in his life was slow—that was simply the way of it when you had hundreds of years behind you and most likely hundreds more to come. He could one day fall in battle, perhaps. But it had been a long time since battle was at his doorstep. Even if it returned, he would be prepared for it.
He always was.
He shifted; the bark of the tree behind him rubbed though his clothes just enough to remind him it was there. As Reiko was off the estate and out of range, her motes of light had shifted to a warm gold and remained that way—even in the full sun of midafternoon, they gave the atmosphere a certain something that was hard to find anywhere else. He seldom paid it much introspective attention; it just was.
Carefully, he shaped another long-petaled flower from a drop of lacquer, taking care not to mix it with the black and grey the whole thing as a result. But he wanted it to be smooth; waiting for the layer underneath to dry would give the wrong effect.
"Minamoto-san," a soft voice called out to him. "Minamoto-san, I brought you some tea," the voice made herself known as she stood in front of Kentaro. She was smiling down at him, her eyes glancing from his face to his work. "It's, that's really nice, Minamoto-san," she stated, nodding her head in the direction of his sign.
He paused in his motions, glancing askance at her. Nodding to the spot next to him, he indicated without words that she was welcome to sit. His eyes moved back to what he was doing, though he angled it slightly away from her, so as to make it less clear what the characters actually were.
She turned slightly so that she could take the seat he had nodded towards, holding onto the plate that held the two cups of tea. Once she was settled, she set the plate to the side and grabbed hold of one of the cups, and offered it in his direction. "I didn't know what kind you liked, so I made a simple one. It's just lavender," she spoke, glancing down at her hands. "Is it a special request?" she asked, trying to make small talk, apparently.
He shook his head, though he set the brush down long enough to accept the cup of tea she offered. He didn’t care much for one kind over another—they tended to mostly taste the same for him. He knew other people could tell the difference, but he wasn’t much of a connoisseur. Raising the cup to his mouth in the hand that once held his brush, he took a scalding sip without discomfort, then set the cup down near his knee.
He wasn’t honestly sure why she chose to talk to him—Kentaro had never been what anyone would call an apt conversationalist. On the contrary; he was actively bad at it. Jirō said he had no charisma, which was true. The others all had various names for it. As one would expect, Reiko’s was the kindest—she said he was just stoic, and better at listening than speaking thoughtlessly like everyone else. That was probably too kind, though.
“No,” he replied to the question. Those at least he usually knew what to do with. “No one asks me to do this. Most people don’t know I can.” All his projects, few as they were, were things he decided he wanted to do, for whatever reason.
She only nodded, taking a small sip from her own cup. "You would be good at it, if they did," she offered, glancing up slightly at him. "Like the sign you made for Ayla-san and Aram-san. That.. that was beautiful," she continued, and said nothing further. She seemed nervous to be here, fiddling with the cup in her hand or occasionally glancing to and from his face. It was almost like she couldn't stare at him for more than a few seconds. That, and her face would take on a strange pink hue. It wasn't quite red, but the more she kept glancing at him, the more color it would get.
"Ah, I know," she stated suddenly, the cup in her hand slipping just slightly. She managed to catch it before it fell completely, though, and laughed a little nervously. "Aram-san needs a new sign for his work place. Is there any way I can request a sign from you that says fortune, on it?" she questioned, staring directly at him this time.
Kentaro blinked red eyes at her. She was such a strange girl… but then again, if she weren’t, she probably wouldn’t be talking to him of all people in the first place. And he probably wouldn’t have remembered her name. He was bad at that sort of thing, too. Really the only thing he considered himself particularly good at was fighting—even this was just something he did to quell that instinct in him. Being here, in Reiko’s garden, helped too.
Though even considering the fact that he wasn’t able to focus on his project, he didn’t have too much difficulty suppressing that itch under his skin right now, either. Maybe it was the tea?
He nodded slowly when she made the request. As he had little preference himself as to what he carved, taking a suggestion for something useful didn’t bother him. “I can do that,” he agreed readily, picking his brush back up and dipping it back into the white lacquer. He only had a few flowers left; then the kanji would be fully painted-in. Kentaro didn’t consider himself much of a judge of beauty, but he liked the effect of the little lilies within the lettering. They contrasted with the black and also the dark wood of the rest of the hyōsatsu.
“It will be summer soon,” he noted, surprising himself. It didn’t really register on his face that he had, though. “Those humans will have been here for half a year.” He paused; a question occurred to him.
“Do you prefer their company to ours? We are… not very similar, I think.”
She seemed thoroughly happy that he had accepted her request, however; she tilted her head in slight confusion at his question. "Not very similar?" she repeated, as if the thought hadn't really occured to her. She hummed a soft note in the back of her throat as she furrowed her brows slightly. "I... don't, actually," she answered. She'd been with the family for a little over a decade, or so, perhaps she'd just grown accustomed to them.
"Fujiwara-dono was kind enough to take me in, and I am happy to be part of this family. I... don't see any difference between you or Akarui-sama or his vassals. I mean," she continued, though she tore her gaze away from him to stare at the ground. "Akarui-sama is Akarui-sama, just as you are Kentaro-san. If there were truly any difference between having their company as to yours, I think," she paused momentarily as if to contemplate what she wanted to say next.
"I would still prefer yours."
Maybe that made sense. She had been with his family for quite a long time, by human standards. Still, he was a bit puzzled that she didn’t find them difficult to relate to. Even Kentaro knew that the lives of his family members were lived at a very different pace and in a very different manner than those of humans. Perhaps she was accustomed to it by now.
“I see,” he replied, lacking much else to say. With the final stroke of his brush, he finished the last of the flowers, then brought the entire wooden block halfway between his knees and his face. Inhaling through his nose, he carefully applied his power to his breath to heat and dry it, exhaling onto the lacquer to set it.
When he was satisfied with the result he held it out to her. No doubt she would be able to see that the finished product indeed read Sayuri.
“For outside your room, if you like.”
She blinked, looking a little surprised. Slowly, she reached out to the sign and took it, staring at it with a small smile spreading over her lips. "You really do create beautiful things, Kentaro-san, thank you," she stated, tracing the characters with her forefinger. She seemed genuinely happy with it.
“You are welcome, Sayuri-san.”
Aram sighed softly, running a hand through his hair to smooth out any loose strands. Once he was satisfied, he inhaled slowly, before releasing it in the same fashion. It had been a rough week for him. Ayla had seemed to neglect her restaurant for a few days, and he'd stepped in to make sure it was running smoothly. He didn't understand what the change in her mood was, but he knew she was bothered by something. He hadn't pressured her into telling him what it was, figuring she would tell him when she was ready. Then, his side business as a fortune-teller seemed to dwindle.
They didn't have much in the way of coin, and it was becoming a little difficult to provide for themselves. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper meal. Actually, the last one he'd had was at the restaurant, when one of the cooks was kind enough to make him something. He couldn't cook, he knew that, and he wasn't going to destroy Ayla's business because of his own inadequacy. Instead, today, he was going to search for odd jobs within the town. Surely there had to be something he could do for now?
With that in mind, he pushed himself up from his spot, and walked out the front door. He still wasn't going to be used to that, the fact that he and Ayla had a new home. Reiko had been too kind to do that for them. Shaking his head softly, he wandered out towards the village. Maybe he could hold signs for someone?
Unfortunately it seemed that, as usual, the villagers all had their work taken care of. The vendors minded their stalls, a few calling out greetings as he passed by, but none needed his help. They were more comfortable with Aram and Ayla by this point, though whether that was because of anything they'd done or not was less clear. Perhaps it was simply the passage of time. Perhaps it was because of his sister's business, or his own. Perhaps, however, it had something to do with the fact that they were on good terms with Reiko—and at this point, everyone knew that.
It almost wasn't surprising at all when he ran across her, chatting amiably with the tofu vendor. As usual, she was dressed in what had to be a secondhand gi and hakama, blue and black today. She had a bright grin on her face; it looked like she was helping the vendor wrap blocks of spiced tofu, or something similar. The vendor herself was an elderly woman, slightly taller than Reiko despite the fact that she was bowed over with age.
He blinked slowly before he smiled in her direction. "Good morning, Reiko-san," he spoke once he was in a polite distance. He bowed in the direction of the elderly woman, greeting her properly, before he straightened out his back. "How are you faring?" he decided to ask. He didn't want to keep her too long if she was busy, after all. That, and he was still looking for work. He shouldn't keep her too long from her own present occupation, and he couldn't afford to linger too long. Otherwise, it would get dark, and most of the vendors would be gone for the night.
She must have been quite wrapped up in the conversation, because she seemed surprised to see him, something which probably wouldn't have been the case if she'd been paying proper attention to what she was smelling. Or perhaps the spices in the tofu were pungent enough to mask anything else. Reiko blinked at him for a moment, but then her smile returned.
“Good morning, Aram-san. Off to buy more groceries today?" She tilted her head at him, earning a chuckle from the elderly woman beside her.
“A vendor's favorite customer, he is. Pays full price without an argument. It's a shame he's got such a pitiful face, or we'd all cheat him and laugh about it." She gave a nearly-toothless smile, a fair sign that she was making a jest.
Aram smiled, still. "I would feel horrible if I didn't pay full price. You all work hard for your products, and who am I to purchase any less of what is due?" he replied, bowing just slightly. He knew she was jesting, however; he was being honest. Who was he to take from them what they worked hard for? Perhaps they didn't see it that way, but he did. It wasn't like it was doing too much harm to him. Sure, he might have had a little more coin to spare, but it was worth spending it, he supposed.
"Ah, but no, I am not. I am looking for..." he paused a moment. He wasn't sure if he should tell Reiko what he was truly doing. If he knew her, she would try to help out somehow. He didn't want her to. He respected her generosity, but he didn't want to feel like he was taking advantage of it. She'd done enough when she'd rebuilt his and Ayla's home.
"I was looking for Ayla, and enjoying a walk through the market," he settled on that. It was mostly true, after all.
Immediately, Reiko's face shifted into a frown; her eyebrows pulled together and knitted just above her nose. She sighed softly. “You can't find her either?" she inquired, worry suffusing her tone. “This one has tried to go see her twice this week, and both times, this one has not been able to find her. This one was concerned, but I thought it wasn't anything to be worried about, since I could always, ah... tell that she'd been around recently." She raised a discreet hand to her nose, indicating what she meant by tell.
She set another wrapped bundle of tofu to the side. The old woman took it and added it to the front of the stall setup with the others, tutting slightly and shaking her head.
“I'm sure there's no reason to be worried, dear," she told Reiko. “Everyone knows she's been around with that samurai from up at the castle. The one you know—that looker with the golden hair. She's probably doing the sensible thing and reeling him in. It's not good to be single all your life, you know?" She shook her head, arranging the tofu in neat stacks.
“A lesson both of you could stand to learn, at your age."
Reiko cleared her throat, shifting her eyes away slightly. “This one... really doesn't think that's it, Ando-san."
Aram blinked a little slowly at the woman's statement. He almost forgot that she was younger than him. He smiled softly, anyway, and shook his head. "But Ando-san, not everyone can be as lucky," he spoke, offering her a brighter grin. "I'm afraid I do not know, though. Ayla doesn't just disappear from something unless something is really bothering her," he spoke a little softly. Perhaps too softly for Ando-san to hear, but he was certain Reiko would hear him clearly.
"Ah, but do not let me keep you, Reiko-san, Ando-san. Perhaps I should let you both get back to doing what your doing?" he spoke, shifting his gaze to them. He'd been glancing around, hoping to spot something to do, and perhaps, actually spotting Ayla. He had no luck with either one.
“This one could help you look?" Reiko asked. “I've promised to help Ando-san with the work for the shop, but if she's missing, then..." She hesitated; it was clear she wasn't sure what to do. Ando-san was too far away at the front of the cart to hear them, which was perhaps a small blessing.
Aram tilted his head slightly, and glanced over Reiko's shoulder. He didn't want to impose, and he really didn't want Reiko to know what he was actually doing, however; Aram wasn't exactly the deceptive type. He couldn't lie to her about it, but he could avoid directly saying anything about it. It was the least he could do to keep her from finding out about his job search, and to keep her from any more generous deeds. He appreciated that, he really did, but it also made him slightly uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, but it just felt weird to him that someone else had their interests at heart. The thought made him smile just a bit too brightly.
"You do not need to trouble yourself for Ayla's sake, or mine, Reiko-san," he replied, the smile still on his face. He bowed politely in her direction. "I am certain she will come back when she is ready. Perhaps she is just out doing some mercenary work. It would not be the first time she's done such a thing," he replied. It wouldn't be, actually. Maybe she was aware of their funds and decided to go do some work, elsewhere? That was certainly a possibility. It would be hard to find the mercenary work because of her gender, but she'd prove to them she was capable.
She'd also likely hurt someone just to prove it because they called her a woman. He shook his head at the thought. He worried about her mentality, sometimes. "Besides, I have work myself, to find," he spoke gently. He blinked slowly at the realization of what he'd just said, but didn't show his discomfort of it. Hopefully, she wouldn't take it the wrong way. She could interpret it as him being lost, or just trying to find something to do on this particular walk of his. He certainly hoped so.
Unfortunately, she seemed to understand what he really meant, though her reaction was perhaps not what he'd expected.
“You're looking for work?" She echoed, glancing down at what she was doing for a moment to tie a string around another tofu bundle. “Well, you should have just said so. This one can help with that." She offered him a small smile, then raised the volume of her voice a little.
“Ando-san, is your sister still trying to hire someone to clear the paddies for spring?"
The old woman looked up from her work at that. She looked a little perplexed for a moment, but then dipped her head. “She is, but I told you, dear. She won't hear of you doing it for free, and that's men's work, besides. I know you're a bit sturdier than you look, but she won't believe it, I'm telling you." She shrugged.
“So then if this one knew a man who would want to be paid for doing the work, that would be to her satisfaction, then?" There was a spark of amusement in Reiko's eyes, as though she'd expected that answer and found it almost funny.
Ando-san blinked at them, shifting her dark eyes from Reiko to Aram. “Well... yes. She'll complain about how thin you are, but she'd hire you, I'm sure. It's hard labor, getting all the snow out of the paddies, but if you're willing to do it, she'll pay you fairly." Clearly, she'd guessed whom Reiko was talking about, because she said that directly to Aram himself.
Aram chuckled softly. It was, surprisingly, nice to be thought of as frail. He was more than capable of doing the work. Having fought in a war saw to that, however; he supposed he wasn't the intimidating figure his brother had been. Shaking his head softly, he glanced back towards Ando-san. "I'd be willing to do it, yes," he replied softly. He sighed, though. He hadn't meant to intrude, nor had he meant to get Reiko involved. Even if it wasn't anything bad, it still felt generous to him.
He would need to find something to repay her kindness, with. He couldn't make her anything, because he knew he was a terrible cook, but perhaps he could make something else for her? He wasn't a craftsman, but he could at least try. That, or maybe when he acquired enough funds, he could purchase something for her. Perhaps he could have Ayla, when or if she returned, go with him to purchase a kimono or something of that nature.
Ando-san nodded. “Well, good then. Reiko-chan, be a dear and take him to the fields, will you? I can finish here by myself."
Reiko finished the last tofu bundle and set it to the side, dipping her chin. “Of course, Ando-san. This one will be back later to check on things, okay?" She smiled when the old woman waved a dismissive hand and wiped her hands on a cloth before moving around to Aram's side of the stall.
“Shall we?"
He smiled gently. "Yes, let us go," he simply spoke. At least it was a job, for now.
They didn't have much in the way of coin, and it was becoming a little difficult to provide for themselves. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper meal. Actually, the last one he'd had was at the restaurant, when one of the cooks was kind enough to make him something. He couldn't cook, he knew that, and he wasn't going to destroy Ayla's business because of his own inadequacy. Instead, today, he was going to search for odd jobs within the town. Surely there had to be something he could do for now?
With that in mind, he pushed himself up from his spot, and walked out the front door. He still wasn't going to be used to that, the fact that he and Ayla had a new home. Reiko had been too kind to do that for them. Shaking his head softly, he wandered out towards the village. Maybe he could hold signs for someone?
Unfortunately it seemed that, as usual, the villagers all had their work taken care of. The vendors minded their stalls, a few calling out greetings as he passed by, but none needed his help. They were more comfortable with Aram and Ayla by this point, though whether that was because of anything they'd done or not was less clear. Perhaps it was simply the passage of time. Perhaps it was because of his sister's business, or his own. Perhaps, however, it had something to do with the fact that they were on good terms with Reiko—and at this point, everyone knew that.
It almost wasn't surprising at all when he ran across her, chatting amiably with the tofu vendor. As usual, she was dressed in what had to be a secondhand gi and hakama, blue and black today. She had a bright grin on her face; it looked like she was helping the vendor wrap blocks of spiced tofu, or something similar. The vendor herself was an elderly woman, slightly taller than Reiko despite the fact that she was bowed over with age.
He blinked slowly before he smiled in her direction. "Good morning, Reiko-san," he spoke once he was in a polite distance. He bowed in the direction of the elderly woman, greeting her properly, before he straightened out his back. "How are you faring?" he decided to ask. He didn't want to keep her too long if she was busy, after all. That, and he was still looking for work. He shouldn't keep her too long from her own present occupation, and he couldn't afford to linger too long. Otherwise, it would get dark, and most of the vendors would be gone for the night.
She must have been quite wrapped up in the conversation, because she seemed surprised to see him, something which probably wouldn't have been the case if she'd been paying proper attention to what she was smelling. Or perhaps the spices in the tofu were pungent enough to mask anything else. Reiko blinked at him for a moment, but then her smile returned.
“Good morning, Aram-san. Off to buy more groceries today?" She tilted her head at him, earning a chuckle from the elderly woman beside her.
“A vendor's favorite customer, he is. Pays full price without an argument. It's a shame he's got such a pitiful face, or we'd all cheat him and laugh about it." She gave a nearly-toothless smile, a fair sign that she was making a jest.
Aram smiled, still. "I would feel horrible if I didn't pay full price. You all work hard for your products, and who am I to purchase any less of what is due?" he replied, bowing just slightly. He knew she was jesting, however; he was being honest. Who was he to take from them what they worked hard for? Perhaps they didn't see it that way, but he did. It wasn't like it was doing too much harm to him. Sure, he might have had a little more coin to spare, but it was worth spending it, he supposed.
"Ah, but no, I am not. I am looking for..." he paused a moment. He wasn't sure if he should tell Reiko what he was truly doing. If he knew her, she would try to help out somehow. He didn't want her to. He respected her generosity, but he didn't want to feel like he was taking advantage of it. She'd done enough when she'd rebuilt his and Ayla's home.
"I was looking for Ayla, and enjoying a walk through the market," he settled on that. It was mostly true, after all.
Immediately, Reiko's face shifted into a frown; her eyebrows pulled together and knitted just above her nose. She sighed softly. “You can't find her either?" she inquired, worry suffusing her tone. “This one has tried to go see her twice this week, and both times, this one has not been able to find her. This one was concerned, but I thought it wasn't anything to be worried about, since I could always, ah... tell that she'd been around recently." She raised a discreet hand to her nose, indicating what she meant by tell.
She set another wrapped bundle of tofu to the side. The old woman took it and added it to the front of the stall setup with the others, tutting slightly and shaking her head.
“I'm sure there's no reason to be worried, dear," she told Reiko. “Everyone knows she's been around with that samurai from up at the castle. The one you know—that looker with the golden hair. She's probably doing the sensible thing and reeling him in. It's not good to be single all your life, you know?" She shook her head, arranging the tofu in neat stacks.
“A lesson both of you could stand to learn, at your age."
Reiko cleared her throat, shifting her eyes away slightly. “This one... really doesn't think that's it, Ando-san."
Aram blinked a little slowly at the woman's statement. He almost forgot that she was younger than him. He smiled softly, anyway, and shook his head. "But Ando-san, not everyone can be as lucky," he spoke, offering her a brighter grin. "I'm afraid I do not know, though. Ayla doesn't just disappear from something unless something is really bothering her," he spoke a little softly. Perhaps too softly for Ando-san to hear, but he was certain Reiko would hear him clearly.
"Ah, but do not let me keep you, Reiko-san, Ando-san. Perhaps I should let you both get back to doing what your doing?" he spoke, shifting his gaze to them. He'd been glancing around, hoping to spot something to do, and perhaps, actually spotting Ayla. He had no luck with either one.
“This one could help you look?" Reiko asked. “I've promised to help Ando-san with the work for the shop, but if she's missing, then..." She hesitated; it was clear she wasn't sure what to do. Ando-san was too far away at the front of the cart to hear them, which was perhaps a small blessing.
Aram tilted his head slightly, and glanced over Reiko's shoulder. He didn't want to impose, and he really didn't want Reiko to know what he was actually doing, however; Aram wasn't exactly the deceptive type. He couldn't lie to her about it, but he could avoid directly saying anything about it. It was the least he could do to keep her from finding out about his job search, and to keep her from any more generous deeds. He appreciated that, he really did, but it also made him slightly uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, but it just felt weird to him that someone else had their interests at heart. The thought made him smile just a bit too brightly.
"You do not need to trouble yourself for Ayla's sake, or mine, Reiko-san," he replied, the smile still on his face. He bowed politely in her direction. "I am certain she will come back when she is ready. Perhaps she is just out doing some mercenary work. It would not be the first time she's done such a thing," he replied. It wouldn't be, actually. Maybe she was aware of their funds and decided to go do some work, elsewhere? That was certainly a possibility. It would be hard to find the mercenary work because of her gender, but she'd prove to them she was capable.
She'd also likely hurt someone just to prove it because they called her a woman. He shook his head at the thought. He worried about her mentality, sometimes. "Besides, I have work myself, to find," he spoke gently. He blinked slowly at the realization of what he'd just said, but didn't show his discomfort of it. Hopefully, she wouldn't take it the wrong way. She could interpret it as him being lost, or just trying to find something to do on this particular walk of his. He certainly hoped so.
Unfortunately, she seemed to understand what he really meant, though her reaction was perhaps not what he'd expected.
“You're looking for work?" She echoed, glancing down at what she was doing for a moment to tie a string around another tofu bundle. “Well, you should have just said so. This one can help with that." She offered him a small smile, then raised the volume of her voice a little.
“Ando-san, is your sister still trying to hire someone to clear the paddies for spring?"
The old woman looked up from her work at that. She looked a little perplexed for a moment, but then dipped her head. “She is, but I told you, dear. She won't hear of you doing it for free, and that's men's work, besides. I know you're a bit sturdier than you look, but she won't believe it, I'm telling you." She shrugged.
“So then if this one knew a man who would want to be paid for doing the work, that would be to her satisfaction, then?" There was a spark of amusement in Reiko's eyes, as though she'd expected that answer and found it almost funny.
Ando-san blinked at them, shifting her dark eyes from Reiko to Aram. “Well... yes. She'll complain about how thin you are, but she'd hire you, I'm sure. It's hard labor, getting all the snow out of the paddies, but if you're willing to do it, she'll pay you fairly." Clearly, she'd guessed whom Reiko was talking about, because she said that directly to Aram himself.
Aram chuckled softly. It was, surprisingly, nice to be thought of as frail. He was more than capable of doing the work. Having fought in a war saw to that, however; he supposed he wasn't the intimidating figure his brother had been. Shaking his head softly, he glanced back towards Ando-san. "I'd be willing to do it, yes," he replied softly. He sighed, though. He hadn't meant to intrude, nor had he meant to get Reiko involved. Even if it wasn't anything bad, it still felt generous to him.
He would need to find something to repay her kindness, with. He couldn't make her anything, because he knew he was a terrible cook, but perhaps he could make something else for her? He wasn't a craftsman, but he could at least try. That, or maybe when he acquired enough funds, he could purchase something for her. Perhaps he could have Ayla, when or if she returned, go with him to purchase a kimono or something of that nature.
Ando-san nodded. “Well, good then. Reiko-chan, be a dear and take him to the fields, will you? I can finish here by myself."
Reiko finished the last tofu bundle and set it to the side, dipping her chin. “Of course, Ando-san. This one will be back later to check on things, okay?" She smiled when the old woman waved a dismissive hand and wiped her hands on a cloth before moving around to Aram's side of the stall.
“Shall we?"
He smiled gently. "Yes, let us go," he simply spoke. At least it was a job, for now.
Tatsuya folded his hands into his sleeves, frowning. He wasn't even particularly upset; not at the smith, anyway. “I trust you know to be careful with it," he said, almost tonelessly. Fortunately, he didn't need to work to exude the kind of seriousness required for the situation.
He didn't wait for the smith's response before he exited the workshop. The man was on retainer with his family; he was regularly handed nearly priceless items and expected to maintain them. Tatsuya's personal swords were among them, of course, but it had been a while since anyone had touched their father's. Mostly, none of them touched any of his things, because it wasn't determined to everyone's satisfaction who had the right.
Personally, Tatsuya thought they should just go with what the old man said and give it all to Reiko. She was the one he'd loved the most anyway. That was simply a fact. And it wasn't like any of the rest of them were in danger of being thrown out of the house if she was the one in charge. Most people probably couldn't tolerate all of them, considering the sheer diversity in their personalities and eccentricities. Tatsuya, for example, could barely stand Jirō and actively hated Daichi.
Well, whatever. Someone who cared would work it out eventually. He didn't even give a damn about the castle. Anyone who really knew him knew that there was only one thing in his life that he cared about keeping.
One person, anyway.
Exiting the smith's property through the gate, Tatsuya set himself on the path back towards town. It took him past a great deal of farmland, which mostly lay fallow at this time of year. The humans would be planting their grains in a few weeks or so. Already, laborers were working to prepare for that, clearing the snow away from the paddies and fields so that the ground could thaw under the sun and soften for tilling. More than one of them looked up as he passed, but as he preferred, none of those that knew who he was acted like it, and he reached the edge of town without incident.
"Oh, it's you," it was apparent who it was just by the sound of her voice. It was, oddly, bereft of any tone of irritation, though. She sounded almost tired, perhaps. Regardless, she glanced at him, and then seemed to drift off over his shoulder. She sighed softly, though, and seemed to return her attention to him. "You haven't, per chance, seen my brother, have you?" she spoke, pursing her lips together.
"I can't seem to find him," she continued. It shouldn't be too difficult for her to find him, considering what she was, though. "If you haven't, then if you do, will you tell him I'm looking for him?" she asked, her voice coming out rather monotonous.
“Reiko said he's working the fields for a few days, out that way." Tatsuya glanced behind his shoulder more to show her what direction he meant than from any suspicion that he'd see the bird-man when he did.
He returned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow. “What do you need him for so badly, anyway? Can't it wait until you're both home?" They lived together, for fuck's sake. Even he didn't usually go out of his way to find Reiko during the day if she wasn't around the house.
He swallowed reflexively. He could feel her through their bond, but thinking about her reminded him that he was starting to feel the edge of a thirst. It wasn't like Reiko to complain, but between himself, Kentaro, and occasionally one of the others, she was periodically slightly anemic. He tried not to feed unless it was absolutely necessary. He might have to go back to finding humans for that... but that could get messy with the damn guests who still hadn't left...
She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips together. "What's it to you what I need him for? What I need him for is my own business, and none of yours," she spat back, the familiar irritation returning to her voice. "There was something I wanted to ask him about, if you really must know," she continued, though she still didn't specify what it was.
"I'm not asking you to go out of your way to tell him anything. I simply asked if you would if you'd see him before I did, asshole," she muttered the last part beneath her breath, folding her arms over her chest as she did.
Tatsuya went from bored to ticked off in about three seconds, but he was better at hiding it than she was. He leveled a flat look at her and shook his head. “I forgot you're only tolerable when you're drunk. I assure you that your business isn't actually interesting to me, so have no fear."
So much for ordinary conversation. Damn bitch couldn't take anything in any but the worst possible way. For fuck's sake. He rolled his eyes and moved to walk past her.
“Have fun looking."
She sighed, and released her arms. "Look, Minamoto," she began, pausing slightly. It was the first time she'd actually addressed him by a name, rather than her usual insults. "I'm trying to be civil, but it's not exactly my strong suit," she spoke, shaking her head. That was obvious, enough. "I'm just..." she paused again, narrowing her eyes at him. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head once more.
"You know what, never mind," she spoke, muttering to herself. "I don't know why I'm even bothering."
“'Not your strong suit' is a bit of an understatement," he said after a moment, pausing in his stride and glancing back over his shoulder. He didn't sigh, though he felt like it wouldn't be completely uncalled for here.
Tatsuya's pride was basically insurmountable. He knew this. He didn't apologize to anyone for any reason, especially not if he believed the other person was in the wrong. On the other hand... this woman was the old man's friend. He didn't know why that meant anything to him. It shouldn't. Tatsuya didn't owe his father a damn thing, and he sure didn't owe her anything, either. But...
His lips thinned as he pressed them into a straight line. “Look. I don't know a damn thing about you, and that's fine. But you don't know a damn thing about me, either, which means it's kind of annoying when you assume things. Like that I'm asking something because I want to be nosy or whatever. Maybe I've been around humans for too long and this is something none of you people ever did, but questions like that are the usual way of advancing a conversation, you know."
She scoffed slightly, but she didn't do anything else. "I'll agree with you there," she spoke, her back straightening out somewhat as she glanced up at him. She was fairly short, after all, so she had to look up. "I don't know a damn thing about you, and you don't know a damn thing about me. Our first encounter wasn't exactly pleasant, and..." she reeled in on herself when she paused. It looked like she was having a little bit of difficulty spitting out the next word, and she didn't seem exactly happy about what she was going to say.
"I'll admit that was my fault," she finally spoke, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "I... apologize," she spoke, though it sounded a little strained. Obviously she wasn't used to apologizing to people, but it did sound a little genuine. "You'd reminded me of him when I first saw you. It... was the reason why I acted the way I did. So," she trailed off towards the end. She was either really bad at apologizing, or she wasn't entirely sure what to say anymore.
Tatsuya glanced away for a moment. This time, he did sigh, folding his arms into his sleeves. “I get that a lot," he said. The words were easier to say than he thought they'd be. “Well... not a lot, in the sense of often, but everyone who knew him thinks the same. I'm really nothing like him at all, if you can get past the—" He drew one hand right back out again and gestured to his face.
Ugh, why was he even talking about this? He hated the subject of his father, and he wasn't interested in rehashing it. He shouldn't care whether anyone thought of them as the same. Especially not someone he barely knew.
“It doesn't matter. Apology accepted. Don't let it bother you." He wasn't sure if that was why she'd apologized or not, but if it was, he might as well at least release her from any guilt for that. It wasn't like it was her fault; she was just doing what everyone did.
“If I see the bird man, I'll tell him you're looking for him." Figuring she was probably done, he turned to leave for the second time.
She scoffed lightly, a small smirk pulling at her lips before it disappeared. "Yeah, you're nothing like him," she muttered, however; she seemed to let him leave. She turned to walk in the opposite direction of him, however; she paused. "Thanks in advance, Tatsuya," she spoke, actually referring to him by his given name. Perhaps it was her way of acknowledging his earlier statement of how he was nothing like his father. Or perhaps it was something else.
He snorted, but did not reply.
He didn't wait for the smith's response before he exited the workshop. The man was on retainer with his family; he was regularly handed nearly priceless items and expected to maintain them. Tatsuya's personal swords were among them, of course, but it had been a while since anyone had touched their father's. Mostly, none of them touched any of his things, because it wasn't determined to everyone's satisfaction who had the right.
Personally, Tatsuya thought they should just go with what the old man said and give it all to Reiko. She was the one he'd loved the most anyway. That was simply a fact. And it wasn't like any of the rest of them were in danger of being thrown out of the house if she was the one in charge. Most people probably couldn't tolerate all of them, considering the sheer diversity in their personalities and eccentricities. Tatsuya, for example, could barely stand Jirō and actively hated Daichi.
Well, whatever. Someone who cared would work it out eventually. He didn't even give a damn about the castle. Anyone who really knew him knew that there was only one thing in his life that he cared about keeping.
One person, anyway.
Exiting the smith's property through the gate, Tatsuya set himself on the path back towards town. It took him past a great deal of farmland, which mostly lay fallow at this time of year. The humans would be planting their grains in a few weeks or so. Already, laborers were working to prepare for that, clearing the snow away from the paddies and fields so that the ground could thaw under the sun and soften for tilling. More than one of them looked up as he passed, but as he preferred, none of those that knew who he was acted like it, and he reached the edge of town without incident.
"Oh, it's you," it was apparent who it was just by the sound of her voice. It was, oddly, bereft of any tone of irritation, though. She sounded almost tired, perhaps. Regardless, she glanced at him, and then seemed to drift off over his shoulder. She sighed softly, though, and seemed to return her attention to him. "You haven't, per chance, seen my brother, have you?" she spoke, pursing her lips together.
"I can't seem to find him," she continued. It shouldn't be too difficult for her to find him, considering what she was, though. "If you haven't, then if you do, will you tell him I'm looking for him?" she asked, her voice coming out rather monotonous.
“Reiko said he's working the fields for a few days, out that way." Tatsuya glanced behind his shoulder more to show her what direction he meant than from any suspicion that he'd see the bird-man when he did.
He returned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow. “What do you need him for so badly, anyway? Can't it wait until you're both home?" They lived together, for fuck's sake. Even he didn't usually go out of his way to find Reiko during the day if she wasn't around the house.
He swallowed reflexively. He could feel her through their bond, but thinking about her reminded him that he was starting to feel the edge of a thirst. It wasn't like Reiko to complain, but between himself, Kentaro, and occasionally one of the others, she was periodically slightly anemic. He tried not to feed unless it was absolutely necessary. He might have to go back to finding humans for that... but that could get messy with the damn guests who still hadn't left...
She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips together. "What's it to you what I need him for? What I need him for is my own business, and none of yours," she spat back, the familiar irritation returning to her voice. "There was something I wanted to ask him about, if you really must know," she continued, though she still didn't specify what it was.
"I'm not asking you to go out of your way to tell him anything. I simply asked if you would if you'd see him before I did, asshole," she muttered the last part beneath her breath, folding her arms over her chest as she did.
Tatsuya went from bored to ticked off in about three seconds, but he was better at hiding it than she was. He leveled a flat look at her and shook his head. “I forgot you're only tolerable when you're drunk. I assure you that your business isn't actually interesting to me, so have no fear."
So much for ordinary conversation. Damn bitch couldn't take anything in any but the worst possible way. For fuck's sake. He rolled his eyes and moved to walk past her.
“Have fun looking."
She sighed, and released her arms. "Look, Minamoto," she began, pausing slightly. It was the first time she'd actually addressed him by a name, rather than her usual insults. "I'm trying to be civil, but it's not exactly my strong suit," she spoke, shaking her head. That was obvious, enough. "I'm just..." she paused again, narrowing her eyes at him. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head once more.
"You know what, never mind," she spoke, muttering to herself. "I don't know why I'm even bothering."
“'Not your strong suit' is a bit of an understatement," he said after a moment, pausing in his stride and glancing back over his shoulder. He didn't sigh, though he felt like it wouldn't be completely uncalled for here.
Tatsuya's pride was basically insurmountable. He knew this. He didn't apologize to anyone for any reason, especially not if he believed the other person was in the wrong. On the other hand... this woman was the old man's friend. He didn't know why that meant anything to him. It shouldn't. Tatsuya didn't owe his father a damn thing, and he sure didn't owe her anything, either. But...
His lips thinned as he pressed them into a straight line. “Look. I don't know a damn thing about you, and that's fine. But you don't know a damn thing about me, either, which means it's kind of annoying when you assume things. Like that I'm asking something because I want to be nosy or whatever. Maybe I've been around humans for too long and this is something none of you people ever did, but questions like that are the usual way of advancing a conversation, you know."
She scoffed slightly, but she didn't do anything else. "I'll agree with you there," she spoke, her back straightening out somewhat as she glanced up at him. She was fairly short, after all, so she had to look up. "I don't know a damn thing about you, and you don't know a damn thing about me. Our first encounter wasn't exactly pleasant, and..." she reeled in on herself when she paused. It looked like she was having a little bit of difficulty spitting out the next word, and she didn't seem exactly happy about what she was going to say.
"I'll admit that was my fault," she finally spoke, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "I... apologize," she spoke, though it sounded a little strained. Obviously she wasn't used to apologizing to people, but it did sound a little genuine. "You'd reminded me of him when I first saw you. It... was the reason why I acted the way I did. So," she trailed off towards the end. She was either really bad at apologizing, or she wasn't entirely sure what to say anymore.
Tatsuya glanced away for a moment. This time, he did sigh, folding his arms into his sleeves. “I get that a lot," he said. The words were easier to say than he thought they'd be. “Well... not a lot, in the sense of often, but everyone who knew him thinks the same. I'm really nothing like him at all, if you can get past the—" He drew one hand right back out again and gestured to his face.
Ugh, why was he even talking about this? He hated the subject of his father, and he wasn't interested in rehashing it. He shouldn't care whether anyone thought of them as the same. Especially not someone he barely knew.
“It doesn't matter. Apology accepted. Don't let it bother you." He wasn't sure if that was why she'd apologized or not, but if it was, he might as well at least release her from any guilt for that. It wasn't like it was her fault; she was just doing what everyone did.
“If I see the bird man, I'll tell him you're looking for him." Figuring she was probably done, he turned to leave for the second time.
She scoffed lightly, a small smirk pulling at her lips before it disappeared. "Yeah, you're nothing like him," she muttered, however; she seemed to let him leave. She turned to walk in the opposite direction of him, however; she paused. "Thanks in advance, Tatsuya," she spoke, actually referring to him by his given name. Perhaps it was her way of acknowledging his earlier statement of how he was nothing like his father. Or perhaps it was something else.
He snorted, but did not reply.
Sayuri smiled to herself, enjoying the small bout of sunlight. It wasn't enough to make it warm or anything for that matter, but it was pleasant enough to be outside. Plus, she was dressed for the weather, so that helped a bit. She smiled softly as she waited patiently for Reiko. Things seemed to be going well between her family and Akarui-dono, or at least from what she could tell. There hadn't been any hostilities nor any disagreements, but then again, Sayuri couldn't claim to know what actually went on. She wasn't part of the discussions like Reiko was. That was mostly because Reiko was Head of the household, however; she wanted to take Reiko out today.
At least so that she could take a breather and relax. It was a pretty day for a walk, so perhaps they could at least walk around the compoud? If she wanted, they could possibly go into the market. Actually, that sounded like the better idea. If she could get Reiko to go out into the market, maybe she could also persuade her to get something nice for herself, for once. She could understand, somewhat, why Reiko dressed the way she did, but sometimes Sayuri wished her sister would dress appropriately. Just once would be enough, and she wouldn't pester Reiko again, if she did.
She smiled still, standing patiently as she waited. Hopefully it wouldn't be for much longer.
It didn't turn out to be, but the meeting was less pleasant than Sayuri was expecting. When Reiko found her, she was still dressed from what she'd said was going to be a morning meeting with Akarui-dono and his retainers. Apparently, the southern lord had had some new proposal to make regarding the alliance between them.
Reiko looked distraught; her face and neck were visibly flushed, and her eyes were starting to look a little red-rimmed. She nearly bumped right into Sayuri before she noticed she was even there; steadying herself against the wall, she took a deep breath. It was extremely unlike Reiko to be so out of it—things that would have shaken other people a great deal barely seemed to disturb her serenity, so this was beyond merely strange.
Sayuri was a little worried at that. "Reiko-chan, are you alright? Is everything okay?" she asked. Something must have happened in the meeting that had to have caused Reiko's current state. Maybe it was a request from Akarui-dono? Or possibly something else? Whatever it was, Sayuri wanted to do whatever she could to help Reiko. She didn't like seeing her sister like this. It was a little unnerving for her.
“This one..." Reiko started, shaking her head a bit. Her eyes still looked a little unfocused, but she blinked them several more times until she made proper eye contact with Sayuri. “This one is... will you come to my room with me for a bit, Sayu-chan? This one doesn't really feel like going to the market right now."
"Okay, let's get you to your room," she spoke softly. Whatever was bothering Reiko, it must have been deeper than she'd even suspected. There was hardly a time where Reiko would rather go to her room than to the market or even outside. She frowned in a gentle manner, and walked beside Reiko. If she was tired, at least Sayuri would be beside her if something happened. The walk to Reiko's room had been quiet, and when Sayuri was certain it was just Reiko and herself, she closed the door behind her, and turned to face Reiko.
"Reiko-chan, you can tell me anything, even what's wrong, you know that right?" she questioned. She hoped Reiko knew that, whatever it was that was bothering her, she could count on Sayuri to listen. She might not be able to give any advice on the situation, but she could at least allow her sister to vent or just to speak about something. "Even if it's not about the meeting with Akarui-dono, you can talk to me about something else."
Reiko had gone from looking distressed to simply looking lost. She sat down on one of the cushions at the small table in the front part of her room, falling onto it with a muted whump. She seemed to slowly compose herself after that, pulling in a few deep breaths. She straightened her spine and folded her hands in her lap.
“This one is sorry for making you worry, Sayu-chan." she smiled thinly, then sighed quietly. “The negotiations this afternoon became... tense. Akarui-dono wishes Fujiwara troops to march with him to retake his homeland when summer comes. And... he would like to feel more secure in this alliance. His retainers suggested that an alliance marriage would be the best way to do that."
She swallowed thickly, her eyes falling to her lap. “The obvious candidate for that is this one."
Sayuri pursed her lips in a thin line. An alliance marriage? They wanted Reiko to marry Akarui-dono just to make sure the alliance was secure. She didn't know why, but her brows furrowed, and Sayuri felt a small pang of anger in her chest. The Fujiwaras were not the type of people to go back on their word. She'd known that from her time here, growing up with them. If anything, they were, perhaps, the most honorable people she knew. She almost felt insulted on their behalf, however; all of those feelings subsided to something else.
"Reiko-chan," she spoke softly, trying to keep her voice as calm as she could. She didn't know what to say, though. Was it because she was a daughter of the Fujiwara household that they wanted her as their candidate? She knew that Reiko's brothers wouldn't approve of it, though, and that was likely to put strain on the alliance. Perhaps that was what Reiko had meant, as well. She sighed softly, and shook her head. Words seemed to echo through her mind, from a familiar voice, and Sayuri blinked slowly.
You will find yourself in a position to help where no help can be found. It will not be a choice to make so lightly, however; it will give you and those you love, peace of mind
That was what Kyabetsu-san had told her a few months ago. Was... was he possibly referring to this? But what could she possibly do tha would help Reiko? She wasn't a true daughter of the Fujiwara, however; that thought caused her to purse her lips together. Slowly, she sat in front of Reiko, and folded her hands on her lap. If she could do this, then it would make everyone happy, right? If she suggested herself instead of Reiko, the alliance would still hold, and everyone would be happy. She lifted her gaze to Reiko, and smiled.
"But Reiko-chan, you're not the only candidate," she spoke, the smile still on her face. "I'm part of Fujiwara-dono's family, too, right? I could... I could do it, too," she continued. She could help somehow, right?
Reiko's eyes widened; clearly, she hadn't considered that. “No, Sayu-chan, you don't have to do that. This one's brothers were not happy with the suggestion, but... this alliance is important. This one said I would think it over. This one...this one needs time, but it would probably be best for this one to accept."
That made a certain kind of sense. The Fujiwara brothers would doubtless disapprove of any plan that took their sister away from them for any extended period, but Reiko herself was dutiful, and committed to helping her family negotiate peace with other regions, for the sake of the future. It did seem to be the kind of thing she'd volunteer for. But one look at her face made it clear that it wasn't something she wanted to do.
But then again, so was Sayuri. She owed the Fujiwaras more than she could ever repay them. She still smiled at Reiko, and shook her head. "Reiko-chan, you wouldn't be happy. You would be miserable being married to some human. Plus, what if they start getting suspicious when they age, and you don't? At least... at least I'm human, and they won't have anything to get suspicious about. Akarui-dono, I'm sure, would be fine with me as his bride. And we'd all get what we want, right? Akarui-dono gets his secured alliance, I'm getting the chance to finally repay Fujiwara-dono and you for the life you have all given me, and you'll be able to stay here with the others. Everyone wins," in some form or another.
"Plus, it's something I want to do, Reiko-chan." She really did.
“But you—" Reiko paused, cutting herself off abruptly. There was clearly something she wanted to say, there, but she stopped herself before she finished and shook her head. “It would be complicated if it were this one, but there are ways to deal with that. And besides... that just means that this one would not be giving up her entire life to do this. But you, Sayu-chan... this is forever for you. And this one doesn't... this one can't ask you to do that. You don't owe anyone anything. Tou-chan adopted you with no strings attached."
"And it's a life I'm glad to be giving up for you. It means I'll be able to have done something useful, for once, and it'll mean something for me. You can't ask me to do this, you're right, but you're not asking me. I'm telling you, I will do this, Rei-chan. And he might have adopted me with no strings attached, but that doesn't mean I don't owe him, or you, any less than what I can give," she replied softly, keeping her resolve. She wasn't going to back down from this. Reiko did have a point, though. This would be forever for her, but that didn't mean it had to be bad.
Akarui-dono seemed nice enough, or as nice as Lords went, so maybe it wouldn't be? Maybe, she could learn to love him, in the end, and the rest of her life would be a happy one. "Please let me do this for you, Reiko-chan," because she didn't want her sister to be miserable for any amount of years.
Reiko stared at her for several moments after that. Slowly, she drew in a breath, and then sighed, her shoulders slumping with the force of it. “This one doesn't even know if Akarui-dono will agree," she pointed out softly. “But... if this is really what you want, Sayu-chan, then this one will speak to Jirō about making it a counter proposal. But Sayu." Reiko's voice grew unusually stern.
Rarely ever was it obvious that Reiko was more than a hundred years old. Most of the time, she didn't act that much older than Sayuri. She was mature, yes, but she didn't have the same sense of alienness about her as most of their brothers did. Now, however, her age was evident in the weight of her words, and the solemnity of the voice she used to speak them. “If this ever becomes something that you do not wish to do, you must tell this one. If you cannot promise that, then this one will not make the offer in the first place."
"I promise, Reiko-chan, that if it does... if I decide I don't want to do this, I will tell you. It's the least I can do," she replied almost instantly. She wasn't going to go back on her word, either. She wanted to do this for her family's sake, and no one else's. "Thank you, for letting me help, Rei-chan. I promise if anything happens, you'll be the first to know." It's not like there were other people she could tell or talk to, after all.
Just briefly, Reiko looked unspeakably sad, as though Sayu had just informed her that someone she loved had died, but she seemed to catch herself, and her expression smoothed over thereafter.
“Don't thank this one, Sayu. That's backwards. We're the ones who should thank you, for this." She sighed, then slowly stood. “This one... this one will miss you, you know. When you're gone."
She took in a slow, shuddering breath. She had almost forgotten about that. She'd be leaving them, if Akarui-dono agreed to the arrangement. She didn't show it, but she could feel the onset of a frown coming. She would be leaving them. She smiled, though. "No, Reiko-chan, I owe you all thanks for taking me in, and giving me a family. I'll... miss you too, but I'll write to you every day. That way, we can still be in touch." She would miss her family dearly, however; there was a strange feeling that there was someone she'd miss a little more.
And it wasn't Reiko.
At least so that she could take a breather and relax. It was a pretty day for a walk, so perhaps they could at least walk around the compoud? If she wanted, they could possibly go into the market. Actually, that sounded like the better idea. If she could get Reiko to go out into the market, maybe she could also persuade her to get something nice for herself, for once. She could understand, somewhat, why Reiko dressed the way she did, but sometimes Sayuri wished her sister would dress appropriately. Just once would be enough, and she wouldn't pester Reiko again, if she did.
She smiled still, standing patiently as she waited. Hopefully it wouldn't be for much longer.
It didn't turn out to be, but the meeting was less pleasant than Sayuri was expecting. When Reiko found her, she was still dressed from what she'd said was going to be a morning meeting with Akarui-dono and his retainers. Apparently, the southern lord had had some new proposal to make regarding the alliance between them.
Reiko looked distraught; her face and neck were visibly flushed, and her eyes were starting to look a little red-rimmed. She nearly bumped right into Sayuri before she noticed she was even there; steadying herself against the wall, she took a deep breath. It was extremely unlike Reiko to be so out of it—things that would have shaken other people a great deal barely seemed to disturb her serenity, so this was beyond merely strange.
Sayuri was a little worried at that. "Reiko-chan, are you alright? Is everything okay?" she asked. Something must have happened in the meeting that had to have caused Reiko's current state. Maybe it was a request from Akarui-dono? Or possibly something else? Whatever it was, Sayuri wanted to do whatever she could to help Reiko. She didn't like seeing her sister like this. It was a little unnerving for her.
“This one..." Reiko started, shaking her head a bit. Her eyes still looked a little unfocused, but she blinked them several more times until she made proper eye contact with Sayuri. “This one is... will you come to my room with me for a bit, Sayu-chan? This one doesn't really feel like going to the market right now."
"Okay, let's get you to your room," she spoke softly. Whatever was bothering Reiko, it must have been deeper than she'd even suspected. There was hardly a time where Reiko would rather go to her room than to the market or even outside. She frowned in a gentle manner, and walked beside Reiko. If she was tired, at least Sayuri would be beside her if something happened. The walk to Reiko's room had been quiet, and when Sayuri was certain it was just Reiko and herself, she closed the door behind her, and turned to face Reiko.
"Reiko-chan, you can tell me anything, even what's wrong, you know that right?" she questioned. She hoped Reiko knew that, whatever it was that was bothering her, she could count on Sayuri to listen. She might not be able to give any advice on the situation, but she could at least allow her sister to vent or just to speak about something. "Even if it's not about the meeting with Akarui-dono, you can talk to me about something else."
Reiko had gone from looking distressed to simply looking lost. She sat down on one of the cushions at the small table in the front part of her room, falling onto it with a muted whump. She seemed to slowly compose herself after that, pulling in a few deep breaths. She straightened her spine and folded her hands in her lap.
“This one is sorry for making you worry, Sayu-chan." she smiled thinly, then sighed quietly. “The negotiations this afternoon became... tense. Akarui-dono wishes Fujiwara troops to march with him to retake his homeland when summer comes. And... he would like to feel more secure in this alliance. His retainers suggested that an alliance marriage would be the best way to do that."
She swallowed thickly, her eyes falling to her lap. “The obvious candidate for that is this one."
Sayuri pursed her lips in a thin line. An alliance marriage? They wanted Reiko to marry Akarui-dono just to make sure the alliance was secure. She didn't know why, but her brows furrowed, and Sayuri felt a small pang of anger in her chest. The Fujiwaras were not the type of people to go back on their word. She'd known that from her time here, growing up with them. If anything, they were, perhaps, the most honorable people she knew. She almost felt insulted on their behalf, however; all of those feelings subsided to something else.
"Reiko-chan," she spoke softly, trying to keep her voice as calm as she could. She didn't know what to say, though. Was it because she was a daughter of the Fujiwara household that they wanted her as their candidate? She knew that Reiko's brothers wouldn't approve of it, though, and that was likely to put strain on the alliance. Perhaps that was what Reiko had meant, as well. She sighed softly, and shook her head. Words seemed to echo through her mind, from a familiar voice, and Sayuri blinked slowly.
You will find yourself in a position to help where no help can be found. It will not be a choice to make so lightly, however; it will give you and those you love, peace of mind
That was what Kyabetsu-san had told her a few months ago. Was... was he possibly referring to this? But what could she possibly do tha would help Reiko? She wasn't a true daughter of the Fujiwara, however; that thought caused her to purse her lips together. Slowly, she sat in front of Reiko, and folded her hands on her lap. If she could do this, then it would make everyone happy, right? If she suggested herself instead of Reiko, the alliance would still hold, and everyone would be happy. She lifted her gaze to Reiko, and smiled.
"But Reiko-chan, you're not the only candidate," she spoke, the smile still on her face. "I'm part of Fujiwara-dono's family, too, right? I could... I could do it, too," she continued. She could help somehow, right?
Reiko's eyes widened; clearly, she hadn't considered that. “No, Sayu-chan, you don't have to do that. This one's brothers were not happy with the suggestion, but... this alliance is important. This one said I would think it over. This one...this one needs time, but it would probably be best for this one to accept."
That made a certain kind of sense. The Fujiwara brothers would doubtless disapprove of any plan that took their sister away from them for any extended period, but Reiko herself was dutiful, and committed to helping her family negotiate peace with other regions, for the sake of the future. It did seem to be the kind of thing she'd volunteer for. But one look at her face made it clear that it wasn't something she wanted to do.
But then again, so was Sayuri. She owed the Fujiwaras more than she could ever repay them. She still smiled at Reiko, and shook her head. "Reiko-chan, you wouldn't be happy. You would be miserable being married to some human. Plus, what if they start getting suspicious when they age, and you don't? At least... at least I'm human, and they won't have anything to get suspicious about. Akarui-dono, I'm sure, would be fine with me as his bride. And we'd all get what we want, right? Akarui-dono gets his secured alliance, I'm getting the chance to finally repay Fujiwara-dono and you for the life you have all given me, and you'll be able to stay here with the others. Everyone wins," in some form or another.
"Plus, it's something I want to do, Reiko-chan." She really did.
“But you—" Reiko paused, cutting herself off abruptly. There was clearly something she wanted to say, there, but she stopped herself before she finished and shook her head. “It would be complicated if it were this one, but there are ways to deal with that. And besides... that just means that this one would not be giving up her entire life to do this. But you, Sayu-chan... this is forever for you. And this one doesn't... this one can't ask you to do that. You don't owe anyone anything. Tou-chan adopted you with no strings attached."
"And it's a life I'm glad to be giving up for you. It means I'll be able to have done something useful, for once, and it'll mean something for me. You can't ask me to do this, you're right, but you're not asking me. I'm telling you, I will do this, Rei-chan. And he might have adopted me with no strings attached, but that doesn't mean I don't owe him, or you, any less than what I can give," she replied softly, keeping her resolve. She wasn't going to back down from this. Reiko did have a point, though. This would be forever for her, but that didn't mean it had to be bad.
Akarui-dono seemed nice enough, or as nice as Lords went, so maybe it wouldn't be? Maybe, she could learn to love him, in the end, and the rest of her life would be a happy one. "Please let me do this for you, Reiko-chan," because she didn't want her sister to be miserable for any amount of years.
Reiko stared at her for several moments after that. Slowly, she drew in a breath, and then sighed, her shoulders slumping with the force of it. “This one doesn't even know if Akarui-dono will agree," she pointed out softly. “But... if this is really what you want, Sayu-chan, then this one will speak to Jirō about making it a counter proposal. But Sayu." Reiko's voice grew unusually stern.
Rarely ever was it obvious that Reiko was more than a hundred years old. Most of the time, she didn't act that much older than Sayuri. She was mature, yes, but she didn't have the same sense of alienness about her as most of their brothers did. Now, however, her age was evident in the weight of her words, and the solemnity of the voice she used to speak them. “If this ever becomes something that you do not wish to do, you must tell this one. If you cannot promise that, then this one will not make the offer in the first place."
"I promise, Reiko-chan, that if it does... if I decide I don't want to do this, I will tell you. It's the least I can do," she replied almost instantly. She wasn't going to go back on her word, either. She wanted to do this for her family's sake, and no one else's. "Thank you, for letting me help, Rei-chan. I promise if anything happens, you'll be the first to know." It's not like there were other people she could tell or talk to, after all.
Just briefly, Reiko looked unspeakably sad, as though Sayu had just informed her that someone she loved had died, but she seemed to catch herself, and her expression smoothed over thereafter.
“Don't thank this one, Sayu. That's backwards. We're the ones who should thank you, for this." She sighed, then slowly stood. “This one... this one will miss you, you know. When you're gone."
She took in a slow, shuddering breath. She had almost forgotten about that. She'd be leaving them, if Akarui-dono agreed to the arrangement. She didn't show it, but she could feel the onset of a frown coming. She would be leaving them. She smiled, though. "No, Reiko-chan, I owe you all thanks for taking me in, and giving me a family. I'll... miss you too, but I'll write to you every day. That way, we can still be in touch." She would miss her family dearly, however; there was a strange feeling that there was someone she'd miss a little more.
And it wasn't Reiko.
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Heisuke shut the door behind him with a snap, letting his face drop immediately into a scowl. Dark eyes flicked to the room's other occupant.
The young lord didn't truthfully know much about the shaman, only that he had appeared more or less on Heisuke's doorstep three years ago and asked for shelter. When Heisuke had granted it, he'd been repaid to a greater degree than he could ever imagine. The priest had promised him all of Japan and an army to keep it—things that Heisuke was no doubt very interested in having.
But the route there was quite circuitous, and when he'd been attacked by his neighboring domain, he'd been about ready to throw the man out as an imposter, a charlatan and a deceiver. Until he'd learned what the conditions on his future empire really were, anyway.
“They've refused to give me the girl. But there's another possibility," he said without preamble. “The other daughter. Sayuri. I've agreed to take her instead, once the spring comes to this forsaken place and we can retake my castle." He hated the dark winter this far north.
The swap was admittedly disappointing. Reiko was a particularly-lovely specimen. Would be even moreso, if anyone had ever bothered to teach her how a woman should dress. She was also apparently head of this household, which meant its resources would pass to whomever she married. Sayuri certainly didn't have that benefit. But she was no hag, and all that mattered in the end was that he had a daughter of the blood, or so the priest had told him.
It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, or even feeling, since he kept a mask over his face. It seemed bird-like, almost like a crane's beak, and the metal was an obsidian color. The only thing that was present, besides his mouth, were the golden eyes that were too bright to be considered human. But that was what he claimed to be. He shifted in his seated position, raising his head to meet Heisuke's gaze, and simply stared at him.
"That is too bad. I heard the blood within the other girl was more potent. Nevertheless, if she is a daughter of the blood, she will do," he simply spoke, keeping his gaze steady with Heisuke's. "Without the blood, all of this," he made a simple gesture with his hand, "will have been for naught."
Heisuke grimaced. “Believe me, I understand that much." the warlord rubbed at his chin, moving down to scratch the stubble on his neck. He wasn't completely sure why the blood of one of the members of this family was required, but it was obviously going to be easiest to get it from one of the women, since they were weaker, and if he could get one alone, that would be for the best.
He wasn't completely foolish, however; he had no intention of simply attacking one of them. Not with six overprotective brothers around. Honestly, he had no idea why they were all like that for one sister but allowed the other one to be offered in her stead. Perhaps because she was head of household and they wished to keep their resources? That made sense to him. In any case, it was a viable solution. All that remained now was to wait.
“It will be better to wait until we're back in Edo to actually take it, of course. Perhaps we'll get lucky and one of her brothers will fall on the battlefield as well." Then they'd be able to collect the blood under the guise of funeral preparations. Heisuke didn't know how much they were going to need, after all.
A slight scoff escaped the man. "They are not so easily felled," he simply spoke. He didn't elaborate by what he meant, and allowed his gaze to drift away from Heisuke. "They are all warriors with merit, even if they do not appear to be. Fujiwara-dono has made sure of that," he continued, keeping his gaze on the paper folded in front of him. It looked like he'd been working on it recently, since he tied a red ribbon around it. Once it was folded, he tucked it into the sleeve of his kimono, and glanced back at Heisuke.
"Be patient, is the only advice I can give. It is still awhile yet before anything useful can come of this. Once I have the blood, it'll only be a matter of time before I can craft you the army you desire," he stated, and fell silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, or at least from his posture it appeared that way.
“Yeah, all right." Part of Heisuke was still waiting for the other shoe to fall on this whole thing. What he'd given this man was next to nothing compared to what he was receiving. A single night's hospitality and then a job for an entire army, and eventually, all of Japan? He certainly might like what Eiji was saying, but that didn't mean he trusted him any further than he could throw him.
So he took his advice with a grain of salt. So far, all the things he'd advised doing were things his other retainers had agreed would be beneficial, even without knowing the rest of the plan, so he hadn't had to risk much. Hopefully it would stay that way. Heisuke didn't plan to commit until he knew victory was assured. That was just good strategy.
“No one's suspicious of you, right? It's hard to go anywhere in this place without a servant appearing out of nowhere. It's like they're watching us. They probably are." The Fujiwara themselves were worse still. It was like they could smell him coming—none of them ever seemed to be in the least bit surprised when he appeared somewhere. Not even the little heiress.
"I have made precautions for such things. They are no more suspicious of me than they are of you. I am, after all, one of your retainers, and that is how I appear to them. Worry not of my own well-being. Take care not to give yourself away. There is a reason why I do not tell you much," he replied as swiftly as Heisuke had ended his sentence, as if he knew Heisuke was going to say that.
"And they are watching us, Akarui-dono. They don't trust us any more than we trust them. It is a... human quality, I suppose," he seemed to hesitate on the word he'd chosen, but perhaps he wasn't able to find something else, something more suitable. "But do not worry, everything is going according to plan. We will leave at the first sign of spring, and we shall take the Hino daughter with us. What happens between here and there, though, is up to the fates," he spoke, a sort of sly grin spreading across his face. It was the most expressive he'd been since he'd been with the Akarui household.
Heisuke thought fate was a bunch of bullshit, but he supposed shamans and priests were more or less required to believe in it, so he let it pass without comment. “As you say then."
A month more, and then things would finally begin in earnest.
The young lord didn't truthfully know much about the shaman, only that he had appeared more or less on Heisuke's doorstep three years ago and asked for shelter. When Heisuke had granted it, he'd been repaid to a greater degree than he could ever imagine. The priest had promised him all of Japan and an army to keep it—things that Heisuke was no doubt very interested in having.
But the route there was quite circuitous, and when he'd been attacked by his neighboring domain, he'd been about ready to throw the man out as an imposter, a charlatan and a deceiver. Until he'd learned what the conditions on his future empire really were, anyway.
“They've refused to give me the girl. But there's another possibility," he said without preamble. “The other daughter. Sayuri. I've agreed to take her instead, once the spring comes to this forsaken place and we can retake my castle." He hated the dark winter this far north.
The swap was admittedly disappointing. Reiko was a particularly-lovely specimen. Would be even moreso, if anyone had ever bothered to teach her how a woman should dress. She was also apparently head of this household, which meant its resources would pass to whomever she married. Sayuri certainly didn't have that benefit. But she was no hag, and all that mattered in the end was that he had a daughter of the blood, or so the priest had told him.
It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, or even feeling, since he kept a mask over his face. It seemed bird-like, almost like a crane's beak, and the metal was an obsidian color. The only thing that was present, besides his mouth, were the golden eyes that were too bright to be considered human. But that was what he claimed to be. He shifted in his seated position, raising his head to meet Heisuke's gaze, and simply stared at him.
"That is too bad. I heard the blood within the other girl was more potent. Nevertheless, if she is a daughter of the blood, she will do," he simply spoke, keeping his gaze steady with Heisuke's. "Without the blood, all of this," he made a simple gesture with his hand, "will have been for naught."
Heisuke grimaced. “Believe me, I understand that much." the warlord rubbed at his chin, moving down to scratch the stubble on his neck. He wasn't completely sure why the blood of one of the members of this family was required, but it was obviously going to be easiest to get it from one of the women, since they were weaker, and if he could get one alone, that would be for the best.
He wasn't completely foolish, however; he had no intention of simply attacking one of them. Not with six overprotective brothers around. Honestly, he had no idea why they were all like that for one sister but allowed the other one to be offered in her stead. Perhaps because she was head of household and they wished to keep their resources? That made sense to him. In any case, it was a viable solution. All that remained now was to wait.
“It will be better to wait until we're back in Edo to actually take it, of course. Perhaps we'll get lucky and one of her brothers will fall on the battlefield as well." Then they'd be able to collect the blood under the guise of funeral preparations. Heisuke didn't know how much they were going to need, after all.
A slight scoff escaped the man. "They are not so easily felled," he simply spoke. He didn't elaborate by what he meant, and allowed his gaze to drift away from Heisuke. "They are all warriors with merit, even if they do not appear to be. Fujiwara-dono has made sure of that," he continued, keeping his gaze on the paper folded in front of him. It looked like he'd been working on it recently, since he tied a red ribbon around it. Once it was folded, he tucked it into the sleeve of his kimono, and glanced back at Heisuke.
"Be patient, is the only advice I can give. It is still awhile yet before anything useful can come of this. Once I have the blood, it'll only be a matter of time before I can craft you the army you desire," he stated, and fell silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, or at least from his posture it appeared that way.
“Yeah, all right." Part of Heisuke was still waiting for the other shoe to fall on this whole thing. What he'd given this man was next to nothing compared to what he was receiving. A single night's hospitality and then a job for an entire army, and eventually, all of Japan? He certainly might like what Eiji was saying, but that didn't mean he trusted him any further than he could throw him.
So he took his advice with a grain of salt. So far, all the things he'd advised doing were things his other retainers had agreed would be beneficial, even without knowing the rest of the plan, so he hadn't had to risk much. Hopefully it would stay that way. Heisuke didn't plan to commit until he knew victory was assured. That was just good strategy.
“No one's suspicious of you, right? It's hard to go anywhere in this place without a servant appearing out of nowhere. It's like they're watching us. They probably are." The Fujiwara themselves were worse still. It was like they could smell him coming—none of them ever seemed to be in the least bit surprised when he appeared somewhere. Not even the little heiress.
"I have made precautions for such things. They are no more suspicious of me than they are of you. I am, after all, one of your retainers, and that is how I appear to them. Worry not of my own well-being. Take care not to give yourself away. There is a reason why I do not tell you much," he replied as swiftly as Heisuke had ended his sentence, as if he knew Heisuke was going to say that.
"And they are watching us, Akarui-dono. They don't trust us any more than we trust them. It is a... human quality, I suppose," he seemed to hesitate on the word he'd chosen, but perhaps he wasn't able to find something else, something more suitable. "But do not worry, everything is going according to plan. We will leave at the first sign of spring, and we shall take the Hino daughter with us. What happens between here and there, though, is up to the fates," he spoke, a sort of sly grin spreading across his face. It was the most expressive he'd been since he'd been with the Akarui household.
Heisuke thought fate was a bunch of bullshit, but he supposed shamans and priests were more or less required to believe in it, so he let it pass without comment. “As you say then."
A month more, and then things would finally begin in earnest.
Aram cracked open his eyes, only to find a pair of blue ones staring back at him. He furrowed his brows slightly, as he tilted his head as best as he could, and regarded Ayla with a curious gaze. She was wearing a frown, nothing uncommon for her, however; there was something vaguely different in the way she presented herself. She seemed tired, as if she'd been overworking herself. Maybe she had? He wouldn't know; she hadn't been home in the last few days. He'd surmised that she was out, that maybe the lure of the moon was growing too much for her.
If that was the case, then there was something here that was truly bothering her, but she had yet to divulge any information to him. Instead, he waited until she was a polite distance away before sitting up. "Ayla, is something wrong?" he questioned once he was fully up. He turned himself so that he was sitting on his futon, staring directly at her. She was, oddly, sitting in a rather formal position. Her brows still furrowed, she continued staring at him. She eventually sighed, and her shoulders slumped.
"We're both low on funds, and the work you've been doing hasn't been helping much," she finally spoke. He pursed his lips together. There was a feeling in the back of his mind that that wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it's what she settled on. "I would go hunting, to try and put food on the table, but the wildlife seems a little scarce right now," she continued. That was partly due to the fact that, though it was almost over, winter was still around. The wildlife should be returning about this time.
"We are doing the best we can with what we have, Ayla," he replied gently. He was certain they were, at least. Ayla merely sighed and shook her head, though. "It is winter time, Ayla. I doubt that people need their fortunes read at this time, and your restaurant doesn't have food suited to this time of year. Perhaps we could try something different, for it?" he suggested. She merely pursed her lips together.
"What of your work as the local doctor? Humans usually get sick around this time, too, and yet no one has come to you," she sighed, and shook her head. "Nevermind, Aram. We'll figure something out, but right now, we need to go into town. The market just opened and we need to get a few things, otherwise there will be no dinner tonight. That, and you need a new yukata. The one you have is worn out and has at least three different holes in it, and I will not have you looking like you live in the streets."
"And what of you?"
"I have this one," she spoke, pointing to the one she was wearing. Aram raised a brow in her direction. It looked vaguely familiar. It was white, with some gold embroidering on the sleeves, shoulders, and the bottom. His face pulled into a small smile and he shook his head.
"Give me a moment, I need to dress if we are to go out." It was only a few minutes before Aram was able to pull on a proper yukata. Once he was dressed, he and Ayla left their small home. Maybe they could take a detour today, though? There wasn't much going on at the moment, and the weather was, oddly, nice.
Despite the season, the market was bustling at this time of day; most of the villagers were of the hardy sort, clearly used to being out and about in much worse weather. The day had the feel of false spring to it—it was warmer and brighter than it had been in months. Snow was starting to melt at the sides of the road, exposing mud beneath. No doubt it had been extremely smart to clear the fields before days like this became more regular.
There was still plenty of snow around, however—more than enough to blind them with its brightness until they squinted. They weren't alone; many villagers walked with hands up to shade their eyes from the glare as well as they could. A few nodded at Ayla or himself as they passed by; a couple even offered smiles or verbal greetings. It would seem they were integrating, at least to a certain extent.
About halfway down the market street, they came across Reiko and Tatsuya, who were standing in front of what looked like the tailors'. They seemed to be talking about something; it wasn't possible to hear what it was from this distance. Still, whatever the subject, it had put a rare frown on Reiko's face. Tatsuya looked vaguely annoyed, but that was more common, for him.
Ayla seemed to brighten at seeing Reiko, however; she must have noticed the frown. She frowned in return, and glanced at him with a raised brow. He shrugged his shoulders in response. He didn't have her hearing, so he wouldn't be able to tell what they were talking about. Either Ayla wasn't focusing on the conversation itself, or she was distracted by Reiko's frown to notice. They made their way towards them, since they needed to go to the tailor as well. Might as well get that one out of the way. Once they were a polite distance away, Aram smiled at the two.
"Good morning Reiko-san, Minamoto-san," he spoke after they had noticed them. Ayla did not bow, but she didn't seem too hostile or upset about being in Tatsuya's presence. Maybe she was just getting used to him, now? Ando-san said that she'd been spending a lot more of her time with him. He pursed his lips together. Did that mean she didn't hate him anymore? The look on her face said so, but he could still see some vague traces of irritation. That might be from something else, though, he couldn't be certain.
"Good morning, Rei-Rei-chan," she greeted Reiko first with the familiar nickname. She spared a glance towards Tatsuya, though. "Good morning... Minamoto," she spoke with a strange hint of politeness. Maybe it was because Reiko was present, or maybe she was actually getting along with him, now. He could not confess to knowing what his sister felt or did. Sometimes, she was just as eccentric as he was, he supposed.
Tatsuya didn't seem at all surprised to see them. He huffed slightly when he glanced at Ayla, an inscrutable smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. It wasn't exactly a soft expression, but Aram couldn't even be sure he had those. He'd certainly never worn one in his presence before. But there was no maliciousness in it, either. Not even when he turned red eyes on Aram himself.
It was Reiko who responded verbally first, though. Her frown faded, replaced by a smile, but something about it looked a little forced. Perhaps that was the reason the spheres floating outside of their house this morning had been a dark grey color? “Ayla-san, Aram-san. It's good to see you. Are you out looking for more work today?"
Tatsuya shook his head at her a bit. “Looks to me like they're headed into the tailors', Reiko."
She blinked, then cleared her throat. “Oh, right, of course. You weren't here to, um... sorry." She colored faintly, she shook her head, seemingly at herself. “Well, please don't let us get in your way if it's important."
Ayla huffed softly, like she was keeping herself from laughing. Aram, however, had to blink a few times to even process what had been said. He shook his head, though, once he realized what Reiko had spoken. "No, not today, Reiko-san. Ayla insisted that I come with her to the market so that she might find me something more suitable to wear. Apparently, what I have doesn't meet her standards," he replied earnestly. He thought he heard Ayla retort with something along the lines of nothing meeting her standards, but he couldn't be too sure.
"What he's trying to say is, the yukata and other clothing he owns have holes in them. He needs a new one, if only one," Ayla responded, sparing a glance in Aram's direction. She raised a bored brow at him, though. "And you are not in the way, Rei-Rei. We would appreciate the... company," she continued, though she seemed uncertain of her words. She didn't seem to care too much, because she shrugged to herself.
"If you do not mind me asking, but what brings the two of you out? Are you searching for silks and fabric as well?" he decided to ask, to shift the conversation somewhat. Ayla just rolled her eyes at him.
It seemed to be the wrong question somehow, despite how innocuous it was. Both of their faces fell, Reiko's noticeably more than Tatsuya's. But even he went back to scowling. It seemed their discontent was directed elsewhere though—not at the two of them.
“We... yes," Reiko said, sounding almost pained. “This one is here for the materials to design and order a wedding kimono, and an uchikake fitting for such an occasion... and our house." She sighed, shaking her head and dropping her eyes to the floor.
Aram pursed his lips together slightly, however; Ayla was wearing an expression similar to Tatsuya's. Was she getting married? To whom? Why did that even matter? Aram banished the thought from his mind as quickly as it formed, and smiled softly at Reiko. "Perhaps congratulations is in order, then?" he spoke, a little unsure if he should. It was apparent that the situation wasn't exactly a good one, by the look on their faces, however; he supposed things, no matter how grim, always had some bright outcome. Unless he'd seen it beforehand. He had to believe in those small little moments of happiness, though, right?
"Reiko? Are you getting married?" it was Ayla who spoke this time, though she still looked just as confused as he felt. "I thought... wait," she seemed to pause in her words and furrowed her brows deeper. "Let me get this straight, to make sure I didn't miss anything. You're here to get materials for a wedding kimono, because... who's getting married?" she questioned. Perhaps he should have asked the same question instead of jumping to conclusions.
Reiko's eyes went wide for a moment. “Oh, um. No, not this one. Though... it was almost this one, I suppose." She looked pained again for a second. Tatsuya laid a hand on her shoulder and kept it there; Aram could see his knuckles shifting under his skin as he gave it a squeeze.
She glanced down at the ground before looking back up. “It's... an alliance marriage. Akarui-dono asked for one as a way of sealing the agreement between our families. He asked for this one, but... But Sayu-chan insisted that it be her instead, so..." She paused, pursing her lips. There was guilt in her eyes; that much was easy to pick out. “This one figured the least I could do would be to make sure she had the best wedding possible."
If he could see beneath her hair, Aram was certain the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She tensed considerably and her eyes widened somewhat. "The fuck... are you serious!?" she nearly yelled, however; he shot her a glance that caused her to reel in. She shouldn't make a scene, especially when it looked like it was weighing heavily on Reiko. "It's the same thing as an arranged marriage. Who the hell does that? Seriously, the asshole. Reiko, you can't let her do this," it was apparent that Ayla was upset, however; Aram had to put a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. She glanced up at him, though.
"Ayla, stop. It was Sayuri-san's decision to do it. At least it was a choice she made," he spoke, watching as her eyes narrowed at him. He knew this was coming, but he didn't think it'd be so soon. So, she made the decision to go through with it, after all. He sighed a little sadly. That meant she really would meet her fate. Some small part, he wasn't sure, of him hoped that she wouldn't. But it looked like the alternative was sending Reiko in her stead. He wondered, if he'd been able to see Reiko's future, would she share the same fate as Sayuri if she'd been the one to wed Akarui-san?
"But Aram," she began to protest.
"Ayla, enough." it was the first time his voice had taken on such a serious note, and it looked like she visibly bit her tongue to keep from lashing at him. He could understand her anger, and why she felt the way she did. She was protective of her friends, but now wasn't the time for her to act this way. "Apologies, Reiko-san, Minamoto-san. We offer Sayuri-san and Akarui-san the best," he spoke, bowing apologetically. Ayla still looked disturbed about the idea, but she didn't say anything further.
Reiko only looked progressively more upset as Ayla spoke. Her eyes were taking on a characteristic vibrant red ring, but she did not begin to cry.
Tatsuya moved his hand up to her head, patting it with surprising tenderness and pulling her slightly towards his chest. She leaned heavily on him. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You don't have to make her feel more guilty about it; I promise you she's doing plenty well at that on her own," he said, though even more surprisingly, he didn't snap it at Ayla.
“Like it or not, this kind of thing happens all the time when you deal with human politicians. I said we should just let the little prick rot instead of helping him in the first place, but apparently that's not an option." His lip curled somewhat; what he thought of Akarui was quite obvious.
Reiko shook her head slightly. “We can't just abandon them, Suya. He asked for our help, and he was unfairly driven away from his lands and the people that rely on him. I'm sure he just wants to feel like we support him with more than our words."
Tatsuya scoffed. “And our army's not enough, so he has to take away part of the family, too? Fuck him."
It sounded like an argument they'd already had more than once.
Aram pursed his lips together, but he said nothing. Apparently, the arrangement wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it was going to be. He understood, somewhat, where they were coming from. Amon was his family, too, after all. He shook his head, though. "But... is she happy about it?" he decided to speak, his voice gentled more than it usually was so that he wouldn't risk upsetting Reiko further. "I think, that should be the most important thing here, right? That your sister is happy with the decision. Does she not get a say in what she does with her own life?" he continued. Ayla scoffed slightly.
"Who could be happy in an arranged marriage," she seemed to mutter it to herself, though, and shook her head. "I'll see you back at home, Aram. I'm... going for a walk, elsewhere. Reiko-chan, give Sayuri my congratulations, if she's really happy about this," she spoke, and before Aram could advise her against it, she took off. She didn't stay for any response. He sighed.
"My apologies, Reiko-san, I do not mean to upset you further," he really didn't like upsetting anyone. It made him feel bad, because he could have done something about it. He could have told them exactly what was in store for Sayuri, however; there was a chance that they would want to change that. And they couldn't change fate.
Reiko sighed. “This one knows," she said quietly. “And you're right that what she wants matters. But the problem is that she's stuck in this thought that she has to repay us somehow, for taking her in. And she doesn't owe us anything. It's a sacrifice, no matter how you look at it, and this one's father never intended for her to sacrifice anything for us." She sighed again, turning her head to look up at her brother.
“This one doesn't really feel like looking at uchikake today, Suya." After he nodded, she returned her attention to Aram. “But... if Aram-san still needs a new set of clothes, perhaps this one can help? This one knows Ayla-san's standards are finicky, after all; this one would not want her to disapprove of the end result."
Tatsuya snorted. “If you say so." He paused, though, and glanced down at her. There was a question in his expression, though Aram could not tell what it was. Reiko seemed to have no such problems, and shook her head slightly.
“All right. I guess I'll see you back at the house then." He shifted his eyes to Aram, something faintly menacing in them for a moment before it disappeared.
“Farewell, Washi-san." He spared a nod, then departed.
Aram was vaguely confused by Tatsuya's statement, and the expression, but he said nothing as he left. He turned his attention back to Reiko, though, and sighed softly. "You don't have to help me, Reiko-san. I'm sure you'd like to spend time with your family," he spoke. He also knew that, even if he did find something to purchase, Ayla probably wouldn't approve of it. He really didn't need her to approve of anything he wore, actually, now that he thought about it. He just sighed further.
"But I could use the help," he supposed he should at least offer her that much. After all, Reiko was upset, and if she'd rather help him find something to occupy herself, he wasn't going to deny the company. He could only assume where Ayla was going, and he trusted her enough to be outside of the village if she had to turn. He knew she was upset, and it would probably bring forth her beast. Hopefully, it didn't.
"If you would be so kind." He hoped everything would end well, though.
If that was the case, then there was something here that was truly bothering her, but she had yet to divulge any information to him. Instead, he waited until she was a polite distance away before sitting up. "Ayla, is something wrong?" he questioned once he was fully up. He turned himself so that he was sitting on his futon, staring directly at her. She was, oddly, sitting in a rather formal position. Her brows still furrowed, she continued staring at him. She eventually sighed, and her shoulders slumped.
"We're both low on funds, and the work you've been doing hasn't been helping much," she finally spoke. He pursed his lips together. There was a feeling in the back of his mind that that wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it's what she settled on. "I would go hunting, to try and put food on the table, but the wildlife seems a little scarce right now," she continued. That was partly due to the fact that, though it was almost over, winter was still around. The wildlife should be returning about this time.
"We are doing the best we can with what we have, Ayla," he replied gently. He was certain they were, at least. Ayla merely sighed and shook her head, though. "It is winter time, Ayla. I doubt that people need their fortunes read at this time, and your restaurant doesn't have food suited to this time of year. Perhaps we could try something different, for it?" he suggested. She merely pursed her lips together.
"What of your work as the local doctor? Humans usually get sick around this time, too, and yet no one has come to you," she sighed, and shook her head. "Nevermind, Aram. We'll figure something out, but right now, we need to go into town. The market just opened and we need to get a few things, otherwise there will be no dinner tonight. That, and you need a new yukata. The one you have is worn out and has at least three different holes in it, and I will not have you looking like you live in the streets."
"And what of you?"
"I have this one," she spoke, pointing to the one she was wearing. Aram raised a brow in her direction. It looked vaguely familiar. It was white, with some gold embroidering on the sleeves, shoulders, and the bottom. His face pulled into a small smile and he shook his head.
"Give me a moment, I need to dress if we are to go out." It was only a few minutes before Aram was able to pull on a proper yukata. Once he was dressed, he and Ayla left their small home. Maybe they could take a detour today, though? There wasn't much going on at the moment, and the weather was, oddly, nice.
Despite the season, the market was bustling at this time of day; most of the villagers were of the hardy sort, clearly used to being out and about in much worse weather. The day had the feel of false spring to it—it was warmer and brighter than it had been in months. Snow was starting to melt at the sides of the road, exposing mud beneath. No doubt it had been extremely smart to clear the fields before days like this became more regular.
There was still plenty of snow around, however—more than enough to blind them with its brightness until they squinted. They weren't alone; many villagers walked with hands up to shade their eyes from the glare as well as they could. A few nodded at Ayla or himself as they passed by; a couple even offered smiles or verbal greetings. It would seem they were integrating, at least to a certain extent.
About halfway down the market street, they came across Reiko and Tatsuya, who were standing in front of what looked like the tailors'. They seemed to be talking about something; it wasn't possible to hear what it was from this distance. Still, whatever the subject, it had put a rare frown on Reiko's face. Tatsuya looked vaguely annoyed, but that was more common, for him.
Ayla seemed to brighten at seeing Reiko, however; she must have noticed the frown. She frowned in return, and glanced at him with a raised brow. He shrugged his shoulders in response. He didn't have her hearing, so he wouldn't be able to tell what they were talking about. Either Ayla wasn't focusing on the conversation itself, or she was distracted by Reiko's frown to notice. They made their way towards them, since they needed to go to the tailor as well. Might as well get that one out of the way. Once they were a polite distance away, Aram smiled at the two.
"Good morning Reiko-san, Minamoto-san," he spoke after they had noticed them. Ayla did not bow, but she didn't seem too hostile or upset about being in Tatsuya's presence. Maybe she was just getting used to him, now? Ando-san said that she'd been spending a lot more of her time with him. He pursed his lips together. Did that mean she didn't hate him anymore? The look on her face said so, but he could still see some vague traces of irritation. That might be from something else, though, he couldn't be certain.
"Good morning, Rei-Rei-chan," she greeted Reiko first with the familiar nickname. She spared a glance towards Tatsuya, though. "Good morning... Minamoto," she spoke with a strange hint of politeness. Maybe it was because Reiko was present, or maybe she was actually getting along with him, now. He could not confess to knowing what his sister felt or did. Sometimes, she was just as eccentric as he was, he supposed.
Tatsuya didn't seem at all surprised to see them. He huffed slightly when he glanced at Ayla, an inscrutable smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. It wasn't exactly a soft expression, but Aram couldn't even be sure he had those. He'd certainly never worn one in his presence before. But there was no maliciousness in it, either. Not even when he turned red eyes on Aram himself.
It was Reiko who responded verbally first, though. Her frown faded, replaced by a smile, but something about it looked a little forced. Perhaps that was the reason the spheres floating outside of their house this morning had been a dark grey color? “Ayla-san, Aram-san. It's good to see you. Are you out looking for more work today?"
Tatsuya shook his head at her a bit. “Looks to me like they're headed into the tailors', Reiko."
She blinked, then cleared her throat. “Oh, right, of course. You weren't here to, um... sorry." She colored faintly, she shook her head, seemingly at herself. “Well, please don't let us get in your way if it's important."
Ayla huffed softly, like she was keeping herself from laughing. Aram, however, had to blink a few times to even process what had been said. He shook his head, though, once he realized what Reiko had spoken. "No, not today, Reiko-san. Ayla insisted that I come with her to the market so that she might find me something more suitable to wear. Apparently, what I have doesn't meet her standards," he replied earnestly. He thought he heard Ayla retort with something along the lines of nothing meeting her standards, but he couldn't be too sure.
"What he's trying to say is, the yukata and other clothing he owns have holes in them. He needs a new one, if only one," Ayla responded, sparing a glance in Aram's direction. She raised a bored brow at him, though. "And you are not in the way, Rei-Rei. We would appreciate the... company," she continued, though she seemed uncertain of her words. She didn't seem to care too much, because she shrugged to herself.
"If you do not mind me asking, but what brings the two of you out? Are you searching for silks and fabric as well?" he decided to ask, to shift the conversation somewhat. Ayla just rolled her eyes at him.
It seemed to be the wrong question somehow, despite how innocuous it was. Both of their faces fell, Reiko's noticeably more than Tatsuya's. But even he went back to scowling. It seemed their discontent was directed elsewhere though—not at the two of them.
“We... yes," Reiko said, sounding almost pained. “This one is here for the materials to design and order a wedding kimono, and an uchikake fitting for such an occasion... and our house." She sighed, shaking her head and dropping her eyes to the floor.
Aram pursed his lips together slightly, however; Ayla was wearing an expression similar to Tatsuya's. Was she getting married? To whom? Why did that even matter? Aram banished the thought from his mind as quickly as it formed, and smiled softly at Reiko. "Perhaps congratulations is in order, then?" he spoke, a little unsure if he should. It was apparent that the situation wasn't exactly a good one, by the look on their faces, however; he supposed things, no matter how grim, always had some bright outcome. Unless he'd seen it beforehand. He had to believe in those small little moments of happiness, though, right?
"Reiko? Are you getting married?" it was Ayla who spoke this time, though she still looked just as confused as he felt. "I thought... wait," she seemed to pause in her words and furrowed her brows deeper. "Let me get this straight, to make sure I didn't miss anything. You're here to get materials for a wedding kimono, because... who's getting married?" she questioned. Perhaps he should have asked the same question instead of jumping to conclusions.
Reiko's eyes went wide for a moment. “Oh, um. No, not this one. Though... it was almost this one, I suppose." She looked pained again for a second. Tatsuya laid a hand on her shoulder and kept it there; Aram could see his knuckles shifting under his skin as he gave it a squeeze.
She glanced down at the ground before looking back up. “It's... an alliance marriage. Akarui-dono asked for one as a way of sealing the agreement between our families. He asked for this one, but... But Sayu-chan insisted that it be her instead, so..." She paused, pursing her lips. There was guilt in her eyes; that much was easy to pick out. “This one figured the least I could do would be to make sure she had the best wedding possible."
If he could see beneath her hair, Aram was certain the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She tensed considerably and her eyes widened somewhat. "The fuck... are you serious!?" she nearly yelled, however; he shot her a glance that caused her to reel in. She shouldn't make a scene, especially when it looked like it was weighing heavily on Reiko. "It's the same thing as an arranged marriage. Who the hell does that? Seriously, the asshole. Reiko, you can't let her do this," it was apparent that Ayla was upset, however; Aram had to put a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. She glanced up at him, though.
"Ayla, stop. It was Sayuri-san's decision to do it. At least it was a choice she made," he spoke, watching as her eyes narrowed at him. He knew this was coming, but he didn't think it'd be so soon. So, she made the decision to go through with it, after all. He sighed a little sadly. That meant she really would meet her fate. Some small part, he wasn't sure, of him hoped that she wouldn't. But it looked like the alternative was sending Reiko in her stead. He wondered, if he'd been able to see Reiko's future, would she share the same fate as Sayuri if she'd been the one to wed Akarui-san?
"But Aram," she began to protest.
"Ayla, enough." it was the first time his voice had taken on such a serious note, and it looked like she visibly bit her tongue to keep from lashing at him. He could understand her anger, and why she felt the way she did. She was protective of her friends, but now wasn't the time for her to act this way. "Apologies, Reiko-san, Minamoto-san. We offer Sayuri-san and Akarui-san the best," he spoke, bowing apologetically. Ayla still looked disturbed about the idea, but she didn't say anything further.
Reiko only looked progressively more upset as Ayla spoke. Her eyes were taking on a characteristic vibrant red ring, but she did not begin to cry.
Tatsuya moved his hand up to her head, patting it with surprising tenderness and pulling her slightly towards his chest. She leaned heavily on him. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You don't have to make her feel more guilty about it; I promise you she's doing plenty well at that on her own," he said, though even more surprisingly, he didn't snap it at Ayla.
“Like it or not, this kind of thing happens all the time when you deal with human politicians. I said we should just let the little prick rot instead of helping him in the first place, but apparently that's not an option." His lip curled somewhat; what he thought of Akarui was quite obvious.
Reiko shook her head slightly. “We can't just abandon them, Suya. He asked for our help, and he was unfairly driven away from his lands and the people that rely on him. I'm sure he just wants to feel like we support him with more than our words."
Tatsuya scoffed. “And our army's not enough, so he has to take away part of the family, too? Fuck him."
It sounded like an argument they'd already had more than once.
Aram pursed his lips together, but he said nothing. Apparently, the arrangement wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it was going to be. He understood, somewhat, where they were coming from. Amon was his family, too, after all. He shook his head, though. "But... is she happy about it?" he decided to speak, his voice gentled more than it usually was so that he wouldn't risk upsetting Reiko further. "I think, that should be the most important thing here, right? That your sister is happy with the decision. Does she not get a say in what she does with her own life?" he continued. Ayla scoffed slightly.
"Who could be happy in an arranged marriage," she seemed to mutter it to herself, though, and shook her head. "I'll see you back at home, Aram. I'm... going for a walk, elsewhere. Reiko-chan, give Sayuri my congratulations, if she's really happy about this," she spoke, and before Aram could advise her against it, she took off. She didn't stay for any response. He sighed.
"My apologies, Reiko-san, I do not mean to upset you further," he really didn't like upsetting anyone. It made him feel bad, because he could have done something about it. He could have told them exactly what was in store for Sayuri, however; there was a chance that they would want to change that. And they couldn't change fate.
Reiko sighed. “This one knows," she said quietly. “And you're right that what she wants matters. But the problem is that she's stuck in this thought that she has to repay us somehow, for taking her in. And she doesn't owe us anything. It's a sacrifice, no matter how you look at it, and this one's father never intended for her to sacrifice anything for us." She sighed again, turning her head to look up at her brother.
“This one doesn't really feel like looking at uchikake today, Suya." After he nodded, she returned her attention to Aram. “But... if Aram-san still needs a new set of clothes, perhaps this one can help? This one knows Ayla-san's standards are finicky, after all; this one would not want her to disapprove of the end result."
Tatsuya snorted. “If you say so." He paused, though, and glanced down at her. There was a question in his expression, though Aram could not tell what it was. Reiko seemed to have no such problems, and shook her head slightly.
“All right. I guess I'll see you back at the house then." He shifted his eyes to Aram, something faintly menacing in them for a moment before it disappeared.
“Farewell, Washi-san." He spared a nod, then departed.
Aram was vaguely confused by Tatsuya's statement, and the expression, but he said nothing as he left. He turned his attention back to Reiko, though, and sighed softly. "You don't have to help me, Reiko-san. I'm sure you'd like to spend time with your family," he spoke. He also knew that, even if he did find something to purchase, Ayla probably wouldn't approve of it. He really didn't need her to approve of anything he wore, actually, now that he thought about it. He just sighed further.
"But I could use the help," he supposed he should at least offer her that much. After all, Reiko was upset, and if she'd rather help him find something to occupy herself, he wasn't going to deny the company. He could only assume where Ayla was going, and he trusted her enough to be outside of the village if she had to turn. He knew she was upset, and it would probably bring forth her beast. Hopefully, it didn't.
"If you would be so kind." He hoped everything would end well, though.
The whole thing had left Tatsuya with a nasty taste in his mouth.
He wasn't Reiko. He wasn't as attached to Sayuri as she was. He couldn't be—not only was it not in his personality, but she'd been there for so small a portion of his life comparatively that it was difficult to even say that he was used to her presence. But he saw how it was hurting Reiko to let it happen, even if Sayuri had "chosen" it. As though that was really any choice at all.
Besides, no one, no matter who they were, should be treated as a bargaining chip in other people's business. It was probably the one thing he and his old man agreed on—he definitely hadn't taken that girl in with the intention of selling her off to some asshole lord later.
Deciding to go get a drink before he went home, he made his way to the okiya as usual. Setsuka was inside, and looked up when he entered, offering a small smile.
"Stormclouds in your eyes today," she said gently, tilting her head. The golden ornament in it glinted against the light coming in through the window. "Your lady friend has the same look, today. Perhaps you've come to see her?"
He furrowed his brows, then drew in a breath. Immediately, he smelled Ayla, which must be what Setsuka was referring to.
“She's not my anything," he grumbled, knowing she hadn't meant it that way but too entrenched in thoughts of moving people around like property to avoid the negative reaction he had.
Setsuka, of course, was more than accustomed to dealing with him in bad moods, and didn't let it shake her in the slightest. "And yet, if I am not mistaken, that is your kimono she is wearing."
He should have known she'd notice. Tatsuya sighed; the effort of explaining that one wouldn't be worth it. “Where is she, then?"
"I put her in your usual room," she replied. "I doubt she has a way of paying for those drinks without you, so I thought you might be along."
He didn't have the inclination to tell her otherwise; she'd probably figured that out by now anyway. Snorting softly, Tatsuya accepted the full jug of sake Setsuka pulled down from one of the shelves behind her, as well as an extra dish for himself, then made his way back to where Ayla was, indeed, already drinking.
“Kind of rude, starting the party without the person who's going to pay the bill," he said dryly, lowering himself into a crosslegged position across the table. The door to the patio outside was only cracked, probably because it was the middle of the day and the snow under the sun was damn near blinding.
"You'll have to forgive me if I didn't wait," she replied just as dryly. She didn't look at him, though. Her attention was outside, and with it, the expression on her face. She took another drink before setting the cup down. Slowly, she turned to face him, and her expression was easier to read. She was upset, and that much was obvious, but there was also some strange melancholy behind it. She removed her attention from him, and turned it back outside.
"And I wasn't expecting you to come here. Actually, I wasn't expecting to end up here. Guess it's just too familiar now," she continued with a light shake of her head. She furrowed her brows slightly, though and turned to look at him. "You don't have to pay the bill. I might be low on funds, but I can still afford my own drinks, you know," she spoke.
He shrugged. “Don't bother. I have a running tab here that I settle up once a month. I won't even notice the difference." Tatsuya wasn't in the position of needing to worry about funds. It was nothing to him to pay for the alcohol, even the amount of it the two of them could go through, which he knew from experience was a lot.
“If you need money though, you could always ask Setsuka for a job. I hear it pays well." Most people, he supposed, would not advise that the people they knew ask for a job at a brothel, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. If she was morally opposed to prostitution, she wouldn't come here so regularly. Maybe she didn't want to turn tricks herself, but that was fine. It was only a suggestion.
“Though I guess you've already got that restaurant. Who's running that lately? Because you sure aren't."
She seemed to contemplate his suggestion, though, if the thoughtful expression on her face was anything to go by. She snorted softly afterwards. "It's not a bad suggestion, but as you know from experience, I'm not exactly pleasant," she replied. She seemed to frown at his last statement, dowing her drink in one go before letting out a long sigh.
"No one's running it. I've neglected it the last few weeks, and if I'm right, it should be closed by now. I... was going to close it down, eventually. Unlike you and your family, Aram and I never stay in one place for too long," she spoke. She didn't refill her cup, though, and seemed rather intent on staring outside. Her brows were furrowed, but she didn't seem inclined to speak of anything else, at least not at that moment.
"When is the wedding supposed to take place?" she spoke at last, finally turning her attention back to him. "I should like to say goodbye, at least, to Sayuri. She is a good friend," her voice was surprisingly soft when she said that. "I won't attend, I just... would like to tell her before hand. I don't trust myself enough to attend such things the humans do. Stupid fucking pieces of shit that they are," she grumbled the last part to herself so it was hard to tell if it was intentional or not for him to hear.
Tatsuya made a noncommittal noise. So they'd be moving on, soon, probably. He wasn't sure why they'd bother so soon; it wasn't like anyone would notice they weren't aging for several more years. Even the few people who might get suspicious before then, like Setsuka, knew better than to ask those kinds of questions. But if they'd rather leave, he sure as hell wasn't going to stop them.
It'd break Reiko's heart, but she'd be able to recover. She was stronger than she thought.
“Spring," he said at last, raising a dish to his mouth and tipping his head back. “Not sure exactly when. Probably just after we get his land back. He'll want to have the thing in his own damn castle, of course." He shook his head slightly. There was no mistaking who'd be doing all the work for that particular endeavor. He figured he'd probably go. Tsubasa would want the fight, and Kentaro would probably need it.
He wondered if Reiko would insist on going with. Probably.
She raised a brow in his direction at his statement. "His land back?" she seemed to question. She hummed a soft noise in the back of her throat before something of a small smile, possibly a smirk, crossed her features. "Well, if he'll hire mercenaries, I'll do it," she spoke, finally filling her cup up with the sake. "Assuming he wouldn't have a problem with me being a woman, and all," she scowled slightly.
"If he does, then I wouldn't have to say goodbye to Sayuri until then. I don't plan on leaving here, yet, though. I wouldn't do that to Reiko," she continued, sighing and sitting back properly. "And it's been a long time since I've been in a decent battle. Humans don't really put up much of a fight, but it's something," she continued, shrugging her shoulders somewhat.
"But maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer and ask Setsuka for a job here, though I doubt she'll want me," she spoke, scoffing somewhat.
That was an awful lot of meandering speculation for a few breaths. Tatsuya figured she was thinking out loud more than anything, but he could at least speak to some of the specifics. “If you want to go that badly, I'll hire you," he said with a shrug. It wasn't like her wages for a job would put him out or anything, and presumably Reiko and Sayuri would enjoy her company.
Reaching into the space between his kimono layers, Tatsuya withdrew his long stemmed pipe, lighting it with a match he struck against a small stone provided for the purpose on the table. The plants he lit had a sweet, but not overpowering aroma, but he still angled it away from her.
She wrinkled her nose somewhat, but didn't seem all too bothered by the smell. She did, however, raise a brow in his direction. "You'd hire me?" she spoke it in a slight tone of disbelief, before she rolled her eyes. "I'd do it for free, but unfortunately we need things," she added, leaning forward and placing her chin in her hand. She stared at him for a second, her eyes uncharacteristically focused before she dropped her hand.
"Alright, deal. You hire me, I go with, and I get to be with Reiko and Sayuri. Plus, I get to release some of this pent up tension," she spoke, rolling out her shoulders as if to prove it. "It's been awhile since I've had any fun," she spoke, grinning to herself, it seemed.
“Tension, huh?" he was tempted to make a quip there, about other, less-annoying ways to release tension, but he elected not to, for the moment, pulling in a smoky breath and holding it for a few seconds before he blew it back out through his nose.
“Whatever you say, Ayla."
He wasn't Reiko. He wasn't as attached to Sayuri as she was. He couldn't be—not only was it not in his personality, but she'd been there for so small a portion of his life comparatively that it was difficult to even say that he was used to her presence. But he saw how it was hurting Reiko to let it happen, even if Sayuri had "chosen" it. As though that was really any choice at all.
Besides, no one, no matter who they were, should be treated as a bargaining chip in other people's business. It was probably the one thing he and his old man agreed on—he definitely hadn't taken that girl in with the intention of selling her off to some asshole lord later.
Deciding to go get a drink before he went home, he made his way to the okiya as usual. Setsuka was inside, and looked up when he entered, offering a small smile.
"Stormclouds in your eyes today," she said gently, tilting her head. The golden ornament in it glinted against the light coming in through the window. "Your lady friend has the same look, today. Perhaps you've come to see her?"
He furrowed his brows, then drew in a breath. Immediately, he smelled Ayla, which must be what Setsuka was referring to.
“She's not my anything," he grumbled, knowing she hadn't meant it that way but too entrenched in thoughts of moving people around like property to avoid the negative reaction he had.
Setsuka, of course, was more than accustomed to dealing with him in bad moods, and didn't let it shake her in the slightest. "And yet, if I am not mistaken, that is your kimono she is wearing."
He should have known she'd notice. Tatsuya sighed; the effort of explaining that one wouldn't be worth it. “Where is she, then?"
"I put her in your usual room," she replied. "I doubt she has a way of paying for those drinks without you, so I thought you might be along."
He didn't have the inclination to tell her otherwise; she'd probably figured that out by now anyway. Snorting softly, Tatsuya accepted the full jug of sake Setsuka pulled down from one of the shelves behind her, as well as an extra dish for himself, then made his way back to where Ayla was, indeed, already drinking.
“Kind of rude, starting the party without the person who's going to pay the bill," he said dryly, lowering himself into a crosslegged position across the table. The door to the patio outside was only cracked, probably because it was the middle of the day and the snow under the sun was damn near blinding.
"You'll have to forgive me if I didn't wait," she replied just as dryly. She didn't look at him, though. Her attention was outside, and with it, the expression on her face. She took another drink before setting the cup down. Slowly, she turned to face him, and her expression was easier to read. She was upset, and that much was obvious, but there was also some strange melancholy behind it. She removed her attention from him, and turned it back outside.
"And I wasn't expecting you to come here. Actually, I wasn't expecting to end up here. Guess it's just too familiar now," she continued with a light shake of her head. She furrowed her brows slightly, though and turned to look at him. "You don't have to pay the bill. I might be low on funds, but I can still afford my own drinks, you know," she spoke.
He shrugged. “Don't bother. I have a running tab here that I settle up once a month. I won't even notice the difference." Tatsuya wasn't in the position of needing to worry about funds. It was nothing to him to pay for the alcohol, even the amount of it the two of them could go through, which he knew from experience was a lot.
“If you need money though, you could always ask Setsuka for a job. I hear it pays well." Most people, he supposed, would not advise that the people they knew ask for a job at a brothel, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. If she was morally opposed to prostitution, she wouldn't come here so regularly. Maybe she didn't want to turn tricks herself, but that was fine. It was only a suggestion.
“Though I guess you've already got that restaurant. Who's running that lately? Because you sure aren't."
She seemed to contemplate his suggestion, though, if the thoughtful expression on her face was anything to go by. She snorted softly afterwards. "It's not a bad suggestion, but as you know from experience, I'm not exactly pleasant," she replied. She seemed to frown at his last statement, dowing her drink in one go before letting out a long sigh.
"No one's running it. I've neglected it the last few weeks, and if I'm right, it should be closed by now. I... was going to close it down, eventually. Unlike you and your family, Aram and I never stay in one place for too long," she spoke. She didn't refill her cup, though, and seemed rather intent on staring outside. Her brows were furrowed, but she didn't seem inclined to speak of anything else, at least not at that moment.
"When is the wedding supposed to take place?" she spoke at last, finally turning her attention back to him. "I should like to say goodbye, at least, to Sayuri. She is a good friend," her voice was surprisingly soft when she said that. "I won't attend, I just... would like to tell her before hand. I don't trust myself enough to attend such things the humans do. Stupid fucking pieces of shit that they are," she grumbled the last part to herself so it was hard to tell if it was intentional or not for him to hear.
Tatsuya made a noncommittal noise. So they'd be moving on, soon, probably. He wasn't sure why they'd bother so soon; it wasn't like anyone would notice they weren't aging for several more years. Even the few people who might get suspicious before then, like Setsuka, knew better than to ask those kinds of questions. But if they'd rather leave, he sure as hell wasn't going to stop them.
It'd break Reiko's heart, but she'd be able to recover. She was stronger than she thought.
“Spring," he said at last, raising a dish to his mouth and tipping his head back. “Not sure exactly when. Probably just after we get his land back. He'll want to have the thing in his own damn castle, of course." He shook his head slightly. There was no mistaking who'd be doing all the work for that particular endeavor. He figured he'd probably go. Tsubasa would want the fight, and Kentaro would probably need it.
He wondered if Reiko would insist on going with. Probably.
She raised a brow in his direction at his statement. "His land back?" she seemed to question. She hummed a soft noise in the back of her throat before something of a small smile, possibly a smirk, crossed her features. "Well, if he'll hire mercenaries, I'll do it," she spoke, finally filling her cup up with the sake. "Assuming he wouldn't have a problem with me being a woman, and all," she scowled slightly.
"If he does, then I wouldn't have to say goodbye to Sayuri until then. I don't plan on leaving here, yet, though. I wouldn't do that to Reiko," she continued, sighing and sitting back properly. "And it's been a long time since I've been in a decent battle. Humans don't really put up much of a fight, but it's something," she continued, shrugging her shoulders somewhat.
"But maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer and ask Setsuka for a job here, though I doubt she'll want me," she spoke, scoffing somewhat.
That was an awful lot of meandering speculation for a few breaths. Tatsuya figured she was thinking out loud more than anything, but he could at least speak to some of the specifics. “If you want to go that badly, I'll hire you," he said with a shrug. It wasn't like her wages for a job would put him out or anything, and presumably Reiko and Sayuri would enjoy her company.
Reaching into the space between his kimono layers, Tatsuya withdrew his long stemmed pipe, lighting it with a match he struck against a small stone provided for the purpose on the table. The plants he lit had a sweet, but not overpowering aroma, but he still angled it away from her.
She wrinkled her nose somewhat, but didn't seem all too bothered by the smell. She did, however, raise a brow in his direction. "You'd hire me?" she spoke it in a slight tone of disbelief, before she rolled her eyes. "I'd do it for free, but unfortunately we need things," she added, leaning forward and placing her chin in her hand. She stared at him for a second, her eyes uncharacteristically focused before she dropped her hand.
"Alright, deal. You hire me, I go with, and I get to be with Reiko and Sayuri. Plus, I get to release some of this pent up tension," she spoke, rolling out her shoulders as if to prove it. "It's been awhile since I've had any fun," she spoke, grinning to herself, it seemed.
“Tension, huh?" he was tempted to make a quip there, about other, less-annoying ways to release tension, but he elected not to, for the moment, pulling in a smoky breath and holding it for a few seconds before he blew it back out through his nose.
“Whatever you say, Ayla."
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Sayuri sighed softly, glancing at the flowers in the garden. There were only about two more weeks before Spring would officially be here, and that also meant that she'd be leaving. She'd be leaving with him to secure their alliance. It was strange how, now of all days, it bothered her. She'd promised Reiko that she would tell her if this bothered her, or if she didn't want to do it. The only problem was, was that she wanted to do it. If this meant she'd be helping Reiko out, and keeping her eccentric family together, then she would do it a thousand times over. She wanted her family to be happy, even if that meant she had to leave. She wasn't so sure why it bothered her, though. It shouldn't.
But maybe that was for the best? Being a human amongst them wouldn't be an ideal way to live. She would age, and grow old, while they would remain as they were. They wouldn't change, and she would, eventually, be forgotten. It hurt knowing that, but she supposed that was what it meant to be a human living in their world. She just didn't belong. She never would, despite how much she loved them. And love them, she did. They were her family, even if she wasn't sure if they even acknowledged her existence. Reiko did, and maybe that's all she would need.
She smiled softly, reaching out to hook her finger around one of the petals of a camellia flower. They weren't quite in season yet, but the flowers in the Fujiwara household always seemed to bloom regardless of the season. That might have something to do with the occupants, however; she didn't linger too long. Instead, she dipped her chin and glanced at the floor. Time was going by so much faster than she'd anticipated. Who was to say if she'd ever get a chance to visit this place again? She shook the thought from her mind, and sighed. She needed something to occupy her mind. Maybe she should go find Reiko? With that in mind, she turned to leave the small garden.
It wasn't until she reached the exit that she spotted Kentaro.
He wasn't looking in her direction, though it was almost certain that he was aware of her presence. Instead, he seemed to be staring very hard at something on one of the engawa that bordered Reiko's sanctuary. His face was as difficult to read as ever, but a slight downturn of his mouth suggested displeasure. His eyes narrowed slightly before he took them away from whatever he was watching to glance in her direction.
The heat hadn't quite left them yet, and for a moment, it looked like he was glaring at her. It was actually rather terrifying; it felt like the air around her had suddenly grown much warmer, too hot for her winter garments. But then Kentaro blinked, and the glare vanished with the heat.
“Sayuri-san."
"Ah, Kentaro-san," she spoke, finding her voice. It came out a little shakey, but that might have been because of the way he'd been glaring. Even if it wasn't at her, it was still a little unnerving. She offered him a small smile, and bowed in greeting. "Are you here, looking for Reiko-chan? She's... not here, I'm afraid," she continued, though some part of her scolded herself for saying that. Of course he would know that she wasn't here. They always seemed to know where Reiko was, but perhaps that was a good thing.
"Or are you just passing through? Oh, if you are, don't mind me, I'm just... I'll just go, if you want to be here... alone, I mean," she didn't know why she felt so nervous, all of a sudden. But wasn't that how it always was? Especially around him?
He tilted his head at her. On anyone else, it might have counted as curiosity, but it was honestly difficult to say if Kentaro ever felt curious about anything. “I was not looking for Reiko," he informed her simply. For a moment, his eyes flickered back in the direction he'd been looking before, but he returned them to hers immediately afterwards.
“I was... observing."
Even if he didn't feel curious, Sayuri knew she did, and she mimicked his motion. Tilting her head to the side, she blinked at him. "Observing?" she questioned. There wasn't much going on, that she knew of, that would warrant such a thing. Kentaro was certainly entitled to do whatever he wanted to, though, and she wasn't going to say otherwise. She shook her head, though, and still kept the smile in place.
"It must be interesting enough, if it has you observing it," she spoke softly, like she was talking to herself. Maybe she was? Maybe she wanted to say that to herself, but it was a little too late. She'd said it out loud, and she wasn't exactly going to say otherwise. "Oh," she spoke suddenly. She just remembered something. "I... don't know if you've been able to do it, yet, but," she paused for a second, and glanced down.
It was a little difficult to keep his gaze. "The... new sign I requested for Kyabetsu-san, if you don't... get to finish it before I leave, could you have Reiko deliver it for me? If you haven't started on it, then you don't have to do it at all. I just... I like your craftwork." She wasn't sure if he'd been able to work on it, or not. If he hadn't, that was okay. It wasn't like it was important, or at least she didn't think it was. She just liked his craftsmanship, and she figured Aram could use the new sign, anyway.
“It is finished," he replied. “But as you were the one who thought of it, I believe you should be the one to present it to him." Kentaro paused for a moment, face unreadable, before his eyes again snapped to the side.
Sayuri couldn't see whatever he was seeing, but she could hear the sound of a sliding door opening, and voices—a man's and a woman's. Kentaro sniffed the air, then scowled openly. It was more expression than she'd ever seen on his face before. He scoffed under his breath, shaking his head slightly.
He had a point, though, she supposed. Maybe she could present it to Aram before she left, as a sort of 'thank-you' gift. It would certainly be warranted. After all, if it hadn't been for his advice, she wouldn't have been able to help out Reiko. She did, however, take Kentaro's expression into consideration. She'd never really seen him express anything, least of all a scowl.
"Um, Kentaro-san, do you... want to go elsewhere? I could make you tea, if you'd like, of the lavender kind. Or, would you rather just go somewhere else? There's something that might be bothering you, and I'm not entirely sure what it is, but..." she really didn't know what to say or suggest. Clearly, whatever, or whoever, he was staring at was bothering him, somewhat. She couldn't see, and she didn't recognize the voices, so she didn't know what or who it was.
"Oh, um, if you want to, if it's finished, perhaps you'd like to accompany me to deliver it to Kyabetsu-san? You don't have to, and I could get Reiko to go with me, but I just... figured you'd like to be elsewhere?" she ended it as more of a question than a statement. He could, also, go wherever he wanted to go.
He blinked; when his eyes opened again, they were fixed once more on her. The scowl eased, but he still didn't look happy. “It is not I who has justification for displeasure," he said slowly. “It is you."
Her? She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Me? I don't... what do you mean?" she questioned. She was confused as to what he meant. She should be upset about something? Did it have something to do with whatever he was staring at?
Kentaro pushed a breath through his nose. Reaching out towards her, he closed a hand around her elbow and pulled her so that she was standing directly next to him, and able to see what he saw.
At least, she almost did, but his hand fell over her eyes the moment after. This close, she could feel a peculiar amount of heat radiating from his body, like a small furnace in the middle of winter. “There are some things that it is easier not to know," he told her. “Would you want to know anyway, if something I could show you could hurt you?"
She sighed softly. Whatever she was about to see, if she chose to, must have something to do with her. That much was obvious, but even so, she wanted to know. "Those are just risks we have to take, Kentaro-san. Even if you don't show me, I'm sure I'll find out eventually. At least... whatever it is that you show me, will only hurt me for a small amount of time. If I find out later, I think... that would hurt me more," she spoke honestly.
"Will you please let me know now, rather than later? she asked.
His hand lifted away, uncovering her eyes. It took a moment to understand what she was seeing, but it resolved itself after a few blinks.
Out on the engawa, completely oblivious to their presence, was Akarui-dono, her betrothed. Except he wasn't alone—rather, he was pressed into a secluded corner of the building with a woman. She wasn't one of those that worked for the Fujiwaras, which meant she was likely one of his own servants or retainers or relatives thereof. They were quite... enthusiastic about one another's presence, it seemed.
Kentaro was back to wearing no expression at all, but there might have been a flicker of anger beneath the passive look in his eyes as well.
She smiled softly, though she knew it wasn't one of happiness. Sadness, perhaps, but that was warranted, she supposed. "He is... a Lord, Kentaro-san. We are not married yet, and I doubt I will be the only one he... concubines are not that rare," she spoke, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself, or him. Of what, she wasn't even sure. It was no secret that most lords had concubines, and even if she was going to be married to one, she wouldn't be the only one he would take to his bed at night. She was aware of that.
"Thank you, Kentaro-san. You are... kinder than you appear to be," she spoke, turning to give him a polite bow. "I..." she paused and smiled again, dropping her gaze from him. "I have chosen to take this upon myself, for Reiko's sake, and for everyone else's. Please... do not think any less of him. We... will both be gone in a couple of weeks, and eventually, we will be gone in a few decades. We are only temporary, after all, Kentaro-san," she spoke softly, shaking her head.
"I'd like to see the finished product, though, if you don't mind." That, at least would keep her mind occupied. Her chest tightened somewhat, but she put it off as the hurt feeling that she'd said would only be temporary.
“That it is not rare doesn't make it right," he said, a strange firmness to his tone. Shaking his head, he turned to leave, presumably to take her to the finished placard as she'd asked him to do. His departure brought a sudden loss of heat in the air around her.
Kentaro walked with perfect posture; most of the Fujiwara did. Even Reiko seemed to have it ingrained by habit into her bearing. He wasn't stiff, though; his gait was rolling and smooth if anything. He glanced back over his shoulder once, to make sure she was following, perhaps.
Right or Wrong, it didn't matter. If she didn't do this, if she didn't go through with it, then the alliance might fall through. She was willing to swallow whatever dignity she had to keep this from doing that. It was, strangely, nice knowing that he had cared enough to tell her. She couldn't claim to know what any of them felt, and she wasn't sure if they could feel in any sense besides what they felt for Reiko, however; it was still nice.
She remained quiet, though, and followed after him.
But maybe that was for the best? Being a human amongst them wouldn't be an ideal way to live. She would age, and grow old, while they would remain as they were. They wouldn't change, and she would, eventually, be forgotten. It hurt knowing that, but she supposed that was what it meant to be a human living in their world. She just didn't belong. She never would, despite how much she loved them. And love them, she did. They were her family, even if she wasn't sure if they even acknowledged her existence. Reiko did, and maybe that's all she would need.
She smiled softly, reaching out to hook her finger around one of the petals of a camellia flower. They weren't quite in season yet, but the flowers in the Fujiwara household always seemed to bloom regardless of the season. That might have something to do with the occupants, however; she didn't linger too long. Instead, she dipped her chin and glanced at the floor. Time was going by so much faster than she'd anticipated. Who was to say if she'd ever get a chance to visit this place again? She shook the thought from her mind, and sighed. She needed something to occupy her mind. Maybe she should go find Reiko? With that in mind, she turned to leave the small garden.
It wasn't until she reached the exit that she spotted Kentaro.
He wasn't looking in her direction, though it was almost certain that he was aware of her presence. Instead, he seemed to be staring very hard at something on one of the engawa that bordered Reiko's sanctuary. His face was as difficult to read as ever, but a slight downturn of his mouth suggested displeasure. His eyes narrowed slightly before he took them away from whatever he was watching to glance in her direction.
The heat hadn't quite left them yet, and for a moment, it looked like he was glaring at her. It was actually rather terrifying; it felt like the air around her had suddenly grown much warmer, too hot for her winter garments. But then Kentaro blinked, and the glare vanished with the heat.
“Sayuri-san."
"Ah, Kentaro-san," she spoke, finding her voice. It came out a little shakey, but that might have been because of the way he'd been glaring. Even if it wasn't at her, it was still a little unnerving. She offered him a small smile, and bowed in greeting. "Are you here, looking for Reiko-chan? She's... not here, I'm afraid," she continued, though some part of her scolded herself for saying that. Of course he would know that she wasn't here. They always seemed to know where Reiko was, but perhaps that was a good thing.
"Or are you just passing through? Oh, if you are, don't mind me, I'm just... I'll just go, if you want to be here... alone, I mean," she didn't know why she felt so nervous, all of a sudden. But wasn't that how it always was? Especially around him?
He tilted his head at her. On anyone else, it might have counted as curiosity, but it was honestly difficult to say if Kentaro ever felt curious about anything. “I was not looking for Reiko," he informed her simply. For a moment, his eyes flickered back in the direction he'd been looking before, but he returned them to hers immediately afterwards.
“I was... observing."
Even if he didn't feel curious, Sayuri knew she did, and she mimicked his motion. Tilting her head to the side, she blinked at him. "Observing?" she questioned. There wasn't much going on, that she knew of, that would warrant such a thing. Kentaro was certainly entitled to do whatever he wanted to, though, and she wasn't going to say otherwise. She shook her head, though, and still kept the smile in place.
"It must be interesting enough, if it has you observing it," she spoke softly, like she was talking to herself. Maybe she was? Maybe she wanted to say that to herself, but it was a little too late. She'd said it out loud, and she wasn't exactly going to say otherwise. "Oh," she spoke suddenly. She just remembered something. "I... don't know if you've been able to do it, yet, but," she paused for a second, and glanced down.
It was a little difficult to keep his gaze. "The... new sign I requested for Kyabetsu-san, if you don't... get to finish it before I leave, could you have Reiko deliver it for me? If you haven't started on it, then you don't have to do it at all. I just... I like your craftwork." She wasn't sure if he'd been able to work on it, or not. If he hadn't, that was okay. It wasn't like it was important, or at least she didn't think it was. She just liked his craftsmanship, and she figured Aram could use the new sign, anyway.
“It is finished," he replied. “But as you were the one who thought of it, I believe you should be the one to present it to him." Kentaro paused for a moment, face unreadable, before his eyes again snapped to the side.
Sayuri couldn't see whatever he was seeing, but she could hear the sound of a sliding door opening, and voices—a man's and a woman's. Kentaro sniffed the air, then scowled openly. It was more expression than she'd ever seen on his face before. He scoffed under his breath, shaking his head slightly.
He had a point, though, she supposed. Maybe she could present it to Aram before she left, as a sort of 'thank-you' gift. It would certainly be warranted. After all, if it hadn't been for his advice, she wouldn't have been able to help out Reiko. She did, however, take Kentaro's expression into consideration. She'd never really seen him express anything, least of all a scowl.
"Um, Kentaro-san, do you... want to go elsewhere? I could make you tea, if you'd like, of the lavender kind. Or, would you rather just go somewhere else? There's something that might be bothering you, and I'm not entirely sure what it is, but..." she really didn't know what to say or suggest. Clearly, whatever, or whoever, he was staring at was bothering him, somewhat. She couldn't see, and she didn't recognize the voices, so she didn't know what or who it was.
"Oh, um, if you want to, if it's finished, perhaps you'd like to accompany me to deliver it to Kyabetsu-san? You don't have to, and I could get Reiko to go with me, but I just... figured you'd like to be elsewhere?" she ended it as more of a question than a statement. He could, also, go wherever he wanted to go.
He blinked; when his eyes opened again, they were fixed once more on her. The scowl eased, but he still didn't look happy. “It is not I who has justification for displeasure," he said slowly. “It is you."
Her? She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Me? I don't... what do you mean?" she questioned. She was confused as to what he meant. She should be upset about something? Did it have something to do with whatever he was staring at?
Kentaro pushed a breath through his nose. Reaching out towards her, he closed a hand around her elbow and pulled her so that she was standing directly next to him, and able to see what he saw.
At least, she almost did, but his hand fell over her eyes the moment after. This close, she could feel a peculiar amount of heat radiating from his body, like a small furnace in the middle of winter. “There are some things that it is easier not to know," he told her. “Would you want to know anyway, if something I could show you could hurt you?"
She sighed softly. Whatever she was about to see, if she chose to, must have something to do with her. That much was obvious, but even so, she wanted to know. "Those are just risks we have to take, Kentaro-san. Even if you don't show me, I'm sure I'll find out eventually. At least... whatever it is that you show me, will only hurt me for a small amount of time. If I find out later, I think... that would hurt me more," she spoke honestly.
"Will you please let me know now, rather than later? she asked.
His hand lifted away, uncovering her eyes. It took a moment to understand what she was seeing, but it resolved itself after a few blinks.
Out on the engawa, completely oblivious to their presence, was Akarui-dono, her betrothed. Except he wasn't alone—rather, he was pressed into a secluded corner of the building with a woman. She wasn't one of those that worked for the Fujiwaras, which meant she was likely one of his own servants or retainers or relatives thereof. They were quite... enthusiastic about one another's presence, it seemed.
Kentaro was back to wearing no expression at all, but there might have been a flicker of anger beneath the passive look in his eyes as well.
She smiled softly, though she knew it wasn't one of happiness. Sadness, perhaps, but that was warranted, she supposed. "He is... a Lord, Kentaro-san. We are not married yet, and I doubt I will be the only one he... concubines are not that rare," she spoke, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself, or him. Of what, she wasn't even sure. It was no secret that most lords had concubines, and even if she was going to be married to one, she wouldn't be the only one he would take to his bed at night. She was aware of that.
"Thank you, Kentaro-san. You are... kinder than you appear to be," she spoke, turning to give him a polite bow. "I..." she paused and smiled again, dropping her gaze from him. "I have chosen to take this upon myself, for Reiko's sake, and for everyone else's. Please... do not think any less of him. We... will both be gone in a couple of weeks, and eventually, we will be gone in a few decades. We are only temporary, after all, Kentaro-san," she spoke softly, shaking her head.
"I'd like to see the finished product, though, if you don't mind." That, at least would keep her mind occupied. Her chest tightened somewhat, but she put it off as the hurt feeling that she'd said would only be temporary.
“That it is not rare doesn't make it right," he said, a strange firmness to his tone. Shaking his head, he turned to leave, presumably to take her to the finished placard as she'd asked him to do. His departure brought a sudden loss of heat in the air around her.
Kentaro walked with perfect posture; most of the Fujiwara did. Even Reiko seemed to have it ingrained by habit into her bearing. He wasn't stiff, though; his gait was rolling and smooth if anything. He glanced back over his shoulder once, to make sure she was following, perhaps.
Right or Wrong, it didn't matter. If she didn't do this, if she didn't go through with it, then the alliance might fall through. She was willing to swallow whatever dignity she had to keep this from doing that. It was, strangely, nice knowing that he had cared enough to tell her. She couldn't claim to know what any of them felt, and she wasn't sure if they could feel in any sense besides what they felt for Reiko, however; it was still nice.
She remained quiet, though, and followed after him.
Reiko stood outside the house; the sphere of light next to her flickered a contemplative violet. Sometimes, she wasn't entirely fond of the fact that the color of them reflected her true emotions. Fortunately, only a few people had been able to figure out the color scheme, so her feelings weren't generally public.
In that sense, she might be a hypocrite; she herself was here seeking information that someone might not want her to have. She wasn't truly sure she'd even be able to convince Aram-san to part with it, but she had to try. Ever since Sayuri had volunteered to marry Akarui-dono, Reiko had been beset by a deep feeling of unease and troubled dreams. She had to figure out why, and if anyone knew, it would be him.
She wasn't honestly entirely sure she believed in precognition, but... he was Ayla's brother, and Ayla was a werewolf. If she could exist, if Reiko and her family could exist, then it wasn't that outlandish to imagine that someone could see the future, right? She might not have any interest in knowing her own, but... if he could tell her what lay down this path, then she might have some idea of what to do about it.
Walking up the stairs to the front door, she smiled slightly at the brand new plaque on the arch. Fortune, declared the blue letters on black-laquered wood. She knew Kentaro's craftsmanship when she saw it. Knocking once on the door, she stepped back a bit and folded her hands politely in front of her. She could smell him around somewhere, so it was likely he was still inside.
Indeed, not more than a minute later, the door opened to produce Aram. He blinked down at her before he offered her a soft smile. "Reiko-san, good afternoon," he greeted. He glanced around, as if looking to see if she had company with her. He seemed satisfied with the results, and turned his attention back to her.
"Ah, forgive me. If you are here for Ayla, she is not here at the moment. I don't know where she went off to. She seems to be doing that a lot, lately, disappearing," he frowned only for a second before he smiled again. "Or is there something else that brings you here?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in the same questioning manner he always did. It made him seem more bird-like, the way he did it.
She was reminded of Suya's recent decision to call him Washi-san, and struggled to contain her smile. Instead she pursed her lips and nodded slightly.
“Actually, Aram-san... there is something this one would like to ask you." She figured she could try the direct approach first. Maybe it would surprise him into telling her, or perhaps he simply wouldn't have any objections to doing so. Perhaps ironically, she found him difficult to predict.
He blinked a few times, his head still tilted to the side. "Is that so?" he asked. He straightened himself back up, and stood to the side. "Perhaps, you would like to come inside, first. I was just making tea since it is, perhaps, the only thing I can do," he smiled softly to himself. "And I'm sure you do not want to stay out in the cold longer than you have to."
“Oh, the cold doesn't bother this one too much," Reiko confessed with a small smile. “This one has always been fortunate enough to have a very hardy constitution." And that was an understatement. Reiko knew she didn't look like much, but she was quite capable of dealing with a lot, especially in terms of physical hardship.
“But this one is grateful for your invitation nonetheless." It occurred to her a second later that entering a man's house unsupervised was not the sort of thing that she should really be doing, but no one was around to see, and Aram-san was... well, if not exactly her friend, then something close. She followed him inside, closing the door carefully behind her.
"That, and given what you are, makes weathering the cold easier, does it not?" he stated, glancing over his shoulder. It shouldn't be a surprise that he knew, considering Ayla was a werewolf, and all. He must have known about her kind, as well. "Ah, here we are," he spoke, leading her towards the living area. He motioned for her to take a seat, and went to retreive the tea and two cups. He returned a minute later, and set them on the table.
Once he poured each of them a drink, he sat, folding his hands over his cup, and smiled at her. "What assistance can I be to you, Reiko-san?" he spoke, keeping his gaze with hers.
She settled herself comfortably across from him before answering, taking a sip of the tea. It was warm and fragrant; she used that sensation to bolster herself. Glancing down at the table, she carefully arranged her words before raising her eyes to meet his. Such a pretty shade of gold, they were.
“Back when we first met... when you read Sayu-chan's fortune." She tilted her head at him; her eyes sharpened to keenness. Reiko could neither look nor be intimidating, but she could convey seriousness when she wished to. “This one does not... forgive me my bluntness, but this one does not believe that you said everything that you know at that time. This one... this one would like to hear the rest."
The smile that had been on his face disappeared, and a deep frown replaced it. He kept her gaze, though it hardened somewhat. If he could look angry, perhaps this is what it would look like, however; even that seemed like the wrong description of his expression. He sighed deeply, taking a sip of his own tea. He seemed to take her words into consideration, but he still remained quiet.
"I am not certain that is wise, Reiko-san. There are... things that are best left unsaid, unknown. What is Sayuri's future is one that she has to decide for herself. If it appeases you, though, her future is mostly happy," he spoke, though he seemed to hint that it wouldn't always be happy.
“Decide for herself? That's an interesting thing for you to say, Aram-san." She had rather thought that he believed fate was something that could not be changed, regardless of whether someone wanted to choose against it. Perhaps she had only inferred that because of his work.
“You say it is mostly happy, but not how long it is," she observed quietly, taking another sip of her tea.
He shook his head. "That is not what I meant," he sighed softly, taking another sip of his drink. He finally dropped his gaze from hers, and stared intently at his cup. "She has decided her future. Even if I had not informed her of her decision, she would have still made it. She has chosen to wed Akarui-san, has she not? Their union will be pleasant, but I cannot tell you of how long it will be that way. There are things you cannot change, Hino-san," he spoke, referring to her surname, for once.
"If I were to tell you what it is, how long her happiness and life would be, you would attempt to change it as many others have, before you. Each has resulted in a fate far worse than their original one, and I will not be responsible for someone who is important to you," he spoke with an odd sense of seriousness. He genuinely seemed to believe in what he said, if the way his gaze settled on her was anything to go by.
It was unusually grim.
“No," she agreed. “You would not be." Just as his demeanor firmed, so did hers; Reiko shifted so she was sitting even straighter in her spot.
“Aram-san, Sayu-chan is this one's only sister. She is indeed dear to this one, one of the dearest people in all the world. This one will protect her, no matter the cost. If... if you do not wish to help this one do that, or if you believe it is your duty to keep that information away from this one, then that is your prerogative. This one will make no attempt to force you." She paused, taking in a deep breath.
When she met his eyes again, hers were hard. She was not angry, only resolved. “But even by speaking as you have, you have made this one suspect that there is something I must work to change. And this one will not simply give up on the people I love."
Aram sighed deeply, though it was not a sign of capitulation. He did not look to give in, but instead, he met her steady gaze. He stared at her for a moment, perhaps studying her face or trying to read her expression. It was hard to tell. He must have decided on something, though, because the frown on his face disappeared. He didn't smile.
"You are just like her," he spoke, shaking his head. He was probably referring to Ayla, when he said that. "It is not that I do not wish to help you protect her, Reiko, but it is simply the way things must be. You cannot interfere with the way fate has tied her. If you do, you will only be sending her to a worse fate. If that is something you can handle, something you will allow yourself to do, then I will tell you," he spoke. His voice had gentled this time, and he glanced away from her.
Once he seemed to collect himself, he sighed softly, and straightened his posture back out. "Sayuri will not have a pleasant life after she is wed. She will fall in love with Heisuke, and bear him a child, however; the way he treats her..." he paused, swallowing a little thickly as he did so, "she will die in two years time. I do not know the exact cause of her death, but I do know that Heisuke will have been the reason. Whether it is something he did, or indirectly, it will be his fault."
He dropped his gaze after saying that, and took another drink of his tea. "Her future has not changed since I've seen it, though," he paused, pursing his lips together. "Something changed last night. It... was the first time I'd seen something like that happen, but the end result is the same. She will die, however; it was not Heisuke. I could not see who it was," he spoke softly before shaking his head.
"Regardless, Reiko, what you do with the information I have given you is your own, however; I must implore you to not interfere. If Sayuri is as important to you as you say she is, then you will let her go, and you will let her die. If something changes, even in the slightest, her fate will become worse, and I do not believe you would want that for her." He didn't seem apathetic in his plight. He had cringed slightly when he told her to let Sayuri die, and his face pulled into a solemn expression. It looked like it weighed heavily on him to know that kind of information.
Reiko considered that information for a long time. Sayu would fall in love with Heisuke, but he would kill her, directly or indirectly, in two years' time. That could be any number of things: an assassination, neglect, childbirth, or a simple transportation accident. But still... to hear that she would have an unpleasant life even for that remaining two years... that seemed to contradict what he'd said before about her being happy.
Maybe not. Maybe she'd be as happy as she could be in the circumstances. Maybe her love would give her that. But... two years. That was a remarkably short life, even by human standards. And a short life ending in unhappiness was the very last thing Sayuri deserved. So much seemed uncertain, though: what was it that had changed just last night? Aram-san claimed that the future should not be altered, that what was to come would be even worse if she tried, and yet... it was already changing, with or without her interference.
He spoke certainty from one side of his mouth and vaguenesses from the other. She wondered if that was intentional or just a side-effect, of being able to see the things he could see.
Finishing her tea, Reiko set the cup down in front of her. “This one will take your words under advisement, Aram-san. This one believed that you offer them with the best of intentions, and likewise this one would do well to respect your wisdom." That was true. And she did respect him. Very much so.
“But this one cannot live in a world where my only choice is to sit back and do nothing. To allow harm to come to those this one loves simply because I am afraid of worse. This one has to hope that better is possible." Smiling sadly, she rose to her feet and bowed, more deeply than she needed to.
“Please excuse this one for intruding upon your afternoon... and your thoughts." She turned to leave.
"Reiko," he called out just before she could leave. His gaze had softened considerably, but there was still an obvious blankness to it. "There is no better, for Sayuri-san. If you choose to interfere with her fate, you will be causing it to be far worse than it has to be. For Sayuri, the two years of life she has left will be the most happy she'll ever be. Do not deny her that happiness for something that will, inevitably, cause her deeper harm. I know you care for your sister, but... you must not interfere," his tone was so serious it was difficult to tell if this was the same Aram.
"You were not intruding, Reiko-san. I appreciate your company," he spoke, allowing a small smile to appear on his face. "Information like that is not easy to digest, but regardless, you are welcome to stay for tea, if you'd like," he offered.
Slowly, she shook her head. “No thank you, Aram-san." Reiko attempted to smile, but she could not. His words echoed in her mind, weighty and severe, like she was a child being chastised for doing something terrible. The same feeling.
And yet... some part of her truly believed he must be mistaken. That she could not be right. She knew not what to believe, only that she had a great deal of thinking to do before she could make any decisions. “I hope you enjoy your afternoon."
She left without another word.
In that sense, she might be a hypocrite; she herself was here seeking information that someone might not want her to have. She wasn't truly sure she'd even be able to convince Aram-san to part with it, but she had to try. Ever since Sayuri had volunteered to marry Akarui-dono, Reiko had been beset by a deep feeling of unease and troubled dreams. She had to figure out why, and if anyone knew, it would be him.
She wasn't honestly entirely sure she believed in precognition, but... he was Ayla's brother, and Ayla was a werewolf. If she could exist, if Reiko and her family could exist, then it wasn't that outlandish to imagine that someone could see the future, right? She might not have any interest in knowing her own, but... if he could tell her what lay down this path, then she might have some idea of what to do about it.
Walking up the stairs to the front door, she smiled slightly at the brand new plaque on the arch. Fortune, declared the blue letters on black-laquered wood. She knew Kentaro's craftsmanship when she saw it. Knocking once on the door, she stepped back a bit and folded her hands politely in front of her. She could smell him around somewhere, so it was likely he was still inside.
Indeed, not more than a minute later, the door opened to produce Aram. He blinked down at her before he offered her a soft smile. "Reiko-san, good afternoon," he greeted. He glanced around, as if looking to see if she had company with her. He seemed satisfied with the results, and turned his attention back to her.
"Ah, forgive me. If you are here for Ayla, she is not here at the moment. I don't know where she went off to. She seems to be doing that a lot, lately, disappearing," he frowned only for a second before he smiled again. "Or is there something else that brings you here?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in the same questioning manner he always did. It made him seem more bird-like, the way he did it.
She was reminded of Suya's recent decision to call him Washi-san, and struggled to contain her smile. Instead she pursed her lips and nodded slightly.
“Actually, Aram-san... there is something this one would like to ask you." She figured she could try the direct approach first. Maybe it would surprise him into telling her, or perhaps he simply wouldn't have any objections to doing so. Perhaps ironically, she found him difficult to predict.
He blinked a few times, his head still tilted to the side. "Is that so?" he asked. He straightened himself back up, and stood to the side. "Perhaps, you would like to come inside, first. I was just making tea since it is, perhaps, the only thing I can do," he smiled softly to himself. "And I'm sure you do not want to stay out in the cold longer than you have to."
“Oh, the cold doesn't bother this one too much," Reiko confessed with a small smile. “This one has always been fortunate enough to have a very hardy constitution." And that was an understatement. Reiko knew she didn't look like much, but she was quite capable of dealing with a lot, especially in terms of physical hardship.
“But this one is grateful for your invitation nonetheless." It occurred to her a second later that entering a man's house unsupervised was not the sort of thing that she should really be doing, but no one was around to see, and Aram-san was... well, if not exactly her friend, then something close. She followed him inside, closing the door carefully behind her.
"That, and given what you are, makes weathering the cold easier, does it not?" he stated, glancing over his shoulder. It shouldn't be a surprise that he knew, considering Ayla was a werewolf, and all. He must have known about her kind, as well. "Ah, here we are," he spoke, leading her towards the living area. He motioned for her to take a seat, and went to retreive the tea and two cups. He returned a minute later, and set them on the table.
Once he poured each of them a drink, he sat, folding his hands over his cup, and smiled at her. "What assistance can I be to you, Reiko-san?" he spoke, keeping his gaze with hers.
She settled herself comfortably across from him before answering, taking a sip of the tea. It was warm and fragrant; she used that sensation to bolster herself. Glancing down at the table, she carefully arranged her words before raising her eyes to meet his. Such a pretty shade of gold, they were.
“Back when we first met... when you read Sayu-chan's fortune." She tilted her head at him; her eyes sharpened to keenness. Reiko could neither look nor be intimidating, but she could convey seriousness when she wished to. “This one does not... forgive me my bluntness, but this one does not believe that you said everything that you know at that time. This one... this one would like to hear the rest."
The smile that had been on his face disappeared, and a deep frown replaced it. He kept her gaze, though it hardened somewhat. If he could look angry, perhaps this is what it would look like, however; even that seemed like the wrong description of his expression. He sighed deeply, taking a sip of his own tea. He seemed to take her words into consideration, but he still remained quiet.
"I am not certain that is wise, Reiko-san. There are... things that are best left unsaid, unknown. What is Sayuri's future is one that she has to decide for herself. If it appeases you, though, her future is mostly happy," he spoke, though he seemed to hint that it wouldn't always be happy.
“Decide for herself? That's an interesting thing for you to say, Aram-san." She had rather thought that he believed fate was something that could not be changed, regardless of whether someone wanted to choose against it. Perhaps she had only inferred that because of his work.
“You say it is mostly happy, but not how long it is," she observed quietly, taking another sip of her tea.
He shook his head. "That is not what I meant," he sighed softly, taking another sip of his drink. He finally dropped his gaze from hers, and stared intently at his cup. "She has decided her future. Even if I had not informed her of her decision, she would have still made it. She has chosen to wed Akarui-san, has she not? Their union will be pleasant, but I cannot tell you of how long it will be that way. There are things you cannot change, Hino-san," he spoke, referring to her surname, for once.
"If I were to tell you what it is, how long her happiness and life would be, you would attempt to change it as many others have, before you. Each has resulted in a fate far worse than their original one, and I will not be responsible for someone who is important to you," he spoke with an odd sense of seriousness. He genuinely seemed to believe in what he said, if the way his gaze settled on her was anything to go by.
It was unusually grim.
“No," she agreed. “You would not be." Just as his demeanor firmed, so did hers; Reiko shifted so she was sitting even straighter in her spot.
“Aram-san, Sayu-chan is this one's only sister. She is indeed dear to this one, one of the dearest people in all the world. This one will protect her, no matter the cost. If... if you do not wish to help this one do that, or if you believe it is your duty to keep that information away from this one, then that is your prerogative. This one will make no attempt to force you." She paused, taking in a deep breath.
When she met his eyes again, hers were hard. She was not angry, only resolved. “But even by speaking as you have, you have made this one suspect that there is something I must work to change. And this one will not simply give up on the people I love."
Aram sighed deeply, though it was not a sign of capitulation. He did not look to give in, but instead, he met her steady gaze. He stared at her for a moment, perhaps studying her face or trying to read her expression. It was hard to tell. He must have decided on something, though, because the frown on his face disappeared. He didn't smile.
"You are just like her," he spoke, shaking his head. He was probably referring to Ayla, when he said that. "It is not that I do not wish to help you protect her, Reiko, but it is simply the way things must be. You cannot interfere with the way fate has tied her. If you do, you will only be sending her to a worse fate. If that is something you can handle, something you will allow yourself to do, then I will tell you," he spoke. His voice had gentled this time, and he glanced away from her.
Once he seemed to collect himself, he sighed softly, and straightened his posture back out. "Sayuri will not have a pleasant life after she is wed. She will fall in love with Heisuke, and bear him a child, however; the way he treats her..." he paused, swallowing a little thickly as he did so, "she will die in two years time. I do not know the exact cause of her death, but I do know that Heisuke will have been the reason. Whether it is something he did, or indirectly, it will be his fault."
He dropped his gaze after saying that, and took another drink of his tea. "Her future has not changed since I've seen it, though," he paused, pursing his lips together. "Something changed last night. It... was the first time I'd seen something like that happen, but the end result is the same. She will die, however; it was not Heisuke. I could not see who it was," he spoke softly before shaking his head.
"Regardless, Reiko, what you do with the information I have given you is your own, however; I must implore you to not interfere. If Sayuri is as important to you as you say she is, then you will let her go, and you will let her die. If something changes, even in the slightest, her fate will become worse, and I do not believe you would want that for her." He didn't seem apathetic in his plight. He had cringed slightly when he told her to let Sayuri die, and his face pulled into a solemn expression. It looked like it weighed heavily on him to know that kind of information.
Reiko considered that information for a long time. Sayu would fall in love with Heisuke, but he would kill her, directly or indirectly, in two years' time. That could be any number of things: an assassination, neglect, childbirth, or a simple transportation accident. But still... to hear that she would have an unpleasant life even for that remaining two years... that seemed to contradict what he'd said before about her being happy.
Maybe not. Maybe she'd be as happy as she could be in the circumstances. Maybe her love would give her that. But... two years. That was a remarkably short life, even by human standards. And a short life ending in unhappiness was the very last thing Sayuri deserved. So much seemed uncertain, though: what was it that had changed just last night? Aram-san claimed that the future should not be altered, that what was to come would be even worse if she tried, and yet... it was already changing, with or without her interference.
He spoke certainty from one side of his mouth and vaguenesses from the other. She wondered if that was intentional or just a side-effect, of being able to see the things he could see.
Finishing her tea, Reiko set the cup down in front of her. “This one will take your words under advisement, Aram-san. This one believed that you offer them with the best of intentions, and likewise this one would do well to respect your wisdom." That was true. And she did respect him. Very much so.
“But this one cannot live in a world where my only choice is to sit back and do nothing. To allow harm to come to those this one loves simply because I am afraid of worse. This one has to hope that better is possible." Smiling sadly, she rose to her feet and bowed, more deeply than she needed to.
“Please excuse this one for intruding upon your afternoon... and your thoughts." She turned to leave.
"Reiko," he called out just before she could leave. His gaze had softened considerably, but there was still an obvious blankness to it. "There is no better, for Sayuri-san. If you choose to interfere with her fate, you will be causing it to be far worse than it has to be. For Sayuri, the two years of life she has left will be the most happy she'll ever be. Do not deny her that happiness for something that will, inevitably, cause her deeper harm. I know you care for your sister, but... you must not interfere," his tone was so serious it was difficult to tell if this was the same Aram.
"You were not intruding, Reiko-san. I appreciate your company," he spoke, allowing a small smile to appear on his face. "Information like that is not easy to digest, but regardless, you are welcome to stay for tea, if you'd like," he offered.
Slowly, she shook her head. “No thank you, Aram-san." Reiko attempted to smile, but she could not. His words echoed in her mind, weighty and severe, like she was a child being chastised for doing something terrible. The same feeling.
And yet... some part of her truly believed he must be mistaken. That she could not be right. She knew not what to believe, only that she had a great deal of thinking to do before she could make any decisions. “I hope you enjoy your afternoon."
She left without another word.
Ayla sighed softly, pushing most of it through her nose, as she stared at the door. Aram was out, again, doing field work to help with their dwindling supply of funds, however; something had been weighing heavily on her. After her talk with Tatsuya, some part of her, a part that wouldn't stop nagging her, had the suspicion that Aram knew. She should have known, though, that the coincidence (and resemblance) should have tipped her off as to who they really were. Or at least she should have remembered Tatsuya. She knew Amon had children, and that he had had a daughter, but she didn't know her or his family thereafter.
She felt hurt, and it was a little too much for her to bear. He'd fallen in love with a human woman, whom he turned, and that had hurt more than anything. When he died, though... she wasn't sure if she'd died, too. It had felt as if someone had opened her chest, and ripped her heart out. Like they were just dangling it front of her and squeezing it. It was so painful, and even thinking about it was bringing those feelings back. She didn't like it.
But she had to know if Aram actually knew. She was aware of his abilities, just as he was aware of hers. If there was a possibility that he knew, then why didn't he tell her? Did his vision, somehow, involve her, too? She'd never known him to be secretive about things like that. He always told her, no matter what he'd seen, because he knew she wasn't going to tamper with her fate. If he'd seen her die, then she'd accept it. If he'd seen her some other way, she would accept it. He should have known that. She pushed the thougts away from her mind, and waited patiently for him to come home. It was another hour before he finally showed up, and the look on his face was one of mild surprise.
"Ayla, is something wrong?" he asked, though the look on his face suggested that he knew exactly what was going on. She just stared at him and waited for him to take a seat. Once he did, she folded her hands in her lap, and continued staring at him. She'd forgotten how old he really was, and how good he was at keeping his face passive and unreadable. Unless, of course, he wanted people to read him. That had certainly been the case when they first arrived.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she spoke finally, gauging his face for any reaction. Surprise, confusion maybe. Nothing. He simply stared at her before dropping his gaze. "So you did know," she continued, her voice oddly calm. She wasn't expecting it to be that way, and apparently, neither did he.
"I wasn't certain, at first, Ayla. But I did know that his family was here. I did not tell you because I knew how you would react," he spoke in a gentle manner. She almost scoffed at him. He knew how she would react?
"If you knew, then why even bring me along? Whatever it is you are doing here, it doesn't involve me. You could have left me where was," in a shit hole of a castle playing bodyguard. It wasn't the best job, and the lord she'd been protecting had offered her marriage, instead, however; she left when he did. She was not some woman to be kept as a trophy of sorts. That, and she wouldn't allow herself to be chained in such a way to a human. Aram, however, pursed his lips together.
"Because you were miserable there, Ayla. I wasn't going to leave you behind. Must I lose another sibling?" he spoke, and she flinched. She hated when he brought that up. "What I did, was for your best interests, Ayla. Believe me when I say that, however; I will not regret my decision to not tell you of their heritage. I am sorry you found out the way you did, but..." he paused to glance at her.
"No, Aram. They were not for my benefit. They were for yours," she spoke softly, and sighed. She shook her head at him, though, since he opened his mouth to say something. She, honestly, didn't want to hear him right now. "I do not know what makes you think so little of me, Aram, but do you not think I feel the same way, too? You know I would tell you everything if I had your ability," she began, but stopped herself from going any further. She stood from her spot and glanced at him.
"I don't know if I can trust you, right now, Aram. Until I can... I'm leaving," she stated. She didn't want to leave him behind, but if he did not trust her to tell her that much, how could she trust him? Maybe she was being selfish, or childish, but she did not care at the moment.
"Will you come back?" he asked. He made no attempt to stop her, and she didn't think he would. She only shook her head.
"I don't know, Aram," she spoke honestly. Maybe she would come back, once she reconciled with herself. Or maybe she'd simply leave him forever, and allow him to move on without her. She couldn't see how this played out, but she had a feeling he would. "I won't leave this place, though. I would not wish Reiko any more sadness than she is already dealing with. I'm sure you know about it," she was referring to Sayuri's predicament. He only nodded his head.
"Goodbye, Aram," she spoke softly.
"Goodbye, Ayla."
She walked out of the house, and into the streets. There was still some light outside, which was a good thing. She wasn't going to stay with Aram, not right now. She needed to find someplace else, somewhere she wouldn't be bothered too much. With that in mind, she walked down the streets, and passed by the market. The inns would likely be past them, and she could probably find something there. Maybe she could ask Setsuka for a room? She scoffed at the idea. She doubted the woman rented out rooms for a day. Or maybe she would? It'd be better to check the inns, first.
It had begun to snow outside, even as the sun fell below the horizon. The storm was sudden, from the way people were still outside and trying to protect their carts, stalls, and storefronts against the elements. But they also seemed quite used to it—perhaps late-winter snowfall was common here.
Not much longer afterwards, Ayla picked up the sound of a familiar voice—Reiko's voice. She was at the tofu cart, helping the owner stake down a protective covering of some kind over it and pack up her wares in crates. Since the proprietor was an old woman, she probably did need help with that sort of thing.
Ayla contemplated whether or not she would go assist. She sighed heavily, and slumped her shoulders. She should help out, at least. She made her way towards Reiko, stepping lightly over some products that had fallen from other carts. Once she was within distance of Reiko, she cleared her throat softly. "Reiko-chan, do you need help?" she could offer that much, she supposed.
Plus, being around Reiko would help her collect her thoughts, she supposed. It was always like that, now that she thought about it. Around both of them, Tatsuya included, she was always calm. Though in Tatsuya's case, it was when she was drinking with him. Reiko, however, didn't need to do that. It just happened.
“Oh, Ayla-san! This one would appreciate your help. Can you please move those boxes onto the horse-cart?" She pointed to the crates, and then a nearby cart with an old horse harnessed to the front. “Ando-san needs to get her wares home to ride out the storm."
Ayla blinked before glancing between the cart and the crates. "I can do that, sure," she replied, making her way towards the crates. With little effort, she lifted the crates and moved them to the cart. Once she had them loaded, she turned towards Ando-san and Reiko. "Is there anything else you need help with?" she decided to ask. It'd be better to get as much work done as possible before the storm came down harder, she supposed. Not that it bothered her too much, she was used to cold like this. That, and she always ran at a slightly warmer temperature.
It took a moment for Reiko to answer; she was busy driving a stake into the ground... with her bare hands. Sometimes it was easy to forget she wasn't quite human either, since she seemed so well-integrated with them, unlike most of the nonhumans around here. Other times, though, her heritage was extremely obvious. Fortunately, Ando-san was looking the other way.
Once the stake was secure, Reiko straightened, straightening her clothing a little where exertion had caused it to come slightly loose. “That should be everything. You're sure you'll be able to drive the cart home yourself, Ando-san?"
The old woman nodded. "Yes, dear. Even if I go blind, old Tachi here knows the way in any weather." she patted the horse's flank, though she did accept Reiko's hand up into the driver's spot. "I'll see you some time after the storm passes. Don't you stay out too much longer, dear."
Reiko nodded. “Yes Ando-san. Stay warm now."
With another nod and a flick of the reins, Ando-san was off down the road, and Reiko turned to Ayla. “Thank you for your help, Ayla-san. Can this one ask what you are doing outside? The storm started about half an hour ago; this one would have thought you'd be at home." She adjusted the conical straw hat on her head a little.
"About that," she spoke, glancing away from her. She wasn't entirely sure if she should tell Reiko, or not, that she was looking for a place to stay. "Aram and I are not exactly seeing eye to eye, right now. I was on my way to the inns to find a temporary place to stay," she spoke honestly. At least she didn't have to elaborate on that.
Reiko's expression quickly morphed to one of shock, but to her credit, she smoothed it over again almost right away. “Oh—oh well, you don't have to go looking. You can stay with this one; there are plenty of unused rooms at home." She offered a small smile.
"Reiko, that is kind of you to offer, but I don't think..." she paused, blinking slowly at herself. Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea considering she'd, somewhat, had a break through with Tatsuya, but she didn't want to impose, regardless. It would be weird for her, being in his home with his children. She sighed softly, and shook the thought from her mind.
"I don't want to impose on you and your family, Reiko," she decided to go with that, instead.
Reiko rolled her eyes. “You wouldn't be imposing, Ayla-san. It is exactly as this one said: there are plenty of spare rooms, and we don't exactly have to worry about the cost of feeding one more person, this one promises. Besides..." She sighed slightly, the brightness of her eyes dulling somewhat.
“This one thinks it would be nice to have you around, right now. This one is sure Sayu-chan would feel the same."
Well. Shit. She couldn't exactly say no to that. "If you are certain it will be no problem for you, Reiko, then I will accept your offer," she replied, trying her best to at least smile. It came out rather odd, she could feel it.
"I think it would be nice to be around both of you as well," at least until Sayuri had to leave. That still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Reiko nodded, apparently satisfied with that. “Okay. Then we should go. This one will make sure a room is ready for you by the time you want to sleep tonight. In the meantime, you can catch up with Sayu-chan."
"I'd like that."
She felt hurt, and it was a little too much for her to bear. He'd fallen in love with a human woman, whom he turned, and that had hurt more than anything. When he died, though... she wasn't sure if she'd died, too. It had felt as if someone had opened her chest, and ripped her heart out. Like they were just dangling it front of her and squeezing it. It was so painful, and even thinking about it was bringing those feelings back. She didn't like it.
But she had to know if Aram actually knew. She was aware of his abilities, just as he was aware of hers. If there was a possibility that he knew, then why didn't he tell her? Did his vision, somehow, involve her, too? She'd never known him to be secretive about things like that. He always told her, no matter what he'd seen, because he knew she wasn't going to tamper with her fate. If he'd seen her die, then she'd accept it. If he'd seen her some other way, she would accept it. He should have known that. She pushed the thougts away from her mind, and waited patiently for him to come home. It was another hour before he finally showed up, and the look on his face was one of mild surprise.
"Ayla, is something wrong?" he asked, though the look on his face suggested that he knew exactly what was going on. She just stared at him and waited for him to take a seat. Once he did, she folded her hands in her lap, and continued staring at him. She'd forgotten how old he really was, and how good he was at keeping his face passive and unreadable. Unless, of course, he wanted people to read him. That had certainly been the case when they first arrived.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she spoke finally, gauging his face for any reaction. Surprise, confusion maybe. Nothing. He simply stared at her before dropping his gaze. "So you did know," she continued, her voice oddly calm. She wasn't expecting it to be that way, and apparently, neither did he.
"I wasn't certain, at first, Ayla. But I did know that his family was here. I did not tell you because I knew how you would react," he spoke in a gentle manner. She almost scoffed at him. He knew how she would react?
"If you knew, then why even bring me along? Whatever it is you are doing here, it doesn't involve me. You could have left me where was," in a shit hole of a castle playing bodyguard. It wasn't the best job, and the lord she'd been protecting had offered her marriage, instead, however; she left when he did. She was not some woman to be kept as a trophy of sorts. That, and she wouldn't allow herself to be chained in such a way to a human. Aram, however, pursed his lips together.
"Because you were miserable there, Ayla. I wasn't going to leave you behind. Must I lose another sibling?" he spoke, and she flinched. She hated when he brought that up. "What I did, was for your best interests, Ayla. Believe me when I say that, however; I will not regret my decision to not tell you of their heritage. I am sorry you found out the way you did, but..." he paused to glance at her.
"No, Aram. They were not for my benefit. They were for yours," she spoke softly, and sighed. She shook her head at him, though, since he opened his mouth to say something. She, honestly, didn't want to hear him right now. "I do not know what makes you think so little of me, Aram, but do you not think I feel the same way, too? You know I would tell you everything if I had your ability," she began, but stopped herself from going any further. She stood from her spot and glanced at him.
"I don't know if I can trust you, right now, Aram. Until I can... I'm leaving," she stated. She didn't want to leave him behind, but if he did not trust her to tell her that much, how could she trust him? Maybe she was being selfish, or childish, but she did not care at the moment.
"Will you come back?" he asked. He made no attempt to stop her, and she didn't think he would. She only shook her head.
"I don't know, Aram," she spoke honestly. Maybe she would come back, once she reconciled with herself. Or maybe she'd simply leave him forever, and allow him to move on without her. She couldn't see how this played out, but she had a feeling he would. "I won't leave this place, though. I would not wish Reiko any more sadness than she is already dealing with. I'm sure you know about it," she was referring to Sayuri's predicament. He only nodded his head.
"Goodbye, Aram," she spoke softly.
"Goodbye, Ayla."
She walked out of the house, and into the streets. There was still some light outside, which was a good thing. She wasn't going to stay with Aram, not right now. She needed to find someplace else, somewhere she wouldn't be bothered too much. With that in mind, she walked down the streets, and passed by the market. The inns would likely be past them, and she could probably find something there. Maybe she could ask Setsuka for a room? She scoffed at the idea. She doubted the woman rented out rooms for a day. Or maybe she would? It'd be better to check the inns, first.
It had begun to snow outside, even as the sun fell below the horizon. The storm was sudden, from the way people were still outside and trying to protect their carts, stalls, and storefronts against the elements. But they also seemed quite used to it—perhaps late-winter snowfall was common here.
Not much longer afterwards, Ayla picked up the sound of a familiar voice—Reiko's voice. She was at the tofu cart, helping the owner stake down a protective covering of some kind over it and pack up her wares in crates. Since the proprietor was an old woman, she probably did need help with that sort of thing.
Ayla contemplated whether or not she would go assist. She sighed heavily, and slumped her shoulders. She should help out, at least. She made her way towards Reiko, stepping lightly over some products that had fallen from other carts. Once she was within distance of Reiko, she cleared her throat softly. "Reiko-chan, do you need help?" she could offer that much, she supposed.
Plus, being around Reiko would help her collect her thoughts, she supposed. It was always like that, now that she thought about it. Around both of them, Tatsuya included, she was always calm. Though in Tatsuya's case, it was when she was drinking with him. Reiko, however, didn't need to do that. It just happened.
“Oh, Ayla-san! This one would appreciate your help. Can you please move those boxes onto the horse-cart?" She pointed to the crates, and then a nearby cart with an old horse harnessed to the front. “Ando-san needs to get her wares home to ride out the storm."
Ayla blinked before glancing between the cart and the crates. "I can do that, sure," she replied, making her way towards the crates. With little effort, she lifted the crates and moved them to the cart. Once she had them loaded, she turned towards Ando-san and Reiko. "Is there anything else you need help with?" she decided to ask. It'd be better to get as much work done as possible before the storm came down harder, she supposed. Not that it bothered her too much, she was used to cold like this. That, and she always ran at a slightly warmer temperature.
It took a moment for Reiko to answer; she was busy driving a stake into the ground... with her bare hands. Sometimes it was easy to forget she wasn't quite human either, since she seemed so well-integrated with them, unlike most of the nonhumans around here. Other times, though, her heritage was extremely obvious. Fortunately, Ando-san was looking the other way.
Once the stake was secure, Reiko straightened, straightening her clothing a little where exertion had caused it to come slightly loose. “That should be everything. You're sure you'll be able to drive the cart home yourself, Ando-san?"
The old woman nodded. "Yes, dear. Even if I go blind, old Tachi here knows the way in any weather." she patted the horse's flank, though she did accept Reiko's hand up into the driver's spot. "I'll see you some time after the storm passes. Don't you stay out too much longer, dear."
Reiko nodded. “Yes Ando-san. Stay warm now."
With another nod and a flick of the reins, Ando-san was off down the road, and Reiko turned to Ayla. “Thank you for your help, Ayla-san. Can this one ask what you are doing outside? The storm started about half an hour ago; this one would have thought you'd be at home." She adjusted the conical straw hat on her head a little.
"About that," she spoke, glancing away from her. She wasn't entirely sure if she should tell Reiko, or not, that she was looking for a place to stay. "Aram and I are not exactly seeing eye to eye, right now. I was on my way to the inns to find a temporary place to stay," she spoke honestly. At least she didn't have to elaborate on that.
Reiko's expression quickly morphed to one of shock, but to her credit, she smoothed it over again almost right away. “Oh—oh well, you don't have to go looking. You can stay with this one; there are plenty of unused rooms at home." She offered a small smile.
"Reiko, that is kind of you to offer, but I don't think..." she paused, blinking slowly at herself. Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea considering she'd, somewhat, had a break through with Tatsuya, but she didn't want to impose, regardless. It would be weird for her, being in his home with his children. She sighed softly, and shook the thought from her mind.
"I don't want to impose on you and your family, Reiko," she decided to go with that, instead.
Reiko rolled her eyes. “You wouldn't be imposing, Ayla-san. It is exactly as this one said: there are plenty of spare rooms, and we don't exactly have to worry about the cost of feeding one more person, this one promises. Besides..." She sighed slightly, the brightness of her eyes dulling somewhat.
“This one thinks it would be nice to have you around, right now. This one is sure Sayu-chan would feel the same."
Well. Shit. She couldn't exactly say no to that. "If you are certain it will be no problem for you, Reiko, then I will accept your offer," she replied, trying her best to at least smile. It came out rather odd, she could feel it.
"I think it would be nice to be around both of you as well," at least until Sayuri had to leave. That still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Reiko nodded, apparently satisfied with that. “Okay. Then we should go. This one will make sure a room is ready for you by the time you want to sleep tonight. In the meantime, you can catch up with Sayu-chan."
"I'd like that."
Nighttime was a period of relative peace and quiet in the Fujiwara household. Ordinarily, that was simply because the human servants were asleep. Now, they were joined by Akarui and his retainers, meaning that the difference was actually quite vast. Tatsuya preferred it when it was quiet like this; too much noise could make him feel overcrowded quite easily, especially when so many of the people were humans.
They couldn't help that they smelled like food, but they did. Particularly, like now, when he was still hungry.
He'd considered finding Reiko and asking if she felt well enough to offer him some of her blood, but she'd been unusually pensive and wan in the last couple of days. He didn't want to press the point when she was like that. He wondered if it was just Sayuri's situation that bothered her, or something else.
Perhaps she would recover now that Ayla was staying here. He hated to admit it on some level, but his sister did seem bolstered by the wolf-woman's presence. It was clearly mutual. Maybe a few months ago he would have been adamantly against allowing something like that to continue, against allowing Ayla into their home, but now he found that he didn't really mind. If she needed somewhere to be and Reiko wanted her around, he had no objections.
Settling his back against the tree, Tatsuya adjusted himself in the branches. It was a sakura tree, about to come into bloom early because it was in Reiko's garden and nothing in Reiko's garden ever really died, not even temporarily. He glanced at a slightly-orange gold sphere and frowned. Orange was anxiety. But it wasn't the dominant color; all of them had had at least traces of orange since they made that stupid bargain with Akarui.
It was snowing heavily now, but the air was still. Tatsuya actually found it quite pleasant; ice was his element, after all. His body ran cold and didn't suffer in the cold. Even if he shut his eyes, he could feel the flakes falling, bathed in a warm glow from the spheres.
Pushing a breath from his nose and observing it form a cloud in the air, he was about to draw something from his sleeve when he noticed something unusual.
Akarui was out of his room, pacing through the garden, accompanied by that weird advisor of his, the one that always seemed to be wearing a hooded robe. Apparently he was a priest or some shit. Tatsuya didn't care about human religion, but something about that guy made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He cocked his ear, picking up the sound of Akarui's voice.
“—leave soon? I think the blond one hates me. The younger one. Seems like he's everywhere."
“Has he said anything to you?" The advisor's voice was smooth, like oil, and just about as greasy, in Tatsuya's opinion.
They drew closer to his tree, apparently unaware of his presence, and Tatsuya consciously concealed it now, curious as to what exactly was going on between Akarui and Kentaro. His brother didn't waste energy or time on emotions like hate, and definitely would not interfere in the lord's business without a very good reason.
“No," Akarui replied. “But I saw him speaking with Risa the other day. What would he want with her?"
Tatsuya could practically hear the adviser roll his eyes. “Perhaps the same thing you usually want with her?"
Oh, so they thought this was about sex then. Risa must be one of Akarui's women. Most lords had several. But not while they were negotiating a marriage in the home of a host. That was pretty close to dishonoring Sayuri, and by extension, the rest of them. Tatsuya didn't give a fuck what he did, obviously, but it wasn't a wise move. Jirō might get offended by something like that.
But Kentaro didn't give a shit about any of that. Tatsuya wasn't sure he'd taken a lover since that time he and Tsubasa had practically forced him into an okiya a few hundred years ago. If he had, he'd done it much more subtly than Tatsuya ever bothered being.
So then why was he talking to Akarui's concubine?
“You think so? That fucking—"
"I don't suggest you bring it up," the adviser said dryly. "Lest your habits in this matter become the object of public scrutiny. You have not been faultless, Akarui-dono. It would be poor form to make that public knowledge, don't you think?"
They passed out of range of even Tatsuya's excellent hearing thereafter. Snorting, he shook his head. Whatever.
Withdrawing his shakuhachi from the sleeve of his gi, Tatsuya polished the bamboo on his shirt before raising it to his lips. After a few practice scales, he settled into a song, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around to bother him, for now.
"Didn't know you could play that well," he wasn't alone for long, it seemed. "Don't mind me, I'm just passing through," she spoke, though she didn't make an obvious effort to leave just yet. She just stared at him for a moment, shook her head, and then took a step forward. "I take it that that was Akarui? she questioned. Her nose seemed to wrinkle, though, as she did. She probably didn't like the way Akarui smelled.
Tatsuya stopped playing, moving the flute down a few inches. He wasn't surprised at her presence; his nose was likely almost as good as hers, and she had a distinctive scent. But he hadn't expected her to address him.
Blinking, he shrugged. “And his spiritual adviser, or whatever that guy is. But yes. That was them." Tatsuya adjusted himself on his branch, but made no effort to climb down to speak. She could hear him just fine.
Someone had put her in a different kimono; one that had not been his at any point. He suspected Reiko and Sayuri. Reiko did not like to dress in that way, herself; she hadn't since their father had died. But she did enjoy treating other people like her dolls. Even him, sometimes.
“You look different," he said casually, turning his flute over a few times in his fingers. “Blue's a good color on you." If she'd been wearing white, she might well have faded into the snowy backdrop, like the yuki-onna from some of the old man's stories.
She scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Your sister had something to say about that, actually. She wouldn't let me wear what I wanted to," she almost grumbled the last words. She shrugged her shoulders lightly, though. "I obviously have no fashion sense, or so Sayuri told me. But if it's comfortable, I'm going to wear it. If not, I won't. Simple as that," she continued, her words holding some truth.
"As for the color," she continued, glancing down at it. "It's not my favorite color. I'd much prefer something darker, maybe a red or purple. But like I said, I apparently don't have any fashion sense," she said, glancing off towards the side. Her eyes narrowed somewhat, as if she'd heard something he could not, before she directed her attention back to him.
“I don't know; personally I've found some of your sartorial selections to be rather inspired," he replied, arching an eyebrow. “But then, I suspect I'm not the only man who enjoys seeing a pretty woman in his clothes." He shrugged.
For a moment, Tatsuya flipped his flute around between his fingers, turning it end-over-end without really paying much attention. “I trust you're comfortable? My sister and that idiot Jirō would both be displeased if I did not do what a good host must and inquire after your well-being." Though... he found he didn't mind. Perhaps he would have, anyway. He wasn't sure what to make of that.
Ayla gave him a blank stare before she barked out a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure," she replied with a light shake of her head. "And I'm sure they also enjoy the thought of removing it as well," she spoke, though she rolled her eyes at that one. "I'm about as comfortable as I can be, I suppose. It's not... quite the same as home, but I can't quite complain," she answered, glancing back up at him.
"She doesn't need to go out of her way to accommodate me, though. I'm not exactly important to warrant such things," she spoke in a nonchalant manner. "I might be her friend, but still," she furrowed her brows at that and pursed her lips together. She probably didn't like the way she was being treated, although anyone else in her position might have been a little too overjoyed.
"But I'd probably just make her upset if I said that."
He shrugged. “Reiko doesn't rank importance with title. You know that. So to her, you're probably the most important guest we have. Besides, rank or no, you are a guest. That's enough for most of them." He paused. “Watch out for Daichi, though. He's a bitter little shit, especially recently."
Tatsuya supposed revealing family politics to her wasn't strictly decorous, but he didn't care, either. If Daichi was going to be a stupid prick, he deserved to have people know about it and avoid him accordingly.
"Oh? Is that concern I hear?" she spoke somewhat amused. She laughed softly, though. "Bitter little shit or not, I don't really have to watch out for much. You should know that. My bite is, after all, a lot worse than my bark. Trust me," she stated, perhaps in a confident tone. "Reiko and Sayuri keep me occupied most of the time, so I don't really have much to worry about. I think I've only really met Kentaro so far," she shrugged her shoulders to indicate she didn't really care.
"And you, of course. So, that makes two out of, what, eight?"
He wasn't saying it because he thought Daichi was going to assault her. So the relative power of her bark and her bite had nothing to do with it. But whatever. He was slightly off-put by the allegation that he was concerned, since he really wasn't but he let it pass.
“Six. You'll run into the rest of us eventually," he said, quite certain of it. “There's Jirō, the idiot with the black hair. He's the oldest after me, and probably already knows who you are since he's a nosy shit who knows more than anyone needs to. You'll know which one he is because he dresses the fanciest. Tsubasa's the loudmouth usually carrying a spear. And he's bored easily. The two of you are kind of alike, actually."
Now there was an alarming thought. “You know Kentaro already. Daichi's a redhead, with a sour look on his face all the time. Takahiro's the blind one; his hair's the same color as yours."
She didn't bother hiding her amusement. She was laughing, as if he'd said something funny. Perhaps to her, it was. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to stay clear of everyone but Tsubasa, if we're so alike. Even if its the slightest bit," she replied. The amusement died down, though, and her face seemed to pull back into a passive stare.
"I won't keep you any longer. Thanks for the heads up about your family, I suppose. Don't take this the wrong way but..." she paused, a frown tugging at her lips. "If you need anything I can help with, I'll try. I doubt you'll need it, though, but the offer's there," she spoke, though it was uncertain of what she meant by that. Maybe she was just trying to be nice? "I told Reiko the same thing, so..." she trailed off there at the end.
It was Tatsuya's turn to laugh. The sound was deep and rich; he seldom heard it himself. “Yeah? And if I decide it's been too long since I got laid? You gonna volunteer to come to bed with me and help?" He grinned, well aware that that wasn't at all what she'd meant. “Don't ever give me an open offer, Ayla; I like pushing too much."
"Obviously," she replied, giving him a flat look. She didn't look as amused as he was, and her lips were pursed into a fine line. "If it's been too long since you last got laid, I'd suggest going back to Setsuka's. I'm sure she can arrange something for you. That, or you could find other willing subjects," she wrinkled her nose at that.
"But whatever, ass. All I meant is that if there was something you needed that doesn't require your bed, I'll try and help you," she pursed her lips, the amusement dropping from her face. "I don't exactly know how you all deal with that thirst, either. Can't be easy since you have so many humans around," she stated, her eyes narrowing somewhat. She'd know about that, of course.
"See you around, I guess," she stated, turning to leave and waving over her shoulder.
He snorted, shaking his head as she left and raising his shakuhachi back to his lips.
Teasing her was far too much fun.
They couldn't help that they smelled like food, but they did. Particularly, like now, when he was still hungry.
He'd considered finding Reiko and asking if she felt well enough to offer him some of her blood, but she'd been unusually pensive and wan in the last couple of days. He didn't want to press the point when she was like that. He wondered if it was just Sayuri's situation that bothered her, or something else.
Perhaps she would recover now that Ayla was staying here. He hated to admit it on some level, but his sister did seem bolstered by the wolf-woman's presence. It was clearly mutual. Maybe a few months ago he would have been adamantly against allowing something like that to continue, against allowing Ayla into their home, but now he found that he didn't really mind. If she needed somewhere to be and Reiko wanted her around, he had no objections.
Settling his back against the tree, Tatsuya adjusted himself in the branches. It was a sakura tree, about to come into bloom early because it was in Reiko's garden and nothing in Reiko's garden ever really died, not even temporarily. He glanced at a slightly-orange gold sphere and frowned. Orange was anxiety. But it wasn't the dominant color; all of them had had at least traces of orange since they made that stupid bargain with Akarui.
It was snowing heavily now, but the air was still. Tatsuya actually found it quite pleasant; ice was his element, after all. His body ran cold and didn't suffer in the cold. Even if he shut his eyes, he could feel the flakes falling, bathed in a warm glow from the spheres.
Pushing a breath from his nose and observing it form a cloud in the air, he was about to draw something from his sleeve when he noticed something unusual.
Akarui was out of his room, pacing through the garden, accompanied by that weird advisor of his, the one that always seemed to be wearing a hooded robe. Apparently he was a priest or some shit. Tatsuya didn't care about human religion, but something about that guy made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He cocked his ear, picking up the sound of Akarui's voice.
“—leave soon? I think the blond one hates me. The younger one. Seems like he's everywhere."
“Has he said anything to you?" The advisor's voice was smooth, like oil, and just about as greasy, in Tatsuya's opinion.
They drew closer to his tree, apparently unaware of his presence, and Tatsuya consciously concealed it now, curious as to what exactly was going on between Akarui and Kentaro. His brother didn't waste energy or time on emotions like hate, and definitely would not interfere in the lord's business without a very good reason.
“No," Akarui replied. “But I saw him speaking with Risa the other day. What would he want with her?"
Tatsuya could practically hear the adviser roll his eyes. “Perhaps the same thing you usually want with her?"
Oh, so they thought this was about sex then. Risa must be one of Akarui's women. Most lords had several. But not while they were negotiating a marriage in the home of a host. That was pretty close to dishonoring Sayuri, and by extension, the rest of them. Tatsuya didn't give a fuck what he did, obviously, but it wasn't a wise move. Jirō might get offended by something like that.
But Kentaro didn't give a shit about any of that. Tatsuya wasn't sure he'd taken a lover since that time he and Tsubasa had practically forced him into an okiya a few hundred years ago. If he had, he'd done it much more subtly than Tatsuya ever bothered being.
So then why was he talking to Akarui's concubine?
“You think so? That fucking—"
"I don't suggest you bring it up," the adviser said dryly. "Lest your habits in this matter become the object of public scrutiny. You have not been faultless, Akarui-dono. It would be poor form to make that public knowledge, don't you think?"
They passed out of range of even Tatsuya's excellent hearing thereafter. Snorting, he shook his head. Whatever.
Withdrawing his shakuhachi from the sleeve of his gi, Tatsuya polished the bamboo on his shirt before raising it to his lips. After a few practice scales, he settled into a song, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around to bother him, for now.
"Didn't know you could play that well," he wasn't alone for long, it seemed. "Don't mind me, I'm just passing through," she spoke, though she didn't make an obvious effort to leave just yet. She just stared at him for a moment, shook her head, and then took a step forward. "I take it that that was Akarui? she questioned. Her nose seemed to wrinkle, though, as she did. She probably didn't like the way Akarui smelled.
Tatsuya stopped playing, moving the flute down a few inches. He wasn't surprised at her presence; his nose was likely almost as good as hers, and she had a distinctive scent. But he hadn't expected her to address him.
Blinking, he shrugged. “And his spiritual adviser, or whatever that guy is. But yes. That was them." Tatsuya adjusted himself on his branch, but made no effort to climb down to speak. She could hear him just fine.
Someone had put her in a different kimono; one that had not been his at any point. He suspected Reiko and Sayuri. Reiko did not like to dress in that way, herself; she hadn't since their father had died. But she did enjoy treating other people like her dolls. Even him, sometimes.
“You look different," he said casually, turning his flute over a few times in his fingers. “Blue's a good color on you." If she'd been wearing white, she might well have faded into the snowy backdrop, like the yuki-onna from some of the old man's stories.
She scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Your sister had something to say about that, actually. She wouldn't let me wear what I wanted to," she almost grumbled the last words. She shrugged her shoulders lightly, though. "I obviously have no fashion sense, or so Sayuri told me. But if it's comfortable, I'm going to wear it. If not, I won't. Simple as that," she continued, her words holding some truth.
"As for the color," she continued, glancing down at it. "It's not my favorite color. I'd much prefer something darker, maybe a red or purple. But like I said, I apparently don't have any fashion sense," she said, glancing off towards the side. Her eyes narrowed somewhat, as if she'd heard something he could not, before she directed her attention back to him.
“I don't know; personally I've found some of your sartorial selections to be rather inspired," he replied, arching an eyebrow. “But then, I suspect I'm not the only man who enjoys seeing a pretty woman in his clothes." He shrugged.
For a moment, Tatsuya flipped his flute around between his fingers, turning it end-over-end without really paying much attention. “I trust you're comfortable? My sister and that idiot Jirō would both be displeased if I did not do what a good host must and inquire after your well-being." Though... he found he didn't mind. Perhaps he would have, anyway. He wasn't sure what to make of that.
Ayla gave him a blank stare before she barked out a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure," she replied with a light shake of her head. "And I'm sure they also enjoy the thought of removing it as well," she spoke, though she rolled her eyes at that one. "I'm about as comfortable as I can be, I suppose. It's not... quite the same as home, but I can't quite complain," she answered, glancing back up at him.
"She doesn't need to go out of her way to accommodate me, though. I'm not exactly important to warrant such things," she spoke in a nonchalant manner. "I might be her friend, but still," she furrowed her brows at that and pursed her lips together. She probably didn't like the way she was being treated, although anyone else in her position might have been a little too overjoyed.
"But I'd probably just make her upset if I said that."
He shrugged. “Reiko doesn't rank importance with title. You know that. So to her, you're probably the most important guest we have. Besides, rank or no, you are a guest. That's enough for most of them." He paused. “Watch out for Daichi, though. He's a bitter little shit, especially recently."
Tatsuya supposed revealing family politics to her wasn't strictly decorous, but he didn't care, either. If Daichi was going to be a stupid prick, he deserved to have people know about it and avoid him accordingly.
"Oh? Is that concern I hear?" she spoke somewhat amused. She laughed softly, though. "Bitter little shit or not, I don't really have to watch out for much. You should know that. My bite is, after all, a lot worse than my bark. Trust me," she stated, perhaps in a confident tone. "Reiko and Sayuri keep me occupied most of the time, so I don't really have much to worry about. I think I've only really met Kentaro so far," she shrugged her shoulders to indicate she didn't really care.
"And you, of course. So, that makes two out of, what, eight?"
He wasn't saying it because he thought Daichi was going to assault her. So the relative power of her bark and her bite had nothing to do with it. But whatever. He was slightly off-put by the allegation that he was concerned, since he really wasn't but he let it pass.
“Six. You'll run into the rest of us eventually," he said, quite certain of it. “There's Jirō, the idiot with the black hair. He's the oldest after me, and probably already knows who you are since he's a nosy shit who knows more than anyone needs to. You'll know which one he is because he dresses the fanciest. Tsubasa's the loudmouth usually carrying a spear. And he's bored easily. The two of you are kind of alike, actually."
Now there was an alarming thought. “You know Kentaro already. Daichi's a redhead, with a sour look on his face all the time. Takahiro's the blind one; his hair's the same color as yours."
She didn't bother hiding her amusement. She was laughing, as if he'd said something funny. Perhaps to her, it was. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to stay clear of everyone but Tsubasa, if we're so alike. Even if its the slightest bit," she replied. The amusement died down, though, and her face seemed to pull back into a passive stare.
"I won't keep you any longer. Thanks for the heads up about your family, I suppose. Don't take this the wrong way but..." she paused, a frown tugging at her lips. "If you need anything I can help with, I'll try. I doubt you'll need it, though, but the offer's there," she spoke, though it was uncertain of what she meant by that. Maybe she was just trying to be nice? "I told Reiko the same thing, so..." she trailed off there at the end.
It was Tatsuya's turn to laugh. The sound was deep and rich; he seldom heard it himself. “Yeah? And if I decide it's been too long since I got laid? You gonna volunteer to come to bed with me and help?" He grinned, well aware that that wasn't at all what she'd meant. “Don't ever give me an open offer, Ayla; I like pushing too much."
"Obviously," she replied, giving him a flat look. She didn't look as amused as he was, and her lips were pursed into a fine line. "If it's been too long since you last got laid, I'd suggest going back to Setsuka's. I'm sure she can arrange something for you. That, or you could find other willing subjects," she wrinkled her nose at that.
"But whatever, ass. All I meant is that if there was something you needed that doesn't require your bed, I'll try and help you," she pursed her lips, the amusement dropping from her face. "I don't exactly know how you all deal with that thirst, either. Can't be easy since you have so many humans around," she stated, her eyes narrowing somewhat. She'd know about that, of course.
"See you around, I guess," she stated, turning to leave and waving over her shoulder.
He snorted, shaking his head as she left and raising his shakuhachi back to his lips.
Teasing her was far too much fun.
Sayuri sighed softly, shaking loose the strands of her hair. It was only a few more days before Spring would, officially, arrive, and that meant she would be leaving. She'd tried not to let what she'd seen bother her, and she'd managed to do okay with it. Akarui-dono was a lord, and she would, undoubtedly, be his wife, but not the only woman in his life. Most lords kept a wife, and multiple concubines just for the sake of having heirs. Maybe she wouldn't be able to give him one, and he'd resort to one of the concubines? Maybe he'd make her a concubine instead? She shuddered at the thought.
"Something bothering you, Yuri-chan?" it was Ayla's voice that snapped her out of her stupor. She turned to greet her friend, and offered her a soft smile. Ayla just raised a brow in her direction. "I'll take that as a yes," she spoke. Sayuri shook her head, though, trying to persuade her otherwise. Ayla didn't look convinced.
"I'm fine, Ayla-chan. I'm just... I think I'm finally nervous about the upcoming wedding and departure," she answered honestly. Ayla sighed, as if she'd been expecting that. "I just, I've lived here since I was a small girl. It's going to be weird to leave. I mean, I didn't really expect to live out the rest of my life here. I'd... probably have gotten married eventually, and I wouldn't be able to stay here." That was, of course, assuming she'd find someone who would marry her despite her relation to the Fujiwaras.
"Yuri-chan, tell me truthfully, why did you agree to take Reiko's place?" Ayla spoke, and the look in her eyes looked serious.
"Because Reiko is loved, here. They wouldn't... everyone would be miserable without her, and she keeps them whole. I don't know how else to explain it, Ayla-chan. At least... with me, I wouldn't be missed too much. I think, really, the only ones who would actually miss me would be you and Reiko-chan," the words she spoke were true, after all. Sayuri wasn't certain if anyone besides Reiko, would miss her. Who was she but a human girl amongst a family of... she wasn't even sure she knew the right word to call them.
"Really? Is that what you think?" Ayla didn't seem to happy about her choice, but she didn't look like she was going to press it any further. Instead, she sighed and shook her head. "Sayuri-chan, you don't give yourself enough credit. You'd be missed by everyone who cares about you, and not just Reiko or myself," she spoke, causing Sayuri to frown somewhat.
"But it's alright, Ayla-chan. I think... this might actually turn out good for me. I'll be able to live out the rest of my life knowing I was able to help my family when they needed it. But, I think I'd rather talk about other things, Ayla-chan, if you don't mind. I just... I need to focus on something else," because the more she thought about it, the more scared she became. She didn't understand why, and she wasn't going to go back on her decision.
"Let's see if Reiko-chan is finished with her duties, alright?" she stated. Ayla sighed, but slumped her shoulders somewhat. She only tilted her head indicating Sayuri to lead the way. Sayuri just smiled. Sometimes Ayla could be thoughtful, and sometimes she could be pushy. She was glad that it was the former, and not the latter, at the moment.
They passed by several of the more official chambers in the castle. Fortunately, that had been the right thing to do; Reiko emerged from one of them as they went by. Sayuri knew it to be Jirō's private office; Reiko usually spent about an hour with him once every few days, in addition to whatever incidental contact they had. It was part of what she'd meant, when she talked about how Reiko kept them whole. All of them sought her out, some more frequently, like Tatsuya or Kentaro, and others less, like Jirō or Daichi.
Reiko was holding a hand to her neck when she exited, but let it fall when she saw them. There was nothing but smooth skin underneath, but Sayuri had lived here long enough to understand what had probably just happened. It clearly never bothered her sister, though, and Reiko smiled softly at both of them.
“Sayu-chan, Ayla-san. What brings you to this part of the house?"
"We were looking for you, actually," Ayla spoke first. Sayuri nodded her head to agree, though she wasn't entirely sure why they were looking for Reiko. Ayla only said to find her if her duties were up, but she didn't know what the woman was planning, if she was planning anything at all. "I think we all need a little time for ourselves, don't you?" she spoke, quirking a brow in their direction. Sayuri was a little confused by what she meant. Didn't they always have time for themselves?
"I am not sure what you mean by that, Ayla-chan," she decided to say. Ayla glanced at her with a rather flat look, and Sayuri almost felt small beneath it. "B-but I'm sure that whatever you have in mind will be good," she added quickly. Ayla shook her head and huffed.
"What I have in mind is something that will both help you relax. The hotspring," she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sayuri coughed slightly and glanced to the side. She didn't have a problem with it, but she'd only ever really bathed with Reiko. Ayla, though they were friends, was still a stranger in that respect, to her.
"I... don't know about that, Ayla-chan. Maybe... maybe something else?" besides, she didn't think she needed a dip in the hotspring. They'd just bathed recently, after all.
Reiko's face remained more or less neutral. Sayuri knew she was very self-conscious about her appearance, and so probably not the most comfortable with the idea, but to her credit, she didn't give any sign of that. “Well, whatever the two of you wish to do to relax is fine by this one. It seems we could all use a break."
Ayla scoffed just slightly, and rolled her eyes. "If you'd rather do something else, what would you suggest? I can't think of anything more relaxing than a nice hotspring dip, but if there's something else," she spoke, raising a brow in their direction. Sayuri contemplated the decision, for a moment. Having tea would probably be too boring for them, and it wasn't exactly a relaxing method. She chewed the bottom of her lip for a moment longer.
"We could go take a break in the garden?" she suggested. At least there, they would have privacy, and they wouldn't have to worry about anyone, who wasn't part of the Fujiwara household, bothering them. "Some of the flowers are in bloom, and I'm sure it'll be nice to just be able to relax without being bothered by anyone," she spoke. It's not like they would be bothered either way, but perhaps they'd like the idea more-so that way.
"Or we could just stand around and do nothing," Ayla replied flatly. Apparently she didn't like the idea too much, but she didn't seem entirely upset about the suggestion. "You know what, I haven't been around the entire household yet, and I'm sure there are places of interest. How about you show me around a bit? Walking is a good way to relax, too, you know," she suggested. That wasn't a bad idea, and walking could help them clear their minds.
"Because I don't think Reiko would like the idea of being taken out to town and finding something more suitable for her to wear, for once," she added, her lips quirking up slightly. Sayuri shook her head softly. She knew, for a fact, that Reiko wouldn't want that. If anything, it'd get turned around on either herself or Ayla, if they tried.
“We can walk around, then," Reiko said, her silence on the last matter speaking for itself. Smiling slightly at the both of them, she turned to lead the way, but only by a small distance, still close enough to converse quietly with the both of them.
“As you may have guessed, this is the more public area of the castle. My brothers and this one all have office spaces here, where we can take care of any business that needs doing. This one just came from Jirō's office. The one down here at the end of the hall is Tatsuya's." She pointed at the largest of the sliding doors. The screens were done in a tasteful design of black and gold dragons on white rice paper; it was quite elegant, actually.
Reiko paused a moment. “He... doesn't spend much time in there. Tatsuya prefers not to bother too much with the business side of things. It... this one can understand that, but it does tend to make certain things... less clear." It was obvious there was more to say there, but she hesitated.
Sayuri could tell Reiko was probably debating how much to reveal to Ayla. Not even she knew the full details of the family's current situation. The Fujiwara guarded their secrets carefully, for the most part, however open or careless they seemed otherwise.
Ayla didn't seem too bothered by it, regardless, only nodding when Reiko explained something. She scoffed slightly at Reiko's statement about Tatsuya, but it was a little difficult to tell if it was out of amusement or something else. "I suppose that makes some sense, all things considered," she spoke, but didn't say anything further. Sayuri smiled somewhat, and glanced towards Reiko.
"I don't have one, though," she spoke, smiling as she did so. She didn't need an office for the obvious, or not so obvious in this case, reasons. "I don't have duties like they do," she continued, though the smile on her face did not falter. She didn't think Fujiwara-dono would ever give her something like that, not because he didn't trust her, but simply because she wouldn't need it. She was, actually, slightly grateful for that. She didn't have to worry about the things the others did, and that left her to help them recover from it. Or at least Reiko.
"I'm sure that'll change once you become an Akarui," Ayla spoke a little too casually, however; she visibly flinched at the way she said it. "Sorry, Yuri-chan, I didn't mean it that way," she apologized.
"Oh it's alright, Ayla-chan, it didn't do any harm," though it did sting somewhat. She still wasn't entirely sure about it, now, but she'd resolved herself to do it. "And I doubt that I will have any position of importance, other than being Akarui-dono's wife," she spoke, and Ayla frowned deeply. She muttered something softly beneath her breath but Sayuri couldn't hear it.
A strangely-dark look crossed Reiko's face for a moment, then disappeared. “Out this way are the main practice grounds and barracks," she said, gently drawing the topic away from potential awkwardness and back into safe subjects. She pulled open a door, letting them outside.
The practice ring was routinely cleared of snow, so there wasn't any around at the moment. Barracks buildings were set along the property's outer wall, visible over the various areas for weapon training and the like. “This one's family does not have an army in the sense that most do; rather, we have a small contingent of household guards, and then... this one's brothers themselves."
In the ring, a man with unruly brown hair and a red headband was wielding a spear against Kentaro, who had a very long ōdachi in a doublehanded grip. Their sparring was clearly aggressive; both of them moved with exceptional quickness and precision; each clash of metal rang loud in the still winter air. After one particularly rough collision, the spearman split into several identical copies of himself; all of them charged Kentaro at once.
He hardly seemed surprised by that, however, and waited patiently, striking with all the suddenness of an explosion, batting the first spear aside and throwing his elbow into that clone's nose, sending him reeling back. He flowed into a kick, landing it on the second's chest and sending him flying outside the ring, crashing into the wooden fence that bounded it. Shifting his grip so that it was one-handed, he caught the blade of the next spear in his bare hand, sweeping that clone's legs out from underneath him. With careful control, he stabbed downwards, enough to leave a small cut on the clone's neck. Apparently that was the "deathblow," because the clone disappeared.
Red eyes flickered to the watchers; he paused for a moment when they landed on her, as though he were... hesitating?
“Too slow, Taro!"
The spearman reappeared behind him, swinging down. Kentaro blocked, but with only one hand, it wasn't sturdy enough, and Tsubasa's momentum broke it, leaving a thin cut along Kentaro's throat of the same kind the latter had given the clone just a moment ago.
“I yield," he said softly.
“Damn, I thought you had me that time. How long's it been since I won one, eh?" Tsubasa turned his attention to the three women and shot them a broad grin. “Rei! And Sayu-chan. Guess it must be my turn to meet Ayla-san, right?" He closed the distance with an easy jog, Kentaro following at a much more sedate pace.
Sayuri offered them a bright smile, and a polite bow. "Afternoon, Tsubasa-san, Kentaro-san," she greeted them once they were close enough. Ayla had a small look of amusement on her face before it disappeared. There was still a small grin on her face, though, and if Sayuri had the ability to be more preceptive, she looked, maybe, a little agitated? Maybe it was the sparring match?
"I've already met the two blonds," she spoke, tilting her head towards Kentaro, and referring to Tatsuya. They were the only ones, that she knew, that had the golden colored hair. "And it looks like I don't need to introduce myself since you already know my name, but," she spoke, pausing for a moment to glance at Reiko before her attention drifted back to Tsubasa, "I'd rather not be rude to my generous hosts. I am Ayla, yes."
"She is staying with us for the moment, as you know," Sayuri spoke. She didn't really need to say that, since they all knew she was a guest, but she felt, strangely, nervous. She was starting to suspect she might be coming down with something. That, or it was probably something else. She glanced towards Kentaro, and offered him a smaller smile.
He tilted his head slightly at her; his eyes fell to her smile and then returned to hers. He made no effort to replicate the expression, but then... it wasn't even clear that Kentaro knew how to smile. He certainly never did. Still, it was clear in his subtle way that he'd acknowledged hers.
His brother seemed more or less oblivious to the exchange, and addressed Ayla after nodding and grinning at Sayuri. “Well, nice to meet ya, then. I'm Tsubasa. I'd say welcome or whatever, but I guess it's probably a bit late for that since you've been here a few days." Tsubasa was one of those people with a semi-permanent smile on his face and an obvious good nature. He didn't always come off as the sharpest of his siblings, but he was more clever than he let on, at least. He also really, really enjoyed fighting; he trained all the house guards.
He gave Ayla a small bow, then rose from it and straightened to his full height. He was shorter than Kentaro or Tatsuya, but taller than the rest, still well over six feet. “If ya get bored and want to practice or something sometime, you're welcome to use the ring. I'd be obliged if you wanted to beat some sense into a few of my guys; they get tired of only losing ta me." He seemed fully confident that they would lose to Ayla as well.
"I'm afraid they wouldn't give me much of a challenge, Tsubasa-san. You, on the other hand, would maybe be more of a challenge," Ayla responded a little lightheartedly, however; from the tone of her voice, she was slightly serious. Sayuri just blinked in her direction. Didn't she just see how Tsubasa fought? Did she really think she had a chance against the Fujiwaras? She was half inclined to think Ayla was mad, but the grin on her face, and the confident bearing of her stand all pointed to her being serious.
"Ayla-chan, Tsubasa-san and the others are really good at what they do," she began, however; Ayla merely turned to her with a raised brow.
"And?"
"And you might get hurt," she stated, pursing her lips together. Ayla laughed. Sayuri wasn't so sure it was a funny thing, because Ayla could get hurt. Seriously, so.
"Oh, trust me Yuri-chan, he could try to hurt me," she spoke, offering Tsubasa somewhat of a strange, yet challenging, grin. Sayuri just shook her head and glanced towards Reiko.
Tsubasa shrugged. “Well, challenge is a matter of creativity, Ayla-san. For example, fighting ten of them with your hands tied is very different from dueling one of them with weapons. You don't have ta, obviously; I just figure you might get a little restless around here is all." He didn't seem insulted or even surprised by Ayla's confidence or her insinuations.
“As for me, well, I might take ya up on that sometime. But for now, I've gotta go make a patrol schedule, so I'm afraid I'm gonna have to leave you with Taro here. He might fight ya, though." Tsubasa clapped Kentaro on the shoulder, leaned in to give Reiko a bear-hug, and nodded to Sayuri and Ayla.
“Till next time, then." With a jaunty wave, he was off.
Ayla muttered something beneath her breath, something that vaguely sounded like she wouldn't even need her hands, however; she didn't say anything out loud. Instead, she bowed before Tsubasa left. Sayuri let loose a sigh of relief; she hadn't realized she was holding it. She glanced towards Kentaro, and then towards Ayla and Reiko. Ayla didn't look so inclined to fight with Kentaro, but it was apparent that she was slightly tense. Sayuri frowned somewhat.
"Ayla-san, perhaps you'd like to spar with someone else, for now? I'm sure Kentaro-san would like to rest, if not something else?" she couldn't presume to know what Kentaro felt, only that he might be tired after sparring with Tsubasa. She wasn't sure if they ever really got tired, though, considering how hard they went at each other. And considering what they were, actually. Ayla just shook her head.
"Perhaps another time. I believe Taro-san might actually be a challenge for me," she spoke, grinning somewhat at Kentaro before shaking her head. "Well, unless there are any other places to visit, perhaps we should go find lunch? I'm starving," she stated, drawing out the last word. Sayuri smiled softly.
"I forget how much you can eat, sometimes, Ayla-san," she spoke in a light manner. Ayla ate about as much as three grown men, sometimes, and it was a little hard to believe, considering how she looked. "Ah, would you like to join us, Kentaro-san?" she decided to ask. Reiko and Kentaro didn't necessarily need food the way she and Ayla did, but they did seem to enjoy it when they could. Or at least Reiko did.
Kentaro appeared to consider that for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Reiko smiled a bit. “There's more to see, but we can leave that for later if you're all hungry. The dining room is this way." She led them back inside, down one of the more private hallways this time. Sayuri knew this was the wing where most of the family lived; her own room was down at the end of the hall, next to Reiko's.
Ahead of her, Reiko's shoulders tensed slightly. It wasn't clear why until they'd made it about halfway down the hall—Daichi was approaching. He'd never done more than spare Sayuri a glance; they'd never even really had a proper conversation. He wasn't as physically imposing as some of the others, but his red eyes were sharper than those belonging to his kin. Harsher.
He did not stop to acknowledge them as they passed in the hall, though he did spare Reiko a small nod. The rest of them might well have not existed for all the attention he paid them. Kentaro's expression didn't change, but Reiko frowned slightly and sighed.
“That was Daichi," she explained to Ayla, as soon as he was well out of earshot. “He... he's not a bad person, really. But things have been tense lately, between him and the rest of the family."
"I'll say," was the only thing Ayla said. She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to recall something. "I guess that makes most of the family. I haven't officially met Jiji, or whatever his name is, or Takahiro, but I suppose I'll meet them eventually," Ayla stated. She must have been counting how many of the brothers they'd met so far. Sayuri smiled, though.
"His name is Jirō, Ayla-san," Sayuri corrected. She shrugged her shoulders, and Sayuri just shook her head. Sometimes she wondered if Ayla came from a family similar to her own, or if she'd been raised somewhere else. She certainly didn't have the proper decorum around those of noble blood, and didn't seem to care much either way. She treated everyone about the same, and she wasn't sure how most of them would react to that.
"I guess," she finally spoke. "Well, let's go eat. I've got a hole burning in my stomach, right now," she certainly didn't speak like a noble, either. Sayuri laughed softly.
"Something bothering you, Yuri-chan?" it was Ayla's voice that snapped her out of her stupor. She turned to greet her friend, and offered her a soft smile. Ayla just raised a brow in her direction. "I'll take that as a yes," she spoke. Sayuri shook her head, though, trying to persuade her otherwise. Ayla didn't look convinced.
"I'm fine, Ayla-chan. I'm just... I think I'm finally nervous about the upcoming wedding and departure," she answered honestly. Ayla sighed, as if she'd been expecting that. "I just, I've lived here since I was a small girl. It's going to be weird to leave. I mean, I didn't really expect to live out the rest of my life here. I'd... probably have gotten married eventually, and I wouldn't be able to stay here." That was, of course, assuming she'd find someone who would marry her despite her relation to the Fujiwaras.
"Yuri-chan, tell me truthfully, why did you agree to take Reiko's place?" Ayla spoke, and the look in her eyes looked serious.
"Because Reiko is loved, here. They wouldn't... everyone would be miserable without her, and she keeps them whole. I don't know how else to explain it, Ayla-chan. At least... with me, I wouldn't be missed too much. I think, really, the only ones who would actually miss me would be you and Reiko-chan," the words she spoke were true, after all. Sayuri wasn't certain if anyone besides Reiko, would miss her. Who was she but a human girl amongst a family of... she wasn't even sure she knew the right word to call them.
"Really? Is that what you think?" Ayla didn't seem to happy about her choice, but she didn't look like she was going to press it any further. Instead, she sighed and shook her head. "Sayuri-chan, you don't give yourself enough credit. You'd be missed by everyone who cares about you, and not just Reiko or myself," she spoke, causing Sayuri to frown somewhat.
"But it's alright, Ayla-chan. I think... this might actually turn out good for me. I'll be able to live out the rest of my life knowing I was able to help my family when they needed it. But, I think I'd rather talk about other things, Ayla-chan, if you don't mind. I just... I need to focus on something else," because the more she thought about it, the more scared she became. She didn't understand why, and she wasn't going to go back on her decision.
"Let's see if Reiko-chan is finished with her duties, alright?" she stated. Ayla sighed, but slumped her shoulders somewhat. She only tilted her head indicating Sayuri to lead the way. Sayuri just smiled. Sometimes Ayla could be thoughtful, and sometimes she could be pushy. She was glad that it was the former, and not the latter, at the moment.
They passed by several of the more official chambers in the castle. Fortunately, that had been the right thing to do; Reiko emerged from one of them as they went by. Sayuri knew it to be Jirō's private office; Reiko usually spent about an hour with him once every few days, in addition to whatever incidental contact they had. It was part of what she'd meant, when she talked about how Reiko kept them whole. All of them sought her out, some more frequently, like Tatsuya or Kentaro, and others less, like Jirō or Daichi.
Reiko was holding a hand to her neck when she exited, but let it fall when she saw them. There was nothing but smooth skin underneath, but Sayuri had lived here long enough to understand what had probably just happened. It clearly never bothered her sister, though, and Reiko smiled softly at both of them.
“Sayu-chan, Ayla-san. What brings you to this part of the house?"
"We were looking for you, actually," Ayla spoke first. Sayuri nodded her head to agree, though she wasn't entirely sure why they were looking for Reiko. Ayla only said to find her if her duties were up, but she didn't know what the woman was planning, if she was planning anything at all. "I think we all need a little time for ourselves, don't you?" she spoke, quirking a brow in their direction. Sayuri was a little confused by what she meant. Didn't they always have time for themselves?
"I am not sure what you mean by that, Ayla-chan," she decided to say. Ayla glanced at her with a rather flat look, and Sayuri almost felt small beneath it. "B-but I'm sure that whatever you have in mind will be good," she added quickly. Ayla shook her head and huffed.
"What I have in mind is something that will both help you relax. The hotspring," she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sayuri coughed slightly and glanced to the side. She didn't have a problem with it, but she'd only ever really bathed with Reiko. Ayla, though they were friends, was still a stranger in that respect, to her.
"I... don't know about that, Ayla-chan. Maybe... maybe something else?" besides, she didn't think she needed a dip in the hotspring. They'd just bathed recently, after all.
Reiko's face remained more or less neutral. Sayuri knew she was very self-conscious about her appearance, and so probably not the most comfortable with the idea, but to her credit, she didn't give any sign of that. “Well, whatever the two of you wish to do to relax is fine by this one. It seems we could all use a break."
Ayla scoffed just slightly, and rolled her eyes. "If you'd rather do something else, what would you suggest? I can't think of anything more relaxing than a nice hotspring dip, but if there's something else," she spoke, raising a brow in their direction. Sayuri contemplated the decision, for a moment. Having tea would probably be too boring for them, and it wasn't exactly a relaxing method. She chewed the bottom of her lip for a moment longer.
"We could go take a break in the garden?" she suggested. At least there, they would have privacy, and they wouldn't have to worry about anyone, who wasn't part of the Fujiwara household, bothering them. "Some of the flowers are in bloom, and I'm sure it'll be nice to just be able to relax without being bothered by anyone," she spoke. It's not like they would be bothered either way, but perhaps they'd like the idea more-so that way.
"Or we could just stand around and do nothing," Ayla replied flatly. Apparently she didn't like the idea too much, but she didn't seem entirely upset about the suggestion. "You know what, I haven't been around the entire household yet, and I'm sure there are places of interest. How about you show me around a bit? Walking is a good way to relax, too, you know," she suggested. That wasn't a bad idea, and walking could help them clear their minds.
"Because I don't think Reiko would like the idea of being taken out to town and finding something more suitable for her to wear, for once," she added, her lips quirking up slightly. Sayuri shook her head softly. She knew, for a fact, that Reiko wouldn't want that. If anything, it'd get turned around on either herself or Ayla, if they tried.
“We can walk around, then," Reiko said, her silence on the last matter speaking for itself. Smiling slightly at the both of them, she turned to lead the way, but only by a small distance, still close enough to converse quietly with the both of them.
“As you may have guessed, this is the more public area of the castle. My brothers and this one all have office spaces here, where we can take care of any business that needs doing. This one just came from Jirō's office. The one down here at the end of the hall is Tatsuya's." She pointed at the largest of the sliding doors. The screens were done in a tasteful design of black and gold dragons on white rice paper; it was quite elegant, actually.
Reiko paused a moment. “He... doesn't spend much time in there. Tatsuya prefers not to bother too much with the business side of things. It... this one can understand that, but it does tend to make certain things... less clear." It was obvious there was more to say there, but she hesitated.
Sayuri could tell Reiko was probably debating how much to reveal to Ayla. Not even she knew the full details of the family's current situation. The Fujiwara guarded their secrets carefully, for the most part, however open or careless they seemed otherwise.
Ayla didn't seem too bothered by it, regardless, only nodding when Reiko explained something. She scoffed slightly at Reiko's statement about Tatsuya, but it was a little difficult to tell if it was out of amusement or something else. "I suppose that makes some sense, all things considered," she spoke, but didn't say anything further. Sayuri smiled somewhat, and glanced towards Reiko.
"I don't have one, though," she spoke, smiling as she did so. She didn't need an office for the obvious, or not so obvious in this case, reasons. "I don't have duties like they do," she continued, though the smile on her face did not falter. She didn't think Fujiwara-dono would ever give her something like that, not because he didn't trust her, but simply because she wouldn't need it. She was, actually, slightly grateful for that. She didn't have to worry about the things the others did, and that left her to help them recover from it. Or at least Reiko.
"I'm sure that'll change once you become an Akarui," Ayla spoke a little too casually, however; she visibly flinched at the way she said it. "Sorry, Yuri-chan, I didn't mean it that way," she apologized.
"Oh it's alright, Ayla-chan, it didn't do any harm," though it did sting somewhat. She still wasn't entirely sure about it, now, but she'd resolved herself to do it. "And I doubt that I will have any position of importance, other than being Akarui-dono's wife," she spoke, and Ayla frowned deeply. She muttered something softly beneath her breath but Sayuri couldn't hear it.
A strangely-dark look crossed Reiko's face for a moment, then disappeared. “Out this way are the main practice grounds and barracks," she said, gently drawing the topic away from potential awkwardness and back into safe subjects. She pulled open a door, letting them outside.
The practice ring was routinely cleared of snow, so there wasn't any around at the moment. Barracks buildings were set along the property's outer wall, visible over the various areas for weapon training and the like. “This one's family does not have an army in the sense that most do; rather, we have a small contingent of household guards, and then... this one's brothers themselves."
In the ring, a man with unruly brown hair and a red headband was wielding a spear against Kentaro, who had a very long ōdachi in a doublehanded grip. Their sparring was clearly aggressive; both of them moved with exceptional quickness and precision; each clash of metal rang loud in the still winter air. After one particularly rough collision, the spearman split into several identical copies of himself; all of them charged Kentaro at once.
He hardly seemed surprised by that, however, and waited patiently, striking with all the suddenness of an explosion, batting the first spear aside and throwing his elbow into that clone's nose, sending him reeling back. He flowed into a kick, landing it on the second's chest and sending him flying outside the ring, crashing into the wooden fence that bounded it. Shifting his grip so that it was one-handed, he caught the blade of the next spear in his bare hand, sweeping that clone's legs out from underneath him. With careful control, he stabbed downwards, enough to leave a small cut on the clone's neck. Apparently that was the "deathblow," because the clone disappeared.
Red eyes flickered to the watchers; he paused for a moment when they landed on her, as though he were... hesitating?
“Too slow, Taro!"
The spearman reappeared behind him, swinging down. Kentaro blocked, but with only one hand, it wasn't sturdy enough, and Tsubasa's momentum broke it, leaving a thin cut along Kentaro's throat of the same kind the latter had given the clone just a moment ago.
“I yield," he said softly.
“Damn, I thought you had me that time. How long's it been since I won one, eh?" Tsubasa turned his attention to the three women and shot them a broad grin. “Rei! And Sayu-chan. Guess it must be my turn to meet Ayla-san, right?" He closed the distance with an easy jog, Kentaro following at a much more sedate pace.
Sayuri offered them a bright smile, and a polite bow. "Afternoon, Tsubasa-san, Kentaro-san," she greeted them once they were close enough. Ayla had a small look of amusement on her face before it disappeared. There was still a small grin on her face, though, and if Sayuri had the ability to be more preceptive, she looked, maybe, a little agitated? Maybe it was the sparring match?
"I've already met the two blonds," she spoke, tilting her head towards Kentaro, and referring to Tatsuya. They were the only ones, that she knew, that had the golden colored hair. "And it looks like I don't need to introduce myself since you already know my name, but," she spoke, pausing for a moment to glance at Reiko before her attention drifted back to Tsubasa, "I'd rather not be rude to my generous hosts. I am Ayla, yes."
"She is staying with us for the moment, as you know," Sayuri spoke. She didn't really need to say that, since they all knew she was a guest, but she felt, strangely, nervous. She was starting to suspect she might be coming down with something. That, or it was probably something else. She glanced towards Kentaro, and offered him a smaller smile.
He tilted his head slightly at her; his eyes fell to her smile and then returned to hers. He made no effort to replicate the expression, but then... it wasn't even clear that Kentaro knew how to smile. He certainly never did. Still, it was clear in his subtle way that he'd acknowledged hers.
His brother seemed more or less oblivious to the exchange, and addressed Ayla after nodding and grinning at Sayuri. “Well, nice to meet ya, then. I'm Tsubasa. I'd say welcome or whatever, but I guess it's probably a bit late for that since you've been here a few days." Tsubasa was one of those people with a semi-permanent smile on his face and an obvious good nature. He didn't always come off as the sharpest of his siblings, but he was more clever than he let on, at least. He also really, really enjoyed fighting; he trained all the house guards.
He gave Ayla a small bow, then rose from it and straightened to his full height. He was shorter than Kentaro or Tatsuya, but taller than the rest, still well over six feet. “If ya get bored and want to practice or something sometime, you're welcome to use the ring. I'd be obliged if you wanted to beat some sense into a few of my guys; they get tired of only losing ta me." He seemed fully confident that they would lose to Ayla as well.
"I'm afraid they wouldn't give me much of a challenge, Tsubasa-san. You, on the other hand, would maybe be more of a challenge," Ayla responded a little lightheartedly, however; from the tone of her voice, she was slightly serious. Sayuri just blinked in her direction. Didn't she just see how Tsubasa fought? Did she really think she had a chance against the Fujiwaras? She was half inclined to think Ayla was mad, but the grin on her face, and the confident bearing of her stand all pointed to her being serious.
"Ayla-chan, Tsubasa-san and the others are really good at what they do," she began, however; Ayla merely turned to her with a raised brow.
"And?"
"And you might get hurt," she stated, pursing her lips together. Ayla laughed. Sayuri wasn't so sure it was a funny thing, because Ayla could get hurt. Seriously, so.
"Oh, trust me Yuri-chan, he could try to hurt me," she spoke, offering Tsubasa somewhat of a strange, yet challenging, grin. Sayuri just shook her head and glanced towards Reiko.
Tsubasa shrugged. “Well, challenge is a matter of creativity, Ayla-san. For example, fighting ten of them with your hands tied is very different from dueling one of them with weapons. You don't have ta, obviously; I just figure you might get a little restless around here is all." He didn't seem insulted or even surprised by Ayla's confidence or her insinuations.
“As for me, well, I might take ya up on that sometime. But for now, I've gotta go make a patrol schedule, so I'm afraid I'm gonna have to leave you with Taro here. He might fight ya, though." Tsubasa clapped Kentaro on the shoulder, leaned in to give Reiko a bear-hug, and nodded to Sayuri and Ayla.
“Till next time, then." With a jaunty wave, he was off.
Ayla muttered something beneath her breath, something that vaguely sounded like she wouldn't even need her hands, however; she didn't say anything out loud. Instead, she bowed before Tsubasa left. Sayuri let loose a sigh of relief; she hadn't realized she was holding it. She glanced towards Kentaro, and then towards Ayla and Reiko. Ayla didn't look so inclined to fight with Kentaro, but it was apparent that she was slightly tense. Sayuri frowned somewhat.
"Ayla-san, perhaps you'd like to spar with someone else, for now? I'm sure Kentaro-san would like to rest, if not something else?" she couldn't presume to know what Kentaro felt, only that he might be tired after sparring with Tsubasa. She wasn't sure if they ever really got tired, though, considering how hard they went at each other. And considering what they were, actually. Ayla just shook her head.
"Perhaps another time. I believe Taro-san might actually be a challenge for me," she spoke, grinning somewhat at Kentaro before shaking her head. "Well, unless there are any other places to visit, perhaps we should go find lunch? I'm starving," she stated, drawing out the last word. Sayuri smiled softly.
"I forget how much you can eat, sometimes, Ayla-san," she spoke in a light manner. Ayla ate about as much as three grown men, sometimes, and it was a little hard to believe, considering how she looked. "Ah, would you like to join us, Kentaro-san?" she decided to ask. Reiko and Kentaro didn't necessarily need food the way she and Ayla did, but they did seem to enjoy it when they could. Or at least Reiko did.
Kentaro appeared to consider that for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Reiko smiled a bit. “There's more to see, but we can leave that for later if you're all hungry. The dining room is this way." She led them back inside, down one of the more private hallways this time. Sayuri knew this was the wing where most of the family lived; her own room was down at the end of the hall, next to Reiko's.
Ahead of her, Reiko's shoulders tensed slightly. It wasn't clear why until they'd made it about halfway down the hall—Daichi was approaching. He'd never done more than spare Sayuri a glance; they'd never even really had a proper conversation. He wasn't as physically imposing as some of the others, but his red eyes were sharper than those belonging to his kin. Harsher.
He did not stop to acknowledge them as they passed in the hall, though he did spare Reiko a small nod. The rest of them might well have not existed for all the attention he paid them. Kentaro's expression didn't change, but Reiko frowned slightly and sighed.
“That was Daichi," she explained to Ayla, as soon as he was well out of earshot. “He... he's not a bad person, really. But things have been tense lately, between him and the rest of the family."
"I'll say," was the only thing Ayla said. She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to recall something. "I guess that makes most of the family. I haven't officially met Jiji, or whatever his name is, or Takahiro, but I suppose I'll meet them eventually," Ayla stated. She must have been counting how many of the brothers they'd met so far. Sayuri smiled, though.
"His name is Jirō, Ayla-san," Sayuri corrected. She shrugged her shoulders, and Sayuri just shook her head. Sometimes she wondered if Ayla came from a family similar to her own, or if she'd been raised somewhere else. She certainly didn't have the proper decorum around those of noble blood, and didn't seem to care much either way. She treated everyone about the same, and she wasn't sure how most of them would react to that.
"I guess," she finally spoke. "Well, let's go eat. I've got a hole burning in my stomach, right now," she certainly didn't speak like a noble, either. Sayuri laughed softly.
Reiko sighed, wrapping the last of the onigiri and placing it into the large basket. It didn't take her long to clean up the kitchen after herself; the trick was going to be making it out of the estate without anyone noticing.
It wasn't that she felt her activities needed to be a secret, exactly; but considering the present state of things... it was just a conversation she'd rather not have. Even she wasn't completely sure how she felt about everything right now, but she couldn't leave someone in a bad situation if she knew she could make it better.
Ironic, that the very same trait that had caused all these problems was moving her now. Or maybe just far too predictable.
She made it out to the front gate without encountering company, but she wasn't lucky after that. Kentaro had appeared in front of her, staring flatly at her with his arms in his sleeves.
“Er, Kentaro. This one..." she wasn't really sure what to say.
He spared her the trouble of figuring something out. “I will accompany you," was all he said.
Reiko, relieved that he wasn't going to try and stop her, nodded. “Please don't tell Ayla-san. This one is sure she wouldn't mind, exactly, but... it might be better not to have the conversation right now. It doesn't seem to be something she wants to think about."
“And you?" he asked. In two words, he managed to strike right at the heart of the matter. Doubtless all of them had noticed her trips to the village becoming less frequent. Too soon for it to be her need to "leave" and eventually "die" as they all did from time to time, so that the humans in the town below would never be able to confirm their suspicions about the lord and his family. There could only be a few things that would cause it instead.
Reiko pursed her lips. “He must be terribly lonely," she said softly. Guilt welled up in her chest. She was no replacement for Ayla's company, she knew that. Arguably, they weren't even friends, as such. That was a word usually reserved for people she knew better than she knew him. But... still. He was alone now, and there was something she could do to make that a little easier, and...
She hadn't.
Not until today.
Kentaro said nothing, leaving Reiko to keep the conversation going or let it die. For a while, she chose the latter, but then she spoke. “Kentaro, if..." she paused, trying to consider her words before she said them. “If you knew that something bad was going to happen to someone you loved..." She took a breath.
“If you knew that, but had good reason to suspect that your attempt to help them would only make things worse... what would you do?"
He was silent for a long time. She chanced a glance sideways at his face; he looked contemplative. To most people, he probably just looked blank all the time, but Reiko could read him better than anyone else.
“I suppose it would depend," he said at last. “On how bad the first thing was. On what the other person wanted. On how reliable the information was."
“So, um... let's say the thing is absolutely terrible. The person thinks they want it, but they don't know how bad it's going to be, and they're the self-sacrificing type in the first place. And... the information is pretty reliable, but not... but not completely certain."
They walked for a few more minutes. “I would try to help anyway," he said. “If the choice was between something that would definitely be terrible and something that might be worse but might be better, I'd take the chance." He sounded almost like he was speaking from some kind of personal experience, or trying to convince himself more than her, but Reiko wasn't sure why.
She nodded anyway. “This one sees."
“One thing, though," he added quietly. “If the information was that it would be worse if I helped, then perhaps I would try to enlist others, as well. The more possible solutions, the less likely you'd get a bad one."
Reiko would have to contemplate that later, because they had reached their destination. Adjusting the basket on her hip, she reached up and knocked on Aram's door. Because she had imbued the area with her power, she knew that he was inside, even without smelling him or hearing him or anything like that. Whether he would answer was another matter. Things hadn't exactly gone smoothly last time she'd visited him.
It was a few minutes before the door opened, revealing Aram. He looked less... himself, than the last time she'd seen him. His eyes were slightly sunken in, and there were dark circles underneath his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping well. At all. His skin looked a little more pale than it had last time, and that could have either been the lack of sunlight, or something else. He blinked a few times before realization seemed to dawn on him, and he offered her, and Kentaro, a small smile.
"Reiko-san, Minamoto-san," he greeted softly, offering them a polite bow. He didn't open the door, though, even as his eyes landed on the basket she held. "What brings you by? I thought..." he paused in his words, glancing away from them for a second, before his eyes landed back on her.
"Is there something I can help you with?" he seemed to ask, the small smile on his face returning.
Reiko's discomfort only increased. Clearly, he had not been dealing well with the absence of his sister. She supposed she could understand, and it made her feel worse for not doing this before now. She smiled as gently as she could, trying not to seem uneasy, and swallowed before she spoke.
“This one thought... you might be in need of something good to eat. Um... not that this one thinks you can't provide for yourself, that is. This one means—" she cut herself off, red rising to the surface of her cheeks, and made a frustrated noise at her own inability to do this right.
“She cooked for you because she knows you don't know how," Kentaro said bluntly, causing the color to deepen.
“Kentaro," she scolded, shaking her head. As usual, he'd told the truth, but in the least-tactful way possible. Sighing, she returned her attention to Aram. “This one... doesn't know what happened, with Ayla-san, but..." She hesitated. The next words could very easily be interpreted wrongly, but there weren't really any better ones.
“This one doesn't want you to be lonely. Or hungry." She held out the basket towards him. If he didn't want her company, she wasn't going to force it on him. But she did want him to at least take the food.
Aram took the basket, gingerly, and stared at her for a moment. His eyes seemed to glisten somewhat, but it disappeared just as quickly, and a smile bloomed over his face. "You are too kind, Reiko-san," he spoke, staring at the basket. He stood there for a moment before he glanced back at them. He seemed to be contemplating something, however; he shook his head, and moved back somewhat.
"I'm afraid I do not have Ayla's flair for cooking. I... you have my thanks," he spoke softly. "You are welcome to come inside, Reiko-san, Minamoto-san. I... am afraid there isn't much I can offer in return, but perhaps I can make you some tea?" he spoke, offering them some space so that they could go inside, if they chose to.
Reiko wasn't sure, but she suppressed her own discomfort. If he was in shape this bad, chances were he hadn't had anyone to talk to in just as long. To her, that was more important than the awkwardness she still felt from their previous disagreement.
“Tea sounds lovely," she said softly. Beside her, Kentaro nodded, and the both of them entered the home they'd helped build. “If you like, I can see what I can throw together with whatever you have right now, too. Everything in the basket will last at least a few days, so you don't have to worry about it for a while." She wouldn't want to eat any of that herself, but maybe he'd be amenable to sharing a meal with the two of them anyway.
He frowned slightly. "I am afraid the only thing I have left are a few carrots, a head of cabbage, and some leeks. I haven't had the chance to venture to the market, in a while," he confessed softly. "I do not mind sharing what you have made, though. It is yours, after all, even if you had the intention of giving it to me," he spoke just as gently. He didn't look like he minded at all, actually, as if offering to share the food was natural to him. He was, perhaps, kind that way, too. He'd share whatever he had, even if it wasn't much.
"The tea, though, is well-stocked. Ayla... wasn't much for tea," he continued, stepping to the side so he could begin work on the tea.
“Okay," Reiko said quietly. Silently, she resolved to herself to visit again within the next few days, and bring more food and groceries with her. She knew Ayla probably hadn't intended to leave her brother destitute when she went, and Reiko wasn't sure she should know that she had. Yet another thing she'd have to think about carefully before deciding on.
Kentaro, with a nod, moved to sit in the living room, allowing Reiko to follow Aram into the kitchen by herself. While he was making the tea, she carefully unpacked the basket, putting things away where they belonged. Only a few items needed to go into his icebox; the rest of them would keep perfectly well in the pantry. She counted out how many meals he had, then subtracted what she was taking from the number of days before she'd have to come back.
She plated and dished still-warm miso soup, since that would taste best now rather than later, and added some rice for each of them, and a bit of gingered fish. “This one is sorry," she said, focusing on her task rather than trying to look at him. “This one should have come by sooner."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Reiko-san. This... is not your fault. It is mine," he whispered the last word softly, as if he truly believed it was. "But I have resigned myself for the consequences of my actions, Reiko-san. Please do not apologize or be upset about my condition. It will pass," he spoke, though he seemed quite certain of his own words. Maybe he was, considering his ability.
"I am glad, though, that you are here now. It is... pleasant to have company again, however brief it may be," he just smiled at her, like nothing was actually wrong.
She wasn't really sure how to respond to that. If he was certain, then she believed him, but... just because it would pass didn't mean it wasn't painful now. Reiko stepped away from the food for a moment, tipping her head back to look him in the eyes, and shook her head. “This one does need to apologize," she said. “This one... this one should not have let our disagreement get in the way of making sure you were all right."
He just blinked slowly at her, and shook his head. "But isn't that how it usually is?" he stated. "What I told you wasn't easy for you to hear, Reiko-san. It was hard, and knowing that something like that will happen to Sayuri-san, isn't easy for you. I understand your concern for your sister. If it were Ayla," he paused, and she could see the slight tick in his jaw as he tried to resume his statement. "I would probably be in your position, however; be that as it may, I am..." he didn't seem to know how to finish that statement.
"Do not apologize, Reiko-san, not for my sake," he seemed a little sad when he said that. "I assure you, I am fine. And I will be fine. Time has a way of seeing to that," he offered her a small smile.
“So then why do you seem so sad?" the question was out of her mouth before she had the chance to properly consider it, and she immediately looked away, shaking her head. “Sorry. It's really none of this one's business." She cleared her throat, returning to where the food was and picking up two of the trays.
When she glanced his way again, she put a smile on her face, even though it didn't feel right there. “A-anyway, we should probably go to the living room, if the tea is done. Kentaro is probably wondering what's taking so long."
"Yes, let us do that." he replied, the same small smile still on his lips. He didn't say anything about her previous statement, likely because he didn't want to answer it, or perhaps there was another reason behind it. He really did seem sad, though.
She resisted the urge to press. She didn't have the right.
It wasn't that she felt her activities needed to be a secret, exactly; but considering the present state of things... it was just a conversation she'd rather not have. Even she wasn't completely sure how she felt about everything right now, but she couldn't leave someone in a bad situation if she knew she could make it better.
Ironic, that the very same trait that had caused all these problems was moving her now. Or maybe just far too predictable.
She made it out to the front gate without encountering company, but she wasn't lucky after that. Kentaro had appeared in front of her, staring flatly at her with his arms in his sleeves.
“Er, Kentaro. This one..." she wasn't really sure what to say.
He spared her the trouble of figuring something out. “I will accompany you," was all he said.
Reiko, relieved that he wasn't going to try and stop her, nodded. “Please don't tell Ayla-san. This one is sure she wouldn't mind, exactly, but... it might be better not to have the conversation right now. It doesn't seem to be something she wants to think about."
“And you?" he asked. In two words, he managed to strike right at the heart of the matter. Doubtless all of them had noticed her trips to the village becoming less frequent. Too soon for it to be her need to "leave" and eventually "die" as they all did from time to time, so that the humans in the town below would never be able to confirm their suspicions about the lord and his family. There could only be a few things that would cause it instead.
Reiko pursed her lips. “He must be terribly lonely," she said softly. Guilt welled up in her chest. She was no replacement for Ayla's company, she knew that. Arguably, they weren't even friends, as such. That was a word usually reserved for people she knew better than she knew him. But... still. He was alone now, and there was something she could do to make that a little easier, and...
She hadn't.
Not until today.
Kentaro said nothing, leaving Reiko to keep the conversation going or let it die. For a while, she chose the latter, but then she spoke. “Kentaro, if..." she paused, trying to consider her words before she said them. “If you knew that something bad was going to happen to someone you loved..." She took a breath.
“If you knew that, but had good reason to suspect that your attempt to help them would only make things worse... what would you do?"
He was silent for a long time. She chanced a glance sideways at his face; he looked contemplative. To most people, he probably just looked blank all the time, but Reiko could read him better than anyone else.
“I suppose it would depend," he said at last. “On how bad the first thing was. On what the other person wanted. On how reliable the information was."
“So, um... let's say the thing is absolutely terrible. The person thinks they want it, but they don't know how bad it's going to be, and they're the self-sacrificing type in the first place. And... the information is pretty reliable, but not... but not completely certain."
They walked for a few more minutes. “I would try to help anyway," he said. “If the choice was between something that would definitely be terrible and something that might be worse but might be better, I'd take the chance." He sounded almost like he was speaking from some kind of personal experience, or trying to convince himself more than her, but Reiko wasn't sure why.
She nodded anyway. “This one sees."
“One thing, though," he added quietly. “If the information was that it would be worse if I helped, then perhaps I would try to enlist others, as well. The more possible solutions, the less likely you'd get a bad one."
Reiko would have to contemplate that later, because they had reached their destination. Adjusting the basket on her hip, she reached up and knocked on Aram's door. Because she had imbued the area with her power, she knew that he was inside, even without smelling him or hearing him or anything like that. Whether he would answer was another matter. Things hadn't exactly gone smoothly last time she'd visited him.
It was a few minutes before the door opened, revealing Aram. He looked less... himself, than the last time she'd seen him. His eyes were slightly sunken in, and there were dark circles underneath his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping well. At all. His skin looked a little more pale than it had last time, and that could have either been the lack of sunlight, or something else. He blinked a few times before realization seemed to dawn on him, and he offered her, and Kentaro, a small smile.
"Reiko-san, Minamoto-san," he greeted softly, offering them a polite bow. He didn't open the door, though, even as his eyes landed on the basket she held. "What brings you by? I thought..." he paused in his words, glancing away from them for a second, before his eyes landed back on her.
"Is there something I can help you with?" he seemed to ask, the small smile on his face returning.
Reiko's discomfort only increased. Clearly, he had not been dealing well with the absence of his sister. She supposed she could understand, and it made her feel worse for not doing this before now. She smiled as gently as she could, trying not to seem uneasy, and swallowed before she spoke.
“This one thought... you might be in need of something good to eat. Um... not that this one thinks you can't provide for yourself, that is. This one means—" she cut herself off, red rising to the surface of her cheeks, and made a frustrated noise at her own inability to do this right.
“She cooked for you because she knows you don't know how," Kentaro said bluntly, causing the color to deepen.
“Kentaro," she scolded, shaking her head. As usual, he'd told the truth, but in the least-tactful way possible. Sighing, she returned her attention to Aram. “This one... doesn't know what happened, with Ayla-san, but..." She hesitated. The next words could very easily be interpreted wrongly, but there weren't really any better ones.
“This one doesn't want you to be lonely. Or hungry." She held out the basket towards him. If he didn't want her company, she wasn't going to force it on him. But she did want him to at least take the food.
Aram took the basket, gingerly, and stared at her for a moment. His eyes seemed to glisten somewhat, but it disappeared just as quickly, and a smile bloomed over his face. "You are too kind, Reiko-san," he spoke, staring at the basket. He stood there for a moment before he glanced back at them. He seemed to be contemplating something, however; he shook his head, and moved back somewhat.
"I'm afraid I do not have Ayla's flair for cooking. I... you have my thanks," he spoke softly. "You are welcome to come inside, Reiko-san, Minamoto-san. I... am afraid there isn't much I can offer in return, but perhaps I can make you some tea?" he spoke, offering them some space so that they could go inside, if they chose to.
Reiko wasn't sure, but she suppressed her own discomfort. If he was in shape this bad, chances were he hadn't had anyone to talk to in just as long. To her, that was more important than the awkwardness she still felt from their previous disagreement.
“Tea sounds lovely," she said softly. Beside her, Kentaro nodded, and the both of them entered the home they'd helped build. “If you like, I can see what I can throw together with whatever you have right now, too. Everything in the basket will last at least a few days, so you don't have to worry about it for a while." She wouldn't want to eat any of that herself, but maybe he'd be amenable to sharing a meal with the two of them anyway.
He frowned slightly. "I am afraid the only thing I have left are a few carrots, a head of cabbage, and some leeks. I haven't had the chance to venture to the market, in a while," he confessed softly. "I do not mind sharing what you have made, though. It is yours, after all, even if you had the intention of giving it to me," he spoke just as gently. He didn't look like he minded at all, actually, as if offering to share the food was natural to him. He was, perhaps, kind that way, too. He'd share whatever he had, even if it wasn't much.
"The tea, though, is well-stocked. Ayla... wasn't much for tea," he continued, stepping to the side so he could begin work on the tea.
“Okay," Reiko said quietly. Silently, she resolved to herself to visit again within the next few days, and bring more food and groceries with her. She knew Ayla probably hadn't intended to leave her brother destitute when she went, and Reiko wasn't sure she should know that she had. Yet another thing she'd have to think about carefully before deciding on.
Kentaro, with a nod, moved to sit in the living room, allowing Reiko to follow Aram into the kitchen by herself. While he was making the tea, she carefully unpacked the basket, putting things away where they belonged. Only a few items needed to go into his icebox; the rest of them would keep perfectly well in the pantry. She counted out how many meals he had, then subtracted what she was taking from the number of days before she'd have to come back.
She plated and dished still-warm miso soup, since that would taste best now rather than later, and added some rice for each of them, and a bit of gingered fish. “This one is sorry," she said, focusing on her task rather than trying to look at him. “This one should have come by sooner."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Reiko-san. This... is not your fault. It is mine," he whispered the last word softly, as if he truly believed it was. "But I have resigned myself for the consequences of my actions, Reiko-san. Please do not apologize or be upset about my condition. It will pass," he spoke, though he seemed quite certain of his own words. Maybe he was, considering his ability.
"I am glad, though, that you are here now. It is... pleasant to have company again, however brief it may be," he just smiled at her, like nothing was actually wrong.
She wasn't really sure how to respond to that. If he was certain, then she believed him, but... just because it would pass didn't mean it wasn't painful now. Reiko stepped away from the food for a moment, tipping her head back to look him in the eyes, and shook her head. “This one does need to apologize," she said. “This one... this one should not have let our disagreement get in the way of making sure you were all right."
He just blinked slowly at her, and shook his head. "But isn't that how it usually is?" he stated. "What I told you wasn't easy for you to hear, Reiko-san. It was hard, and knowing that something like that will happen to Sayuri-san, isn't easy for you. I understand your concern for your sister. If it were Ayla," he paused, and she could see the slight tick in his jaw as he tried to resume his statement. "I would probably be in your position, however; be that as it may, I am..." he didn't seem to know how to finish that statement.
"Do not apologize, Reiko-san, not for my sake," he seemed a little sad when he said that. "I assure you, I am fine. And I will be fine. Time has a way of seeing to that," he offered her a small smile.
“So then why do you seem so sad?" the question was out of her mouth before she had the chance to properly consider it, and she immediately looked away, shaking her head. “Sorry. It's really none of this one's business." She cleared her throat, returning to where the food was and picking up two of the trays.
When she glanced his way again, she put a smile on her face, even though it didn't feel right there. “A-anyway, we should probably go to the living room, if the tea is done. Kentaro is probably wondering what's taking so long."
"Yes, let us do that." he replied, the same small smile still on his lips. He didn't say anything about her previous statement, likely because he didn't want to answer it, or perhaps there was another reason behind it. He really did seem sad, though.
She resisted the urge to press. She didn't have the right.
Ayla sighed, perhaps a little too harshly. It'd been almost a week, or so, since she'd last been by to see Aram. She wondered if he was doing alright. Just because she wasn't sure if she couldn't trust him didn't mean she didn't worry about him. Maybe she should at least go see him? He probably hadn't eaten a decent meal since she left, considering the fact that he couldn't cook. And he couldn't afford to go out to eat at the small restaurants. She sighed again. She was a terrible sister, because of that. Here she was, living inside Amon's home with his children, and Aram was left on the outer parts of the village.
Alone. Probably hungry. Ugh. She hated it. "Fine!" she stated to no one in particular. She was currently alone, so she didn't have to worry about someone hearing her. She'd go check on him, at least. Besides, it was only another day, or two, before Spring would be here, and Sayuri would be leaving. She could at least make sure he had something to tide him over until then.
Her route took her through the garden, where she found Reiko hard at work on the plants. Given how soon spring was, it was hardly a surprise that she needed to do some maintenance on it; right now it looked like she was clearing the ground around some of the temporarily dormant spring and summer plants.
It was an awful lot of snow, but the process was moving a great deal more quickly because Tatsuya was helping, sweeping massive sheets of it away with no more effort than the motion of a hand. He leaned up against one of the trees, pipe in his mouth, and pushed aside all of it with his powers. Apparently, they were both quite confident that none of the humans were around.
Tatsuya noticed her first, offering a nod before he resumed his work. Reiko glanced up a moment later, smiling a little. “Off somewhere, Ayla-san?"
"Yeah, I was," and still is, actually. But she wasn't going to say it like that. "I haven't seen the idiot in awhile, and I figured I might stop by. You know, to make sure he's doing alright," she spoke. She was certain they would know who she was talking about. "I haven't really left him alone for so long," at least not intentionally. The last time they'd been separated, it had been a few centuries before he came back, but that was because he had been meditating.
"You know he can't cook, and he's pretty much hopeless on his own," her frown deepened somewhat. She was, despite what she was known for, truly worried about him.
Reiko looked a bit awkward for a moment, then sighed softly. “He's... he's fed, but this one thinks he's probably lonely." She stated it like it was a confession of some kind. Perhaps it was; after all, she wouldn't be in a position to know that unless she'd gone to see him herself.
“This one probably should have told you earlier, but I wasn't sure if... if it was something you'd want this one to bring up."
Ayla sighed softly. "It would have been fine, Reiko. I might be mad at him, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about his well-being. I'd be a horrible sister if I wasn't concerned about him," she scoffed to herself at that statement. She was a horrible sister, regardless, but they didn't need to know that.
"But... next time you see him, will you tell me? I'd like to send him something, too," since she knew a lot of his favorite dishes. "Otherwise, I suppose I could stay and help you clear this out... unless you'd rather have me elsewhere?" she stated, raising a brow in Reiko's direction.
“Oh, um... you can help if you'd like." Reiko looked a little like she wanted to refuse, probably on the grounds that Ayla was a guest. But she acquiesced instead. It seemed she was learning to pick her battles where this kind of thing was concerned. “This one really doesn't need any help clearing, since Suya's doing that. But, um... if you'd like to help this one weed, that would be okay. Just, um... make sure it's only the weeds you pull out. Some of the herbs are a little hard to tell apart from those."
"Yeah, he seems to be doing a good job at that," she snorted softly, glancing in Tatsuya's direction. She shrugged her shoulders, though, and made her way towards where Reiko was. "I'll be able to pick them apart by smell, Reiko. Did you forget?" she stated, tapping her nose in the process. She could tell them apart by smell, so she didn't have to really worry about pulling out the wrong ones. The ones she didn't, however, want to pull were the ones with thorns.
Very rare did weeds have thorns on them, and she highly doubted that there were some in Reiko's garden, however; that didn't mean there wasn't a possibility of them being there. With the extra set of hands, it was easier, and faster, to weed the garden. It was, oddly, calming for Ayla. She did, however, manage to prick herself with a thorn, but it wasn't enough to pierce her skin. It just scraped it. She scoffed at it before she straightened out her back, and glanced down at Reiko.
"Alright, what's next?"
Reiko seemed to shake herself, as though her mind had been elsewhere. She blinked and brought her eyes back into focus. Tatsuya, on the other hand, was staring at her now, his eyes darkened for some reason. He pulled them away only when Reiko spoke.
“Not much is left," she said, clearing her throat slightly. “Now we just need to poke holes in the soil so it can aerate a little, and we're done until the weather is good enough for planting." She tossed Ayla what looked to be a thin metal rod of some kind, slightly sharp on one end. Probably for the aerating.
She didn't want to know what that was about, and instead, just stared at the rod. "Right, go around poking holes," she spoke lightly. That didn't seem too hard. She'd poked holes in tougher things, she supposed. Besides, the ground was softer, easier to penetrate, than the hides of those things. She almost scoffed at the comparison. Instead, she went to work, poking holes here and there where they needed to be. Either she was working at a much slower pace, or time was just going by a little too fast for her comfort.
Once she was finished, she glanced back at the siblings, and she could feel her expression softening for a second. They almost reminded her of them. When it was just the three of them at the time. Without even realizing it, she was smiling softly at the two of them.
Tatsuya and Reiko worked close together, almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Or, well, shoulder-to-arm, considering the height discrepancy. He glanced up and caught Ayla's expression. One eyebrow rose, but he didn't say anything about it, simply returning to his work until everything was done.
Reiko let out a large sigh when she was satisfied, straightening up and brushing her palms against her hakama to get the dirt off. “Whew. This one thinks it might be time for a bath, now," she observed with a smile.
Reiko snapped her out of her stupor, and she shook her head. "I'd say it is," she replied. They were all covered in dirt, but she didn't exactly mind. It was dirt. They could be covered in something worse. "So," she began, placing a hand on her hip and quirking a brow in Reiko's direction. "Does that mean I get to finally take a bath with Rei-Rei?" she knew she was smirking slightly. Plus, it was adorable the way Reiko blushed, sometimes. Of course, she wasn't going to admit that out loud.
Tatsuya snorted, but a slanted smile appeared on his face when Reiko did, indeed, redden. “Hm," he said, stepping forward to drape an arm over one of Reiko's shoulders from behind, putting his chin on her head and mock-glaring at Ayla. “And what if I want to take a bath with my dear sister? She was mine first." He raised an eyebrow.
Reiko sputtered. “S-S-Suya!" She squirmed in his grip. “Th-that's not...!"
“What?" he inquired, almost lazily. “We used to do it all the time."
Reiko was quickly going from red to almost purple, her face was so dark. “When I was a child!"
He chuckled, low and rich, fluffing her hair with his hand.
Oh, so he wanted to play that game again. She snorted in response. "Well if Reiko doesn't mind, I wouldn't object to all of us going. You probably need it more than either of us," she spoke, wrinkling her nose somewhat. Of course, she wasn't being serious, but it was fun teasing Reiko.
Tatsuya grinned back at her. It was certainly more broad than his usual smiles, and exposed the sharpened eyeteeth at either side of his mouth.
Reiko didn't appear to find any of this half as amusing, and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “If the t-two of you are so f-fine with this, you can t-take one together and leave me out of it!"
"Really, Reiko? You'd let me go bathe with him? Are you not concerned for my well-being? That hurts, Rei-Rei," she spoke, frowning for the effect. She wanted to laugh so much right now at Reiko's expression, but she was also having too much fun. She shrugged slightly and folded her arms across her chest.
"I mean, I suppose I wouldn't mind, but what if he tries to drown me, or something? Do you really want me to disappear? Because that would be on you," she really was a horrible person when she wanted to be.
Tatsuya appeared to be struggling to stifle his laughter. It seemed he didn't mind being cast in the villain role for this purpose.
“O-of course he wouldn't d-do that," Reiko countered, frowning. Of course, she didn't have a face suited to angry expressions, and looked more like she was pouting than anything. “A-And you," she said, rounding on Tatsuya. “Y-You shouldn't say things like that! P-People will get the w-wrong idea!"
He only raised an eyebrow. “People, hm?" he drawled languidly. “And just who are you worried about knowing that, Reiko? Ayla here knows I'm joking."
She sputtered again, seemingly bereft of a reply.
She couldn't contain herself much longer, and laughed. She had to hold her stomach for a moment, because it hurt from laughing too much. Once she was able to recover, she straightened back out and stared at them. "You're too easy, Reiko. Too easy," she replied. She took in a breath and shook her head.
"But hey, I'll still go bathe with you both if that's what you really want, Rei-Rei," she couldn't help herself.
Alone. Probably hungry. Ugh. She hated it. "Fine!" she stated to no one in particular. She was currently alone, so she didn't have to worry about someone hearing her. She'd go check on him, at least. Besides, it was only another day, or two, before Spring would be here, and Sayuri would be leaving. She could at least make sure he had something to tide him over until then.
Her route took her through the garden, where she found Reiko hard at work on the plants. Given how soon spring was, it was hardly a surprise that she needed to do some maintenance on it; right now it looked like she was clearing the ground around some of the temporarily dormant spring and summer plants.
It was an awful lot of snow, but the process was moving a great deal more quickly because Tatsuya was helping, sweeping massive sheets of it away with no more effort than the motion of a hand. He leaned up against one of the trees, pipe in his mouth, and pushed aside all of it with his powers. Apparently, they were both quite confident that none of the humans were around.
Tatsuya noticed her first, offering a nod before he resumed his work. Reiko glanced up a moment later, smiling a little. “Off somewhere, Ayla-san?"
"Yeah, I was," and still is, actually. But she wasn't going to say it like that. "I haven't seen the idiot in awhile, and I figured I might stop by. You know, to make sure he's doing alright," she spoke. She was certain they would know who she was talking about. "I haven't really left him alone for so long," at least not intentionally. The last time they'd been separated, it had been a few centuries before he came back, but that was because he had been meditating.
"You know he can't cook, and he's pretty much hopeless on his own," her frown deepened somewhat. She was, despite what she was known for, truly worried about him.
Reiko looked a bit awkward for a moment, then sighed softly. “He's... he's fed, but this one thinks he's probably lonely." She stated it like it was a confession of some kind. Perhaps it was; after all, she wouldn't be in a position to know that unless she'd gone to see him herself.
“This one probably should have told you earlier, but I wasn't sure if... if it was something you'd want this one to bring up."
Ayla sighed softly. "It would have been fine, Reiko. I might be mad at him, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about his well-being. I'd be a horrible sister if I wasn't concerned about him," she scoffed to herself at that statement. She was a horrible sister, regardless, but they didn't need to know that.
"But... next time you see him, will you tell me? I'd like to send him something, too," since she knew a lot of his favorite dishes. "Otherwise, I suppose I could stay and help you clear this out... unless you'd rather have me elsewhere?" she stated, raising a brow in Reiko's direction.
“Oh, um... you can help if you'd like." Reiko looked a little like she wanted to refuse, probably on the grounds that Ayla was a guest. But she acquiesced instead. It seemed she was learning to pick her battles where this kind of thing was concerned. “This one really doesn't need any help clearing, since Suya's doing that. But, um... if you'd like to help this one weed, that would be okay. Just, um... make sure it's only the weeds you pull out. Some of the herbs are a little hard to tell apart from those."
"Yeah, he seems to be doing a good job at that," she snorted softly, glancing in Tatsuya's direction. She shrugged her shoulders, though, and made her way towards where Reiko was. "I'll be able to pick them apart by smell, Reiko. Did you forget?" she stated, tapping her nose in the process. She could tell them apart by smell, so she didn't have to really worry about pulling out the wrong ones. The ones she didn't, however, want to pull were the ones with thorns.
Very rare did weeds have thorns on them, and she highly doubted that there were some in Reiko's garden, however; that didn't mean there wasn't a possibility of them being there. With the extra set of hands, it was easier, and faster, to weed the garden. It was, oddly, calming for Ayla. She did, however, manage to prick herself with a thorn, but it wasn't enough to pierce her skin. It just scraped it. She scoffed at it before she straightened out her back, and glanced down at Reiko.
"Alright, what's next?"
Reiko seemed to shake herself, as though her mind had been elsewhere. She blinked and brought her eyes back into focus. Tatsuya, on the other hand, was staring at her now, his eyes darkened for some reason. He pulled them away only when Reiko spoke.
“Not much is left," she said, clearing her throat slightly. “Now we just need to poke holes in the soil so it can aerate a little, and we're done until the weather is good enough for planting." She tossed Ayla what looked to be a thin metal rod of some kind, slightly sharp on one end. Probably for the aerating.
She didn't want to know what that was about, and instead, just stared at the rod. "Right, go around poking holes," she spoke lightly. That didn't seem too hard. She'd poked holes in tougher things, she supposed. Besides, the ground was softer, easier to penetrate, than the hides of those things. She almost scoffed at the comparison. Instead, she went to work, poking holes here and there where they needed to be. Either she was working at a much slower pace, or time was just going by a little too fast for her comfort.
Once she was finished, she glanced back at the siblings, and she could feel her expression softening for a second. They almost reminded her of them. When it was just the three of them at the time. Without even realizing it, she was smiling softly at the two of them.
Tatsuya and Reiko worked close together, almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Or, well, shoulder-to-arm, considering the height discrepancy. He glanced up and caught Ayla's expression. One eyebrow rose, but he didn't say anything about it, simply returning to his work until everything was done.
Reiko let out a large sigh when she was satisfied, straightening up and brushing her palms against her hakama to get the dirt off. “Whew. This one thinks it might be time for a bath, now," she observed with a smile.
Reiko snapped her out of her stupor, and she shook her head. "I'd say it is," she replied. They were all covered in dirt, but she didn't exactly mind. It was dirt. They could be covered in something worse. "So," she began, placing a hand on her hip and quirking a brow in Reiko's direction. "Does that mean I get to finally take a bath with Rei-Rei?" she knew she was smirking slightly. Plus, it was adorable the way Reiko blushed, sometimes. Of course, she wasn't going to admit that out loud.
Tatsuya snorted, but a slanted smile appeared on his face when Reiko did, indeed, redden. “Hm," he said, stepping forward to drape an arm over one of Reiko's shoulders from behind, putting his chin on her head and mock-glaring at Ayla. “And what if I want to take a bath with my dear sister? She was mine first." He raised an eyebrow.
Reiko sputtered. “S-S-Suya!" She squirmed in his grip. “Th-that's not...!"
“What?" he inquired, almost lazily. “We used to do it all the time."
Reiko was quickly going from red to almost purple, her face was so dark. “When I was a child!"
He chuckled, low and rich, fluffing her hair with his hand.
Oh, so he wanted to play that game again. She snorted in response. "Well if Reiko doesn't mind, I wouldn't object to all of us going. You probably need it more than either of us," she spoke, wrinkling her nose somewhat. Of course, she wasn't being serious, but it was fun teasing Reiko.
Tatsuya grinned back at her. It was certainly more broad than his usual smiles, and exposed the sharpened eyeteeth at either side of his mouth.
Reiko didn't appear to find any of this half as amusing, and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “If the t-two of you are so f-fine with this, you can t-take one together and leave me out of it!"
"Really, Reiko? You'd let me go bathe with him? Are you not concerned for my well-being? That hurts, Rei-Rei," she spoke, frowning for the effect. She wanted to laugh so much right now at Reiko's expression, but she was also having too much fun. She shrugged slightly and folded her arms across her chest.
"I mean, I suppose I wouldn't mind, but what if he tries to drown me, or something? Do you really want me to disappear? Because that would be on you," she really was a horrible person when she wanted to be.
Tatsuya appeared to be struggling to stifle his laughter. It seemed he didn't mind being cast in the villain role for this purpose.
“O-of course he wouldn't d-do that," Reiko countered, frowning. Of course, she didn't have a face suited to angry expressions, and looked more like she was pouting than anything. “A-And you," she said, rounding on Tatsuya. “Y-You shouldn't say things like that! P-People will get the w-wrong idea!"
He only raised an eyebrow. “People, hm?" he drawled languidly. “And just who are you worried about knowing that, Reiko? Ayla here knows I'm joking."
She sputtered again, seemingly bereft of a reply.
She couldn't contain herself much longer, and laughed. She had to hold her stomach for a moment, because it hurt from laughing too much. Once she was able to recover, she straightened back out and stared at them. "You're too easy, Reiko. Too easy," she replied. She took in a breath and shook her head.
"But hey, I'll still go bathe with you both if that's what you really want, Rei-Rei," she couldn't help herself.
After his own bath, Tatsuya elected to stalk the halls of his father's house, not after anything in particular, but for the sake of moving around and giving himself the space to think. His wet hair was warm on his neck, though it wouldn't remain that way for long, whether he went outside or not. His muscles were loosened from the hot water, his dark blue evening kimono worn loosely about himself.
He'd always thought that, even years later, this place still echoed with his father's essence. He supposed Ayla likely felt it too: all the ways in which the old man was still here, despite his absence. No one had moved into his rooms, despite them being the largest and most well-appointed in the whole of the castle. Not Reiko, not him, not Jirō, nor Daichi, presumptuous as the both of them could otherwise be.
His swords still hung in the entrance hall, untouched, save when they were removed for maintenance. Even that was something no one was allowed to do but his children. But even beyond the physical reminders... there was just something in the air. Not his scent precisely, but something akin to the way it felt to be in a room after he'd just left. Almost as though one might find him around any given corner.
Maybe it was just him. He'd lived with the old man the longest, after all, even if it was unmistakably Reiko who'd been most dear to him. She was most dear to them all, so it was hard to hold it against them.
"Minamoto-sama," it was the same oil-like voice he knew to be Akarui's advisor. He'd spoken with a strange kind of difference to him, but he was, undoubtedly near. The way he called out his name, almost made it sound like he was hovering near Tatsuya's ear. "Must be difficult living in such a large shadow, hm?" he spoke, perhaps a little too casually. As if he'd known the old man personally, or had been here before.
Tatsuya's eyes narrowed, his metaphorical hackles rising. “You know a lot about living in shadows, do you?" he replied, addressing the man in a rather rude tone. It seemed warranted, considering the sudden interruption.
He didn't seem to mind, though, and merely shrugged. "You could say that," he spoke just as passively. "If you had any inclination to humans and their religious ways, you'd know that not all priests are holy. But of course, Minamoto-sama, I did not say it to insult you. Your father was a man of great bearing," he spoke, almost as if he were apologizing, but didn't mean it. He seemed just as bored as Tatsuya could be.
Tatsuya snorted, folding his arms into his sleeves. An unholy priest, was it? Humans were superstitious creatures... and he hadn't missed how this guy referred to them as though they were distinct from both of them.
He knew.
There was no way he didn't, not when there was that much easy certainty in his words. What was more... he probably wasn't human himself. Discreetly, Tatsuya inhaled. Away from the human stench of Akarui, the man did smell a little different. Not like anything he could identify, though: not like one of his kind, and not like Ayla or that brother of hers, either, though... it was most similar to Aram.
“...And?" he drawled. “You didn't stop me to tell me something obvious like that."
"Ever the sharp blade, you are," he replied, his voice still toneless. It was almost like speaking to him was a burden, but he didn't seem inclined to stop. He merely stared at Tatsuya, his golden eyes lingering on him for longer than strictly necessary. And perhaps in an impolite manner. It was hard to read his expression, with that mask over his face, and the hood covering most of it. He did, however, tilt his head, as if he'd figured something out.
"I wonder..." he spoke out loud, as if he were speaking to himself. "What would you do if you lost something precious to you, something other than your sister?" he questioned, tilting his head further in a slightly curious manner. There was a slight pull to his lips, like he was about to smirk, but stopped himself from going through with it, fully.
“If that's a threat, I'm not feeling very threatened," Tatsuya replied, tilting his head to the side. Clearly, the fool didn't know nearly as much about him as he thought he did, because there was nothing precious to him other than Reiko.
That answer only seemed to amuse him. His lips pulled further beneath his mask, and it almost looked like he was grinning at Tatsuya. As if he knew something that Tatsuya didn't. "I am not making any threats towards the lord of this house. That would be unwise of me to do so, and would not be diplomatically advantageous for us. No, it was a simple question, m'lord. If was the hypothetical," he spoke, the grin disappearing from his face. It returned to his neutral expression, but his head remained in the same half-tilt. It looked similar to the one Aram had.
"There will be a day where that will be tested, just so you are aware. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you," he continued. The man spoke as if he had experience in the matter, but he obviously didn't. "Think of it as advice for the future. There will be something more precious to you that you are unaware of, that you will lose. Worry not, it is not your sister," he added with a light nod of his head. The small smirk reappeared on his lips, though. Either this man was insane, or he truly believed what he said.
That, of course, only strengthened the mental analogy between him and Aram. “Fucking prognosticators," he grumbled, shaking his head. “So damn sure you're right, but too vague to make any kind of sense." He rolled his eyes, deciding he'd had about enough of the conversation, and started walking again.
Unfortunately for this fool, Tatsuya had never been one to do what anyone else told him, or believe that anyone controlled his fate but himself. And in that respect, predictions of what would come to pass were pointless and unnecessary. What would be, would be—because he decided it should be.
"That's the funny thing about fate, Minamoto-sama. Your decisions have already been preordained. What you choose to do from now to then will, inevitably, lead you to the same destination. Everything has already been chosen, down to how you sleep tonight," he spoke almost as if he'd read Tatsuya's mind.
Tatsuya threw an irritated glance over his shoulder. “Yeah? We'll see."
He'd always thought that, even years later, this place still echoed with his father's essence. He supposed Ayla likely felt it too: all the ways in which the old man was still here, despite his absence. No one had moved into his rooms, despite them being the largest and most well-appointed in the whole of the castle. Not Reiko, not him, not Jirō, nor Daichi, presumptuous as the both of them could otherwise be.
His swords still hung in the entrance hall, untouched, save when they were removed for maintenance. Even that was something no one was allowed to do but his children. But even beyond the physical reminders... there was just something in the air. Not his scent precisely, but something akin to the way it felt to be in a room after he'd just left. Almost as though one might find him around any given corner.
Maybe it was just him. He'd lived with the old man the longest, after all, even if it was unmistakably Reiko who'd been most dear to him. She was most dear to them all, so it was hard to hold it against them.
"Minamoto-sama," it was the same oil-like voice he knew to be Akarui's advisor. He'd spoken with a strange kind of difference to him, but he was, undoubtedly near. The way he called out his name, almost made it sound like he was hovering near Tatsuya's ear. "Must be difficult living in such a large shadow, hm?" he spoke, perhaps a little too casually. As if he'd known the old man personally, or had been here before.
Tatsuya's eyes narrowed, his metaphorical hackles rising. “You know a lot about living in shadows, do you?" he replied, addressing the man in a rather rude tone. It seemed warranted, considering the sudden interruption.
He didn't seem to mind, though, and merely shrugged. "You could say that," he spoke just as passively. "If you had any inclination to humans and their religious ways, you'd know that not all priests are holy. But of course, Minamoto-sama, I did not say it to insult you. Your father was a man of great bearing," he spoke, almost as if he were apologizing, but didn't mean it. He seemed just as bored as Tatsuya could be.
Tatsuya snorted, folding his arms into his sleeves. An unholy priest, was it? Humans were superstitious creatures... and he hadn't missed how this guy referred to them as though they were distinct from both of them.
He knew.
There was no way he didn't, not when there was that much easy certainty in his words. What was more... he probably wasn't human himself. Discreetly, Tatsuya inhaled. Away from the human stench of Akarui, the man did smell a little different. Not like anything he could identify, though: not like one of his kind, and not like Ayla or that brother of hers, either, though... it was most similar to Aram.
“...And?" he drawled. “You didn't stop me to tell me something obvious like that."
"Ever the sharp blade, you are," he replied, his voice still toneless. It was almost like speaking to him was a burden, but he didn't seem inclined to stop. He merely stared at Tatsuya, his golden eyes lingering on him for longer than strictly necessary. And perhaps in an impolite manner. It was hard to read his expression, with that mask over his face, and the hood covering most of it. He did, however, tilt his head, as if he'd figured something out.
"I wonder..." he spoke out loud, as if he were speaking to himself. "What would you do if you lost something precious to you, something other than your sister?" he questioned, tilting his head further in a slightly curious manner. There was a slight pull to his lips, like he was about to smirk, but stopped himself from going through with it, fully.
“If that's a threat, I'm not feeling very threatened," Tatsuya replied, tilting his head to the side. Clearly, the fool didn't know nearly as much about him as he thought he did, because there was nothing precious to him other than Reiko.
That answer only seemed to amuse him. His lips pulled further beneath his mask, and it almost looked like he was grinning at Tatsuya. As if he knew something that Tatsuya didn't. "I am not making any threats towards the lord of this house. That would be unwise of me to do so, and would not be diplomatically advantageous for us. No, it was a simple question, m'lord. If was the hypothetical," he spoke, the grin disappearing from his face. It returned to his neutral expression, but his head remained in the same half-tilt. It looked similar to the one Aram had.
"There will be a day where that will be tested, just so you are aware. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you," he continued. The man spoke as if he had experience in the matter, but he obviously didn't. "Think of it as advice for the future. There will be something more precious to you that you are unaware of, that you will lose. Worry not, it is not your sister," he added with a light nod of his head. The small smirk reappeared on his lips, though. Either this man was insane, or he truly believed what he said.
That, of course, only strengthened the mental analogy between him and Aram. “Fucking prognosticators," he grumbled, shaking his head. “So damn sure you're right, but too vague to make any kind of sense." He rolled his eyes, deciding he'd had about enough of the conversation, and started walking again.
Unfortunately for this fool, Tatsuya had never been one to do what anyone else told him, or believe that anyone controlled his fate but himself. And in that respect, predictions of what would come to pass were pointless and unnecessary. What would be, would be—because he decided it should be.
"That's the funny thing about fate, Minamoto-sama. Your decisions have already been preordained. What you choose to do from now to then will, inevitably, lead you to the same destination. Everything has already been chosen, down to how you sleep tonight," he spoke almost as if he'd read Tatsuya's mind.
Tatsuya threw an irritated glance over his shoulder. “Yeah? We'll see."
Something about the man reminded her of Aram. Maybe it was the way he stood, or spoke, or even looked. Maybe it was the way he smelled, however; Ayla couldn't be certain. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, since he was always around that Akarui fellow, but she'd caught him a few times staring at her. At first she thought he was like the other men in the estate, who gawked at the women, however; the way he stared wasn't quite the same. It looked like he was looking through her, as if he knew what she was. It was slightly unnerving, actually.
There were only a few people who knew what she really was, and that only consisted of Aram, and Reiko and her family. Or certain family members, it seemed. She wasn't sure if Tsubasa or Kentaro knew, but it's not like she really cared. They were his kids, so they should know of her and Aram, at least. Unless, of course, they never took blood from him. Still, that hooded man made her hackles rise, and not in a good way.
Like now, as she stood on the overpass of a bridge that connected to Reiko's small garden, glancing over the pond towards him. He was walking with Akarui at the moment, but they were still a little too far for her to hear them. Instead, she just let her eyes narrow in their direction. She didn't trust him, but then again she didn't trust most people. Reiko and her family had been the exception for obvious reasons though. They'd be gone the day after tomorrow, though, or so she thought.
The relative peace of the morning was broken, however, only moments later. From out of one of the doors on the far side of the garden, Reiko emerged; her expression was unusually dark. Even from this distance, Ayla could see that she was wearing a sword. That was extremely unusual; Ayla wasn't even sure if she knew how to use one. Certainly, some of her brothers did, but she wasn't even sure if that was true of all of them.
Trailing behind her were Kentaro, Tatsuya, Takahiro, Sayuri, some woman Ayla didn't know, and an irritated-looking Jirō. She clearly called out to Akarui, because both the man and his suspicious adviser turned towards her, expressions of surprise on their faces. Ayla could see mouths moving, but she still wasn't close enough to hear.
She had no idea what that was about, but whatever it was, she wanted to know what was going on. Swiftly, she jumped over the edge of the bridge, and landed softly on the ground below. Too many years of practice made that swifter than it should have been for the kimono she was wearing. She wasn't worried about that, though. Instead, she made her way towards the Fujiwaras. She didn't particularly like the look on Reiko's face, and she wanted to be there to find out what Akarui and the advisor had gotten themselves into.
“That's ludicrous," Akarui was saying. “I am well within my rights to—"
“Yes," Reiko said, her voice so hard and stern that it almost sounded like someone else. “You are. But not within the bounds of honor. You cannot possibly expect me, as Sayuri's guardian, to continue to condone her marriage to a man who shows so little regard for honor and respect to my house." She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes and drawing herself up to her full height. Reiko was not tall, but just now, her presence was impressive.
The air nearly vibrated with tension. In the garden itself, the light spheres were a deep, roiling red. Ayla didn't need anyone to tell her that it was anger. Behind and beside her, her brothers were also tensed, their eyes only occasionally flicking to the human and his adviser. For the most part, their attention was fixed on their sister, waiting, it seemed, for the faintest hint that she needed their assistance. Even Jirō was that attentive to her.
Ayla remained just as silent as the brothers did, however; the advisor seemed to sigh deeply, as if what Reiko was saying was something he'd known about. He probably did, given that he was Akarui's advisor. Ayla was slightly confused as to what Reiko was talking about, though. Apparently, Akarui had dishonored Sayuri somehow, and Reiko. Had it been anyone else, Ayla might not have cared, but as it was, these two were her friends. So she cared. She simply crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for the events to play out. If she needed to say something, she would.
"Akarui-dono, it is, perhaps, best if you do not say anything else," the man spoke, giving Akarui a rather stern look. It was odd, that an advisor would do such a thing, considering that Akarui was a lord and all. Wouldn't that usually mean he'd be reprimanded for it? Apparently that wasn't the case for the man.
Akarui ignored him, in any case. “So what then? The entire alliance, called off because you're offended on behalf of your relative? What will the rest of the country think of House Fujiwara for that? Think of the suspicion and ire you will bring down upon yourselves if you are seen as so fickle."
Reiko shook her head. “I said nothing about the alliance, Akarui-dono. What I said was that I will not allow the marriage to proceed. The Fujiwara honor their word, and we will honor ours to you. We will march with you in three days, to recover what has been taken from you, but you will take nothing, and no one, from us." Reiko's emotions must have really been running high, or else she needed to appear more authoritative, because she'd dropped her humble pronouns entirely.
“And what if I find that my honor has been insulted by your refusal?" Akarui countered. “I accepted a compromise in good faith—now you are telling me I will have nothing at all I asked for on this score."
Reiko raised her head, tipping er chin up slightly. “Then you will do as honor demands, and challenge for what you believe to be your due."
“Challenge who? You?" He looked incredulous. “There is no honor in harming a mere girl."
Reiko's frown deepened. “Then you are fortunate that I am not a mere girl. I am the head of this household, and you will treat me with the honor I am due."
Ayla cocked a brow in Reiko's direction. This man actually had the audacity to say that? She had half a mind to tell him to fuck off, however; she wasn't part of the household. Friend or not, Ayla wasn't going to disrespect her Reiko because of her own selfish pride. She almost scoffed, too, but to her credit, she was doing a damn good job at keeping a lid on her own emotions. This man was insufferable, and he'd deserve any ass-kicking he got. Be it from Reiko or one of the others. Hell, if she'd be allowed to, she'd do it on behalf of Reiko. But this looked far too important to Reiko for her to suggest that.
"Akarui-dono, do the honorable thing, and take the challenge. You know what is at stake," the advisor spoke. He didn't seem too happy about leaving empty handed, too, however; he seemed to have some faith in Akarui's abilities. Maybe he didn't, and was only playing the part of supporting advisor. "Lest you let this dishonor you," he continued. It really was hard to read his expression, given that his tone was flat and his face was covered.
At this point, there didn't seem to be much choice: they would duel, and Sayuri's future was at stake, as well as the good name of the Fujiwara family. Jirō's lips pursed; Tatsuya was openly scowling at Akarui. Kentaro was just as hard to read as the adviser, and Takahiro only wore the same mild smile he always seemed to have. None of them seemed inclined to try and stop Reiko; if anything, they didn't appear concerned about her victory at all.
“Of course I accept it," Akarui said, looking at his advisor almost incredulously. “The sooner the better."
“Then follow me." Reiko glanced briefly at the others, including Ayla, before heading for the practice area, the rest of them behind. Tatsuya fell in next to Ayla as they walked.
“He was seen with another woman," he explained in a low voice, nodding towards the stranger in the group. She didn't look too happy to be there, though it was hard to say why. “More than once, and publically, if you catch my meaning. Apparently she wasn't especially happy to participate, herself." His tone dripped with distaste.
“Fucker."
The neutral expression that was on her face turned sour, and she openly scowled. Akarui really was a shit head, wasn't he? She let out a low growl, one that seemed to rumble her throat a bit, and she blinked in mild surprise. She hadn't meant to do that out loud, but it was a little too late for her to take it back. Thankfully, the others were ahead of them, and they wouldn't have been able to hear her unless they were like the Fujiwara. The advisor seemed to be talking to Akarui, however; he spoke in such a low tone, that even she was having difficulty hearing what he was saying. Odd, considering they were kind of close.
"Asshole deserves what's coming to him. I have half a mind to do something myself, but obviously I can't," though there was no doubt that she would enjoy the spectacle that this challenge was going to provide. She almost felt bad. Almost. She turned her attention back to the advisor and Heisuke, and noticed as he slipped his hand towards Akarui. It didn't look like he had anything in his hand, though. Maybe it was one of those touch for support kind of things? She couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary besides the man, himself, and perhaps the Fujiwara kids.
They all arranged themselves along the sides of the ring; Reiko and Akarui ducked under the fence bar or went over it to position themselves inside. Considering that this was a duel for honor, they would both be fighting with live steel. Reiko wore an ordinary katana at her waist, sized slightly smaller than most, probably to accomodate her height. The tsuka was wrapped in red fabric; a small ornament dangled from the pommel.
She didn't draw it right away, unlike Akarui. The two of them bowed to each other, taking up ready stances about ten feet apart. Reiko tilted her scabbard, letting her hand hover over the hilt. Her stance was identical to Amon's favored iaijutsu drawing posture.
The sun beat down over their heads; the day promised to be unusually warm, even for the end of winter. Perhaps some of the snow remaining on the ground would melt.
Akarui moved first, charging in towards Reiko, swinging with obvious strength. Too much strength, for a human. His speed seemed to catch Reiko a little off-guard, but she comensated well, drawing swiftly and carrying the motion into a block.
The two swords clanged off each other, making a loud, echoing noise. Reiko strafed backwards, taking up a defensive stance. It, like her drawing stance, was exactly the same as the one Amon favored. It would seem she had not only learned how to use a sword, but learned directly from her father.
“No human is that strong," Tatsuya muttered. A quick glance down the line revealed that Jirō's expression had soured as well, though Kentaro looked the same. Takahiro looked outright worried.
He was right. No human should be that strong to catch Reiko off guard like that. She side-glanced towards the advisor and narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed to notice her glaring, and held her gaze with a steady one of his own. He didn't seem at all bothered by her glaring at him, and almost seemed slightly amused that she was. That just pissed her off more, and she could feel the hairs on her neck and arms stand up. She didn't like this.
"Are you sure he's completely human?" though she knew for a fact that he couldn't be anything other than human. He had a human scent, and there was nothing exceptional about him. If he wasn't, they would all be able to tell, and she doubted they would have let Reiko do this on her own. She seemed to be handling Amon's style rather well, and that didn't seem too surprising. She glanced back towards Reiko and Akarui and narrowed her eyes.
"Maybe its just the adrenaline," because that would explain something. Most humans could pull of feats like that if they were under that kind of stress. But then again, Akarui didn't look to be stressed. "Shady ass advisor," she spoke beneath her breath, sparing the man another glance. He had to have had something to do with Akarui's strange strength. Maybe she was just being paranoid and biased?
In front of them, the battle continued. Akarui only seemed to get stronger and faster as the fight continued, more evidence against her adrenaline theory. It was more like...
“Intoxicant," Jirō murmured, glancing at Tatsuya. The red eyes they shared locked for a moment, some kind of understanding passing between them.
Whatever it amounted to, though, they didn't act immediately in any way, instead remaining as they were, attention fixed on what unfolded before them. Even considering Akarui's absurd strength and speed, now almost a match for Ayla's, Reiko held her own. Her style was more defensive than Amon's, but the forms matched to a t. She parried with grace and moved with a rare sort of fluidity, turning aside Akarui's rough, aggressive strikes every time.
He didn't seem to quite know how to handle the increase in his capacities, and occasionally misjudged a hit or a dodge. It was clear that Reiko was content to wait for one of those mistakes to be enough to make him vulnerable. The right moment came about ten minutes into the fight. He swung too hard, opening up his guard when she couldn't quite bring his sword back in fast enough. Quick like a viper, Reiko darted in, sweeping his feet out from underneath him with the blunt edge of her katana, then stepping on his sword-arm with one foot and pressing the very tip of her sword to his throat.
“Yield," she commanded, almost softly, but still with steel under her tone.
He nodded, apparently unable to force himself to actually say the words, and she removed her blade, stepping away from him so that he could regain his feet. Akarui looked livid, but he certainly wasn't stupid enough to retaliate. Not when the rest of his alliance would be effectively voided by such a dishonorable act.
Ayla snorted softly, slightly proud of Reiko and the outcome of this particular challenge. The advisor didn't look happy, either, if the way his lips were tugged down beneath his mask was any indication. She still didn't like the fact that Akarui had basically been a match for Reiko when he shouldn't have been. Granted, playing to strengths and advantages didn't seem like something Reiko would do, however; the fact was, Reiko had the advantage being what she was. Not that anyone else knew that, of course, but it still warranted some worry. What did that shady ass advisor give Akarui? More-so, how did the man even know to give Akarui some kind of intoxicant?
Ayla knew she wasn't that quick to put something together like that, not like Aram would have been, however; she could feel something was wrong. Her instincts were kicking in, and she always trusted them. She sighed softly. Maybe she should go see Aram about this? He might know something about the man, surely. He could see almost anything, and maybe this man had been part of whatever vision he'd had that brought them here. She turned her attention back to Reiko and Akarui, watching as the advisor merely bowed, his hands placed out in front of him.
"We accept this defeat, Hino-sama," he spoke, though there was some strange tone in his voice. Something like disappointment, perhaps, she couldn't tell. "The alliance-marriage will not take place, but we shall take your word for your assistance," he continued. He was strangely submissive for all the strange ways he'd looked at everyone. He didn't seem the type to defer to anyone but Akarui. That almost made her scoff out loud.
Reiko smiled kindly, quite the unusual thing for someone who had just humiliated a regional lord in a duel. “Then this one is satisfied," she replied gently. “Let us forget this unpleasantness and instead think of the coming battles. It may be prudent now to begin devising a strategy."
Though the words suggested a continuation, the tone of them was clearly a temporary dismissal. Probably she thought it would be best for everyone to take a break after that. Akarui, his advisor, and Jirō departed immediately.
“Ne, Reiko. You had me worried for a little bit, there." Takahiro was the first to speak, reaching out with his hands to cradle her face in them. He seemed to be making sure she was still in one piece, or at least that was what it looked like. “I don't believe a human should have been able to move so fast, or strike with so much power."
“It's that priest of his; it has to be." Tatsuya sounded much more certain than Ayla was. Perhaps he knew something she did not.
Kentaro, standing next to Sayuri, glanced down at her. “We will have to exercise more caution in their company. I do not know what they want, but Akarui fought far too hard for a marriage he clearly did not care about."
Reiko grimaced, but she didn't deny the truth in that. “This one knows all of you are strong, but please... try not to let yourselves be alone with them. We will help as we have promised, but after that... this one thinks we may need to consider our next actions carefully."
That seemed like the best course of action. She would have to consult with Aram, first, though. She could put aside her petty differences with him if only to see if he knew anything about the shady ass advisor. Maybe she should do that now? She glanced at Reiko and the others. She'll do it tomorrow.
There were only a few people who knew what she really was, and that only consisted of Aram, and Reiko and her family. Or certain family members, it seemed. She wasn't sure if Tsubasa or Kentaro knew, but it's not like she really cared. They were his kids, so they should know of her and Aram, at least. Unless, of course, they never took blood from him. Still, that hooded man made her hackles rise, and not in a good way.
Like now, as she stood on the overpass of a bridge that connected to Reiko's small garden, glancing over the pond towards him. He was walking with Akarui at the moment, but they were still a little too far for her to hear them. Instead, she just let her eyes narrow in their direction. She didn't trust him, but then again she didn't trust most people. Reiko and her family had been the exception for obvious reasons though. They'd be gone the day after tomorrow, though, or so she thought.
The relative peace of the morning was broken, however, only moments later. From out of one of the doors on the far side of the garden, Reiko emerged; her expression was unusually dark. Even from this distance, Ayla could see that she was wearing a sword. That was extremely unusual; Ayla wasn't even sure if she knew how to use one. Certainly, some of her brothers did, but she wasn't even sure if that was true of all of them.
Trailing behind her were Kentaro, Tatsuya, Takahiro, Sayuri, some woman Ayla didn't know, and an irritated-looking Jirō. She clearly called out to Akarui, because both the man and his suspicious adviser turned towards her, expressions of surprise on their faces. Ayla could see mouths moving, but she still wasn't close enough to hear.
She had no idea what that was about, but whatever it was, she wanted to know what was going on. Swiftly, she jumped over the edge of the bridge, and landed softly on the ground below. Too many years of practice made that swifter than it should have been for the kimono she was wearing. She wasn't worried about that, though. Instead, she made her way towards the Fujiwaras. She didn't particularly like the look on Reiko's face, and she wanted to be there to find out what Akarui and the advisor had gotten themselves into.
“That's ludicrous," Akarui was saying. “I am well within my rights to—"
“Yes," Reiko said, her voice so hard and stern that it almost sounded like someone else. “You are. But not within the bounds of honor. You cannot possibly expect me, as Sayuri's guardian, to continue to condone her marriage to a man who shows so little regard for honor and respect to my house." She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes and drawing herself up to her full height. Reiko was not tall, but just now, her presence was impressive.
The air nearly vibrated with tension. In the garden itself, the light spheres were a deep, roiling red. Ayla didn't need anyone to tell her that it was anger. Behind and beside her, her brothers were also tensed, their eyes only occasionally flicking to the human and his adviser. For the most part, their attention was fixed on their sister, waiting, it seemed, for the faintest hint that she needed their assistance. Even Jirō was that attentive to her.
Ayla remained just as silent as the brothers did, however; the advisor seemed to sigh deeply, as if what Reiko was saying was something he'd known about. He probably did, given that he was Akarui's advisor. Ayla was slightly confused as to what Reiko was talking about, though. Apparently, Akarui had dishonored Sayuri somehow, and Reiko. Had it been anyone else, Ayla might not have cared, but as it was, these two were her friends. So she cared. She simply crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for the events to play out. If she needed to say something, she would.
"Akarui-dono, it is, perhaps, best if you do not say anything else," the man spoke, giving Akarui a rather stern look. It was odd, that an advisor would do such a thing, considering that Akarui was a lord and all. Wouldn't that usually mean he'd be reprimanded for it? Apparently that wasn't the case for the man.
Akarui ignored him, in any case. “So what then? The entire alliance, called off because you're offended on behalf of your relative? What will the rest of the country think of House Fujiwara for that? Think of the suspicion and ire you will bring down upon yourselves if you are seen as so fickle."
Reiko shook her head. “I said nothing about the alliance, Akarui-dono. What I said was that I will not allow the marriage to proceed. The Fujiwara honor their word, and we will honor ours to you. We will march with you in three days, to recover what has been taken from you, but you will take nothing, and no one, from us." Reiko's emotions must have really been running high, or else she needed to appear more authoritative, because she'd dropped her humble pronouns entirely.
“And what if I find that my honor has been insulted by your refusal?" Akarui countered. “I accepted a compromise in good faith—now you are telling me I will have nothing at all I asked for on this score."
Reiko raised her head, tipping er chin up slightly. “Then you will do as honor demands, and challenge for what you believe to be your due."
“Challenge who? You?" He looked incredulous. “There is no honor in harming a mere girl."
Reiko's frown deepened. “Then you are fortunate that I am not a mere girl. I am the head of this household, and you will treat me with the honor I am due."
Ayla cocked a brow in Reiko's direction. This man actually had the audacity to say that? She had half a mind to tell him to fuck off, however; she wasn't part of the household. Friend or not, Ayla wasn't going to disrespect her Reiko because of her own selfish pride. She almost scoffed, too, but to her credit, she was doing a damn good job at keeping a lid on her own emotions. This man was insufferable, and he'd deserve any ass-kicking he got. Be it from Reiko or one of the others. Hell, if she'd be allowed to, she'd do it on behalf of Reiko. But this looked far too important to Reiko for her to suggest that.
"Akarui-dono, do the honorable thing, and take the challenge. You know what is at stake," the advisor spoke. He didn't seem too happy about leaving empty handed, too, however; he seemed to have some faith in Akarui's abilities. Maybe he didn't, and was only playing the part of supporting advisor. "Lest you let this dishonor you," he continued. It really was hard to read his expression, given that his tone was flat and his face was covered.
At this point, there didn't seem to be much choice: they would duel, and Sayuri's future was at stake, as well as the good name of the Fujiwara family. Jirō's lips pursed; Tatsuya was openly scowling at Akarui. Kentaro was just as hard to read as the adviser, and Takahiro only wore the same mild smile he always seemed to have. None of them seemed inclined to try and stop Reiko; if anything, they didn't appear concerned about her victory at all.
“Of course I accept it," Akarui said, looking at his advisor almost incredulously. “The sooner the better."
“Then follow me." Reiko glanced briefly at the others, including Ayla, before heading for the practice area, the rest of them behind. Tatsuya fell in next to Ayla as they walked.
“He was seen with another woman," he explained in a low voice, nodding towards the stranger in the group. She didn't look too happy to be there, though it was hard to say why. “More than once, and publically, if you catch my meaning. Apparently she wasn't especially happy to participate, herself." His tone dripped with distaste.
“Fucker."
The neutral expression that was on her face turned sour, and she openly scowled. Akarui really was a shit head, wasn't he? She let out a low growl, one that seemed to rumble her throat a bit, and she blinked in mild surprise. She hadn't meant to do that out loud, but it was a little too late for her to take it back. Thankfully, the others were ahead of them, and they wouldn't have been able to hear her unless they were like the Fujiwara. The advisor seemed to be talking to Akarui, however; he spoke in such a low tone, that even she was having difficulty hearing what he was saying. Odd, considering they were kind of close.
"Asshole deserves what's coming to him. I have half a mind to do something myself, but obviously I can't," though there was no doubt that she would enjoy the spectacle that this challenge was going to provide. She almost felt bad. Almost. She turned her attention back to the advisor and Heisuke, and noticed as he slipped his hand towards Akarui. It didn't look like he had anything in his hand, though. Maybe it was one of those touch for support kind of things? She couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary besides the man, himself, and perhaps the Fujiwara kids.
They all arranged themselves along the sides of the ring; Reiko and Akarui ducked under the fence bar or went over it to position themselves inside. Considering that this was a duel for honor, they would both be fighting with live steel. Reiko wore an ordinary katana at her waist, sized slightly smaller than most, probably to accomodate her height. The tsuka was wrapped in red fabric; a small ornament dangled from the pommel.
She didn't draw it right away, unlike Akarui. The two of them bowed to each other, taking up ready stances about ten feet apart. Reiko tilted her scabbard, letting her hand hover over the hilt. Her stance was identical to Amon's favored iaijutsu drawing posture.
The sun beat down over their heads; the day promised to be unusually warm, even for the end of winter. Perhaps some of the snow remaining on the ground would melt.
Akarui moved first, charging in towards Reiko, swinging with obvious strength. Too much strength, for a human. His speed seemed to catch Reiko a little off-guard, but she comensated well, drawing swiftly and carrying the motion into a block.
The two swords clanged off each other, making a loud, echoing noise. Reiko strafed backwards, taking up a defensive stance. It, like her drawing stance, was exactly the same as the one Amon favored. It would seem she had not only learned how to use a sword, but learned directly from her father.
“No human is that strong," Tatsuya muttered. A quick glance down the line revealed that Jirō's expression had soured as well, though Kentaro looked the same. Takahiro looked outright worried.
He was right. No human should be that strong to catch Reiko off guard like that. She side-glanced towards the advisor and narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed to notice her glaring, and held her gaze with a steady one of his own. He didn't seem at all bothered by her glaring at him, and almost seemed slightly amused that she was. That just pissed her off more, and she could feel the hairs on her neck and arms stand up. She didn't like this.
"Are you sure he's completely human?" though she knew for a fact that he couldn't be anything other than human. He had a human scent, and there was nothing exceptional about him. If he wasn't, they would all be able to tell, and she doubted they would have let Reiko do this on her own. She seemed to be handling Amon's style rather well, and that didn't seem too surprising. She glanced back towards Reiko and Akarui and narrowed her eyes.
"Maybe its just the adrenaline," because that would explain something. Most humans could pull of feats like that if they were under that kind of stress. But then again, Akarui didn't look to be stressed. "Shady ass advisor," she spoke beneath her breath, sparing the man another glance. He had to have had something to do with Akarui's strange strength. Maybe she was just being paranoid and biased?
In front of them, the battle continued. Akarui only seemed to get stronger and faster as the fight continued, more evidence against her adrenaline theory. It was more like...
“Intoxicant," Jirō murmured, glancing at Tatsuya. The red eyes they shared locked for a moment, some kind of understanding passing between them.
Whatever it amounted to, though, they didn't act immediately in any way, instead remaining as they were, attention fixed on what unfolded before them. Even considering Akarui's absurd strength and speed, now almost a match for Ayla's, Reiko held her own. Her style was more defensive than Amon's, but the forms matched to a t. She parried with grace and moved with a rare sort of fluidity, turning aside Akarui's rough, aggressive strikes every time.
He didn't seem to quite know how to handle the increase in his capacities, and occasionally misjudged a hit or a dodge. It was clear that Reiko was content to wait for one of those mistakes to be enough to make him vulnerable. The right moment came about ten minutes into the fight. He swung too hard, opening up his guard when she couldn't quite bring his sword back in fast enough. Quick like a viper, Reiko darted in, sweeping his feet out from underneath him with the blunt edge of her katana, then stepping on his sword-arm with one foot and pressing the very tip of her sword to his throat.
“Yield," she commanded, almost softly, but still with steel under her tone.
He nodded, apparently unable to force himself to actually say the words, and she removed her blade, stepping away from him so that he could regain his feet. Akarui looked livid, but he certainly wasn't stupid enough to retaliate. Not when the rest of his alliance would be effectively voided by such a dishonorable act.
Ayla snorted softly, slightly proud of Reiko and the outcome of this particular challenge. The advisor didn't look happy, either, if the way his lips were tugged down beneath his mask was any indication. She still didn't like the fact that Akarui had basically been a match for Reiko when he shouldn't have been. Granted, playing to strengths and advantages didn't seem like something Reiko would do, however; the fact was, Reiko had the advantage being what she was. Not that anyone else knew that, of course, but it still warranted some worry. What did that shady ass advisor give Akarui? More-so, how did the man even know to give Akarui some kind of intoxicant?
Ayla knew she wasn't that quick to put something together like that, not like Aram would have been, however; she could feel something was wrong. Her instincts were kicking in, and she always trusted them. She sighed softly. Maybe she should go see Aram about this? He might know something about the man, surely. He could see almost anything, and maybe this man had been part of whatever vision he'd had that brought them here. She turned her attention back to Reiko and Akarui, watching as the advisor merely bowed, his hands placed out in front of him.
"We accept this defeat, Hino-sama," he spoke, though there was some strange tone in his voice. Something like disappointment, perhaps, she couldn't tell. "The alliance-marriage will not take place, but we shall take your word for your assistance," he continued. He was strangely submissive for all the strange ways he'd looked at everyone. He didn't seem the type to defer to anyone but Akarui. That almost made her scoff out loud.
Reiko smiled kindly, quite the unusual thing for someone who had just humiliated a regional lord in a duel. “Then this one is satisfied," she replied gently. “Let us forget this unpleasantness and instead think of the coming battles. It may be prudent now to begin devising a strategy."
Though the words suggested a continuation, the tone of them was clearly a temporary dismissal. Probably she thought it would be best for everyone to take a break after that. Akarui, his advisor, and Jirō departed immediately.
“Ne, Reiko. You had me worried for a little bit, there." Takahiro was the first to speak, reaching out with his hands to cradle her face in them. He seemed to be making sure she was still in one piece, or at least that was what it looked like. “I don't believe a human should have been able to move so fast, or strike with so much power."
“It's that priest of his; it has to be." Tatsuya sounded much more certain than Ayla was. Perhaps he knew something she did not.
Kentaro, standing next to Sayuri, glanced down at her. “We will have to exercise more caution in their company. I do not know what they want, but Akarui fought far too hard for a marriage he clearly did not care about."
Reiko grimaced, but she didn't deny the truth in that. “This one knows all of you are strong, but please... try not to let yourselves be alone with them. We will help as we have promised, but after that... this one thinks we may need to consider our next actions carefully."
That seemed like the best course of action. She would have to consult with Aram, first, though. She could put aside her petty differences with him if only to see if he knew anything about the shady ass advisor. Maybe she should do that now? She glanced at Reiko and the others. She'll do it tomorrow.
Kentaro folded his legs underneath him, settling in front of the small portable desk he'd set up in the garden. On it was a scroll's worth of parchment, as well as several charcoal pencils.
He was a restless person. He always had been. Even though he made a conscious effort not to show any of it, there was a constant irritation, almost, under his skin, one that drove him to distraction at times. He knew it also influenced his more violent tendencies, causing him to seek aggressive situations more actively than any of his brothers, even Tsubasa. But he took no enjoyment from that.
Reiko seemed to believe that indulging his more artistic tendencies was helpful in centering him. She told him that he was calmer after he did. He wasn't sure if that was true or not, but even seeming calmer was probably a good thing, and so now he attempted to distract himself by doing something with his hands. But the paper in front of him remained stubbornly blank. He simply had no idea what he wanted to draw. The garden was a collection of beautiful things: plants, water features, and landscape, but none of it appealed to him at the moment, and Kentaro shifted uncomfortably in his spot.
The sound of voices, two precisely, could be heard off in the distance. One he could recognize as Sayuri's, however; the other one belonged to the other woman, Reiko's friend, Ayla. They were talking, it seemed, but it was uncertain what about. Perhaps about the duel with Akarui? Sayuri hadn't seemed too upset about what had happened, but she could have been happy about it, too.
"Ah, Kentaro-san, what are you doing over there?" Ayla called out to him first. Sayuri looked mildly surprised, but smiled at him anyway.
"Good morning, Kentaro-san," she greeted as she always did, and bowed. Ayla hadn't, and she didn't seem inclined to, either. "Are you working on a new project?" she asked, gesturing towards the blank paper.
He inclined his head, allowing his eyes to drop to the paper again. “Working would imply that I have begun," he said flatly. “Unfortunately, I have not." He raised red eyes back to the both of them, tilting his head faintly to the left. He did not expect that they would linger; they had no reason.
Ayla snorted softly, as if what he'd said was something amusing to her. Sayuri, however, gave her a glance, and she just seemed to smirk somewhat. "Oh, well, um," Sayuri began, however; it didn't look like she knew what she wanted to stay. Perhaps they would move on? Ayla made to walk away, however; Sayuri remained. The white-haired woman quirked a brow in their direction before shaking her head.
"I suppose I'll just go wander off by myself then. Maybe I'll go find Tsubasa and we can finally have a match," she spoke with a nonchalant wave of her hand. Sayuri looked like she was about to protest, however; Ayla just shook her head. "You stay and help Taro-san start on his drawing. I'm sure you'll find something," she replied and left. Sayuri's face was pulled into a light frown, but it disappeared after that.
"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to see what you create, Kentaro-san. You always make beautiful art," she spoke. It wasn't the first time she'd told him that.
He supposed she was within her rights to think so, though he couldn't say he particularly agreed. Kentaro always felt that there was something missing from his works, something he could not identify. But it wasn't important even if he was right. He didn't do this to make nice things. Those were only the byproducts of the real purpose.
He glanced up at her, as usual not sure what to say. He wasn't good at talking to people. “You can sit," he said flatly, not sure if that was the right thing. The only way he'd be able to tell was whether or not she smiled.
He'd know he'd said something right if she did. Kentaro didn't know why that mattered, either, but he knew that it did, somehow. Akarui would never be able to understand that, so Kentaro was... pleased, that she would not be leaving here to go there.
She did smile, though, when he said that. She took a seat next to him, smoothing out her kimono so that she didn't wrinkle it when she did. Once she was seated properly, or comfortably, she turned her attention towards him, the smile still on her face, but it had gentled. "Was there anything in particular that you wanted to draw today?" she asked, seemingly interested in what he was doing or going to say.
Kentaro had no idea why. He wasn't interesting. Not really. But he wanted to have an answer for her. One that wouldn't disappoint. Unfortunately, he didn't believe he had such a thing, so he went with the truth instead, shaking his head. “No. I had hoped that sitting here would help me choose, but..." But nothing was striking him the right way. Kentaro drew or carved because he found something he wanted to draw or carve, or because someone asked him to.
Perhaps that was an answer. “Is there anything you think I should draw?"
She blinked, a little surprised at the question, and hummed a soft note in the back of her throat. She seemed to contemplate his question, but she didn't seem to know, either. Something must have come to her since her face brightened somewhat, and she turned to face him. "Draw the garden with us in it," she stated. She seemed a little serious about it from the expression on her face. She was still smiling, though. "Because I'm sure you'll find something more once you start on it," she began, as if she were trying to give him advice.
"I mean, once you start on something, maybe what you really want to draw will come to mind, and you can add it in, or... not," it was clear she didn't know what she was talking about, but she looked like she was trying.
Kentaro supposed it was as good an idea as any, and nodded slightly, picking up one of the charcoal pencils and putting it to paper. It wouldn't look anything like what he was drawing for a considerable amount of time yet, but he never found that he needed so much concentration he simply couldn't pay attention to anyone else.
With his eyes still firmly on the paper in front of him, he ventured a question he did not know how to ask. “Are you... upset? About what happened?"
"Honestly?" she began, letting out a slow breath. She took a minute before she continued. "I'm glad," she spoke lowly, as if she were afraid of someone else, hearing. "Because that means I don't have to leave, anymore. I'm... not sure why, but the last few days, when they were building up, I couldn't help but feel... sad," she continued. She paused for a moment, and it sounded like she was trying to steady her breathing.
"But now, I don't have to leave you all anymore. I get... I get to stay," she sounded happy about that.
Something in his chest eased. Kentaro wasn't sure why, or even precisely how, but for a moment, the constant restlessness quieted, and he nodded slightly, etching a few more lines onto the paper with a surer hand than before. “Good," he said succinctly. “I had wondered if perhaps you would be upset. Reiko indicated that you wished to do it as a way of assisting the family. As we have now removed the opportunity, it seemed possible that you might... resent it."
He spoke of the whole incident as something they had done rather than as something Reiko had done because it was. His sister had been unsure how to deal with the issue; Kentaro had provided information to her which he knew would push her towards revoking the bargain. He was surprised at himself, in truth: he was not usually one to interfere in anyone else's personal affairs, nor even especially with the business of House Fujiwara.
"No, Kentaro-san, I don't," she spoke, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I love my family, and I would never resent what you all have done for me. I am so grateful that... I am unsure if I'll ever be able to repay you all for the kindness you have shown me," she seemed to trail off into a whisper towards the end.
"But for now, I'm just glad I don't have to leave. I would have missed you all, especially you," she spoke, her voice still soft.
He glanced up at that, his brows furrowing over his eyes. Surely she meant especially Reiko. Kentaro blinked at her, but didn't point out the mistake. He wasn't certain, but it seemed like the sort of error that might be embarrassing.
Letting his eyes drop back to the paper, he made a few longer, more sweeping strokes, taking up nearly the whole length of the page. He flicked his hair out of his eyes with a short toss of his head, almost frowning when it fell back into place almost immediately.
“Be happy," he said, almost a mutter from how soft it was. “That's how you can repay us. Other people are happy when you are. When you smile, we..." He shook his head, unsure how to finish. Abruptly, he met her eyes again.
“It matters, that you're happy."
She seemed to smile brightly at him and nodded her head. "Alright, Kentaro-san. I will do my best to be happy, and to keep smiling for you all," she replied, though her face did take on a soft pink color.
He nodded, deciding it was probably better that he say no more than he already had.
He was a restless person. He always had been. Even though he made a conscious effort not to show any of it, there was a constant irritation, almost, under his skin, one that drove him to distraction at times. He knew it also influenced his more violent tendencies, causing him to seek aggressive situations more actively than any of his brothers, even Tsubasa. But he took no enjoyment from that.
Reiko seemed to believe that indulging his more artistic tendencies was helpful in centering him. She told him that he was calmer after he did. He wasn't sure if that was true or not, but even seeming calmer was probably a good thing, and so now he attempted to distract himself by doing something with his hands. But the paper in front of him remained stubbornly blank. He simply had no idea what he wanted to draw. The garden was a collection of beautiful things: plants, water features, and landscape, but none of it appealed to him at the moment, and Kentaro shifted uncomfortably in his spot.
The sound of voices, two precisely, could be heard off in the distance. One he could recognize as Sayuri's, however; the other one belonged to the other woman, Reiko's friend, Ayla. They were talking, it seemed, but it was uncertain what about. Perhaps about the duel with Akarui? Sayuri hadn't seemed too upset about what had happened, but she could have been happy about it, too.
"Ah, Kentaro-san, what are you doing over there?" Ayla called out to him first. Sayuri looked mildly surprised, but smiled at him anyway.
"Good morning, Kentaro-san," she greeted as she always did, and bowed. Ayla hadn't, and she didn't seem inclined to, either. "Are you working on a new project?" she asked, gesturing towards the blank paper.
He inclined his head, allowing his eyes to drop to the paper again. “Working would imply that I have begun," he said flatly. “Unfortunately, I have not." He raised red eyes back to the both of them, tilting his head faintly to the left. He did not expect that they would linger; they had no reason.
Ayla snorted softly, as if what he'd said was something amusing to her. Sayuri, however, gave her a glance, and she just seemed to smirk somewhat. "Oh, well, um," Sayuri began, however; it didn't look like she knew what she wanted to stay. Perhaps they would move on? Ayla made to walk away, however; Sayuri remained. The white-haired woman quirked a brow in their direction before shaking her head.
"I suppose I'll just go wander off by myself then. Maybe I'll go find Tsubasa and we can finally have a match," she spoke with a nonchalant wave of her hand. Sayuri looked like she was about to protest, however; Ayla just shook her head. "You stay and help Taro-san start on his drawing. I'm sure you'll find something," she replied and left. Sayuri's face was pulled into a light frown, but it disappeared after that.
"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to see what you create, Kentaro-san. You always make beautiful art," she spoke. It wasn't the first time she'd told him that.
He supposed she was within her rights to think so, though he couldn't say he particularly agreed. Kentaro always felt that there was something missing from his works, something he could not identify. But it wasn't important even if he was right. He didn't do this to make nice things. Those were only the byproducts of the real purpose.
He glanced up at her, as usual not sure what to say. He wasn't good at talking to people. “You can sit," he said flatly, not sure if that was the right thing. The only way he'd be able to tell was whether or not she smiled.
He'd know he'd said something right if she did. Kentaro didn't know why that mattered, either, but he knew that it did, somehow. Akarui would never be able to understand that, so Kentaro was... pleased, that she would not be leaving here to go there.
She did smile, though, when he said that. She took a seat next to him, smoothing out her kimono so that she didn't wrinkle it when she did. Once she was seated properly, or comfortably, she turned her attention towards him, the smile still on her face, but it had gentled. "Was there anything in particular that you wanted to draw today?" she asked, seemingly interested in what he was doing or going to say.
Kentaro had no idea why. He wasn't interesting. Not really. But he wanted to have an answer for her. One that wouldn't disappoint. Unfortunately, he didn't believe he had such a thing, so he went with the truth instead, shaking his head. “No. I had hoped that sitting here would help me choose, but..." But nothing was striking him the right way. Kentaro drew or carved because he found something he wanted to draw or carve, or because someone asked him to.
Perhaps that was an answer. “Is there anything you think I should draw?"
She blinked, a little surprised at the question, and hummed a soft note in the back of her throat. She seemed to contemplate his question, but she didn't seem to know, either. Something must have come to her since her face brightened somewhat, and she turned to face him. "Draw the garden with us in it," she stated. She seemed a little serious about it from the expression on her face. She was still smiling, though. "Because I'm sure you'll find something more once you start on it," she began, as if she were trying to give him advice.
"I mean, once you start on something, maybe what you really want to draw will come to mind, and you can add it in, or... not," it was clear she didn't know what she was talking about, but she looked like she was trying.
Kentaro supposed it was as good an idea as any, and nodded slightly, picking up one of the charcoal pencils and putting it to paper. It wouldn't look anything like what he was drawing for a considerable amount of time yet, but he never found that he needed so much concentration he simply couldn't pay attention to anyone else.
With his eyes still firmly on the paper in front of him, he ventured a question he did not know how to ask. “Are you... upset? About what happened?"
"Honestly?" she began, letting out a slow breath. She took a minute before she continued. "I'm glad," she spoke lowly, as if she were afraid of someone else, hearing. "Because that means I don't have to leave, anymore. I'm... not sure why, but the last few days, when they were building up, I couldn't help but feel... sad," she continued. She paused for a moment, and it sounded like she was trying to steady her breathing.
"But now, I don't have to leave you all anymore. I get... I get to stay," she sounded happy about that.
Something in his chest eased. Kentaro wasn't sure why, or even precisely how, but for a moment, the constant restlessness quieted, and he nodded slightly, etching a few more lines onto the paper with a surer hand than before. “Good," he said succinctly. “I had wondered if perhaps you would be upset. Reiko indicated that you wished to do it as a way of assisting the family. As we have now removed the opportunity, it seemed possible that you might... resent it."
He spoke of the whole incident as something they had done rather than as something Reiko had done because it was. His sister had been unsure how to deal with the issue; Kentaro had provided information to her which he knew would push her towards revoking the bargain. He was surprised at himself, in truth: he was not usually one to interfere in anyone else's personal affairs, nor even especially with the business of House Fujiwara.
"No, Kentaro-san, I don't," she spoke, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I love my family, and I would never resent what you all have done for me. I am so grateful that... I am unsure if I'll ever be able to repay you all for the kindness you have shown me," she seemed to trail off into a whisper towards the end.
"But for now, I'm just glad I don't have to leave. I would have missed you all, especially you," she spoke, her voice still soft.
He glanced up at that, his brows furrowing over his eyes. Surely she meant especially Reiko. Kentaro blinked at her, but didn't point out the mistake. He wasn't certain, but it seemed like the sort of error that might be embarrassing.
Letting his eyes drop back to the paper, he made a few longer, more sweeping strokes, taking up nearly the whole length of the page. He flicked his hair out of his eyes with a short toss of his head, almost frowning when it fell back into place almost immediately.
“Be happy," he said, almost a mutter from how soft it was. “That's how you can repay us. Other people are happy when you are. When you smile, we..." He shook his head, unsure how to finish. Abruptly, he met her eyes again.
“It matters, that you're happy."
She seemed to smile brightly at him and nodded her head. "Alright, Kentaro-san. I will do my best to be happy, and to keep smiling for you all," she replied, though her face did take on a soft pink color.
He nodded, deciding it was probably better that he say no more than he already had.
Ayla sighed a little forcefully, running a hand through her hair as she did so. They would be leaving with Akarui to go fetch his lands, or whatever, however; she hadn't had the chance to go see Aram, yet. She was always with one of the Hinos, or occasionally one of the Minamotos. Usually Tatsuya or Tsubasa and sometimes Kentaro. Tsubasa was fun to be around, mostly because he was like her in that weird kind of way. Tatsuya had, oddly, become more tolerable to be around. She supposed it had to do with their weird reconciliation and acknowledgment of not knowing each other. That, and it was hilarious to tease Reiko the way they did.
She snorted softly at that, but sighed again. She'd only seen the Akarui human lord once after the duel, and his advisor at least twice. Sometimes she could almost feel eyes on her, those eyes of his. It was almost as if he was wary of her, but she didn't blame him if he was. He should be wary of her. Still, it was all strange, and she wanted to talk to Aram about it. With that in mind, she continued her way down the hallway. This time, she'll go see Aram, and she wouldn't be impeded. There was still some time before they'd be leaving to reclaim Akarui's homeland, after all.
That, and she wanted to check up on him. She hadn't been able to do that last time because Reiko had said he was being taken care of. She allowed a small smile to cover her lips at that. Reiko really was such a kind person, always looking out for others even if they had no direct relation to her. It didn't even bother her to help out the occasional human out in the markets when they needed it. It was such a rare trait to Ayla, that kindness. Perhaps, she would have been that kind as well if it were not for the way she was raised. She remembered times before when she wasn't who she was today. But perhaps time would do that to Reiko, too.
Ayla certainly hoped it didn't. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she straightened her back somewhat, and continued down the hall.
She didn't make it all the way out before she ran into Tatsuya; almost literally. He sidestepped in time to avoid a collision at the corner, however, coming to a stop slightly to her left. “Distracted, are we?" he asked, brushing something off one of the dark red sleeve of his haori.
He appeared to study her for a moment, then tipped his head to the side. “I think I know what about, at that. Recent run-in with Eiji?"
"Sort of," she replied, glancing up at him. Sometimes, she hated being reminded of how short she was. She shook her head, though, and sighed. "He's a creepy bastard, and I don't like him. I haven't run into him, exactly, but after that stunt with Heisuke," she trailed off there. She didn't really need to elaborate. He was there, after all. She pursed her lips together, though, as she contemplated whether or not she would stay for a conversation.
"I was actually on my way out, but it seems everytime I try to leave, something, or someone, stops me," she was starting to think that maybe fate was keeping her away from Aram, at the moment. That, or maybe it would be best to consult him after the battle for Heisuke's lands. She couldn't say, for sure, since she wasn't Aram.
“Well, I have no intention of stopping you," he said with a shrug. “Actually... if you were going to consult with your brother, I might go with you. I'd thought of asking a few questions of him as well. They seem..." His brows furrowed; perhaps he was searching for the right word. “Similar."
He lifted a single shoulder, though, letting his other arm rest casually on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't a threatening stance by any means; it looked relaxed if anything. “But if I'm wrong, or you'd rather go alone, that's fine as well."
"You noticed it too?" she spoke, instead. She thought she was the only one who noticed the weird similarities to Aram that Eiji, had, but perhaps he was thinking of something else. For her, it was because they smelled similar. She blinked slowly, though as his statement finally dawned on her. He wanted to go with? She shrugged.
"I'm not going to complain if you want to tag along. It's probably a good thing if you do," she stated. At least then, Aram might be more inclined to talk if someone else was around. Plus, he'd be able to relay the information to Reiko, too.
He nodded, turning so that he could walk at her side rather than in front of her or anything. “Lead on, then." He didn't seem to need to retrieve anything or change before leaving; he was wearing a fairly-typical shitage, kosode, and hakama, with the haori loosely draped over his shoulders. It was undoubtedly all well-made, but wouldn't look too out-of-place in the village. Tatsuya didn't really dress like a lord, unlike his brother Jirō.
Jirō dressed as if he were the lord. She rolled her eyes at the thought, before leading the way. Its not like she really needed to lead. He'd been there when Reiko rebuilt her and Aram's home from the ground up. Regardless, she began walking, anyway. The walk was mostly silent; she didn't have anything to say, really. That, and her mind was still occupied with Eiji and Heisuke. What could they have possibly wanted for Heisuke to fight that hard? It couldn't have been for Sayuri, because if she remembered correctly, he originally wanted Reiko. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at that.
This man was just an all around ass, and if it were up to her, there would be one less lord in the world. "What kind of impression did Eiji leave on you?" she decided to ask. It would help her contemplate what to say to Aram, exactly. They weren't too far from the home, now, but there was still some time for a brief conversation.
“He's a snake," Tatsuya said flatly. “But I also think he's a prognosticator, or fancies himself one. He calls himself a priest, talks about fate and the future and all that other bullshit like he knows it. Refers to humans like he's not one. And he smells a little like Washi-san. But I'm sure you noticed that part."
Ayla actually hit the palm of her hand against her forehead. Seriously? This Eiji thought he was like Aram? He had to be an idiot, if that were the case. There was no one else like Aram, and she was certain of that. "I noticed the way he smelled," she replied, though she did frown. "Which is, actually, strange," she would admit. She wrinkled her nose a bit. It was almost as if she could smell him right now.
They reached the house within the next few minutes, and she stared at it. "Hopefully he's here," she spoke. She wasn't entirely sure since she couldn't smell him at the moment. "So help me, the fucker better be here," because if he wasn't, she'd be pissed. Instead of walking in, she opted to knock on the door. She could be polite, she supposed. There was no answer. She furrowed her brows, and knocked again. Still no answer.
"Aram!?" she nearly called out. Still no answer.
“Well he can't be dead," Tatsuya volunteered dryly, folding his arms into his sleeves. “Reiko was down here just yesterday with more food. Where would he be if he wasn't at home? Working somewhere?"
"For his sake, he better be dead," she gritted out. She doubted there was any work for him to do, now that spring was, sort of, here. She sighed softly, and shook her head. "It wouldn't hurt to go see if he's at the fields, again," she spoke. As she turned to leave, though, she came face to face with Aram. He blinked, a little surprised at them, and his expression shifted in various degrees. One moment the surprise was on his face, the next he looked happy, followed by some melancholy, and then surprise again.
"Ayla, Minamoto-san, what are you doing here?" he asked, the surprise still laced in his voice. She pursed her lips at him, noticing the small basket in his hands. It looked like he'd gone to the market to get supplies. Food, mostly.
"One, I still live here, so I'm entitled to come back every now and then," she replied dryly. It, however, managed to cause a small smile on Aram's lips. She really hated when he did that. It made her feel bad about leaving him. "Two, we have questions," she stated, glancing towards Tatsuya as she did so.
"Oh," he sounded almost sad, but his face did not show it. "Well, come inside and I'll make tea," he spoke, shuffling past them. Ayla followed after him, and waited until they were all seated at the small table in the living area.
"Of what service may I be?"
Tatsuya settled in on the other side of the table from Aram, pausing before he spoke. Clearly, he was waiting to see if Ayla wanted to start the conversation, but when she didn't speak, he chose to do so instead. He moved his teacup a little closer to himself, but other than that, he left it unattended. Come to think of it, Ayla wasn't even sure whether he liked tea or not. All she'd ever seen him drinking was sake.
“There's a man at the castle. One of Akarui-dono's advisers. He calls himself Eiji, no name other than that. He's implied that he can do something like you can do—see the future, or some such." Tatsuya's skepticism appeared to extend to Aram's claims as well, but he was relatively polite about it. For him, anyway. “Know anything about him?"
"Eiji?" he spoke, furrowing his brows slightly. He glanced down at his cup, seemingly lost in thought. His lips were pursed into a fine line, and he seemed lost for a minute. "I have never heard of this person," he finally spoke, and it sounded genuine to her. She furrowed her brows.
"You've never seen anything that concerns a man in black robes wearing a stupid bird-like mask?" she decided to ask. Perhaps if she gave him a visual, he'd likely remember. It wasn't like names came to him, or at least she didn't think they did. He shook his head, though, and furrowed his brows deeper.
"No, I haven't. The only things I have seen have concerned..." he paused, glancing in Tatsuya's direction, "Sayuri and Heisuke, so far."
She knew that much, at least. "Has anything changed?" she decided to go that route. The expression on his face, however, gave way that signaled that something did. He sighed softly, and took a drink.
"Sayuri's engagement to Heisuke was called off, wasn't it?" he spoke, and she nodded. "Her... death is still inevitable, but it will not be the way it originally was supposed to be. There is... someone I cannot see, who is responsible for it. It will be slow, and it will be painful for her," he continued, dropping his gaze from hers and staring into his cup. She sighed.
"So nothing concerning Heisuke or Eiji?"
"Neither."
“Someone you can't see?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, crosshing his arms over his chest. What he thought of Sayuri's supposed impending death was unclear; perhaps he simply didn't believe it. “Isn't Reiko the only person you can't see?" And that would obviously not make any sense—if there was anyone who could be relied upon not to hurt Sayuri, it was Reiko.
"That is correct," he spoke. That was strange. Reiko was the only one he couldn't see, but this person who was supposed to end Sayuri's life also couldn't be seen. "It is not Reiko, of that I am certain," he spoke, as if he had seen her, somehow.
"How are you certain that it isn't her?"
"Because it will happen somewhere where it is only her and your brother, Kentaro," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "I do not know where it is, or when it will be, however; Reiko will not be present. I may not be able to see her, but I do know that much," he spoke. It was still vague as hell, to her, but she supposed she'd take his word for it. But if it wasn't Reiko, then who?
"You're no help, you know that?"
"I apologize, Ayla. I would help if I knew more, however; you know we are the only three, two," he corrected himself. She sighed heavily. "It is impossible that there would be another like us," he continued.
"If you say so," was the only thing she responded with.
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow at that. “Maybe you just didn't get all of 'em, last time," he said slowly. It was clear he knew at least some of the details of what they and his father had once done. What they'd once been a part of. “Maybe he's some kind of oni."
The word, though his voice lent no particular weight to it, managed to hang heavy in the air nonetheless. It was one with a lot of associations for both Ayla and Aram, and one that she hadn't heard in a conversation like this in a long time.
"He couldn't be. We got rid of them a long time ago," she finally spoke. Even if he were some kind of oni, Aram would still have known of him. He would have at least seen him. Amon had been a type of oni, though, and if she wasn't mistaken, so was Aram. Hell, even she was. Actually, that made sense. "He did smell like you, though," she spoke, frowning deeply.
"Scent or not, it is still impossible that he could be an oni. As you said, we made sure of that. The nests were all exterminated," Aram, for once, seemed skeptical about the possibilty of oni existing. "Even if we had missed some..." he trailed off at the end.
"We would have known about them, if we had. They are not the best at laying low and plotting," at least from what she remembered. The oni had been slow, and a little more suited to rage-battles than anything else. Hell, they would have heard of a village being trampled or something, if the oni still existed, by now.
Tatsuya didn't look even slightly convinced, but he shook his head and negelected to comment further on it. Instead, he shrugged. “With any luck, we'll take back Akarui's holdings and never hear from either of the fuckers again. But I'm not betting on it."
"One can hope," she muttered. Aram quirked a brow in her direction, as if he were confused as to what he meant. "About that," she began, sighing softly. "I'll be going with them," she spoke, and she could see the worry flash across his eyes. "I promise I won't change, Ara. It's only a small skirmish, nothing we haven't been through before," she spoke. It didn't ease the worriedness of his expression though.
"Just... be careful, okay?" she actually smiled at that.
"When have I ever not been? I'm not sure if you want to stick around a little longer, 'suya, but I'm going to stay and fix him a few meals before I go back. He won't be able to eat anything, otherwise," she spoke, shrugging her shoulders. He could stay and eat too if he wanted to, but that was up to him.
"You're not staying?" Aram asked softly, and she scoffed lightly.
"No, I'm not." She wasn't sure if she could, yet. He only dropped his gaze. She hated when he did that. "You can stay for dinner if you'd like, but I'll be staying here tonight," she spoke, glancing back towards Tatsuya. She was a pushover, and she knew it, when it came to him. He seemed to brighten back up, and she sighed heavily.
She hated him sometimes.
She snorted softly at that, but sighed again. She'd only seen the Akarui human lord once after the duel, and his advisor at least twice. Sometimes she could almost feel eyes on her, those eyes of his. It was almost as if he was wary of her, but she didn't blame him if he was. He should be wary of her. Still, it was all strange, and she wanted to talk to Aram about it. With that in mind, she continued her way down the hallway. This time, she'll go see Aram, and she wouldn't be impeded. There was still some time before they'd be leaving to reclaim Akarui's homeland, after all.
That, and she wanted to check up on him. She hadn't been able to do that last time because Reiko had said he was being taken care of. She allowed a small smile to cover her lips at that. Reiko really was such a kind person, always looking out for others even if they had no direct relation to her. It didn't even bother her to help out the occasional human out in the markets when they needed it. It was such a rare trait to Ayla, that kindness. Perhaps, she would have been that kind as well if it were not for the way she was raised. She remembered times before when she wasn't who she was today. But perhaps time would do that to Reiko, too.
Ayla certainly hoped it didn't. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she straightened her back somewhat, and continued down the hall.
She didn't make it all the way out before she ran into Tatsuya; almost literally. He sidestepped in time to avoid a collision at the corner, however, coming to a stop slightly to her left. “Distracted, are we?" he asked, brushing something off one of the dark red sleeve of his haori.
He appeared to study her for a moment, then tipped his head to the side. “I think I know what about, at that. Recent run-in with Eiji?"
"Sort of," she replied, glancing up at him. Sometimes, she hated being reminded of how short she was. She shook her head, though, and sighed. "He's a creepy bastard, and I don't like him. I haven't run into him, exactly, but after that stunt with Heisuke," she trailed off there. She didn't really need to elaborate. He was there, after all. She pursed her lips together, though, as she contemplated whether or not she would stay for a conversation.
"I was actually on my way out, but it seems everytime I try to leave, something, or someone, stops me," she was starting to think that maybe fate was keeping her away from Aram, at the moment. That, or maybe it would be best to consult him after the battle for Heisuke's lands. She couldn't say, for sure, since she wasn't Aram.
“Well, I have no intention of stopping you," he said with a shrug. “Actually... if you were going to consult with your brother, I might go with you. I'd thought of asking a few questions of him as well. They seem..." His brows furrowed; perhaps he was searching for the right word. “Similar."
He lifted a single shoulder, though, letting his other arm rest casually on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't a threatening stance by any means; it looked relaxed if anything. “But if I'm wrong, or you'd rather go alone, that's fine as well."
"You noticed it too?" she spoke, instead. She thought she was the only one who noticed the weird similarities to Aram that Eiji, had, but perhaps he was thinking of something else. For her, it was because they smelled similar. She blinked slowly, though as his statement finally dawned on her. He wanted to go with? She shrugged.
"I'm not going to complain if you want to tag along. It's probably a good thing if you do," she stated. At least then, Aram might be more inclined to talk if someone else was around. Plus, he'd be able to relay the information to Reiko, too.
He nodded, turning so that he could walk at her side rather than in front of her or anything. “Lead on, then." He didn't seem to need to retrieve anything or change before leaving; he was wearing a fairly-typical shitage, kosode, and hakama, with the haori loosely draped over his shoulders. It was undoubtedly all well-made, but wouldn't look too out-of-place in the village. Tatsuya didn't really dress like a lord, unlike his brother Jirō.
Jirō dressed as if he were the lord. She rolled her eyes at the thought, before leading the way. Its not like she really needed to lead. He'd been there when Reiko rebuilt her and Aram's home from the ground up. Regardless, she began walking, anyway. The walk was mostly silent; she didn't have anything to say, really. That, and her mind was still occupied with Eiji and Heisuke. What could they have possibly wanted for Heisuke to fight that hard? It couldn't have been for Sayuri, because if she remembered correctly, he originally wanted Reiko. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at that.
This man was just an all around ass, and if it were up to her, there would be one less lord in the world. "What kind of impression did Eiji leave on you?" she decided to ask. It would help her contemplate what to say to Aram, exactly. They weren't too far from the home, now, but there was still some time for a brief conversation.
“He's a snake," Tatsuya said flatly. “But I also think he's a prognosticator, or fancies himself one. He calls himself a priest, talks about fate and the future and all that other bullshit like he knows it. Refers to humans like he's not one. And he smells a little like Washi-san. But I'm sure you noticed that part."
Ayla actually hit the palm of her hand against her forehead. Seriously? This Eiji thought he was like Aram? He had to be an idiot, if that were the case. There was no one else like Aram, and she was certain of that. "I noticed the way he smelled," she replied, though she did frown. "Which is, actually, strange," she would admit. She wrinkled her nose a bit. It was almost as if she could smell him right now.
They reached the house within the next few minutes, and she stared at it. "Hopefully he's here," she spoke. She wasn't entirely sure since she couldn't smell him at the moment. "So help me, the fucker better be here," because if he wasn't, she'd be pissed. Instead of walking in, she opted to knock on the door. She could be polite, she supposed. There was no answer. She furrowed her brows, and knocked again. Still no answer.
"Aram!?" she nearly called out. Still no answer.
“Well he can't be dead," Tatsuya volunteered dryly, folding his arms into his sleeves. “Reiko was down here just yesterday with more food. Where would he be if he wasn't at home? Working somewhere?"
"For his sake, he better be dead," she gritted out. She doubted there was any work for him to do, now that spring was, sort of, here. She sighed softly, and shook her head. "It wouldn't hurt to go see if he's at the fields, again," she spoke. As she turned to leave, though, she came face to face with Aram. He blinked, a little surprised at them, and his expression shifted in various degrees. One moment the surprise was on his face, the next he looked happy, followed by some melancholy, and then surprise again.
"Ayla, Minamoto-san, what are you doing here?" he asked, the surprise still laced in his voice. She pursed her lips at him, noticing the small basket in his hands. It looked like he'd gone to the market to get supplies. Food, mostly.
"One, I still live here, so I'm entitled to come back every now and then," she replied dryly. It, however, managed to cause a small smile on Aram's lips. She really hated when he did that. It made her feel bad about leaving him. "Two, we have questions," she stated, glancing towards Tatsuya as she did so.
"Oh," he sounded almost sad, but his face did not show it. "Well, come inside and I'll make tea," he spoke, shuffling past them. Ayla followed after him, and waited until they were all seated at the small table in the living area.
"Of what service may I be?"
Tatsuya settled in on the other side of the table from Aram, pausing before he spoke. Clearly, he was waiting to see if Ayla wanted to start the conversation, but when she didn't speak, he chose to do so instead. He moved his teacup a little closer to himself, but other than that, he left it unattended. Come to think of it, Ayla wasn't even sure whether he liked tea or not. All she'd ever seen him drinking was sake.
“There's a man at the castle. One of Akarui-dono's advisers. He calls himself Eiji, no name other than that. He's implied that he can do something like you can do—see the future, or some such." Tatsuya's skepticism appeared to extend to Aram's claims as well, but he was relatively polite about it. For him, anyway. “Know anything about him?"
"Eiji?" he spoke, furrowing his brows slightly. He glanced down at his cup, seemingly lost in thought. His lips were pursed into a fine line, and he seemed lost for a minute. "I have never heard of this person," he finally spoke, and it sounded genuine to her. She furrowed her brows.
"You've never seen anything that concerns a man in black robes wearing a stupid bird-like mask?" she decided to ask. Perhaps if she gave him a visual, he'd likely remember. It wasn't like names came to him, or at least she didn't think they did. He shook his head, though, and furrowed his brows deeper.
"No, I haven't. The only things I have seen have concerned..." he paused, glancing in Tatsuya's direction, "Sayuri and Heisuke, so far."
She knew that much, at least. "Has anything changed?" she decided to go that route. The expression on his face, however, gave way that signaled that something did. He sighed softly, and took a drink.
"Sayuri's engagement to Heisuke was called off, wasn't it?" he spoke, and she nodded. "Her... death is still inevitable, but it will not be the way it originally was supposed to be. There is... someone I cannot see, who is responsible for it. It will be slow, and it will be painful for her," he continued, dropping his gaze from hers and staring into his cup. She sighed.
"So nothing concerning Heisuke or Eiji?"
"Neither."
“Someone you can't see?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, crosshing his arms over his chest. What he thought of Sayuri's supposed impending death was unclear; perhaps he simply didn't believe it. “Isn't Reiko the only person you can't see?" And that would obviously not make any sense—if there was anyone who could be relied upon not to hurt Sayuri, it was Reiko.
"That is correct," he spoke. That was strange. Reiko was the only one he couldn't see, but this person who was supposed to end Sayuri's life also couldn't be seen. "It is not Reiko, of that I am certain," he spoke, as if he had seen her, somehow.
"How are you certain that it isn't her?"
"Because it will happen somewhere where it is only her and your brother, Kentaro," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "I do not know where it is, or when it will be, however; Reiko will not be present. I may not be able to see her, but I do know that much," he spoke. It was still vague as hell, to her, but she supposed she'd take his word for it. But if it wasn't Reiko, then who?
"You're no help, you know that?"
"I apologize, Ayla. I would help if I knew more, however; you know we are the only three, two," he corrected himself. She sighed heavily. "It is impossible that there would be another like us," he continued.
"If you say so," was the only thing she responded with.
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow at that. “Maybe you just didn't get all of 'em, last time," he said slowly. It was clear he knew at least some of the details of what they and his father had once done. What they'd once been a part of. “Maybe he's some kind of oni."
The word, though his voice lent no particular weight to it, managed to hang heavy in the air nonetheless. It was one with a lot of associations for both Ayla and Aram, and one that she hadn't heard in a conversation like this in a long time.
"He couldn't be. We got rid of them a long time ago," she finally spoke. Even if he were some kind of oni, Aram would still have known of him. He would have at least seen him. Amon had been a type of oni, though, and if she wasn't mistaken, so was Aram. Hell, even she was. Actually, that made sense. "He did smell like you, though," she spoke, frowning deeply.
"Scent or not, it is still impossible that he could be an oni. As you said, we made sure of that. The nests were all exterminated," Aram, for once, seemed skeptical about the possibilty of oni existing. "Even if we had missed some..." he trailed off at the end.
"We would have known about them, if we had. They are not the best at laying low and plotting," at least from what she remembered. The oni had been slow, and a little more suited to rage-battles than anything else. Hell, they would have heard of a village being trampled or something, if the oni still existed, by now.
Tatsuya didn't look even slightly convinced, but he shook his head and negelected to comment further on it. Instead, he shrugged. “With any luck, we'll take back Akarui's holdings and never hear from either of the fuckers again. But I'm not betting on it."
"One can hope," she muttered. Aram quirked a brow in her direction, as if he were confused as to what he meant. "About that," she began, sighing softly. "I'll be going with them," she spoke, and she could see the worry flash across his eyes. "I promise I won't change, Ara. It's only a small skirmish, nothing we haven't been through before," she spoke. It didn't ease the worriedness of his expression though.
"Just... be careful, okay?" she actually smiled at that.
"When have I ever not been? I'm not sure if you want to stick around a little longer, 'suya, but I'm going to stay and fix him a few meals before I go back. He won't be able to eat anything, otherwise," she spoke, shrugging her shoulders. He could stay and eat too if he wanted to, but that was up to him.
"You're not staying?" Aram asked softly, and she scoffed lightly.
"No, I'm not." She wasn't sure if she could, yet. He only dropped his gaze. She hated when he did that. "You can stay for dinner if you'd like, but I'll be staying here tonight," she spoke, glancing back towards Tatsuya. She was a pushover, and she knew it, when it came to him. He seemed to brighten back up, and she sighed heavily.
She hated him sometimes.
Reiko adjusted the sword in her obi, reaching up to tighten her topknot ponytail. She had to loop it more than once to keep all of her hair from impeding her movement, but she'd done so. They were marching to battle, after all; she took that as seriously as any of the others did.
She'd been a little surprised to learn that Tatsuya had hired Ayla to come along. It was a good idea, of course; she was an excellent ally to have, no doubt, and doing so would allow them to pay her a substantial sum, one that wasn't a gift. That greatly increased the likelihood of her acceptance, though Reiko didn't think it guaranteed it. But those were typically things she would think. Tatsuya, for all she loved him, was usually not what she would describe as generous or considerate in that way; but there was no other reason to do something like this that she could think of.
The three of them, Kentaro, Tsubasa, and about ten of his men consituted the force they were lending to Akarui-dono's efforts. She supposed that, not knowing what they were capable of, it might seem to be an insulting number. It was fifteen soldiers, and two of them were women. She suspected that Akarui-dono did not protest because the head of household and the man who was properly the heir were both going. No fewer than three of the Fujiwara sons were in attendance. With this few men to protect them, it was a display of great confidence.
Hard to be dishonored, when more than half the members of the allied house rode forth with you.
Sayuri had stayed behind with Jirō and the others; Reiko had asked Takahiro in particular to look after her. He was by far the gentlest of her brothers, but on the off-chance anything went wrong, he could also protect her very effectively. And he would; he wasn't one of the group who didn't much acknowledge her. Besides... Suya had said that whatever bad thing was supposed to happen to her would happen with Kentaro around, and Kentaro was here with them. Reiko wasn't sure how much of that she believed, but she'd planned for it just in case.
The horse underneath her huffed as they crested the top of a hill. Laid out before them, they could see the castle they were to retake. Many soldiers in gold and orange seemed to be stationed about; their ranks spilled outside the castle itself into encampments, tent clusters surrounded by palisade walls, constructed recently, no doubt from the nearby forest's trees. Beside her, Tatsuya's horse shifted. A few of them had gone ahead of the main force to scout.
“They've really dug in," he observed dispassionately. “It's going to be a pain to dig them out again."
Reiko nodded, her mouth set into a frown. “There's so many. They must not have gotten around to taking the countryside yet... or else they just had a massive army to begin with." She hadn't expected the sheer volume of soldiers. There must be at least a thousand.
Their force was three hundred and fifty, in total.
"Kind of like ticks," Ayla spoke, referring to Tatsuya's statement. "They dig in real deep until you burn them off," she continued. She was on Reiko's other side, her horse seemingly nervous to have her as a rider. Perhaps it was warranted, or not. "Same principle could be applied here," she said, a light frown on her lips. It was almost as if she didn't believe her own words.
"But all's fair in love and war, Reiko. Unless they have something to their advantage, we won't suffer too many casualties. I can't say the same for them, though," she said as the frown on her face was replaced with something more neutral.
Reiko didn't like the sound of that. She hated the idea of killing people simply because they were on the wrong side of what amounted to a property dispute. But... according to Akarui-dono and a few of his more honest advisers, diplomacy had already been attempted and failed. His people were beginning to starve. She didn't want to think about what his servants were enduring. Occupation was rarely civil for the people who had to endure it.
It might not justify what they were about to do, but she couldn't really justify leaving things the way they were, either. All she could do was what she thought would lead to the best result, in the end. And hope she wasn't wrong about it.
She made mental notes of particularly strong positions on the way towards the castle; points they have to take if they didn't want to find themselves flanked or surrounded halfway through their push to the castle walls. Once she'd fixed them all in her mind, she nodded to the other two. “Let's go back, then. Akarui-dono will want his report, and then we'll have to devise a strategy." She turned her horse and pointed him down the hill again, back towards their hidden encampment at the forest's edge.
"Right, strategy," Ayla spoke, though she didn't say anything further. She turned her own steed with Reiko's, and followed just to the back of Reiko. "Just a heads up, Reiko," Ayla spoke, a little softly at that. Perhaps she didn't want anyone to hear her since they were nearing the camp? "I'm not exactly a close and personal fighter. Don't get me wrong, I can do that. I just... I'm better at a distance. You've seen my bow," she spoke. Ayla was good with a bow; that had been obvious during the archery contest when they first met.
"It'd be better if I could cover you from a distance. I get a little... excited if I get too close," she continued. It was obvious in the way she said excited, that it meant that she would likely get too into the battle, and change. That should be avoided at all costs. "But whatever you and the others come up with, I'm sure it'll be fine," she didn't say anything after that.
Reiko nodded her understanding. It would be better to keep Ayla in the back ranks with the other archers, but that was surely something they could do. Akarui-dono and they had enough people between them that a front line and back line formation would likely be best anyway.
It took them about fifteen minutes to make it back to the encampment on horseback. Dismounting, they handed the animals over to one of Tsubasa's lieutenants, who bowed respectfully to all three of them. She could hear Tsubasa some distance away, in what must have been Akarui-dono's command tent.
Making her way to it, Reiko cleared her throat, waiting until the three of them were acknowledged before stepping in. Kentaro was there as well, along with the lord himself, Eiji, and one of Akarui-dono's other advisors, and older man named Kanda. He was a proper samurai, with a weathered face and a certain look to his eyes that spoke of many battles. Reiko liked him; he was among the more reasonable members of the lord's entourage, and he didn't talk down to her because she was a woman.
“Hino-sama, Minamoto-sama. Saitō-san." He greeted them with a bow. “You've finished scouting the castle area?"
Ayla returned the bow, and nodded her head. "We have, Kanda-san," she spoke. Her eyes drifted towards Eiji, but they remained neutral and passive. "Their force is at least a thousand strong, probably more," she spoke calmly. She glanced towards Reiko for a moment, before she turned her attention back towards the others. Eiji seemed contemplative, but it was hard to tell, exactly. Even under the tent, he still hadn't removed his mask. He'd kept it on at all times, actually. Perhaps his face had been disfigured at one point?
"What of the fortifications?" Eiji asked. Ayla didn't spare him a glance, and instead, glanced at Kanda-san and Reiko. He sounded bored when he asked the question, though. Perhaps that is why she did not answer?
Reiko took up the question instead, moving over to the table where a map of the castle and its surrounding areas was laid out. “There are lots of palisades around the castle walls, and several key chokepoints we'll probably need to take along the way," she said, moving colored tokens to the spots she indicated.
Kanda leaned over the map with her, helping her fill in the walls on the diagram she was building. She smiled gratefully at him, and then continued. “This one thinks it would make the most sense to divide our forces somewhat, into srike teams. We could then hit all the outermost choke points at once. They will be advantageous to us, because not too many of their troops will be able to fit through at once, reducing the advantage of numbers." Clearly, this army had built its fortifications in anticipation of facing a larger force still.
Eiji hummed a soft note, though it was more of understanding and agreement. His eyes narrowed slightly, though, as he glanced at the map. Ayla did the same, though she seemed to be contemplating something. She glanced towards Reiko, and sighed softly before moving her hands to her side.
"It would be easier to take when they least expect it. We could use the cover of night to do that. It will... reduce casualties, if necessary," she spoke those words particularly to Reiko. "It will also be to our benefit to do this at night. There are usually less patrols, and they might have a bit of arrogance on their side for their sheer numbers," she continued. The way she said it, though, sounded as if she were uncertain that could be the case.
"Either way, regardless if you use the cover of night, catching them off guard would, perhaps, be in the best interests of everyone else. The fewer people we lose, the better." Eiji spoke that time, seemingly agreeing, but he didn't sound too convincing.
“Will the troops be able to see?" Kentaro asked. “Tsubasa's men have done night drills, but that may not be the case for your army, Akarui-san."
The warlord frowned down at his map. “Not as such, but I expect their outposts will be lit. We'll be able to see them before they see us, if we go in without torches."
Reiko nodded. it was sound strategy. “Then we should move in tonight. The longer we linger here, the greater the chance we'll be discovered. Can you have your men ready to move by then, Kanda-san?"
The older human nodded his head. “Yes, Hino-sama. I will prepare them now." He waited for Akarui to dismiss him with a nod before exiting the tent.
She turned back to the maps, tilting her head down at them. “Tsubasa, I think you and your men should take the center of the formation, here." She pointed to the outermost point of the semicircle of fortification. “It's widest, so you'll be able to make the most use of the additional people. Most of Akarui-dono's men should probably go with you." She looked up at her brother, who met her eyes solemnly. It went without saying that he would have to be on-guard, in case their allies tried anything untoward.
“Kentaro and I can pressure from the right." Reiko slid her finger along the arc to indicate the second outpost along the arc. “And Ayla-san and Tatsuya can go left." He would be enough of a distraction to allow her to attack from range, for sure. And the fewer people that saw her family's powers, in the event they needed to use them, the better.
Plus... if Ayla inadvertently transformed, her brothers were the best choices to handle it, perhaps Tatsuya most of all.
“How many troops will each of the flank groups take, then?" Akarui-dono asked, clearly misunderstanding her.
She shook her head. “None. It's best if they remain small, and we're trained to be able to infiltrate this way." Probably better if she let him assume they were shinobi or something of the like. Reiko wasn't actually sure if Akarui-dono understood what had happened in their duel. He was faster and stronger than normal, so perhaps her strength had felt like human strength normally would to him. In either case, she didn't want to give him more reason to be suspicious than she absolutely had to. Rumors were one thing; facts were another thing entirely.
Eiji glanced towards Akarui-dono, and then back towards them. "I agree with Hino-sama. The less people to go with them, the greater chance they will be successful," he spoke, though there was a strange lightness to his tone. It's almost as if he were expecting the outcome, however; he said nothing further. Ayla glanced towards Tatsuya, and then Reiko, and nodded her head.
"Perhaps we should go prepare as well. We still have about two hours before sundown, and we should use that to our advantage," she spoke in a nonchalant fashion. They didn't necessarily need to prepare, but perhaps she was just being formal? She glanced towards Tsubasa, next, though, and grinned at him. "Make sure you make it back in one piece. I still have a spar to collect on," she spoke, her grin turning somewhat into a frown.
She was worried, perhaps, just the same as Reiko was. But maybe it was something else? Ayla wasn't close to anyone in particular except for Reiko, herself, or at least that's what it looked like.
Though... there was something in the way she interacted with Tatsuya, too. Reiko couldn't quite decide what they thought of each other, but it was a far cry from the open hostility they started with.
She missed Tsubasa's reply, but could only assume it had been affirmative. The rest of them took their leave, then, and Reiko filed out with them. They would probably wait until a few hours after dark to strike, but there were at least some preparations to be done in the meantime. Camouflage, for one.
Reiko did not relish the thought of going to battle and killing. But for the sake of this alliance, for the sake of her family and the future, she would.
She wondered if Tou-chan would be proud of her.
She'd been a little surprised to learn that Tatsuya had hired Ayla to come along. It was a good idea, of course; she was an excellent ally to have, no doubt, and doing so would allow them to pay her a substantial sum, one that wasn't a gift. That greatly increased the likelihood of her acceptance, though Reiko didn't think it guaranteed it. But those were typically things she would think. Tatsuya, for all she loved him, was usually not what she would describe as generous or considerate in that way; but there was no other reason to do something like this that she could think of.
The three of them, Kentaro, Tsubasa, and about ten of his men consituted the force they were lending to Akarui-dono's efforts. She supposed that, not knowing what they were capable of, it might seem to be an insulting number. It was fifteen soldiers, and two of them were women. She suspected that Akarui-dono did not protest because the head of household and the man who was properly the heir were both going. No fewer than three of the Fujiwara sons were in attendance. With this few men to protect them, it was a display of great confidence.
Hard to be dishonored, when more than half the members of the allied house rode forth with you.
Sayuri had stayed behind with Jirō and the others; Reiko had asked Takahiro in particular to look after her. He was by far the gentlest of her brothers, but on the off-chance anything went wrong, he could also protect her very effectively. And he would; he wasn't one of the group who didn't much acknowledge her. Besides... Suya had said that whatever bad thing was supposed to happen to her would happen with Kentaro around, and Kentaro was here with them. Reiko wasn't sure how much of that she believed, but she'd planned for it just in case.
The horse underneath her huffed as they crested the top of a hill. Laid out before them, they could see the castle they were to retake. Many soldiers in gold and orange seemed to be stationed about; their ranks spilled outside the castle itself into encampments, tent clusters surrounded by palisade walls, constructed recently, no doubt from the nearby forest's trees. Beside her, Tatsuya's horse shifted. A few of them had gone ahead of the main force to scout.
“They've really dug in," he observed dispassionately. “It's going to be a pain to dig them out again."
Reiko nodded, her mouth set into a frown. “There's so many. They must not have gotten around to taking the countryside yet... or else they just had a massive army to begin with." She hadn't expected the sheer volume of soldiers. There must be at least a thousand.
Their force was three hundred and fifty, in total.
"Kind of like ticks," Ayla spoke, referring to Tatsuya's statement. "They dig in real deep until you burn them off," she continued. She was on Reiko's other side, her horse seemingly nervous to have her as a rider. Perhaps it was warranted, or not. "Same principle could be applied here," she said, a light frown on her lips. It was almost as if she didn't believe her own words.
"But all's fair in love and war, Reiko. Unless they have something to their advantage, we won't suffer too many casualties. I can't say the same for them, though," she said as the frown on her face was replaced with something more neutral.
Reiko didn't like the sound of that. She hated the idea of killing people simply because they were on the wrong side of what amounted to a property dispute. But... according to Akarui-dono and a few of his more honest advisers, diplomacy had already been attempted and failed. His people were beginning to starve. She didn't want to think about what his servants were enduring. Occupation was rarely civil for the people who had to endure it.
It might not justify what they were about to do, but she couldn't really justify leaving things the way they were, either. All she could do was what she thought would lead to the best result, in the end. And hope she wasn't wrong about it.
She made mental notes of particularly strong positions on the way towards the castle; points they have to take if they didn't want to find themselves flanked or surrounded halfway through their push to the castle walls. Once she'd fixed them all in her mind, she nodded to the other two. “Let's go back, then. Akarui-dono will want his report, and then we'll have to devise a strategy." She turned her horse and pointed him down the hill again, back towards their hidden encampment at the forest's edge.
"Right, strategy," Ayla spoke, though she didn't say anything further. She turned her own steed with Reiko's, and followed just to the back of Reiko. "Just a heads up, Reiko," Ayla spoke, a little softly at that. Perhaps she didn't want anyone to hear her since they were nearing the camp? "I'm not exactly a close and personal fighter. Don't get me wrong, I can do that. I just... I'm better at a distance. You've seen my bow," she spoke. Ayla was good with a bow; that had been obvious during the archery contest when they first met.
"It'd be better if I could cover you from a distance. I get a little... excited if I get too close," she continued. It was obvious in the way she said excited, that it meant that she would likely get too into the battle, and change. That should be avoided at all costs. "But whatever you and the others come up with, I'm sure it'll be fine," she didn't say anything after that.
Reiko nodded her understanding. It would be better to keep Ayla in the back ranks with the other archers, but that was surely something they could do. Akarui-dono and they had enough people between them that a front line and back line formation would likely be best anyway.
It took them about fifteen minutes to make it back to the encampment on horseback. Dismounting, they handed the animals over to one of Tsubasa's lieutenants, who bowed respectfully to all three of them. She could hear Tsubasa some distance away, in what must have been Akarui-dono's command tent.
Making her way to it, Reiko cleared her throat, waiting until the three of them were acknowledged before stepping in. Kentaro was there as well, along with the lord himself, Eiji, and one of Akarui-dono's other advisors, and older man named Kanda. He was a proper samurai, with a weathered face and a certain look to his eyes that spoke of many battles. Reiko liked him; he was among the more reasonable members of the lord's entourage, and he didn't talk down to her because she was a woman.
“Hino-sama, Minamoto-sama. Saitō-san." He greeted them with a bow. “You've finished scouting the castle area?"
Ayla returned the bow, and nodded her head. "We have, Kanda-san," she spoke. Her eyes drifted towards Eiji, but they remained neutral and passive. "Their force is at least a thousand strong, probably more," she spoke calmly. She glanced towards Reiko for a moment, before she turned her attention back towards the others. Eiji seemed contemplative, but it was hard to tell, exactly. Even under the tent, he still hadn't removed his mask. He'd kept it on at all times, actually. Perhaps his face had been disfigured at one point?
"What of the fortifications?" Eiji asked. Ayla didn't spare him a glance, and instead, glanced at Kanda-san and Reiko. He sounded bored when he asked the question, though. Perhaps that is why she did not answer?
Reiko took up the question instead, moving over to the table where a map of the castle and its surrounding areas was laid out. “There are lots of palisades around the castle walls, and several key chokepoints we'll probably need to take along the way," she said, moving colored tokens to the spots she indicated.
Kanda leaned over the map with her, helping her fill in the walls on the diagram she was building. She smiled gratefully at him, and then continued. “This one thinks it would make the most sense to divide our forces somewhat, into srike teams. We could then hit all the outermost choke points at once. They will be advantageous to us, because not too many of their troops will be able to fit through at once, reducing the advantage of numbers." Clearly, this army had built its fortifications in anticipation of facing a larger force still.
Eiji hummed a soft note, though it was more of understanding and agreement. His eyes narrowed slightly, though, as he glanced at the map. Ayla did the same, though she seemed to be contemplating something. She glanced towards Reiko, and sighed softly before moving her hands to her side.
"It would be easier to take when they least expect it. We could use the cover of night to do that. It will... reduce casualties, if necessary," she spoke those words particularly to Reiko. "It will also be to our benefit to do this at night. There are usually less patrols, and they might have a bit of arrogance on their side for their sheer numbers," she continued. The way she said it, though, sounded as if she were uncertain that could be the case.
"Either way, regardless if you use the cover of night, catching them off guard would, perhaps, be in the best interests of everyone else. The fewer people we lose, the better." Eiji spoke that time, seemingly agreeing, but he didn't sound too convincing.
“Will the troops be able to see?" Kentaro asked. “Tsubasa's men have done night drills, but that may not be the case for your army, Akarui-san."
The warlord frowned down at his map. “Not as such, but I expect their outposts will be lit. We'll be able to see them before they see us, if we go in without torches."
Reiko nodded. it was sound strategy. “Then we should move in tonight. The longer we linger here, the greater the chance we'll be discovered. Can you have your men ready to move by then, Kanda-san?"
The older human nodded his head. “Yes, Hino-sama. I will prepare them now." He waited for Akarui to dismiss him with a nod before exiting the tent.
She turned back to the maps, tilting her head down at them. “Tsubasa, I think you and your men should take the center of the formation, here." She pointed to the outermost point of the semicircle of fortification. “It's widest, so you'll be able to make the most use of the additional people. Most of Akarui-dono's men should probably go with you." She looked up at her brother, who met her eyes solemnly. It went without saying that he would have to be on-guard, in case their allies tried anything untoward.
“Kentaro and I can pressure from the right." Reiko slid her finger along the arc to indicate the second outpost along the arc. “And Ayla-san and Tatsuya can go left." He would be enough of a distraction to allow her to attack from range, for sure. And the fewer people that saw her family's powers, in the event they needed to use them, the better.
Plus... if Ayla inadvertently transformed, her brothers were the best choices to handle it, perhaps Tatsuya most of all.
“How many troops will each of the flank groups take, then?" Akarui-dono asked, clearly misunderstanding her.
She shook her head. “None. It's best if they remain small, and we're trained to be able to infiltrate this way." Probably better if she let him assume they were shinobi or something of the like. Reiko wasn't actually sure if Akarui-dono understood what had happened in their duel. He was faster and stronger than normal, so perhaps her strength had felt like human strength normally would to him. In either case, she didn't want to give him more reason to be suspicious than she absolutely had to. Rumors were one thing; facts were another thing entirely.
Eiji glanced towards Akarui-dono, and then back towards them. "I agree with Hino-sama. The less people to go with them, the greater chance they will be successful," he spoke, though there was a strange lightness to his tone. It's almost as if he were expecting the outcome, however; he said nothing further. Ayla glanced towards Tatsuya, and then Reiko, and nodded her head.
"Perhaps we should go prepare as well. We still have about two hours before sundown, and we should use that to our advantage," she spoke in a nonchalant fashion. They didn't necessarily need to prepare, but perhaps she was just being formal? She glanced towards Tsubasa, next, though, and grinned at him. "Make sure you make it back in one piece. I still have a spar to collect on," she spoke, her grin turning somewhat into a frown.
She was worried, perhaps, just the same as Reiko was. But maybe it was something else? Ayla wasn't close to anyone in particular except for Reiko, herself, or at least that's what it looked like.
Though... there was something in the way she interacted with Tatsuya, too. Reiko couldn't quite decide what they thought of each other, but it was a far cry from the open hostility they started with.
She missed Tsubasa's reply, but could only assume it had been affirmative. The rest of them took their leave, then, and Reiko filed out with them. They would probably wait until a few hours after dark to strike, but there were at least some preparations to be done in the meantime. Camouflage, for one.
Reiko did not relish the thought of going to battle and killing. But for the sake of this alliance, for the sake of her family and the future, she would.
She wondered if Tou-chan would be proud of her.
Ayla snorted softly to herself. She had, briefly, entertained the idea of dressing in white just to scare the shit out of some of the enemy soldiers. Let them believe she was an evil spirit of some sort, however; she couldn't exactly do that. One, she wasn't particularly good at that kind of thing, and two, she didn't want to mess this up for Reiko. That, and she really wanted to partake in the skirmish. Sure, she wouldn't be up close, but that was fine. She could pick off whoever thought they could escape, and she could provide a decent cover for them. She might not boast about it, or flaunt it around, however; Ayla knew she was one of the best, if not the best, archer around.
Of course, she had years to perfect that art, kyūdō, if she remembered correctly, so maybe it wasn't fair to think that? She sighed softly, shifting through her belongings to search for her yumi. Once she found it, she simply stared at it, running her finger along the spine before sighing. It'd been too long since she'd actually used it in battle. She wasn't sure if she could call this a battle, per se, but it was one for the humans. Shaking the thought from her mind, she stood from her spot to dress. It was something simple, a shinbobi shōzoku outfit she'd had made a long time ago. It was fitted to her, specifically, and bereft of the mask. She didn't need it, after all.
It was made out of material that easily conformed to her when she moved, which was something she needed. She needed to be as flexible as possible, after all. Once that was on, she pulled her hair back into a high tail, and shouldered her bow. At least that way her hair wouldn't be in the way and wouldn't tangle with the bow. She stepped outside and took a soft breath, glancing around. It would be at least another few minutes before they marched. She didn't like the idea of Tsubasa going out on his own, after what had happened, but it wasn't like she had too much to worry about. He could handle himself. He was a good kid, perhaps that's why she liked him?
That, and he was Reiko's brother. She'd be upset if something happened to him, and in turn, that would make Ayla upset. Shaking the thought from her head, she left to find one of the siblings.
She could see Tsubasa rallying his men; he was clearly pretty busy, and his group would be marching separate from her anyway. Reiko and Kentaro spoke to each other in low voices some distance away. They both dressed similarly to Ayla herself; Reiko's outfit in particular looked like something she'd had a while. Unlike Ayla, however, hers did have a mask, one currently atop her head. A cat, from the look of it. Kentaro's was a fox.
They seemed to be making plans at the moment, from the snippets of conversation she could hear. That left Tatsuya; he was standing by himself on the edge of the clearing, arms crossed and leaning against a tree. His attire was dark as well, but it wasn't anything a shinobi would wear; rather, he'd worn a shitagi, kosode, and hakama with zori sandals, not unlike he usually did, but they were all black. The red of his eyes stood out fiercely against the lack of color, almost luminescent. He wore a sword on each side of his obi; a mask not unlike those belonging to his siblings dangled between two fingers, but it faced away from her, so she could not see it.
"You know, if you were to do that more often, you'd have every woman, maybe man too, after you," she spoke out to him. "You've got the whole 'cool, calm, and collected' samurai thing going for you," she continued, clearly amused by it. Of course, he probably had that anyway, considering what he was, and how he looked. She pursed her lips at that thought, though, and sighed.
"So... you and I on the left, right? I suppose it'll be easier to just let you do all the work," but it wouldn't be as fun. She was joking, of course. She wouldn't let him do all the work, even if he'd suggest it. He wouldn't, or so she thought.
He snorted, arching an eyebrow at her. “If the complete lack of color does it for you, I'll look into ordering more black," he drawled, rolling his eyes as if to say he didn't quite believe she'd included herself in the number.
Turning his eyes back out towards the edge of the forest in the distance, he let the humor drop from his voice. “There will be plenty of work for both of us. Humans or not, there are many of them. Even you or I could die if something catches us by surprise." There was a certain weightiness to the way he said it, as though he were speaking from personal experience or something. As it was, he clarified, so she didn't have to wonder for long.
“Only Reiko was there, when he died, and she doesn't remember what happened. The rest of us figure that must be what happened to him. A lot of humans, and one of them he didn't see. That's all it takes."
Whatever amusement she might have derived from his statement, was immediately quashed. She dropped her gaze from him, but she couldn't stop the sadness that seeped through her. She'd never really known how he died, only that he did. If that were true, if humans were really responsible for his death, then they could all die, for all she cared. After what they did for them, after what they put at stake for them, they go and slay the one being that saved them. Ungrateful things, they were. But... it was years ago, so many that she'd lost track, when they defeated the oni.
Human memories were terrible things, so perhaps they had simply forgotten? Whatever the case, she pushed the thought out of her mind. She didn't need to think about that, right now. There was a battle she needed to focus on without distractions.
"We'll just have to make sure we're not surprised, then," though that wasn't entirely given. Once the scent of blood started permeating the air, it would be hard to tell if there was someone behind them, or not. That, she supposed, as the downside of having an enhanced sense of smell. Too much blood, or one particular scent, could throw everything off.
"Just... be careful, I suppose." She wasn't too sure why she was concerned about his well-being, but there it was all the same. If something happened to him, Reiko would surely be upset, and if she could prevent that, she would do her damnedest. Maybe she was doing it more for Reiko's sake? That seemed about right.
He smirked at her, one corner of his mouth pulling up and back just enough to bare a single fang. The expression was, oddly enough, still almost completely serious, in a strange way. “Careful's not really in my nature. But there's no cause for concern. I, at least, have no plans to leave her behind."
Tatsuya raised the mask to his face. It was a dragon—what else would it have been, really? Unlike the others, it left everything below his nose uncovered. “But how about this? Watch my back and I'll watch yours."
"Deal," she spoke, raising a brow at him. "I'll watch yours, you watch mine," she continued, feeling the oncoming smirk on her face. At least this way, she'd be able to keep an eye on him, and she wouldn't have to worry too much about her own well-being. Not that she particularly cared about her own well-being. If she died... well then the only thing she would regret was leaving Aram too soon. She didn't plan on dying, not any time soon, however; she didn't have the ability to see the future.
Plus, she was ready. She'd never tell him that, of course, and she'd never go willingly to her own death, but if it happened, she wasn't going to complain. Shaking her head from the thought, she glanced back at Tatsuya.
"As long as that is all you do, because I think you might have some explaining to do to Reiko if I end up missing," she joked.
The group around them picked up into a march, and they went along with it. They'd have to split off soon, of course, but for the moment, they moved with the rest. He tread beside her, still chuckling. “It amuses me that you seem to think I'm out to murder you, Ayla," he said, using her name freely. It sounded kind of strange in his voice, actually. Tatsuya didn't say it at all like Amon used to, even though both were fond of teasing her. It was hard to say what the difference was, though.
"Ah, but I didn't say anything about being murdered, now did I? I only said that if I ended up missing, that you'd have to explain it to Reiko. Any number of things could happen that wouldn't necessarily mean you've murdered me, 'suya," she spoke, doing much the same. Though she didn't use his entire name, it was still the same, she supposed. She scoffed lightly, though, and shook her head.
"But when you say it that way, maybe you are? I'm trying to steal your sister, after all, away from you. Remember?" she continued, but she knew he would know she was joking about it. She had no plans to do that to Reiko. "Who knows, maybe I'll steal the other one, instead. He's fun to be around, Tsubasa," she continued, quirking her lips in the process. He was certainly more energetic, but she wasn't quite fond of him that way. She didn't think she was ever capable of being fond of anyone like that, after all.
“You can have him," Tatsuya said immediately, rolling his eyes under the mask. “You would get along with that type, wouldn't you?" He sighed and shook his head, but before she could respond, he raised a finger to his mouth and made the sign for silence.
Not far away, Reiko and Kentaro were breaking away from the group. It was clearly their turn to do the same, and begin the battle in earnest. Tatsuya took the lead, navigating the both of them swiftly and silently over the terrain. His feet made not even a whisper of sound over the debris underfoot. No snapping twigs or rustling leaves. She might have been the one who could look like a spirit, but he made no more noise than a ghost, despite the fact that he wasn't as obviously dressed for stealth as she was.
They drew close to the outpost they were meant to take. He stopped, waiting for her to do the same before moving close enough to speak softly into her ear. He laid one hand on her shoulder to do it, but the touch was in no way inappropriate, despite his usual demeanor. “See the one standing next to the torch?" he asked, jerking his chin towards the opening in the palisade wall.
There was indeed a guard there, leaning lazily against the wall, a bow in one hand but not drawn. “Can you get him quietly?"
"I'm insulted," she replied softly, though she shifted to remove her bow from her shoulder. She fitted an arrow to it, and narrowed her eyes towards the guard. Taking in a breath, she held the bow steady, and aimed. There was a reason as to why she preferred her bow to others. Hers was made specifically for stealth, and had little to no sound, not even the snap of the string. Of course, that had been perfected, too, over the years. She exhaled at the same time she released the arrow, watching as it hit its mark with the softest of 'thuds'.
"You should move him quickly," she spoke, jerking her head in the guards direction. "I'll cover you from behind. They'll likely have a top post," and if they did, she could take care of the guards that would be on it. She was a quick enough draw that she could do it before they suspected a thing, after all.
“Naturally," he replied.
Before she'd even taken another breath, he had vanished from her side like smoke. Barely two seconds later, he was at the wall, dragging the dead man into the shadows cast by the palisade. He stooped, yanking out her arrow and apparently checking it over. His other hand went to the hilt of one of his swords. He drew in enough time to intercept another human coming through the gap in the wall.
That one didn't make it more then three feet away before he lost his head. Literally; Tatsuya's sword cleaved through his neck like a knife through butter. He, too, was dragged out of the circle of torchlight, but someone must have caught on to what was happening, either here or at one of the other outposts, because the clangor of an alarm went up afterwards. Several more guards did indeed appear over the wall. One of them spotted Tatsuya and cried out.
Now the whole lot knew there were intruders here.
"Shit," was the only thing she said. She had the advantage at the moment, though. Tatsuya was the only one they'd seen, but she knew they weren't entirely stupid enough to believe it was just one man. Regardless if he really was a man or not to them, that wasn't her priority. Instead, she moved so that she was just beneath the cover of the trees, and took aim at the guards over the wall. As they turned to take the intruder, she let her arrows fly in quick succession. Each one planted itself in the back of their throats, causing them to fall off their perch.
"We were bound to be spotted, anyway," she spoke, making her way towards Tatsuya. Whether they were actually spotted wasn't the concern. The enemy knew they were here, and they needed to get this over with as quick as they could. "You take the left side, I'll take the right. I'll run out of arrows before we run out of people to kill," she spoke more to herself. She was glad she still had her tantō. It wasn't a katana, or wakizashi, and it would require her to get closer than she wanted to. She didn't have much of a choice, though, if she wanted to make it out alive.
He nodded, putting the arrow he still held back in her quiver. Apparently, he'd thought of that much already.
She moved effortlessly, picking another guard off the wall before he had time to climb down. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the guards and soldiers were assembling quicker. There was an array of archers forming at the top, however; she knew she'd be able to get some of them, not all. She sighed softly. She was going to get scraped by an arrow or two, but that was alright. It wasn't like she wouldn't heal from the scars. It might take a day, though. Her healing abilities were not that great compared to Amon's or Aram's.
She fitted another arrow, letting it fly as some of the archers took aim at her, moving as quickly as she could to avoid them. Another thing she didn't have in common with Aram and Amon. They were swifter than she was, and she cursed slightly when an arrow whipped past her face, slicing her cheek open. She narrowed her eyes and pulled her lips back into a light snarl.
"Asshole," she muttered, letting another arrow loose. Well, at least this was proving to be more of a challenge than she originally thought it was.
Tatsuya was a whirlwind of steel, in essence. It seemed the fact that he carried two full-length katana was more than for show; his entire style looked to be predicated around using both at the same time. It was an effective mix of attack and defense; he hewed through soldiers like they were simply fodder. Without the need to aim at least once at each individual target, he often felled two or more with a single powerful slash, bending and twisting away from attacks that really should have hit him.
The air, cold to begin with on an early spring night, seemed to only get chillier, clouding in front of them as they expelled breath. One of the humans, charging for Ayla, suddenly slipped on a slick spot that didn't seem to have been there before. It would seem he was using his abilities as well, though not overtly.
It wasn't fair that he could do that, though. All the blood and adrenaline was starting to get to her. She could almost feel the itch under her skin as she let her last arrow fly. She was doing a hell of a job keeping it under control, but there was still that small part of her that wanted the change. She sighed heavily, jumping out of the way as a sword came down at her. She rolled to the side, and stopped, pulling the tantō from its sheath, and held it out in front of her in a defensive manner.
She charged at the soldier, moving as fast as she was allowed, and flicked the blade over his throat. She watched as the blood slid down his neck, and he grasped at it. "That won't help you," she spoke softly, watching the fear in his eyes. It was the same look they all had when they realized death was upon them. Unable to watch his expression, she jerked his head, causing it to snap. It was a mercy he did not deserve. They both continued to cut through the soldiers, though it seemed that there was an endless supply of them. She continued dodging where she could, earning small nicks here and there.
It didn't take much longer, though, when the last one fell. She let out a small breath of relief, and stood. She was covered in blood; a mixture of hers and theirs. She wasn't bothered by it too much, but it did cause her to wrinkle her nose somewhat. She glanced in Tatsuya's direction, and pursed her lips together. "Are you alright?" she decided to say. He was, or he seemed to be, but she wanted to ask, anyway.
In fact, he seemed entirely injured. He was wearing a fair amount of blood; some of it was spattered across the pristine white of his mask. The rest would be impossible to see against his black gear, but his swords were coated in it. He turned to glance over his shoulder at her. She couldn't really read his whole face because of the obstruction, but his mouth was set in a neutral line.
“I'm—" he cut himself off, his head whipping forward again.
At about the same time, something hit Ayla's senses. Something old and familiar, but that should have been impossible. It could not be that any of them yet lived—she and Aram and Amon had killed the last, destroyed the final nest, a thousand years ago.
And yet...
It was on the other side of the field. Where Reiko and Kentaro were.
"No." That was the only word out of her mouth before she darted off towards them.
Of course, she had years to perfect that art, kyūdō, if she remembered correctly, so maybe it wasn't fair to think that? She sighed softly, shifting through her belongings to search for her yumi. Once she found it, she simply stared at it, running her finger along the spine before sighing. It'd been too long since she'd actually used it in battle. She wasn't sure if she could call this a battle, per se, but it was one for the humans. Shaking the thought from her mind, she stood from her spot to dress. It was something simple, a shinbobi shōzoku outfit she'd had made a long time ago. It was fitted to her, specifically, and bereft of the mask. She didn't need it, after all.
It was made out of material that easily conformed to her when she moved, which was something she needed. She needed to be as flexible as possible, after all. Once that was on, she pulled her hair back into a high tail, and shouldered her bow. At least that way her hair wouldn't be in the way and wouldn't tangle with the bow. She stepped outside and took a soft breath, glancing around. It would be at least another few minutes before they marched. She didn't like the idea of Tsubasa going out on his own, after what had happened, but it wasn't like she had too much to worry about. He could handle himself. He was a good kid, perhaps that's why she liked him?
That, and he was Reiko's brother. She'd be upset if something happened to him, and in turn, that would make Ayla upset. Shaking the thought from her head, she left to find one of the siblings.
She could see Tsubasa rallying his men; he was clearly pretty busy, and his group would be marching separate from her anyway. Reiko and Kentaro spoke to each other in low voices some distance away. They both dressed similarly to Ayla herself; Reiko's outfit in particular looked like something she'd had a while. Unlike Ayla, however, hers did have a mask, one currently atop her head. A cat, from the look of it. Kentaro's was a fox.
They seemed to be making plans at the moment, from the snippets of conversation she could hear. That left Tatsuya; he was standing by himself on the edge of the clearing, arms crossed and leaning against a tree. His attire was dark as well, but it wasn't anything a shinobi would wear; rather, he'd worn a shitagi, kosode, and hakama with zori sandals, not unlike he usually did, but they were all black. The red of his eyes stood out fiercely against the lack of color, almost luminescent. He wore a sword on each side of his obi; a mask not unlike those belonging to his siblings dangled between two fingers, but it faced away from her, so she could not see it.
"You know, if you were to do that more often, you'd have every woman, maybe man too, after you," she spoke out to him. "You've got the whole 'cool, calm, and collected' samurai thing going for you," she continued, clearly amused by it. Of course, he probably had that anyway, considering what he was, and how he looked. She pursed her lips at that thought, though, and sighed.
"So... you and I on the left, right? I suppose it'll be easier to just let you do all the work," but it wouldn't be as fun. She was joking, of course. She wouldn't let him do all the work, even if he'd suggest it. He wouldn't, or so she thought.
He snorted, arching an eyebrow at her. “If the complete lack of color does it for you, I'll look into ordering more black," he drawled, rolling his eyes as if to say he didn't quite believe she'd included herself in the number.
Turning his eyes back out towards the edge of the forest in the distance, he let the humor drop from his voice. “There will be plenty of work for both of us. Humans or not, there are many of them. Even you or I could die if something catches us by surprise." There was a certain weightiness to the way he said it, as though he were speaking from personal experience or something. As it was, he clarified, so she didn't have to wonder for long.
“Only Reiko was there, when he died, and she doesn't remember what happened. The rest of us figure that must be what happened to him. A lot of humans, and one of them he didn't see. That's all it takes."
Whatever amusement she might have derived from his statement, was immediately quashed. She dropped her gaze from him, but she couldn't stop the sadness that seeped through her. She'd never really known how he died, only that he did. If that were true, if humans were really responsible for his death, then they could all die, for all she cared. After what they did for them, after what they put at stake for them, they go and slay the one being that saved them. Ungrateful things, they were. But... it was years ago, so many that she'd lost track, when they defeated the oni.
Human memories were terrible things, so perhaps they had simply forgotten? Whatever the case, she pushed the thought out of her mind. She didn't need to think about that, right now. There was a battle she needed to focus on without distractions.
"We'll just have to make sure we're not surprised, then," though that wasn't entirely given. Once the scent of blood started permeating the air, it would be hard to tell if there was someone behind them, or not. That, she supposed, as the downside of having an enhanced sense of smell. Too much blood, or one particular scent, could throw everything off.
"Just... be careful, I suppose." She wasn't too sure why she was concerned about his well-being, but there it was all the same. If something happened to him, Reiko would surely be upset, and if she could prevent that, she would do her damnedest. Maybe she was doing it more for Reiko's sake? That seemed about right.
He smirked at her, one corner of his mouth pulling up and back just enough to bare a single fang. The expression was, oddly enough, still almost completely serious, in a strange way. “Careful's not really in my nature. But there's no cause for concern. I, at least, have no plans to leave her behind."
Tatsuya raised the mask to his face. It was a dragon—what else would it have been, really? Unlike the others, it left everything below his nose uncovered. “But how about this? Watch my back and I'll watch yours."
"Deal," she spoke, raising a brow at him. "I'll watch yours, you watch mine," she continued, feeling the oncoming smirk on her face. At least this way, she'd be able to keep an eye on him, and she wouldn't have to worry too much about her own well-being. Not that she particularly cared about her own well-being. If she died... well then the only thing she would regret was leaving Aram too soon. She didn't plan on dying, not any time soon, however; she didn't have the ability to see the future.
Plus, she was ready. She'd never tell him that, of course, and she'd never go willingly to her own death, but if it happened, she wasn't going to complain. Shaking her head from the thought, she glanced back at Tatsuya.
"As long as that is all you do, because I think you might have some explaining to do to Reiko if I end up missing," she joked.
The group around them picked up into a march, and they went along with it. They'd have to split off soon, of course, but for the moment, they moved with the rest. He tread beside her, still chuckling. “It amuses me that you seem to think I'm out to murder you, Ayla," he said, using her name freely. It sounded kind of strange in his voice, actually. Tatsuya didn't say it at all like Amon used to, even though both were fond of teasing her. It was hard to say what the difference was, though.
"Ah, but I didn't say anything about being murdered, now did I? I only said that if I ended up missing, that you'd have to explain it to Reiko. Any number of things could happen that wouldn't necessarily mean you've murdered me, 'suya," she spoke, doing much the same. Though she didn't use his entire name, it was still the same, she supposed. She scoffed lightly, though, and shook her head.
"But when you say it that way, maybe you are? I'm trying to steal your sister, after all, away from you. Remember?" she continued, but she knew he would know she was joking about it. She had no plans to do that to Reiko. "Who knows, maybe I'll steal the other one, instead. He's fun to be around, Tsubasa," she continued, quirking her lips in the process. He was certainly more energetic, but she wasn't quite fond of him that way. She didn't think she was ever capable of being fond of anyone like that, after all.
“You can have him," Tatsuya said immediately, rolling his eyes under the mask. “You would get along with that type, wouldn't you?" He sighed and shook his head, but before she could respond, he raised a finger to his mouth and made the sign for silence.
Not far away, Reiko and Kentaro were breaking away from the group. It was clearly their turn to do the same, and begin the battle in earnest. Tatsuya took the lead, navigating the both of them swiftly and silently over the terrain. His feet made not even a whisper of sound over the debris underfoot. No snapping twigs or rustling leaves. She might have been the one who could look like a spirit, but he made no more noise than a ghost, despite the fact that he wasn't as obviously dressed for stealth as she was.
They drew close to the outpost they were meant to take. He stopped, waiting for her to do the same before moving close enough to speak softly into her ear. He laid one hand on her shoulder to do it, but the touch was in no way inappropriate, despite his usual demeanor. “See the one standing next to the torch?" he asked, jerking his chin towards the opening in the palisade wall.
There was indeed a guard there, leaning lazily against the wall, a bow in one hand but not drawn. “Can you get him quietly?"
"I'm insulted," she replied softly, though she shifted to remove her bow from her shoulder. She fitted an arrow to it, and narrowed her eyes towards the guard. Taking in a breath, she held the bow steady, and aimed. There was a reason as to why she preferred her bow to others. Hers was made specifically for stealth, and had little to no sound, not even the snap of the string. Of course, that had been perfected, too, over the years. She exhaled at the same time she released the arrow, watching as it hit its mark with the softest of 'thuds'.
"You should move him quickly," she spoke, jerking her head in the guards direction. "I'll cover you from behind. They'll likely have a top post," and if they did, she could take care of the guards that would be on it. She was a quick enough draw that she could do it before they suspected a thing, after all.
“Naturally," he replied.
Before she'd even taken another breath, he had vanished from her side like smoke. Barely two seconds later, he was at the wall, dragging the dead man into the shadows cast by the palisade. He stooped, yanking out her arrow and apparently checking it over. His other hand went to the hilt of one of his swords. He drew in enough time to intercept another human coming through the gap in the wall.
That one didn't make it more then three feet away before he lost his head. Literally; Tatsuya's sword cleaved through his neck like a knife through butter. He, too, was dragged out of the circle of torchlight, but someone must have caught on to what was happening, either here or at one of the other outposts, because the clangor of an alarm went up afterwards. Several more guards did indeed appear over the wall. One of them spotted Tatsuya and cried out.
Now the whole lot knew there were intruders here.
"Shit," was the only thing she said. She had the advantage at the moment, though. Tatsuya was the only one they'd seen, but she knew they weren't entirely stupid enough to believe it was just one man. Regardless if he really was a man or not to them, that wasn't her priority. Instead, she moved so that she was just beneath the cover of the trees, and took aim at the guards over the wall. As they turned to take the intruder, she let her arrows fly in quick succession. Each one planted itself in the back of their throats, causing them to fall off their perch.
"We were bound to be spotted, anyway," she spoke, making her way towards Tatsuya. Whether they were actually spotted wasn't the concern. The enemy knew they were here, and they needed to get this over with as quick as they could. "You take the left side, I'll take the right. I'll run out of arrows before we run out of people to kill," she spoke more to herself. She was glad she still had her tantō. It wasn't a katana, or wakizashi, and it would require her to get closer than she wanted to. She didn't have much of a choice, though, if she wanted to make it out alive.
He nodded, putting the arrow he still held back in her quiver. Apparently, he'd thought of that much already.
She moved effortlessly, picking another guard off the wall before he had time to climb down. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the guards and soldiers were assembling quicker. There was an array of archers forming at the top, however; she knew she'd be able to get some of them, not all. She sighed softly. She was going to get scraped by an arrow or two, but that was alright. It wasn't like she wouldn't heal from the scars. It might take a day, though. Her healing abilities were not that great compared to Amon's or Aram's.
She fitted another arrow, letting it fly as some of the archers took aim at her, moving as quickly as she could to avoid them. Another thing she didn't have in common with Aram and Amon. They were swifter than she was, and she cursed slightly when an arrow whipped past her face, slicing her cheek open. She narrowed her eyes and pulled her lips back into a light snarl.
"Asshole," she muttered, letting another arrow loose. Well, at least this was proving to be more of a challenge than she originally thought it was.
Tatsuya was a whirlwind of steel, in essence. It seemed the fact that he carried two full-length katana was more than for show; his entire style looked to be predicated around using both at the same time. It was an effective mix of attack and defense; he hewed through soldiers like they were simply fodder. Without the need to aim at least once at each individual target, he often felled two or more with a single powerful slash, bending and twisting away from attacks that really should have hit him.
The air, cold to begin with on an early spring night, seemed to only get chillier, clouding in front of them as they expelled breath. One of the humans, charging for Ayla, suddenly slipped on a slick spot that didn't seem to have been there before. It would seem he was using his abilities as well, though not overtly.
It wasn't fair that he could do that, though. All the blood and adrenaline was starting to get to her. She could almost feel the itch under her skin as she let her last arrow fly. She was doing a hell of a job keeping it under control, but there was still that small part of her that wanted the change. She sighed heavily, jumping out of the way as a sword came down at her. She rolled to the side, and stopped, pulling the tantō from its sheath, and held it out in front of her in a defensive manner.
She charged at the soldier, moving as fast as she was allowed, and flicked the blade over his throat. She watched as the blood slid down his neck, and he grasped at it. "That won't help you," she spoke softly, watching the fear in his eyes. It was the same look they all had when they realized death was upon them. Unable to watch his expression, she jerked his head, causing it to snap. It was a mercy he did not deserve. They both continued to cut through the soldiers, though it seemed that there was an endless supply of them. She continued dodging where she could, earning small nicks here and there.
It didn't take much longer, though, when the last one fell. She let out a small breath of relief, and stood. She was covered in blood; a mixture of hers and theirs. She wasn't bothered by it too much, but it did cause her to wrinkle her nose somewhat. She glanced in Tatsuya's direction, and pursed her lips together. "Are you alright?" she decided to say. He was, or he seemed to be, but she wanted to ask, anyway.
In fact, he seemed entirely injured. He was wearing a fair amount of blood; some of it was spattered across the pristine white of his mask. The rest would be impossible to see against his black gear, but his swords were coated in it. He turned to glance over his shoulder at her. She couldn't really read his whole face because of the obstruction, but his mouth was set in a neutral line.
“I'm—" he cut himself off, his head whipping forward again.
At about the same time, something hit Ayla's senses. Something old and familiar, but that should have been impossible. It could not be that any of them yet lived—she and Aram and Amon had killed the last, destroyed the final nest, a thousand years ago.
And yet...
It was on the other side of the field. Where Reiko and Kentaro were.
"No." That was the only word out of her mouth before she darted off towards them.
“Kentaro!" Reiko scrambled to her feet, pushing herself up off the dirt and taking hold of her sword again.
Her brother, sensing that she was clear, broke out of the lock with the enormous creature that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, as if from nowhere, it seemed. It was massive: at least ten feet tall, with sickly green skin, grey hair, and massive tusks jutting out from its lower jaw. Humanoid was an accurate description, but only barely. It was massively strong; she'd been knocked off her feet with one hit, and she'd probably be dead right now if Kentaro hadn't interfered.
He jumped back; fire erupted from his fingertips, coalescing into a sphere and shooting right for the creature. She supposed it wasn't much good trying to hide the other beings in the world from humans if such a one as this was right there for them to see.
The creature swung its massive club, intercepting the fireball with the implement, which was big enough to take the hit. It seemed to focus on her; Reiko had to make several swift dodging maneuvers just to stay away from the next series of blows.
She nearly tripped over a corpse on the last landing; Kentaro was at her side immediately, grabbing her around the waist with an arm and launching them both far enough away to get clear.
“We should leave," he advised flatly. He suggested it for her sake, she knew.
But Reiko shook her head. “We can't! Imagine if that thing made it to the countryside. The humans wouldn't stand a chance." It barely even seemed to be intelligent, more like a dog than a person, and from what she'd seen of its behavior, all it did was attack without ceasing. Even now, it was turning to the fallen soldiers, many of them only unconscious and not dead, and began to crush them with its club, nearly mindlessly.
Kentaro tsked, but he didn't argue with her. She could feel Tatsuya's alarm through the Mark; he was most likely on his way. If Ayla was still with him, she was confident they would be able to handle this. It didn't have the advantage of surprise anymore, after all.
She ignored the pain in her back, where it had caught her the first time. Were she human, it would have snapped her spine. As it was, she had a few bloody furrows in her back from the spikes on the club, but Reiko was good at ignoring pain.
She always had been.
It wasn't more than a second later that a large, white blur, ran past her. It seemed fixated on the large creature, and indeed, it charged it. It was, perhaps, a few feet shorter than the creature, but it was obvious enough who it was. Ayla's jaws seemed to snap around the creatures arm, preventing it from crushing any more of the soldiers. Her teeth seemed to sink further into the creature, and what looked like an enormous amount of strength, managed to kick it away. She jumped back, landing on all four paws, and growled. Even her hackles were raised.
Reiko, Kentaro, you both need to leave... now. It's not safe anymore, she spoke in the same, strange, telepathic way. You are no match for it, she continued. She seemed to keep her gaze on the creature, though, watching it as it shook its arm. It didn't look fazed by what Ayla just did, and if anything, looked annoyed by the interuption.
Reiko nearly sighed. She was used to being perpetually underestimated; she hadn't expected her friend of all people to do that. Tightening her grip on her sword, she chanced a glance at Kentaro. He nodded, readying his own blade again.
“Underestimating my family, Ayla?" Tatsuya appeared a moment later, Swinging both blades in a wide arc that flayed open the creature's back. It twisted, trying to backhand him, but he bent out of the way like water, teeth bared under the bottom line of his mask. “That's not wise. Now they just want to show you you're wrong."
I am not underestimating anyone. You are the ones understimating your enemy. This is not a creature you can take, trust me, she sounded like she was pleading to them. It was slightly odd, considering Ayla's own thoughts on the matter regarding such things. She firmly believed anyone, man or woman, could do something, however; the way she spoke now, was something she believed they couldn't do.
Please leave. I do not want any of you to come to harm, she continued, jumping out of the way just in time as the creature came down with its club. She darted around it, and jumped onto its back, sinking her teeth into the juncture of its neck and shoulder. She dug in, it looked like, with her claws. The creature hissed, but grabbed her by the neck, and yanked her off. She took a decent chunk of flesh with her when it did. She was thrown to the ground, though, and the creature held her there, raising its club to strike her.
It managed to get her once, sinking the spikes into her shoulder, and there was a sickening, wet, crunch as it did. Ayla did not cry out, though it was clear that the strike broke her shoulder.
Obviously, none of them listened. Kentaro conjured more fire this time, preventing the creature from striking Ayla a second time and potentially ending her life. With a gout of flames in its face, it bellowed horribly, charging breakneck for Kentaro. He stood steady, patient, unruffled, but Reiko could feel the spike of adrenaline in his system. Her brother did not enjoy fighting, this she knew. But he was very, very effective at it.
He dodged at the last moment, swinging downwards with his blade. It clanged off a roughened patch of verdigris skin, leaving only a small cut. Any normal opponent wouldn't have an arm left after a hit like that.
The creature's counter managed to come in fast enough to clip Kentaro's hip, cracking something and sending him flying. He landed on his feet in a crouch, teeth gritted and lips pulled back from them. Reiko felt his pain.
Tatsuya moved in, preventing it from getting at Kentaro while he landed. Raising both swords and crossing them in front of himself, he caught a downward strike of the club, bending at the knees with the force of the impact. Under his mask, his eyes flashed golden.
If Reiko had had the time, she would have cursed under her breath. That was a bad sign. A terrible sign.
She moved in herself, running forward and leaping, high enough to twiste herself around in midair and slash for the creature's neck. The impact even against the softest portion of its skin jarred her arms heavily, but she did leave a cut, one that bled black, freely dripping down the creature's chest. It was nowhere near fatal on its own, but it was something.
Beside her, Tatsuya disengaged, calling up ice from the ground to encase its legs and impede its movement. Kentaro kept his fire aimed for its head and torso so as not to weaken Tatsuya's work. His sword was alight with the same bright yellow flames; each slash now left scorch marks as well as cuts. Reiko's wounds continued to bleed.
She continued to pay them no heed.
Ayla seemed to shake off the fact that her shoulder was broken. It was probably already healing, though it was difficult to say. She moved with less grace, now, and seemed to limp as she did. She stopped momentarily, though, and narrowed her gaze at it. She seemed to be contemplating something, as if she were sizing it up, so to speak. She turned her attention to Reiko.
If you want to help, then do as I say, she spoke suddenly. You see how thick its hide is. If you want to pierce it, you have to put as much strength as you can behind your blade. You might break your arms doing that, but you have to get in between its ribcage, underneath its arm, where it is the softest. Otherwise its chest cavity will be too much for you. It has an abnormally thick chest cavity, and the only way to its heart is through its side, she spoke, almost as if she'd had experience with this kind of thing before.
I'll do what I can to keep its attention on us, but you have to be quick, Reiko, she was off after that. She managed to weave through Kentaro's flames, and made for the creature's shoulder. She latched her jaws over its shoulder, and looked like she was pulling on it. The sound of something popping, though, gave way to the fact that she was pulling its arm out of its socket. She was thrown off of it, again, with its free arm.
Reiko didn't waste time arguing or second-guessing the strategy. She simply did what Ayla said, because it made sense and it seemed like she was speaking from experience. What that meant, given what this was, was something she would have to deal with later.
No sooner had the creature thrown off Ayla than Reiko was there, bracing her sword in both hands and thrusting with all the power she had. She wasn't as strong as her brothers, and to her dismay, she only managed to get about two inches in. She'd misaimed; she was up against one of its ribs, now.
She wasn't going to make it.
From behind, another pair of arms encircled her, gripping her sword as well. She didn't need to look to know that it was Tatsuya. “Give it all you have, Reiko," he said.
She nodded shortly, pushing forward with all her strength. His added to hers, and together, they cracked the beast's rib, pressing forward until her blade was buried to the hilt. They must have struck its heart, for it gave one last cry and toppled to the side, nearly taking them with it.
But they let go of the blade, and stepped away. Reiko's breath heaved in her lungs, pushing in and out too quickly. But the wounds on her back were already healing, and she could tell that the others were alive.
They'd done it.
She could hear Ayla give out a deep sigh, and it sounded heavy, too. This should not be happening. That thing shouldn't exist, she spoke seemingly to herself. It sounded like she knew what it was exactly. Are you alright? she spoke to them, her golden eyes fixed on both Reiko and Tatsuya. She was bloodied, too, and her shoulder bled just as freely as Reiko's wounds. She could tell Ayla wasn't putting much pressure on it, either. It must have still been broken.
She hadn't changed back, either.
And that it existed at all was obviously something they were going to have to deal with. But for Reiko, priority one was healing the others, and then priority two was finding Tsubasa and the others, to make sure they were all right. It looked like they'd broken the defense; Akarui's army should be able to do the rest. Hopefully, he would accept that as enough for now.
“Ayla-san," she said. “This one can get rid of your injuries. Is it okay if this one comes closer?"
She seemed to shake her head, at first. I'll be fine, Reiko. My wounds are healing already, but they're just a little slower than yours. My shoulder is fine, now, just sore, she spoke, moving her shoulder slightly as if to prove it. Even as a wolf, she still winced, and sighed. I could use a spare cloth, or kimono, though, if you happen to have one. Unless you'd rather I walk back naked, she asked, glancing at Reiko as she said that.
“Oh. Um." She glanced around. Anything the fallen soldiers were wearing was out of the question. She herself was only in one layer and her sarashi. Kentaro was basically the same. That left—
“This is becoming a very strange pattern, Ayla," Tatsuya said. Reiko had no idea what he was referring to, but he was already shrugging out of his shitagi. Rather than give Ayla the bloody garment, though, he opted also to take off the cleaner kosode below. Reiko averted her eyes; he might be her brother, but it was still only polite.
She heard him chuckle at her. “I'm decent, Reiko, fear not." When she turned back, he'd donned the shitagi by itself, and was holding the kosode in his hand. He tossed it to her with a shrug. “For some reason, Ayla doesn't seem to be all that keen on being naked in my presence, so I'll let you two figure this out."
He walked to stand beside Kentaro, both of them facing away from the two women. Reiko took a few steps closer, offering a wry smile. “Considering how tall Suya is, this should at least go to your knees."
She snorted at his comment. "If it were just you and I, maybe, but there are others present, 'suya. Besides, you like me in your clothes," she'd spoken, chuckling softly. She had shifted back to her original appearance. Once she was in the kosode, she sighed deeply. "Now isn't the best time, but I suppose there is an explanation in order. We should head back, though. I'll... explain everything once we do," she stated it as if it were some heavy burdern on her shoulders.
Reiko only nodded. She had plenty of questions, and a theory of her own, but it would be best to hear what Ayla had to say, first.
Her brother, sensing that she was clear, broke out of the lock with the enormous creature that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, as if from nowhere, it seemed. It was massive: at least ten feet tall, with sickly green skin, grey hair, and massive tusks jutting out from its lower jaw. Humanoid was an accurate description, but only barely. It was massively strong; she'd been knocked off her feet with one hit, and she'd probably be dead right now if Kentaro hadn't interfered.
He jumped back; fire erupted from his fingertips, coalescing into a sphere and shooting right for the creature. She supposed it wasn't much good trying to hide the other beings in the world from humans if such a one as this was right there for them to see.
The creature swung its massive club, intercepting the fireball with the implement, which was big enough to take the hit. It seemed to focus on her; Reiko had to make several swift dodging maneuvers just to stay away from the next series of blows.
She nearly tripped over a corpse on the last landing; Kentaro was at her side immediately, grabbing her around the waist with an arm and launching them both far enough away to get clear.
“We should leave," he advised flatly. He suggested it for her sake, she knew.
But Reiko shook her head. “We can't! Imagine if that thing made it to the countryside. The humans wouldn't stand a chance." It barely even seemed to be intelligent, more like a dog than a person, and from what she'd seen of its behavior, all it did was attack without ceasing. Even now, it was turning to the fallen soldiers, many of them only unconscious and not dead, and began to crush them with its club, nearly mindlessly.
Kentaro tsked, but he didn't argue with her. She could feel Tatsuya's alarm through the Mark; he was most likely on his way. If Ayla was still with him, she was confident they would be able to handle this. It didn't have the advantage of surprise anymore, after all.
She ignored the pain in her back, where it had caught her the first time. Were she human, it would have snapped her spine. As it was, she had a few bloody furrows in her back from the spikes on the club, but Reiko was good at ignoring pain.
She always had been.
It wasn't more than a second later that a large, white blur, ran past her. It seemed fixated on the large creature, and indeed, it charged it. It was, perhaps, a few feet shorter than the creature, but it was obvious enough who it was. Ayla's jaws seemed to snap around the creatures arm, preventing it from crushing any more of the soldiers. Her teeth seemed to sink further into the creature, and what looked like an enormous amount of strength, managed to kick it away. She jumped back, landing on all four paws, and growled. Even her hackles were raised.
Reiko, Kentaro, you both need to leave... now. It's not safe anymore, she spoke in the same, strange, telepathic way. You are no match for it, she continued. She seemed to keep her gaze on the creature, though, watching it as it shook its arm. It didn't look fazed by what Ayla just did, and if anything, looked annoyed by the interuption.
Reiko nearly sighed. She was used to being perpetually underestimated; she hadn't expected her friend of all people to do that. Tightening her grip on her sword, she chanced a glance at Kentaro. He nodded, readying his own blade again.
“Underestimating my family, Ayla?" Tatsuya appeared a moment later, Swinging both blades in a wide arc that flayed open the creature's back. It twisted, trying to backhand him, but he bent out of the way like water, teeth bared under the bottom line of his mask. “That's not wise. Now they just want to show you you're wrong."
I am not underestimating anyone. You are the ones understimating your enemy. This is not a creature you can take, trust me, she sounded like she was pleading to them. It was slightly odd, considering Ayla's own thoughts on the matter regarding such things. She firmly believed anyone, man or woman, could do something, however; the way she spoke now, was something she believed they couldn't do.
Please leave. I do not want any of you to come to harm, she continued, jumping out of the way just in time as the creature came down with its club. She darted around it, and jumped onto its back, sinking her teeth into the juncture of its neck and shoulder. She dug in, it looked like, with her claws. The creature hissed, but grabbed her by the neck, and yanked her off. She took a decent chunk of flesh with her when it did. She was thrown to the ground, though, and the creature held her there, raising its club to strike her.
It managed to get her once, sinking the spikes into her shoulder, and there was a sickening, wet, crunch as it did. Ayla did not cry out, though it was clear that the strike broke her shoulder.
Obviously, none of them listened. Kentaro conjured more fire this time, preventing the creature from striking Ayla a second time and potentially ending her life. With a gout of flames in its face, it bellowed horribly, charging breakneck for Kentaro. He stood steady, patient, unruffled, but Reiko could feel the spike of adrenaline in his system. Her brother did not enjoy fighting, this she knew. But he was very, very effective at it.
He dodged at the last moment, swinging downwards with his blade. It clanged off a roughened patch of verdigris skin, leaving only a small cut. Any normal opponent wouldn't have an arm left after a hit like that.
The creature's counter managed to come in fast enough to clip Kentaro's hip, cracking something and sending him flying. He landed on his feet in a crouch, teeth gritted and lips pulled back from them. Reiko felt his pain.
Tatsuya moved in, preventing it from getting at Kentaro while he landed. Raising both swords and crossing them in front of himself, he caught a downward strike of the club, bending at the knees with the force of the impact. Under his mask, his eyes flashed golden.
If Reiko had had the time, she would have cursed under her breath. That was a bad sign. A terrible sign.
She moved in herself, running forward and leaping, high enough to twiste herself around in midair and slash for the creature's neck. The impact even against the softest portion of its skin jarred her arms heavily, but she did leave a cut, one that bled black, freely dripping down the creature's chest. It was nowhere near fatal on its own, but it was something.
Beside her, Tatsuya disengaged, calling up ice from the ground to encase its legs and impede its movement. Kentaro kept his fire aimed for its head and torso so as not to weaken Tatsuya's work. His sword was alight with the same bright yellow flames; each slash now left scorch marks as well as cuts. Reiko's wounds continued to bleed.
She continued to pay them no heed.
Ayla seemed to shake off the fact that her shoulder was broken. It was probably already healing, though it was difficult to say. She moved with less grace, now, and seemed to limp as she did. She stopped momentarily, though, and narrowed her gaze at it. She seemed to be contemplating something, as if she were sizing it up, so to speak. She turned her attention to Reiko.
If you want to help, then do as I say, she spoke suddenly. You see how thick its hide is. If you want to pierce it, you have to put as much strength as you can behind your blade. You might break your arms doing that, but you have to get in between its ribcage, underneath its arm, where it is the softest. Otherwise its chest cavity will be too much for you. It has an abnormally thick chest cavity, and the only way to its heart is through its side, she spoke, almost as if she'd had experience with this kind of thing before.
I'll do what I can to keep its attention on us, but you have to be quick, Reiko, she was off after that. She managed to weave through Kentaro's flames, and made for the creature's shoulder. She latched her jaws over its shoulder, and looked like she was pulling on it. The sound of something popping, though, gave way to the fact that she was pulling its arm out of its socket. She was thrown off of it, again, with its free arm.
Reiko didn't waste time arguing or second-guessing the strategy. She simply did what Ayla said, because it made sense and it seemed like she was speaking from experience. What that meant, given what this was, was something she would have to deal with later.
No sooner had the creature thrown off Ayla than Reiko was there, bracing her sword in both hands and thrusting with all the power she had. She wasn't as strong as her brothers, and to her dismay, she only managed to get about two inches in. She'd misaimed; she was up against one of its ribs, now.
She wasn't going to make it.
From behind, another pair of arms encircled her, gripping her sword as well. She didn't need to look to know that it was Tatsuya. “Give it all you have, Reiko," he said.
She nodded shortly, pushing forward with all her strength. His added to hers, and together, they cracked the beast's rib, pressing forward until her blade was buried to the hilt. They must have struck its heart, for it gave one last cry and toppled to the side, nearly taking them with it.
But they let go of the blade, and stepped away. Reiko's breath heaved in her lungs, pushing in and out too quickly. But the wounds on her back were already healing, and she could tell that the others were alive.
They'd done it.
She could hear Ayla give out a deep sigh, and it sounded heavy, too. This should not be happening. That thing shouldn't exist, she spoke seemingly to herself. It sounded like she knew what it was exactly. Are you alright? she spoke to them, her golden eyes fixed on both Reiko and Tatsuya. She was bloodied, too, and her shoulder bled just as freely as Reiko's wounds. She could tell Ayla wasn't putting much pressure on it, either. It must have still been broken.
She hadn't changed back, either.
And that it existed at all was obviously something they were going to have to deal with. But for Reiko, priority one was healing the others, and then priority two was finding Tsubasa and the others, to make sure they were all right. It looked like they'd broken the defense; Akarui's army should be able to do the rest. Hopefully, he would accept that as enough for now.
“Ayla-san," she said. “This one can get rid of your injuries. Is it okay if this one comes closer?"
She seemed to shake her head, at first. I'll be fine, Reiko. My wounds are healing already, but they're just a little slower than yours. My shoulder is fine, now, just sore, she spoke, moving her shoulder slightly as if to prove it. Even as a wolf, she still winced, and sighed. I could use a spare cloth, or kimono, though, if you happen to have one. Unless you'd rather I walk back naked, she asked, glancing at Reiko as she said that.
“Oh. Um." She glanced around. Anything the fallen soldiers were wearing was out of the question. She herself was only in one layer and her sarashi. Kentaro was basically the same. That left—
“This is becoming a very strange pattern, Ayla," Tatsuya said. Reiko had no idea what he was referring to, but he was already shrugging out of his shitagi. Rather than give Ayla the bloody garment, though, he opted also to take off the cleaner kosode below. Reiko averted her eyes; he might be her brother, but it was still only polite.
She heard him chuckle at her. “I'm decent, Reiko, fear not." When she turned back, he'd donned the shitagi by itself, and was holding the kosode in his hand. He tossed it to her with a shrug. “For some reason, Ayla doesn't seem to be all that keen on being naked in my presence, so I'll let you two figure this out."
He walked to stand beside Kentaro, both of them facing away from the two women. Reiko took a few steps closer, offering a wry smile. “Considering how tall Suya is, this should at least go to your knees."
She snorted at his comment. "If it were just you and I, maybe, but there are others present, 'suya. Besides, you like me in your clothes," she'd spoken, chuckling softly. She had shifted back to her original appearance. Once she was in the kosode, she sighed deeply. "Now isn't the best time, but I suppose there is an explanation in order. We should head back, though. I'll... explain everything once we do," she stated it as if it were some heavy burdern on her shoulders.
Reiko only nodded. She had plenty of questions, and a theory of her own, but it would be best to hear what Ayla had to say, first.
This wasn't good.
She knew from experience that she, Aram, and Amon, had eradicated the oni more than a thousand years ago. So how was it that there was one, not that long ago, alive and breathing? They should have all been dead. There was no way that there could have been even one alive. She glanced at the others before her, and sighed heavily. There was an explanation she needed to give, she knew that. She glanced towards Tatsuya. He knew already, who she was. Reiko, however, did not. She wasn't sure about Tsubasa or Kentaro, though.
"I suppose I owe you an explanation," she spoke, drawing out the words as she did so. This wasn't easy for her to say, because she didn't know where to start. The previous day's event had worn heavily on her, specifically, because of what had transpired. "That creature from the other day," she started, pausing only momentarily to glance at them.
"It's called an oni. They're supposed to be extinct, however; as you saw, there was one alive," she continued, taking in a heavy breath. She might as well get this over and done with. She just wasn't sure how they would take it. "It's been at least a millenia since the last sighting because... your father, Aram, and myself took care of them. Amon... was my brother, as well as Aram's," she stated. She shook her head realizing she'd used his actually name.
"You knew him as Ichirō, though," she corrected herself. She still didn't understand how an oni was alive, or where it even came from, however; it was apparent that something was going on. She'd have to tell Aram once they got back, but for now, she could at least let them in on what an oni was.
“You're Tsuki-sama. And your brother is Hizashi-sama." Reiko said it with a quiet certainty, but for once, her tone was completely impossible to read. Even her face was neutral, almost as much so as Kentaro's. “Tou-chan told me stories about you, but I never thought..."
Her lower lip trembled slightly. “You... you knew. You knew and you never told me."
"I..." she began, furrowing her brows softly. She supposed, in a way, she'd done the same thing Aram did. She didn't tell her, however; that wasn't entirely true. "Reiko, I only found out a few months ago, that you were his daughter. I didn't know, myself," she spoke honestly. She didn't know until Tatsuya had told her, but she wasn't going to say that. Let Reiko be upset with her, and not him. She didn't understand why, but that's what she felt.
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how," and even now, it didn't seem right. Whether or not it was right, though, wasn't the concern. "But yes, I am Tsuki-sama, and Aram is Hizashi-sama," she continued, taking a deep breath. "But... as I was saying, the oni that we killed the other day should not have existed. We destroyed every possible nest there was, and we made sure they went extinct. The fact that there was one here, and now, is disturbing."
"They are not easily felled, as you have seen, and it takes alot in order to do so. Even we had problems killing them, at times. They don't have many weaknesses, and their hides are thicker than leather," she paused to let the information sink in a bit. They knew that from experience, how thick an oni's hide could be.
Reiko fell silent, apparently not as willing to put the deception aside as Ayla was. Then again, there had still been months where Ayla knew but did not say. Perhaps she felt that was enough to be hurt by.
That left her brothers to pick up the conversational thread, as far as it went. “Well... shit," Tsubasa said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know, if there's one around, there could pretty easily be more. Uh, awkward question, but how do their mating habits work? Should we be worried about little oni or whatever?"
Awkward or not, it was still a question that they had to find an answer to. She shuddered. "Kind of. Oni mostly took human women, and mated with them to provide them with more. In other words, oni are always male," she paused and shuddered again. "The oni don't necessarily have little ones. Once an oni is birthed, they grow at an alarming rate. By the end of the week, an oni could be fully grown, though their mindset isn't exactly normal. Nothing drives an oni more than battle and rage," she continued. All of the oni they had fought had been rather stupid, however; what they lacked in intelligence, they made up for in strength.
"But do not take their stupidity lightly. Even a brick wall could damage you if you're not too careful," she said with a light slump in her shoulders.
“Heh. I reckon so," Tsubasa agreed, looking torn between disgusted and oddly amused. Most likely the latter was just her comment, though; he was a lighthearted sort, but no doubt not pleased to learn what he just had.
“Sounds like there's a pretty good chance there are more of them around, then," Tatsuya added. “Not like that one could have just appeared out of nowhere. Who knows how many brothers or sons he has?" He wore a look of obvious distaste, mouth turned down into a scowl.
“What do we do about it?" Kentaro allowed the question to hang in the air. No one had an immediate answer.
"But that's just it; there isn't supposed to be more," and she didn't even know how to deal with the one. There was a possibility that there might be more of them, now, if he'd had his way with a woman. The thing about that, was that the gestation period for an oni was only a month. They grew within the mother's womb at just as an alarming rate as they grew outside. The mothers never survived the birth because of how big they were, and if she remembered correctly, the oni always tore through the stomachs.
"The only thing we can do about it is make sure we are properly prepared. Fighting them is no easy task, and I need... I need to talk to my brother about it. Perhaps he knows something about this," because chances were, he'd seen this. Whether it was recently or not, Aram would know something. He always did.
"For those of you that are capable, your strength will be what saves you," she glanced particularly at Tsubasa when she said this. He wasn't there, so he wouldn't know. "Oni anatomy is different, obviously, from humans and beings such as yourself and I. Their bone structure is a lot more refined, and it is difficult to break any single bone in their body. Their chest cavity, however, is the thickest bone they have. Aiming straight for the heart won't work unless you plan on bringing a sword made out of oni bone, itself. The best way to kill it is to go through the ribcage, the fourth and fifth to be precise." It was easier to pierce the heart that way.
"Other than that... there isn't much a human could do against it. Hopefully, it was just the one oni," but she wasn't exactly the optimistic type.
“Seems unlikely," Tatsuya said, unconsciously echoing her thoughts. “I'm going to bring that corpse back with us. I know the old man's swords are made from oni bones, but we're going to need more than just that if any of them ever show up again."
Tsubasa nodded. “I'll have the men load him up on the cart tonight. Before Akarui and his goons can figure out what to do with him, y'know?"
"It would be best if we did that as soon as possible. I don't want Akarui or his advisor anywhere near it," she spoke. She didn't understand why, but it was just a strange feeling she had. She always trusted her gut. Shaking her head, she turned her attention towards Reiko. She'd remained quiet through the entire conversation, and Ayla understood how she was feeling.
"Reiko," she began softly, "I don't expect you to forgive me for lying to you, but know that it wasn't intentional. And I can't give you a reason as to why I did, but..." she paused.
"I am sorry." It wasn't the apology she wanted to give, but she didn't know how else to say it. Perhaps... what she felt now was what Aram had felt. She took her gaze away from them, and stared at her hands. She really was a horrible person, wasn't she?
Reiko sighed softly. “This one wishes... that you would have told me. Both of you, but..." She took a deep breath and sighed it back out again. “But this one forgives you." She glanced up, offering a small smile.
Ayla sighed. She didn't know what else to say, so she said the only thing she could.
"Thank you."
She knew from experience that she, Aram, and Amon, had eradicated the oni more than a thousand years ago. So how was it that there was one, not that long ago, alive and breathing? They should have all been dead. There was no way that there could have been even one alive. She glanced at the others before her, and sighed heavily. There was an explanation she needed to give, she knew that. She glanced towards Tatsuya. He knew already, who she was. Reiko, however, did not. She wasn't sure about Tsubasa or Kentaro, though.
"I suppose I owe you an explanation," she spoke, drawing out the words as she did so. This wasn't easy for her to say, because she didn't know where to start. The previous day's event had worn heavily on her, specifically, because of what had transpired. "That creature from the other day," she started, pausing only momentarily to glance at them.
"It's called an oni. They're supposed to be extinct, however; as you saw, there was one alive," she continued, taking in a heavy breath. She might as well get this over and done with. She just wasn't sure how they would take it. "It's been at least a millenia since the last sighting because... your father, Aram, and myself took care of them. Amon... was my brother, as well as Aram's," she stated. She shook her head realizing she'd used his actually name.
"You knew him as Ichirō, though," she corrected herself. She still didn't understand how an oni was alive, or where it even came from, however; it was apparent that something was going on. She'd have to tell Aram once they got back, but for now, she could at least let them in on what an oni was.
“You're Tsuki-sama. And your brother is Hizashi-sama." Reiko said it with a quiet certainty, but for once, her tone was completely impossible to read. Even her face was neutral, almost as much so as Kentaro's. “Tou-chan told me stories about you, but I never thought..."
Her lower lip trembled slightly. “You... you knew. You knew and you never told me."
"I..." she began, furrowing her brows softly. She supposed, in a way, she'd done the same thing Aram did. She didn't tell her, however; that wasn't entirely true. "Reiko, I only found out a few months ago, that you were his daughter. I didn't know, myself," she spoke honestly. She didn't know until Tatsuya had told her, but she wasn't going to say that. Let Reiko be upset with her, and not him. She didn't understand why, but that's what she felt.
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how," and even now, it didn't seem right. Whether or not it was right, though, wasn't the concern. "But yes, I am Tsuki-sama, and Aram is Hizashi-sama," she continued, taking a deep breath. "But... as I was saying, the oni that we killed the other day should not have existed. We destroyed every possible nest there was, and we made sure they went extinct. The fact that there was one here, and now, is disturbing."
"They are not easily felled, as you have seen, and it takes alot in order to do so. Even we had problems killing them, at times. They don't have many weaknesses, and their hides are thicker than leather," she paused to let the information sink in a bit. They knew that from experience, how thick an oni's hide could be.
Reiko fell silent, apparently not as willing to put the deception aside as Ayla was. Then again, there had still been months where Ayla knew but did not say. Perhaps she felt that was enough to be hurt by.
That left her brothers to pick up the conversational thread, as far as it went. “Well... shit," Tsubasa said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know, if there's one around, there could pretty easily be more. Uh, awkward question, but how do their mating habits work? Should we be worried about little oni or whatever?"
Awkward or not, it was still a question that they had to find an answer to. She shuddered. "Kind of. Oni mostly took human women, and mated with them to provide them with more. In other words, oni are always male," she paused and shuddered again. "The oni don't necessarily have little ones. Once an oni is birthed, they grow at an alarming rate. By the end of the week, an oni could be fully grown, though their mindset isn't exactly normal. Nothing drives an oni more than battle and rage," she continued. All of the oni they had fought had been rather stupid, however; what they lacked in intelligence, they made up for in strength.
"But do not take their stupidity lightly. Even a brick wall could damage you if you're not too careful," she said with a light slump in her shoulders.
“Heh. I reckon so," Tsubasa agreed, looking torn between disgusted and oddly amused. Most likely the latter was just her comment, though; he was a lighthearted sort, but no doubt not pleased to learn what he just had.
“Sounds like there's a pretty good chance there are more of them around, then," Tatsuya added. “Not like that one could have just appeared out of nowhere. Who knows how many brothers or sons he has?" He wore a look of obvious distaste, mouth turned down into a scowl.
“What do we do about it?" Kentaro allowed the question to hang in the air. No one had an immediate answer.
"But that's just it; there isn't supposed to be more," and she didn't even know how to deal with the one. There was a possibility that there might be more of them, now, if he'd had his way with a woman. The thing about that, was that the gestation period for an oni was only a month. They grew within the mother's womb at just as an alarming rate as they grew outside. The mothers never survived the birth because of how big they were, and if she remembered correctly, the oni always tore through the stomachs.
"The only thing we can do about it is make sure we are properly prepared. Fighting them is no easy task, and I need... I need to talk to my brother about it. Perhaps he knows something about this," because chances were, he'd seen this. Whether it was recently or not, Aram would know something. He always did.
"For those of you that are capable, your strength will be what saves you," she glanced particularly at Tsubasa when she said this. He wasn't there, so he wouldn't know. "Oni anatomy is different, obviously, from humans and beings such as yourself and I. Their bone structure is a lot more refined, and it is difficult to break any single bone in their body. Their chest cavity, however, is the thickest bone they have. Aiming straight for the heart won't work unless you plan on bringing a sword made out of oni bone, itself. The best way to kill it is to go through the ribcage, the fourth and fifth to be precise." It was easier to pierce the heart that way.
"Other than that... there isn't much a human could do against it. Hopefully, it was just the one oni," but she wasn't exactly the optimistic type.
“Seems unlikely," Tatsuya said, unconsciously echoing her thoughts. “I'm going to bring that corpse back with us. I know the old man's swords are made from oni bones, but we're going to need more than just that if any of them ever show up again."
Tsubasa nodded. “I'll have the men load him up on the cart tonight. Before Akarui and his goons can figure out what to do with him, y'know?"
"It would be best if we did that as soon as possible. I don't want Akarui or his advisor anywhere near it," she spoke. She didn't understand why, but it was just a strange feeling she had. She always trusted her gut. Shaking her head, she turned her attention towards Reiko. She'd remained quiet through the entire conversation, and Ayla understood how she was feeling.
"Reiko," she began softly, "I don't expect you to forgive me for lying to you, but know that it wasn't intentional. And I can't give you a reason as to why I did, but..." she paused.
"I am sorry." It wasn't the apology she wanted to give, but she didn't know how else to say it. Perhaps... what she felt now was what Aram had felt. She took her gaze away from them, and stared at her hands. She really was a horrible person, wasn't she?
Reiko sighed softly. “This one wishes... that you would have told me. Both of you, but..." She took a deep breath and sighed it back out again. “But this one forgives you." She glanced up, offering a small smile.
Ayla sighed. She didn't know what else to say, so she said the only thing she could.
"Thank you."
The journey back to Hokkaido was swifter than the one south, largely because they'd left Akarui and his entire lot back at the castle they'd reclaimed for him. As promised, Tsubasa had loaded the oni's corpse up on one of their carts, which did slow them somewhat, but overall they were much more efficient travelers by themselves.
Reiko rode near the front; Tatsuya could feel through their connection that she was thinking and didn't particularly wish to be disturbed. Kentaro and Tsubasa spoke in quiet tones at one of the flanks. Tatsuya elected to guard the rear; danger, he thought, was much more likely to come from that direction than any other, despite being the territory of an "ally." Everyone was a little more on edge, given the discovery of the oni, even him.
Tatsuya had suffered no injuries against the creature. His strength had been sufficient against it. In that sense, he was pleased. But... it had brought him closer to losing control than he'd been since Reiko's birthmore than a century ago. That much was unpleasant. He knew, somehow, that if he'd faced it by himself, he certainly would have succumbed. The thought irked him, and that made him irritable. He supposed most of the soldiers could detect as much; they gave him a wide berth.
Ayla gave him no such distance, and had elected to ride beside him. Perhaps she too felt the threat? She didn't speak to him, though, and had remained quiet for a majority of the ride. She'd occasionally glance towards Reiko or himself, but remained silent on what she might have been thinking. She'd obviously had no reserves about losing control when the oni had showed up, however; it was apparent that, for the first time, she was bothered by it. Her brows furrowed slightly as if she were thinking something unpleasant before sighing softly.
"I'm going to need a drink after this," she muttered to herself more-so than to anyone around them. She'd spoken it just as softly as she'd sighed. "I'm going to need a lot of drinks," she continued, finally lifting her gaze to stare out in front of her. She turned her gaze to him, after that, and furrowed her brows. "I didn't get to tell you before, but," she paused, her lips pursing into a fine line. She shook her head and her expression softened.
"Thanks for having my back," were the only words she spoke.
“Yeah," he said. “You, too." Maybe under other circumstances, he'd have poked fun at her for saying something like that, or at least gloated a little about it, but this wasn't a situation where even he felt lightheartedness was appropriate. He knew his father's stories better than anyone. Better than Reiko, even, because the old man had never spared him the gory details of them. The reality of what oni presence meant for humans and anyone else. Especially the women.
It was through interbreeding with unfortunate humans that many types of oni had developed, including some that looked almost humanoid, and they'd developed ranges of different powers, before their extermination. In a way, Tatsuya and his family were oni, if perhaps the highest forms of the creatures. But they still had that same brutal violence in them, in their natures. They could play at being civilized all they wanted, but deep down inside... Tatsuya wasn't sure he was any better than that beast, only stronger.
The evience was in what he'd almost become. It was in the way Kentaro was never quite comfortable until he was fighting something. It was in the way they all subsisted not on rice and tea and fish, but blood. The blood of humans and creatures like them. The way they drew power from it.
Tatsuya had never been ashamed of what he was, of what he ate. Not like Reiko was. But if he lost the control he had, lost the things that made him different from that creature... he scowled deeply and shook his head. At least Ayla and her brother could claim to be different.
She glanced away from him, and nodded her head. She kept quiet again, and remained so for a few moments. "I'm..." she began suddenly, pausing only to furrow her brows. "I'm surprised, honestly, that you were both able to kill it," she scoffed lightly, almost as if she didn't belive they could have done it. She probably did believe that. "It took a lot for us to kill them, and that was when it was just the three of us," she began, shaking her head lightly.
"It's not that I underestimated you, or anything, I just didn't think you'd both be capable of doing it," she spoke softly. It was strange at how soft she was being at the moment. Perhaps the appearance of the oni shook her more than she'd let on? "But I suppose it is a good thing that you were."
She scoffed lightly at that. "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you all. Or injured deeper than I originally was," she spoke, rolling out her shoulder, the one that had been broken. It didn't look that way, anymore, though.
He supposed that, if he really thought about it, it was a little strange. Tatsuya shrugged his shoulders. “He trained us all," he said, speaking as quietly as she was. For him, it had less to do with his surprise and more to do with his general reluctance to talk about the old man, or acknowledge the significance he'd had in all their lives. “Personally. And he never let us get dull. If we weren't practicing against him, we were fighting each other. We still do."
He and his siblings were always improving, always trying to reach the next level of skill and control. For some of them, it bordered on an obsession. For others, it was a matter of needing the release of volatile energy. Violence was in their natures; they'd just found ways to deal with that. Tatsuya scoffed under his breath.
“He used to goad me. Challenge me to be stronger than he was. At the time I thought he was just being pushy, but I think he really did think it was important somehow. I never beat him before he died. But I still train like there's going to be a rematch someday." He kept his eyes on the road ahead. That was something he'd never told anyone. He had no idea why he was telling her. But near as he could tell, it was an explanation for why they'd been strong enough to handle things. They never stopped getting stronger.
She scoffed slightly when he spoke. There was a slight shift in her expression, but it was hard to tell exactly what it was. It disappeared too quickly to read. "Yeah, sounds like him. He lost once to Aram, though, so," she chuckled lightly as if the memory amused her somehow. "Aram never won after that, but perhaps that was a good thing. Amon was always..." she paused and shook her head. It looked like she didn't want to talk about it as much as he did. Her reasons were, obviously, different than his, but what they were, she didn't look inclined to say.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing you have your own style of fighting, though. Yours is a different from the way he fought, though it looks like Reiko took to that," she spoke, nodding her head in Reiko's direction. "I suppose it suits you, though," she stated, shrugging as she did so.
“I was never going to beat him by trying to be him," he replied, closing off the thread of conversation. They'd both said what they needed to, he was pretty sure; there was no point in lingering after that.
Tatsuya pulled a breath in through his nose, ignoring the salty stench of the oni. It was easier with her this close, actually; she smelled faintly like one of the flowers in Reiko's garden to him. Lavender, maybe. Along with something crisp and biting. It suited her.
“I don't know whether you're planning on forgiving your brother any time soon," he said, “but... you should invite him up to the castle as well. If there's another one of these, we should all be nearby to deal with it." What he didn't say was that he felt like that was what the old man would have wanted. And to an extent, it was still his home. Everyone who lived in it could feel that about it.
She sighed, perhaps a little too heavily. "I don't have much room to say no, actually," she spoke. "I had planned on it when we returned from this battle, but with the new development, I think it's best to do that as soon as possible," she continued, glancing up to him. Even on horseback, she was still shorter than him. "There can be some other time for me to be pissed at him. I'm sure he'll give me another reason, eventually," she spoke, rolling her eyes, though she did smile somewhat.
"And I'm sure he'd appreciate that. Stupid fool's probably..." her face pulled into a frown, and shook her head. "Enough about that; distract me with something. I'd rather keep my mind on other things right now," she muttered, pursing her lips together. Apparently she didn't like thinking about her brother at the moment, or what he was possibly doing.
“Distract you? A rather dangerous thing to ask for." he smirked as he said it, but elected to try and grant the request in the way he presumed she'd meant it.
Glancing out over the horizon in front of them, he picked out a spot well into the distance and pointed at it. “See that tree? I'll race you to it on horseback. See if you can keep up, eh hag?" What had once been a derisive nickname wasn't exactly kind, but more a joke than anything.
Tatsuya spurred his horse into a gallop, peeling off from the main group and letting the animal have his head over the gently-rolling hills of the terrain.
He could faintly hear her call out to him, something along the lines of 'asshole'. She caught up, though, if the sound of hooves behind him, was anything to go by. In another second she was beside him. "Who's the hag now, boy?" she called out, smirking at him. She didn't quite pass him, though. Her horse stayed even with his until they neared the tree.
"Well, this was fun and all, but I've got a race to win," she spoke loud enough for him to hear. She grinned before spurring her horse to go a little faster.
He wasn't about to let her get away with that, however. Tatsuya stood in his stirrups, bending over his horse's neck and urging him the little bit faster, veering to pass the tree on the left. She may have been the lighter passenger, but his horse was larger, and had the longer stride, which was just enough to put him a nose ahead when they passed the goal.
Tatsuya pulled him up, gradualy slowing back to an easy trot, smirking triumphantly. “I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my superiority." He chuckled when he caught sight of her; the speed of the run had pulled several hairs loose from her ponytail. He could feel that his hair was touseled all over the place, too, as he didn't wear it long enough to pull up.
"You know, it's not exactly fair when your horse has longer legs. You tall shits always get away with that," she spoke, her voice slightly grumpy, probably because she lost. She rolled her eyes though, and pulled her hair loose from the tail so she could straighten it out again. Once that was done, she didn't pull it back yet, and only stared at him.
"Fine, you win this one, but you won't be so lucky next time, your highness," she spoke, rolling her eyes again. She spoke as if there would be a next time, though. She glanced back in the direction they'd come from, though, and smiled. "In all honesty, though, thanks, 'suya," she spoke, keeping her gaze fixed where it was.
He met it without difficulty, arching a brow. He felt his smirk ease slightly, though his expression did not return to neutrality. Impulsively, he reached out, leaning slightly to the side on his horse to brush a piece of snowy hair behind her ear. It was about as soft as he'd expected, and smooth against his callused fingertips.
“You're welcome, Tsuki-sama," he replied, letting the honorific roll off his tongue with mock seriousness. Straightening back up and dropping his hand away, he wheeled his horse back in the direction of the others. No doubt they'd be missed if they didn't return soon.
“You should wear your hair loose more often," he threw back over his shoulder. “It suits you."
She snorted in reply. "I don't know, I mean, I might just have to cut it so that it looks more like yours: rugged," she jested and moved her horse next to his. "Like I said, you have the whole 'calm and collected' samurai thing going for you. Add the ruggedness of your hair, right now, and I think you might actually have difficulty fending off all of those pretty women, or men," she continued, shaking her head lightly.
"Let's go back before they start suspecting you murdered me," she grinned, moving her horse forward so that she was ahead of him.
He snorted, rolling his eyes and following after.
Reiko rode near the front; Tatsuya could feel through their connection that she was thinking and didn't particularly wish to be disturbed. Kentaro and Tsubasa spoke in quiet tones at one of the flanks. Tatsuya elected to guard the rear; danger, he thought, was much more likely to come from that direction than any other, despite being the territory of an "ally." Everyone was a little more on edge, given the discovery of the oni, even him.
Tatsuya had suffered no injuries against the creature. His strength had been sufficient against it. In that sense, he was pleased. But... it had brought him closer to losing control than he'd been since Reiko's birthmore than a century ago. That much was unpleasant. He knew, somehow, that if he'd faced it by himself, he certainly would have succumbed. The thought irked him, and that made him irritable. He supposed most of the soldiers could detect as much; they gave him a wide berth.
Ayla gave him no such distance, and had elected to ride beside him. Perhaps she too felt the threat? She didn't speak to him, though, and had remained quiet for a majority of the ride. She'd occasionally glance towards Reiko or himself, but remained silent on what she might have been thinking. She'd obviously had no reserves about losing control when the oni had showed up, however; it was apparent that, for the first time, she was bothered by it. Her brows furrowed slightly as if she were thinking something unpleasant before sighing softly.
"I'm going to need a drink after this," she muttered to herself more-so than to anyone around them. She'd spoken it just as softly as she'd sighed. "I'm going to need a lot of drinks," she continued, finally lifting her gaze to stare out in front of her. She turned her gaze to him, after that, and furrowed her brows. "I didn't get to tell you before, but," she paused, her lips pursing into a fine line. She shook her head and her expression softened.
"Thanks for having my back," were the only words she spoke.
“Yeah," he said. “You, too." Maybe under other circumstances, he'd have poked fun at her for saying something like that, or at least gloated a little about it, but this wasn't a situation where even he felt lightheartedness was appropriate. He knew his father's stories better than anyone. Better than Reiko, even, because the old man had never spared him the gory details of them. The reality of what oni presence meant for humans and anyone else. Especially the women.
It was through interbreeding with unfortunate humans that many types of oni had developed, including some that looked almost humanoid, and they'd developed ranges of different powers, before their extermination. In a way, Tatsuya and his family were oni, if perhaps the highest forms of the creatures. But they still had that same brutal violence in them, in their natures. They could play at being civilized all they wanted, but deep down inside... Tatsuya wasn't sure he was any better than that beast, only stronger.
The evience was in what he'd almost become. It was in the way Kentaro was never quite comfortable until he was fighting something. It was in the way they all subsisted not on rice and tea and fish, but blood. The blood of humans and creatures like them. The way they drew power from it.
Tatsuya had never been ashamed of what he was, of what he ate. Not like Reiko was. But if he lost the control he had, lost the things that made him different from that creature... he scowled deeply and shook his head. At least Ayla and her brother could claim to be different.
She glanced away from him, and nodded her head. She kept quiet again, and remained so for a few moments. "I'm..." she began suddenly, pausing only to furrow her brows. "I'm surprised, honestly, that you were both able to kill it," she scoffed lightly, almost as if she didn't belive they could have done it. She probably did believe that. "It took a lot for us to kill them, and that was when it was just the three of us," she began, shaking her head lightly.
"It's not that I underestimated you, or anything, I just didn't think you'd both be capable of doing it," she spoke softly. It was strange at how soft she was being at the moment. Perhaps the appearance of the oni shook her more than she'd let on? "But I suppose it is a good thing that you were."
She scoffed lightly at that. "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you all. Or injured deeper than I originally was," she spoke, rolling out her shoulder, the one that had been broken. It didn't look that way, anymore, though.
He supposed that, if he really thought about it, it was a little strange. Tatsuya shrugged his shoulders. “He trained us all," he said, speaking as quietly as she was. For him, it had less to do with his surprise and more to do with his general reluctance to talk about the old man, or acknowledge the significance he'd had in all their lives. “Personally. And he never let us get dull. If we weren't practicing against him, we were fighting each other. We still do."
He and his siblings were always improving, always trying to reach the next level of skill and control. For some of them, it bordered on an obsession. For others, it was a matter of needing the release of volatile energy. Violence was in their natures; they'd just found ways to deal with that. Tatsuya scoffed under his breath.
“He used to goad me. Challenge me to be stronger than he was. At the time I thought he was just being pushy, but I think he really did think it was important somehow. I never beat him before he died. But I still train like there's going to be a rematch someday." He kept his eyes on the road ahead. That was something he'd never told anyone. He had no idea why he was telling her. But near as he could tell, it was an explanation for why they'd been strong enough to handle things. They never stopped getting stronger.
She scoffed slightly when he spoke. There was a slight shift in her expression, but it was hard to tell exactly what it was. It disappeared too quickly to read. "Yeah, sounds like him. He lost once to Aram, though, so," she chuckled lightly as if the memory amused her somehow. "Aram never won after that, but perhaps that was a good thing. Amon was always..." she paused and shook her head. It looked like she didn't want to talk about it as much as he did. Her reasons were, obviously, different than his, but what they were, she didn't look inclined to say.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing you have your own style of fighting, though. Yours is a different from the way he fought, though it looks like Reiko took to that," she spoke, nodding her head in Reiko's direction. "I suppose it suits you, though," she stated, shrugging as she did so.
“I was never going to beat him by trying to be him," he replied, closing off the thread of conversation. They'd both said what they needed to, he was pretty sure; there was no point in lingering after that.
Tatsuya pulled a breath in through his nose, ignoring the salty stench of the oni. It was easier with her this close, actually; she smelled faintly like one of the flowers in Reiko's garden to him. Lavender, maybe. Along with something crisp and biting. It suited her.
“I don't know whether you're planning on forgiving your brother any time soon," he said, “but... you should invite him up to the castle as well. If there's another one of these, we should all be nearby to deal with it." What he didn't say was that he felt like that was what the old man would have wanted. And to an extent, it was still his home. Everyone who lived in it could feel that about it.
She sighed, perhaps a little too heavily. "I don't have much room to say no, actually," she spoke. "I had planned on it when we returned from this battle, but with the new development, I think it's best to do that as soon as possible," she continued, glancing up to him. Even on horseback, she was still shorter than him. "There can be some other time for me to be pissed at him. I'm sure he'll give me another reason, eventually," she spoke, rolling her eyes, though she did smile somewhat.
"And I'm sure he'd appreciate that. Stupid fool's probably..." her face pulled into a frown, and shook her head. "Enough about that; distract me with something. I'd rather keep my mind on other things right now," she muttered, pursing her lips together. Apparently she didn't like thinking about her brother at the moment, or what he was possibly doing.
“Distract you? A rather dangerous thing to ask for." he smirked as he said it, but elected to try and grant the request in the way he presumed she'd meant it.
Glancing out over the horizon in front of them, he picked out a spot well into the distance and pointed at it. “See that tree? I'll race you to it on horseback. See if you can keep up, eh hag?" What had once been a derisive nickname wasn't exactly kind, but more a joke than anything.
Tatsuya spurred his horse into a gallop, peeling off from the main group and letting the animal have his head over the gently-rolling hills of the terrain.
He could faintly hear her call out to him, something along the lines of 'asshole'. She caught up, though, if the sound of hooves behind him, was anything to go by. In another second she was beside him. "Who's the hag now, boy?" she called out, smirking at him. She didn't quite pass him, though. Her horse stayed even with his until they neared the tree.
"Well, this was fun and all, but I've got a race to win," she spoke loud enough for him to hear. She grinned before spurring her horse to go a little faster.
He wasn't about to let her get away with that, however. Tatsuya stood in his stirrups, bending over his horse's neck and urging him the little bit faster, veering to pass the tree on the left. She may have been the lighter passenger, but his horse was larger, and had the longer stride, which was just enough to put him a nose ahead when they passed the goal.
Tatsuya pulled him up, gradualy slowing back to an easy trot, smirking triumphantly. “I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my superiority." He chuckled when he caught sight of her; the speed of the run had pulled several hairs loose from her ponytail. He could feel that his hair was touseled all over the place, too, as he didn't wear it long enough to pull up.
"You know, it's not exactly fair when your horse has longer legs. You tall shits always get away with that," she spoke, her voice slightly grumpy, probably because she lost. She rolled her eyes though, and pulled her hair loose from the tail so she could straighten it out again. Once that was done, she didn't pull it back yet, and only stared at him.
"Fine, you win this one, but you won't be so lucky next time, your highness," she spoke, rolling her eyes again. She spoke as if there would be a next time, though. She glanced back in the direction they'd come from, though, and smiled. "In all honesty, though, thanks, 'suya," she spoke, keeping her gaze fixed where it was.
He met it without difficulty, arching a brow. He felt his smirk ease slightly, though his expression did not return to neutrality. Impulsively, he reached out, leaning slightly to the side on his horse to brush a piece of snowy hair behind her ear. It was about as soft as he'd expected, and smooth against his callused fingertips.
“You're welcome, Tsuki-sama," he replied, letting the honorific roll off his tongue with mock seriousness. Straightening back up and dropping his hand away, he wheeled his horse back in the direction of the others. No doubt they'd be missed if they didn't return soon.
“You should wear your hair loose more often," he threw back over his shoulder. “It suits you."
She snorted in reply. "I don't know, I mean, I might just have to cut it so that it looks more like yours: rugged," she jested and moved her horse next to his. "Like I said, you have the whole 'calm and collected' samurai thing going for you. Add the ruggedness of your hair, right now, and I think you might actually have difficulty fending off all of those pretty women, or men," she continued, shaking her head lightly.
"Let's go back before they start suspecting you murdered me," she grinned, moving her horse forward so that she was ahead of him.
He snorted, rolling his eyes and following after.
Ayla glanced around her, shifting slightly as she glanced around. Nightfall had come rather quickly, and though she and the others could continue, the humans needed to rest. So, they had stopped to make camp for the night. Perhaps that was a good thing; she didn't really know. Reiko hadn't spoken to her since she revealed herself as Tsuki-sama, and admittedly, it hurt. Now she knew how Aram felt. She hadn't intentionally lied to Reiko; it just never really came up.
That was a lie, and she knew it.
Slumping her shoulders, she took a slow breath and located Reiko. She was still ahead of her, and she could smell Tsubasa and Kentaro with her. Tatsuya was somewhere in the back; she'd left his side when they had returned from their race. She could also, faintly, smell a spring nearby. It wasn't a hot spring, but it was a spring, nonetheless. Perhaps she could persuade Reiko for a bath? Then, she could talk to her, and she could get some of the stench off of her as well. About what, she wasn't certain. All she knew was that she felt bad for keeping a secret from Reiko.
With that in mind, she made her way towards Reiko, and waited for her to stop speaking with the others. Once she had her attention, she spoke. "Reiko, may I speak with you?"
Reiko glanced at Kentaro and Tsubasa for a second. The latter nodded and declared that he needed to go help the men set up camp, though most of that work was already done. Kentaro glanced between them for a moment before inclining his head. He touched Reiko's shoudler briefly, then left without a word.
Amon's daughter turned to face her, half smiling and tilting her head to the side. “Certainly, Ayla-san. What can this one do for you?"
She offered a similar half-smile. "I'm not certain how you feel being covered in dirt, at the moment, but there is a spring nearby if you'd like to accompany me to wash off," she spoke softly. "And I'd like to speak to you without the extra set of ears around," she added. No doubt the three of her brothers would be able to hear them talking, and she'd rather keep this a private talk, for now.
"You don't have to come with me, if you don't want to, Reiko. Even if you said you'd forgiven me, I understand if you're still upset with me," because she'd felt the same way not too long ago. "I just..." she didn't know what to say.
“I could use a bath," Reiko said, apparently not inclined to get into that while there were still other people around. Or maybe simply unconcerned about it; she was difficult to read at the moment. It was a sharp contrast to the usual face she presented—the one where her feelings were right there on her sleeve for everyone to see.
Apparently, she was also able to smell the spring, because she led the way there. Once they'd reached the edge, Reiko crouched down, murmuring something under her breath and touching the ground with the fingertips of one hand. For a moment, light flickered above them, like a dome of it settling into place over the spring, but then it dispersed into tiny little motes, like the spheres in Reiko's garden or the few ones around Ayla and Aram's house, but smaller. They were a neutral-looking sort of grey-blue right now. It was hard to say what that meant.
Reiko snorted softly. “I don't know if, um... eavesdropping would be an issue. But no one will be able to see or hear us now, and I'll know if anyone gets close."
She seemed a bit shy of shedding her clothes, and did so quickly, with her back turned to Ayla, loosing her hair first to effectively cover the rest of her and sinking into the water as soon as she'd shucked her clothing.
Ayla wasn't so shy, and shed her clothing a little slower. It wasn't on purpose, though. She was merely lost in her own thoughts on how to approach the situation. She stepped into the water, shivering just slightly at the cool touch, before sinking in completely. Her hair floated around her, something she didn't mind. She smoothed some of it around her, though, and sighed. Now that they were here, the words she wanted to speak seemed to get caught in her throat. They wouldn't come out, at all. It's almost as if she were mute, and she could no longer speak. She shook her head at herself.
"I should have told you, sooner, Reiko," she decided to start with that. "I should have told you the moment I found out, but I didn't," because she wasn't entirely sure how to approach something like that. Even now, the lump in her throat was forming as she tried to speak the words she wanted to. "It wasn't easy for me, knowing that you were his kids, his anything," she whispered softly. The emotion in her voice was one she knew all too well. She just hoped Reiko didn't know, because she'd never intended for anyone else to know.
The only one who did, was Aram.
"Maybe it was selfish of me to keep the information from you, and for that, I apologize, she continued. She could apologize to Reiko for the rest of her life, but it still wouldn't feel like enough. She sighed deeply, and averted her gaze to the water.
“You loved him." Reiko said it with a quiet certainty, like she'd somehow looked inside Ayla and seen it. Her tone was about as gentle as she'd ever heard it; perhaps she was aware of just how sensitive the information was. “You were in love with this one's father." The second time, it was like something had clicked into place for her, as though she suddenly comprehended something that had been mysterious to her before.
Long as it was, Reiko's hair clouded in the water like dark fog; she sank in up to her chin and pursed her lips. “This one can understand not wanting to... talk about that, with his children. And perhaps... not wanting those children to know who you are."
She'd nearly sputtered in surprise when Reiko said that. She had hoped it wasn't so obvious, and she let her gaze falter again. "I was," and still is. She could never say otherwise, as much as she wanted to. She'd loved Amon a great deal, and when he'd left, started a family and fallen in love, it had hurt her so badly. Was she not good enough for him? Was she so far gone that he could not love her the way she loved him? Those thoughts had plagued her for years, and though they still do, they didn't haunt her as much.
"It's not that I didn't want you to know who I was, I just... I didn't know if I should," she continued softly. She took a deep breath, and pushed it out slowly. "It still does not excuse the fact that I kept that information from you," she added. In love with him or not, she should have said something about it. "I'd only seen Amon once, after he'd left us, and that was around the time 'suya was still a child. He... remembered me, and is the reason how I found out you were his kids," she spoke softly. As much as she didn't want Reiko to know that Tatsuya had known her, she didn't want to keep anything else from her.
Reiko huffed. “He always paid much more attention to tou-chan than he acted like," she said, shaking her head slowly. “This one is not surprised he knew. But he wouldn't have wanted to tell someone else's secret, this one thinks." She glanced down at the water, then submerged entirely for a moment, so that all of her hair was wet.
Swimming to the edge, she grabbed what looked like a bar of soap and brought it back, scrubbing herself down before offering the bar to Ayla. “I can get your back, if you want?" If anything, it was a peace offering.
“This one is a little upset at Aram-san, though. He doesn't really have the same excuse. Uh... at least this one doesn't think he does."
She smiled at that. "He knew before I did. It's why... I left him," she admitted. Now that she said it out loud, it really was a stupid thing to leave him for. He was her brother, and he was just looking out for her. At least that's what she hoped it was. "Aram's... he's not like you or I, Reiko. He's... hard to explain. The things he does, or doesn't do, are all within his thoughts of right and wrong. He believes keeping certain things from people will help them, but... in the end, it doesn't," she continued. Even she couldn't properly explain her brother's eccentricities. The only one who could, was dead. He and Amon had been close, too, after all. She moved her hair, and offered her back to Reiko.
"But really, I think Aram's just... sad. He hasn't really been able to talk to someone who understands, really. Even I have a hard time understanding him, and I think that's why he..." kept her so far from him, now that she thought about it. He wasn't quite close to her as they once had been, but perhaps time had done that to them. Perhaps it was Amon's death, or some other factor they just didn't know. Whatever it was, she sighed deeply.
"I get the distinct feeling, though, that he actually enjoys talking with you. He'd always mention that whenever he had the chance. He always looked... happier," she stated, glancing over her shoulder towards Reiko.
Reiko huffed a short laugh. “This one isn't so sure. This one kind of... bullied him, into telling this one part of Sayu-chan's fortune that he was keeping secret." She lathered some of the soap on her hands, and used it to swipe at the parts of Ayla's back that were difficult to reach, mostly near her shoulderblades, though she went as far up as the back of her neck.
“This one felt bad about it, but... I couldn't let something happen to Sayu-chan without knowing everything I could, you know? This one isn't sure he..." She trailed off, pursing her lips and sloshing some water upwards to rinse. “He has so many secrets. This one thinks it must be lonely to keep them all."
"With no one to share them with, he is," she admitted. He didn't even tell her, about any of his visions. If he did, he kept them really vague. He did, however, tell her a vision of herself, once, but he said it had changed. It was too long ago to recall what it actually was, though, and he'd never spoken to her about it, again. She chuckled softly.
"I doubt you could have bullied Aram into doing something he didn't want to do, Reiko. Aram's... if he has the opportunity, if someone pushes just enough, he will tell you about them," she said, sighing softly. "But it requires a lot of pushing, and I don't push enough," because she gave up easily.
"I'm sure if you tried, though, he wouldn't be too hesitant to tell you. That might be slightly because he can't see your future. It... actually freaks him out a bit. That's never happened to him before," she continued, allowing her lips to curl at the corners. It was a little amusing, though, to see him so worried.
Reiko seemed unsure of something, but whatever it was, she didn't bring it up directly. “This one is used to being odd," she confessed. “Suya says it's a good thing, but this one is not always so sure." She sighed a bit and drifted away, working some more of the soap through her thick sheets of hair.
“Ayla-san... this one knows it must be... difficult, sometimes, to be around this one and my brothers, but..." she glanced up, offering a small smile. “This one is glad you are here."
"I am, too." She offered a smile in return. She couldn't say for certain, though, if it was difficult being around them. She actually felt calmer, so perhaps it really wasn't a bad thing to be around them?
That was a lie, and she knew it.
Slumping her shoulders, she took a slow breath and located Reiko. She was still ahead of her, and she could smell Tsubasa and Kentaro with her. Tatsuya was somewhere in the back; she'd left his side when they had returned from their race. She could also, faintly, smell a spring nearby. It wasn't a hot spring, but it was a spring, nonetheless. Perhaps she could persuade Reiko for a bath? Then, she could talk to her, and she could get some of the stench off of her as well. About what, she wasn't certain. All she knew was that she felt bad for keeping a secret from Reiko.
With that in mind, she made her way towards Reiko, and waited for her to stop speaking with the others. Once she had her attention, she spoke. "Reiko, may I speak with you?"
Reiko glanced at Kentaro and Tsubasa for a second. The latter nodded and declared that he needed to go help the men set up camp, though most of that work was already done. Kentaro glanced between them for a moment before inclining his head. He touched Reiko's shoudler briefly, then left without a word.
Amon's daughter turned to face her, half smiling and tilting her head to the side. “Certainly, Ayla-san. What can this one do for you?"
She offered a similar half-smile. "I'm not certain how you feel being covered in dirt, at the moment, but there is a spring nearby if you'd like to accompany me to wash off," she spoke softly. "And I'd like to speak to you without the extra set of ears around," she added. No doubt the three of her brothers would be able to hear them talking, and she'd rather keep this a private talk, for now.
"You don't have to come with me, if you don't want to, Reiko. Even if you said you'd forgiven me, I understand if you're still upset with me," because she'd felt the same way not too long ago. "I just..." she didn't know what to say.
“I could use a bath," Reiko said, apparently not inclined to get into that while there were still other people around. Or maybe simply unconcerned about it; she was difficult to read at the moment. It was a sharp contrast to the usual face she presented—the one where her feelings were right there on her sleeve for everyone to see.
Apparently, she was also able to smell the spring, because she led the way there. Once they'd reached the edge, Reiko crouched down, murmuring something under her breath and touching the ground with the fingertips of one hand. For a moment, light flickered above them, like a dome of it settling into place over the spring, but then it dispersed into tiny little motes, like the spheres in Reiko's garden or the few ones around Ayla and Aram's house, but smaller. They were a neutral-looking sort of grey-blue right now. It was hard to say what that meant.
Reiko snorted softly. “I don't know if, um... eavesdropping would be an issue. But no one will be able to see or hear us now, and I'll know if anyone gets close."
She seemed a bit shy of shedding her clothes, and did so quickly, with her back turned to Ayla, loosing her hair first to effectively cover the rest of her and sinking into the water as soon as she'd shucked her clothing.
Ayla wasn't so shy, and shed her clothing a little slower. It wasn't on purpose, though. She was merely lost in her own thoughts on how to approach the situation. She stepped into the water, shivering just slightly at the cool touch, before sinking in completely. Her hair floated around her, something she didn't mind. She smoothed some of it around her, though, and sighed. Now that they were here, the words she wanted to speak seemed to get caught in her throat. They wouldn't come out, at all. It's almost as if she were mute, and she could no longer speak. She shook her head at herself.
"I should have told you, sooner, Reiko," she decided to start with that. "I should have told you the moment I found out, but I didn't," because she wasn't entirely sure how to approach something like that. Even now, the lump in her throat was forming as she tried to speak the words she wanted to. "It wasn't easy for me, knowing that you were his kids, his anything," she whispered softly. The emotion in her voice was one she knew all too well. She just hoped Reiko didn't know, because she'd never intended for anyone else to know.
The only one who did, was Aram.
"Maybe it was selfish of me to keep the information from you, and for that, I apologize, she continued. She could apologize to Reiko for the rest of her life, but it still wouldn't feel like enough. She sighed deeply, and averted her gaze to the water.
“You loved him." Reiko said it with a quiet certainty, like she'd somehow looked inside Ayla and seen it. Her tone was about as gentle as she'd ever heard it; perhaps she was aware of just how sensitive the information was. “You were in love with this one's father." The second time, it was like something had clicked into place for her, as though she suddenly comprehended something that had been mysterious to her before.
Long as it was, Reiko's hair clouded in the water like dark fog; she sank in up to her chin and pursed her lips. “This one can understand not wanting to... talk about that, with his children. And perhaps... not wanting those children to know who you are."
She'd nearly sputtered in surprise when Reiko said that. She had hoped it wasn't so obvious, and she let her gaze falter again. "I was," and still is. She could never say otherwise, as much as she wanted to. She'd loved Amon a great deal, and when he'd left, started a family and fallen in love, it had hurt her so badly. Was she not good enough for him? Was she so far gone that he could not love her the way she loved him? Those thoughts had plagued her for years, and though they still do, they didn't haunt her as much.
"It's not that I didn't want you to know who I was, I just... I didn't know if I should," she continued softly. She took a deep breath, and pushed it out slowly. "It still does not excuse the fact that I kept that information from you," she added. In love with him or not, she should have said something about it. "I'd only seen Amon once, after he'd left us, and that was around the time 'suya was still a child. He... remembered me, and is the reason how I found out you were his kids," she spoke softly. As much as she didn't want Reiko to know that Tatsuya had known her, she didn't want to keep anything else from her.
Reiko huffed. “He always paid much more attention to tou-chan than he acted like," she said, shaking her head slowly. “This one is not surprised he knew. But he wouldn't have wanted to tell someone else's secret, this one thinks." She glanced down at the water, then submerged entirely for a moment, so that all of her hair was wet.
Swimming to the edge, she grabbed what looked like a bar of soap and brought it back, scrubbing herself down before offering the bar to Ayla. “I can get your back, if you want?" If anything, it was a peace offering.
“This one is a little upset at Aram-san, though. He doesn't really have the same excuse. Uh... at least this one doesn't think he does."
She smiled at that. "He knew before I did. It's why... I left him," she admitted. Now that she said it out loud, it really was a stupid thing to leave him for. He was her brother, and he was just looking out for her. At least that's what she hoped it was. "Aram's... he's not like you or I, Reiko. He's... hard to explain. The things he does, or doesn't do, are all within his thoughts of right and wrong. He believes keeping certain things from people will help them, but... in the end, it doesn't," she continued. Even she couldn't properly explain her brother's eccentricities. The only one who could, was dead. He and Amon had been close, too, after all. She moved her hair, and offered her back to Reiko.
"But really, I think Aram's just... sad. He hasn't really been able to talk to someone who understands, really. Even I have a hard time understanding him, and I think that's why he..." kept her so far from him, now that she thought about it. He wasn't quite close to her as they once had been, but perhaps time had done that to them. Perhaps it was Amon's death, or some other factor they just didn't know. Whatever it was, she sighed deeply.
"I get the distinct feeling, though, that he actually enjoys talking with you. He'd always mention that whenever he had the chance. He always looked... happier," she stated, glancing over her shoulder towards Reiko.
Reiko huffed a short laugh. “This one isn't so sure. This one kind of... bullied him, into telling this one part of Sayu-chan's fortune that he was keeping secret." She lathered some of the soap on her hands, and used it to swipe at the parts of Ayla's back that were difficult to reach, mostly near her shoulderblades, though she went as far up as the back of her neck.
“This one felt bad about it, but... I couldn't let something happen to Sayu-chan without knowing everything I could, you know? This one isn't sure he..." She trailed off, pursing her lips and sloshing some water upwards to rinse. “He has so many secrets. This one thinks it must be lonely to keep them all."
"With no one to share them with, he is," she admitted. He didn't even tell her, about any of his visions. If he did, he kept them really vague. He did, however, tell her a vision of herself, once, but he said it had changed. It was too long ago to recall what it actually was, though, and he'd never spoken to her about it, again. She chuckled softly.
"I doubt you could have bullied Aram into doing something he didn't want to do, Reiko. Aram's... if he has the opportunity, if someone pushes just enough, he will tell you about them," she said, sighing softly. "But it requires a lot of pushing, and I don't push enough," because she gave up easily.
"I'm sure if you tried, though, he wouldn't be too hesitant to tell you. That might be slightly because he can't see your future. It... actually freaks him out a bit. That's never happened to him before," she continued, allowing her lips to curl at the corners. It was a little amusing, though, to see him so worried.
Reiko seemed unsure of something, but whatever it was, she didn't bring it up directly. “This one is used to being odd," she confessed. “Suya says it's a good thing, but this one is not always so sure." She sighed a bit and drifted away, working some more of the soap through her thick sheets of hair.
“Ayla-san... this one knows it must be... difficult, sometimes, to be around this one and my brothers, but..." she glanced up, offering a small smile. “This one is glad you are here."
"I am, too." She offered a smile in return. She couldn't say for certain, though, if it was difficult being around them. She actually felt calmer, so perhaps it really wasn't a bad thing to be around them?
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Their return home was a great deal quieter than their leave had been. They'd entered the gates, where Jirō, Takahiro, and even Daichi were waiting, along with a few of the servants and the like. Kentaro found himself searching for one particular face, but though her scent lingered, he did not see her, not even after they all dismounted and handed their horses over to the grooms to take away.
He realized he was still searching even as they dispersed, the men to their rest, his siblings and Ayla to wherever they wanted to be. Kentaro was not especially tired; but he felt slightly calmer than usual, either because he'd worked off a lot of excess energy in the battle or because he was now home; it was hard to tell, exactly. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with himself now that he was back, though.
So he headed back to his room, changing his travel clothes for more comfortable ones, and then emerged again, only his bound sheaf of paper and charcaol sticks in his hands.
It wasn't until he ventured through Reiko's garden, that he spotted Sayuri. She was sitting in a peculiar way, leaning over slightly as if she were praying. Perhaps she was? She mouthed something, and smiled. She straightened back up, but made no effort to move further. She turned slightly, though, and stared at him. Her expression seemed to brighten considerably, as she stood and made her way towards him. She almost tripped when she did, though. She moved in a slightly hurried fashion, so perhaps it was warranted that she almost did.
"Kentaro-san, you're back," she spoke, the smile still on her face. "I'm sorry, if I'd known that you all had arrived, I would have been there to greet you all back," she continued. She probably didn't hear them, which would explain her absence.
He shook his head. “That's not necessary. We only just arrived, anyway." Kentaro paused. Normally, he felt no particular desire to speak, and only did so when he had to. Even in Reiko's company, he tended to prefer silence, unless there was something pressing on his mind, or hers. But here... he felt like he wanted to say something else. Should say something else.
But he didn't know what.
“What were you doing?" he asked, flicking his eyes to the spot she'd been before his arrival. The question came out as bluntly as everything else he said; Kentaro found himself hoping it didn't sound like a demand for the information, and correcting his words in case it did. “You don't have to say."
"Oh, um, no it's okay," she stated, turning the slightest shade of pink. "I was praying for the safe return of my family," she spoke, not the slightest bit deterred by his bluntness. She was probably used to it, by now. "I know it might seem kind of silly, but, I was worried," she spoke, pursing her lips together. She frowned slightly, but it smoothed back out as she shook her head.
"But it seems that I don't have to, anymore. You all came back safe and sound," she stated, folding her hands behind her. "And... I'm glad that you're safe, too," she spoke, glancing down for a moment. She lifted her gaze back to meet his, though, and offered him a small, nervous smile.
Kentaro nodded. He wasn't sure what to say to that, exactly. It occurred to him that she might want to know about what had happened while they were gone, but also that it was probably something best talked about away from the household and the servants. Jirō would probably want to wait and make an announcement to all of them at once, to prevent rumors and misinformation from spreading, but it seemed to Kentaro that Sayuri deserved to know before that. Why he thought that was was harder to say, but he didn't bother thinking about it too much.
“Do you want tea?" he asked. “I can make it in my office." It wasn't like he ever used the room for anything else. Even he knew, however, that inviting a person to his private quarters would be the source of many rumors of its own, so the office seemed like the better option.
"I would like that," she responded, nodding her head at the same time. She waited for him to lead the way, standing at a polite distance behind him. She knew where his office was, but perhaps she was just being polite? Once they'd reached his office, she stepped in behind him, and slid the door shut.
"I assume that taking back Akarui-dono's lands, was successful?" she asked, taking a seat on one of the cushions provided.
He nodded once, moving towards the teapot set on an end table in one corner of the room. His furniture, ill-used as it was, was kept dust-free by the staff, and the furnishings themselves were of course of good quality. Kentaro had an eye for aesthetics, strange as it might be to those who did not know him well to think so.
The teapot already had water in it; it was not difficult to heat the water with an application of his powers. Once the water inside had boiled to his satisfaction, he eased off on the heat and set it down, spooning the loose tea in and allowing it to steep. He carried all of it over to the table and settled down across from Sayuri.
"Akarui-san has his lands back. But there were complications." Kentaro's brow furrowed. It was difficult to decide exactly how to describe what had happened.
"Complications?" she questioned, tilting her head just slightly. "What kind of complications? Was it the size of the enemy army?" she continued. She wasn't accustomed to battle as they were. She was, perhaps, the only one in the family who didn't fight. She didn't have a reason to.
"Whatever it was, you are all alright, right?" a hint of concern laced in her voice as she kept her gaze steady with his.
"For now," he said slowly.
From the smell of the tea, Kentaro decided that it was done. Reaching for the pot, he poured her a cup first, and then himself. Setting it back down to the side, he pushed a breath out through his nose and sat back with the teacup in both hands. "I do not know if Reiko has ever told you any of our father's stories about oni, but we encountered one there. They are supposed to be extinct, but it is clear that they are not." He pursed his lips, eyes narrowing slightly.
She pursed her lips together. "She used to tell me of Fujiwara-dono's previous life, with Tsuki-sama and Hizashi-sama, but not exactly anything about oni. She used to tell me about a threat they faced and fought, but that was about it," she spoke slowly, as if she were trying to remember exactly what Reiko had told her.
"But if that means they're not extinct, then what does that mean for us?" she asked. Clearly she was concerned; it was written on her face.
"It means we might have to deal with them," he replied. "It turns out that Ayla-san and Aram-san are those people; even she was surprised to see the oni. Perhaps moreso than any of us." He took a swallow from his teacup. It was extremely hot, still, but that hardly bothered him. If it wasn't scalding, it seemed cold to him—such was the nature of his power.
He set the cup down and stared her in the eyes for a long moment. He was trying to figure out why the thought of the threat reaching here, reaching her produced such a strong negative reaction in him. It made him almost... angry, and nothing did that. Well, very few things, anyway. He supposed the idea of Reiko getting hurt was similarly unpalatable. Perhaps that was how he should feel. She was his sister, after all, by adoption.
Perhaps it felt worse in her case because she was not a combatant, and Reiko was. Reiko would be able to hold off or even possibly defeat an oni if she encountered one. Sayuri would be helpless to do anything but run, and that would not be likely to work.
"I want—" he cut himself off for a moment, pursing his lips, then spoke again. "I want to teach you how to defend yourself. But it will not do you any good if you are unwilling to learn." A person armed with a sword who was unwilling to use it was more of a danger to themselves than an unarmed person. He would not teach her if she was against it.
"Will you permit me?"
She blinked in surprise. Whether it was his statement to teach her, or what he'd said earlier, it was hard to tell. She blinked, still, a little slower. "Teach... me?" she finally spoke, though she seemed unsure of he words. She took a deep breath, and shook her head. Returning her gaze to him, she held his gaze with a strange sense of resolve behind her eyes. She nodded her head, finally.
"If it means I will not be a burden to you," she began, bowing slightly forward. It wasn't a proper one, but it seemed difficult to do where she sat. "I wish to help protect my family, too," she continued.
He supposed, in a way, she would be. Not directly, but... if she could learn enough to buy herself precious seconds in a confrontation, the rest of them would be able to assist without doing anything that would put them in more danger than necessary to do so. That would be more than sufficient.
"Oni are not the kind of opponent a human can defeat," he said seriously. "I don't say that to demean you. Only so that you understand. You will learn to defend yourself as long as possible, so that you can safely run, or give us time to reach you if you are in trouble. Do not go into this believing you will be able to successfully act as the aggressor. You must think always of surviving, not winning. Do you understand?" It was more words than he usually said in a day, but he used them all because they were important.
She was important. Even if he didn't quite understand why.
"I am aware of my own limitations, Kentaro-san. I'm... not strong, nor physically imposing as anyone, but," she spoke, frowing just slightly. She had kept her gaze steady with his, and allowed a small smile to replace the frown. "I understand. I won't do anything reckless or rash. As you said, I'm only human," she didn't seem too upset, but there was something in the way she said it, that might have indicated otherwise.
"Thank you, Kentaro-san, for... taking me into consideration. It's nice to know I'm cared for by my family in this way," she didn't say anything after that.
He inclined his head, returning to his tea.
"We will start tomorrow morning."
He realized he was still searching even as they dispersed, the men to their rest, his siblings and Ayla to wherever they wanted to be. Kentaro was not especially tired; but he felt slightly calmer than usual, either because he'd worked off a lot of excess energy in the battle or because he was now home; it was hard to tell, exactly. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with himself now that he was back, though.
So he headed back to his room, changing his travel clothes for more comfortable ones, and then emerged again, only his bound sheaf of paper and charcaol sticks in his hands.
It wasn't until he ventured through Reiko's garden, that he spotted Sayuri. She was sitting in a peculiar way, leaning over slightly as if she were praying. Perhaps she was? She mouthed something, and smiled. She straightened back up, but made no effort to move further. She turned slightly, though, and stared at him. Her expression seemed to brighten considerably, as she stood and made her way towards him. She almost tripped when she did, though. She moved in a slightly hurried fashion, so perhaps it was warranted that she almost did.
"Kentaro-san, you're back," she spoke, the smile still on her face. "I'm sorry, if I'd known that you all had arrived, I would have been there to greet you all back," she continued. She probably didn't hear them, which would explain her absence.
He shook his head. “That's not necessary. We only just arrived, anyway." Kentaro paused. Normally, he felt no particular desire to speak, and only did so when he had to. Even in Reiko's company, he tended to prefer silence, unless there was something pressing on his mind, or hers. But here... he felt like he wanted to say something else. Should say something else.
But he didn't know what.
“What were you doing?" he asked, flicking his eyes to the spot she'd been before his arrival. The question came out as bluntly as everything else he said; Kentaro found himself hoping it didn't sound like a demand for the information, and correcting his words in case it did. “You don't have to say."
"Oh, um, no it's okay," she stated, turning the slightest shade of pink. "I was praying for the safe return of my family," she spoke, not the slightest bit deterred by his bluntness. She was probably used to it, by now. "I know it might seem kind of silly, but, I was worried," she spoke, pursing her lips together. She frowned slightly, but it smoothed back out as she shook her head.
"But it seems that I don't have to, anymore. You all came back safe and sound," she stated, folding her hands behind her. "And... I'm glad that you're safe, too," she spoke, glancing down for a moment. She lifted her gaze back to meet his, though, and offered him a small, nervous smile.
Kentaro nodded. He wasn't sure what to say to that, exactly. It occurred to him that she might want to know about what had happened while they were gone, but also that it was probably something best talked about away from the household and the servants. Jirō would probably want to wait and make an announcement to all of them at once, to prevent rumors and misinformation from spreading, but it seemed to Kentaro that Sayuri deserved to know before that. Why he thought that was was harder to say, but he didn't bother thinking about it too much.
“Do you want tea?" he asked. “I can make it in my office." It wasn't like he ever used the room for anything else. Even he knew, however, that inviting a person to his private quarters would be the source of many rumors of its own, so the office seemed like the better option.
"I would like that," she responded, nodding her head at the same time. She waited for him to lead the way, standing at a polite distance behind him. She knew where his office was, but perhaps she was just being polite? Once they'd reached his office, she stepped in behind him, and slid the door shut.
"I assume that taking back Akarui-dono's lands, was successful?" she asked, taking a seat on one of the cushions provided.
He nodded once, moving towards the teapot set on an end table in one corner of the room. His furniture, ill-used as it was, was kept dust-free by the staff, and the furnishings themselves were of course of good quality. Kentaro had an eye for aesthetics, strange as it might be to those who did not know him well to think so.
The teapot already had water in it; it was not difficult to heat the water with an application of his powers. Once the water inside had boiled to his satisfaction, he eased off on the heat and set it down, spooning the loose tea in and allowing it to steep. He carried all of it over to the table and settled down across from Sayuri.
"Akarui-san has his lands back. But there were complications." Kentaro's brow furrowed. It was difficult to decide exactly how to describe what had happened.
"Complications?" she questioned, tilting her head just slightly. "What kind of complications? Was it the size of the enemy army?" she continued. She wasn't accustomed to battle as they were. She was, perhaps, the only one in the family who didn't fight. She didn't have a reason to.
"Whatever it was, you are all alright, right?" a hint of concern laced in her voice as she kept her gaze steady with his.
"For now," he said slowly.
From the smell of the tea, Kentaro decided that it was done. Reaching for the pot, he poured her a cup first, and then himself. Setting it back down to the side, he pushed a breath out through his nose and sat back with the teacup in both hands. "I do not know if Reiko has ever told you any of our father's stories about oni, but we encountered one there. They are supposed to be extinct, but it is clear that they are not." He pursed his lips, eyes narrowing slightly.
She pursed her lips together. "She used to tell me of Fujiwara-dono's previous life, with Tsuki-sama and Hizashi-sama, but not exactly anything about oni. She used to tell me about a threat they faced and fought, but that was about it," she spoke slowly, as if she were trying to remember exactly what Reiko had told her.
"But if that means they're not extinct, then what does that mean for us?" she asked. Clearly she was concerned; it was written on her face.
"It means we might have to deal with them," he replied. "It turns out that Ayla-san and Aram-san are those people; even she was surprised to see the oni. Perhaps moreso than any of us." He took a swallow from his teacup. It was extremely hot, still, but that hardly bothered him. If it wasn't scalding, it seemed cold to him—such was the nature of his power.
He set the cup down and stared her in the eyes for a long moment. He was trying to figure out why the thought of the threat reaching here, reaching her produced such a strong negative reaction in him. It made him almost... angry, and nothing did that. Well, very few things, anyway. He supposed the idea of Reiko getting hurt was similarly unpalatable. Perhaps that was how he should feel. She was his sister, after all, by adoption.
Perhaps it felt worse in her case because she was not a combatant, and Reiko was. Reiko would be able to hold off or even possibly defeat an oni if she encountered one. Sayuri would be helpless to do anything but run, and that would not be likely to work.
"I want—" he cut himself off for a moment, pursing his lips, then spoke again. "I want to teach you how to defend yourself. But it will not do you any good if you are unwilling to learn." A person armed with a sword who was unwilling to use it was more of a danger to themselves than an unarmed person. He would not teach her if she was against it.
"Will you permit me?"
She blinked in surprise. Whether it was his statement to teach her, or what he'd said earlier, it was hard to tell. She blinked, still, a little slower. "Teach... me?" she finally spoke, though she seemed unsure of he words. She took a deep breath, and shook her head. Returning her gaze to him, she held his gaze with a strange sense of resolve behind her eyes. She nodded her head, finally.
"If it means I will not be a burden to you," she began, bowing slightly forward. It wasn't a proper one, but it seemed difficult to do where she sat. "I wish to help protect my family, too," she continued.
He supposed, in a way, she would be. Not directly, but... if she could learn enough to buy herself precious seconds in a confrontation, the rest of them would be able to assist without doing anything that would put them in more danger than necessary to do so. That would be more than sufficient.
"Oni are not the kind of opponent a human can defeat," he said seriously. "I don't say that to demean you. Only so that you understand. You will learn to defend yourself as long as possible, so that you can safely run, or give us time to reach you if you are in trouble. Do not go into this believing you will be able to successfully act as the aggressor. You must think always of surviving, not winning. Do you understand?" It was more words than he usually said in a day, but he used them all because they were important.
She was important. Even if he didn't quite understand why.
"I am aware of my own limitations, Kentaro-san. I'm... not strong, nor physically imposing as anyone, but," she spoke, frowing just slightly. She had kept her gaze steady with his, and allowed a small smile to replace the frown. "I understand. I won't do anything reckless or rash. As you said, I'm only human," she didn't seem too upset, but there was something in the way she said it, that might have indicated otherwise.
"Thank you, Kentaro-san, for... taking me into consideration. It's nice to know I'm cared for by my family in this way," she didn't say anything after that.
He inclined his head, returning to his tea.
"We will start tomorrow morning."
Aram wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed between then, and now. Maybe a month or two? All he knew was that the house he had once shared had grown so cold, and lonely. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd ever felt like that before. It was... oddly constricting on his chest. It had been some time since he'd seen Ayla, and Reiko and her family. He had seen Sayuri a few times; she'd been kind enough to bring him food, too. He was certain that was Reiko's doing. But maybe Sayuri would have done it anyway? She was kind, too. Strangely, though, his business had picked up as a doctor.
People had come to him complaining of illnesses they couldn't identify, or a small sickness that just wouldn't leave them. They weren't anything he wasn't used to, but he found it slightly odd at how increased it was. At one time, he'd have a total of four or five patients. Now he was receiving them almost three a day. He sighed softly, running a hand through his hair to fix it. Letting his hand fall, he stared at the door, contemplating whether or not he wanted a walk.
He might as well, if only to collect his thoughts. As he opened the door to his home, he blinked in mild surprise at the sight before him. "Ayla?" he questioned in disbelief. He hadn't quite expected them to have returned so soon, however; he did not miss the look on her face. It was solemn, and bordered on despair. He'd only seen it once, but it couldn't have been for the same reason, right?
"Aram, we need to talk," she spoke with such a firm tone, that he only nodded his head. He took a step back so he could let her in, however; she shook her head. "Not here. There is something you must see. We're going to the castle, so don't bother locking the door," she spoke, confusing him greatly. Why would he not lock the door? Why did they need to go to the castle to talk? He was confused, however; he wasn't going to press the issue. Instead, he obeyed, and followed her.
"Are you at least well, Ayla?" he asked. He had been worried when she'd left with the army, and he hadn't had any visions of her, or the others. That had unnerved him somewhat, but now that she was here, he didn't need to worry too much.
"I am, Aram. Do not worry about me. You know I'm too stubborn to die," she said it with such seriousness, that he frowned. He couldn't tell if she was joking or not, however; he would take her word for it. He sighed softly, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. It was apparent she didn't want to talk right now, but at least she was. Whatever he needed to see must have bothered her a great deal.
It wasn't much longer until they arrived at the Minamoto castle, and Aram simply stared at it. He'd forgotten how large it'd been. Of course, size was relative to him, so it might have only looked like that to him. Ayla, however, had her lips pursed, and her attention was fixed forward.
Tatsuya was standing just inside the gate, arms crossed over his chest. He flicked his eyes to Aram and Ayla when they entered, but it was the latter he spoke to directly. “You want to just show him? No warning or anything?" He seemed amused by something; perhaps he caught onto the idea that Aram was confused.
If he wasn't showing it before, he was showing his confusion now. "Ayla, what is he talking about?" he asked, turning his attention towards her. She stared at him, her expression, oddly, unreadable.
"It's better if you see it for yourself, Ara. Somethings... just can't be explained," she replied. He pursed his lips. Whatever it was that she wanted him to see, surely had to be something great. She always told him things of that nature, though, so he was confused as to why she didn't tell him now. "Do you want to show us the way?" she directed towards Tatsuya.
"If it is so important that you would rather have me see it, please lead the way, Minamoto-san," he spoke, offering a small bow.
Tatsuya inclined his head, pushing away from the wall he leaned against and leading the way through the property. They passed through a lovely, expansive garden; the spheres of light clustered in it were enough to inform him that the place surely belonged to Reiko. Passing a trellis wreathed in wisteria, they exited the garden into a courtyard.
There, laid out on the ground and slowly being deconstructed by workmen, was the green-skinned corpse of a creature Aram had not seen in a thousand years.
“Came across this ugly son of a bitch in Kanto. No offense, Ayla." A corner of his mouth pulled up; he shot a sidelong glance at her.
She scoffed slightly, but didn't say anything. Aram could feel his eyes widen, and immediately, he was by the creature's side. He began inspecting it, lifting one of its massive arms with no effort at all. It wasn't like it was heavy to him, to begin with. He spotted the slit in the skin where it'd been pierced, and his brows furrowed deeply. This was not a good sign at all. How could this be possible? He moved to the other side, and moved its head from side to side, searching for something. Anything that would give him a clue as to how it was here. He found nothing.
"Was it the only one?" he questioned, his voice far more serious than it had ever been. He glanced in their direction and watched as Ayla's expression darkened somewhat.
"It was the only one we came across. I do not know how long its been there, if it had time to breed, or if it has brothers. Ara, what is going on?" she asked. He only shook his head, indicating he did not know. How could he? For all his gift was worth, he hadn't seen this. He sighed heavily, and made his way back towards the both of them.
"I don't know, Ayla. I haven't seen anything about this. Who else knows about it?" he asked. It was better if people didn't know at all, but that wasn't something he could control.
Tatsuya frowned. “Our household, obviously. Akarui, his creepy shit of an adviser, and anyone else he told. We made sure to point out that he might want to keep his mouth shut, but who knows what he'll do? At least we took the body; his people might just think of it as rumors, since the oni never made it into the castle for them to see." He pushed a breath out through his nose. “Our servants will keep it quiet; they've seen plenty of strange things that the town doesn't know about."
That was still too many people. He wasn't comfortable with it, but he couldn't exactly do anything about it, either. He just sighed. "Were you able to smell anything out of the ordinary?" he directed the question towards Ayla. She frowned and shook her head.
"I was a little preoccupied dealing with that one. I wasn't exactly trying to smell what was around me," she replied. He slumped his shoulders. There shouldn't have been any oni existing, however; what lay not more than five feet in front of him was definitive proof that they did.
"Even with the appearance of one, we cannot be too careful. We should prepare in case there might be more. Minamoto-san, I assume Ayla told you about the benefits of the oni's bones?" he turned towards Tatsuya when he said this. If they knew about the oni, there was a possibility that she'd told them about the bones, too.
Tatsuya nodded. “We brought it back here partly to have weapons made from its bones. We've kept the old man's swords in good condition as well." The look that he gave Aram there was keen; it was clear that he at least knew about the connection between his father and the siblings. That made sense; Ayla had to have found out about it somehow.
“We're going to be upping our alertness, of course. But there's not much of anything specific we can do until something else happens. I'd like to know where the damn thing came from. It's pretty shady that we ran into it on Akarui's land, but other than that and that guy he employs, there's nothing concrete to link them."
"I agree," Ayla spoke lowly. Aram nodded as well.
"If you know a blacksmith who can create weapons for you swiftly, it would be ideal to seek them out," he began. He spared Ayla a glance before he continued. "I am afraid I cannot provide you an answer, though, about its origins, Minamoto-san, but I shall do my best to find out. In the mean time, it is, perhaps best, that everyone train harder. It does not appear to have been an easy kill," he spoke, glancing at the dead creature.
"You're damn right, it wasn't easy. I don't remember it ever being easy, Ara," Ayla spoke, frowning in his direction. He returned the frown with his own. "They're already on top of that, though. Amon made sure of that, however; it wouldn't hurt to brush back up, ne? Especially you. When was the last time you took a blade to anything?" she questioned, quirking a brow in his direction.
"Too long."
The last time he'd actually fought something was when they'd fought the oni.
“Well, we can help with that. Aside from oni and each other, probably the only people in the world who can challenge you are here, on the estate." Tatsuya gestured back towards the home itself. Turning towards the both of them, he tilted his head slightly to the side. “I've already suggested this to Ayla, but I think it makes sense for you to move up here as well. It seems smarter for all of us to be in one place."
Aram blinked in mild surprise. "Damn it, I wanted to tell him," Ayla spoke, pursing her lips at Tatsuya. Aram was still a little surprised at the suggestion, though, to pay too much attention. Live here? He felt his lower lip quiver slightly, but he kept his composure mostly calm. Ayla raised a brow at him, though.
"I would be honored," he spoke, bowing more formally. He really was.
"I think you almost made him cry," Ayla spoke softly towards Tatsuya. Aram frowned slightly. She was still teasing him, he knew it.
Tatsuya only arched a brow. “Whatever. I'll have one of the servants get a room ready." He shook his head and departed, presumably to do just that, leaving the two of them to their own devices, for the moment.
Ayla just stared at him for the moment before sighing. "This is not a good sign, Aram. Even one sighting could be disastrous if there are more. Perhaps, once they've managed to create their blades, we'll have to see if there are. We have to be sure," she spoke, not taking her eyes from him.
"If it was sighted in the Kanto region, we should start there. We will have to be covert about it, the humans cannot know we are there," he agreed. There was a chance that the oni might have had time to reproduce with a few humans. If that were the case, they would need to be prepared.
He glanced back towards the dead creature, and sighed.
People had come to him complaining of illnesses they couldn't identify, or a small sickness that just wouldn't leave them. They weren't anything he wasn't used to, but he found it slightly odd at how increased it was. At one time, he'd have a total of four or five patients. Now he was receiving them almost three a day. He sighed softly, running a hand through his hair to fix it. Letting his hand fall, he stared at the door, contemplating whether or not he wanted a walk.
He might as well, if only to collect his thoughts. As he opened the door to his home, he blinked in mild surprise at the sight before him. "Ayla?" he questioned in disbelief. He hadn't quite expected them to have returned so soon, however; he did not miss the look on her face. It was solemn, and bordered on despair. He'd only seen it once, but it couldn't have been for the same reason, right?
"Aram, we need to talk," she spoke with such a firm tone, that he only nodded his head. He took a step back so he could let her in, however; she shook her head. "Not here. There is something you must see. We're going to the castle, so don't bother locking the door," she spoke, confusing him greatly. Why would he not lock the door? Why did they need to go to the castle to talk? He was confused, however; he wasn't going to press the issue. Instead, he obeyed, and followed her.
"Are you at least well, Ayla?" he asked. He had been worried when she'd left with the army, and he hadn't had any visions of her, or the others. That had unnerved him somewhat, but now that she was here, he didn't need to worry too much.
"I am, Aram. Do not worry about me. You know I'm too stubborn to die," she said it with such seriousness, that he frowned. He couldn't tell if she was joking or not, however; he would take her word for it. He sighed softly, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. It was apparent she didn't want to talk right now, but at least she was. Whatever he needed to see must have bothered her a great deal.
It wasn't much longer until they arrived at the Minamoto castle, and Aram simply stared at it. He'd forgotten how large it'd been. Of course, size was relative to him, so it might have only looked like that to him. Ayla, however, had her lips pursed, and her attention was fixed forward.
Tatsuya was standing just inside the gate, arms crossed over his chest. He flicked his eyes to Aram and Ayla when they entered, but it was the latter he spoke to directly. “You want to just show him? No warning or anything?" He seemed amused by something; perhaps he caught onto the idea that Aram was confused.
If he wasn't showing it before, he was showing his confusion now. "Ayla, what is he talking about?" he asked, turning his attention towards her. She stared at him, her expression, oddly, unreadable.
"It's better if you see it for yourself, Ara. Somethings... just can't be explained," she replied. He pursed his lips. Whatever it was that she wanted him to see, surely had to be something great. She always told him things of that nature, though, so he was confused as to why she didn't tell him now. "Do you want to show us the way?" she directed towards Tatsuya.
"If it is so important that you would rather have me see it, please lead the way, Minamoto-san," he spoke, offering a small bow.
Tatsuya inclined his head, pushing away from the wall he leaned against and leading the way through the property. They passed through a lovely, expansive garden; the spheres of light clustered in it were enough to inform him that the place surely belonged to Reiko. Passing a trellis wreathed in wisteria, they exited the garden into a courtyard.
There, laid out on the ground and slowly being deconstructed by workmen, was the green-skinned corpse of a creature Aram had not seen in a thousand years.
“Came across this ugly son of a bitch in Kanto. No offense, Ayla." A corner of his mouth pulled up; he shot a sidelong glance at her.
She scoffed slightly, but didn't say anything. Aram could feel his eyes widen, and immediately, he was by the creature's side. He began inspecting it, lifting one of its massive arms with no effort at all. It wasn't like it was heavy to him, to begin with. He spotted the slit in the skin where it'd been pierced, and his brows furrowed deeply. This was not a good sign at all. How could this be possible? He moved to the other side, and moved its head from side to side, searching for something. Anything that would give him a clue as to how it was here. He found nothing.
"Was it the only one?" he questioned, his voice far more serious than it had ever been. He glanced in their direction and watched as Ayla's expression darkened somewhat.
"It was the only one we came across. I do not know how long its been there, if it had time to breed, or if it has brothers. Ara, what is going on?" she asked. He only shook his head, indicating he did not know. How could he? For all his gift was worth, he hadn't seen this. He sighed heavily, and made his way back towards the both of them.
"I don't know, Ayla. I haven't seen anything about this. Who else knows about it?" he asked. It was better if people didn't know at all, but that wasn't something he could control.
Tatsuya frowned. “Our household, obviously. Akarui, his creepy shit of an adviser, and anyone else he told. We made sure to point out that he might want to keep his mouth shut, but who knows what he'll do? At least we took the body; his people might just think of it as rumors, since the oni never made it into the castle for them to see." He pushed a breath out through his nose. “Our servants will keep it quiet; they've seen plenty of strange things that the town doesn't know about."
That was still too many people. He wasn't comfortable with it, but he couldn't exactly do anything about it, either. He just sighed. "Were you able to smell anything out of the ordinary?" he directed the question towards Ayla. She frowned and shook her head.
"I was a little preoccupied dealing with that one. I wasn't exactly trying to smell what was around me," she replied. He slumped his shoulders. There shouldn't have been any oni existing, however; what lay not more than five feet in front of him was definitive proof that they did.
"Even with the appearance of one, we cannot be too careful. We should prepare in case there might be more. Minamoto-san, I assume Ayla told you about the benefits of the oni's bones?" he turned towards Tatsuya when he said this. If they knew about the oni, there was a possibility that she'd told them about the bones, too.
Tatsuya nodded. “We brought it back here partly to have weapons made from its bones. We've kept the old man's swords in good condition as well." The look that he gave Aram there was keen; it was clear that he at least knew about the connection between his father and the siblings. That made sense; Ayla had to have found out about it somehow.
“We're going to be upping our alertness, of course. But there's not much of anything specific we can do until something else happens. I'd like to know where the damn thing came from. It's pretty shady that we ran into it on Akarui's land, but other than that and that guy he employs, there's nothing concrete to link them."
"I agree," Ayla spoke lowly. Aram nodded as well.
"If you know a blacksmith who can create weapons for you swiftly, it would be ideal to seek them out," he began. He spared Ayla a glance before he continued. "I am afraid I cannot provide you an answer, though, about its origins, Minamoto-san, but I shall do my best to find out. In the mean time, it is, perhaps best, that everyone train harder. It does not appear to have been an easy kill," he spoke, glancing at the dead creature.
"You're damn right, it wasn't easy. I don't remember it ever being easy, Ara," Ayla spoke, frowning in his direction. He returned the frown with his own. "They're already on top of that, though. Amon made sure of that, however; it wouldn't hurt to brush back up, ne? Especially you. When was the last time you took a blade to anything?" she questioned, quirking a brow in his direction.
"Too long."
The last time he'd actually fought something was when they'd fought the oni.
“Well, we can help with that. Aside from oni and each other, probably the only people in the world who can challenge you are here, on the estate." Tatsuya gestured back towards the home itself. Turning towards the both of them, he tilted his head slightly to the side. “I've already suggested this to Ayla, but I think it makes sense for you to move up here as well. It seems smarter for all of us to be in one place."
Aram blinked in mild surprise. "Damn it, I wanted to tell him," Ayla spoke, pursing her lips at Tatsuya. Aram was still a little surprised at the suggestion, though, to pay too much attention. Live here? He felt his lower lip quiver slightly, but he kept his composure mostly calm. Ayla raised a brow at him, though.
"I would be honored," he spoke, bowing more formally. He really was.
"I think you almost made him cry," Ayla spoke softly towards Tatsuya. Aram frowned slightly. She was still teasing him, he knew it.
Tatsuya only arched a brow. “Whatever. I'll have one of the servants get a room ready." He shook his head and departed, presumably to do just that, leaving the two of them to their own devices, for the moment.
Ayla just stared at him for the moment before sighing. "This is not a good sign, Aram. Even one sighting could be disastrous if there are more. Perhaps, once they've managed to create their blades, we'll have to see if there are. We have to be sure," she spoke, not taking her eyes from him.
"If it was sighted in the Kanto region, we should start there. We will have to be covert about it, the humans cannot know we are there," he agreed. There was a chance that the oni might have had time to reproduce with a few humans. If that were the case, they would need to be prepared.
He glanced back towards the dead creature, and sighed.
“What?" Reiko almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her lips parted again, as though there might be more words she could add to her rather inarticulate reaction, but none were immediately forthcoming. It would seem she'd been shocked into silence, at least temporarily.
Jirō looked at her from across his desk with an expression she couldn't read. Fortunately, she didn't need to; she could feel what he felt almost as though the feelings were her own. Resolve, decisiveness, some bitterness she could not quite understand. But also remorse, sadness, and the same love she always felt from him. It was not the overpowering kind Tatsuya felt, nor the same kind of quiet intensity as characterized all of Kentaro's feelings. Nor was it as vibrant as Tsubasa's or as gentle as Takahiro's. But it was love all the same. Filial love, the love of family and duty all bound up together with tender feeling and protectiveness.
Knowing that, she could almost understand why he was doing this.
“You are no longer head of house Fujiwara, Reiko. Father's will made provisions for one of us to take over as custodian of the estate and the family if something should happen to render you incapable of the judgement required to run it. A vote was taken between the rest of us, and we decided that it was so at the moment." He sat back gracefully on his heels, a perfect seiza with flawless posture.
“Jirō... less than half the family was here when you decided that." Only himself, Daichi, and Takahiro had been here when this supposed vote was taken. She knew Daichi didn't approve of her running the family. Not as much because she was female as because she was the youngest and least of them. So with the two of them, they'd have had an easy majority over Takahiro.
“All that is required is that those present when the determination is made vote for it," he explained. “A provision designed for just such situations as this, when the unsound action you've taken may be of immediate danger to the household."
Reiko pursed her lips. “And what unsound action was that, nii-san?"
He tilted his head at her, as though surprised she hadn't already deduced it. She thought she knew, but she wanted to hear it from him. “You challenged a sworn ally of House Fujiwara to an honor duel with tenuous justification at best."
“Tenuous?"" She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Not twenty-four hours after being betrothed to a daughter of this house, he was seen, in public, engaged in..." Reiko's words hitched for just a moment as she tried to find a delicate phrase for it. “Lewd conduct with one of his own servants. Who, this one might add, was not entirely willing! This one can hardly think of a greater dishonor than allowing my sister to be married to someone who treats women like that! What if she had tried to refuse his advances? What do you think his response would have been, if he's willing to be seen like that with a reluctant servant?"
Of course, the girl in question hadn't outright said no, but how could she? Akarui was her lord, the person who decided whether she lived or died. Saying no to someone like that was hardly an option for a mere servant, but her reluctance had been clear after Reiko had asked her a few questions.
Jirō sighed. “His conduct was absolutely reprehensible," he agreed, meeting her eyes steadily. “But it was also none of our business. Akarui-san is a regional lord; as such, he is entitled to rule his subjects in the manner he sees fit. The servant was not ours, and we have no say in how he treats her. You jumped from his conduct towards her to his future conduct towards Sayuri, but you cannot make an honor claim on guesses about the future, Reiko. That isn't how they work."
But it wasn't a guess. Aram-san had said so himself—if she allowed Sayuri to be married to Heisuke, he would have been responsible for her death in two years' time, either directly or indirectly. The words were upon her lips before she hesitated, choking them back down again. Somehow... she wasn't sure she wanted Jirō to know that. Undoubtedly, he knew who Aram was. Likely, he at least had the basic idea of some of his powers. But... some caution she had never felt before stayed her tongue.
She didn't know if Jirō was on her side. Not now; not after this. He loved her, and she him, but the same was true of Daichi, and he was definitely not on her side. So she kept her reasons to herself, at least the ones with unusual causes.
“Unfaithfulness to one's betrothed is—"
"—not outside the bounds of ordinary conduct. You know that. Not every man is our father. You know how Tatsuya is, for one." He glanced pointedly at the mark on her neck, slightly exposed over the collar of her kimono.
Her hand moved to cover it, almost self-consciously. “You know he didn't mean it like that," she said softly.
Jirō crossed his arms; the expression on his face softened to something almost sympathetic. "I do. But it would have been much easier if he had." He sighed. "You have to stop making decisions with your heart alone, Reiko. I know how much you care; and you aren't necessarily wrong. But these things have to be done in the right way or they'll do more harm than good. For now at least, I can't leave the steering of the house to you."
She didn't really have an argument for that. What was done was done, and even if he hadn't asked Tatsuya, Kentaro, or Tsubasa for their opinions, it seemed he didn't have to. There was little to be done about it this late.
“All right," she said softly, standing. “This one understands." She dipped herself into a short bow; Jirō returned it with a nod of his head.
When she took her leave, Reiko headed straight for her garden.
The only thing was, her garden wasn't empty. Aram was standing in it, looking slightly confused. He looked to be lost, but perhaps that was just the impression of his face. He turned towards her, though, as if sensing her presence, and offered her a gentle smile. He didn't remove his gaze until he shifted somewhat in his stance.
"Reiko-san," he greeted, offering her a polite bow before he straightened back up. He pursed his lips in her direction, though. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. His head tilted to the side, softly, as his expression shifted into one of concern.
She wondered if her expression was betraying her, or if perhaps he simply had an instinct for the fact that she wasn't quite herself. Reiko tried to at least mitigate that, offering him a small, thin smile. "This one will be fine, Aram-sama." She couldn't quite bring herself to use a lesser honorific, knowing who he was. It was a little different with Ayla, who was by now her friend no matter who she was. Aram was... different, somehow.
"Are you trying to get somewhere?" she inquired, curious as to why he was simply standing there. "This one would be happy to guide you."
He blinked in mild surprise at the honorific, but didn't say anything about it. "I'm afraid I lost myself looking for my room. Ayla was showing me the way, but she disappeared as soon as I took my eyes off of her. I... found myself here, though, wandering," he spoke, his expression gentling as he did. He glanced over her shoulder for a second, before he straightened his posture. He wasn't as tall as Tatsuya, but he was still taller than most.
"I do not mind being here, though. It is... peaceful," he stated suddenly, giving her an oddly serious look. It was as if he were completely serious about what he'd said.
Reiko blinked at him. He wouldn't mind getting lost, she supposed. He was a bit spacey that way. Not that it was a bad quality; just unusual. "This one's mother first planted the garden," she heard herself saying. Why she brought it up, she wasn't sure, but it seemed appropriate somehow. "This one has maintained it since she died. It is... sanctuary. Erm—somewhat literally; that is this one's power. Some people do say it relaxes them to be here."
She tried to make it peaceful, but as far as she could tell, it was nothing but the plants themselves that achieved the effect. Kentaro said he could feel her inside the space, but if so, she was oblivious to it herself.
"That would explain it, then," he spoke, the expression shifting back to something more mild and gentle. He hummed in a thoughtful manner before shaking his head. "Akiko, was her name, right? Amon spoke of her fondly," he spoke softly, smiling as he did so. He sighed afterwards, and shifted his gaze back towards the flowers. He seemed to be studying them, and didn't glance at her for at least a minute. When he did, he had a strangely solemn expression on his face.
"Reiko-san, perhaps it is too late for me to say this, but I offer my sincerest apologies," he began, giving her an apologetic bow in the process. He didn't get back up, though, and kept the position. "We should have said something to you about who we were, yet we didn't. There are reasons that I cannot say as to why I did it, but I can say this much," he continued.
"It was never my intention to upset you, nor anyone else."
She sighed. "This one knows." She doubted he could seriously intend to hurt anyone. That was the kind of person he was. She paused, glancing up to meet his eyes and smiling, the expression tinged with melancholy.
"There is a lot you can't say, isn't there, Aram-sama? This one thinks that must be difficult... but it is also difficult to hear." Secrets were not generally the easiest things to keep in close relationships; knowing someone close to you was keeping important things to themselves could foster distrust. Not that she considered herself particularly close, but she was close to Ayla, and she could see how the very nature of his abilities, as well as his choices about how to handle them, had led to the friction between them.
"That is the nature of secrets, unfortunately," he spoke, a frown on his lips. "But perhaps there will be a day when secrets are no longer necessary," he spoke, and for a second, it almost sounded like he believed it, however; the expression on his face shifted back to its solemnness. "Do not mind the words of this old man, Reiko-san. For now, perhaps you would be kind enough to show me around? Ayla's not going to do it, and... I'm afraid I am not as acquainted with your brothers as she is," he spoke, smiling, it seemed, to himself.
"She does get along quite well with them, doesn't she?" Reiko replied, her smile broadening to something more genuine. "But this one is happy to show you around, Aram-sama, truly. Is there some place in particular you wish to see?"
He seemed to contemplate her words for a moment. His lips pursed together as he placed a thoughtful hand beneath his chin. "I should wish to see the entirety of the place, if you do not mind. I'm certain that if I know the places, I will not lose myself within the walls, again," he spoke, offering her a smile to match her own. He didn't seem so sad, now that he was here.
"All right," she said, dipping her chin. "As you can see, this is the garden. It's basically at the center of the castle itself, so if you find yourself here, you should be able to get to anywhere reasonably quickly." She turned slightly, pointing northwards.
"To the north are the offices. This one's brothers and this one all have one, and if you would like one for yourself, there is space." She wasn't sure if he needed anything of the kind, but it wasn't like it would be an inconvenience to provide it if he did. She moved her hand. "East are the private quarters for this one's family and guests. That is probably where you were headed. To the south is the wing for the servants and staff, and to the west are the public rooms, like the dining room, the receiving hall, and so on. Those open up to the practice grounds and the barracks."
"I do not believe I would need one, but thank you for the offer," he spoke, referring to the offer of an office. He glanced in each direction as she spoke, taking it in with a relaxed expression. He seemed genuinely interested in each area as she spoke, nodding occasionally afterwards. A soft smile etched on his face at the last area, though, and he shook his head softly.
"I assume there is were Ayla spends most of her time," he spoke, a light smile on his face. "She likes to fight just as much as your brothers, perhaps," he continued, turning to meet her gaze. "What of you, Reiko-san?" he spoke, the serious expression back on his face. "What are your thoughts, exactly, on such things?"
"This one's thoughts?" Reiko tilted her head, pulling in a deep breath and sighing it back out. She let her arm drop, resting her wrist on the hilt of her sword. She carried it everywhere now, just in case. "This one abhors violence," she said softly. "If this one could make a world where no swords were necessary, this one would do that in a heartbeat. But..."
She let her eyes drop to the ground. "This one's father taught that sometimes, there will be no one to stand up for what is right except for this one. And this one must know how, so that if that time comes, this one will be able to stand." She felt her smile take on an edge of bitterness. "And this one is a creature who cannot live without hurting others. Because this one must drink blood to survive. It is... monstrous."
"It is not monstrous, Reiko-san," Aram spoke, his voice gentle as he did. He walked closer to her so that he was a polite distance away, but still in front of her. "We must do what is necessary in order to survive. It is no different from the way a human must slaughter a pig, or cow, or any other animal," he continued, though his voice did pull somewhat when he spoke. "I am not comparing human life to those of animals, but what I am trying to say is..." he trailed off, seemingly unsure of how to say what he wanted.
"Surviving is what we must do, despite the ways he have to do it," he spoke sadly, almost as if he'd had experience on the matter. Maybe he did, but he wasn't like Reiko or her family. "But from what I can see, you are merciful. You do not kill when you drink, do you?" he spoke, peering down at her as if he were searching for something.
Reiko's lower lip trembled. This was not something she liked to think about, and yet... every time she sustained herself, she invariably remembered it. "This one has," she said softly. "The first time this one took blood from a human, this one..." She swallowed thickly.
"This one killed. This one is a murderer."
Aram let out a slow, heavy sigh. "Forgive me for being so forward, but," he spoke. It was uncertain what he meant by that until a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a soft embrace. "You are not a murderer, Reiko," he spoke softly. "It shows in the way you care, the way you remember, and the guilt that you feel because of it. If you were a murderer, you would not feel that way. You would not feel so guilty for taking a life, however; that life has also taught you the value of it. You have not killed since, have you?"
He was warm.
Somehow, she'd expected that. He was also a lot taller than she was, which she was glad of right now, because it enabled her to press her forehead to his chest, concealing her face from view. She was sure she was scarlet—with shame or embarrassment or something else was hard to say.
Mutely, she shook her head, sending a ripple through her long ponytail. She hadn't killed again, not since that first mistake. Everything had been so out of control, and Tatsuya hadn't been able to pull her off the human fast enough. She might have thought he hadn't cared to—he killed his prey often enough, or he used to. But she knew it had been an error, not a purposeful delay. She knew he'd felt guilty for a long time afterward, and she tried not to talk about it in front of him.
"But this one still killed him," she whispered. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She exhaled a shuddering breath against his chest. "And now, there are so many people who won't ever exist because of what I did. He'll never fall in love or grow old, or have children. His children will never grow up have children. Because this one stopped them from ever existing. This one took it all away."
She didn't know why she was telling him this, but... the words had started, and she found she didn't have the strength to stop them. She tried not to speak to her brothers about this; it was the kind of problem she would have brought to her father. But he was gone now. Tou-chan couldn't make anything okay anymore. And she'd taken someone away from other people just like her tou-chan had been taken from her. She was no better than the people who killed him.
"Perhaps you did," he spoke, seemingly agreeing with her, however; his tone wasn't one that suggested as much. "Perhaps you have taken from him a life that could have been happy, filled with love and joy and children. But Reiko," he began, moving one of his hands to the back of her head and holding it gently. "What if he had met a fate worse than what you had given him? What if his death, as quick as it might have been, would have been slow? What if he had children, and they too, were taken by such a thing?" he continued, as though he were trying to convince her otherwise.
"You might not see it this way, but perhaps his death was a blessing? Perhaps you alleviated him of a life that he might not have had long to have? Perhaps you brought him peace in a time of suffering," he spoke quietly. "There are some things that are beyond our control, Reiko. You cannot force a wolf to spare the rabbit for the sake of what could have been. Nature is cruel that way, but think of it as the opposite. What if that wolf spared the rabbit, and came back home empty handed to a litter of pups? They would starve, and die without the food to eat. A poor comparison, but one that must be accepted, nonetheless. It is not survival of the fittest; it is just survival."
It wasn't a fair comparison. No one had to die for her to eat. But someone had, because she wasn't strong enough to keep herself under control under strain. Swallowing thickly, Reiko straightened herself, carefully pulling away from his hold. She sniffled, but the hot prickling at the back of her eyes did not become tears. She cried for so little anymore; perhaps she'd lost that with the rest of her innocence. Her blamelessness, which she no longer possessed.
"This one apologizes, Aram-sama," she said dully. "This one has been most indelicate, in burdening you with such matters." And when he already had so many to carry; that was the precise reason she never bothered her brothers with this. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her face, straightening her gi. "If you would still like the rest of the tour, this one will gladly show you the castle in greater detail. But this one would understand if you preferred otherwise."
Oddly, he smiled at her. "It is not a burden to one who wishes to listen, Reiko-chan. Do not believe yourself to be such; there are people who care for you who wish to do the same. Burdens become easier to carry when there is someone with whom to share them with. I may not be so fortunate, but you are. You have a family that loves you, and wishes you as much happiness as you can get. Perhaps, if you feel you cannot burden them, you may tell them to me. I will listen," he spoke earnestly.
"But I understand that now may not be the best of times. I would appreciate the tour," he continued, his smile growing slightly.
She thought it rather unfair, that he should bear her burdens while she could bear none of his, but it didn't seem like the time to say so. If there ever could be such a time.
So she smiled slightly and nodded. "Very well. This way, if you please, Aram-sama. This one will show you the offices first."
Jirō looked at her from across his desk with an expression she couldn't read. Fortunately, she didn't need to; she could feel what he felt almost as though the feelings were her own. Resolve, decisiveness, some bitterness she could not quite understand. But also remorse, sadness, and the same love she always felt from him. It was not the overpowering kind Tatsuya felt, nor the same kind of quiet intensity as characterized all of Kentaro's feelings. Nor was it as vibrant as Tsubasa's or as gentle as Takahiro's. But it was love all the same. Filial love, the love of family and duty all bound up together with tender feeling and protectiveness.
Knowing that, she could almost understand why he was doing this.
“You are no longer head of house Fujiwara, Reiko. Father's will made provisions for one of us to take over as custodian of the estate and the family if something should happen to render you incapable of the judgement required to run it. A vote was taken between the rest of us, and we decided that it was so at the moment." He sat back gracefully on his heels, a perfect seiza with flawless posture.
“Jirō... less than half the family was here when you decided that." Only himself, Daichi, and Takahiro had been here when this supposed vote was taken. She knew Daichi didn't approve of her running the family. Not as much because she was female as because she was the youngest and least of them. So with the two of them, they'd have had an easy majority over Takahiro.
“All that is required is that those present when the determination is made vote for it," he explained. “A provision designed for just such situations as this, when the unsound action you've taken may be of immediate danger to the household."
Reiko pursed her lips. “And what unsound action was that, nii-san?"
He tilted his head at her, as though surprised she hadn't already deduced it. She thought she knew, but she wanted to hear it from him. “You challenged a sworn ally of House Fujiwara to an honor duel with tenuous justification at best."
“Tenuous?"" She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Not twenty-four hours after being betrothed to a daughter of this house, he was seen, in public, engaged in..." Reiko's words hitched for just a moment as she tried to find a delicate phrase for it. “Lewd conduct with one of his own servants. Who, this one might add, was not entirely willing! This one can hardly think of a greater dishonor than allowing my sister to be married to someone who treats women like that! What if she had tried to refuse his advances? What do you think his response would have been, if he's willing to be seen like that with a reluctant servant?"
Of course, the girl in question hadn't outright said no, but how could she? Akarui was her lord, the person who decided whether she lived or died. Saying no to someone like that was hardly an option for a mere servant, but her reluctance had been clear after Reiko had asked her a few questions.
Jirō sighed. “His conduct was absolutely reprehensible," he agreed, meeting her eyes steadily. “But it was also none of our business. Akarui-san is a regional lord; as such, he is entitled to rule his subjects in the manner he sees fit. The servant was not ours, and we have no say in how he treats her. You jumped from his conduct towards her to his future conduct towards Sayuri, but you cannot make an honor claim on guesses about the future, Reiko. That isn't how they work."
But it wasn't a guess. Aram-san had said so himself—if she allowed Sayuri to be married to Heisuke, he would have been responsible for her death in two years' time, either directly or indirectly. The words were upon her lips before she hesitated, choking them back down again. Somehow... she wasn't sure she wanted Jirō to know that. Undoubtedly, he knew who Aram was. Likely, he at least had the basic idea of some of his powers. But... some caution she had never felt before stayed her tongue.
She didn't know if Jirō was on her side. Not now; not after this. He loved her, and she him, but the same was true of Daichi, and he was definitely not on her side. So she kept her reasons to herself, at least the ones with unusual causes.
“Unfaithfulness to one's betrothed is—"
"—not outside the bounds of ordinary conduct. You know that. Not every man is our father. You know how Tatsuya is, for one." He glanced pointedly at the mark on her neck, slightly exposed over the collar of her kimono.
Her hand moved to cover it, almost self-consciously. “You know he didn't mean it like that," she said softly.
Jirō crossed his arms; the expression on his face softened to something almost sympathetic. "I do. But it would have been much easier if he had." He sighed. "You have to stop making decisions with your heart alone, Reiko. I know how much you care; and you aren't necessarily wrong. But these things have to be done in the right way or they'll do more harm than good. For now at least, I can't leave the steering of the house to you."
She didn't really have an argument for that. What was done was done, and even if he hadn't asked Tatsuya, Kentaro, or Tsubasa for their opinions, it seemed he didn't have to. There was little to be done about it this late.
“All right," she said softly, standing. “This one understands." She dipped herself into a short bow; Jirō returned it with a nod of his head.
When she took her leave, Reiko headed straight for her garden.
The only thing was, her garden wasn't empty. Aram was standing in it, looking slightly confused. He looked to be lost, but perhaps that was just the impression of his face. He turned towards her, though, as if sensing her presence, and offered her a gentle smile. He didn't remove his gaze until he shifted somewhat in his stance.
"Reiko-san," he greeted, offering her a polite bow before he straightened back up. He pursed his lips in her direction, though. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. His head tilted to the side, softly, as his expression shifted into one of concern.
She wondered if her expression was betraying her, or if perhaps he simply had an instinct for the fact that she wasn't quite herself. Reiko tried to at least mitigate that, offering him a small, thin smile. "This one will be fine, Aram-sama." She couldn't quite bring herself to use a lesser honorific, knowing who he was. It was a little different with Ayla, who was by now her friend no matter who she was. Aram was... different, somehow.
"Are you trying to get somewhere?" she inquired, curious as to why he was simply standing there. "This one would be happy to guide you."
He blinked in mild surprise at the honorific, but didn't say anything about it. "I'm afraid I lost myself looking for my room. Ayla was showing me the way, but she disappeared as soon as I took my eyes off of her. I... found myself here, though, wandering," he spoke, his expression gentling as he did. He glanced over her shoulder for a second, before he straightened his posture. He wasn't as tall as Tatsuya, but he was still taller than most.
"I do not mind being here, though. It is... peaceful," he stated suddenly, giving her an oddly serious look. It was as if he were completely serious about what he'd said.
Reiko blinked at him. He wouldn't mind getting lost, she supposed. He was a bit spacey that way. Not that it was a bad quality; just unusual. "This one's mother first planted the garden," she heard herself saying. Why she brought it up, she wasn't sure, but it seemed appropriate somehow. "This one has maintained it since she died. It is... sanctuary. Erm—somewhat literally; that is this one's power. Some people do say it relaxes them to be here."
She tried to make it peaceful, but as far as she could tell, it was nothing but the plants themselves that achieved the effect. Kentaro said he could feel her inside the space, but if so, she was oblivious to it herself.
"That would explain it, then," he spoke, the expression shifting back to something more mild and gentle. He hummed in a thoughtful manner before shaking his head. "Akiko, was her name, right? Amon spoke of her fondly," he spoke softly, smiling as he did so. He sighed afterwards, and shifted his gaze back towards the flowers. He seemed to be studying them, and didn't glance at her for at least a minute. When he did, he had a strangely solemn expression on his face.
"Reiko-san, perhaps it is too late for me to say this, but I offer my sincerest apologies," he began, giving her an apologetic bow in the process. He didn't get back up, though, and kept the position. "We should have said something to you about who we were, yet we didn't. There are reasons that I cannot say as to why I did it, but I can say this much," he continued.
"It was never my intention to upset you, nor anyone else."
She sighed. "This one knows." She doubted he could seriously intend to hurt anyone. That was the kind of person he was. She paused, glancing up to meet his eyes and smiling, the expression tinged with melancholy.
"There is a lot you can't say, isn't there, Aram-sama? This one thinks that must be difficult... but it is also difficult to hear." Secrets were not generally the easiest things to keep in close relationships; knowing someone close to you was keeping important things to themselves could foster distrust. Not that she considered herself particularly close, but she was close to Ayla, and she could see how the very nature of his abilities, as well as his choices about how to handle them, had led to the friction between them.
"That is the nature of secrets, unfortunately," he spoke, a frown on his lips. "But perhaps there will be a day when secrets are no longer necessary," he spoke, and for a second, it almost sounded like he believed it, however; the expression on his face shifted back to its solemnness. "Do not mind the words of this old man, Reiko-san. For now, perhaps you would be kind enough to show me around? Ayla's not going to do it, and... I'm afraid I am not as acquainted with your brothers as she is," he spoke, smiling, it seemed, to himself.
"She does get along quite well with them, doesn't she?" Reiko replied, her smile broadening to something more genuine. "But this one is happy to show you around, Aram-sama, truly. Is there some place in particular you wish to see?"
He seemed to contemplate her words for a moment. His lips pursed together as he placed a thoughtful hand beneath his chin. "I should wish to see the entirety of the place, if you do not mind. I'm certain that if I know the places, I will not lose myself within the walls, again," he spoke, offering her a smile to match her own. He didn't seem so sad, now that he was here.
"All right," she said, dipping her chin. "As you can see, this is the garden. It's basically at the center of the castle itself, so if you find yourself here, you should be able to get to anywhere reasonably quickly." She turned slightly, pointing northwards.
"To the north are the offices. This one's brothers and this one all have one, and if you would like one for yourself, there is space." She wasn't sure if he needed anything of the kind, but it wasn't like it would be an inconvenience to provide it if he did. She moved her hand. "East are the private quarters for this one's family and guests. That is probably where you were headed. To the south is the wing for the servants and staff, and to the west are the public rooms, like the dining room, the receiving hall, and so on. Those open up to the practice grounds and the barracks."
"I do not believe I would need one, but thank you for the offer," he spoke, referring to the offer of an office. He glanced in each direction as she spoke, taking it in with a relaxed expression. He seemed genuinely interested in each area as she spoke, nodding occasionally afterwards. A soft smile etched on his face at the last area, though, and he shook his head softly.
"I assume there is were Ayla spends most of her time," he spoke, a light smile on his face. "She likes to fight just as much as your brothers, perhaps," he continued, turning to meet her gaze. "What of you, Reiko-san?" he spoke, the serious expression back on his face. "What are your thoughts, exactly, on such things?"
"This one's thoughts?" Reiko tilted her head, pulling in a deep breath and sighing it back out. She let her arm drop, resting her wrist on the hilt of her sword. She carried it everywhere now, just in case. "This one abhors violence," she said softly. "If this one could make a world where no swords were necessary, this one would do that in a heartbeat. But..."
She let her eyes drop to the ground. "This one's father taught that sometimes, there will be no one to stand up for what is right except for this one. And this one must know how, so that if that time comes, this one will be able to stand." She felt her smile take on an edge of bitterness. "And this one is a creature who cannot live without hurting others. Because this one must drink blood to survive. It is... monstrous."
"It is not monstrous, Reiko-san," Aram spoke, his voice gentle as he did. He walked closer to her so that he was a polite distance away, but still in front of her. "We must do what is necessary in order to survive. It is no different from the way a human must slaughter a pig, or cow, or any other animal," he continued, though his voice did pull somewhat when he spoke. "I am not comparing human life to those of animals, but what I am trying to say is..." he trailed off, seemingly unsure of how to say what he wanted.
"Surviving is what we must do, despite the ways he have to do it," he spoke sadly, almost as if he'd had experience on the matter. Maybe he did, but he wasn't like Reiko or her family. "But from what I can see, you are merciful. You do not kill when you drink, do you?" he spoke, peering down at her as if he were searching for something.
Reiko's lower lip trembled. This was not something she liked to think about, and yet... every time she sustained herself, she invariably remembered it. "This one has," she said softly. "The first time this one took blood from a human, this one..." She swallowed thickly.
"This one killed. This one is a murderer."
Aram let out a slow, heavy sigh. "Forgive me for being so forward, but," he spoke. It was uncertain what he meant by that until a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a soft embrace. "You are not a murderer, Reiko," he spoke softly. "It shows in the way you care, the way you remember, and the guilt that you feel because of it. If you were a murderer, you would not feel that way. You would not feel so guilty for taking a life, however; that life has also taught you the value of it. You have not killed since, have you?"
He was warm.
Somehow, she'd expected that. He was also a lot taller than she was, which she was glad of right now, because it enabled her to press her forehead to his chest, concealing her face from view. She was sure she was scarlet—with shame or embarrassment or something else was hard to say.
Mutely, she shook her head, sending a ripple through her long ponytail. She hadn't killed again, not since that first mistake. Everything had been so out of control, and Tatsuya hadn't been able to pull her off the human fast enough. She might have thought he hadn't cared to—he killed his prey often enough, or he used to. But she knew it had been an error, not a purposeful delay. She knew he'd felt guilty for a long time afterward, and she tried not to talk about it in front of him.
"But this one still killed him," she whispered. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She exhaled a shuddering breath against his chest. "And now, there are so many people who won't ever exist because of what I did. He'll never fall in love or grow old, or have children. His children will never grow up have children. Because this one stopped them from ever existing. This one took it all away."
She didn't know why she was telling him this, but... the words had started, and she found she didn't have the strength to stop them. She tried not to speak to her brothers about this; it was the kind of problem she would have brought to her father. But he was gone now. Tou-chan couldn't make anything okay anymore. And she'd taken someone away from other people just like her tou-chan had been taken from her. She was no better than the people who killed him.
"Perhaps you did," he spoke, seemingly agreeing with her, however; his tone wasn't one that suggested as much. "Perhaps you have taken from him a life that could have been happy, filled with love and joy and children. But Reiko," he began, moving one of his hands to the back of her head and holding it gently. "What if he had met a fate worse than what you had given him? What if his death, as quick as it might have been, would have been slow? What if he had children, and they too, were taken by such a thing?" he continued, as though he were trying to convince her otherwise.
"You might not see it this way, but perhaps his death was a blessing? Perhaps you alleviated him of a life that he might not have had long to have? Perhaps you brought him peace in a time of suffering," he spoke quietly. "There are some things that are beyond our control, Reiko. You cannot force a wolf to spare the rabbit for the sake of what could have been. Nature is cruel that way, but think of it as the opposite. What if that wolf spared the rabbit, and came back home empty handed to a litter of pups? They would starve, and die without the food to eat. A poor comparison, but one that must be accepted, nonetheless. It is not survival of the fittest; it is just survival."
It wasn't a fair comparison. No one had to die for her to eat. But someone had, because she wasn't strong enough to keep herself under control under strain. Swallowing thickly, Reiko straightened herself, carefully pulling away from his hold. She sniffled, but the hot prickling at the back of her eyes did not become tears. She cried for so little anymore; perhaps she'd lost that with the rest of her innocence. Her blamelessness, which she no longer possessed.
"This one apologizes, Aram-sama," she said dully. "This one has been most indelicate, in burdening you with such matters." And when he already had so many to carry; that was the precise reason she never bothered her brothers with this. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her face, straightening her gi. "If you would still like the rest of the tour, this one will gladly show you the castle in greater detail. But this one would understand if you preferred otherwise."
Oddly, he smiled at her. "It is not a burden to one who wishes to listen, Reiko-chan. Do not believe yourself to be such; there are people who care for you who wish to do the same. Burdens become easier to carry when there is someone with whom to share them with. I may not be so fortunate, but you are. You have a family that loves you, and wishes you as much happiness as you can get. Perhaps, if you feel you cannot burden them, you may tell them to me. I will listen," he spoke earnestly.
"But I understand that now may not be the best of times. I would appreciate the tour," he continued, his smile growing slightly.
She thought it rather unfair, that he should bear her burdens while she could bear none of his, but it didn't seem like the time to say so. If there ever could be such a time.
So she smiled slightly and nodded. "Very well. This way, if you please, Aram-sama. This one will show you the offices first."
Ayla sighed softly, shaking her head as she glanced in Sayuri's direction. It had been a few of months since Sayuri started taking lessons from Kentaro. The only reason she knew that was because Sayuri had told her. She would admit, it was a bit of a stretch, teaching someone how to defend themselves. Especially if that someone who was learning, had never picked up a blade in their entire life. Sayuri wasn't a warrior. It was apparent in her bearing, her stance, and just the way she held a wooden bokken. Ayla wasn't certain she would ever be a warrior, however; she wasn't going to throw her under just yet. She was determined to learn, and Ayla could respect that.
"Shift your hands up a little, Yuri-chan. No, not that much," she sighed heavily as Sayuri readjusted her grip on the bokken. She shook her head and made her way towards her. "Months of training, and you still can't hold it right?" she spoke, letting a little bit of amusement into her voice so that Sayuri knew she wasn't being mean. Sayuri frowned, though.
"I'm trying, Ayla-chan, but I'm not exactly the warrior type. At least I know which end to hold, but the grips are still a little... confusing," she replied. If she was having trouble with grips, then Ayla could help with that.
"Alright, we're going to try something different," she said as she went to the racks where the weapons were kept. She grabbed a bow off of one and made her way towards Sayuri. She had a look of confusion on her face, and Ayla rolled her eyes. "Here, hold this," she spoke, handing the bow to Sayuri. She did as she was told, but remained silent.
"Now, draw it," she commanded.
"Do I need an arrow?"
"No. You're just pulling on the string for now, but make sure you're holding onto the grip, properly," she replied, watching as Sayuri complied. She held the grip, and pulled back on the bowstring. She continued to do this for a few minutes before she frowned.
"What's the purpose of this, Ayla-chan?" she finally asked. Ayla merely grinned.
"That is teaching you tension," she replied. Sayuri pursed her lips together, and stopped what she was doing. "It helps to know how hard or soft you should pull. You don't want to pull so hard that you snap the string, but you also don't want to pull too soft that there is no resistance," she explained. Sayuri made a slight 'oh' with her mouth, but didn't say it.
"What has that have to do with a sword, though?" she asked.
"Kentaro is teaching you kendo, right?" Sayuri nodded. "Learning the tension on the bowstring and gripping it properly will help you with that. The more you pull on the bowstring, the more familiar you become with it. It's the same with your bokken. Learning something is more than just hitting and swinging your sword, Sayuri-chan. And it's not so romanticized as being one with the weapon. It's the feeling of it in your hands, and being able to wield it as an extension of yourself," she explained. She wasn't sure if she was actually making sense, though, but she had faith in Sayuri.
"I'm going to let you practice with that for awhile," she stated, watching as Sayuri pulled on the bowstring, again. This went on for at least an hour before Ayla had given her an arrow to see how she'd fair with a bow, instead of sword. She wasn't too bad with it, and Ayla surmised that Sayuri could be just as good of an archer as herself. Of course, she'd have to practice for a long time, something she didn't exactly have. At least she was improving, though. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she gave Sayuri permission to leave.
They were done for the day.
She watched as Sayuri left, and smiled to herself. She was a good kid, just like the others were. Now that she was alone, though, she might as well practice her martial arts. She wasn't rusty, per se, but it'd been a while since she'd last hit something. Aram was busy, currently studying the oni, so he wasn't available to be her sparring partner. She couldn't smell Tsubasa nearby, otherwise she'd have asked him. Tatsuya wasn't entirely wrong, after all, when he said she got along with someone like Tsubasa. She actually liked the boy, but perhaps not so much as the word would imply. There was a difference between liking someone, and being fond of them.
She liked Tsubasa, but she wasn't fond of him. He wasn't exactly her type. Still, that did not distract her enough from the disturbing rumors of oni sightings the last few weeks. She'd dismissed them at first because Aram hadn't said anything about it. Usually, he'd have seen something by now, however; as of late, he hadn't. That didn't concern her too much, but something nagged in the back of her mind that it should. The warm air on her face caused her to sigh softly. Summer wasn't exactly her favorite season. She was already warm to begin with, given what she was. She didn't feel like burning during the months that followed. There were ways to cool off, but most of that required cool baths and things like that.
She didn't want to be a fish.
“You sure you want to get sweaty?" came a voice from nearby. That was weird; she hadn't been able to smell him at all, but he was no more than ten feet behind her. Tatsuya tilted his head, crossing his arms over his chest. His shitagi and kosode were short-sleeved, apparently the one concession he made to the rapidly-heating weather. Strangely for a being that did not scar easily, he had a big one on his right forearm, pale against his relatively tan complexion.
“You look like you might melt if you overheat out here. Like a yuki-onna, ne?" His tone was blasé and a little bit impertinent, but he had a way of drawling his words so they sounded more languid than anything.
She rolled her eyes at him. "And if I do want to get sweaty? Are you going to help?" she spoke, raising a brow in his direction. She didn't know when it happened, only that she actually enjoyed his company somewhat, and exchanging choice words. It wasn't as much fun if there wasn't anyone else around to tease, like Reiko, but she didn't mind. It was almost like... she stopped that train of thought as quickly as it had formed, and shook her head.
"Yuki-onna have it easy. They get to hibernate during the summer; I have no such thing."
“Always happy to volunteer my services for a good cause." He tilted his head to the side; some of his hair fell loose over his shoulder. It had grown a little to sit near the nape of his neck, but he didn't seem bothered by it in the heat. He arched an eyebrow. “Now of course, you're boring, so you mean sweaty from sparring and not anything more fun. Hand-to-hand, I take it?"
She laughed. "Well, if by boring you mean I don't have a sense of humor, then by all means, I'm boring," she replied, shaking her head. "But hey, if you could sex an oni to death..." she trailed off; he'd get the implication. She might appear boring to him, but she wasn't exactly shy talking about the subject. She just knew she'd never involve herself in the act of it. It wasn't so much as saving anything for anyone. She just didn't think she'd be able to give herself like that to anyone.
He laughed, though it was more a shake of his shoulders than a sound.
"Hand-to-hand is fine. I'm not always going to be able to use my bow, or tantō. And I might not have enough time to change, so," she stated, shrugging lightly and taking a stance. All were true, though. She might run out of arrows, her tantō might get knocked away from her, and shifting wasn't exactly instantaneous. It took at least a minute to complete it.
“If you say so," he replied, cracking his neck to the left, then the right before stepping into the ring properly and taking up a spot about five feet away from her. He bowed shortly, the martial artist's custom, then settled back into a stance of his own. Curiously for a fighter as aggressive as Tatsuya, it looked to be a defensive form.
“Ladies first." He smirked at her with narrowed eyes, a corner of his mouth lifting just slightly.
She returned the smirk with one of her own, and inclined her head. "Look at you being so sweet, calling me a lady," she spoke. The smirk didn't leave her face, and instead, she obliged. She knew better than to go easy, though. They couldn't afford to do that, if the rumors were true. Plus, she wasn't exactly expecting him to go easy on her, either. That's alright, she needed a good fight, anyway.
He met the strike with a smooth catch, enclosing her fist in his hand, then flowing smoothly in a twist, bringing her arm in behind her and pressing up close, his back to her chest, so she'd have a harder time kicking him away. “Aren't you?" he asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer. The words were close to her ear; close enough for her to tell that his breath was cooler than the outside air by at least ten degrees, if not more.
"Depends on your definition of a lady," she frowned. She resisted the urge to shudder at how cool his breath felt, though. Compared to the warming weather, she'd prefer it if it were ten degrees cooler. "Because frankly," she began, trying to twist out of his grip. "I could care less what people thought defined a lady." Everyone had a definition of it, and she didn't quite care to conform to whatever that definition was. She managed to break free, and stood some feet away from him.
"But I'm sure your definition is a little more... defining," she stated, resisting the urge to laugh at herself. She moved towards him again, this time, going for his legs. He was taller than her, and for some odd reason, she didn't want him to be right now. She hated being short, sometimes.
His balance was steady, though, and even when she kicked at him, it didn't seem to bother him much. He chuckled in her ear, then let her go, jumping backwards and resetting himself ten feet away, taking up the same defensive stance again. “I've always preferred a woman to a lady anyway," he replied. “And you're definitely one of those."
One palm up, he twitched his first two fingers, beckoning her forward and tilting his chin up, just a little. The expression on his face was clearly meant as a challenge.
"You're a smug little bastard, you know that?" she replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. Challenge accepted. The smirk was still on her face, though it tilted up into more of a grin. She kept her eyes narrowed and took a moment to assess rather than attack outright, again. Clearly he had the upper hand. He was taller for one thing, and he had good balance. Oni were kind of the same way, however; the bigger they were, the harder they fell. She'd have to get better momentum if she wanted to take him down.
With that in mind, she smirked. She could use the distance to her advantage. She might not have been particularly swift, but she made up for that by being a little more sturdier. When she ran at him, she did so with every ounce of speed she could muster, and put most of her strength behind her legs.
He seemed willing enough to go with this strategy, however, because he didn't even attempt to get out of the way; rather, he adjusted his stance so that when they went to the ground, he was able to put one of his knees between them, pressing down on her sternum with it and locking her legs in place with his other.
“Really, Ayla? You want to do groundwork with someone who outsizes you this much? I'll give you credit for guts, but not much else." He leaned down, solid in his hold but moving his face closer to hers. “Well... maybe one other thing. This is much more interesting than catching punches."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, well I never said I was an expert at it. Strategy obviously wasn't my strong point. I'm a distance fighter; up and personal isn't my cup of tea. The only time I get personal," she strained out the word a bit as she tried to move, "Is when I'm not exactly this," she continued, referring to her wolf rather than her human self. She was better at fighting up close when she was a wolf. At least then she could use her teeth and claws to tear out chunks of flesh.
"I'm glad you're having fun and all, but you can let me up now, I yield," for now at least.
He didn't immediately do so, instead studying her with narrowed eyes. “So let it out," he suggested, like it was the most commonplace thing in the world and not an enormous risk. “I'm not going to break like glass just because you grow some teeth worth talking about." He bared his own at her in something between a grin and a snarl; was it just her, or were they thicker and more prominent than usual?
She furrowed her brows in response. Let it out? That was easier said than done, but perhaps, within these walls it would be okay. There wasn't anyone around, and it was obvious enough that the servants of the household wouldn't exactly take mind to it. "Fine, have it your way," she replied, baring her teeth at him in the process. He might have been strong, but the shift from human to beast wouldn't exactly allow for him to remain as close as he was.
Besides, she should take advantage of this. She wouldn't be able to shift when she sparred with the others, and the only other one who could possibly handle her, was Aram. Since he was the one to suggest it in the first place, she would oblige.
Well, this is better, she spoke, shaking her entire body as she did so. She flexed her paws for a moment before she glanced at him. If she could have, she would have arched a challenging eyebrow at him, however; she didn't exactly have eyebrows to quirk. Shall we?
He actually had to look up at her now, though not that far. Not as far as she normally had to look up at him, anyway. Rolling out his shoulders, Tatsuya settled into a different stance. This one looked much more like an attack form. “I'm glad you're taking this seriously. That means I can, too, right?"
He did arch a brow, but gave no further warning before he burst forward with all the suddenness of a gust of wind, making a grab for one of her arms. It looked like he might be attempting a joint-lock, and he was fast.
Luckily, though, she was also quicker. She had to be in order to get an advantage on the oni, however; compared to his speed, she was still a little slower. So instead of moving out of the way, she allowed him to get closer. Granted, he'd have a bit of an advantage being so close, but she would also be closer to him, and she could make for his arm with her jaws. Height wise, it would be easy to grab his shoulder, at least. If she missed, she still had a free arm.
Her attempt to bite was thwarted; surprisingly, Tatsuya actually took hold of her jaws from the safer sides and forced them shut, twisting his whole body away from her first swipe. The second one, however, caught him in the side, tearing through the linen fabric he wore and leaving a bloody furrow in his side.
He hissed softly; from as close as she was, she could see his eye color flicker from red to gold. He pulled in a laborious breath, and they faded back, but they had definitely changed for a moment there. His lips pulled back from his teeth.
“If you can bite, I'm going to think I can too, you know." Even despite the wound, and the fact that he was still holding her jaws clamped shut, he seemed to be amused, though it was edged by something else.
Never said you couldn't, she replied back. Even if her mouth was clamped shut, she could still speak. Though she wasn't sure if she could actually call it that. But I'm afraid you'll only get a mouthful of fur, she added. She would have smirked if she could. She shook her head, trying to get out of his hold.
Bite or no bite, she began, finally breaking lose from his hold and jumping back, You said you were going to take this seriously; use every advantage you can get. If that means you have to bite something, then bite it, though in some perspectives, that might be considered cheating.
Oni won't care either way, and it wasn't like she really needed to give advice.
“I suppose you make a fair point," he replied casually. His side was already nearly healed up; he certain wasn't bleeding anymore. There was only a bit of it soaked through the fabric of his kosode.
Hooking his fingers, Tatsuya cracked his knuckles. This time, when he charged, it was barely even visible. It seemed that he was suddenly just in front of her, and then he leaped, jumping over her and twisting in midair. One of his arms hooked around her neck from behind, forcing her into an awkward position.
Instead of the expected bite, however, he blew cold breath into her ear. “I think I'll collect when it wouldn't taste mostly like dog," he said with a snort. “I don't fancy the tang of fur." But he'd effectively made his point—he could have gone in for a bite there if necessary.
Pushing off her back, he landed a good eight feet behind her, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, you've made all this fuss about control issues, but I really don't see any. You're not even being the aggressive one here."
She didn't have an answer for him. She didn't even know why that was the case. She sat in her spot, the spar obviously over, though she elected to remain as she was, for the moment. She tilted her head in his direction, and narrowed her eyes. I've got nothing, she spoke the words quicker than she'd realized. She hadn't meant to say it, but she did anyway. She was still calm in his presence, despite the fact that her heart rate was accelerated. That was due to the spar, or so she thought. What else could it be? She sighed softly.
I suppose that concludes the little spar, for now, she spoke. Her lips pulled into a fine line before she sighed. She should really keep a spare kimono around, or at least hide one in every possible spot around the place. She didn't really think at the time when she shifted, but her gaze landed on her torn kimono, and she huffed again. She'd torn his clothing, too, so it wouldn't exactly help, and she didn't need to give him the satisfaction of her wearing something that was his, again.
She rolled her eyes.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go properly cloth myself. My hair can only do so much," she spoke. She'd shifted with her back towards him and had pulled her hair in front of her. It covered what it needed to considering it was long enough to do that. She wasn't ashamed, but perhaps she should have a little more common decency. She snorted. "So if you'll excuse me," she stated, walking past him, no shame whatsoever. If she was lucky, there wouldn't be anyone in the halls until she reached her room, though.
“You're clear if you take the back hallway," he said, apparently aware of who was where in the castle. “No one's ever there at this time of day." For all his bluster, he kept his eyes fixed firmly away from her for the duration.
“I'll be collecting on that taste someday, by the way." The words followed behind her as she left the ring.
"Yeah? Good luck with that."
"Shift your hands up a little, Yuri-chan. No, not that much," she sighed heavily as Sayuri readjusted her grip on the bokken. She shook her head and made her way towards her. "Months of training, and you still can't hold it right?" she spoke, letting a little bit of amusement into her voice so that Sayuri knew she wasn't being mean. Sayuri frowned, though.
"I'm trying, Ayla-chan, but I'm not exactly the warrior type. At least I know which end to hold, but the grips are still a little... confusing," she replied. If she was having trouble with grips, then Ayla could help with that.
"Alright, we're going to try something different," she said as she went to the racks where the weapons were kept. She grabbed a bow off of one and made her way towards Sayuri. She had a look of confusion on her face, and Ayla rolled her eyes. "Here, hold this," she spoke, handing the bow to Sayuri. She did as she was told, but remained silent.
"Now, draw it," she commanded.
"Do I need an arrow?"
"No. You're just pulling on the string for now, but make sure you're holding onto the grip, properly," she replied, watching as Sayuri complied. She held the grip, and pulled back on the bowstring. She continued to do this for a few minutes before she frowned.
"What's the purpose of this, Ayla-chan?" she finally asked. Ayla merely grinned.
"That is teaching you tension," she replied. Sayuri pursed her lips together, and stopped what she was doing. "It helps to know how hard or soft you should pull. You don't want to pull so hard that you snap the string, but you also don't want to pull too soft that there is no resistance," she explained. Sayuri made a slight 'oh' with her mouth, but didn't say it.
"What has that have to do with a sword, though?" she asked.
"Kentaro is teaching you kendo, right?" Sayuri nodded. "Learning the tension on the bowstring and gripping it properly will help you with that. The more you pull on the bowstring, the more familiar you become with it. It's the same with your bokken. Learning something is more than just hitting and swinging your sword, Sayuri-chan. And it's not so romanticized as being one with the weapon. It's the feeling of it in your hands, and being able to wield it as an extension of yourself," she explained. She wasn't sure if she was actually making sense, though, but she had faith in Sayuri.
"I'm going to let you practice with that for awhile," she stated, watching as Sayuri pulled on the bowstring, again. This went on for at least an hour before Ayla had given her an arrow to see how she'd fair with a bow, instead of sword. She wasn't too bad with it, and Ayla surmised that Sayuri could be just as good of an archer as herself. Of course, she'd have to practice for a long time, something she didn't exactly have. At least she was improving, though. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she gave Sayuri permission to leave.
They were done for the day.
She watched as Sayuri left, and smiled to herself. She was a good kid, just like the others were. Now that she was alone, though, she might as well practice her martial arts. She wasn't rusty, per se, but it'd been a while since she'd last hit something. Aram was busy, currently studying the oni, so he wasn't available to be her sparring partner. She couldn't smell Tsubasa nearby, otherwise she'd have asked him. Tatsuya wasn't entirely wrong, after all, when he said she got along with someone like Tsubasa. She actually liked the boy, but perhaps not so much as the word would imply. There was a difference between liking someone, and being fond of them.
She liked Tsubasa, but she wasn't fond of him. He wasn't exactly her type. Still, that did not distract her enough from the disturbing rumors of oni sightings the last few weeks. She'd dismissed them at first because Aram hadn't said anything about it. Usually, he'd have seen something by now, however; as of late, he hadn't. That didn't concern her too much, but something nagged in the back of her mind that it should. The warm air on her face caused her to sigh softly. Summer wasn't exactly her favorite season. She was already warm to begin with, given what she was. She didn't feel like burning during the months that followed. There were ways to cool off, but most of that required cool baths and things like that.
She didn't want to be a fish.
“You sure you want to get sweaty?" came a voice from nearby. That was weird; she hadn't been able to smell him at all, but he was no more than ten feet behind her. Tatsuya tilted his head, crossing his arms over his chest. His shitagi and kosode were short-sleeved, apparently the one concession he made to the rapidly-heating weather. Strangely for a being that did not scar easily, he had a big one on his right forearm, pale against his relatively tan complexion.
“You look like you might melt if you overheat out here. Like a yuki-onna, ne?" His tone was blasé and a little bit impertinent, but he had a way of drawling his words so they sounded more languid than anything.
She rolled her eyes at him. "And if I do want to get sweaty? Are you going to help?" she spoke, raising a brow in his direction. She didn't know when it happened, only that she actually enjoyed his company somewhat, and exchanging choice words. It wasn't as much fun if there wasn't anyone else around to tease, like Reiko, but she didn't mind. It was almost like... she stopped that train of thought as quickly as it had formed, and shook her head.
"Yuki-onna have it easy. They get to hibernate during the summer; I have no such thing."
“Always happy to volunteer my services for a good cause." He tilted his head to the side; some of his hair fell loose over his shoulder. It had grown a little to sit near the nape of his neck, but he didn't seem bothered by it in the heat. He arched an eyebrow. “Now of course, you're boring, so you mean sweaty from sparring and not anything more fun. Hand-to-hand, I take it?"
She laughed. "Well, if by boring you mean I don't have a sense of humor, then by all means, I'm boring," she replied, shaking her head. "But hey, if you could sex an oni to death..." she trailed off; he'd get the implication. She might appear boring to him, but she wasn't exactly shy talking about the subject. She just knew she'd never involve herself in the act of it. It wasn't so much as saving anything for anyone. She just didn't think she'd be able to give herself like that to anyone.
He laughed, though it was more a shake of his shoulders than a sound.
"Hand-to-hand is fine. I'm not always going to be able to use my bow, or tantō. And I might not have enough time to change, so," she stated, shrugging lightly and taking a stance. All were true, though. She might run out of arrows, her tantō might get knocked away from her, and shifting wasn't exactly instantaneous. It took at least a minute to complete it.
“If you say so," he replied, cracking his neck to the left, then the right before stepping into the ring properly and taking up a spot about five feet away from her. He bowed shortly, the martial artist's custom, then settled back into a stance of his own. Curiously for a fighter as aggressive as Tatsuya, it looked to be a defensive form.
“Ladies first." He smirked at her with narrowed eyes, a corner of his mouth lifting just slightly.
She returned the smirk with one of her own, and inclined her head. "Look at you being so sweet, calling me a lady," she spoke. The smirk didn't leave her face, and instead, she obliged. She knew better than to go easy, though. They couldn't afford to do that, if the rumors were true. Plus, she wasn't exactly expecting him to go easy on her, either. That's alright, she needed a good fight, anyway.
He met the strike with a smooth catch, enclosing her fist in his hand, then flowing smoothly in a twist, bringing her arm in behind her and pressing up close, his back to her chest, so she'd have a harder time kicking him away. “Aren't you?" he asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer. The words were close to her ear; close enough for her to tell that his breath was cooler than the outside air by at least ten degrees, if not more.
"Depends on your definition of a lady," she frowned. She resisted the urge to shudder at how cool his breath felt, though. Compared to the warming weather, she'd prefer it if it were ten degrees cooler. "Because frankly," she began, trying to twist out of his grip. "I could care less what people thought defined a lady." Everyone had a definition of it, and she didn't quite care to conform to whatever that definition was. She managed to break free, and stood some feet away from him.
"But I'm sure your definition is a little more... defining," she stated, resisting the urge to laugh at herself. She moved towards him again, this time, going for his legs. He was taller than her, and for some odd reason, she didn't want him to be right now. She hated being short, sometimes.
His balance was steady, though, and even when she kicked at him, it didn't seem to bother him much. He chuckled in her ear, then let her go, jumping backwards and resetting himself ten feet away, taking up the same defensive stance again. “I've always preferred a woman to a lady anyway," he replied. “And you're definitely one of those."
One palm up, he twitched his first two fingers, beckoning her forward and tilting his chin up, just a little. The expression on his face was clearly meant as a challenge.
"You're a smug little bastard, you know that?" she replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. Challenge accepted. The smirk was still on her face, though it tilted up into more of a grin. She kept her eyes narrowed and took a moment to assess rather than attack outright, again. Clearly he had the upper hand. He was taller for one thing, and he had good balance. Oni were kind of the same way, however; the bigger they were, the harder they fell. She'd have to get better momentum if she wanted to take him down.
With that in mind, she smirked. She could use the distance to her advantage. She might not have been particularly swift, but she made up for that by being a little more sturdier. When she ran at him, she did so with every ounce of speed she could muster, and put most of her strength behind her legs.
He seemed willing enough to go with this strategy, however, because he didn't even attempt to get out of the way; rather, he adjusted his stance so that when they went to the ground, he was able to put one of his knees between them, pressing down on her sternum with it and locking her legs in place with his other.
“Really, Ayla? You want to do groundwork with someone who outsizes you this much? I'll give you credit for guts, but not much else." He leaned down, solid in his hold but moving his face closer to hers. “Well... maybe one other thing. This is much more interesting than catching punches."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, well I never said I was an expert at it. Strategy obviously wasn't my strong point. I'm a distance fighter; up and personal isn't my cup of tea. The only time I get personal," she strained out the word a bit as she tried to move, "Is when I'm not exactly this," she continued, referring to her wolf rather than her human self. She was better at fighting up close when she was a wolf. At least then she could use her teeth and claws to tear out chunks of flesh.
"I'm glad you're having fun and all, but you can let me up now, I yield," for now at least.
He didn't immediately do so, instead studying her with narrowed eyes. “So let it out," he suggested, like it was the most commonplace thing in the world and not an enormous risk. “I'm not going to break like glass just because you grow some teeth worth talking about." He bared his own at her in something between a grin and a snarl; was it just her, or were they thicker and more prominent than usual?
She furrowed her brows in response. Let it out? That was easier said than done, but perhaps, within these walls it would be okay. There wasn't anyone around, and it was obvious enough that the servants of the household wouldn't exactly take mind to it. "Fine, have it your way," she replied, baring her teeth at him in the process. He might have been strong, but the shift from human to beast wouldn't exactly allow for him to remain as close as he was.
Besides, she should take advantage of this. She wouldn't be able to shift when she sparred with the others, and the only other one who could possibly handle her, was Aram. Since he was the one to suggest it in the first place, she would oblige.
Well, this is better, she spoke, shaking her entire body as she did so. She flexed her paws for a moment before she glanced at him. If she could have, she would have arched a challenging eyebrow at him, however; she didn't exactly have eyebrows to quirk. Shall we?
He actually had to look up at her now, though not that far. Not as far as she normally had to look up at him, anyway. Rolling out his shoulders, Tatsuya settled into a different stance. This one looked much more like an attack form. “I'm glad you're taking this seriously. That means I can, too, right?"
He did arch a brow, but gave no further warning before he burst forward with all the suddenness of a gust of wind, making a grab for one of her arms. It looked like he might be attempting a joint-lock, and he was fast.
Luckily, though, she was also quicker. She had to be in order to get an advantage on the oni, however; compared to his speed, she was still a little slower. So instead of moving out of the way, she allowed him to get closer. Granted, he'd have a bit of an advantage being so close, but she would also be closer to him, and she could make for his arm with her jaws. Height wise, it would be easy to grab his shoulder, at least. If she missed, she still had a free arm.
Her attempt to bite was thwarted; surprisingly, Tatsuya actually took hold of her jaws from the safer sides and forced them shut, twisting his whole body away from her first swipe. The second one, however, caught him in the side, tearing through the linen fabric he wore and leaving a bloody furrow in his side.
He hissed softly; from as close as she was, she could see his eye color flicker from red to gold. He pulled in a laborious breath, and they faded back, but they had definitely changed for a moment there. His lips pulled back from his teeth.
“If you can bite, I'm going to think I can too, you know." Even despite the wound, and the fact that he was still holding her jaws clamped shut, he seemed to be amused, though it was edged by something else.
Never said you couldn't, she replied back. Even if her mouth was clamped shut, she could still speak. Though she wasn't sure if she could actually call it that. But I'm afraid you'll only get a mouthful of fur, she added. She would have smirked if she could. She shook her head, trying to get out of his hold.
Bite or no bite, she began, finally breaking lose from his hold and jumping back, You said you were going to take this seriously; use every advantage you can get. If that means you have to bite something, then bite it, though in some perspectives, that might be considered cheating.
Oni won't care either way, and it wasn't like she really needed to give advice.
“I suppose you make a fair point," he replied casually. His side was already nearly healed up; he certain wasn't bleeding anymore. There was only a bit of it soaked through the fabric of his kosode.
Hooking his fingers, Tatsuya cracked his knuckles. This time, when he charged, it was barely even visible. It seemed that he was suddenly just in front of her, and then he leaped, jumping over her and twisting in midair. One of his arms hooked around her neck from behind, forcing her into an awkward position.
Instead of the expected bite, however, he blew cold breath into her ear. “I think I'll collect when it wouldn't taste mostly like dog," he said with a snort. “I don't fancy the tang of fur." But he'd effectively made his point—he could have gone in for a bite there if necessary.
Pushing off her back, he landed a good eight feet behind her, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, you've made all this fuss about control issues, but I really don't see any. You're not even being the aggressive one here."
She didn't have an answer for him. She didn't even know why that was the case. She sat in her spot, the spar obviously over, though she elected to remain as she was, for the moment. She tilted her head in his direction, and narrowed her eyes. I've got nothing, she spoke the words quicker than she'd realized. She hadn't meant to say it, but she did anyway. She was still calm in his presence, despite the fact that her heart rate was accelerated. That was due to the spar, or so she thought. What else could it be? She sighed softly.
I suppose that concludes the little spar, for now, she spoke. Her lips pulled into a fine line before she sighed. She should really keep a spare kimono around, or at least hide one in every possible spot around the place. She didn't really think at the time when she shifted, but her gaze landed on her torn kimono, and she huffed again. She'd torn his clothing, too, so it wouldn't exactly help, and she didn't need to give him the satisfaction of her wearing something that was his, again.
She rolled her eyes.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go properly cloth myself. My hair can only do so much," she spoke. She'd shifted with her back towards him and had pulled her hair in front of her. It covered what it needed to considering it was long enough to do that. She wasn't ashamed, but perhaps she should have a little more common decency. She snorted. "So if you'll excuse me," she stated, walking past him, no shame whatsoever. If she was lucky, there wouldn't be anyone in the halls until she reached her room, though.
“You're clear if you take the back hallway," he said, apparently aware of who was where in the castle. “No one's ever there at this time of day." For all his bluster, he kept his eyes fixed firmly away from her for the duration.
“I'll be collecting on that taste someday, by the way." The words followed behind her as she left the ring.
"Yeah? Good luck with that."
Kentaro glanced down at the broken blade of his sword, and then past the jagged edge of it at the fallen oni. This one was primarily blue; he wasn't sure if the color they were made any difference in particular.
This was the closest any such creature had come to Shimamaki Village yet. He was lucky to have caught it on a routine patrol, else it might well have wandered close enough to the settlement to cause serious issues.
Of course, lucky was a relative word. Kentaro shuddered, unable to help grimacing as his wounds pulled. This one seemed stronger than the other, and he'd been forced to fight it alone. His sword had broken off on its ribcage, meaning he had to burn it to death. The smell of blackened flesh still hung on the air. He felt the pain of his injuries flood back in as his horns and claws receded. His vision lost some of its sharp clarity, surely an indication that the irises had returned from gold to red. He didn't actually remember most of the fight; another reason he was lucky it had happened out here.
The wet grinding of bone drew his attention to the fact that one of his legs had broken and was now repairing itself, more slowly than it should have been. It didn't take a towering intellect to know why—so much of his blood was spattered over the snow that he was weaker than he should be, and his healing factor was slowing down so that it wouldn't overcompensate and end up killing him. A fierce thirst clawed at his throat, leaving it bone-dry and cracked, like parched earth.
He needed to get home. In his condition, carrying the oni back with him wasn't a possibility. He would simply have to hope that no humans wandered far enough out to see the corpse. Dropping the now-useless sword hilt, Kentaro straightened his posture and headed for the castle.
It was slow going, since he had to make sure no humans saw the condition he was in. He couldn't let any of them get too close, or he probably wouldn't be able to quash the instinct to feed. He could still feel some of his obviously-inhuman features, too—his ears were still pointed, and from the way his vision flickered in and out, his eyes hadn't settled back to the normal hue either. Red marks stood out prominently against his skin; hopefully they'd just be mistaken for more blood if he was spotted. The hair hanging in front of his eyes was still bone-colored, streaked with more blood. He knew there wasn't really any explaining that.
He pulled in a hard breath as he approached his home; the cocktail of scents there was maddening, but also familiar, something he needed at this moment. He sought the one he needed, stumbling blindly and mutely down the hallways, in search of it.
Of her.
Sayuri had rounded a corner, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before it became one of confusion, and then worry. "Kentaro-san, are you alright, what happened?" she spoke in a hurried breath. She made her way quickly to him, and was standing not more than three feet away. Her hands began to reach forward, but she dropped them suddenly. It was almost as if she were going to check him for something, perhaps his wounds.
"Oh, do you need me to go find Reiko-san? Or one of the others?'' she spoke a little worriedly.
Kentaro groaned softly. This close, her smell hit him like a brick wall. The fangs in his mouth extended; he had to part his lips to prevent them from piercing the inside of his mouth. That was alarming even by the standards of one of his kind. He drew in short, rapid pants; he could breathe no deeper with his injuries, but unfortunately that just meant that there was no relief.
He was so thirsty he felt like he was dying, and food stood not three feet away from him. His every instinct bade him lunge, bat aside her useless human resistance and sink his teeth into her flesh so that he might live, might recover from his wounds. Keenly, he heard the soft patter as more of his blood spilled onto the floorboards of the hallway.
“Get back," he rasped, forcing himself to take a step backward instead of forward. It was, perhaps, the single most difficult thing he'd ever managed to do. “Get away from me."
Scarcely could he think; certainly not enough to remember what he needed, beyond the simple need for sustenance. He'd been moving with a purpose, he knew, but his mind was shutting down alongside his body. All he knew now was hunger, and the thinning, weakening resolve not to have it satisfied here and now.
"Kentaro-san," she spoke, though she did not move immediately. Her lips were pursed tightly, and her eyes were slightly narrowed. She didn't look to be glaring at him, only studying. "Kentaro-san, I can't do that. Let me help you find Reiko-chan, or one of the others. At least... that way you won't hurt any of the servants," she spoke. She either wasn't worried about her own well-being, or there was something else that kept her from leaving.
"I know... it must be hard right now, and you're not quite yourself, but let me help you," she continued. She took a small step forward. "It's okay if you accidentally hurt me; I know you won't mean anything by it," she continued. Clearly she wasn't aware of the danger she was in.
Why?
Why wasn't she leaving? Why wasn't he tearing her apart?
Kentaro's instincts warred with what little of his intellect remained in the haze of near-death and the overpowering need to survive. It was barely even a contest. In a moment, he was upon her, one of his hands winding around her neck. He forced her back up against the wall of the hallway, pinning her in place with his weight. His sharp breathing elevated; his wounded muscles coiled with the inevitable hunter's adrenaline rush.
With no more than his thumb on her jaw, he turned her head aside, exposing the thin layer of soft skin over her pulse point. He could hear it there. Her blood. Rushing through the vital vein there, keeping her alive. It could keep him alive, too.
"Kentaro-san," she spoke his name like a soft whisper, though it was evident that it was laced with a hint of fear. Rightly so, perhaps. "Kentaro-san, it's..." she didn't get to finish that sentence, though. Either she couldn't, or she didn't want to. Her pulse quickened, from fear or adrenaline. It was probably both.
Kentaro leaned forward, hovering right over the pulse point. Opening his mouth, he dragged his tongue over the spot—the natural anticoagulant in it would keep her bleeding freely as he drank. He set his teeth at the spot, scraping the skin slightly as he started to press down.
“Taro, no!"
The shout broke through his haze, if only just. Lifting his head, Kentaro glared down the hallway at the intruder, immediately flooded with a new scent, a familiar one. One he knew. Had known, since the moment the child it belonged to was born into the world.
A body immediately inserted itself between him and his prey, pushing his weakened frame away with the strength of health and one of his kind. He stumbled backwards.
“Tatsuya, make sure Sayu's okay."
He didn't quite understand what the words meant. All he really knew was that at the same time, two small, strong hands took hold of his head and guided him down to another throat. This one offered not even a token resistance, and indeed seemed to be encouraging him to drink. He couldn't have stopped himself if he'd wanted to.
Kentaro bit down, tasting the slightly-metallic sweetness he was after. The effect on his injuries was almost immediate; they began to heal themselves rapidly. More even than they should be; he could smell the additional blood as it seeped from new wounds on Reiko's body. She was assuming them herself, allowing her healing factor to take care of them. Though it must have caused her great pain, she made not a sound about it, and did not stop him from taking his fill.
It was through the automatic experience of seeing her memory that he came to understand what had just occurred. Her thoughts reawakened his, allowing reason to reassert itself over instinct, and as soon as he could, he recoiled away from her. The twin puncture marks on her neck closed almost immediately.
“Reiko." He blinked, shifting his eyes over her shoulder. Tatsuya was steadying Sayuri with one hand. He quickly glanced away.
“Oni. Outside the village. Someone should retrieve it before the humans find it."
Her eyes went wide; she turned back over her shoulder.
“On it," Tatsuya said immediately. “I'll find one of those two and deal with the problem."
Reiko nodded, returning her attention to him. “Are you all right?"
Now that the hunger had gone, shame and guilt welled up in its place. Kentaro stared pointedly at the wall, making eye contact with no one. “That is a question you should be asking someone else. Not me." He heard the fabric of her clothes rustle as she shifted to look at Sayuri.
“What happened, Sayu? Are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine, Reiko-chan," she spoke softly. "Kentaro-san didn't mean to," she spoke, almost as if she were defending his actions. "I came across Kentaro-san while he was hurt, and... it was my fault; he told me to leave and I didn't," she continued.
"But... I'm okay. There's nothing to worry about," she continued. The soft rustle of her clothes suggested she had moved somewhat. She was standing in front of him, that much was apparent. Warm hands, however, were on both sides of his cheeks, gently pulling his face back in front of him. He could see her face, now.
"Kentaro-san, it's okay," she spoke, dropping her hands as she did. "I told you, it was okay, and that you wouldn't mean anything by it." Her voice was still light, almost whisper like.
Kentaro felt himself flinch; he immediately backed up several paces, taking himself out of her grip, shaking his head. The words he wanted were not ready to his tongue, so he didn't say anything, turning his head away again and trying to suppress the involuntary shaking in his hands.
He heard Reiko push out a soft breath. “Okay, um. Taro, you should rest. Why don't you go back to your room for a while? This one will be by in a little bit with tea, okay?"
Nodding jerkily, Kentaro turned to go. He was leaving a puddle of blood behind in the hallway, but right at that moment, he could not bring himself to care in the slightest. Not even for the servants who were going to have to work the stains out.
He could hear Reiko softly speaking to Sayuri as he departed, but he deliberately shut the conversation out of his brain. It wasn't difficult; the shame of his actions took up most of his thoughts, anyway. His feet fell unusually heavily on the ground, but he only barely noticed.
Control had always been the edge of a razor for Kentaro, more than even Tatsuya. He'd struggled with it more than any of the others ever had, and his struggles were only eased by Reiko's presence, not eliminated entirely. It seemed, however, that he was even more dangerous than he thought. He could not allow himself to pose a risk to the others. Nor to the servants. And certainly...
Certainly not to her. He would not, could not, allow something like that to happen again.
This was the closest any such creature had come to Shimamaki Village yet. He was lucky to have caught it on a routine patrol, else it might well have wandered close enough to the settlement to cause serious issues.
Of course, lucky was a relative word. Kentaro shuddered, unable to help grimacing as his wounds pulled. This one seemed stronger than the other, and he'd been forced to fight it alone. His sword had broken off on its ribcage, meaning he had to burn it to death. The smell of blackened flesh still hung on the air. He felt the pain of his injuries flood back in as his horns and claws receded. His vision lost some of its sharp clarity, surely an indication that the irises had returned from gold to red. He didn't actually remember most of the fight; another reason he was lucky it had happened out here.
The wet grinding of bone drew his attention to the fact that one of his legs had broken and was now repairing itself, more slowly than it should have been. It didn't take a towering intellect to know why—so much of his blood was spattered over the snow that he was weaker than he should be, and his healing factor was slowing down so that it wouldn't overcompensate and end up killing him. A fierce thirst clawed at his throat, leaving it bone-dry and cracked, like parched earth.
He needed to get home. In his condition, carrying the oni back with him wasn't a possibility. He would simply have to hope that no humans wandered far enough out to see the corpse. Dropping the now-useless sword hilt, Kentaro straightened his posture and headed for the castle.
It was slow going, since he had to make sure no humans saw the condition he was in. He couldn't let any of them get too close, or he probably wouldn't be able to quash the instinct to feed. He could still feel some of his obviously-inhuman features, too—his ears were still pointed, and from the way his vision flickered in and out, his eyes hadn't settled back to the normal hue either. Red marks stood out prominently against his skin; hopefully they'd just be mistaken for more blood if he was spotted. The hair hanging in front of his eyes was still bone-colored, streaked with more blood. He knew there wasn't really any explaining that.
He pulled in a hard breath as he approached his home; the cocktail of scents there was maddening, but also familiar, something he needed at this moment. He sought the one he needed, stumbling blindly and mutely down the hallways, in search of it.
Of her.
Sayuri had rounded a corner, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before it became one of confusion, and then worry. "Kentaro-san, are you alright, what happened?" she spoke in a hurried breath. She made her way quickly to him, and was standing not more than three feet away. Her hands began to reach forward, but she dropped them suddenly. It was almost as if she were going to check him for something, perhaps his wounds.
"Oh, do you need me to go find Reiko-san? Or one of the others?'' she spoke a little worriedly.
Kentaro groaned softly. This close, her smell hit him like a brick wall. The fangs in his mouth extended; he had to part his lips to prevent them from piercing the inside of his mouth. That was alarming even by the standards of one of his kind. He drew in short, rapid pants; he could breathe no deeper with his injuries, but unfortunately that just meant that there was no relief.
He was so thirsty he felt like he was dying, and food stood not three feet away from him. His every instinct bade him lunge, bat aside her useless human resistance and sink his teeth into her flesh so that he might live, might recover from his wounds. Keenly, he heard the soft patter as more of his blood spilled onto the floorboards of the hallway.
“Get back," he rasped, forcing himself to take a step backward instead of forward. It was, perhaps, the single most difficult thing he'd ever managed to do. “Get away from me."
Scarcely could he think; certainly not enough to remember what he needed, beyond the simple need for sustenance. He'd been moving with a purpose, he knew, but his mind was shutting down alongside his body. All he knew now was hunger, and the thinning, weakening resolve not to have it satisfied here and now.
"Kentaro-san," she spoke, though she did not move immediately. Her lips were pursed tightly, and her eyes were slightly narrowed. She didn't look to be glaring at him, only studying. "Kentaro-san, I can't do that. Let me help you find Reiko-chan, or one of the others. At least... that way you won't hurt any of the servants," she spoke. She either wasn't worried about her own well-being, or there was something else that kept her from leaving.
"I know... it must be hard right now, and you're not quite yourself, but let me help you," she continued. She took a small step forward. "It's okay if you accidentally hurt me; I know you won't mean anything by it," she continued. Clearly she wasn't aware of the danger she was in.
Why?
Why wasn't she leaving? Why wasn't he tearing her apart?
Kentaro's instincts warred with what little of his intellect remained in the haze of near-death and the overpowering need to survive. It was barely even a contest. In a moment, he was upon her, one of his hands winding around her neck. He forced her back up against the wall of the hallway, pinning her in place with his weight. His sharp breathing elevated; his wounded muscles coiled with the inevitable hunter's adrenaline rush.
With no more than his thumb on her jaw, he turned her head aside, exposing the thin layer of soft skin over her pulse point. He could hear it there. Her blood. Rushing through the vital vein there, keeping her alive. It could keep him alive, too.
"Kentaro-san," she spoke his name like a soft whisper, though it was evident that it was laced with a hint of fear. Rightly so, perhaps. "Kentaro-san, it's..." she didn't get to finish that sentence, though. Either she couldn't, or she didn't want to. Her pulse quickened, from fear or adrenaline. It was probably both.
Kentaro leaned forward, hovering right over the pulse point. Opening his mouth, he dragged his tongue over the spot—the natural anticoagulant in it would keep her bleeding freely as he drank. He set his teeth at the spot, scraping the skin slightly as he started to press down.
“Taro, no!"
The shout broke through his haze, if only just. Lifting his head, Kentaro glared down the hallway at the intruder, immediately flooded with a new scent, a familiar one. One he knew. Had known, since the moment the child it belonged to was born into the world.
A body immediately inserted itself between him and his prey, pushing his weakened frame away with the strength of health and one of his kind. He stumbled backwards.
“Tatsuya, make sure Sayu's okay."
He didn't quite understand what the words meant. All he really knew was that at the same time, two small, strong hands took hold of his head and guided him down to another throat. This one offered not even a token resistance, and indeed seemed to be encouraging him to drink. He couldn't have stopped himself if he'd wanted to.
Kentaro bit down, tasting the slightly-metallic sweetness he was after. The effect on his injuries was almost immediate; they began to heal themselves rapidly. More even than they should be; he could smell the additional blood as it seeped from new wounds on Reiko's body. She was assuming them herself, allowing her healing factor to take care of them. Though it must have caused her great pain, she made not a sound about it, and did not stop him from taking his fill.
It was through the automatic experience of seeing her memory that he came to understand what had just occurred. Her thoughts reawakened his, allowing reason to reassert itself over instinct, and as soon as he could, he recoiled away from her. The twin puncture marks on her neck closed almost immediately.
“Reiko." He blinked, shifting his eyes over her shoulder. Tatsuya was steadying Sayuri with one hand. He quickly glanced away.
“Oni. Outside the village. Someone should retrieve it before the humans find it."
Her eyes went wide; she turned back over her shoulder.
“On it," Tatsuya said immediately. “I'll find one of those two and deal with the problem."
Reiko nodded, returning her attention to him. “Are you all right?"
Now that the hunger had gone, shame and guilt welled up in its place. Kentaro stared pointedly at the wall, making eye contact with no one. “That is a question you should be asking someone else. Not me." He heard the fabric of her clothes rustle as she shifted to look at Sayuri.
“What happened, Sayu? Are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine, Reiko-chan," she spoke softly. "Kentaro-san didn't mean to," she spoke, almost as if she were defending his actions. "I came across Kentaro-san while he was hurt, and... it was my fault; he told me to leave and I didn't," she continued.
"But... I'm okay. There's nothing to worry about," she continued. The soft rustle of her clothes suggested she had moved somewhat. She was standing in front of him, that much was apparent. Warm hands, however, were on both sides of his cheeks, gently pulling his face back in front of him. He could see her face, now.
"Kentaro-san, it's okay," she spoke, dropping her hands as she did. "I told you, it was okay, and that you wouldn't mean anything by it." Her voice was still light, almost whisper like.
Kentaro felt himself flinch; he immediately backed up several paces, taking himself out of her grip, shaking his head. The words he wanted were not ready to his tongue, so he didn't say anything, turning his head away again and trying to suppress the involuntary shaking in his hands.
He heard Reiko push out a soft breath. “Okay, um. Taro, you should rest. Why don't you go back to your room for a while? This one will be by in a little bit with tea, okay?"
Nodding jerkily, Kentaro turned to go. He was leaving a puddle of blood behind in the hallway, but right at that moment, he could not bring himself to care in the slightest. Not even for the servants who were going to have to work the stains out.
He could hear Reiko softly speaking to Sayuri as he departed, but he deliberately shut the conversation out of his brain. It wasn't difficult; the shame of his actions took up most of his thoughts, anyway. His feet fell unusually heavily on the ground, but he only barely noticed.
Control had always been the edge of a razor for Kentaro, more than even Tatsuya. He'd struggled with it more than any of the others ever had, and his struggles were only eased by Reiko's presence, not eliminated entirely. It seemed, however, that he was even more dangerous than he thought. He could not allow himself to pose a risk to the others. Nor to the servants. And certainly...
Certainly not to her. He would not, could not, allow something like that to happen again.
Aram sighed softly, shaking his head as he did so. He had stumbled upon Tatsuya, who had mentioned a dead oni on the outskirts of the village. That had not been good. Kentaro had been injured by it, greatly, it seemed, and thus he had to leave the oni behind. He had elected to accompany Tatsuya to the grounds of the oni, leaving the others behind. Ayla had decided to stay behind to keep an eye out just in case. He could understand. If there was an oni this close to the village, chances were that there could be more.
"Did Kentaro-san mention anything different about this oni he fought?" he decided to ask. He'd find out, when they arrived, of course, but the more information he had now, the better.
Tatsuya shook his head. “He wasn't in any shape to. He was half-dead by the time he managed to get back to the castle; if Reiko hadn't interrupted him, he might have killed Sayuri." He frowned at that, though anger did not seem to be the cause. It was difficult to say exactly what was, though.
“It doesn't seem right. That first oni was a challenge, but Kentaro's strong. And now that he knew what to do and where to hit it, he shouldn't have had that much of a problem." Tatsuya shook his head. His estimation of his brother's strength seemed a bit generous, considering how much difficulty the three of them had encountered with oni in the past, but perhaps there was a reason for that. They had been able to handle the first one quite effectively, after all.
Moving quickly, it only took them about ten minutes to reach the site. The smell of blood on the air was so thick even Aram could detect it, and his nose wasn't quite as strong as Ayla's or those belonging to Amon's children. But then... even a human would probably be able to smell it. Much of it had the scent of Kentaro, but even more still clearly belonged to the oni.
It was blue-skinned, and nearly twenty feet from the tips of its massive horns to its feet. It lacked tusks, but the horns and its claws more than made up the difference, and the fangs on it were not unlike a primitive version of those belonging to vampires. The blade of a sword, presumably Kentaro's, was lodged in its side, but seemed to have caught on its thick ribs. The true cause of its death was obvious—the majority of its body was covered in blackened burns, and it still smoked faintly. That was a considerable pyrokinetic talent, perhaps on par with Amon's fire.
“Fuck." Tatsuya's declaration was soft; he shook his head. “Is it just me, or is this one about twice as big as it should be?"
"That is because this one is an alpha," the words left his lips all too quickly. If there was an alpha about, that was definitely not a good sign."Alphas are immediately identifiable by their size. Your brother is lucky to be alive," he spoke. He did not doubt that Amon's children were strong, but for one of them to even take an alpha down on their own, was a feat they should not have been capable of.
"Alphas are harder to kill. Their bones are much thicker to accommodate their size, and even a weapon made from oni bone is not guaranteed to work. They require much more than simple stabs and burns," he explained. He walked closer towards the creature, studying its facial markings. This oni was slightly primitive, even for an alpha. That wasn't good, still. "This alpha appears to be one that was the first to become extinct," he stated, kneeling down in the process.
"If given enough time, they adapt," he continued. It was possible that the oni they were facing now, if left alone, could become something more. "Each new generation of oni born, have a way of evolving. Of course, it takes generations for them to acheive anything remotely human. For an adept comparison, they could essentially take on forms similar to that of yours and your brothers," which was to say more human. That, however, might have been a side-effect of breeding with humans. He pursed his lips together as he stood.
"Alphas were uncommon, but not rare. They were more aggressive, too," if that wasn't obvious enough. He hadn't seen Kentaro's wounds, personally, but he didn't have to to know the extent of how badly he was injured. "This does not bode well at all."
Tatsuya grimaced; he didn't seem especially pleased by the comparison between the so-called "evolved" oni and his family, but he didn't say anything about it. Rubbing at his jaw, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “If there's an alpha here, do you think there might be a nest somewhere? It doesn't seem like they'd be solitary; he'd have to be the alpha of something, right? A group of some kind?"
"That is a possibility, yes," he answered. That was how oni worked, unfortunately. If there was an alpha, then there was a nest of other oni somewhere. "The only thing working in our favor, though, is that an alpha will generally have a nest somewhere close to a human civilization. It makes for easier kidnappings and kills," he spoke. He didn't have to clarify what he meant by that; Tatsuya would understand. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.
“It's not working in our favor if the rest of them find the town before we find them," Tatsuya pointed out curtly. “The village doesn't have any walls around it; it's never needed any." He didn't have to spell it out; the relatively sparse village defenses meant that even one oni could walk in and act with impunity for a considerable amount of time before any of them became aware of it.
“If Kentaro hadn't been on patrol this afternoon, chances are this one would have made it in; we don't have the swords yet, either." Such items took considerable time to make, of course. But they were necessary, as the broken blade protruding from the creature made obvious.
Tatsuya crossed his arms, then shot Aram a side glance. “Can't you see the future or some shit? How did you not know this was coming?"
"I don't know," he admitted, the shame leaking into his voice. "I haven't had a vision in quite some time, not after the one involving Sayuri," he continued. He hadn't had a vision in a while, and that was a little alarming. It was almost as if there were something interfering with it. Had this been any other time, Aram would have welcomed the interference. But as it was, he needed to know.
"It is possible that... just like your sister, I cannot see them, as well," but that was not a high possibility. Reiko had been a strange anomaly that could not be explained. For the oni to be the same, would be as if Aram had lost his ability entirely. He knew that was not the case, though. He had been created for that purpose, specifically, or so he thought. Perhaps he just wasn't focusing on them as much as he should be? He would have to rectify that.
"I believe we should find this nest, first, before anything else can happen. From there, we should be able to figure out more," though he wasn't entirely sure what more could be found out. "If there is, indeed a nest, we will need the others and their help. I am not doubting your strength, Minamoto-san, but if there are more than the two of us can handle, it is best we have back up," he stated a little firmly. He did not doubt any of their abilities or strength, but two against a nest of oni was not something even he would dare.
He'd only done so with his siblings because they were created for it. Tatsuya and his family were not, despite being Amon's children.
“It sounds like doubting my strength is exactly what you're doing," Tatsuya replied. While his tone was sharp, it seemed to be frustration more than mere anger. “Look, I get that this is something you and Ayla have been doing since fucking forever, but that doesn't mean you're the only ones who can. In case you forgot, my brother killed this one. Not either of you." He scoffed, shaking his head almost violently.
“I'm not an idiot. I know that trying to wipe an entire nest at once with just the two of us is a stupid idea. But you've got to stop treating all of us like we need your damn protection because we're less than you are. This is our home, our place to protect. I don't expect you to understand that, but I do expect you to stop acting like your age gives you the right to decide what we do."
He deserved that, he supposed. "I did not mean to offend you, Minamoto-san," he stated, giving an apologetic bow. "But your brother nearly died doing so. I apologize if it comes out that we are trying to put you all under protection. On the contrary, we are just not aware of how much strength you all actually have. It is caution, and nothing more, Minamoto-san," he tried to explain. He would have to disagree with him on one point, though.
"And you misunderstand if you think we do not know the same, Minamoto-san. The entirety of this place is our home, and it is our duty to protect it. It is what we were created for, Minamoto-san. Ayla, myself, and your father. We love this place dearly, and we did our best to protect it in the way we could," he spoke softly. It wasn't just this particular region. It was, in a sense, the world that was their home, and they had fought hard to protect it. He shook his head, though.
"Forgive me, Minamoto-san, but I shall endeavor hereafter to not doubt you or your family. I shall only endeavor to make sure you all do not fall to these creatures," because unlike them, Aram could render an oni almost useless against him. Speaking of which... "You should all begin training on your capabilities. They will help you greatly when facing these creatures. They have yet to showcase them, however; oni have abilities as well. The more intelligent ones are inclined to use them to their advantage, but the lesser ones do not. It is especially dangerous if it is an intelligent alpha."
He did not doubt that they all had inherited something from Amon in the way of a kinetic ability. It was apparent that they had control over their abilities, if the scorch marks on this oni were anything to go by. But even control had its limits. They had to be masters of them, and that was not an easy feat.
“Of course we do. But so do you, from the looks of it. If the seer can't see anything, how rusty have the rest of your skills gotten?" He didn't seem particularly mollified by the apology; his lips peeled back briefly from his teeth. But in the end, he only huffed, glancing back down at the corpse.
“Fine. We'll find the nest; I can smell which way he came from. Then we can get the location back to the others and set up a watch on it until the gear comes in and we can sweep them all at once."
Aram frowned. His skills were rusty, come to think of it. He really didn't have a need to keep constant battles like his sister had. He wasn't, by nature, someone who liked fighting. He smiled softly. He supposed he was like Reiko in that sense.
"That is for the best, yes," he agreed. Once they find the nest, and once they had their weapons, they would be able to take it. "I believe there are enough of us to make the watches in pairs. For now, let us find that nest."
"Did Kentaro-san mention anything different about this oni he fought?" he decided to ask. He'd find out, when they arrived, of course, but the more information he had now, the better.
Tatsuya shook his head. “He wasn't in any shape to. He was half-dead by the time he managed to get back to the castle; if Reiko hadn't interrupted him, he might have killed Sayuri." He frowned at that, though anger did not seem to be the cause. It was difficult to say exactly what was, though.
“It doesn't seem right. That first oni was a challenge, but Kentaro's strong. And now that he knew what to do and where to hit it, he shouldn't have had that much of a problem." Tatsuya shook his head. His estimation of his brother's strength seemed a bit generous, considering how much difficulty the three of them had encountered with oni in the past, but perhaps there was a reason for that. They had been able to handle the first one quite effectively, after all.
Moving quickly, it only took them about ten minutes to reach the site. The smell of blood on the air was so thick even Aram could detect it, and his nose wasn't quite as strong as Ayla's or those belonging to Amon's children. But then... even a human would probably be able to smell it. Much of it had the scent of Kentaro, but even more still clearly belonged to the oni.
It was blue-skinned, and nearly twenty feet from the tips of its massive horns to its feet. It lacked tusks, but the horns and its claws more than made up the difference, and the fangs on it were not unlike a primitive version of those belonging to vampires. The blade of a sword, presumably Kentaro's, was lodged in its side, but seemed to have caught on its thick ribs. The true cause of its death was obvious—the majority of its body was covered in blackened burns, and it still smoked faintly. That was a considerable pyrokinetic talent, perhaps on par with Amon's fire.
“Fuck." Tatsuya's declaration was soft; he shook his head. “Is it just me, or is this one about twice as big as it should be?"
"That is because this one is an alpha," the words left his lips all too quickly. If there was an alpha about, that was definitely not a good sign."Alphas are immediately identifiable by their size. Your brother is lucky to be alive," he spoke. He did not doubt that Amon's children were strong, but for one of them to even take an alpha down on their own, was a feat they should not have been capable of.
"Alphas are harder to kill. Their bones are much thicker to accommodate their size, and even a weapon made from oni bone is not guaranteed to work. They require much more than simple stabs and burns," he explained. He walked closer towards the creature, studying its facial markings. This oni was slightly primitive, even for an alpha. That wasn't good, still. "This alpha appears to be one that was the first to become extinct," he stated, kneeling down in the process.
"If given enough time, they adapt," he continued. It was possible that the oni they were facing now, if left alone, could become something more. "Each new generation of oni born, have a way of evolving. Of course, it takes generations for them to acheive anything remotely human. For an adept comparison, they could essentially take on forms similar to that of yours and your brothers," which was to say more human. That, however, might have been a side-effect of breeding with humans. He pursed his lips together as he stood.
"Alphas were uncommon, but not rare. They were more aggressive, too," if that wasn't obvious enough. He hadn't seen Kentaro's wounds, personally, but he didn't have to to know the extent of how badly he was injured. "This does not bode well at all."
Tatsuya grimaced; he didn't seem especially pleased by the comparison between the so-called "evolved" oni and his family, but he didn't say anything about it. Rubbing at his jaw, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “If there's an alpha here, do you think there might be a nest somewhere? It doesn't seem like they'd be solitary; he'd have to be the alpha of something, right? A group of some kind?"
"That is a possibility, yes," he answered. That was how oni worked, unfortunately. If there was an alpha, then there was a nest of other oni somewhere. "The only thing working in our favor, though, is that an alpha will generally have a nest somewhere close to a human civilization. It makes for easier kidnappings and kills," he spoke. He didn't have to clarify what he meant by that; Tatsuya would understand. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.
“It's not working in our favor if the rest of them find the town before we find them," Tatsuya pointed out curtly. “The village doesn't have any walls around it; it's never needed any." He didn't have to spell it out; the relatively sparse village defenses meant that even one oni could walk in and act with impunity for a considerable amount of time before any of them became aware of it.
“If Kentaro hadn't been on patrol this afternoon, chances are this one would have made it in; we don't have the swords yet, either." Such items took considerable time to make, of course. But they were necessary, as the broken blade protruding from the creature made obvious.
Tatsuya crossed his arms, then shot Aram a side glance. “Can't you see the future or some shit? How did you not know this was coming?"
"I don't know," he admitted, the shame leaking into his voice. "I haven't had a vision in quite some time, not after the one involving Sayuri," he continued. He hadn't had a vision in a while, and that was a little alarming. It was almost as if there were something interfering with it. Had this been any other time, Aram would have welcomed the interference. But as it was, he needed to know.
"It is possible that... just like your sister, I cannot see them, as well," but that was not a high possibility. Reiko had been a strange anomaly that could not be explained. For the oni to be the same, would be as if Aram had lost his ability entirely. He knew that was not the case, though. He had been created for that purpose, specifically, or so he thought. Perhaps he just wasn't focusing on them as much as he should be? He would have to rectify that.
"I believe we should find this nest, first, before anything else can happen. From there, we should be able to figure out more," though he wasn't entirely sure what more could be found out. "If there is, indeed a nest, we will need the others and their help. I am not doubting your strength, Minamoto-san, but if there are more than the two of us can handle, it is best we have back up," he stated a little firmly. He did not doubt any of their abilities or strength, but two against a nest of oni was not something even he would dare.
He'd only done so with his siblings because they were created for it. Tatsuya and his family were not, despite being Amon's children.
“It sounds like doubting my strength is exactly what you're doing," Tatsuya replied. While his tone was sharp, it seemed to be frustration more than mere anger. “Look, I get that this is something you and Ayla have been doing since fucking forever, but that doesn't mean you're the only ones who can. In case you forgot, my brother killed this one. Not either of you." He scoffed, shaking his head almost violently.
“I'm not an idiot. I know that trying to wipe an entire nest at once with just the two of us is a stupid idea. But you've got to stop treating all of us like we need your damn protection because we're less than you are. This is our home, our place to protect. I don't expect you to understand that, but I do expect you to stop acting like your age gives you the right to decide what we do."
He deserved that, he supposed. "I did not mean to offend you, Minamoto-san," he stated, giving an apologetic bow. "But your brother nearly died doing so. I apologize if it comes out that we are trying to put you all under protection. On the contrary, we are just not aware of how much strength you all actually have. It is caution, and nothing more, Minamoto-san," he tried to explain. He would have to disagree with him on one point, though.
"And you misunderstand if you think we do not know the same, Minamoto-san. The entirety of this place is our home, and it is our duty to protect it. It is what we were created for, Minamoto-san. Ayla, myself, and your father. We love this place dearly, and we did our best to protect it in the way we could," he spoke softly. It wasn't just this particular region. It was, in a sense, the world that was their home, and they had fought hard to protect it. He shook his head, though.
"Forgive me, Minamoto-san, but I shall endeavor hereafter to not doubt you or your family. I shall only endeavor to make sure you all do not fall to these creatures," because unlike them, Aram could render an oni almost useless against him. Speaking of which... "You should all begin training on your capabilities. They will help you greatly when facing these creatures. They have yet to showcase them, however; oni have abilities as well. The more intelligent ones are inclined to use them to their advantage, but the lesser ones do not. It is especially dangerous if it is an intelligent alpha."
He did not doubt that they all had inherited something from Amon in the way of a kinetic ability. It was apparent that they had control over their abilities, if the scorch marks on this oni were anything to go by. But even control had its limits. They had to be masters of them, and that was not an easy feat.
“Of course we do. But so do you, from the looks of it. If the seer can't see anything, how rusty have the rest of your skills gotten?" He didn't seem particularly mollified by the apology; his lips peeled back briefly from his teeth. But in the end, he only huffed, glancing back down at the corpse.
“Fine. We'll find the nest; I can smell which way he came from. Then we can get the location back to the others and set up a watch on it until the gear comes in and we can sweep them all at once."
Aram frowned. His skills were rusty, come to think of it. He really didn't have a need to keep constant battles like his sister had. He wasn't, by nature, someone who liked fighting. He smiled softly. He supposed he was like Reiko in that sense.
"That is for the best, yes," he agreed. Once they find the nest, and once they had their weapons, they would be able to take it. "I believe there are enough of us to make the watches in pairs. For now, let us find that nest."
Reiko shifted in her spot, sighing softly.
After Aram and Tatsuya had found the location of the oni nest, they'd set up a watch rotation so that it was under constant scrutiny. On the chance an oni exited, which had happened twice on her shifts so far, the two people assigned to watch had to decide what to do. Most of the time, they split; one kept an eye on the nest and the others, while the other followed the one that left. So far, none of them had wandered near town; they contented themselves with eating animals from the nearby forest. It was gruesome to watch, but better than the alternative.
Equally troubling was the way conditions in town were worsening. Sickness seemed to pervade there; already several townspeople had died. Ando-san was sick as well; Reiko knew her chances of surviving were not good, considering how elderly she was. She visited as often as she could, often when Aram went to check on her in his capacity as a doctor. But there was little to be done; she didn't need to ask him what he saw in the future to know what would happen.
So far today, the cave entrance that served as the nest had been quiet. They'd taken over from Kentaro, now recovered, and Takahiro about an hour ago. The rumors she'd heard on her way through town were disquieting. The townspeople were beginning to wonder if they were being haunted by malevolent spirits. A few had speculated that something the lord had done had to be the cause. It was only a few, and only the desperate rationalization of people who were scared and unsure, but still it shook her.
She had been raised to love this land and its people, and to care for them. She took that stewardship seriously; this was her home, and these were the people she was sworn to protect. To know that even a few of them thought her family might be responsible for their misfortune cut her deeply. Moreso than she expected, even.
Aram had been oddly quiet, staring at nothing in particular. He had not said anything, perhaps out of respect that they were here, alone together, or some other reason. He hadn't glanced at her, either. He seemed too lost in his own thoughts, or perhaps he was just observing. It was hard to tell, sometimes. He always seemed calm and peaceful; relaxed and gentle. Recently, though, he'd been more tense, and always seemed ready for something.
"If it eases your mind, Reiko-san, Ando-san will be fine. She will live out the rest of her days until her natural life expires. She is... fortunate," he spoke suddenly, finally glancing towards her. He had a soft smile on his face. "There is nothing to worry about, though I cannot say the same for the others," his smile faltered slightly.
The news surprised her, given the woman's condition. For a moment, Reiko contemplated the possibility that he was lying to her, or manipulating the truth somehow, but she immediately hated herself for even thinking it. Even if there were plenty of things he couldn't tell her, she had to trust him. She wanted to. Tou-chan had, and while Tatsuya didn't seem to like him much, that hardly surprised her. Tatsuya didn't like most people much.
She looked down at her lap, pressing her lips together. “Do you know what's causing this, Aram-sama?" she asked softly. “Is there really... can curses really do things like that?" She'd never been much of a believer in things like spirits of the dead, or magic. She knew some things could be done, like Aram's prognostication, or the purification rituals shinto priests sometimes performed. But she'd never really believed in kami or curses or vengeful dead.
Maybe because she was the kind of thing those stories had been invented to explain, and she knew the reality was different from that. Not nearly so mysterious.
He sighed softly, but shook his head. "No, Reiko-san. People use curses as a means to justify the fear they feel. It helps them cope with something they do not understand. It is easier to blame something that doesn't exist than it is to admit the truth that, these things just happen," he spoke softly. He glanced up to her, though, and kept her gaze.
"But I do not know what the cause of it is. I speculate it might have something to do with the oni. They have been known to spread illnesses by simply existing. It is an ability of theirs, if you wish to see it that way," he continued, dropping his gaze afterwards. "Do not trouble yourself over something that the people are saying. They are just afraid, Reiko-san, and they do not know how else to handle that fear. They mean no harm by it," he added.
“This one knows," she replied. She knew these people better than nearly anyone; she'd always done her best to live among them instead of apart from them. “But this one also knows that fear is powerful, and to dismiss something as mere fear is to underestimate it. Fear can move humans to all kinds of things. Sometimes courage, but... sometimes worse." And sometimes, what started as fear became harm. Especially when people felt cornered.
“This one does not like seeing them suffer like this."
He hummed softly, as if agreeing with what she said. "Then they are fortunate to have someone who cares so much for them. Let that be what guides you when you have to fight these creatures," he spoke, shifting his gaze towards the nest. He kept it there for a few minutes, before he shifted his gaze back towards her.
"You have much on your mind, don't you," he spoke, tilting his head to the side in an inquisitive manner. "You may speak freely if you'd like. I will listen," he spoke. He'd said this before.
“As do you, this one is sure," she replied. It touched on one of many inequalities in their... calling it a friendship was making too much of it. Acquaintanceship was too distant, though. Whatever it was, they were not equal in it. Perhaps they could not be, when he was so much older and stronger and wiser and better than she was. But this was the inequality that bothered her the most, perhaps: that he could shoulder some of her burdens, that she could allow him into the innermost thoughts and contours of her mind, but the opposite would never be true. No matter how many times she insisted she would not mind.
He kept his secrets. She confessed hers. How simplistic she must seem, to him. How naive and silly.
Reiko sighed. “This one was thinking of the last time humans became suspicious of this one's family. Perhaps you know this already, but... this one's mother began her life as a hunter. A human trained to kill creatures like this one's family." Truthfully, the only way a human could really do something like that was through surprise, but it was in theory possible.
“This one's grandfather was humiliated by his clan, and in punishment, this one's mother was sent to kill this one's father. Tou-chan knew she was there, but he spared her life and gave her somewhere to live. Eventually he changed her, and married her. This one... worries that there will be more hunters, someday soon. And that things will end differently." It was one very natural response to fear: to find something to blame, and then seek to eliminate that thing. Truth itself hardly mattered when fear was that prominent.
And it made her afraid, too. Of what would happen to her family, yes, but also to the humans of Shimamaki and the rest of Hokkaido; those under her protection. Not to mention all the rest.
He smiled softly at her, listening with the patience he'd promised, and only nodded once. "Do you want to know a secret, Reiko-san?" he spoke once she was finished. His head had remained in the same tilt it had taken, but his eyes were closed slightly from the force of his smile, it seemed. It wasn't a forced smile, though.
"I am just as afraid as they are," he spoke, opening his eyes with a deep furrow of his brows. "I do not know what the outcome of this will be, yet, but even then, it does not make me any less afraid. The only thing that brings me both comfort, and despair, is not knowing your future. Out of us all, you may have a greater chance of living," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head softly, though, and put another smile on his face.
"But perhaps, when the future reveals itself to me, that will not be the case," he spoke.
He spoke with an unnerving ease about death. But more even than that, something about the way he put what he said caught her attention. “But... if you think this one has a greater chance of surviving, without having seen this one's future... does that mean you have seen everyone else dying?" The thought was terrifying, and the supposed that if it were true, it would explain his own fear very well. It seemed almost too much to think about, but if he was sharing it with her, then she wanted to understand what he meant.
"Not quite," he answered. "The only death I have seen, so far, is Sayuri's. The future has not revealed itself to me, but when it does, there is a high possibility that we may all die. It is... not something I wish to see," he spoke the last part earnestly, if the way his brows furrowed were any indication. He sighed, perhaps a little too heavily, before he dropped his gaze.
"Death comes to us all, even for beings such as ourselves, Reiko-san," he began, keeping his gaze from her. "It is only a matter of when. Whether our deaths will be at the hands of these creatures, or of something else, I cannot say. The future, though certain, has a way of changing if something interferes. Never for the better, though," he sighed and dropped his shoulders.
"But... " he began, chancing a glance towards her, "perhaps that may not be the case. I apologize if I sound vague, Reiko-san, but even I do not fully understand the gift that was bestowed upon me, at times."
The way he said it, though, didn't sound like it was a gift.
Reiko's brows drew together. “This one is sorry," she said softly. “Sorry that you have to see all those things." She supposed that if he hadn't been able to learn to speak of death in so casual a manner, he might have driven himself crazy. All those dreams, and the consistent sense that there was nothing he could do, that trying to save anyone would only make things worse...
She couldn't let herself believe that was true, but she could see how he might have come to think so. How many times must he have hoped, only for those hopes to be dashed? She couldn't blame him for not hoping anymore, if it was only ever crushed.
Pulling in a deep breath, Reiko offered a tentative smile. “This one will make you a deal, Aram-sama. This one will not try to make you hope that the future will be better anymore. This one realizes now that this one was asking you to do something painful, and this one should not have. And this one will always listen, if you want to talk about anything that you have seen. But no matter what... this one will keep hoping, enough for Aram-sama as well as this one."
"You are too kind, Reiko-san," he spoke, turning his full attention to her. "And I shall endeavor to try and speak of what I cannot to others," he continued. "It will be..." he paused for a second, as if he were unsure of the word. His lips turned down somewhat, but he did not seem too upset about it. "It shall be our secret."
“Okay," she murmured, nodding slightly. For some reason, she could feel her face getting warm. Was she really that happy that they'd have a secret of their own? Mentally, Reiko slapped herself.
She knew she was in a very particular kind of trouble, now.
After Aram and Tatsuya had found the location of the oni nest, they'd set up a watch rotation so that it was under constant scrutiny. On the chance an oni exited, which had happened twice on her shifts so far, the two people assigned to watch had to decide what to do. Most of the time, they split; one kept an eye on the nest and the others, while the other followed the one that left. So far, none of them had wandered near town; they contented themselves with eating animals from the nearby forest. It was gruesome to watch, but better than the alternative.
Equally troubling was the way conditions in town were worsening. Sickness seemed to pervade there; already several townspeople had died. Ando-san was sick as well; Reiko knew her chances of surviving were not good, considering how elderly she was. She visited as often as she could, often when Aram went to check on her in his capacity as a doctor. But there was little to be done; she didn't need to ask him what he saw in the future to know what would happen.
So far today, the cave entrance that served as the nest had been quiet. They'd taken over from Kentaro, now recovered, and Takahiro about an hour ago. The rumors she'd heard on her way through town were disquieting. The townspeople were beginning to wonder if they were being haunted by malevolent spirits. A few had speculated that something the lord had done had to be the cause. It was only a few, and only the desperate rationalization of people who were scared and unsure, but still it shook her.
She had been raised to love this land and its people, and to care for them. She took that stewardship seriously; this was her home, and these were the people she was sworn to protect. To know that even a few of them thought her family might be responsible for their misfortune cut her deeply. Moreso than she expected, even.
Aram had been oddly quiet, staring at nothing in particular. He had not said anything, perhaps out of respect that they were here, alone together, or some other reason. He hadn't glanced at her, either. He seemed too lost in his own thoughts, or perhaps he was just observing. It was hard to tell, sometimes. He always seemed calm and peaceful; relaxed and gentle. Recently, though, he'd been more tense, and always seemed ready for something.
"If it eases your mind, Reiko-san, Ando-san will be fine. She will live out the rest of her days until her natural life expires. She is... fortunate," he spoke suddenly, finally glancing towards her. He had a soft smile on his face. "There is nothing to worry about, though I cannot say the same for the others," his smile faltered slightly.
The news surprised her, given the woman's condition. For a moment, Reiko contemplated the possibility that he was lying to her, or manipulating the truth somehow, but she immediately hated herself for even thinking it. Even if there were plenty of things he couldn't tell her, she had to trust him. She wanted to. Tou-chan had, and while Tatsuya didn't seem to like him much, that hardly surprised her. Tatsuya didn't like most people much.
She looked down at her lap, pressing her lips together. “Do you know what's causing this, Aram-sama?" she asked softly. “Is there really... can curses really do things like that?" She'd never been much of a believer in things like spirits of the dead, or magic. She knew some things could be done, like Aram's prognostication, or the purification rituals shinto priests sometimes performed. But she'd never really believed in kami or curses or vengeful dead.
Maybe because she was the kind of thing those stories had been invented to explain, and she knew the reality was different from that. Not nearly so mysterious.
He sighed softly, but shook his head. "No, Reiko-san. People use curses as a means to justify the fear they feel. It helps them cope with something they do not understand. It is easier to blame something that doesn't exist than it is to admit the truth that, these things just happen," he spoke softly. He glanced up to her, though, and kept her gaze.
"But I do not know what the cause of it is. I speculate it might have something to do with the oni. They have been known to spread illnesses by simply existing. It is an ability of theirs, if you wish to see it that way," he continued, dropping his gaze afterwards. "Do not trouble yourself over something that the people are saying. They are just afraid, Reiko-san, and they do not know how else to handle that fear. They mean no harm by it," he added.
“This one knows," she replied. She knew these people better than nearly anyone; she'd always done her best to live among them instead of apart from them. “But this one also knows that fear is powerful, and to dismiss something as mere fear is to underestimate it. Fear can move humans to all kinds of things. Sometimes courage, but... sometimes worse." And sometimes, what started as fear became harm. Especially when people felt cornered.
“This one does not like seeing them suffer like this."
He hummed softly, as if agreeing with what she said. "Then they are fortunate to have someone who cares so much for them. Let that be what guides you when you have to fight these creatures," he spoke, shifting his gaze towards the nest. He kept it there for a few minutes, before he shifted his gaze back towards her.
"You have much on your mind, don't you," he spoke, tilting his head to the side in an inquisitive manner. "You may speak freely if you'd like. I will listen," he spoke. He'd said this before.
“As do you, this one is sure," she replied. It touched on one of many inequalities in their... calling it a friendship was making too much of it. Acquaintanceship was too distant, though. Whatever it was, they were not equal in it. Perhaps they could not be, when he was so much older and stronger and wiser and better than she was. But this was the inequality that bothered her the most, perhaps: that he could shoulder some of her burdens, that she could allow him into the innermost thoughts and contours of her mind, but the opposite would never be true. No matter how many times she insisted she would not mind.
He kept his secrets. She confessed hers. How simplistic she must seem, to him. How naive and silly.
Reiko sighed. “This one was thinking of the last time humans became suspicious of this one's family. Perhaps you know this already, but... this one's mother began her life as a hunter. A human trained to kill creatures like this one's family." Truthfully, the only way a human could really do something like that was through surprise, but it was in theory possible.
“This one's grandfather was humiliated by his clan, and in punishment, this one's mother was sent to kill this one's father. Tou-chan knew she was there, but he spared her life and gave her somewhere to live. Eventually he changed her, and married her. This one... worries that there will be more hunters, someday soon. And that things will end differently." It was one very natural response to fear: to find something to blame, and then seek to eliminate that thing. Truth itself hardly mattered when fear was that prominent.
And it made her afraid, too. Of what would happen to her family, yes, but also to the humans of Shimamaki and the rest of Hokkaido; those under her protection. Not to mention all the rest.
He smiled softly at her, listening with the patience he'd promised, and only nodded once. "Do you want to know a secret, Reiko-san?" he spoke once she was finished. His head had remained in the same tilt it had taken, but his eyes were closed slightly from the force of his smile, it seemed. It wasn't a forced smile, though.
"I am just as afraid as they are," he spoke, opening his eyes with a deep furrow of his brows. "I do not know what the outcome of this will be, yet, but even then, it does not make me any less afraid. The only thing that brings me both comfort, and despair, is not knowing your future. Out of us all, you may have a greater chance of living," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head softly, though, and put another smile on his face.
"But perhaps, when the future reveals itself to me, that will not be the case," he spoke.
He spoke with an unnerving ease about death. But more even than that, something about the way he put what he said caught her attention. “But... if you think this one has a greater chance of surviving, without having seen this one's future... does that mean you have seen everyone else dying?" The thought was terrifying, and the supposed that if it were true, it would explain his own fear very well. It seemed almost too much to think about, but if he was sharing it with her, then she wanted to understand what he meant.
"Not quite," he answered. "The only death I have seen, so far, is Sayuri's. The future has not revealed itself to me, but when it does, there is a high possibility that we may all die. It is... not something I wish to see," he spoke the last part earnestly, if the way his brows furrowed were any indication. He sighed, perhaps a little too heavily, before he dropped his gaze.
"Death comes to us all, even for beings such as ourselves, Reiko-san," he began, keeping his gaze from her. "It is only a matter of when. Whether our deaths will be at the hands of these creatures, or of something else, I cannot say. The future, though certain, has a way of changing if something interferes. Never for the better, though," he sighed and dropped his shoulders.
"But... " he began, chancing a glance towards her, "perhaps that may not be the case. I apologize if I sound vague, Reiko-san, but even I do not fully understand the gift that was bestowed upon me, at times."
The way he said it, though, didn't sound like it was a gift.
Reiko's brows drew together. “This one is sorry," she said softly. “Sorry that you have to see all those things." She supposed that if he hadn't been able to learn to speak of death in so casual a manner, he might have driven himself crazy. All those dreams, and the consistent sense that there was nothing he could do, that trying to save anyone would only make things worse...
She couldn't let herself believe that was true, but she could see how he might have come to think so. How many times must he have hoped, only for those hopes to be dashed? She couldn't blame him for not hoping anymore, if it was only ever crushed.
Pulling in a deep breath, Reiko offered a tentative smile. “This one will make you a deal, Aram-sama. This one will not try to make you hope that the future will be better anymore. This one realizes now that this one was asking you to do something painful, and this one should not have. And this one will always listen, if you want to talk about anything that you have seen. But no matter what... this one will keep hoping, enough for Aram-sama as well as this one."
"You are too kind, Reiko-san," he spoke, turning his full attention to her. "And I shall endeavor to try and speak of what I cannot to others," he continued. "It will be..." he paused for a second, as if he were unsure of the word. His lips turned down somewhat, but he did not seem too upset about it. "It shall be our secret."
“Okay," she murmured, nodding slightly. For some reason, she could feel her face getting warm. Was she really that happy that they'd have a secret of their own? Mentally, Reiko slapped herself.
She knew she was in a very particular kind of trouble, now.
Restless.
That was how she felt at the moment. Being so near, so close, to the oni again made it feel like her blood was on fire. She wanted to act, to do something, but she knew she could not. If she did, not only would she be horribly outnumbered, but she'd also get herself killed. She knew what she was capable of, but she wasn't exactly a god. She could die just as easily by stupid decisions as she could a blade. Sighing softly, she shifted in her spot.
It would still be another few days before the weapons would be ready, and Ayla wasn't entirely sure if they had that much time to spare. Though the oni had mostly stayed by the nest, venturing into the forest for food, one had recently made towards the village. She had managed to keep it from getting too far, though she also managed not to kill it. Distraction was the best thing at the moment. Even if it had strayed far from the nest, even one death so close would send the rest of them into a frenzy. They didn't need that.
Instead, she'd brought it back by distracting it as herself: a woman merely unfortunate enough to stray too far from the village. Of course, she'd also managed to lose it when she'd brought it back towards the nest. She wondered, though, how Aram was currently faring. He hadn't spoken of it, but he must have seen something, recently. She could see it on his face, that something was bothering him. He wasn't going to tell her, and she wasn't going to pry, however; whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.
She sighed heavily again.
Her next inhalation brought with it a now-familiar scent; something spicy, perhaps akin to a persimmon fruit, with a touch of ash and pine. It was an odd sort of smell, but then, it belonged to an odd sort of individual.
Kentaro passed through the gates of the castle alongside Takahiro, the youngest of Reiko's brothers. He was blind, apparently, but he never seemed to have any problem getting around or knowing where things were. Maybe he'd just memorized where everything was; it seemed possible if you lived in one place for hundreds of years. The two of them parted after entering; Takahiro headed towards where she could smell Reiko.
The older of the two, however, headed in her direction, nodding by way of greeting. Kentaro wasn't much of a talker. “Ayla-san. Have you seen Tatsuya recently?"
She pursed her lips together. "The last time I saw him, he was by the training grounds," she replied. She inhaled softly, trying to see if she could be of more service to Kentaro and smell for Tatsuya, however; she couldn't smell him at all. She frowned. She didn't know people could do that. Granted, they weren't exactly human, however; everything had a scent of some kind.
"Do you need him, specifically, or is there something I can help you with?" she spoke. If he needed Tatsuya, specifically, then she could understand. If it was something she could help with, though, she might as well render her services. She was restless, after all, and doing something would help calm her.
He pursed his lips slightly; it was hard to read him, but it seemed like he was trying to decide if it was something she could help with. His brow furrowed a little, and then he nodded once, just a slight dip of the head.
“I intend to ask him to take over Sayuri's kendo lessons," he replied. “As I understand it, you've already taught her the basics of the yumi; I do not think it would be a bad idea to continue, if you are so inclined." He blinked slowly, but said nothing more, leaving an obvious pause for her input before he continued on his way, it seemed.
She furrowed her brows in confusion. Why would he want to do that? He was doing a good job teaching her, if her progress was anything to go by. She wouldn't mind, per se, but there had to be some other reason for that. "Is there some reason as to why? From what I can tell, you've done a hell of a job teaching her, and she seems to be blossoming under your tutelage," she spoke, quirking a brow in his direction.
"Switching teachers in such a stage could throw everything off for her. Are you sure you want to do that?" she continued pressing. She didn't peg Kentaro as the type of person to just drop what he was doing for no reason at all. Maybe she'd just misunderstood him?
His expression darkened slightly. “You understand what is like, don't you? To lose control of yourself because of what you are?" His voice was still as toneless as it usually was, but there was something else there, like a thread that was almost exposed, just barely lurking under the surface of what he said.
“My own lack of control nearly killed her the other day. I will not allow it to happen again. The risk of disruption is lesser than the risk of harm if I continue to allow her so near."
"Then don't let it happen again," she spoke a little too quickly at that. She sighed, pushing it through her nose. She did know what it was like to lose control of herself. She was, perhaps, fortunate enough to have had Amon and Aram with her when she did. They always brought her back from that. Over the course of a few centuries, though, she'd learned to control it. She smiled, though. It wasn't quite the same, she didn't think, but there was something similiar that she recognized.
"It's because you care, isn't it," she stated it rather than questioning it. "In a way you are unsure of, yourself, right?" she continued. "Look, Kentaro-san, I'm not going to tell you what is best or not for you or Sayuri," she began. She really wasn't in any position to tell anyone, anything. The only thing she could do was offer her own opinion on the matter, and it was up to him what to do with it.
"It's a pain in the ass, trying to control something that doesn't want to be controlled. But if we don't learn to compromise somewhere, it'll only make things that much worse. Tell me something," she stated, keeping his gaze with hers. It wasn't too hard, considering he wasn't as tall as Tatsuya was, but he was still taller than her.
"What does it feel like when she's near? Help me understand something, and if you do, I will consent to taking over her lessons," because if she could understand that one thing, then it would help her understand what was really going on. She may not be an expert in that area, but she knew what it felt like, and what it was like to want to keep that safe.
He was silent for a very long time. The only reason she knew he was planning to answer the question at all was because he had remained in place rather than leaving. Though he looked at her, his eyes went unfocused, almost through her to something she could not see but he could.
“I do not know the words," he said at last. His tone had softened, revealing a touch of uncertainty that had not been detectable before. “When I was injured and returned to this place, I was almost beyond thought. All I could think was to seek out the person who would rid me of my pain. Save my life. That has always been Reiko. But..." His shoulders lowered as he pushed out a breath, near-silently but obviously with great heaviness.
“It was not Reiko I sought then. It was not her scent I followed. My... instinct drew me to Sayuri instead. And I do not know why."
If this wasn't so serious, Ayla might have actually laughed at him. Instead, she sighed softly. "I am not exactly acquainted with how that works, however; I can tell you one thing, Kentaro-san," she spoke, oddly, in a soft manner. "Instinct, whether human, wolf, or other, always leads us to something we need. In this case, you need Sayuri. It's not quite apparent as to why that is," but she could speculate a reason, "but if you deny yourself that basic necessity, it will be far worse for you than you'll realize. You'll end up hurting her another way, and if that's what you really want to avoid, then I'll help you."
"I'll make a compromise for you," she continued, pausing only for a second to collect herself. "I will help supervise your training sessions. If you become a threat to her, I will stop you, and I will take over the training sessions. If you wish to learn control, though," she spoke, this time only pausing to look him square in the eyes. "I will help you with that as well. It's not easy, and it will be difficult, however; if you are willing to learn, then I am willing to help."
If he was serious about keeping Sayuri safe from him, then she would help him to be safer. It would take some time, but she was certain Kentaro would learn a lot quicker than she had. He, after all, has a reason worth learning for. She didn't.
He looked like he was ready to turn her down, but then a thoughtful look flickered across his face, and he dropped his eyes to the ground. “I accept your compromise," he said lowly, “but only if she consents to me continuing to teach her. She was... afraid of me. Not without cause. I will not force her to be in my company if she does not want it."
She offered him a grin. "Something tells me she will," she spoke, though the grin disappeared from her face. It was replaced with a small smile, instead. "Kentaro-san, if I may be so bold," she stated, frowning slightly as she did. She'd never been one to hold her tongue for anyone, however; she felt like this was necessary. She took a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds.
"I don't think it was you, that she was afraid of," she finally spoke. Of course, she couldn't say for certain, whether or not Sayuri was afraid of him, or if she was just afraid for him. Sometimes, it was hard to discern one from the other, and she hadn't been there to see Sayuri's reaction. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Kentaro-san. Being what we are, it is something we have to accept. We can only hope that others will accept us for it, too."
“I will not accept that I nearly killed her," he said firmly. Shaking his head, he sighed. “If she accepts, I will simply have to find some other way to ensure it never happens again."
She just smiled. "Then make that your reason it never happens again. Do not accept it, and let it fuel you, instead," she spoke. "Let that guilt be what guides you to be stronger than your feral side. If you must constantly remind yourself of it, to keep yourself contained, then don't accept it. I told you, Kentaro-san, learning to control yourself isn't easy, and it will be a pain in the ass. So much so, that you might want to give yourself over, however; don't."
"But, I will say nothing more. Find out if she still wants to be your pupil, and if she does, well," she trailed off. He would get the point.
He nodded. After a momentary pause, he inclined himself at the waist in a bow. “Thank you." Without giving her much time to react, Kentaro departed.
She sighed. He was going to be a piece of work, wasn't he? But she supposed he'd be worth it.
That was how she felt at the moment. Being so near, so close, to the oni again made it feel like her blood was on fire. She wanted to act, to do something, but she knew she could not. If she did, not only would she be horribly outnumbered, but she'd also get herself killed. She knew what she was capable of, but she wasn't exactly a god. She could die just as easily by stupid decisions as she could a blade. Sighing softly, she shifted in her spot.
It would still be another few days before the weapons would be ready, and Ayla wasn't entirely sure if they had that much time to spare. Though the oni had mostly stayed by the nest, venturing into the forest for food, one had recently made towards the village. She had managed to keep it from getting too far, though she also managed not to kill it. Distraction was the best thing at the moment. Even if it had strayed far from the nest, even one death so close would send the rest of them into a frenzy. They didn't need that.
Instead, she'd brought it back by distracting it as herself: a woman merely unfortunate enough to stray too far from the village. Of course, she'd also managed to lose it when she'd brought it back towards the nest. She wondered, though, how Aram was currently faring. He hadn't spoken of it, but he must have seen something, recently. She could see it on his face, that something was bothering him. He wasn't going to tell her, and she wasn't going to pry, however; whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.
She sighed heavily again.
Her next inhalation brought with it a now-familiar scent; something spicy, perhaps akin to a persimmon fruit, with a touch of ash and pine. It was an odd sort of smell, but then, it belonged to an odd sort of individual.
Kentaro passed through the gates of the castle alongside Takahiro, the youngest of Reiko's brothers. He was blind, apparently, but he never seemed to have any problem getting around or knowing where things were. Maybe he'd just memorized where everything was; it seemed possible if you lived in one place for hundreds of years. The two of them parted after entering; Takahiro headed towards where she could smell Reiko.
The older of the two, however, headed in her direction, nodding by way of greeting. Kentaro wasn't much of a talker. “Ayla-san. Have you seen Tatsuya recently?"
She pursed her lips together. "The last time I saw him, he was by the training grounds," she replied. She inhaled softly, trying to see if she could be of more service to Kentaro and smell for Tatsuya, however; she couldn't smell him at all. She frowned. She didn't know people could do that. Granted, they weren't exactly human, however; everything had a scent of some kind.
"Do you need him, specifically, or is there something I can help you with?" she spoke. If he needed Tatsuya, specifically, then she could understand. If it was something she could help with, though, she might as well render her services. She was restless, after all, and doing something would help calm her.
He pursed his lips slightly; it was hard to read him, but it seemed like he was trying to decide if it was something she could help with. His brow furrowed a little, and then he nodded once, just a slight dip of the head.
“I intend to ask him to take over Sayuri's kendo lessons," he replied. “As I understand it, you've already taught her the basics of the yumi; I do not think it would be a bad idea to continue, if you are so inclined." He blinked slowly, but said nothing more, leaving an obvious pause for her input before he continued on his way, it seemed.
She furrowed her brows in confusion. Why would he want to do that? He was doing a good job teaching her, if her progress was anything to go by. She wouldn't mind, per se, but there had to be some other reason for that. "Is there some reason as to why? From what I can tell, you've done a hell of a job teaching her, and she seems to be blossoming under your tutelage," she spoke, quirking a brow in his direction.
"Switching teachers in such a stage could throw everything off for her. Are you sure you want to do that?" she continued pressing. She didn't peg Kentaro as the type of person to just drop what he was doing for no reason at all. Maybe she'd just misunderstood him?
His expression darkened slightly. “You understand what is like, don't you? To lose control of yourself because of what you are?" His voice was still as toneless as it usually was, but there was something else there, like a thread that was almost exposed, just barely lurking under the surface of what he said.
“My own lack of control nearly killed her the other day. I will not allow it to happen again. The risk of disruption is lesser than the risk of harm if I continue to allow her so near."
"Then don't let it happen again," she spoke a little too quickly at that. She sighed, pushing it through her nose. She did know what it was like to lose control of herself. She was, perhaps, fortunate enough to have had Amon and Aram with her when she did. They always brought her back from that. Over the course of a few centuries, though, she'd learned to control it. She smiled, though. It wasn't quite the same, she didn't think, but there was something similiar that she recognized.
"It's because you care, isn't it," she stated it rather than questioning it. "In a way you are unsure of, yourself, right?" she continued. "Look, Kentaro-san, I'm not going to tell you what is best or not for you or Sayuri," she began. She really wasn't in any position to tell anyone, anything. The only thing she could do was offer her own opinion on the matter, and it was up to him what to do with it.
"It's a pain in the ass, trying to control something that doesn't want to be controlled. But if we don't learn to compromise somewhere, it'll only make things that much worse. Tell me something," she stated, keeping his gaze with hers. It wasn't too hard, considering he wasn't as tall as Tatsuya was, but he was still taller than her.
"What does it feel like when she's near? Help me understand something, and if you do, I will consent to taking over her lessons," because if she could understand that one thing, then it would help her understand what was really going on. She may not be an expert in that area, but she knew what it felt like, and what it was like to want to keep that safe.
He was silent for a very long time. The only reason she knew he was planning to answer the question at all was because he had remained in place rather than leaving. Though he looked at her, his eyes went unfocused, almost through her to something she could not see but he could.
“I do not know the words," he said at last. His tone had softened, revealing a touch of uncertainty that had not been detectable before. “When I was injured and returned to this place, I was almost beyond thought. All I could think was to seek out the person who would rid me of my pain. Save my life. That has always been Reiko. But..." His shoulders lowered as he pushed out a breath, near-silently but obviously with great heaviness.
“It was not Reiko I sought then. It was not her scent I followed. My... instinct drew me to Sayuri instead. And I do not know why."
If this wasn't so serious, Ayla might have actually laughed at him. Instead, she sighed softly. "I am not exactly acquainted with how that works, however; I can tell you one thing, Kentaro-san," she spoke, oddly, in a soft manner. "Instinct, whether human, wolf, or other, always leads us to something we need. In this case, you need Sayuri. It's not quite apparent as to why that is," but she could speculate a reason, "but if you deny yourself that basic necessity, it will be far worse for you than you'll realize. You'll end up hurting her another way, and if that's what you really want to avoid, then I'll help you."
"I'll make a compromise for you," she continued, pausing only for a second to collect herself. "I will help supervise your training sessions. If you become a threat to her, I will stop you, and I will take over the training sessions. If you wish to learn control, though," she spoke, this time only pausing to look him square in the eyes. "I will help you with that as well. It's not easy, and it will be difficult, however; if you are willing to learn, then I am willing to help."
If he was serious about keeping Sayuri safe from him, then she would help him to be safer. It would take some time, but she was certain Kentaro would learn a lot quicker than she had. He, after all, has a reason worth learning for. She didn't.
He looked like he was ready to turn her down, but then a thoughtful look flickered across his face, and he dropped his eyes to the ground. “I accept your compromise," he said lowly, “but only if she consents to me continuing to teach her. She was... afraid of me. Not without cause. I will not force her to be in my company if she does not want it."
She offered him a grin. "Something tells me she will," she spoke, though the grin disappeared from her face. It was replaced with a small smile, instead. "Kentaro-san, if I may be so bold," she stated, frowning slightly as she did. She'd never been one to hold her tongue for anyone, however; she felt like this was necessary. She took a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds.
"I don't think it was you, that she was afraid of," she finally spoke. Of course, she couldn't say for certain, whether or not Sayuri was afraid of him, or if she was just afraid for him. Sometimes, it was hard to discern one from the other, and she hadn't been there to see Sayuri's reaction. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Kentaro-san. Being what we are, it is something we have to accept. We can only hope that others will accept us for it, too."
“I will not accept that I nearly killed her," he said firmly. Shaking his head, he sighed. “If she accepts, I will simply have to find some other way to ensure it never happens again."
She just smiled. "Then make that your reason it never happens again. Do not accept it, and let it fuel you, instead," she spoke. "Let that guilt be what guides you to be stronger than your feral side. If you must constantly remind yourself of it, to keep yourself contained, then don't accept it. I told you, Kentaro-san, learning to control yourself isn't easy, and it will be a pain in the ass. So much so, that you might want to give yourself over, however; don't."
"But, I will say nothing more. Find out if she still wants to be your pupil, and if she does, well," she trailed off. He would get the point.
He nodded. After a momentary pause, he inclined himself at the waist in a bow. “Thank you." Without giving her much time to react, Kentaro departed.
She sighed. He was going to be a piece of work, wasn't he? But she supposed he'd be worth it.
Tatsuya reclined backwards against the trunk of the tree. His shift at the oni nest had just ended; he'd stopped by the blacksmith's to check on the progress of their weapon order on the way home. The new material was proving tough for the smith to deal with, but fortunately he and his apprentice were more familiar with it than most humans, considering that they did the maintenance on his father's blades.
The order should be ready within the next two days. In the meantime, the nest was getting restless. Apparently, they'd only get worse if any of their number were killed, so Tatsuya had spent the better part of an hour this morning playing chase with one. It was more difficult to do, as a man; the oni weren't as interested. That got more disgusting the more he thought about it, so he tried not to.
For the moment, he lit his pipe and settled it between his teeth, inhaling a lungful of the smoke and holding it for a second before exhaling through his nose. It was something he found vaguely relaxing for some reason; a habit he'd picked up from his father, who thought the same. He'd been resentful of even the smallest similarities between them until recently; even now he hated the comparison, but he supposed there were worse people to share some traits with.
Besides, he needed to take the edge off somehow, and his preferred method for doing that was sex, which he'd been avoiding lately. Fuck if he knew why. All he knew was the one time he'd tried, he'd still felt unsatisfied afterwards, restless to the same degree he'd been before. Maybe it was the oni presence making everything worse, so that the usual methods of dealing with that side of himself didn't work as well.
Blowing another cloud of smoke into the air, Tatsuya tipped his head back against the tree and let his eyes fall shut. Didn't help that he was fucking hungry. Kentaro's little emergency had thrown off the schedule they'd put in place years ago to avoid overtaxing Reiko. It wasn't easy for six adult vampires to share a single blood source, even if some of them supplemented with humans.
In the distance, he could hear voices. They were still too far to hear what they were talking about, exactly, but he could recognize them as Washi-san and Ayla. They were coming closer, and it was easier to make out what they were saying.
"Do you really need me coming along, Ayla? You could do this on your own, you know," Aram spoke. Ayla sighed and made some sort of grunting noise.
"If it weren't for you, it wouldn't be broken. Because you decided to sneak up on poor Sayuri, she broke my bow. I need to make a new one, and since it's your fault, you're coming with me," she spoke. Apparently Sayuri broke her bow, and she was dragging Aram along with her.
"I still don't see why I needed to come along."
"Because I said so," was the only response she gave. One of them must have spotted him, because they drew closer to him.
"Minamoto-san, good afternoon," Aram greeted.
He cracked an eye open, shifting his pipe so he could talk. “I hope she cracked you over the head with it. Having a tough time imagining her being strong enough to break it, otherwise." He fixed Washi-san with a flat, one-eyed stare for a moment before moving it to Ayla. “You could let him stay, though. It's not like you need the help, do you?"
"She did, actually. Whacked him pretty good, too," she replied to his first statement. Aram merely rubbed the back of his head as if it still hurt. "Are you going to take his place, then, if I let him stay?" she questioned, arching a brow at him. Aram pursed his lips together, and looked like he wanted to say something. She gave him a look, though, and he remained quiet. For the moment.
"Going by yourself isn't a bad thing, Ayla," he finally spoke, and she replied by giving him a flat look. "I just don't think I'm necessary. You're only going to find wood for your new bow, right?" he spoke, and she nodded.
"That's not the point, Ara. The point is, what if there's one of them out there, and it just so happens to have a brother or son with it? Do you honestly think I can take two of them on my own right now?" she stated. Aram just slumped his shoulders. "I'd rather come back in two pieces rather than not at all, thank you."
If anything, it seemed like Aram would rather stay here for whatever reason. Tatsuya shrugged. “I'll go. I'm bored as fuck just sitting around anyway." He pushed himself into a standing position, flicking a few bits of dust off his hakama and tossing his hair away from his eyes.
“What do you make them out of? Yew? There's a copse of those a couple miles out." He'd lived here long enough to have a sense of where the natural resources were. If her preferred wood was around here, he'd know where to find it.
"And going with me to find wood is less boring?" Ayla questioned, arching her brow in the process. Aram stared at her with pursed lips, and she sighed. "Fine, I'll go with 'suya," she stated. He smiled, bowed in Tatsuya's direction, and departed.
"To answer your question, yes, yew," she spoke. "They make better bows than most other woods, especially long bows," she continued, glancing at him for a second before shifting her gaze outwards. She narrowed her eyes slightly before turning her gaze back to him.
"So, I guess that means you're leading the way," she stated, arching a brow at him.
He shrugged. “Sure. Though it's weird to walk single file." Instead, he dropped in roughly even with her, leading by occasionally shifting direction rather than by walking in front. Since the grove was a few miles away and they were simply walking, it was probably going to take a while. He didn't much mind.
“Didn't know you made your own weapons," he observed, shooting her a glance from the corner of his eye. “Did someone teach you, or did you pick it up on your own somehow?"
"Correction, I make my own bows," she began, shaking her head lightly. "I had someone teach me a long time ago," she continued, glancing up to meet his gaze. "I broke them too often and I didn't exactly have the patience to wait for my order to be filled. Some of the blacksmiths had other orders to fill, and mine would always get pushed last. The one good bow I had," she paused, narrowing her eyes.
"I ended up breaking over an alpha," she snorted, as if she were remembering the incident. "He had me in a grip and I had to drive it through his eye to get him to drop me. They don't like things in their eyes, apparently," she continued, a smirk growing on her face as she did.
"Speaking of which," she began, glancing back up at him, "How are you holding up? I don't speculate any of this has been easy on any of you."
His automatic reaction was denial, but he stopped himself just before he gave voice to it. Instead, Tatsuya sighed, exhaling another cloud of smoke. “Honestly? It's not that hard on me, compared to the others." Reiko was struggling with it the most emotionally, Kentaro the most with what it meant for his control. The others were all dealing with various levels of physical strain; maybe a few of them worried for the village itself as well, but Tatsuya wasn't going to do that until something actually happened to it. Why worry when he could just prevent the damage he'd be worried about?
“None of the fights have been anything I can't handle, and while it's fuckin' annoying to go watch an oni nest for hours while we wait for the gear, it's not beyond my abilities or anything." He shrugged.“The worst part is the hunger. If we're not that active, comparatively, we can survive on less. When we're doing hard work like this, or someone gets injured... it's a strain on Reiko and a strain on the rest of us by extension."
She furrowed her brows, as if she were just realizing something. "You all use Reiko as a source," it didn't sound quite like a question when she spoke. "I suppose when you don't have other options, it would make sense. I don't see why you all don't use each other. You're going... when we go to clear out this nest, you all are going to need to be at your best. If..." she paused in her words for a second, and her steps. She quickly caught back up with him, though, before he could stop.
"Look, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but," she began, glancing up at him. There was something behind her eyes. Determination, maybe? "I said I would help in any way I could. If you need an alternate source for now, at least until Reiko or whoever is not so strained, I can help," she stated. Her expression softened for just a second before she shook her head.
"It's not like I'll turn into one of you, so I don't run the risk a human would," she snorted softly.
Tatsuya's mouth pulled to the side. Could she have made the offer in a less interesting or less-attractive way? He really doubted such a thing was possible. He hated when people did things out of some misplaced sense of obligation or vague and general benevolence.
“We might, except..." He pushed a breath through his nose. It was difficult to explain this in terms outsiders would understand; he'd doubted his dad would have bothered to share all the gritty details. “Well, first of all, we all keep too many secrets from one another to trust each other that much. She's the only one willing to let the rest of us see her memories and all that." If feeding on someone didn't have that little side effect, their lives might be a little easier.
Of course, there was still a problem. “And it's not as simple as getting along better, either." Tatusuya debated just telling her, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to know, in truth. It seemed like... like he might actually care what she thought if he told her. That was bizarre in and of itself.
"Siblings don't get along, that's nothing new. Siblings have secrets, and again, that's nothing new. You're talking to someone whose brother does nothing but keep secrets. Nothing is ever simple, I learned that a long time ago," she stated, furrowing her brows. "But if it's something that Reiko doesn't mind doing, then I've got nothing to say on that subject."
"Like I said, don't take it the wrong way, but if it helps Reiko out, then I'll gladly help too. But hey, it's an offer, not something I'm saying you have to do. I can't force you to do anything you didn't want to do," she spoke, shrugging her shoulders in the process.
Siblings keeping secrets might not be anything new, but he seriously doubted her brother had ever plotted to murder her. Whether the same could be said of Daichi or Jirō, for example, was an open question. He also doubted that the same act that could reveal those secrets could give them actual physical control of one's body in the future, as it could if he took someone's blood. Tatsuya didn't bother making the point. She'd think what she wanted to; it wasn't really any concern of his.
“Enticing as the prospect is," he said instead, referring to her offer, “I'm not interested in favors. Now if you ever decide it's something you want we can revisit this discussion. I am reliably informed that it's a rather pleasant sensation, in the right circumstances." He certainly had a lot of empirical evidence to this effect, though he did not himself make a habit of letting people take his blood.
She laughed. "And if I said yes?" she replied, arching her brow almost in a challenging manner. She rolled her eyes, though. "As appealing as your offer may be, I'm simply afraid I'm too boring, remember?" she stated, and pursed her lips somewhat. It almost looked like she was thinking about something, but she didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"Look, Tatsuya," she began, actually using his first name. "I wasn't offering it as a favor. I don't expect anything in return if I did do this, and I'd make the same offer to Tsubasa and Kentaro. You three are, probably, the only ones I like enough to do that for," she stated, though oddly, her face tinged slightly. It was a little more noticeable against the pallor of her skin.
"Now I feel kind of stupid for saying it out loud like that."
He snorted softly. “It's not the incursion of a debt I'm trying to avoid. If it's a matter of generosity at all, it's still nothing I want." He frowned. He supposed there was a more straightforward way to say it. “What I mean is, if you're doing it out of some kind of altruistic motive, or because you simply want to help, you're still doing a favor, you see? It's an imposition, however minor. To be blunt: I don't want it if you don't want it." He put an obvious emphasis on the second use of the word, then shrugged.
“But if it pleases you to ease the burden, do consider offering to one of the others. They may not see things quite the same way I do." Though he suspected they would. It was a rather intimate sort of thing, taking blood from a person, inherently charged with a certian meaning that didn't correspond exactly to the categories other creatures had.
"If you say so," she stated, shrugging her shoulders. "And I shall. It's not that it pleases me, 'suya. It's the fact of knowing I can help where no one else can. I am, by nature, not a generous creature. Never have been, never will be. What I want... isn't something I can have. It was something I could never have," she spoke softly. She seemed to close the subject off after that.
He didn't press.
The order should be ready within the next two days. In the meantime, the nest was getting restless. Apparently, they'd only get worse if any of their number were killed, so Tatsuya had spent the better part of an hour this morning playing chase with one. It was more difficult to do, as a man; the oni weren't as interested. That got more disgusting the more he thought about it, so he tried not to.
For the moment, he lit his pipe and settled it between his teeth, inhaling a lungful of the smoke and holding it for a second before exhaling through his nose. It was something he found vaguely relaxing for some reason; a habit he'd picked up from his father, who thought the same. He'd been resentful of even the smallest similarities between them until recently; even now he hated the comparison, but he supposed there were worse people to share some traits with.
Besides, he needed to take the edge off somehow, and his preferred method for doing that was sex, which he'd been avoiding lately. Fuck if he knew why. All he knew was the one time he'd tried, he'd still felt unsatisfied afterwards, restless to the same degree he'd been before. Maybe it was the oni presence making everything worse, so that the usual methods of dealing with that side of himself didn't work as well.
Blowing another cloud of smoke into the air, Tatsuya tipped his head back against the tree and let his eyes fall shut. Didn't help that he was fucking hungry. Kentaro's little emergency had thrown off the schedule they'd put in place years ago to avoid overtaxing Reiko. It wasn't easy for six adult vampires to share a single blood source, even if some of them supplemented with humans.
In the distance, he could hear voices. They were still too far to hear what they were talking about, exactly, but he could recognize them as Washi-san and Ayla. They were coming closer, and it was easier to make out what they were saying.
"Do you really need me coming along, Ayla? You could do this on your own, you know," Aram spoke. Ayla sighed and made some sort of grunting noise.
"If it weren't for you, it wouldn't be broken. Because you decided to sneak up on poor Sayuri, she broke my bow. I need to make a new one, and since it's your fault, you're coming with me," she spoke. Apparently Sayuri broke her bow, and she was dragging Aram along with her.
"I still don't see why I needed to come along."
"Because I said so," was the only response she gave. One of them must have spotted him, because they drew closer to him.
"Minamoto-san, good afternoon," Aram greeted.
He cracked an eye open, shifting his pipe so he could talk. “I hope she cracked you over the head with it. Having a tough time imagining her being strong enough to break it, otherwise." He fixed Washi-san with a flat, one-eyed stare for a moment before moving it to Ayla. “You could let him stay, though. It's not like you need the help, do you?"
"She did, actually. Whacked him pretty good, too," she replied to his first statement. Aram merely rubbed the back of his head as if it still hurt. "Are you going to take his place, then, if I let him stay?" she questioned, arching a brow at him. Aram pursed his lips together, and looked like he wanted to say something. She gave him a look, though, and he remained quiet. For the moment.
"Going by yourself isn't a bad thing, Ayla," he finally spoke, and she replied by giving him a flat look. "I just don't think I'm necessary. You're only going to find wood for your new bow, right?" he spoke, and she nodded.
"That's not the point, Ara. The point is, what if there's one of them out there, and it just so happens to have a brother or son with it? Do you honestly think I can take two of them on my own right now?" she stated. Aram just slumped his shoulders. "I'd rather come back in two pieces rather than not at all, thank you."
If anything, it seemed like Aram would rather stay here for whatever reason. Tatsuya shrugged. “I'll go. I'm bored as fuck just sitting around anyway." He pushed himself into a standing position, flicking a few bits of dust off his hakama and tossing his hair away from his eyes.
“What do you make them out of? Yew? There's a copse of those a couple miles out." He'd lived here long enough to have a sense of where the natural resources were. If her preferred wood was around here, he'd know where to find it.
"And going with me to find wood is less boring?" Ayla questioned, arching her brow in the process. Aram stared at her with pursed lips, and she sighed. "Fine, I'll go with 'suya," she stated. He smiled, bowed in Tatsuya's direction, and departed.
"To answer your question, yes, yew," she spoke. "They make better bows than most other woods, especially long bows," she continued, glancing at him for a second before shifting her gaze outwards. She narrowed her eyes slightly before turning her gaze back to him.
"So, I guess that means you're leading the way," she stated, arching a brow at him.
He shrugged. “Sure. Though it's weird to walk single file." Instead, he dropped in roughly even with her, leading by occasionally shifting direction rather than by walking in front. Since the grove was a few miles away and they were simply walking, it was probably going to take a while. He didn't much mind.
“Didn't know you made your own weapons," he observed, shooting her a glance from the corner of his eye. “Did someone teach you, or did you pick it up on your own somehow?"
"Correction, I make my own bows," she began, shaking her head lightly. "I had someone teach me a long time ago," she continued, glancing up to meet his gaze. "I broke them too often and I didn't exactly have the patience to wait for my order to be filled. Some of the blacksmiths had other orders to fill, and mine would always get pushed last. The one good bow I had," she paused, narrowing her eyes.
"I ended up breaking over an alpha," she snorted, as if she were remembering the incident. "He had me in a grip and I had to drive it through his eye to get him to drop me. They don't like things in their eyes, apparently," she continued, a smirk growing on her face as she did.
"Speaking of which," she began, glancing back up at him, "How are you holding up? I don't speculate any of this has been easy on any of you."
His automatic reaction was denial, but he stopped himself just before he gave voice to it. Instead, Tatsuya sighed, exhaling another cloud of smoke. “Honestly? It's not that hard on me, compared to the others." Reiko was struggling with it the most emotionally, Kentaro the most with what it meant for his control. The others were all dealing with various levels of physical strain; maybe a few of them worried for the village itself as well, but Tatsuya wasn't going to do that until something actually happened to it. Why worry when he could just prevent the damage he'd be worried about?
“None of the fights have been anything I can't handle, and while it's fuckin' annoying to go watch an oni nest for hours while we wait for the gear, it's not beyond my abilities or anything." He shrugged.“The worst part is the hunger. If we're not that active, comparatively, we can survive on less. When we're doing hard work like this, or someone gets injured... it's a strain on Reiko and a strain on the rest of us by extension."
She furrowed her brows, as if she were just realizing something. "You all use Reiko as a source," it didn't sound quite like a question when she spoke. "I suppose when you don't have other options, it would make sense. I don't see why you all don't use each other. You're going... when we go to clear out this nest, you all are going to need to be at your best. If..." she paused in her words for a second, and her steps. She quickly caught back up with him, though, before he could stop.
"Look, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but," she began, glancing up at him. There was something behind her eyes. Determination, maybe? "I said I would help in any way I could. If you need an alternate source for now, at least until Reiko or whoever is not so strained, I can help," she stated. Her expression softened for just a second before she shook her head.
"It's not like I'll turn into one of you, so I don't run the risk a human would," she snorted softly.
Tatsuya's mouth pulled to the side. Could she have made the offer in a less interesting or less-attractive way? He really doubted such a thing was possible. He hated when people did things out of some misplaced sense of obligation or vague and general benevolence.
“We might, except..." He pushed a breath through his nose. It was difficult to explain this in terms outsiders would understand; he'd doubted his dad would have bothered to share all the gritty details. “Well, first of all, we all keep too many secrets from one another to trust each other that much. She's the only one willing to let the rest of us see her memories and all that." If feeding on someone didn't have that little side effect, their lives might be a little easier.
Of course, there was still a problem. “And it's not as simple as getting along better, either." Tatusuya debated just telling her, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to know, in truth. It seemed like... like he might actually care what she thought if he told her. That was bizarre in and of itself.
"Siblings don't get along, that's nothing new. Siblings have secrets, and again, that's nothing new. You're talking to someone whose brother does nothing but keep secrets. Nothing is ever simple, I learned that a long time ago," she stated, furrowing her brows. "But if it's something that Reiko doesn't mind doing, then I've got nothing to say on that subject."
"Like I said, don't take it the wrong way, but if it helps Reiko out, then I'll gladly help too. But hey, it's an offer, not something I'm saying you have to do. I can't force you to do anything you didn't want to do," she spoke, shrugging her shoulders in the process.
Siblings keeping secrets might not be anything new, but he seriously doubted her brother had ever plotted to murder her. Whether the same could be said of Daichi or Jirō, for example, was an open question. He also doubted that the same act that could reveal those secrets could give them actual physical control of one's body in the future, as it could if he took someone's blood. Tatsuya didn't bother making the point. She'd think what she wanted to; it wasn't really any concern of his.
“Enticing as the prospect is," he said instead, referring to her offer, “I'm not interested in favors. Now if you ever decide it's something you want we can revisit this discussion. I am reliably informed that it's a rather pleasant sensation, in the right circumstances." He certainly had a lot of empirical evidence to this effect, though he did not himself make a habit of letting people take his blood.
She laughed. "And if I said yes?" she replied, arching her brow almost in a challenging manner. She rolled her eyes, though. "As appealing as your offer may be, I'm simply afraid I'm too boring, remember?" she stated, and pursed her lips somewhat. It almost looked like she was thinking about something, but she didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"Look, Tatsuya," she began, actually using his first name. "I wasn't offering it as a favor. I don't expect anything in return if I did do this, and I'd make the same offer to Tsubasa and Kentaro. You three are, probably, the only ones I like enough to do that for," she stated, though oddly, her face tinged slightly. It was a little more noticeable against the pallor of her skin.
"Now I feel kind of stupid for saying it out loud like that."
He snorted softly. “It's not the incursion of a debt I'm trying to avoid. If it's a matter of generosity at all, it's still nothing I want." He frowned. He supposed there was a more straightforward way to say it. “What I mean is, if you're doing it out of some kind of altruistic motive, or because you simply want to help, you're still doing a favor, you see? It's an imposition, however minor. To be blunt: I don't want it if you don't want it." He put an obvious emphasis on the second use of the word, then shrugged.
“But if it pleases you to ease the burden, do consider offering to one of the others. They may not see things quite the same way I do." Though he suspected they would. It was a rather intimate sort of thing, taking blood from a person, inherently charged with a certian meaning that didn't correspond exactly to the categories other creatures had.
"If you say so," she stated, shrugging her shoulders. "And I shall. It's not that it pleases me, 'suya. It's the fact of knowing I can help where no one else can. I am, by nature, not a generous creature. Never have been, never will be. What I want... isn't something I can have. It was something I could never have," she spoke softly. She seemed to close the subject off after that.
He didn't press.
It was the first time since Sayuri's, that he'd had a vision. It disturbed him greatly by what he saw. He didn't like it. Swallowing thickly, Aram speared a hand through his hair, smoothing out the strands as best as he could. What he'd seen, the way the film of death coated their eyes, it made him sick. It always made him sick. Seeing death as often as he did, did not make him inured to it. He would never become accustomed to it. He might have spoken freely of it, but he did not enjoy doing so. The only thing that brought him comfort at the moment, was knowing that he hadn't seen her among the dead.
That didn't mean she wasn't dead, too, though. She could very well die in the excursion of the nest. He wasn't sure why that produced such a negative reaction in him. The very thought that she might die, saddened him greatly. He hadn't seen himself among them, either, but he knew he could die just as easily. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that the vision would have caused him to cry. He can't remember the last time he'd wept, though. Not even when Amon had died, did he weep. Ayla had done so for the both of them, but he supposed he'd lost his ability after the first millenia.
Sighing softly, he shook his head. The place they had met their demise was not at the nest. He could see that much, but he wasn't certain the actual location. He shook the thought from his mind. He didn't need to focus on that right now. The weapons would be ready tomorrow, and they could go in and eradicate it. Perhaps then, he could examine it without the threat present. For now, they should make sure they were all prepared. He knew Ayla was training on the days she wasn't watching the nest, and if he remembered correctly, she was also helping Kentaro out, somehow.
He smiled at that. She was involved with them so much so, that he could see the positive effects that had on her. She was... happier, and she smiled more. He didn't think she'd ever be able to smile so genuinely anymore. Pushing that thought out of his mind, he continued walking through the hallways. He couldn't remember who was on watch, right now, but they would be needing relief, soon.
All halls in the house eventually passed through or beside the garden. When this one did, he moved out onto an engawa. The smell of the blooming flowers immediately strengthened; at this time of year, it seemed to permeate all through the castle, but of course it was most concentrated here.
It quickly became obvious that he was not the only one out here. Reiko stood near the bank of the small pond near the center, her back to him. She looked to be in a white sleeping kimono, clear indication that she had gone to bed at some point and perhaps found herself unable to sleep. She had her hands held out, palms-up, to either side. Rich, honey-colored light collected in each, flowing up her fingers and drifting upwards in the characteristic spherical shapes, like tiny stars. As they moved away from her, they grew to the normal size, floating on the soft nighttime breeze.
She must have heard him, or perhaps smelled him, because she turned to look at him over her shoulder. Her half-smile quickly became a concerned frown, and she dropped her hands, several more unformed motes of light flaring and winking out in the air around her. Reiko tilted her head. “Aram-sama, you... you had a bad dream, didn't you?" She gave no indication of how it was she knew that.
"I'm afraid it wasn't a dream," he spoke honestly. He had promised he would tell her the things he could not tell the others because unlike them, she did not pose the most threat. How she was a threat in any way possible, he wasn't sure. "It was a vision," he continued. He didn't understand why it felt nice, being able to tell someone of his dreams, his visions, and not have them change in any way. At least, he didn't think they would change. Reiko was his strange anomaly in the world, and he wasn't entirely sure what that meant, yet.
He coughed awkwardly at the thought. He hadn't meant to put it that way. He sighed softly, though. "And what of you, Reiko-san? Could you not sleep?" he inquired. He'd explain in more detail if she truly wanted to know what the vision was about, but as it was, he didn't want to say anything if he didn't have to.
She seemed to accept what he was willing to say without pressing. At his question, however, she sighed softly, and shook her head. “This one... usually has difficulty sleeping at this time of year," she confessed. “This is the season Tou-chan died." The way she said the words was plain, but also managed to convey a deep, lingering melancholy. It wasn't the kind of sadness of fresh tears, but the one that came with a hollow ache in the chest.
Her eyes sought and found the ground beneath them for a moment. Her feet were bare; her toes curled into the soft earth beneath them. Like everything else about her, they were delicate-looking; dainty, really. To look at her, she almost could have been made of paper and silk, especially as vulnerable as she seemed right now, with faint dark circles under her eyes. She looked drawn, as though she hadn't been eating well in addition to having trouble sleeping.
He sighed softly, but did not offer any comfort. He didn't know how, even if he wanted to. Which was strange in of itself. Perhaps because she was vulnerable right now, and he hated seeing people that way. It didn't matter who it was, the look of vulnerability was something he didn't know if he could help with. He knew enough, though, that it was sometimes necessary. To be vulnerable like that was a way of coping, but he couldn't be too sure.
"I miss him, too," he finally spoke. It was the only thing he could offer. He missed his brother dearly, and there was nothing in the world he would not offer to bring him back. But as it was, it simply wasn't meant to be. "The last time I had seen him was before you were born," he confessed lightly. He knew of her birth, because he'd kept in touch with Amon. He had known when all of Amon's children were born, even without having been told, however; he had never actually seen them except Tatsuya.
"But he was happy, I think. He had a family he loved, who loved him, and I think... when he died, it was doing so protecting something he loved," but he couldn't be certain of that, either. He hadn't seen Amon's death, and it had come as a surprise to him when it had happened.
“This one was there," she said slowly, lifting her eyes but redirecting them to a rosebush. The flowers on it were such a deep red they were almost purple; quite the horticultural achievement. “But this one does not remember what happened. All this one remembers is leaving for a trip with Tou-chan. Our cart was hit by something, and this one was thrown from it. Then this one's memory is blank."
She exhaled; he could hear the breath shake. “The next thing this one remembers is Suya's face. This one had never seen him look worried before. He kept touching this one's face, as though he wasn't quite sure this one was real." She lifted a hand to her own cheek and touched it there for a moment, then shook her head. “This one does not believe I was knocked out. It is more like... this one's memory used to be there, and is gone now. Like Tou-chan."
She blinked, as if returning to the present, and smiled thinly at him. “Forgive this one for talking about such lonely things, Aram-sama. It must be the night air."
Aram frowned deeply. Her memory was gone? She had a memory, but somehow, it disappeared. He felt something tug at his chest, and he couldn't explain it. It was almost as if he knew what had happened, how her memory came to be lost, however; he also felt the uncertainty of it all. Perhaps it wasn't the case. Perhaps something else took her memory, however; he couldn't be certain. He, instead, smiled in her direction.
"There is nothing wrong with talking about such things, Reiko. It is how we remember those we love," he spoke to her. He moved so he was standing a little closer to her, but did nothing further. It would be improper, after all, if he stood too close.
"If we did not, we would never be able to move forward. And in the end, that's all we can really do, is move forward," he knew that, perhaps, better than most people. It didn't matter for him in the end; he just had to keep moving forward. At one time, it had been enough.
“This one supposes so," she said, pursing her lips slightly. She didn't seem to mind that he'd moved closer, though she'd obviously noticed; she shifted so that they were both looking out over the pond again. It was quite still, only occasionally disturbed when the breeze picked up, or when a petal from the sakura tree made it far enough to drop into the water. The same breeze stirred their hair; hers less so considering it was much heavier from the length.
After a few moments, she suddenly smiled, huffing softly. “You know, Tou-chan used to tell this one stories about you and Ayla-san. Except in the stories, you were Hizashi-sama and Ayla-san was Tsuki-sama." She glanced up at him from the corner of an eye. “Most of them were very good stories; quite heroic and wonderful. But he also told this one that one time, Hizashi-sama was mistaken for Hizashiko-sama." It was about the politest way possible of implying that he'd once been mistaken for a woman.
He could feel his face warming, just slightly. "I was, uh, mistaken for a woman, yes. It... was mostly Amon's fault," he stated. He pursed his lips as he remembered the incident. "My hair... it was longer at the time," he spoke, pointing to his hip to indicate the length. "We all had long hair at one point, but I had yet to cut mine. There was... an inebriated man who thought I was..." he could feel his face getting warmer still as he tried to finish that sentence.
"He thought I was a beautiful woman and tried to take me home with him," he frowned slightly. "Amon didn't help. He encouraged it."
He was certain his face was the color of Reiko's eyes at the moment.
It didn't help that she started giggling. By comparison to the uproarious laughter Amon and Ayla had shared every time they reminded him of the incident, it was quite tame, but there was no mistaking that she was extremely amused. She tried to conceal it with a cough at first, but that only worked for a couple of seconds before the giggling made itself obvious.
“S-sorry," Reiko said, clearly exerting effort to constrain her mirth. “Th-this one is sorry. Ahem." She cleared her throat softly, having reined her amusement into a bright smile. She tilted her head sideways at him, shaking it for a moment and folding her hands behind her back. She seemed to be scrutinizing his face, though why she did that wasn't immediately clear.
In the end, she shook her head, more definitively this time. “If it helps," she offered mildly, “this one does not see it. Well, that is..." She cleared her throat again, looking a little pink herself. “If you'll permit this one the observation, Aram-sama is indeed very beautiful, but not in a way that this one thinks looks like a woman."
He could feel the warmth on his face growing even as she had laughed, however; he knew without a doubt that, if anyone saw him, they could tell he was embarrassed. He glanced away from her for a second, and coughed softly. He wasn't entirely sure how to take that, really. People had complimented him before, but he wasn't like Amon or Ayla had been. Sure, they all took their compliments in different manners, but Aram was always uncomfortable with them. Even before the incident. Instead, he shook his head and offered Reiko a polite bow.
"Thank you, Reiko. I believe you are too," though it was a little too late to take back what he'd just said. "I mean... you are beautiful as well, and..." he should probably stop talking about now. This was Amon's daughter he was talking to, after all.
“Not in the way a woman looks?" she finished, snorting softly. It was a rather unfortunate implication, but she seemed to take it in stride. “You don't have a lot of practice giving compliments, do you, Aram-sama?"
"No I do not," he answered swiftly. He was just glad she hadn't taken it poorly. He hadn't meant to imply that she didn't look beautiful in the way a woman looks. If anything... he stopped that train of thought, and coughed awkwardly into his hand, keeping his gaze from her. He wasn't sure if he could look her in the face, now.
"It is not often that I can give them," he spoke honestly, still keeping his gaze from her face.
“Then this one will feel special, today." There was something almost sad in the words, softly-spoken as they were, but before he could so much as consider why that might be, her tone brightened again. “And this one promises not to tell Ayla-san about any of it. It can be our second secret, okay?"
"Thank you," because if Ayla knew... he'd never hear the end of it.
That didn't mean she wasn't dead, too, though. She could very well die in the excursion of the nest. He wasn't sure why that produced such a negative reaction in him. The very thought that she might die, saddened him greatly. He hadn't seen himself among them, either, but he knew he could die just as easily. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that the vision would have caused him to cry. He can't remember the last time he'd wept, though. Not even when Amon had died, did he weep. Ayla had done so for the both of them, but he supposed he'd lost his ability after the first millenia.
Sighing softly, he shook his head. The place they had met their demise was not at the nest. He could see that much, but he wasn't certain the actual location. He shook the thought from his mind. He didn't need to focus on that right now. The weapons would be ready tomorrow, and they could go in and eradicate it. Perhaps then, he could examine it without the threat present. For now, they should make sure they were all prepared. He knew Ayla was training on the days she wasn't watching the nest, and if he remembered correctly, she was also helping Kentaro out, somehow.
He smiled at that. She was involved with them so much so, that he could see the positive effects that had on her. She was... happier, and she smiled more. He didn't think she'd ever be able to smile so genuinely anymore. Pushing that thought out of his mind, he continued walking through the hallways. He couldn't remember who was on watch, right now, but they would be needing relief, soon.
All halls in the house eventually passed through or beside the garden. When this one did, he moved out onto an engawa. The smell of the blooming flowers immediately strengthened; at this time of year, it seemed to permeate all through the castle, but of course it was most concentrated here.
It quickly became obvious that he was not the only one out here. Reiko stood near the bank of the small pond near the center, her back to him. She looked to be in a white sleeping kimono, clear indication that she had gone to bed at some point and perhaps found herself unable to sleep. She had her hands held out, palms-up, to either side. Rich, honey-colored light collected in each, flowing up her fingers and drifting upwards in the characteristic spherical shapes, like tiny stars. As they moved away from her, they grew to the normal size, floating on the soft nighttime breeze.
She must have heard him, or perhaps smelled him, because she turned to look at him over her shoulder. Her half-smile quickly became a concerned frown, and she dropped her hands, several more unformed motes of light flaring and winking out in the air around her. Reiko tilted her head. “Aram-sama, you... you had a bad dream, didn't you?" She gave no indication of how it was she knew that.
"I'm afraid it wasn't a dream," he spoke honestly. He had promised he would tell her the things he could not tell the others because unlike them, she did not pose the most threat. How she was a threat in any way possible, he wasn't sure. "It was a vision," he continued. He didn't understand why it felt nice, being able to tell someone of his dreams, his visions, and not have them change in any way. At least, he didn't think they would change. Reiko was his strange anomaly in the world, and he wasn't entirely sure what that meant, yet.
He coughed awkwardly at the thought. He hadn't meant to put it that way. He sighed softly, though. "And what of you, Reiko-san? Could you not sleep?" he inquired. He'd explain in more detail if she truly wanted to know what the vision was about, but as it was, he didn't want to say anything if he didn't have to.
She seemed to accept what he was willing to say without pressing. At his question, however, she sighed softly, and shook her head. “This one... usually has difficulty sleeping at this time of year," she confessed. “This is the season Tou-chan died." The way she said the words was plain, but also managed to convey a deep, lingering melancholy. It wasn't the kind of sadness of fresh tears, but the one that came with a hollow ache in the chest.
Her eyes sought and found the ground beneath them for a moment. Her feet were bare; her toes curled into the soft earth beneath them. Like everything else about her, they were delicate-looking; dainty, really. To look at her, she almost could have been made of paper and silk, especially as vulnerable as she seemed right now, with faint dark circles under her eyes. She looked drawn, as though she hadn't been eating well in addition to having trouble sleeping.
He sighed softly, but did not offer any comfort. He didn't know how, even if he wanted to. Which was strange in of itself. Perhaps because she was vulnerable right now, and he hated seeing people that way. It didn't matter who it was, the look of vulnerability was something he didn't know if he could help with. He knew enough, though, that it was sometimes necessary. To be vulnerable like that was a way of coping, but he couldn't be too sure.
"I miss him, too," he finally spoke. It was the only thing he could offer. He missed his brother dearly, and there was nothing in the world he would not offer to bring him back. But as it was, it simply wasn't meant to be. "The last time I had seen him was before you were born," he confessed lightly. He knew of her birth, because he'd kept in touch with Amon. He had known when all of Amon's children were born, even without having been told, however; he had never actually seen them except Tatsuya.
"But he was happy, I think. He had a family he loved, who loved him, and I think... when he died, it was doing so protecting something he loved," but he couldn't be certain of that, either. He hadn't seen Amon's death, and it had come as a surprise to him when it had happened.
“This one was there," she said slowly, lifting her eyes but redirecting them to a rosebush. The flowers on it were such a deep red they were almost purple; quite the horticultural achievement. “But this one does not remember what happened. All this one remembers is leaving for a trip with Tou-chan. Our cart was hit by something, and this one was thrown from it. Then this one's memory is blank."
She exhaled; he could hear the breath shake. “The next thing this one remembers is Suya's face. This one had never seen him look worried before. He kept touching this one's face, as though he wasn't quite sure this one was real." She lifted a hand to her own cheek and touched it there for a moment, then shook her head. “This one does not believe I was knocked out. It is more like... this one's memory used to be there, and is gone now. Like Tou-chan."
She blinked, as if returning to the present, and smiled thinly at him. “Forgive this one for talking about such lonely things, Aram-sama. It must be the night air."
Aram frowned deeply. Her memory was gone? She had a memory, but somehow, it disappeared. He felt something tug at his chest, and he couldn't explain it. It was almost as if he knew what had happened, how her memory came to be lost, however; he also felt the uncertainty of it all. Perhaps it wasn't the case. Perhaps something else took her memory, however; he couldn't be certain. He, instead, smiled in her direction.
"There is nothing wrong with talking about such things, Reiko. It is how we remember those we love," he spoke to her. He moved so he was standing a little closer to her, but did nothing further. It would be improper, after all, if he stood too close.
"If we did not, we would never be able to move forward. And in the end, that's all we can really do, is move forward," he knew that, perhaps, better than most people. It didn't matter for him in the end; he just had to keep moving forward. At one time, it had been enough.
“This one supposes so," she said, pursing her lips slightly. She didn't seem to mind that he'd moved closer, though she'd obviously noticed; she shifted so that they were both looking out over the pond again. It was quite still, only occasionally disturbed when the breeze picked up, or when a petal from the sakura tree made it far enough to drop into the water. The same breeze stirred their hair; hers less so considering it was much heavier from the length.
After a few moments, she suddenly smiled, huffing softly. “You know, Tou-chan used to tell this one stories about you and Ayla-san. Except in the stories, you were Hizashi-sama and Ayla-san was Tsuki-sama." She glanced up at him from the corner of an eye. “Most of them were very good stories; quite heroic and wonderful. But he also told this one that one time, Hizashi-sama was mistaken for Hizashiko-sama." It was about the politest way possible of implying that he'd once been mistaken for a woman.
He could feel his face warming, just slightly. "I was, uh, mistaken for a woman, yes. It... was mostly Amon's fault," he stated. He pursed his lips as he remembered the incident. "My hair... it was longer at the time," he spoke, pointing to his hip to indicate the length. "We all had long hair at one point, but I had yet to cut mine. There was... an inebriated man who thought I was..." he could feel his face getting warmer still as he tried to finish that sentence.
"He thought I was a beautiful woman and tried to take me home with him," he frowned slightly. "Amon didn't help. He encouraged it."
He was certain his face was the color of Reiko's eyes at the moment.
It didn't help that she started giggling. By comparison to the uproarious laughter Amon and Ayla had shared every time they reminded him of the incident, it was quite tame, but there was no mistaking that she was extremely amused. She tried to conceal it with a cough at first, but that only worked for a couple of seconds before the giggling made itself obvious.
“S-sorry," Reiko said, clearly exerting effort to constrain her mirth. “Th-this one is sorry. Ahem." She cleared her throat softly, having reined her amusement into a bright smile. She tilted her head sideways at him, shaking it for a moment and folding her hands behind her back. She seemed to be scrutinizing his face, though why she did that wasn't immediately clear.
In the end, she shook her head, more definitively this time. “If it helps," she offered mildly, “this one does not see it. Well, that is..." She cleared her throat again, looking a little pink herself. “If you'll permit this one the observation, Aram-sama is indeed very beautiful, but not in a way that this one thinks looks like a woman."
He could feel the warmth on his face growing even as she had laughed, however; he knew without a doubt that, if anyone saw him, they could tell he was embarrassed. He glanced away from her for a second, and coughed softly. He wasn't entirely sure how to take that, really. People had complimented him before, but he wasn't like Amon or Ayla had been. Sure, they all took their compliments in different manners, but Aram was always uncomfortable with them. Even before the incident. Instead, he shook his head and offered Reiko a polite bow.
"Thank you, Reiko. I believe you are too," though it was a little too late to take back what he'd just said. "I mean... you are beautiful as well, and..." he should probably stop talking about now. This was Amon's daughter he was talking to, after all.
“Not in the way a woman looks?" she finished, snorting softly. It was a rather unfortunate implication, but she seemed to take it in stride. “You don't have a lot of practice giving compliments, do you, Aram-sama?"
"No I do not," he answered swiftly. He was just glad she hadn't taken it poorly. He hadn't meant to imply that she didn't look beautiful in the way a woman looks. If anything... he stopped that train of thought, and coughed awkwardly into his hand, keeping his gaze from her. He wasn't sure if he could look her in the face, now.
"It is not often that I can give them," he spoke honestly, still keeping his gaze from her face.
“Then this one will feel special, today." There was something almost sad in the words, softly-spoken as they were, but before he could so much as consider why that might be, her tone brightened again. “And this one promises not to tell Ayla-san about any of it. It can be our second secret, okay?"
"Thank you," because if Ayla knew... he'd never hear the end of it.
Between them, they'd decided it was best to leave at least one of them behind when they made the excursion to the nest of oni. Deciding who it was to be was a bit more of a problem, but in the end they'd collectively decided that Tsubasa was the best choice, since he commanded the household garrison and could moblize them fastest in the event of an emergency.
Of course, such an emergency would be the result of the rest of them failing to kill the oni in the nest, and if they did, the garrison's fifty or so humans and solitary vampire were hardly going to succeed. Their instructions were to evacuate all of the townspeople within the walls of the castle, where they would be safest from oni attack due to the fortifications.
Tou-chan had not built his home like a man who'd forgotten his old enemies; it should hold.
Reiko couldn't let herself think too much about that though. Failure was something she could hardly contemplate. If they failed, death would be the lucky end. The other alternatives were horrifying enough to turn her stomach and make her feel nauseated—she dared not linger on them beyond acknowledging that primal fear was part of what would drive her in this battle. She had to accept her fear, or else it could incapacitate her at the worst moment, so she acknowledged it and pushed it aside in the same thought.
Her new sword was a heavy weight on her hip. She'd practiced with it this morning, to get a feel for its heft and balance. It was not nearly as familiar as her old one, of course, but it was the only thing she had that was guaranteed to work. Unlike her brothers', her abilities were not really combative. Certainly not especially useful against an oni.
Beside her. Tatsuya laid a hand on her head, silently offering strength and support. She leaned into the touch for a moment before it was removed. It was time to go.
Aram was standing to her side for a moment, observing his own weapon, it seemed. He seemed more familiar with it, perhaps because he hadn't had to have one made for him. His appeared to be the same one he'd carried with him wherever he went. It must have been made from bone as well. Ayla had a new bow, and a quiver full of arrows at her back. She, too, had a pair of blades attached to her side, but they weren't the size of a katana or wakizashi. They were tantō she'd had made. The blades, themselves, wouldn't necessarily be long to pierce the side of an oni, so perhaps she had them for another reason?
"Alright, you all know what you're up against," she spoke, turning her attention to all of them. "I'm not going to give you some bullshit rally talk, but I will say this," she continued, pausing only momentarily, "don't get cornered."
She didn't say anything after that. Aram didn't say anything, either. He remained silent, but his lips were pursed into a fine line. Ayla spared him a glance before turning her attention back to them.
"If you all don't have any last-minute questions, lets get going. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we'll probably have more answers."
Reiko nodded. The eight of them moved out, immediately slipping into a running pace. They moved slightly slower than usual out of deference to the fact that Ayla was not as fast, though Aram seemed to have no trouble keeping pace. Though the nest was a few miles from the castle, they'd reached it within three minutes of their initial departure.
They drew to a stop a safe distance away. Jirō caught her eye. “Reiko, if you would?"
She nodded. As the one with the kunoichi for a mother, Reiko was better at moving quietly than most of them, and her small size helped her stay under cover. From her obi, she withdrew several small smoke bombs, slotting them between her fingers. The cat mask she wore would help filter the smoke if she accidentally inhaled any of it, but she didn't plan even on that much.
By herself, she crept closer to the nest. It was located within a cave near the outlying edge of the forest. She couldn't smell any oni wandering around outside, but there were definitely some in there. Strategically, it was better to confront them while they were confused and disoriented, and dispatch as many as possible before they recovered. That would mean fighting all the rest at once afterward, which was dangerous, but they had little choice without knowing the exact number. Between them, they'd seen at least five different ones, but whether that was all of them or not wasn't totally clear.
Once she was close enough to the cave's entrance, she struck the wick-lighters on her fingers together, lighting all the bombs in quick succession. She threw all of them in at once with a sharp toss, putting them as deep in the cave as she could get them. They needed to smoke them out, after all. Pursing her lips, she followed up with a flashbomb, hoping to blind at least a couple of them for a longer duration, then fled the area back to where her family and the other two were.
The last thing she needed was to meet them all by herself.
“Here they come," Daichi muttered under his breath, drawing his katana. He spared her a nod, but seemed mostly content to ignore everyone else. Reiko saw Takahiro step slightly closer to him; doubtless Taka intended to protect him if he did anything reckless, like refuse assistance from the rest of them.
The first oni emerged from the treeline in front of them, red-skinned and about eight feet tall. It clutched at its eyes and bellowed its displeasure for all to hear. Kentaro went for it immediately; Jirō followed in his wake, a kodachi in either hand.
The next was almost forest-green, hard to see because of how well it blended against the background. Daichi charged, Takahiro right on his heels.
The one after that was a pale blue color, and slightly taller than the first by a foot. Aram moved first before Ayla. He moved with the fluid grace of water, seemingly serene and just flowing with each strike he made, with each strike he deflected. His face was, oddly, pulled into one of neutrality. He didn't appear worried, scared, excited, or anything for that matter. It was a strange look on his face. Ayla looked like she wanted to jump in to help, however; another oni emerged.
It was a deep orange color, and slightly smaller than the first. It stood about seven feet tall, and made its way towards Aram. Ayla, however, managed to direct its attention to her. Her arrow didn't seem to pierce anything, and seemed to bounce off of it. She didn't look concerned about it, and instead, kept firing her arrows. When she had its full attention, she darted in, sinking one of her tantō's into his back. There, she seemed to curl into its back, and drove the other tantō in, to keep herself in position.
The oni Aram was currently with, however, seemed to be growing frustrated at its lack of connecting hits. Aram still didn't look too worried about it, though. If anything, he looked to be studying its pattern, the way it moved, and how it was moving. He looked intrigued. Perhaps he was trying to figure something out?
There was little choice but to leave them to it. Because what seemed to be the last of them appeared then, and he was considerably bigger than his kin. At a whopping fifteen feet, he was still smaller than the one Kentaro had killed, but clearly still a danger. He also looked least-affected by the smoke and chaos, honing in on a target immediately.
He chose Ayla, and that was when Reiko and Tatusya moved. He was faster to react and got there first, sharpened sword cutting a thick line across the oni's ribcage. That certainly got his attention, and he swung his massive, horned head for her brother. Reiko interfered then, moving in behind it and slicing low, attempting to hamstring the creature.
Her blade cut reasonably well, but her strength was not quite up to par, and though she'd injured him, he was still able to put weight on the leg. Howling his indignation, the oni swung one fist for Tatsuya, perhaps to occupy him, and kicked out with his other leg towards her. Reiko dodged, but he changed his trajectory in midair, clipping her hip with a heavy blow.
The bone shattered, sending pain splintering through her whole side; she pulled in a sharp breath and fought back, slashing again, though this time she missed. She heard Tatsuya snarl; either he wasn't taking her injury well or something else had made him angry. The air around her chilled, dropping probably about twenty degrees within the space of seconds.
The others were still fighting; she had to pull her weight here.
She could hear Ayla snarl in the same fashion as Tatsuya had, however; it was hard to tell if it was for Reiko's sake, or something else. Ayla seemed busy with her oni, driving the tantō into the oni's back as if she were climbing it. Once she managed to get to his shoulders, she managed to settle herself there, and quickly pulled her bow and an arrow. The arrow, even from this distance, was different. The way it gleamed, it looked like it was one that was specifically made. Perhaps she'd had a few bones fashioned into arrowheads? That seemed to be the case when she fitted the arrow to the bow, and released it into his head.
The creature roared, painfully, but it did not go down. Instead, he reached over his shoulders, and grabbed Ayla. She hissed when he did not release her, and instead, seemed to squeeze. There was a popping sound, and from the look on Ayla's face, and the short scream that escaped her, it was apparent that it crushed her ribs. She manuevered the tantō, though, into the creature's hand, using the second one to split the back open. He immediately dropped her, and she landed on her knees. It was apparent that she was in pain, but she pushed forward.
Aram, on the other hand, still looked like he was studying his opponent. The oni had yet to lay a blow on him, and Aram kept on the defensive, deflecting blows where he could, and dodging them when it looked like he couldn't. He seemed to have come to a conclusion since he pushed forward, striking the oni's hand as it landed on the ground with its club. It howled, but only for a sort second. It was silenced thereafter, and it became apparent why. Aram's blade was sticking out of its ribcage, and the oni dropped to its knees. Without missing a beat, Aram pulled his blade out and flicked it across the oni's neck as it went down, effectively severing its head. He was by Ayla's side seconds later.
"You're getting rusty, Ayla," he simply spoke to her, though it sounded in good nature, the grim look on his face spoke otherwise. Ayla merely growled at him, but they both moved in on the oni. She was moving slower, perhaps to accommodate for her injuries, while Aram went back into the defensive position. He kept the oni's attention on him, as it tried to defend against the both of them.
To her left, Daichi and Takahiro had discovered that their opponent had some form of ability to breathe a noxious-looking gas of some kind. Both of them had pulled on their masks, though Takahiro was moving more slowly than he should be, forcing Daichi to make up the difference. They were otherwise mostly unharmed; she could smell some of Daichi's blood, but not enough that she was seriously concerned. He'd probably caught a glancing blow from a claw.
Jirō and Kentaro had already carved one of their foe's arms off at the elbow. That was quite a feat, considering the toughness of the skin and bones there. With only one arm, it was resorting a lot more to stomping the ground. It seemed to have some form of terrakinesis, because doing so produced shockwaves and a few small fissures in the ground, nearly knocking Reiko off-balance despite the distance. Fortunately, both of her brothers avoided the strikes with skill and obvious deliberate patience; like Aram, they were not especially quick to go for a fatal blow, but slowly wore away at it.
Tatsuya was rather another matter. He lunged for the oni, slashing at it again with his sword and again drawing blood. This time, however, he lifted the blade and ran his tongue across the flat side, scowling presumably at the taste of its blood.
But she knew he hadn't done it merely to be intimidating, or because he was hungry. Her suspicion was confirmed when the oni's fist simply stopped in midair, his whole body locking up when he attempted to hit Tatsuya. His muscles trembled and strained against the force holding him in place, but he could not move.
All of Reiko's brothers had the ability to puppet someone with their blood if they'd consumed it, but Tatsuya was by far the best with it. Perhaps because he could also, if necessary, pull around the water inside a body, giving him much more to grip on, so to speak. His eyes glowed with a touch of gold; he locked them on the oni, otherwise utterly still.
“Reiko," he said.
“Yes," she replied, knowing what question had been implied without the need for him to say it.
Ignoring the pain still in her hip, Reiko backed up a few paces and charged, jumping at the end of her run. Rotating herself in midair, she built strength and momentum for her strike, which cut across the back of the oni's neck with jarring force, leaving a deep wound. To make sure it was sufficient, she thrust on her way back down, sliding the blade between his ribs and piercing his heart.
Warm blood spattered her face, spraying out in a fine mist from the artery near his armpit. She tried to ignore the feeling and all the complicated things it awoke in her, keeping her mouth firmly shut and her breathing as steady as possible.
With a short gesture, Tatsuya pulled the oni's blood out of its body, leaving it slightly shriveled-looking and tossing the fluid aside onto a bare spot on the ground. Without his power holding it in place any longer, it fell, just as the other two her brothers fought did the same. That left only the one.
The one Ayla and Aram were dealing with, however, seemed to be slowing. Either it was getting tired, or something else was causing it to slow. It paused in its attacks, temporarily leaving Ayla and Aram to do the same. They both stared at it as it stared at its fallen brothers. It didn't move, and neither did the other two. All three seemed to be holding a staring contest, and it wasn't until Aram flicked his blade did they move again. This time, however, the oni was much faster, as if using something to fuel its speed.
It became apparent that this one was capable of manipulating air, as slices appeared on both Ayla and Aram's faces and arms. Aram's cuts healed almost immediately, but Ayla's didn't look to be having the same effect. Perhaps her healing factor was just slower than the rest of theirs? It was apparent from the way she was breathing, too. Her ribs were probably still broken, and she looked to be having trouble breathing. She glanced at Aram, though, and they both went in.
She drew her bow, cringed slightly, before releasing an arrow to capture the oni's attention. When she had it, it fixed most of its abilities towards her, causing her to take most of the damage before Aram was able to go in for the final blow. Like the one before it, it fell, its head rolling a few feet away from it. Aram flicked the blood off of his blade, and sheathed it, but not before glancing towards Ayla.
"You and I have much to discuss, Ayla, when we return," he simply spoke, his lips pulling into a deep frown. He looked almost upset, as if he knew the reason why she was as battered and bloodied as she was. Knowing her skill, she could have easily avoided most of those wounds. She merely furrowed her brows at him, and almost seemed to glare. Aram paid no mind to it, apparently, as he turned his attention to the others.
"I believe that to be all of them," he spoke, taking a step towards the nest entrance. "We should see if we can find anything inside. Be on guard, though," he cautioned before walking further into the entrance. Ayla looked slightly hesitant before she, too, followed after him.
The rest of them filed in as well. Reiko jogged until she'd caught up with Ayla, reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. More than a comforting gesture, it had an instant effect on both of them. Ayla's wounds vanished as though they'd never been present at all. Reiko, on the other hand, sucked in a sharp breath, the only indication of pain she allowed herself to give. Even when several of her ribs snapped with wet crunching sounds, and several new cuts opened up on her body, in the exact same places they had once been on Ayla.
Unlike her friend, though, Reiko's injuries started to heal immediately, the bones grinding as they realigned and new flesh swiftly forming over the gashes, clotting her bleeding. Of course, it didn't stop all the damage; a fair amount of her blood still splashed onto the ground, but it was less than Ayla would have lost waiting for it to heal. It was important that they all be in the best fighting shape they could; Aram was right that there might be more inside the nest. Even her sense of smell couldn't say for sure one way or the other, given the stench of the rest of them.
The cave's entrance was dark; not a problem for Reiko or her brothers and probably not a significant obstacle for Ayla, either, though she wasn't sure how well Aram could see in it. Trusting him to request assistance if she needed it, Reiko kept her sword at her side, moving forward quietly. Tatsuya stuck close to her shoulder.
The interior of the nest was strewn with animal bones and rotting furs, mostly. Some brush remained, likely what the oni had been sleeping on. The entire place stank so badly Reiko nearly retched even beneath her mask. She lifted it and pinched her nose closed instead, putting her palm over her mouth to prevent herself from tasting it. The scent was a mix of rot, grime, sweat, blood, and urine; she'd never smelled something so putrid in her entire life.
There didn't seem to be anything of interest; at least not until they picked their way deeper into the cave. Against the far wall, she could almost make something out, but it was impossible to see in the dark as anything other than faint discoloration on the stone. “Taro," she said, voice muffled somewhat by her hand, “Can you float a light over there?" She used her sword to point to the wall in question.
Stoic as ever, her brother nodded, producing two orbs of yellow fire and sending them the eight or so feet to the wall, bathing it in flickering, warm light. Reiko's eyes went wide.
It looked like... it looked like someone had covered the walls in writing. But the script was nothing she recognized. The text itself was dried and flaking, written in something that was surely...
“Blood," Tatsuya confirmed. “About three months old, by the smell." She wasn't sure how he could stand to smell anything at all, but his face was passive, his arms crossed over his chest. “I can also smell... incense. Really old, too, but I think someone left the stick here." Kentaro moved one of his flames down a little, and sure enough, Reiko picked out what might have been incense ash near the wall, atop a stone slab that looked like some kind of altar.
Reiko furrowed her brows. “Um... this one does not remember anything about oni being religious," she said tentatively.
“They aren't." Jirō said flatly. He shifted, resting his eyes on Aram. “This is shaman's magic, surely. Powerful shaman's magic."
A rasping sound signalled Daichi's sword emerging from its sheath. “Funny how there's only one shaman around here," he hissed. “I sure hope he can explain this."
“Daichi," Reiko said sharply, dropping her hand from her nose to frown at him. “Stop." She took hold of the tip of his sword with her fingers; he let her, but his eyes narrowed nearly to slits.
“Not everyone deserves your trust, Reiko."
She shook her head. “Aram-sama does." She turned, her hand still carefully gripping the blade so it did not cut, and half-turned to look at him, tilting her head in invitation for him to explain. Surely he would know the answer, right?
Ayla's eyes flashed golden, and she growled in response to Daichi. It looked like she was going to respond to Daichi's threat, however; Aram placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it. He shook his head at her, though.
"Ayla, he has reason to be suspicious. I am the only shaman, as he said," he spoke, but his face remained in a neutral expression. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, let alone feeling. There was just a kind of emptiness to him, at the moment. "But I assure you, Daichi-san, this is not of my doing," he spoke, staring directly at Daichi. He moved his gaze towards the writing on the wall, though, and walked closer to it. Ayla's eyes receded back to their blue, and she followed after him.
Aram stopped in front of the writing, and seemed to inspect it. The neutral expression on his face, however, shifted to something more grim, and Ayla spoke something soft to him. It sounded like she was saying it was human blood. They could all smell it with their sense of smell, after all. He only furrowed his brows further.
"Someone's been using an old ritual, one that... is forbidden," he finally spoke. He didn't take his eyes off of the writing, though, and continued to appear to read it. "That... that is how the oni have come back. Someone who is... capable has been turning humans into oni," he sounded a little grave and worried.
"They've been using human sacrifices to bring them back? How is that even possible?" Ayla questioned. Aram finally took his gaze off of the wall, and stared at her.
"Dark magic," he replied. "This... isn't good. I don't know who else is capable of doing what I can," he spoke. His eyes held Reiko's gaze for a moment before turning towards the others. "I apologize that I cannot do more, but," he spoke, pausing for a moment to glance back towards Ayla, "there is no telling who is responsible for this and there is no telling how long this person has been trying to bring them back. They may have succeeded in creating more than just this nest. More than we could imagine."
"Then we need to go hunting," Ayla spoke, but Aram shook his head.
"It isn't that easy. If there are more, we will need to approach the situation with caution," he responded. "We can't afford to be careless, here. We have," he paused for a moment to glance at the siblings, "their help for now. But it might not be enough. We might not be enough. We cannot afford to be reckless. I think... it is best we return and strategize for a just-in-case scenario. Better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."
"That is, of course, if you still trust us," he spoke directly towards Reiko's brothers.
Tatsuya shrugged. “I'm fine with it."
That alone seemed to be enough for most of the others. Kentaro nodded simply. He didn't seem suspicious of Aram, either. Takahiro smiled. “I think there's no reason to suspect you. If you'd really wanted these oni to kill us, you would not have gone to the trouble of instructing us about how to kill them, after all."
Jirō felt slightly less than sure of that, Reiko could feel, but he inclined his head slightly anyway, apparently intent on keeping his thoughts to himself for now. Daichi narrowed his eyes and scoffed, but he removed his blade carefully from Reiko's grip and sheathed it. “Don't blame me when we're all dying," he said sharply, shaking his head once.
Reiko pursed her lips and sighed, but turned back to the others. “We will trust you," she said. “Please, help us understand what to do." She phrased it as a formal request. She may not be head of household anymore, but she was still the person who could keep her brothers united, and she knew that more now than she had before. Jirō did not contradict her.
Aram pursed his lips together when Daichi spoke. He felt guilty about something, though he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his attention towards Reiko, and inclined his head. "We shall do our best to keep everyone informed of what must be done, however; our main concern should be the village. The nest, even if it was a few miles out, was still too close. There might be a chance that there are other nests, nearby. We don't..." he paused, taking in a slow breath.
"We don't need those fuckers getting to your humans, is what he's trying to say," Ayla seemed to clarify. Aram nodded his head. "I'm not entirely sure what can be done, though, to ensure their safety. Mere patrols might not be enough," she continued, frowning as she did so.
“This one might have a solution," Reiko said quietly, “but it will take some time. Until this one can figure it out, we should probably keep the patrols going." She paused, then sighed.
“For now, let's go back home. We can talk more once we've had a chance to rest and fill in the others."
Of course, such an emergency would be the result of the rest of them failing to kill the oni in the nest, and if they did, the garrison's fifty or so humans and solitary vampire were hardly going to succeed. Their instructions were to evacuate all of the townspeople within the walls of the castle, where they would be safest from oni attack due to the fortifications.
Tou-chan had not built his home like a man who'd forgotten his old enemies; it should hold.
Reiko couldn't let herself think too much about that though. Failure was something she could hardly contemplate. If they failed, death would be the lucky end. The other alternatives were horrifying enough to turn her stomach and make her feel nauseated—she dared not linger on them beyond acknowledging that primal fear was part of what would drive her in this battle. She had to accept her fear, or else it could incapacitate her at the worst moment, so she acknowledged it and pushed it aside in the same thought.
Her new sword was a heavy weight on her hip. She'd practiced with it this morning, to get a feel for its heft and balance. It was not nearly as familiar as her old one, of course, but it was the only thing she had that was guaranteed to work. Unlike her brothers', her abilities were not really combative. Certainly not especially useful against an oni.
Beside her. Tatsuya laid a hand on her head, silently offering strength and support. She leaned into the touch for a moment before it was removed. It was time to go.
Aram was standing to her side for a moment, observing his own weapon, it seemed. He seemed more familiar with it, perhaps because he hadn't had to have one made for him. His appeared to be the same one he'd carried with him wherever he went. It must have been made from bone as well. Ayla had a new bow, and a quiver full of arrows at her back. She, too, had a pair of blades attached to her side, but they weren't the size of a katana or wakizashi. They were tantō she'd had made. The blades, themselves, wouldn't necessarily be long to pierce the side of an oni, so perhaps she had them for another reason?
"Alright, you all know what you're up against," she spoke, turning her attention to all of them. "I'm not going to give you some bullshit rally talk, but I will say this," she continued, pausing only momentarily, "don't get cornered."
She didn't say anything after that. Aram didn't say anything, either. He remained silent, but his lips were pursed into a fine line. Ayla spared him a glance before turning her attention back to them.
"If you all don't have any last-minute questions, lets get going. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we'll probably have more answers."
Reiko nodded. The eight of them moved out, immediately slipping into a running pace. They moved slightly slower than usual out of deference to the fact that Ayla was not as fast, though Aram seemed to have no trouble keeping pace. Though the nest was a few miles from the castle, they'd reached it within three minutes of their initial departure.
They drew to a stop a safe distance away. Jirō caught her eye. “Reiko, if you would?"
She nodded. As the one with the kunoichi for a mother, Reiko was better at moving quietly than most of them, and her small size helped her stay under cover. From her obi, she withdrew several small smoke bombs, slotting them between her fingers. The cat mask she wore would help filter the smoke if she accidentally inhaled any of it, but she didn't plan even on that much.
By herself, she crept closer to the nest. It was located within a cave near the outlying edge of the forest. She couldn't smell any oni wandering around outside, but there were definitely some in there. Strategically, it was better to confront them while they were confused and disoriented, and dispatch as many as possible before they recovered. That would mean fighting all the rest at once afterward, which was dangerous, but they had little choice without knowing the exact number. Between them, they'd seen at least five different ones, but whether that was all of them or not wasn't totally clear.
Once she was close enough to the cave's entrance, she struck the wick-lighters on her fingers together, lighting all the bombs in quick succession. She threw all of them in at once with a sharp toss, putting them as deep in the cave as she could get them. They needed to smoke them out, after all. Pursing her lips, she followed up with a flashbomb, hoping to blind at least a couple of them for a longer duration, then fled the area back to where her family and the other two were.
The last thing she needed was to meet them all by herself.
“Here they come," Daichi muttered under his breath, drawing his katana. He spared her a nod, but seemed mostly content to ignore everyone else. Reiko saw Takahiro step slightly closer to him; doubtless Taka intended to protect him if he did anything reckless, like refuse assistance from the rest of them.
The first oni emerged from the treeline in front of them, red-skinned and about eight feet tall. It clutched at its eyes and bellowed its displeasure for all to hear. Kentaro went for it immediately; Jirō followed in his wake, a kodachi in either hand.
The next was almost forest-green, hard to see because of how well it blended against the background. Daichi charged, Takahiro right on his heels.
The one after that was a pale blue color, and slightly taller than the first by a foot. Aram moved first before Ayla. He moved with the fluid grace of water, seemingly serene and just flowing with each strike he made, with each strike he deflected. His face was, oddly, pulled into one of neutrality. He didn't appear worried, scared, excited, or anything for that matter. It was a strange look on his face. Ayla looked like she wanted to jump in to help, however; another oni emerged.
It was a deep orange color, and slightly smaller than the first. It stood about seven feet tall, and made its way towards Aram. Ayla, however, managed to direct its attention to her. Her arrow didn't seem to pierce anything, and seemed to bounce off of it. She didn't look concerned about it, and instead, kept firing her arrows. When she had its full attention, she darted in, sinking one of her tantō's into his back. There, she seemed to curl into its back, and drove the other tantō in, to keep herself in position.
The oni Aram was currently with, however, seemed to be growing frustrated at its lack of connecting hits. Aram still didn't look too worried about it, though. If anything, he looked to be studying its pattern, the way it moved, and how it was moving. He looked intrigued. Perhaps he was trying to figure something out?
There was little choice but to leave them to it. Because what seemed to be the last of them appeared then, and he was considerably bigger than his kin. At a whopping fifteen feet, he was still smaller than the one Kentaro had killed, but clearly still a danger. He also looked least-affected by the smoke and chaos, honing in on a target immediately.
He chose Ayla, and that was when Reiko and Tatusya moved. He was faster to react and got there first, sharpened sword cutting a thick line across the oni's ribcage. That certainly got his attention, and he swung his massive, horned head for her brother. Reiko interfered then, moving in behind it and slicing low, attempting to hamstring the creature.
Her blade cut reasonably well, but her strength was not quite up to par, and though she'd injured him, he was still able to put weight on the leg. Howling his indignation, the oni swung one fist for Tatsuya, perhaps to occupy him, and kicked out with his other leg towards her. Reiko dodged, but he changed his trajectory in midair, clipping her hip with a heavy blow.
The bone shattered, sending pain splintering through her whole side; she pulled in a sharp breath and fought back, slashing again, though this time she missed. She heard Tatsuya snarl; either he wasn't taking her injury well or something else had made him angry. The air around her chilled, dropping probably about twenty degrees within the space of seconds.
The others were still fighting; she had to pull her weight here.
She could hear Ayla snarl in the same fashion as Tatsuya had, however; it was hard to tell if it was for Reiko's sake, or something else. Ayla seemed busy with her oni, driving the tantō into the oni's back as if she were climbing it. Once she managed to get to his shoulders, she managed to settle herself there, and quickly pulled her bow and an arrow. The arrow, even from this distance, was different. The way it gleamed, it looked like it was one that was specifically made. Perhaps she'd had a few bones fashioned into arrowheads? That seemed to be the case when she fitted the arrow to the bow, and released it into his head.
The creature roared, painfully, but it did not go down. Instead, he reached over his shoulders, and grabbed Ayla. She hissed when he did not release her, and instead, seemed to squeeze. There was a popping sound, and from the look on Ayla's face, and the short scream that escaped her, it was apparent that it crushed her ribs. She manuevered the tantō, though, into the creature's hand, using the second one to split the back open. He immediately dropped her, and she landed on her knees. It was apparent that she was in pain, but she pushed forward.
Aram, on the other hand, still looked like he was studying his opponent. The oni had yet to lay a blow on him, and Aram kept on the defensive, deflecting blows where he could, and dodging them when it looked like he couldn't. He seemed to have come to a conclusion since he pushed forward, striking the oni's hand as it landed on the ground with its club. It howled, but only for a sort second. It was silenced thereafter, and it became apparent why. Aram's blade was sticking out of its ribcage, and the oni dropped to its knees. Without missing a beat, Aram pulled his blade out and flicked it across the oni's neck as it went down, effectively severing its head. He was by Ayla's side seconds later.
"You're getting rusty, Ayla," he simply spoke to her, though it sounded in good nature, the grim look on his face spoke otherwise. Ayla merely growled at him, but they both moved in on the oni. She was moving slower, perhaps to accommodate for her injuries, while Aram went back into the defensive position. He kept the oni's attention on him, as it tried to defend against the both of them.
To her left, Daichi and Takahiro had discovered that their opponent had some form of ability to breathe a noxious-looking gas of some kind. Both of them had pulled on their masks, though Takahiro was moving more slowly than he should be, forcing Daichi to make up the difference. They were otherwise mostly unharmed; she could smell some of Daichi's blood, but not enough that she was seriously concerned. He'd probably caught a glancing blow from a claw.
Jirō and Kentaro had already carved one of their foe's arms off at the elbow. That was quite a feat, considering the toughness of the skin and bones there. With only one arm, it was resorting a lot more to stomping the ground. It seemed to have some form of terrakinesis, because doing so produced shockwaves and a few small fissures in the ground, nearly knocking Reiko off-balance despite the distance. Fortunately, both of her brothers avoided the strikes with skill and obvious deliberate patience; like Aram, they were not especially quick to go for a fatal blow, but slowly wore away at it.
Tatsuya was rather another matter. He lunged for the oni, slashing at it again with his sword and again drawing blood. This time, however, he lifted the blade and ran his tongue across the flat side, scowling presumably at the taste of its blood.
But she knew he hadn't done it merely to be intimidating, or because he was hungry. Her suspicion was confirmed when the oni's fist simply stopped in midair, his whole body locking up when he attempted to hit Tatsuya. His muscles trembled and strained against the force holding him in place, but he could not move.
All of Reiko's brothers had the ability to puppet someone with their blood if they'd consumed it, but Tatsuya was by far the best with it. Perhaps because he could also, if necessary, pull around the water inside a body, giving him much more to grip on, so to speak. His eyes glowed with a touch of gold; he locked them on the oni, otherwise utterly still.
“Reiko," he said.
“Yes," she replied, knowing what question had been implied without the need for him to say it.
Ignoring the pain still in her hip, Reiko backed up a few paces and charged, jumping at the end of her run. Rotating herself in midair, she built strength and momentum for her strike, which cut across the back of the oni's neck with jarring force, leaving a deep wound. To make sure it was sufficient, she thrust on her way back down, sliding the blade between his ribs and piercing his heart.
Warm blood spattered her face, spraying out in a fine mist from the artery near his armpit. She tried to ignore the feeling and all the complicated things it awoke in her, keeping her mouth firmly shut and her breathing as steady as possible.
With a short gesture, Tatsuya pulled the oni's blood out of its body, leaving it slightly shriveled-looking and tossing the fluid aside onto a bare spot on the ground. Without his power holding it in place any longer, it fell, just as the other two her brothers fought did the same. That left only the one.
The one Ayla and Aram were dealing with, however, seemed to be slowing. Either it was getting tired, or something else was causing it to slow. It paused in its attacks, temporarily leaving Ayla and Aram to do the same. They both stared at it as it stared at its fallen brothers. It didn't move, and neither did the other two. All three seemed to be holding a staring contest, and it wasn't until Aram flicked his blade did they move again. This time, however, the oni was much faster, as if using something to fuel its speed.
It became apparent that this one was capable of manipulating air, as slices appeared on both Ayla and Aram's faces and arms. Aram's cuts healed almost immediately, but Ayla's didn't look to be having the same effect. Perhaps her healing factor was just slower than the rest of theirs? It was apparent from the way she was breathing, too. Her ribs were probably still broken, and she looked to be having trouble breathing. She glanced at Aram, though, and they both went in.
She drew her bow, cringed slightly, before releasing an arrow to capture the oni's attention. When she had it, it fixed most of its abilities towards her, causing her to take most of the damage before Aram was able to go in for the final blow. Like the one before it, it fell, its head rolling a few feet away from it. Aram flicked the blood off of his blade, and sheathed it, but not before glancing towards Ayla.
"You and I have much to discuss, Ayla, when we return," he simply spoke, his lips pulling into a deep frown. He looked almost upset, as if he knew the reason why she was as battered and bloodied as she was. Knowing her skill, she could have easily avoided most of those wounds. She merely furrowed her brows at him, and almost seemed to glare. Aram paid no mind to it, apparently, as he turned his attention to the others.
"I believe that to be all of them," he spoke, taking a step towards the nest entrance. "We should see if we can find anything inside. Be on guard, though," he cautioned before walking further into the entrance. Ayla looked slightly hesitant before she, too, followed after him.
The rest of them filed in as well. Reiko jogged until she'd caught up with Ayla, reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. More than a comforting gesture, it had an instant effect on both of them. Ayla's wounds vanished as though they'd never been present at all. Reiko, on the other hand, sucked in a sharp breath, the only indication of pain she allowed herself to give. Even when several of her ribs snapped with wet crunching sounds, and several new cuts opened up on her body, in the exact same places they had once been on Ayla.
Unlike her friend, though, Reiko's injuries started to heal immediately, the bones grinding as they realigned and new flesh swiftly forming over the gashes, clotting her bleeding. Of course, it didn't stop all the damage; a fair amount of her blood still splashed onto the ground, but it was less than Ayla would have lost waiting for it to heal. It was important that they all be in the best fighting shape they could; Aram was right that there might be more inside the nest. Even her sense of smell couldn't say for sure one way or the other, given the stench of the rest of them.
The cave's entrance was dark; not a problem for Reiko or her brothers and probably not a significant obstacle for Ayla, either, though she wasn't sure how well Aram could see in it. Trusting him to request assistance if she needed it, Reiko kept her sword at her side, moving forward quietly. Tatsuya stuck close to her shoulder.
The interior of the nest was strewn with animal bones and rotting furs, mostly. Some brush remained, likely what the oni had been sleeping on. The entire place stank so badly Reiko nearly retched even beneath her mask. She lifted it and pinched her nose closed instead, putting her palm over her mouth to prevent herself from tasting it. The scent was a mix of rot, grime, sweat, blood, and urine; she'd never smelled something so putrid in her entire life.
There didn't seem to be anything of interest; at least not until they picked their way deeper into the cave. Against the far wall, she could almost make something out, but it was impossible to see in the dark as anything other than faint discoloration on the stone. “Taro," she said, voice muffled somewhat by her hand, “Can you float a light over there?" She used her sword to point to the wall in question.
Stoic as ever, her brother nodded, producing two orbs of yellow fire and sending them the eight or so feet to the wall, bathing it in flickering, warm light. Reiko's eyes went wide.
It looked like... it looked like someone had covered the walls in writing. But the script was nothing she recognized. The text itself was dried and flaking, written in something that was surely...
“Blood," Tatsuya confirmed. “About three months old, by the smell." She wasn't sure how he could stand to smell anything at all, but his face was passive, his arms crossed over his chest. “I can also smell... incense. Really old, too, but I think someone left the stick here." Kentaro moved one of his flames down a little, and sure enough, Reiko picked out what might have been incense ash near the wall, atop a stone slab that looked like some kind of altar.
Reiko furrowed her brows. “Um... this one does not remember anything about oni being religious," she said tentatively.
“They aren't." Jirō said flatly. He shifted, resting his eyes on Aram. “This is shaman's magic, surely. Powerful shaman's magic."
A rasping sound signalled Daichi's sword emerging from its sheath. “Funny how there's only one shaman around here," he hissed. “I sure hope he can explain this."
“Daichi," Reiko said sharply, dropping her hand from her nose to frown at him. “Stop." She took hold of the tip of his sword with her fingers; he let her, but his eyes narrowed nearly to slits.
“Not everyone deserves your trust, Reiko."
She shook her head. “Aram-sama does." She turned, her hand still carefully gripping the blade so it did not cut, and half-turned to look at him, tilting her head in invitation for him to explain. Surely he would know the answer, right?
Ayla's eyes flashed golden, and she growled in response to Daichi. It looked like she was going to respond to Daichi's threat, however; Aram placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it. He shook his head at her, though.
"Ayla, he has reason to be suspicious. I am the only shaman, as he said," he spoke, but his face remained in a neutral expression. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, let alone feeling. There was just a kind of emptiness to him, at the moment. "But I assure you, Daichi-san, this is not of my doing," he spoke, staring directly at Daichi. He moved his gaze towards the writing on the wall, though, and walked closer to it. Ayla's eyes receded back to their blue, and she followed after him.
Aram stopped in front of the writing, and seemed to inspect it. The neutral expression on his face, however, shifted to something more grim, and Ayla spoke something soft to him. It sounded like she was saying it was human blood. They could all smell it with their sense of smell, after all. He only furrowed his brows further.
"Someone's been using an old ritual, one that... is forbidden," he finally spoke. He didn't take his eyes off of the writing, though, and continued to appear to read it. "That... that is how the oni have come back. Someone who is... capable has been turning humans into oni," he sounded a little grave and worried.
"They've been using human sacrifices to bring them back? How is that even possible?" Ayla questioned. Aram finally took his gaze off of the wall, and stared at her.
"Dark magic," he replied. "This... isn't good. I don't know who else is capable of doing what I can," he spoke. His eyes held Reiko's gaze for a moment before turning towards the others. "I apologize that I cannot do more, but," he spoke, pausing for a moment to glance back towards Ayla, "there is no telling who is responsible for this and there is no telling how long this person has been trying to bring them back. They may have succeeded in creating more than just this nest. More than we could imagine."
"Then we need to go hunting," Ayla spoke, but Aram shook his head.
"It isn't that easy. If there are more, we will need to approach the situation with caution," he responded. "We can't afford to be careless, here. We have," he paused for a moment to glance at the siblings, "their help for now. But it might not be enough. We might not be enough. We cannot afford to be reckless. I think... it is best we return and strategize for a just-in-case scenario. Better to be prepared than to be caught off guard."
"That is, of course, if you still trust us," he spoke directly towards Reiko's brothers.
Tatsuya shrugged. “I'm fine with it."
That alone seemed to be enough for most of the others. Kentaro nodded simply. He didn't seem suspicious of Aram, either. Takahiro smiled. “I think there's no reason to suspect you. If you'd really wanted these oni to kill us, you would not have gone to the trouble of instructing us about how to kill them, after all."
Jirō felt slightly less than sure of that, Reiko could feel, but he inclined his head slightly anyway, apparently intent on keeping his thoughts to himself for now. Daichi narrowed his eyes and scoffed, but he removed his blade carefully from Reiko's grip and sheathed it. “Don't blame me when we're all dying," he said sharply, shaking his head once.
Reiko pursed her lips and sighed, but turned back to the others. “We will trust you," she said. “Please, help us understand what to do." She phrased it as a formal request. She may not be head of household anymore, but she was still the person who could keep her brothers united, and she knew that more now than she had before. Jirō did not contradict her.
Aram pursed his lips together when Daichi spoke. He felt guilty about something, though he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his attention towards Reiko, and inclined his head. "We shall do our best to keep everyone informed of what must be done, however; our main concern should be the village. The nest, even if it was a few miles out, was still too close. There might be a chance that there are other nests, nearby. We don't..." he paused, taking in a slow breath.
"We don't need those fuckers getting to your humans, is what he's trying to say," Ayla seemed to clarify. Aram nodded his head. "I'm not entirely sure what can be done, though, to ensure their safety. Mere patrols might not be enough," she continued, frowning as she did so.
“This one might have a solution," Reiko said quietly, “but it will take some time. Until this one can figure it out, we should probably keep the patrols going." She paused, then sighed.
“For now, let's go back home. We can talk more once we've had a chance to rest and fill in the others."
Ayla knew he wanted to talk, but she didn't want to talk to him at the moment. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about, but that was a subject she didn't want to bring up. The timing was wrong, and she knew that he wouldn't understand. During the raid on the nest, she'd sensed his discomfort when she'd been injured, and when they'd discovered the writing. It was in a language they hadn't seen in a long time, and that had been alarming to both of them.
Today, though, saw that they were resting. Yesterday was enough to put stress on them all, and she found herself drifting to Reiko's garden. As usual, it wasn't empty. Sayuri was there, sitting with a perplexed look on her face. It was also tinged with a light pink color, and she raised her brow. As quietly as she could, she made her way towards the girl, and waited for Sayuri to acknowledge her. When she didn't, a small smirk formed on her lips. Leaning close to Sayuri's ear, she whispered softly, "Thinking about someone?"
The action caused Sayuri to let out a small shriek, and she looked like she'd jumped out of her skin. She turned to face Ayla, her face beet red. "Ayla-san, that... that wasn't nice!" she exclaimed, holding a hand over the place where her heart was. Ayla could hear it pick up its pace, and she laughed softly at Sayuri.
"Oh, so I was right?" she teased. Sayuri merely frowned, and didn't answer. Oh... so she was right. "C'mere, and sit," she stated, patting the ground next to her. Sayuri looked a little hesitant, but complied. She didn't sit down, though, and Ayla rolled her eyes. "You know, it's okay to sit down and get your kimono dirty, every once and a while. It won't hurt you, I promise," she stated.
"I wasn't thinking about anyone, Ayla-san. I was just... lost in thought," it seemed she wanted to ignore her statement for now. That was alright, she'd go along with it. "I just have a lot on my mind right now, and I need something to take my mind off of it," she continued, her voice quieting. "Oh, can I braid your hair!?" she asked, peering down at Ayla. Ayla, however, quirked a brow. "I promise I won't do anything else," she continued.
"Alright, fine. As long as that's all you do," she replied, smiling somewhat as she shook her head. If it helped Sayuri gather her thoughts, then she'd let her. She could feel Sayuri working out some of the tangles with her fingers.
Not more than a few minutes had gone by before both of them could hear an audible sigh. For Ayla, it was accompanied by a familiar scent. Reiko looked rather careworn, like she hadn't slept much the night before. There were dark purple circles under her eyes; she was carrying a bundle of scrolls under one arm.
She stopped walking down the engawa when she saw them, her mouth tilting into a smile. “Good afternoon, Sayu, Ayla-san. Enjoying the sunshine?" She tilted her head slightly to the side.
"We are, yes," Ayla responded, and Sayuri nodded in agreement. Ayla felt the beginning of a smirk upon her lips, though. "Sayuri was just telling me about her boy troubles, is all. Care to help?" she stated, glancing towards Sayuri, who turned a deep red color.
"Ayla-chan, I was not!" she exclaimed, causing Ayla to laugh. "You're so cruel to me," she muttered, and Ayla kept the amused look on her face.
"Only because I care," she replied. She turned her attention back to Reiko, though. "Are you headed somewhere, Rei-chan? If not, I think you should come join us for a moment, and rest," because she looked like she needed it.
Reiko looked vaguely confused by the whole thing, but she sat down next to Ayla at the edge of the engawa anyway. She put her scrolls next to her, careful not to get any dirt on them. “This one does not know any boys," she said, “except for some of the children at the village. Did one of them throw something at you, Sayu-chan? Hiro-san sometimes has problems with his son doing that..."
Ayla fixed Reiko with a flat stare. "Is that what you think of when you hear boy problems?" she asked. Sayuri's face, however, turned a deeper red, if that were possible. Ayla, however, found it rather amusing despite the stare she gave Reiko. She leaned her head onto her hand, placing her elbow on her knee as she did so. She wasn't sitting properly, she knew that, but she didn't exactly care what was proper or not.
"Um... no, Reiko-chan, no one threw anything at me," Sayuri spoke, fidgeting somewhat in her spot. "Ayla-chan is just being mean to me, is all," she continued, pursing her lips at Ayla. She rolled her eyes, though, at Sayuri, and shook her head. It's not like she didn't understand where Sayuri was coming from. She probably wasn't the best person to even give that kind of advice, but at least Sayuri's interest was reciprocated. It just wouldn't be easy.
"She is, however, having a bit of a problem. Not with a boy, per se, but rather, a man," though he didn't really qualify as a man. Not in that sense, anyway. "I don't think she realizes it, though," she continued, sparing Sayuri a glance.
"I..." it sounded like she was going to deny it, but she sighed softly. Ayla found herself smiling softly.
"Help me out here, Reiko. Haven't you ever felt something for someone? Surely there had to be someone who caught your eye at one point," because if she could love someone, no matter how hopeless her situation might have been, both Sayuri and Reiko could, too. They had a better chance at it, though.
“Uhm..." Reiko looked vaguely uncertain. She pursed her lips slightly. “This one isn't really sure about eyes, exactly, but this one has, um... been in love before. Only once, though. Is that what you mean by trouble with a man?"
Sayuri looked somewhat surprised by Reiko's admission, however; Ayla was intrigued. "Yes it is," she stated, glancing in Sayuri's direction. Sayuri seemed interested in playing with her hair, bringing it over her shoulder and pulling at the strands. Ayla sighed softly. "You know, love is not something you should be ashamed of," she sighed softly. She hadn't been ashamed of it, that was for sure, however; she didn't exactly admit it. She frowned slightly. She'd never told him, and he never knew. At least... she shook the thought from her head.
"Ayla-chan, have you ever loved anyone?" Sayuri questioned, glancing in her direction. Ayla furrowed her brows, and sighed heavily. She'd never told anyone except for Aram, and Reiko had figured it out without even being told. But she supposed it wouldn't be fair if she didn't say anything, and the others did.
"I did, yes," she admitted. She could feel her heart constrict, but oddly, it didn't pull as hard as it usually did. Strange. "But this was so long ago, I hardly remember it," it was a lie, and she knew it. Sayuri, however, didn't seem to notice it, and hummed a soft note.
"I don't... I don't think it's love, though, Ayla-chan. What I feel... it's... hard to explain," she spoke, keeping her gaze to the ground. "I just get really nervous when he leaves and I wonder if he's okay, and I worry about him. Even though I shouldn't, because he's capable of protecting himself, but I just... I can't help it."
It was a lot to admit for Sayuri, even she knew that.
Reiko lifted her shoulders. “Well... that's okay, isn't it? There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. And it's not like you have to tell him if you don't want to. Maybe you're just worried because he's your friend. It feels... different, if it's love, that's for sure. Not that this one can really talk. This one's case was..." She cleared her throat and shook her head. “Not normal, exactly."
A pause, and then: “Just to be sure... we are talking about Taro, right?"
Ayla snorted softly at Sayuri's reaction. "Yes... I mean, no! I mean... how'd you know?" Sayuri asked. Ayla was slightly curious as to what Reiko's case might have been, but she wasn't exactly going to press about it.
Yet.
"But it is something, right?" Ayla continued, Sayuri glanced at her, and pursed her lips together. She nodded her head slowly, though, causing the grin on Ayla's face to smooth out.
"Maybe, it's just too early to think of it that way," she continued. "Oh, but please... don't tell Kentaro-san. I don't think..." she trailed off without ending the sentence. Ayla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't as complicated as Sayuri was making it out to be, but she supposed she understood Sayuri's hesitance. She was human; Kentaro was not.
"I'm not going to tell him anything. I might be mean, but I'm not cruel, Sayuri-chan," Ayla stated, glancing towards Reiko.
Reiko smiled. “I'd never give away your secret, Sayu-chan. But I have to admit, I'm happy. Taro was really worried after the accident..." She paused; her smile changed slightly, so that it looked a little bit sly. “You should ask him to show you his sketches sometime." She didn't say why; honestly it seemed like a bit of a non sequitur. Perhaps she was simply trying to suggest conversations that might bring them closer.
"Thank you, Reiko-chan, Ayla-chan," Sayuri spoke. "I'll do that after our next... our next training session," she stated, glancing down with a light blush on her face. Ayla couldn't help herself.
"Yeah, training session," she spoke.
"Ayla!"
It was worth it.
Today, though, saw that they were resting. Yesterday was enough to put stress on them all, and she found herself drifting to Reiko's garden. As usual, it wasn't empty. Sayuri was there, sitting with a perplexed look on her face. It was also tinged with a light pink color, and she raised her brow. As quietly as she could, she made her way towards the girl, and waited for Sayuri to acknowledge her. When she didn't, a small smirk formed on her lips. Leaning close to Sayuri's ear, she whispered softly, "Thinking about someone?"
The action caused Sayuri to let out a small shriek, and she looked like she'd jumped out of her skin. She turned to face Ayla, her face beet red. "Ayla-san, that... that wasn't nice!" she exclaimed, holding a hand over the place where her heart was. Ayla could hear it pick up its pace, and she laughed softly at Sayuri.
"Oh, so I was right?" she teased. Sayuri merely frowned, and didn't answer. Oh... so she was right. "C'mere, and sit," she stated, patting the ground next to her. Sayuri looked a little hesitant, but complied. She didn't sit down, though, and Ayla rolled her eyes. "You know, it's okay to sit down and get your kimono dirty, every once and a while. It won't hurt you, I promise," she stated.
"I wasn't thinking about anyone, Ayla-san. I was just... lost in thought," it seemed she wanted to ignore her statement for now. That was alright, she'd go along with it. "I just have a lot on my mind right now, and I need something to take my mind off of it," she continued, her voice quieting. "Oh, can I braid your hair!?" she asked, peering down at Ayla. Ayla, however, quirked a brow. "I promise I won't do anything else," she continued.
"Alright, fine. As long as that's all you do," she replied, smiling somewhat as she shook her head. If it helped Sayuri gather her thoughts, then she'd let her. She could feel Sayuri working out some of the tangles with her fingers.
Not more than a few minutes had gone by before both of them could hear an audible sigh. For Ayla, it was accompanied by a familiar scent. Reiko looked rather careworn, like she hadn't slept much the night before. There were dark purple circles under her eyes; she was carrying a bundle of scrolls under one arm.
She stopped walking down the engawa when she saw them, her mouth tilting into a smile. “Good afternoon, Sayu, Ayla-san. Enjoying the sunshine?" She tilted her head slightly to the side.
"We are, yes," Ayla responded, and Sayuri nodded in agreement. Ayla felt the beginning of a smirk upon her lips, though. "Sayuri was just telling me about her boy troubles, is all. Care to help?" she stated, glancing towards Sayuri, who turned a deep red color.
"Ayla-chan, I was not!" she exclaimed, causing Ayla to laugh. "You're so cruel to me," she muttered, and Ayla kept the amused look on her face.
"Only because I care," she replied. She turned her attention back to Reiko, though. "Are you headed somewhere, Rei-chan? If not, I think you should come join us for a moment, and rest," because she looked like she needed it.
Reiko looked vaguely confused by the whole thing, but she sat down next to Ayla at the edge of the engawa anyway. She put her scrolls next to her, careful not to get any dirt on them. “This one does not know any boys," she said, “except for some of the children at the village. Did one of them throw something at you, Sayu-chan? Hiro-san sometimes has problems with his son doing that..."
Ayla fixed Reiko with a flat stare. "Is that what you think of when you hear boy problems?" she asked. Sayuri's face, however, turned a deeper red, if that were possible. Ayla, however, found it rather amusing despite the stare she gave Reiko. She leaned her head onto her hand, placing her elbow on her knee as she did so. She wasn't sitting properly, she knew that, but she didn't exactly care what was proper or not.
"Um... no, Reiko-chan, no one threw anything at me," Sayuri spoke, fidgeting somewhat in her spot. "Ayla-chan is just being mean to me, is all," she continued, pursing her lips at Ayla. She rolled her eyes, though, at Sayuri, and shook her head. It's not like she didn't understand where Sayuri was coming from. She probably wasn't the best person to even give that kind of advice, but at least Sayuri's interest was reciprocated. It just wouldn't be easy.
"She is, however, having a bit of a problem. Not with a boy, per se, but rather, a man," though he didn't really qualify as a man. Not in that sense, anyway. "I don't think she realizes it, though," she continued, sparing Sayuri a glance.
"I..." it sounded like she was going to deny it, but she sighed softly. Ayla found herself smiling softly.
"Help me out here, Reiko. Haven't you ever felt something for someone? Surely there had to be someone who caught your eye at one point," because if she could love someone, no matter how hopeless her situation might have been, both Sayuri and Reiko could, too. They had a better chance at it, though.
“Uhm..." Reiko looked vaguely uncertain. She pursed her lips slightly. “This one isn't really sure about eyes, exactly, but this one has, um... been in love before. Only once, though. Is that what you mean by trouble with a man?"
Sayuri looked somewhat surprised by Reiko's admission, however; Ayla was intrigued. "Yes it is," she stated, glancing in Sayuri's direction. Sayuri seemed interested in playing with her hair, bringing it over her shoulder and pulling at the strands. Ayla sighed softly. "You know, love is not something you should be ashamed of," she sighed softly. She hadn't been ashamed of it, that was for sure, however; she didn't exactly admit it. She frowned slightly. She'd never told him, and he never knew. At least... she shook the thought from her head.
"Ayla-chan, have you ever loved anyone?" Sayuri questioned, glancing in her direction. Ayla furrowed her brows, and sighed heavily. She'd never told anyone except for Aram, and Reiko had figured it out without even being told. But she supposed it wouldn't be fair if she didn't say anything, and the others did.
"I did, yes," she admitted. She could feel her heart constrict, but oddly, it didn't pull as hard as it usually did. Strange. "But this was so long ago, I hardly remember it," it was a lie, and she knew it. Sayuri, however, didn't seem to notice it, and hummed a soft note.
"I don't... I don't think it's love, though, Ayla-chan. What I feel... it's... hard to explain," she spoke, keeping her gaze to the ground. "I just get really nervous when he leaves and I wonder if he's okay, and I worry about him. Even though I shouldn't, because he's capable of protecting himself, but I just... I can't help it."
It was a lot to admit for Sayuri, even she knew that.
Reiko lifted her shoulders. “Well... that's okay, isn't it? There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. And it's not like you have to tell him if you don't want to. Maybe you're just worried because he's your friend. It feels... different, if it's love, that's for sure. Not that this one can really talk. This one's case was..." She cleared her throat and shook her head. “Not normal, exactly."
A pause, and then: “Just to be sure... we are talking about Taro, right?"
Ayla snorted softly at Sayuri's reaction. "Yes... I mean, no! I mean... how'd you know?" Sayuri asked. Ayla was slightly curious as to what Reiko's case might have been, but she wasn't exactly going to press about it.
Yet.
"But it is something, right?" Ayla continued, Sayuri glanced at her, and pursed her lips together. She nodded her head slowly, though, causing the grin on Ayla's face to smooth out.
"Maybe, it's just too early to think of it that way," she continued. "Oh, but please... don't tell Kentaro-san. I don't think..." she trailed off without ending the sentence. Ayla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't as complicated as Sayuri was making it out to be, but she supposed she understood Sayuri's hesitance. She was human; Kentaro was not.
"I'm not going to tell him anything. I might be mean, but I'm not cruel, Sayuri-chan," Ayla stated, glancing towards Reiko.
Reiko smiled. “I'd never give away your secret, Sayu-chan. But I have to admit, I'm happy. Taro was really worried after the accident..." She paused; her smile changed slightly, so that it looked a little bit sly. “You should ask him to show you his sketches sometime." She didn't say why; honestly it seemed like a bit of a non sequitur. Perhaps she was simply trying to suggest conversations that might bring them closer.
"Thank you, Reiko-chan, Ayla-chan," Sayuri spoke. "I'll do that after our next... our next training session," she stated, glancing down with a light blush on her face. Ayla couldn't help herself.
"Yeah, training session," she spoke.
"Ayla!"
It was worth it.
Reiko pulled in a breath, trying not to groan. Suya and Ayla had gone to the bar, she was pretty sure. Kentaro was nearby, but seemingly not inclined to talk to her right now. The others were either in their offices or around elsewhere, as far as she could tell, which meant this was optimal time to try testing her solution to the oni threat.
Of course, she reflected, it wasn't a complete solution. Just a stopgap to keep Shimamaki protected from any oni that might wander in and not get caught by the patrols. She could hardly protect the entire region, but... but maybe she could protect her town, and the people in it.
Reiko wasn't as strong as her brothers. She hadn't inherited any of her father's kinetic talents, or even a transformation that would give her more strength and speed. But she could still help. She refused to be useless. Letting out a breath, she came to a stop in the middle of the practice ring. She wore her sword, but it was not her intention to use it right now. Rather, she needed an area that she didn't already have under her sanctification.
Pursing her lips into a thin line, she brought her hands together in front of her. She wasn't at her best right now, but if she didn't start training for this immediately, it wouldn't be ready in time. And it wasn't like her brothers were going to need less sustenance in the near future, so she would simply have to cope.
Closing her eyes, Reiko slowly lowered herself onto her knees, feeling the familiar warmth of her power rising from deep inside herself. It felt like a warm tide, rising slowly until it filled her up and then spilling over into the environment around her. She couldn't see with her eyes shut, but she was familiar enough with how it looked; motes of light floating away from her body.
She reached the outer bounds of the castle itself before she began to tire, groaning softly and letting herself fall out of seiza. The effort to keep herself upright was effort she'd rather be putting towards her purpose. So she fell onto her back, hands thrown out to either side, and focused on her breathing, the steady push and pull of her lungs, as she tried to move her power further and further away. She was almost there...
"Reiko?" it was Aram, and he sounded a bit worried. The sound of footsteps moving a little quickly, could be heard until they shuffled a few feet away. "Reiko, are you alright?" it was easier to hear the worry in his voice, now.
"This one is all right, Aram-sama," she said softly, still not opening her eyes. That was maybe not entirely true; she wasn't wholly sure she could move her limbs or body right now if she tried, but she was still managing her power all right, and she didn't feel lightheaded or dizzy, which were the usual symptoms of overusing it.
Maybe all the years that had passed since she sanctified her garden had made it stronger? She supposed there was only one way to find out. "Aram-sama... if you would be so kind, this one could use someone to make sure she does not lose consciousness soon. Would you stay?"
"I'll stay," he answered. From the sounds of him shuffling about, it sounded like he was taking a seat where he had stood. He remained quiet for a moment, but she could feel a hint of something curious. "If you don't mind me asking," he began, sounding almost unsure of himself. It was as if he were unsure if he should ask what he wanted to.
"What are you doing, Reiko-san?" he finally spoke.
She supposed she must look strange, laying in the middle of the practice ring, issuing light into the air. The question was quite understandable, considering that. She let the corner of her mouth pull up a little bit. "This one is practicing," she said, feeling the smile slip away as quickly as it had arrived. "This one is not a very strong fighter compared to Aram-sama or Ayla-san or this one's brothers. But this one has a power that no one else has. If this one trains it, this one will be able to protect the entire town with it."
Her power was a strange thing; it wasn't immediately obvious how it worked just from seeing it. It had taken her a long time to figure out, and even longer to learn to do deliberately. But she had been steadily expanding the range since she was a child. Reiko supposed she had been foolish to stop constantly trying to do that, to believe that her garden was enough, that she'd never need to use it for anything bigger. But she could make up for lost time.
She had to.
"How does it work?" he asked, the curiousness still in his voice. "How are you able to protect the entire town with it?" he continued. She could almost hear the tilt in his head when he asked. "Is there..." he paused for a moment, and he remained silent for a few moments longer.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Reiko huffed softly. "Not unless you can magically find this one more energy, Aram-sama." She let out a soft breath, feeling her chest fall. Each new breath was a little harder than the last, but for now, that was all right.
"This one's power creates..." She welcomed the distraction of trying to explain, actually, even if it was rather difficult to put into words. "This one supposes you could call it a purified ground, but 'pure' may not be the right word." She was no priestess, no holy woman. She certainly didn't consider herself deserving of the adjective, considering what she was. "You have seen this one's garden... things grow better within the zone, and this one's spheres float in the sky. What you may not know is that that place is under this one's domain. No one may enter it without this one's permission. A barrier stops intruders that this one does not want, and this one can feel it when people come and go from the area."
Her next breath wheezed out softly; Reiko could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "The difficult part of this is increasing this one's range. Small areas, like Aram-sama's house, are not difficult, but if there are too many, or the combined area is too large, this one passes out, and the effect goes away."
There was a flicker of worry that passed through him, she could tell. He didn't say anything though, and remained quiet. He was probably thinking to himself. "Reiko, please... stop," he spoke. There was something strange in his voice, though, and she could hear him stand. He stepped closer to her, but he moved no further.
"You're going to overtax yourself. I know... you want to protect the village and its people, but this," he paused. It sounded like he was making a gesture from the soft ruffle of his clothes, as if trying to explain the this part of his statement. "It might be too much for you. There has to be a better way that we can protect the village," he continued, the worry becoming more evident in his tone.
"It is not that I do not believe you don't have the power to do this, because I think you do," he continued. He took in a slow breath. "I just don't think you should be overexerting yourself right now," he stated slowly, as if that weren't the only reason.
With great effort, Reiko cracked her eyelids open. They felt so heavy, but with a few blinks the was able to get them open, turning her head slightly so that she could see him. "And fighting doesn't overtax everyone else, including this one?" she asked softly. "Aram-sama, no matter what this one does, this one will be tired. But if this one trains these powers, it will allow everyone else to sleep easier. You, Ayla-san, this one's brothers... and the whole town. This one's energy will return, eventually."
Indeed, the whole point of training was to strain herself now so that it would be easier to manage later, when it counted.
"There is a difference, though, Reiko," he spoke. His face was pulled into a deep frown, and it became apparent just how worried he was. "Training yourself does not mean training to the point that you pass out. You push yourself as far as you can go, but you also respect your body's limits. Once you learn your body's limits, then you push them further, but not all at once. Training until you pass out defeats the purpose, and you will learn nothing," he continued, keeping his gaze with hers.
"They sound like the same thing, but I assure you that they are, indeed, very different. Let..." he paused, finally moving his gaze from her. "If you truly wish to do this, will you allow me to help you?" he asked, his gaze still on the ground and not her. "I would offer you the sustenance you need to keep yourself vitalized, but I know how... how intimate that act is. Amon... did not spare any details," he continued, turning the slightest bit pink.
"That is kind of you, Aram-sama," she said, unable to maintain eye contact. She told herself it was just because she was tired. But the offer was a little embarrassing. She couldn't possibly imagine doing such a thing. Not only would she then be privy to every secret he kept, she... Reiko swallowed and sharply diverted her mind from that train of thought. "This one assures you, this one has no intention of passing out. But it is a risk that this one takes, which is why this one asked you to stay." She lifted her eyes to the glimmers of light above her.
A soft sigh escaped her. "This one knows how it feels to be useless to protect anyone. This one will not let anyone else die for my weakness. No matter what this one must do." There would be no one else like Tou-chan, forced to protect her at the expense of themselves. "This one bears the burden of protecting others, just like Aram-sama bears the burden of the future, you see?"
He sighed, but smiled softly at her. "Then perhaps it is a good thing that we are learning to share those burdens, right?" he stated softly. "I shall help in any way I can, Reiko. If... you ever need anything, no matter what it is, please do not hesitate to ask it of me. We are friends, right? And that is what friends do for each other," he spoke, but it sounded like he'd said something after that. Something that sounded like 'I think'.
She caught the smile from the corner of her eye and returned it, just as her power reached the outer bounds of the castle and settled there. She knew it was as far as she'd be able to reach today, but it was a good foundation. Reiko let her power subside and sighed gently. "Of course it is," she said softly. "And actually, there is one way you could help right now," she said, a bit of embarrassment entering her voice.
"You see... this one can't exactly move right now. Perhaps you would be willing to help this one stand?"
He blinked a little slowly at her before her request dawned on him. "Of course," he replied, moving so that he was by her side. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to figure out the best position to pick her up from. He must have decided because he leaned down, however; he didn't exactly help her up. Instead, he slipped one of his arms beneath her legs, and used the other one to cradle her shoulders. He lifted her up, holding her in a polite fashion, though he did not glance down at her.
"I think... perhaps this might be best for you until you regain more of your strength. Do you... wish for me to take you to your garden?" he asked. The pink on his face turned a deeper color, and he still did not look at her.
Reiko felt the deep flush spreading over her face. Considering she'd never been held in such a way by anyone, family included, she felt it was probably excusable, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. Her first instinct was to hide her face, and she's already done it before she realized that doing so involved pressing her forehead to his chest, and getting a lungful of his scent. Oh, why did he have to smell so good? In more than one sense of the word.
Her stomach growled audibly, and she was pretty sure she was going to die of shame. Hoping he perhaps hadn't heard it, she spoke into his shirt. "Th-the garden would be f-fine. P-perhaps by the p-pond?"
"Alright," he spoke easily enough. She could hear his heart beat, steady as it had been, pick up in pace. It remained that way until they'd reached the garden. "We're here, Reiko," he stated, settling her down by the pond as she had requested. He simply stared at her for a moment longer before he averted his gaze from her.
"If... you need anything else," he seemed to leave it open, as if saying he would continue to help her if she wanted his help.
"Oh, um... n-no thank you. This one is all right now. Th-thank you, Aram-sama." Reiko quickly glanced away, folding her legs underneath her. "B-but, um... if you're not busy, then m-maybe you'd like to stay and watch the ducks?" She felt stupid as soon as she'd said it, but she couldn't exactly withdraw the offer on the grounds that it was silly, now could she?
Aram blinked a little in surprise, but nodded. "I have nowhere else to be," he spoke, taking a seat next to her. He crossed his legs, an easier task for him considering he wasn't wearing a kimono or yukata. "I'll stay and watch the ducks with you," he stated, offering her a bright smile. He was being sincere when he said it, too. That was easy to tell. It was almost like he'd rather be here, though, even if he did have somewhere else to be.
Reiko smiled back, but found herself unable to hold his eyes for long, and averted hers to her hands in her lap. Maybe her silly question wasn't so bad after all, then.
Of course, she reflected, it wasn't a complete solution. Just a stopgap to keep Shimamaki protected from any oni that might wander in and not get caught by the patrols. She could hardly protect the entire region, but... but maybe she could protect her town, and the people in it.
Reiko wasn't as strong as her brothers. She hadn't inherited any of her father's kinetic talents, or even a transformation that would give her more strength and speed. But she could still help. She refused to be useless. Letting out a breath, she came to a stop in the middle of the practice ring. She wore her sword, but it was not her intention to use it right now. Rather, she needed an area that she didn't already have under her sanctification.
Pursing her lips into a thin line, she brought her hands together in front of her. She wasn't at her best right now, but if she didn't start training for this immediately, it wouldn't be ready in time. And it wasn't like her brothers were going to need less sustenance in the near future, so she would simply have to cope.
Closing her eyes, Reiko slowly lowered herself onto her knees, feeling the familiar warmth of her power rising from deep inside herself. It felt like a warm tide, rising slowly until it filled her up and then spilling over into the environment around her. She couldn't see with her eyes shut, but she was familiar enough with how it looked; motes of light floating away from her body.
She reached the outer bounds of the castle itself before she began to tire, groaning softly and letting herself fall out of seiza. The effort to keep herself upright was effort she'd rather be putting towards her purpose. So she fell onto her back, hands thrown out to either side, and focused on her breathing, the steady push and pull of her lungs, as she tried to move her power further and further away. She was almost there...
"Reiko?" it was Aram, and he sounded a bit worried. The sound of footsteps moving a little quickly, could be heard until they shuffled a few feet away. "Reiko, are you alright?" it was easier to hear the worry in his voice, now.
"This one is all right, Aram-sama," she said softly, still not opening her eyes. That was maybe not entirely true; she wasn't wholly sure she could move her limbs or body right now if she tried, but she was still managing her power all right, and she didn't feel lightheaded or dizzy, which were the usual symptoms of overusing it.
Maybe all the years that had passed since she sanctified her garden had made it stronger? She supposed there was only one way to find out. "Aram-sama... if you would be so kind, this one could use someone to make sure she does not lose consciousness soon. Would you stay?"
"I'll stay," he answered. From the sounds of him shuffling about, it sounded like he was taking a seat where he had stood. He remained quiet for a moment, but she could feel a hint of something curious. "If you don't mind me asking," he began, sounding almost unsure of himself. It was as if he were unsure if he should ask what he wanted to.
"What are you doing, Reiko-san?" he finally spoke.
She supposed she must look strange, laying in the middle of the practice ring, issuing light into the air. The question was quite understandable, considering that. She let the corner of her mouth pull up a little bit. "This one is practicing," she said, feeling the smile slip away as quickly as it had arrived. "This one is not a very strong fighter compared to Aram-sama or Ayla-san or this one's brothers. But this one has a power that no one else has. If this one trains it, this one will be able to protect the entire town with it."
Her power was a strange thing; it wasn't immediately obvious how it worked just from seeing it. It had taken her a long time to figure out, and even longer to learn to do deliberately. But she had been steadily expanding the range since she was a child. Reiko supposed she had been foolish to stop constantly trying to do that, to believe that her garden was enough, that she'd never need to use it for anything bigger. But she could make up for lost time.
She had to.
"How does it work?" he asked, the curiousness still in his voice. "How are you able to protect the entire town with it?" he continued. She could almost hear the tilt in his head when he asked. "Is there..." he paused for a moment, and he remained silent for a few moments longer.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Reiko huffed softly. "Not unless you can magically find this one more energy, Aram-sama." She let out a soft breath, feeling her chest fall. Each new breath was a little harder than the last, but for now, that was all right.
"This one's power creates..." She welcomed the distraction of trying to explain, actually, even if it was rather difficult to put into words. "This one supposes you could call it a purified ground, but 'pure' may not be the right word." She was no priestess, no holy woman. She certainly didn't consider herself deserving of the adjective, considering what she was. "You have seen this one's garden... things grow better within the zone, and this one's spheres float in the sky. What you may not know is that that place is under this one's domain. No one may enter it without this one's permission. A barrier stops intruders that this one does not want, and this one can feel it when people come and go from the area."
Her next breath wheezed out softly; Reiko could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "The difficult part of this is increasing this one's range. Small areas, like Aram-sama's house, are not difficult, but if there are too many, or the combined area is too large, this one passes out, and the effect goes away."
There was a flicker of worry that passed through him, she could tell. He didn't say anything though, and remained quiet. He was probably thinking to himself. "Reiko, please... stop," he spoke. There was something strange in his voice, though, and she could hear him stand. He stepped closer to her, but he moved no further.
"You're going to overtax yourself. I know... you want to protect the village and its people, but this," he paused. It sounded like he was making a gesture from the soft ruffle of his clothes, as if trying to explain the this part of his statement. "It might be too much for you. There has to be a better way that we can protect the village," he continued, the worry becoming more evident in his tone.
"It is not that I do not believe you don't have the power to do this, because I think you do," he continued. He took in a slow breath. "I just don't think you should be overexerting yourself right now," he stated slowly, as if that weren't the only reason.
With great effort, Reiko cracked her eyelids open. They felt so heavy, but with a few blinks the was able to get them open, turning her head slightly so that she could see him. "And fighting doesn't overtax everyone else, including this one?" she asked softly. "Aram-sama, no matter what this one does, this one will be tired. But if this one trains these powers, it will allow everyone else to sleep easier. You, Ayla-san, this one's brothers... and the whole town. This one's energy will return, eventually."
Indeed, the whole point of training was to strain herself now so that it would be easier to manage later, when it counted.
"There is a difference, though, Reiko," he spoke. His face was pulled into a deep frown, and it became apparent just how worried he was. "Training yourself does not mean training to the point that you pass out. You push yourself as far as you can go, but you also respect your body's limits. Once you learn your body's limits, then you push them further, but not all at once. Training until you pass out defeats the purpose, and you will learn nothing," he continued, keeping his gaze with hers.
"They sound like the same thing, but I assure you that they are, indeed, very different. Let..." he paused, finally moving his gaze from her. "If you truly wish to do this, will you allow me to help you?" he asked, his gaze still on the ground and not her. "I would offer you the sustenance you need to keep yourself vitalized, but I know how... how intimate that act is. Amon... did not spare any details," he continued, turning the slightest bit pink.
"That is kind of you, Aram-sama," she said, unable to maintain eye contact. She told herself it was just because she was tired. But the offer was a little embarrassing. She couldn't possibly imagine doing such a thing. Not only would she then be privy to every secret he kept, she... Reiko swallowed and sharply diverted her mind from that train of thought. "This one assures you, this one has no intention of passing out. But it is a risk that this one takes, which is why this one asked you to stay." She lifted her eyes to the glimmers of light above her.
A soft sigh escaped her. "This one knows how it feels to be useless to protect anyone. This one will not let anyone else die for my weakness. No matter what this one must do." There would be no one else like Tou-chan, forced to protect her at the expense of themselves. "This one bears the burden of protecting others, just like Aram-sama bears the burden of the future, you see?"
He sighed, but smiled softly at her. "Then perhaps it is a good thing that we are learning to share those burdens, right?" he stated softly. "I shall help in any way I can, Reiko. If... you ever need anything, no matter what it is, please do not hesitate to ask it of me. We are friends, right? And that is what friends do for each other," he spoke, but it sounded like he'd said something after that. Something that sounded like 'I think'.
She caught the smile from the corner of her eye and returned it, just as her power reached the outer bounds of the castle and settled there. She knew it was as far as she'd be able to reach today, but it was a good foundation. Reiko let her power subside and sighed gently. "Of course it is," she said softly. "And actually, there is one way you could help right now," she said, a bit of embarrassment entering her voice.
"You see... this one can't exactly move right now. Perhaps you would be willing to help this one stand?"
He blinked a little slowly at her before her request dawned on him. "Of course," he replied, moving so that he was by her side. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to figure out the best position to pick her up from. He must have decided because he leaned down, however; he didn't exactly help her up. Instead, he slipped one of his arms beneath her legs, and used the other one to cradle her shoulders. He lifted her up, holding her in a polite fashion, though he did not glance down at her.
"I think... perhaps this might be best for you until you regain more of your strength. Do you... wish for me to take you to your garden?" he asked. The pink on his face turned a deeper color, and he still did not look at her.
Reiko felt the deep flush spreading over her face. Considering she'd never been held in such a way by anyone, family included, she felt it was probably excusable, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. Her first instinct was to hide her face, and she's already done it before she realized that doing so involved pressing her forehead to his chest, and getting a lungful of his scent. Oh, why did he have to smell so good? In more than one sense of the word.
Her stomach growled audibly, and she was pretty sure she was going to die of shame. Hoping he perhaps hadn't heard it, she spoke into his shirt. "Th-the garden would be f-fine. P-perhaps by the p-pond?"
"Alright," he spoke easily enough. She could hear his heart beat, steady as it had been, pick up in pace. It remained that way until they'd reached the garden. "We're here, Reiko," he stated, settling her down by the pond as she had requested. He simply stared at her for a moment longer before he averted his gaze from her.
"If... you need anything else," he seemed to leave it open, as if saying he would continue to help her if she wanted his help.
"Oh, um... n-no thank you. This one is all right now. Th-thank you, Aram-sama." Reiko quickly glanced away, folding her legs underneath her. "B-but, um... if you're not busy, then m-maybe you'd like to stay and watch the ducks?" She felt stupid as soon as she'd said it, but she couldn't exactly withdraw the offer on the grounds that it was silly, now could she?
Aram blinked a little in surprise, but nodded. "I have nowhere else to be," he spoke, taking a seat next to her. He crossed his legs, an easier task for him considering he wasn't wearing a kimono or yukata. "I'll stay and watch the ducks with you," he stated, offering her a bright smile. He was being sincere when he said it, too. That was easy to tell. It was almost like he'd rather be here, though, even if he did have somewhere else to be.
Reiko smiled back, but found herself unable to hold his eyes for long, and averted hers to her hands in her lap. Maybe her silly question wasn't so bad after all, then.
"Ayla, we need to talk," his voice made her cringe. She sighed softly, pausing in her steps to turn in his direction. "Will you join me for a walk?" he asked. How could she say no? She didn't want to go with him, but she knew this was coming. Sighing softly, she nodded her head, and he inclined his head forward. They walked out of the premises, passing a few of the servants of the household. Aram greeted them warmly, though she remained quiet and paid them no mind. Luckily, they hadn't passed any of the Minamoto or Reiko. She wasn't sure if Aram wanted to explain that they were just going for a walk, and nothing more.
Daichi was already suspicious of Aram, and Ayla knew Aram didn't want anyone to follow them. This was a matter of privacy between siblings. They, of all people, would understand that. When they were far from the household, they continued walking for another hour, past the village boundary, and into the nearby forest. Perhaps that was for the best. They continued walking for another few minutes before she stopped, causing him to stop as well.
"Out with it," she spoke, and Aram pursed his lips together. He took a deep breath, and slumped his shoulders. This wasn't easy for him, she knew that.
"What were you thinking?" he finally spoke.
"You'll have to be more specific."
"Don't play stupid with me, Ayla. Back at the oni nest, what were you thinking," he actually made her cringe. She'd never heard him so angry before. She furrowed her brows at him, though, and pursed her lips together. She didn't say anything to him for a few minutes. What could she say? She removed her gaze from him, and she could hear him sigh.
"You went into that battle with the intent to die, didn't you?" he stated it more-so than questioned it. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Ayla, why?" he seemed so confused.
"What does it matter, Ara? If I die, then—
"Then what? It won't make it better, Ayla, and it's not... it's not fair, that you think you're the only one who misses him. I loved him, too," he stated, his brows furrowing.
She knew that.
"But not the way I loved him, Aram. I..." she choked on the words she wanted to say. "Do you have any idea how it makes me feel, knowing every day that I can't tell him that I loved him? That I never got the chance to tell him goodbye, and that... that I wasn't mad at him when he left," she continued, her voice soft in her ears. She'd been so mad with Amon the day he said he was leaving, and he hadn't given her a reason as to why. He simply said it was something he had to do, and that was it. She'd been so angry with him, but she knew now that she wasn't.
She was just upset and afraid.
"And now I'll never get to apologize to him," she continued, taking a step back. She cast her gaze to the floor, but she could hear Aram moving towards her. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, steadily beating. It was calming to her, however; she could hear him push out a breath. She almost missed the words he'd said.
"He knew," he spoke again, the words still soft upon his breath. She blinked, pulling away from his embrace. He knew? He knew? "Ayla, he knew how you felt about him, but... it wasn't meant to be. Even he knew that," he continued, and Ayla felt something boiling beneath her skin. She pushed herself away from Aram, and stared at him.
He knew, was the only thing that kept repeating in her mind. If he knew, then why didn't he say anything about it? Why didn't he tell her? "You're lying," was the only thing she could push out. Aram had to be lying. The look on his face, though... she knew he wasn't. It felt like something was trying to rip out her heart, and she almost felt sick. Aram moved towards her again, however; she took a step back.
"Don't."
"Ayla," he began, but she glared at him. He stopped in his motions, and frowned at her.
"You knew that he knew, and you said nothing," she continued, the same rage boiling beneath her skin. That didn't seem right. It wasn't rage; it was something else, something she couldn't define. "You both knew, and yet you did nothing," she could have accepted it if they'd told her something. It would have broken her heart, but if he'd told her that he did not love her, she would have accepted it. Maybe... she could have moved on. Maybe she could have moved on to love someone else? It wasn't fair, that they had robbed her of that.
"You weren't his fate, Ayla. We were not created for each other, that way. I think... even he knew that," he continued to speak, and with every word he did, it felt like he was stabbing her. "But do not doubt that he did not love you as I love you. You were, and always will be, our little sister."
"Stop it!" she yelled at him, her eyes widening. "Just... stop, Aram," she continued, taking another step back.
"No, Ayla. You need to know so you can stop throwing your life away," he continued, a strange hint of resolution in his voice. "If you keep going into battle the way you do, putting little effort into keeping yourself alive, you won't... you'll..." he seemed to have difficulty saying she'll die.
But isnt' that what she wanted?
"You don't have a say in what I do with my life. You don't have a say in anything, Aram. Don't you dare tell me, otherwise," she nearly spat at him. She was on the cusp of losing control right now. The anger, the feeling of betrayal, it all burned deeply in her right now. He only seemed to narrow his eyes at her.
"You're right, Ayla. I don't have a say in what you do with your life, but," he paused, something pained crossing his face. "Am I not worth living for, too?" he asked, and the way he said it caused everything she was feeling to disperse, only to have regret and shame take its place. If she had died, she'd have left him behind. He would be here, alone, with none of his siblings. That loneliness he'd bear, he'd have it for the rest of his life. He'd have to bear it for all of eternity. She sighed softly.
"That's a low blow, Aram," she spoke, but it did not stop the burning sensation behind her eyes. He did not take his gaze from her, and suddenly, she had to avert hers. She hated when he looked at her like that. It made her feel like she was a terrible person. More than the monster she knew she already was. She did not resist this time when he approached, pulling her towards him in a soft embrace. She hated how warm he was.
"But you did not answer the question. Do I mean so little to you, that you would not live for my sake?" he asked. She could feel her bottom lip quivering softly, and it took everything she had to keep from breaking in his hold. How was it that he knew exactly what to say to make her feel worse than she already did.
"No, Aram, you do," she confessed lightly. He was her brother, of course he was important to her. "But it still doesn't excuse you for keeping that from me. Why... why didn't you tell me?" she asked, but she knew he could not tell her. Would not tell her.
"If I would have known that it would result in this, I would have tried," he spoke earnestly. "Do not doubt that someone else loves you, Ayla. It... might be hard now, but... can my love be enough for you, right now? Can it be enough that you will live for my sake, too?" he asked. And she knew he meant it in the most innocent of ways. She hated how she felt right now.
"Okay," because she wouldn't be able to do otherwise, now. "I'll... try," all it took was the crack in her voice to break her. She sobbed into his chest, and he continued to hold her, running his fingers through her hair as if he were trying to comfort her. As if he were trying to say it would be okay.
It wouldn't be, though, and she knew that.
And she hated herself.
Daichi was already suspicious of Aram, and Ayla knew Aram didn't want anyone to follow them. This was a matter of privacy between siblings. They, of all people, would understand that. When they were far from the household, they continued walking for another hour, past the village boundary, and into the nearby forest. Perhaps that was for the best. They continued walking for another few minutes before she stopped, causing him to stop as well.
"Out with it," she spoke, and Aram pursed his lips together. He took a deep breath, and slumped his shoulders. This wasn't easy for him, she knew that.
"What were you thinking?" he finally spoke.
"You'll have to be more specific."
"Don't play stupid with me, Ayla. Back at the oni nest, what were you thinking," he actually made her cringe. She'd never heard him so angry before. She furrowed her brows at him, though, and pursed her lips together. She didn't say anything to him for a few minutes. What could she say? She removed her gaze from him, and she could hear him sigh.
"You went into that battle with the intent to die, didn't you?" he stated it more-so than questioned it. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Ayla, why?" he seemed so confused.
"What does it matter, Ara? If I die, then—
"Then what? It won't make it better, Ayla, and it's not... it's not fair, that you think you're the only one who misses him. I loved him, too," he stated, his brows furrowing.
She knew that.
"But not the way I loved him, Aram. I..." she choked on the words she wanted to say. "Do you have any idea how it makes me feel, knowing every day that I can't tell him that I loved him? That I never got the chance to tell him goodbye, and that... that I wasn't mad at him when he left," she continued, her voice soft in her ears. She'd been so mad with Amon the day he said he was leaving, and he hadn't given her a reason as to why. He simply said it was something he had to do, and that was it. She'd been so angry with him, but she knew now that she wasn't.
She was just upset and afraid.
"And now I'll never get to apologize to him," she continued, taking a step back. She cast her gaze to the floor, but she could hear Aram moving towards her. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, steadily beating. It was calming to her, however; she could hear him push out a breath. She almost missed the words he'd said.
"He knew," he spoke again, the words still soft upon his breath. She blinked, pulling away from his embrace. He knew? He knew? "Ayla, he knew how you felt about him, but... it wasn't meant to be. Even he knew that," he continued, and Ayla felt something boiling beneath her skin. She pushed herself away from Aram, and stared at him.
He knew, was the only thing that kept repeating in her mind. If he knew, then why didn't he say anything about it? Why didn't he tell her? "You're lying," was the only thing she could push out. Aram had to be lying. The look on his face, though... she knew he wasn't. It felt like something was trying to rip out her heart, and she almost felt sick. Aram moved towards her again, however; she took a step back.
"Don't."
"Ayla," he began, but she glared at him. He stopped in his motions, and frowned at her.
"You knew that he knew, and you said nothing," she continued, the same rage boiling beneath her skin. That didn't seem right. It wasn't rage; it was something else, something she couldn't define. "You both knew, and yet you did nothing," she could have accepted it if they'd told her something. It would have broken her heart, but if he'd told her that he did not love her, she would have accepted it. Maybe... she could have moved on. Maybe she could have moved on to love someone else? It wasn't fair, that they had robbed her of that.
"You weren't his fate, Ayla. We were not created for each other, that way. I think... even he knew that," he continued to speak, and with every word he did, it felt like he was stabbing her. "But do not doubt that he did not love you as I love you. You were, and always will be, our little sister."
"Stop it!" she yelled at him, her eyes widening. "Just... stop, Aram," she continued, taking another step back.
"No, Ayla. You need to know so you can stop throwing your life away," he continued, a strange hint of resolution in his voice. "If you keep going into battle the way you do, putting little effort into keeping yourself alive, you won't... you'll..." he seemed to have difficulty saying she'll die.
But isnt' that what she wanted?
"You don't have a say in what I do with my life. You don't have a say in anything, Aram. Don't you dare tell me, otherwise," she nearly spat at him. She was on the cusp of losing control right now. The anger, the feeling of betrayal, it all burned deeply in her right now. He only seemed to narrow his eyes at her.
"You're right, Ayla. I don't have a say in what you do with your life, but," he paused, something pained crossing his face. "Am I not worth living for, too?" he asked, and the way he said it caused everything she was feeling to disperse, only to have regret and shame take its place. If she had died, she'd have left him behind. He would be here, alone, with none of his siblings. That loneliness he'd bear, he'd have it for the rest of his life. He'd have to bear it for all of eternity. She sighed softly.
"That's a low blow, Aram," she spoke, but it did not stop the burning sensation behind her eyes. He did not take his gaze from her, and suddenly, she had to avert hers. She hated when he looked at her like that. It made her feel like she was a terrible person. More than the monster she knew she already was. She did not resist this time when he approached, pulling her towards him in a soft embrace. She hated how warm he was.
"But you did not answer the question. Do I mean so little to you, that you would not live for my sake?" he asked. She could feel her bottom lip quivering softly, and it took everything she had to keep from breaking in his hold. How was it that he knew exactly what to say to make her feel worse than she already did.
"No, Aram, you do," she confessed lightly. He was her brother, of course he was important to her. "But it still doesn't excuse you for keeping that from me. Why... why didn't you tell me?" she asked, but she knew he could not tell her. Would not tell her.
"If I would have known that it would result in this, I would have tried," he spoke earnestly. "Do not doubt that someone else loves you, Ayla. It... might be hard now, but... can my love be enough for you, right now? Can it be enough that you will live for my sake, too?" he asked. And she knew he meant it in the most innocent of ways. She hated how she felt right now.
"Okay," because she wouldn't be able to do otherwise, now. "I'll... try," all it took was the crack in her voice to break her. She sobbed into his chest, and he continued to hold her, running his fingers through her hair as if he were trying to comfort her. As if he were trying to say it would be okay.
It wouldn't be, though, and she knew that.
And she hated herself.
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Summer was almost upon them.
Kentaro tended to feel most comfortable in that season; it agreed with his natural disposition towards warmth, and his imperviousness to heat. He might have thought it odd, the way his kinetic talent honed him into a time of year, but for him it was perfectly normal. It was well-known that Tatsuya abhorred the summer, favoring instead Hokkaido's long, dark winters.
The duck pond, he'd found, was an ideal place to sit. The grass there made the ground comfortable, and the ducks were not afraid of him. Especially not when, as now, he broke chunks off a stale loaf of bread and fed them with it. The young ones were still soft and yellowish in color; he found that he could watch them for hours, on the days he had hours to spare. Often of late, he had not. After all, the slow pace of his life had been rapidly accelerated in recent days, with the return of his father's old enemies. Perhaps he would die before living to see it slow down again. He wasn't sure how he felt about the thought. Kentaro had never been one to consider his feeling about much of anything, in part because he considered himself to have few of them overall.
That was something else that seemed to be changing, though he was quite sure the oni had little to do with it.
"Ah, Kentaro-san! There you are!" Sayuri called to him, and from the way she hurried towards him, she'd been looking for him for quite a while. She stopped behind him, and looked like she was trying to catch her breath. Once she did, she straightened back out, and glanced at him. Her brows, however, furrowed, and she looked slightly confused.
"Today... wasn't a practice day, was it," she spoke, turning slightly pink as she did so. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I've been looking for you thinking we had practice today," she seemed to continue, and shifted nervously in her spot. She turned her gaze away from him, for a second before returning it.
"I guess I should let you rest, then," she stated softly. "I'll, uh, be going then," she stated, and turned to leave.
“We can practice if you wish," he said to her back, tearing off another small chunk of bread and tossing it into the water. one of the little ducks snatched it up with a sharp motion of his head. “It is fortunate that you have enthusiasm for the subject matter; it makes learning easier." She seemed rather energetic; if it really was a particular preference for lessons, he wouldn't want to interfere. Rest days were important for her fragile human body, but the occasional exception was nothing to worry about.
She tilted her head, the pink on her face turning slightly darker. "Ah, well, I just," she began, glancing away from him. She stared at the pond for a minute before she looked at him again. "I just enjoy being with you, is all. And you're, um..." she started, laughing nervously.
"We don't have to practice today, Kentaro-san. You need rest as well, right? Even considering what you are, you still get tired, right? I'll be fine without practicing today," she spoke, smiling as if to reassure him that it was fine. She stared at him for a moment longer before she turned away, and took a seat next to him. She didn't seem especially inclined to leave him, after all.
"Have you sketched anything new, recently?" she asked, apparently trying to keep the conversation going. She sounded interested, and the look on her face made it seem that way. But then again, she always sounded interested in the things he did.
He broke off half the loaf of bread he was using and offered it to her so she could feed the ducks if she wanted. It seemed like something she would enjoy. Reiko did, and she and Sayuri had many similar personality traits. Though they were not entirely like each other. Sayuri was particularly... energetic? He wasn't sure if that was the word. Hasty, maybe. He supposed it would be a good quality to have for someone with less than a century to live.
He quickly turned his mind from that thought, glancing down at his sketchbook, since she'd mentioned it. For a moment, he debated with himself about it. But it seemed best to put the decision in her hands. “You can look, if you want," he said quietly, not making eye contact with her. “I only ever draw the same thing, lately."
She'd taken the bread from him, and began feeding the ducks before her attention turned back to him. She blinked a little slowly, but a small smile appeared on her face. "I'm sure whatever you've drawn is still just as beautiful as your other work," she spoke, though she did drop her gaze towards his sketchbook. She wore a contemplative look on her face, as if she were deciding whether or not she wanted to see it.
"If it's alright with you," she began, having made up her mind, it seemed. "I'd like to see what you've drawn," she continued. She's moved a little closer to him, though, probably so she could see his sketchbook better.
Kentaro picked it up off the ground and handed it to her without looking at either the book or Sayuri. Instead he focused his attention on the ducks. He wasn't sure he wanted to see her reaction, honestly—what exactly what she supposed to think, that everything he'd drawn since winter had been her? He wasn't well-acquainted with normal, but even he knew something like that didn't qualify by a long shot.
He pursed his lips, tearing off another chunk of bread. “You know this, but I don't draw for any specific reason. I just do it because it... helps." Quiet the things in his head. Keep him grounded and centered. “So I just... draw whatever seems like it would help the most." From the first time she'd asked him to draw both of them in the garden, he'd discovered that drawing her was particularly suited for that, unlike drawing himself. He didn't know if it was connected or not, but the sketches he'd done recently were by far some of his best. Kentaro thought it was probably just because she was easy to draw.
She remained quiet for a while, though he could hear her flipping through pages. They sat in silence for a moment longer before she finally broke it. "Kentaro," she began, speaking softly. He could hear something else laced in the way she said his name. Maybe amusement? "I'm sorry," she continued, laughing lightly at him.
"I'm sorry," she stated again, seemingly trying to stop. Once she did, she cleared her throat softly. "And... I'm sorry for this too, but I just want to give this to you," she stated. It was unclear of what she meant until she leaned closer to him, wrapping her arms around him for a second. She let go, after.
"If... if it helps you, then I am glad you're drawing me. I feel... honored," she spoke, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
That, at least, got him to actually turn his head in her direction. He really didn't understand how she was comfortable touching him, after... that. He blinked slowly down at her. “You are a very strange person," he said flatly. “It is not something to be honored about. You were a logical choice of subject—you are beautiful and I know your face very well."
With a slight shrug, he went back to feeding the ducks.
Sayuri didn't say anything, but her face did turn a bright shade of red, and her eyes widened. She took her gaze from him, and seemed to move a little bit away from him. "Um, t-t-thank y-you, Kentaro-san," she spoke, though it sounded like that wasn't what she wanted to say. Also, she was stuttering now. "But.. but I t-think you're wrong," she started again. Wrong about what, was hard to say since she didn't elaborate. A few more minutes of silence passed before she spoke again.
"I do think it's an h-honor t-that you'd draw me. It means that I'm h-helping you in some w-way, and t-that's what I want to do," she spoke, though the stutter didn't seem as bad.
He wasn't sure exactly why she wanted to do something like that. Kentaro didn't really need anything, and as such, there wasn't much to help him with. But he supposed if it pleased her, he didn't really mind. “If you say so," he concluded aloud. It was considerably better than some other ways he could think of for her to offer her assistance. Fortunately, he did not believe she was one to say such things frivolously, or waste them on one such as himself.
That was good. She would live longer that way.
She smiled at him. "Good, because I do," she stated, seemingly pleased with his answer. She turned her attention back towards the ducks, though she did move back closer to him. "You know something, Kentaro-san," she spoke, moving her gaze from the ducks, to him. "I know you say I'm strange, but maybe... maybe that's why I like being with you. Because you..." she spoke, pausing momentarily. She pursed her lips together as if searching for the words to say.
"Because you don't hold back when you say or do things," she said while tilting her head slightly. The smile didn't leave her face, though.
“You would have to be strange, to like that," he replied, glancing down at her from the corner of his eye. He pursed his lips. He thought... Kentaro wasn't sure what he thought. About all of this. About her. It wasn't straightforward as he preferred to keep things in his life. It wasn't simple. He detested complications; he wasn't that kind of man. And yet...
And yet. That was just the thing: she seemed to be the exception to many things he'd taken to be rules in his life, unbroken for centuries. Perhaps he could be forgiven for not knowing what to make of that.
She smiled wider. "Perhaps, but that's alright. I'll take what I can," she responded, shaking her head lightly. "I'm glad, though, that I get to be a part of your life, and everyone else's. I... don't know what kind of life I would have had if Fujiwara-dono hadn't adopted me, but I'm glad that..." she paused, her smile faltering for a second. "I'm glad I get to spend time with you, and Reiko-chan and the others while I can," she dropped her gaze after that, and went back to feeding the ducks.
He didn't know either, of course, but he didn't bother to say as much. It was obvious enough. Instead, he lapsed into silence alongside her.
Kentaro tended to feel most comfortable in that season; it agreed with his natural disposition towards warmth, and his imperviousness to heat. He might have thought it odd, the way his kinetic talent honed him into a time of year, but for him it was perfectly normal. It was well-known that Tatsuya abhorred the summer, favoring instead Hokkaido's long, dark winters.
The duck pond, he'd found, was an ideal place to sit. The grass there made the ground comfortable, and the ducks were not afraid of him. Especially not when, as now, he broke chunks off a stale loaf of bread and fed them with it. The young ones were still soft and yellowish in color; he found that he could watch them for hours, on the days he had hours to spare. Often of late, he had not. After all, the slow pace of his life had been rapidly accelerated in recent days, with the return of his father's old enemies. Perhaps he would die before living to see it slow down again. He wasn't sure how he felt about the thought. Kentaro had never been one to consider his feeling about much of anything, in part because he considered himself to have few of them overall.
That was something else that seemed to be changing, though he was quite sure the oni had little to do with it.
"Ah, Kentaro-san! There you are!" Sayuri called to him, and from the way she hurried towards him, she'd been looking for him for quite a while. She stopped behind him, and looked like she was trying to catch her breath. Once she did, she straightened back out, and glanced at him. Her brows, however, furrowed, and she looked slightly confused.
"Today... wasn't a practice day, was it," she spoke, turning slightly pink as she did so. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I've been looking for you thinking we had practice today," she seemed to continue, and shifted nervously in her spot. She turned her gaze away from him, for a second before returning it.
"I guess I should let you rest, then," she stated softly. "I'll, uh, be going then," she stated, and turned to leave.
“We can practice if you wish," he said to her back, tearing off another small chunk of bread and tossing it into the water. one of the little ducks snatched it up with a sharp motion of his head. “It is fortunate that you have enthusiasm for the subject matter; it makes learning easier." She seemed rather energetic; if it really was a particular preference for lessons, he wouldn't want to interfere. Rest days were important for her fragile human body, but the occasional exception was nothing to worry about.
She tilted her head, the pink on her face turning slightly darker. "Ah, well, I just," she began, glancing away from him. She stared at the pond for a minute before she looked at him again. "I just enjoy being with you, is all. And you're, um..." she started, laughing nervously.
"We don't have to practice today, Kentaro-san. You need rest as well, right? Even considering what you are, you still get tired, right? I'll be fine without practicing today," she spoke, smiling as if to reassure him that it was fine. She stared at him for a moment longer before she turned away, and took a seat next to him. She didn't seem especially inclined to leave him, after all.
"Have you sketched anything new, recently?" she asked, apparently trying to keep the conversation going. She sounded interested, and the look on her face made it seem that way. But then again, she always sounded interested in the things he did.
He broke off half the loaf of bread he was using and offered it to her so she could feed the ducks if she wanted. It seemed like something she would enjoy. Reiko did, and she and Sayuri had many similar personality traits. Though they were not entirely like each other. Sayuri was particularly... energetic? He wasn't sure if that was the word. Hasty, maybe. He supposed it would be a good quality to have for someone with less than a century to live.
He quickly turned his mind from that thought, glancing down at his sketchbook, since she'd mentioned it. For a moment, he debated with himself about it. But it seemed best to put the decision in her hands. “You can look, if you want," he said quietly, not making eye contact with her. “I only ever draw the same thing, lately."
She'd taken the bread from him, and began feeding the ducks before her attention turned back to him. She blinked a little slowly, but a small smile appeared on her face. "I'm sure whatever you've drawn is still just as beautiful as your other work," she spoke, though she did drop her gaze towards his sketchbook. She wore a contemplative look on her face, as if she were deciding whether or not she wanted to see it.
"If it's alright with you," she began, having made up her mind, it seemed. "I'd like to see what you've drawn," she continued. She's moved a little closer to him, though, probably so she could see his sketchbook better.
Kentaro picked it up off the ground and handed it to her without looking at either the book or Sayuri. Instead he focused his attention on the ducks. He wasn't sure he wanted to see her reaction, honestly—what exactly what she supposed to think, that everything he'd drawn since winter had been her? He wasn't well-acquainted with normal, but even he knew something like that didn't qualify by a long shot.
He pursed his lips, tearing off another chunk of bread. “You know this, but I don't draw for any specific reason. I just do it because it... helps." Quiet the things in his head. Keep him grounded and centered. “So I just... draw whatever seems like it would help the most." From the first time she'd asked him to draw both of them in the garden, he'd discovered that drawing her was particularly suited for that, unlike drawing himself. He didn't know if it was connected or not, but the sketches he'd done recently were by far some of his best. Kentaro thought it was probably just because she was easy to draw.
She remained quiet for a while, though he could hear her flipping through pages. They sat in silence for a moment longer before she finally broke it. "Kentaro," she began, speaking softly. He could hear something else laced in the way she said his name. Maybe amusement? "I'm sorry," she continued, laughing lightly at him.
"I'm sorry," she stated again, seemingly trying to stop. Once she did, she cleared her throat softly. "And... I'm sorry for this too, but I just want to give this to you," she stated. It was unclear of what she meant until she leaned closer to him, wrapping her arms around him for a second. She let go, after.
"If... if it helps you, then I am glad you're drawing me. I feel... honored," she spoke, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
That, at least, got him to actually turn his head in her direction. He really didn't understand how she was comfortable touching him, after... that. He blinked slowly down at her. “You are a very strange person," he said flatly. “It is not something to be honored about. You were a logical choice of subject—you are beautiful and I know your face very well."
With a slight shrug, he went back to feeding the ducks.
Sayuri didn't say anything, but her face did turn a bright shade of red, and her eyes widened. She took her gaze from him, and seemed to move a little bit away from him. "Um, t-t-thank y-you, Kentaro-san," she spoke, though it sounded like that wasn't what she wanted to say. Also, she was stuttering now. "But.. but I t-think you're wrong," she started again. Wrong about what, was hard to say since she didn't elaborate. A few more minutes of silence passed before she spoke again.
"I do think it's an h-honor t-that you'd draw me. It means that I'm h-helping you in some w-way, and t-that's what I want to do," she spoke, though the stutter didn't seem as bad.
He wasn't sure exactly why she wanted to do something like that. Kentaro didn't really need anything, and as such, there wasn't much to help him with. But he supposed if it pleased her, he didn't really mind. “If you say so," he concluded aloud. It was considerably better than some other ways he could think of for her to offer her assistance. Fortunately, he did not believe she was one to say such things frivolously, or waste them on one such as himself.
That was good. She would live longer that way.
She smiled at him. "Good, because I do," she stated, seemingly pleased with his answer. She turned her attention back towards the ducks, though she did move back closer to him. "You know something, Kentaro-san," she spoke, moving her gaze from the ducks, to him. "I know you say I'm strange, but maybe... maybe that's why I like being with you. Because you..." she spoke, pausing momentarily. She pursed her lips together as if searching for the words to say.
"Because you don't hold back when you say or do things," she said while tilting her head slightly. The smile didn't leave her face, though.
“You would have to be strange, to like that," he replied, glancing down at her from the corner of his eye. He pursed his lips. He thought... Kentaro wasn't sure what he thought. About all of this. About her. It wasn't straightforward as he preferred to keep things in his life. It wasn't simple. He detested complications; he wasn't that kind of man. And yet...
And yet. That was just the thing: she seemed to be the exception to many things he'd taken to be rules in his life, unbroken for centuries. Perhaps he could be forgiven for not knowing what to make of that.
She smiled wider. "Perhaps, but that's alright. I'll take what I can," she responded, shaking her head lightly. "I'm glad, though, that I get to be a part of your life, and everyone else's. I... don't know what kind of life I would have had if Fujiwara-dono hadn't adopted me, but I'm glad that..." she paused, her smile faltering for a second. "I'm glad I get to spend time with you, and Reiko-chan and the others while I can," she dropped her gaze after that, and went back to feeding the ducks.
He didn't know either, of course, but he didn't bother to say as much. It was obvious enough. Instead, he lapsed into silence alongside her.
He blinked.
She stared.
He blinked again.
She blinked.
"Ayla, what are you doing?" he asked. She merely stared at him, and remained quiet. She was carrying what looked to be a jug of something, but it was rather large. It was almost as tall as she was, and looked to be about as heavy. "Did you steal that from somewhere," was the next question out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but she furrowed her brows at him.
"No, I did not. Sayuri, quick, come here," she stated as Sayuri rounded the corner. She looked slightly perplexed at Ayla's statement, and looked a little alarmed at the jug as well. "Go make sure everyone's still there," she spoke to her. Sayuri merely nodded, and headed back down the other direction. Now he was just confused, and he was certain it was showing on his face.
"Because you need it, I need it, and everyone else needs it, we're all going to sit around and drink. Then, we're going to try and figure out a way to keep the village safe," she stated. He pursed his lips together.
"But Ayla, you know I don't drink," for a number of reasons. The last time he'd done so was when Amon was still with them, and that hadn't exactly ended well for him. Ayla probably didn't remember it, but Aram did. She just gave him a flat look, though.
"You're drinking anyway. Come on, everyone should be waiting by the training grounds. There's more space there, and not everyone would fit in Reiko's garden," though he was certain everyone could. That, however, depended on everyone. He supposed he'd find out soon since he fell in behind her as she made her way towards the training grounds.
As it turned out, everyone was Reiko, Tatsuya, Kentaro, Tsubasa, Takahiro, and Sayuri herself. All of them sat casually on the ground, on a rough circle with several intermittent gaps, though none of them were quite big enough for two, perhaps. Tatsuya was already smoking, as seemed to be a custom of his; Takahiro seemed to be tuning a shamisen, legs crossed beneath him. The others were mostly talking; as they entered the area, Tsubasa raised a hand to wave.
“I really hope that's enough sake," he said, grinning. “But if it's not, I know where Jirō keeps his stash."
Tatsuya snorted. “Everyone knows that. You're just the only one who ever gets caught stealing from it."
Ayla rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. "There's a reserve, but I couldn't carry both of them," she replied, setting the jug down. She glanced at the formation, and then towards Aram. "If you want to start dishing out the cups, I'll go get the other one," she stated. She didn't give him time to reply since she was already walking off. Did she really have two of them? Where did she get them, and how did she pay for them? Aram shook his head, though, and glanced at the group.
On the floor, there was a folded cloth, and on top were the cups. He blinked slowly before deciding it was best to do what she said. She was still probably upset with him, and he didn't want to create any more problems. Once he did that, he glanced up in time to see her walking back with the other jug, as promised. He shook his head as she set it down.
"Did you really need to bring two of them?" he asked, causing her to raise her brow.
"You do realize that this one and I could probably drink one of those by ourselves, right?" she stated, jerking her thumb in Tatsuya's direction. He didn't say anything.
"Alright then, now that we're all here... start drinking," she spoke, grabbing two cups. She filled both of them and handed one to him. He pursed his lips together, but took it anyway.
“There's an idea to rally behind," Tsubasa declared, raising his cup. Reiko sighed, but clinked hers against his obligingly, repeating the gesture with Sayuri next to her and taking a small sip from the dish. It would appear that she wasn't much of a drinker, either.
By contrast, Tsubasa and Tatsuya immediately knocked back several in a row, to get a nice buzz going, according to the younger, before settling into a more moderate pace. Takahiro and Kentaro drank more than their sister but less than their more zealous brothers, and Ayla, of course.
He hadn't even finished his first drink. He didn't realize they drank so much. Was that healthy for them? Probably, considering they weren't exactly human. It's not like they had to worry about being poisoned by it, however; that didn't mean they couldn't, eventually, become drunk. He pursed his lips softly. Ayla wasn't exactly the same person when she was drunk. Maybe... he paused in the thought, and shook his head.
"Reiko-san," he decided to speak, and since she was closest to him, he'd turned to speak with her. "How often do they go drinking?" he asked. He would have thought he'd known that answer, but seeing them now, the way they were drinking, he was slightly curious. Sayuri seemed to be having trouble with her drink, and if he counted correctly, this was only her second one. Poor girl.
“Ayla-san and Suya, you mean?" She pursed her lips, as though considering the question, and hummed thoughtfully. “Well... everyone's been busy lately, so usually only twice a week. But, um... this one is fairly sure they prefer doing so more often if possible. They go to Setsuka-san's okiya."
She paused a moment, reaching out to rub Sayuri's back. “If you feel dizzy, remember to slow down, Sayu-chan. You can switch to tea if you like as well, okay?" She returned her attention to Aram, smiling slightly. “They're used to it; I don't think you need to worry very much, Aram-sama."
They went to an okiya?
"I-I'm fine, Rei-Rei, I p-promise," Sayuri spoke, though she looked like she'd managed to fight down a hiccup. She probably wasn't used to drinking, and knowing Ayla, she'd probably brought something stronger than the typical sake. Perhaps Sayuri was just more sensitive? He couldn't be sure.
"I'm... surprised," he spoke honestly. He didn't think she'd take to him so well that she'd actually spend that much time with him. From what he remembered, Ayla didn't exactly get along well with Tatsuya. Perhaps that changed, too? "I suppose... that is a good thing, then," he spoke his thoughts out loud without meaning to.
"You do know I can hear you, right?" Ayla spoke, arching a brow in his direction. He sighed nervously. He'd hoped she'd stay in her conversation with Tsubasa and Takahiro. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, though. He didn't have their senses.
Reiko snickered under her breath, presumably at him. She waved a hand breezily. “Go back to that you were doing, Ayla-san. This one will make sure we pick a different topic from now on." She shook her head slightly and took another small sip of her drink. “Aram-sama doesn't drink much either, hm? Her mouth pulled up into a half-smile. “This one would have been surprised, before this one met you, only knowing Ayla-san and Tou-chan."
He supposed that was fair. Ayla and Amon could drink enough for all three of them, and probably then some. "If it is tea, then I'd be okay with it, however; the last time I drank with Ayla and Amon..." he paused, glancing in Ayla's direction. It looked like she'd gone back to her conversation, and he sighed softly. "They let me drink too much, and... there were some things that I did that I'm not too happy about," mostly because he'd tried serenading, as Ayla had put it, a farmer's horse. He blushed slightly. There was more to it, he was sure, but that was what they had told him.
She smiled a little wider and rolled her eyes. “This one is sure they must have put you up to whatever it was. That would be just like Tou-chan. He was always playing pranks on people. He might have been our father, but sometimes he was the biggest kid out of all of us." That certainly seemed to go some way to explaining why she called him Tou-chan rather than something more formal, despite her obvious respect and devotion for him.
"I suppose, you could say that," he replied, taking another sip of his drink. He frowned slightly as the drink went down. He'd never get used to that burn, now that he thought about it. "But yes, he was the more lighthearted of the three of us," he continued, smiling just slightly. He knew himself to be rather serious, and Ayla didn't take things seriously enough. Amon had been the one to ground them with his more jovial nature, however; he also knew how Amon could truly be.
"I am mostly at fault, too, though. I could have not participated. They... made a game out of it, though," he continued. He didn't remember, exactly, what that game was, only that he'd been the one to lose. He'd taken the most drinks, after all.
The expression on her face was perhaps best described as sympathetic. “Once," she said, speaking seriously enough that it could only be more lighthearted than it sounded. “Tou-chan tricked this one into falling into the fish pond in the garden. He convinced this one that it was possible for this one to walk on the surface of the water. And he used his power to make sure that this one did it all the way out to the middle... and then stopped supporting this one."
She finished off her cup; not particularly quickly, considering it was her first. “This one did not speak to him for three days. He thought this one was mad at him, and so apologized very seriously. So this one had the last laugh, since this one was only pretending to be upset in the first place."
“Never saw the old man bow to anyone else, let alone dogeza," Tatsuya said with a snort. “He was a mess."
“Tou-chan did not prank this one after that."
Aram felt his brow raise in slight amusement. A wide smile pulled at his lips as he shook his head. Amon would do that, wouldn't he? He chuckled lightly before he found himself laughing a little more loudly. It was still in a lighthearted fashion, but he didn't know he could laugh like that again. Ayla merely raised a brow at him, but her expression had shifted to something different. It wasn't the same smile on her face, but something more melancholic. He sighed softly, but kept the smile in place. He did not want her to know he saw it, but he could see her down her cup in one go.
"It seems that he had learned his lesson. I'm surprised, though, that he didn't do it again," but he supposed he could understand. He glanced away from Reiko for a moment, and poured himself another cup. "Out of the three of us, I believe I was most fortunate to have learned not to try and challenge either of them to a contest of drinks," mostly because they'd out drink him. A small smile pulled at his lips. He leaned closer towards Reiko so that she could be the only one to hear.
"Be careful with Ayla and how much she drinks, though. If she doesn't pass out, she tends to become a little more... affectionate," he spoke, furrowing his brows slightly. He only knew that because of the time she'd, literally, sat in his lap and just hugged him. It had been awkward, but she did the same thing to Amon, too. If she did it again, though, there was no telling who'd she latch on to. It could be any of them.
He felt himself move back an inch.
Reiko half-smiled, shaking her head. “This one will keep that in mind. But if it worries Aram-sama, this one promises to defend your honor in the event Ayla-san should attempt to violate it with hugs." She arched a brow, swallowing half another dish of sake without breaking eye contact. He felt his face warm.
With a little more time, the alcohol clearly set in. Tsubasa's volume, already fairly sonorous, had nearly doubled, and he was babbling excitedly to a more sedate but smiling Takahiro, who was playing something pleasant on the shamisen in his lap. Kentaro looked exactly the same as he always did, though whether that was because he'd avoided intoxication or because he bore it extremely stoically was impossible to tell. Reiko was smiling a lot more even than usual, and her sense of humor had sharpened a little, but other than that, she was the same as always.
Sayuri, at that point, looked to be sleeping. She'd passed out on her fourth cup. He was surprised she'd even made it that far, considering she didn't have a high tolerance, apparently. Ayla, however, he could see was already smiling. It wasn't quite the same smile she'd wear, but the one he knew was just before she either passed out, or became more affectionate. He was going to bet it was the latter, this time. Sure enough, she'd leaned a little closer towards the person to her left, pulling on Tsubasa's arm.
"Tsubaki-chan," she spoke, furrowing her brows at him. That wasn't even his name. "You have such pretty hair. You and Kentaro both," she spoke, reaching up to run her hand through his hair. Tsubasa just patted her on the head, apparently happy about this news in the same way a child would be.
"Ayla, that's not nice," he spoke, frowning at her. She didn't seem to mind, but she pulled away from Tsubasa. Aram sighed and shook his head, however; he raised a brow when she turned on Tatsuya.
"You have pretty eyes, and..." she paused, reaching up to touch his face. She snorted softly. "And jaw," she added. Aram sighed heavily. Sometimes he worried about his sister.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes and sighed. “And you're pretty drunk," he replied, though he made no move to prevent her from touching him. Apparently he didn't really mind. He managed to keep drinking steadily despite the fact that her hand was on his face, completely unfazed. It was quite possible that he was used to this kind of thing, if they frequently drank together.
"Maybe," she replied. She removed her hand from his face, though, and seemed to lean further to her side. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was staring at Aram. "I'm... going to sleep with the sun," was the only thing she said before she fell to the side, her head leaning on Tatsuya's shoulder. Aram blinked, but shook his head. It looked like she passed out, too. He turned his gaze to Reiko.
Tatsuya grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “promises, promises", but he shifted slightly so that Ayla was resting comfortably against him.
"Reiko-chan, how are you faring? Would you like some tea, now?" because he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep drinking. They were, however, almost through with the second jug.
Reiko smiled. “Tea would be nice, though this one doesn't think it makes much sense to bring it all the way back here. This one should probably take Sayu-chan to her room before—"
“I will do it," Kentaro cut in, setting his cup down and standing. He didn't sway even a little, or overbalance when he leaned down to pick Sayuri up off of the ground where she lay. “Go have tea."
She huffed softly. “This one supposes that settles that. Shall we?" She tilted her head at him.
He blinked at Kentaro, but didn't say anything. He glanced back at Reiko, and smiled. "Yes, let's," he spoke, standing as he did so. Tea would help settle the burn in the back of his throat, and he'd be able to get the taste out with something better. He glanced towards Ayla, and sighed softly. "Please make sure she doesn't sleep outside. She's used to it, but it's not... exactly good for her," he spoke towards Tatsuya and the others. He wasn't certain which one would do what, but he knew he could trust them to do that much. He turned back towards Reiko, and smiled.
"Tea it is."
She stared.
He blinked again.
She blinked.
"Ayla, what are you doing?" he asked. She merely stared at him, and remained quiet. She was carrying what looked to be a jug of something, but it was rather large. It was almost as tall as she was, and looked to be about as heavy. "Did you steal that from somewhere," was the next question out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but she furrowed her brows at him.
"No, I did not. Sayuri, quick, come here," she stated as Sayuri rounded the corner. She looked slightly perplexed at Ayla's statement, and looked a little alarmed at the jug as well. "Go make sure everyone's still there," she spoke to her. Sayuri merely nodded, and headed back down the other direction. Now he was just confused, and he was certain it was showing on his face.
"Because you need it, I need it, and everyone else needs it, we're all going to sit around and drink. Then, we're going to try and figure out a way to keep the village safe," she stated. He pursed his lips together.
"But Ayla, you know I don't drink," for a number of reasons. The last time he'd done so was when Amon was still with them, and that hadn't exactly ended well for him. Ayla probably didn't remember it, but Aram did. She just gave him a flat look, though.
"You're drinking anyway. Come on, everyone should be waiting by the training grounds. There's more space there, and not everyone would fit in Reiko's garden," though he was certain everyone could. That, however, depended on everyone. He supposed he'd find out soon since he fell in behind her as she made her way towards the training grounds.
As it turned out, everyone was Reiko, Tatsuya, Kentaro, Tsubasa, Takahiro, and Sayuri herself. All of them sat casually on the ground, on a rough circle with several intermittent gaps, though none of them were quite big enough for two, perhaps. Tatsuya was already smoking, as seemed to be a custom of his; Takahiro seemed to be tuning a shamisen, legs crossed beneath him. The others were mostly talking; as they entered the area, Tsubasa raised a hand to wave.
“I really hope that's enough sake," he said, grinning. “But if it's not, I know where Jirō keeps his stash."
Tatsuya snorted. “Everyone knows that. You're just the only one who ever gets caught stealing from it."
Ayla rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. "There's a reserve, but I couldn't carry both of them," she replied, setting the jug down. She glanced at the formation, and then towards Aram. "If you want to start dishing out the cups, I'll go get the other one," she stated. She didn't give him time to reply since she was already walking off. Did she really have two of them? Where did she get them, and how did she pay for them? Aram shook his head, though, and glanced at the group.
On the floor, there was a folded cloth, and on top were the cups. He blinked slowly before deciding it was best to do what she said. She was still probably upset with him, and he didn't want to create any more problems. Once he did that, he glanced up in time to see her walking back with the other jug, as promised. He shook his head as she set it down.
"Did you really need to bring two of them?" he asked, causing her to raise her brow.
"You do realize that this one and I could probably drink one of those by ourselves, right?" she stated, jerking her thumb in Tatsuya's direction. He didn't say anything.
"Alright then, now that we're all here... start drinking," she spoke, grabbing two cups. She filled both of them and handed one to him. He pursed his lips together, but took it anyway.
“There's an idea to rally behind," Tsubasa declared, raising his cup. Reiko sighed, but clinked hers against his obligingly, repeating the gesture with Sayuri next to her and taking a small sip from the dish. It would appear that she wasn't much of a drinker, either.
By contrast, Tsubasa and Tatsuya immediately knocked back several in a row, to get a nice buzz going, according to the younger, before settling into a more moderate pace. Takahiro and Kentaro drank more than their sister but less than their more zealous brothers, and Ayla, of course.
He hadn't even finished his first drink. He didn't realize they drank so much. Was that healthy for them? Probably, considering they weren't exactly human. It's not like they had to worry about being poisoned by it, however; that didn't mean they couldn't, eventually, become drunk. He pursed his lips softly. Ayla wasn't exactly the same person when she was drunk. Maybe... he paused in the thought, and shook his head.
"Reiko-san," he decided to speak, and since she was closest to him, he'd turned to speak with her. "How often do they go drinking?" he asked. He would have thought he'd known that answer, but seeing them now, the way they were drinking, he was slightly curious. Sayuri seemed to be having trouble with her drink, and if he counted correctly, this was only her second one. Poor girl.
“Ayla-san and Suya, you mean?" She pursed her lips, as though considering the question, and hummed thoughtfully. “Well... everyone's been busy lately, so usually only twice a week. But, um... this one is fairly sure they prefer doing so more often if possible. They go to Setsuka-san's okiya."
She paused a moment, reaching out to rub Sayuri's back. “If you feel dizzy, remember to slow down, Sayu-chan. You can switch to tea if you like as well, okay?" She returned her attention to Aram, smiling slightly. “They're used to it; I don't think you need to worry very much, Aram-sama."
They went to an okiya?
"I-I'm fine, Rei-Rei, I p-promise," Sayuri spoke, though she looked like she'd managed to fight down a hiccup. She probably wasn't used to drinking, and knowing Ayla, she'd probably brought something stronger than the typical sake. Perhaps Sayuri was just more sensitive? He couldn't be sure.
"I'm... surprised," he spoke honestly. He didn't think she'd take to him so well that she'd actually spend that much time with him. From what he remembered, Ayla didn't exactly get along well with Tatsuya. Perhaps that changed, too? "I suppose... that is a good thing, then," he spoke his thoughts out loud without meaning to.
"You do know I can hear you, right?" Ayla spoke, arching a brow in his direction. He sighed nervously. He'd hoped she'd stay in her conversation with Tsubasa and Takahiro. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, though. He didn't have their senses.
Reiko snickered under her breath, presumably at him. She waved a hand breezily. “Go back to that you were doing, Ayla-san. This one will make sure we pick a different topic from now on." She shook her head slightly and took another small sip of her drink. “Aram-sama doesn't drink much either, hm? Her mouth pulled up into a half-smile. “This one would have been surprised, before this one met you, only knowing Ayla-san and Tou-chan."
He supposed that was fair. Ayla and Amon could drink enough for all three of them, and probably then some. "If it is tea, then I'd be okay with it, however; the last time I drank with Ayla and Amon..." he paused, glancing in Ayla's direction. It looked like she'd gone back to her conversation, and he sighed softly. "They let me drink too much, and... there were some things that I did that I'm not too happy about," mostly because he'd tried serenading, as Ayla had put it, a farmer's horse. He blushed slightly. There was more to it, he was sure, but that was what they had told him.
She smiled a little wider and rolled her eyes. “This one is sure they must have put you up to whatever it was. That would be just like Tou-chan. He was always playing pranks on people. He might have been our father, but sometimes he was the biggest kid out of all of us." That certainly seemed to go some way to explaining why she called him Tou-chan rather than something more formal, despite her obvious respect and devotion for him.
"I suppose, you could say that," he replied, taking another sip of his drink. He frowned slightly as the drink went down. He'd never get used to that burn, now that he thought about it. "But yes, he was the more lighthearted of the three of us," he continued, smiling just slightly. He knew himself to be rather serious, and Ayla didn't take things seriously enough. Amon had been the one to ground them with his more jovial nature, however; he also knew how Amon could truly be.
"I am mostly at fault, too, though. I could have not participated. They... made a game out of it, though," he continued. He didn't remember, exactly, what that game was, only that he'd been the one to lose. He'd taken the most drinks, after all.
The expression on her face was perhaps best described as sympathetic. “Once," she said, speaking seriously enough that it could only be more lighthearted than it sounded. “Tou-chan tricked this one into falling into the fish pond in the garden. He convinced this one that it was possible for this one to walk on the surface of the water. And he used his power to make sure that this one did it all the way out to the middle... and then stopped supporting this one."
She finished off her cup; not particularly quickly, considering it was her first. “This one did not speak to him for three days. He thought this one was mad at him, and so apologized very seriously. So this one had the last laugh, since this one was only pretending to be upset in the first place."
“Never saw the old man bow to anyone else, let alone dogeza," Tatsuya said with a snort. “He was a mess."
“Tou-chan did not prank this one after that."
Aram felt his brow raise in slight amusement. A wide smile pulled at his lips as he shook his head. Amon would do that, wouldn't he? He chuckled lightly before he found himself laughing a little more loudly. It was still in a lighthearted fashion, but he didn't know he could laugh like that again. Ayla merely raised a brow at him, but her expression had shifted to something different. It wasn't the same smile on her face, but something more melancholic. He sighed softly, but kept the smile in place. He did not want her to know he saw it, but he could see her down her cup in one go.
"It seems that he had learned his lesson. I'm surprised, though, that he didn't do it again," but he supposed he could understand. He glanced away from Reiko for a moment, and poured himself another cup. "Out of the three of us, I believe I was most fortunate to have learned not to try and challenge either of them to a contest of drinks," mostly because they'd out drink him. A small smile pulled at his lips. He leaned closer towards Reiko so that she could be the only one to hear.
"Be careful with Ayla and how much she drinks, though. If she doesn't pass out, she tends to become a little more... affectionate," he spoke, furrowing his brows slightly. He only knew that because of the time she'd, literally, sat in his lap and just hugged him. It had been awkward, but she did the same thing to Amon, too. If she did it again, though, there was no telling who'd she latch on to. It could be any of them.
He felt himself move back an inch.
Reiko half-smiled, shaking her head. “This one will keep that in mind. But if it worries Aram-sama, this one promises to defend your honor in the event Ayla-san should attempt to violate it with hugs." She arched a brow, swallowing half another dish of sake without breaking eye contact. He felt his face warm.
With a little more time, the alcohol clearly set in. Tsubasa's volume, already fairly sonorous, had nearly doubled, and he was babbling excitedly to a more sedate but smiling Takahiro, who was playing something pleasant on the shamisen in his lap. Kentaro looked exactly the same as he always did, though whether that was because he'd avoided intoxication or because he bore it extremely stoically was impossible to tell. Reiko was smiling a lot more even than usual, and her sense of humor had sharpened a little, but other than that, she was the same as always.
Sayuri, at that point, looked to be sleeping. She'd passed out on her fourth cup. He was surprised she'd even made it that far, considering she didn't have a high tolerance, apparently. Ayla, however, he could see was already smiling. It wasn't quite the same smile she'd wear, but the one he knew was just before she either passed out, or became more affectionate. He was going to bet it was the latter, this time. Sure enough, she'd leaned a little closer towards the person to her left, pulling on Tsubasa's arm.
"Tsubaki-chan," she spoke, furrowing her brows at him. That wasn't even his name. "You have such pretty hair. You and Kentaro both," she spoke, reaching up to run her hand through his hair. Tsubasa just patted her on the head, apparently happy about this news in the same way a child would be.
"Ayla, that's not nice," he spoke, frowning at her. She didn't seem to mind, but she pulled away from Tsubasa. Aram sighed and shook his head, however; he raised a brow when she turned on Tatsuya.
"You have pretty eyes, and..." she paused, reaching up to touch his face. She snorted softly. "And jaw," she added. Aram sighed heavily. Sometimes he worried about his sister.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes and sighed. “And you're pretty drunk," he replied, though he made no move to prevent her from touching him. Apparently he didn't really mind. He managed to keep drinking steadily despite the fact that her hand was on his face, completely unfazed. It was quite possible that he was used to this kind of thing, if they frequently drank together.
"Maybe," she replied. She removed her hand from his face, though, and seemed to lean further to her side. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was staring at Aram. "I'm... going to sleep with the sun," was the only thing she said before she fell to the side, her head leaning on Tatsuya's shoulder. Aram blinked, but shook his head. It looked like she passed out, too. He turned his gaze to Reiko.
Tatsuya grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “promises, promises", but he shifted slightly so that Ayla was resting comfortably against him.
"Reiko-chan, how are you faring? Would you like some tea, now?" because he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep drinking. They were, however, almost through with the second jug.
Reiko smiled. “Tea would be nice, though this one doesn't think it makes much sense to bring it all the way back here. This one should probably take Sayu-chan to her room before—"
“I will do it," Kentaro cut in, setting his cup down and standing. He didn't sway even a little, or overbalance when he leaned down to pick Sayuri up off of the ground where she lay. “Go have tea."
She huffed softly. “This one supposes that settles that. Shall we?" She tilted her head at him.
He blinked at Kentaro, but didn't say anything. He glanced back at Reiko, and smiled. "Yes, let's," he spoke, standing as he did so. Tea would help settle the burn in the back of his throat, and he'd be able to get the taste out with something better. He glanced towards Ayla, and sighed softly. "Please make sure she doesn't sleep outside. She's used to it, but it's not... exactly good for her," he spoke towards Tatsuya and the others. He wasn't certain which one would do what, but he knew he could trust them to do that much. He turned back towards Reiko, and smiled.
"Tea it is."
Tatsuya sighed, leaning back slightly against the fencepost directly behind him. He would have preferred to do this indoors, considering how much he hated the summer, but he supposed there was less potential mess this way. With his free hand, he kept hold of the sake dish; the other had been more or less sacrificed to make sure Ayla didn't fall over.
He wasn't extremely pleased with her decision to pass out on him, but he supposed it could have been worse. Still, this was fairly inconvenient. Reasoning that it was her own damn fault for passing out, he moved her around so that she was more laying than leaning, her head resting in his lap, facing out towards the inside of the dwindling circle. If she had a problem with that, she could damn well go sleep on someone else and take her fucking distracting smell with her when she went.
Reaching down, he pulled some of her hair out of her face, moving behind her ear so it wouldn't fall over her mouth or anything. He rolled his eyes when she snored softly. It was sleeping with someone without any of the fun bits. “Damn woman," he grumbled under his breath, taking another swallow from his cup.
It seemed she wasn't quite asleep. "I heard that," she replied, moving so that she was face up. She'd kept her eyes closed, though. "It's not like you complained the last time I fell asleep on you," she continued, her voice low. It almost sounded like she was sleep talking, however; one of her eyes cracked open. She gazed up at him with a half-lidded stare. It appeared that she wasn't quite fully awake, but conscious enough to be aware of him grumbling.
“Three times makes a habit," he replied dryly. And this was the third such occasion. He narrowed his eye until they were half-closed as well, blinking languidly at her. “You should really consider whether or not this is a good one or a bad one."
"Hm, and if I say it's a good one?" she stated, both eyes opening this time as she arched a brow. "You're comfortable to sleep on," she spoke. As if to prove her point, she moved a little, almost as if she were rubbing her head on his lap. She'd moved up a little more, too. She closed her eyes and seemed to take a slow breath before opening them again. She stared at him, perhaps with a gaze too intense, however; it softened as she drifted her eyes upward.
"And like I said, you haven't complained, yet," she stated, a small smirk forming on her lips. "I mean, if it bothers you that much, though, I'll get up," she spoke, arching her brow as she did. Her eyes were still fixed on the sky.
“Oh, it bothers me, just not in the way you're thinking," Tatsuya replied bluntly. But he didn't really press the point; it wasn't as though he had to get up for any specific reason yet. A simple hand gesture was all it took to summon a ribbon of sake from the large jug, twisting around Tsubasa's waving arms to sink into his cup. Practically laziness incarnate, using his abilities for something so mundane, but it wasn't like he cared.
He used the index fingertip of his other hand to brush aside some of the fringe of her hair that had skewed over her forehead. It was about an inch from falling into her eyes, after all. She was free to leave if she preferred not to be touched in such a way. Or the way he threaded his fingers through her crown and combed a few tangles out of the rest of it, rough calluses dragging against the smooth tresses. The repetitive motions took little thought, and paid a surprising dividend in terms of pleasant sensation, which was the optimum trade-off when one had consumed as much alcohol as Tatsuya had.
"Hm, is that so?" she spoke, chuckling softly. "Well, I did say I would help you out where I could, but I'm afraid my services can't be rendered this time. Perhaps another time, though, ne?" she stated, her eyes closing as he combed his fingers through her hair. She made a slight humming sound, and her facial expression softened as he continued.
"That feels nice, don't stop," she mumbled, trying to make herself more comfortable, it seemed.
He scoffed quietly. “You're a tease," he accused, rolling his eyes. But he kept stroking her hair, his fingers occasionally brushing her ear or the side of her neck. She'd flinch slightly everytime he brushed her neck. He noted that with some amusement. Tatsuya half-grumbled, half-hummed in the back of his throat, settling back further against the post. The summer heat was languid; the cicadas were starting up their late-afternoon droning.
Overhead, he could pick out some of Reiko's motes; the area she protected grew larger daily. Soon she'd probably have the whole town under her influence. Tatsuya frowned slightly, then sighed through his nose. The sooner this shit was over with, the better. But he'd never trusted much to luck. This was going to get worse before it got better.
"Stop that, that tickles," she spoke, half snorting and half laughing. She swatted his hand away from her neck when he'd kept brushing there. She mumbled something, though, and lifted her head away from his lap. She stared at him, and pursed her lips together. "Seriously, that tickles," she spoke, moving so that she was sitting by his side.
"And I never said it would be a forever no-help kind of situation. Besides, I'm drunk," she stated, shrugging her shoulders. She sighed, though, and shook her head. "And besides that," she began, a sly smile spreading on her lips. "I kind of like you, you're alright."
She shrugged again after that.
Not never, hm? Now there was an intriguing possibility. Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, tracing the shell of her ear with a fingertip. “You're right; it wouldn't be much fun while you're drunk." Among other, more serious problems. He wasn't the most ethical of people, but he certainly stopped well short of trying to take advantage of an intoxicated person.
“Now, if in the light of sobriety you ever decide that you kind of like me enough, you've only to name the time and place." He brushed his knuckles along the side of her neck, this time very much on purpose. The pulse point there was still very tempting, but he left it alone. He was more interested in getting her to squirm a bit more. It seemed he'd discovered a weakness.
"Fuck, stop that!" she spoke, laughing somewhat, and covering her mouth as she tried to surpress it. She seemed really sensitive there, and he could hear her heart pick up in pace. "I swear, you do that again..." she trailed off towards the end. She narrowed her eyes somewhat in his direction, as if trying to imply the threat.
Tatsuya smirked, setting his sake cup down. Locking eyes with her, he placed the pad of his index finger right beneath her ear and slid it slowly and deliberately down the side of her throat.
"Oh, you're such an ass!" she managed to state through a fit of laughter. She tried swatting his hand away, but she was so busy laughing that she ended up flailing.
Tatsuya felt a chuckle bubble up in his own throat; it was so unusual that he nearly stopped what he was doing. But a heartbeat later, he recovered, letting it go and renewing his "assault" at the same time. “Threaten me, hm?" he growled without malice. “How's that working out for you?"
Clearly not very well. She continued laughing, though she did finally manage to roll away. Literally. Once she stopped, she stood abruptly and pointed a finger at him. Her face was a bright red color, and she looked like she was trying to catch her breath. Her heartbeat was racing, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Ass!" she started, "you're lucky I don't have anything against you!"
It didn't sound like she knew what she was saying, though. Perhaps she'd meant that she didn't have anything to use against him?
“Hm, yes. The luckiest of men, surely." Tatsuya stood, shaking his head and pausing a moment to make sure his footing was steady before he walked over to where she was and picked her straight up off the ground. “Don't get your underthings in a twist, Ayla. You're too drunk to go rolling around on the ground; you might manage to hurt yourself." Likely not much, but bleeding around here was a risky proposition, depending on what condition his brothers were in. Hunger was sharp-edged for all of them lately, after all.
“Now since you seem to be done sleeping on me, would you like to go sleep this off in your room?" He started in that general direction before she even answered.
She merely grumbled incoherent words, but didn't protest. "Only if you stay to keep it cool. It's too fucking hot," she mumbled again, though it didn't sound like she meant it. She was still drunk, after all.
Tatsuya made a noncommittal noise. “Whatever you say." She'd probably be asleep again by the time they got back to her room anyway; if so, she wouldn't notice his absence.
He wasn't extremely pleased with her decision to pass out on him, but he supposed it could have been worse. Still, this was fairly inconvenient. Reasoning that it was her own damn fault for passing out, he moved her around so that she was more laying than leaning, her head resting in his lap, facing out towards the inside of the dwindling circle. If she had a problem with that, she could damn well go sleep on someone else and take her fucking distracting smell with her when she went.
Reaching down, he pulled some of her hair out of her face, moving behind her ear so it wouldn't fall over her mouth or anything. He rolled his eyes when she snored softly. It was sleeping with someone without any of the fun bits. “Damn woman," he grumbled under his breath, taking another swallow from his cup.
It seemed she wasn't quite asleep. "I heard that," she replied, moving so that she was face up. She'd kept her eyes closed, though. "It's not like you complained the last time I fell asleep on you," she continued, her voice low. It almost sounded like she was sleep talking, however; one of her eyes cracked open. She gazed up at him with a half-lidded stare. It appeared that she wasn't quite fully awake, but conscious enough to be aware of him grumbling.
“Three times makes a habit," he replied dryly. And this was the third such occasion. He narrowed his eye until they were half-closed as well, blinking languidly at her. “You should really consider whether or not this is a good one or a bad one."
"Hm, and if I say it's a good one?" she stated, both eyes opening this time as she arched a brow. "You're comfortable to sleep on," she spoke. As if to prove her point, she moved a little, almost as if she were rubbing her head on his lap. She'd moved up a little more, too. She closed her eyes and seemed to take a slow breath before opening them again. She stared at him, perhaps with a gaze too intense, however; it softened as she drifted her eyes upward.
"And like I said, you haven't complained, yet," she stated, a small smirk forming on her lips. "I mean, if it bothers you that much, though, I'll get up," she spoke, arching her brow as she did. Her eyes were still fixed on the sky.
“Oh, it bothers me, just not in the way you're thinking," Tatsuya replied bluntly. But he didn't really press the point; it wasn't as though he had to get up for any specific reason yet. A simple hand gesture was all it took to summon a ribbon of sake from the large jug, twisting around Tsubasa's waving arms to sink into his cup. Practically laziness incarnate, using his abilities for something so mundane, but it wasn't like he cared.
He used the index fingertip of his other hand to brush aside some of the fringe of her hair that had skewed over her forehead. It was about an inch from falling into her eyes, after all. She was free to leave if she preferred not to be touched in such a way. Or the way he threaded his fingers through her crown and combed a few tangles out of the rest of it, rough calluses dragging against the smooth tresses. The repetitive motions took little thought, and paid a surprising dividend in terms of pleasant sensation, which was the optimum trade-off when one had consumed as much alcohol as Tatsuya had.
"Hm, is that so?" she spoke, chuckling softly. "Well, I did say I would help you out where I could, but I'm afraid my services can't be rendered this time. Perhaps another time, though, ne?" she stated, her eyes closing as he combed his fingers through her hair. She made a slight humming sound, and her facial expression softened as he continued.
"That feels nice, don't stop," she mumbled, trying to make herself more comfortable, it seemed.
He scoffed quietly. “You're a tease," he accused, rolling his eyes. But he kept stroking her hair, his fingers occasionally brushing her ear or the side of her neck. She'd flinch slightly everytime he brushed her neck. He noted that with some amusement. Tatsuya half-grumbled, half-hummed in the back of his throat, settling back further against the post. The summer heat was languid; the cicadas were starting up their late-afternoon droning.
Overhead, he could pick out some of Reiko's motes; the area she protected grew larger daily. Soon she'd probably have the whole town under her influence. Tatsuya frowned slightly, then sighed through his nose. The sooner this shit was over with, the better. But he'd never trusted much to luck. This was going to get worse before it got better.
"Stop that, that tickles," she spoke, half snorting and half laughing. She swatted his hand away from her neck when he'd kept brushing there. She mumbled something, though, and lifted her head away from his lap. She stared at him, and pursed her lips together. "Seriously, that tickles," she spoke, moving so that she was sitting by his side.
"And I never said it would be a forever no-help kind of situation. Besides, I'm drunk," she stated, shrugging her shoulders. She sighed, though, and shook her head. "And besides that," she began, a sly smile spreading on her lips. "I kind of like you, you're alright."
She shrugged again after that.
Not never, hm? Now there was an intriguing possibility. Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, tracing the shell of her ear with a fingertip. “You're right; it wouldn't be much fun while you're drunk." Among other, more serious problems. He wasn't the most ethical of people, but he certainly stopped well short of trying to take advantage of an intoxicated person.
“Now, if in the light of sobriety you ever decide that you kind of like me enough, you've only to name the time and place." He brushed his knuckles along the side of her neck, this time very much on purpose. The pulse point there was still very tempting, but he left it alone. He was more interested in getting her to squirm a bit more. It seemed he'd discovered a weakness.
"Fuck, stop that!" she spoke, laughing somewhat, and covering her mouth as she tried to surpress it. She seemed really sensitive there, and he could hear her heart pick up in pace. "I swear, you do that again..." she trailed off towards the end. She narrowed her eyes somewhat in his direction, as if trying to imply the threat.
Tatsuya smirked, setting his sake cup down. Locking eyes with her, he placed the pad of his index finger right beneath her ear and slid it slowly and deliberately down the side of her throat.
"Oh, you're such an ass!" she managed to state through a fit of laughter. She tried swatting his hand away, but she was so busy laughing that she ended up flailing.
Tatsuya felt a chuckle bubble up in his own throat; it was so unusual that he nearly stopped what he was doing. But a heartbeat later, he recovered, letting it go and renewing his "assault" at the same time. “Threaten me, hm?" he growled without malice. “How's that working out for you?"
Clearly not very well. She continued laughing, though she did finally manage to roll away. Literally. Once she stopped, she stood abruptly and pointed a finger at him. Her face was a bright red color, and she looked like she was trying to catch her breath. Her heartbeat was racing, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Ass!" she started, "you're lucky I don't have anything against you!"
It didn't sound like she knew what she was saying, though. Perhaps she'd meant that she didn't have anything to use against him?
“Hm, yes. The luckiest of men, surely." Tatsuya stood, shaking his head and pausing a moment to make sure his footing was steady before he walked over to where she was and picked her straight up off the ground. “Don't get your underthings in a twist, Ayla. You're too drunk to go rolling around on the ground; you might manage to hurt yourself." Likely not much, but bleeding around here was a risky proposition, depending on what condition his brothers were in. Hunger was sharp-edged for all of them lately, after all.
“Now since you seem to be done sleeping on me, would you like to go sleep this off in your room?" He started in that general direction before she even answered.
She merely grumbled incoherent words, but didn't protest. "Only if you stay to keep it cool. It's too fucking hot," she mumbled again, though it didn't sound like she meant it. She was still drunk, after all.
Tatsuya made a noncommittal noise. “Whatever you say." She'd probably be asleep again by the time they got back to her room anyway; if so, she wouldn't notice his absence.
Sayuri sighed softly, the sound more content than anything, if she had to guess. She didn't know what contentment sounded like, though she knew herself to be quite happy at the moment. She didn't understand why she was so happy, only that she was, and she didn't want the feeling to go away. She'd just turned a corner, lost in her thoughts, in the hallway, and ran into someone. The person did not move, but Sayuri stumbled back a few steps. She would have fallen if it weren't for the person reaching out to her and steadying her.
"Yuri-chan, are you alright?" Ayla asked as she quirked a brow. Sayuri nodded her head furiously, though she regretted it somewhat when the headache came. Ayla chuckled lowly and shook her head. "You should be more careful, Yuri-chan, who knows who you might bump into," she spoke. Sayuri frowned. Ayla was teasing her, and she knew it.
"Well fortunate for me, that it was only you whom I bumped into, Ayla-san," she replied. Sayuri wasn't going to give the woman any kind information that she might use against her, later.
"Only me? Ouch, Yuri-chan, I'm hurt," Ayla replied, laying a hand over her heart and feigning a hurt expression. "If you're ready, we have practice today with the yumi. Today you'll be using actual arrows, and not those duds I've given you," she continued. Sayuri blinked. She almost forgot she was practicing with Ayla today. She furrowed her brows softly. Wasn't she supposed to train with Kentaro today? Why did the thought of not training with him, upset her?
"Alright, Ayla-san. If you think I'm ready," she replied. Ayla only grinned before leading the way to the training grounds.
The ring, as it turned out, was already occupied. It was hard to tell, exactly, because both of the people in it were moving so quickly they were just blurs to her eyes. The clanging of swords was obvious, though; at one point, they impacted so hard that it stopped both of them dead in their tracks. It was Kentaro and Tatsuya. Their arms shook with the force they used to push on their locked swords, each trying to overcome the other's strength.
Tatsuya seemed to have the advantage, either because he was a bit stronger or because he had two swords crossed instead of just one like Kentaro, but the younger brother was unfazed. He broke the deadlock with a swift step away. It would have overbalanced Tatsuya if he weren't careful; as it was he took a hard step forward and pivoted, catching Kentaro's next strike on his left hand blade, though the angle was awkward.
He was the one who had to step away that time, but instead of going directly back in, he flung an arc of ice daggers off the edge of one of his blades. They glinted in the light of the sun. Kentaro's eyes narrowed; his shoulders rose as he pulled in a breath, then exhaled it as a jet of flame, melting the daggers before they reached him.
“That's new, Taro. And I thought I was the dragon here." His name was indeed written as 'dragon,' which had to be what he meant.
Though Tatsuya smiled, Kentaro did not react, jumping in for another round of clanging swords. The gap in their skill wasn't large, but it was discernible to Sayuri, now that she'd spent some time studying what separated good swordplay from bad. Kentaro was very, very good. But he was not as good as Tatsuya. It was evident in the way none of his strikes made it past his brother's iron defense. Tatsuya was fighting defensively, but not because Kentaro had him on the ropes. Rather, it was clearly a deliberate decision on his part.
That much was obvious when the flow of the spar shifted. Tatsuya dropped into a more aggressive stance, and Kentaro was immediately forced onto the defense. He held his own well; it was a full five minutes before Tatsuya's left-hand sword came to rest at his heart, pressing just lightly into the exposed skin over his sternum, between the sides of his gi.
“I yield." The concession was toneless.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes. “Finally. Ayla and Sayuri have been waiting for us to finish for about ten minutes now, you know." Tatsuya didn't actually sound sorry about that, but his eyes did flicker over towards them.
Kentaro apparently didn't have anything to say to that. Sheathing his sword, he followed his brother over to the edge of the ring.
“All yours, ladies."
"Actually," Ayla spoke, her eyes on the retreating forms of the brothers. "Both of you can help, if you're up to it," she continued, arching a brow as she did. Sayuri frowned lightly. How could they help? It wasn't that she didn't want them to help, but they had just finished their own training session. Wouldn't they be somewhat tired?
"I don't see how they could help, Ayla," she spoke, the confusion in her voice was apparent. She could hear it, herself. Ayla gave her a flat look, though.
"You've been learning how to wield a bow properly, but that is because you have had no distractions," she smirked when she said that. "You don't have the same senses we do, so our distractions might be a little more intense than what you would feel. For example," she began, walking so that she was just a few feet in front. "Kentaro, 'suya, will you both go stand beside Yuri-chan, please? Stand as close as you can, but be polite about it."
Sayuri blinked. What did standing close to Tatsuya and Kentaro have to do with anything? She also didn't like the small smirk that appeared on Ayla's face. "Yuri, take the arrow I gave you, and draw it. Your target is me. Don't worry, though, it won't hurt me if you accidentally shoot me," she continued, adding the last part probably because she could see the worried look on Sayuri's face.
"But Ayla, isn't that... dangerous?" she questioned. She was really worried. What if she actually managed to hit Ayla? Then she'd be bleeding, and that might not be good with Tatsuya or Kentaro. Granted, they probably had more control than she was giving them credit for, but Reiko wasn't around at the moment to stop them if something did happen. Ayla just rolled her eyes, though.
"First off, you wound me for having so little faith in me. Secondly, I'm not going to get hurt, I promise. Trust me, I've had plenty of practice with this," she continued. Sayuri wasn't too convinced, but she would oblige Ayla. "Guys, I'm going to need you to do something distracting. Just... be nice about it," she stated, narrowing her eyes in particular at Tatsuya.
They exchanged a look; Tatsuya rolled his eyes. “Seriously?"
Nevertheless, they both obliged, standing a polite-but-not-very polite distance away from Sayuri. Tatsuya's contribution to the distraction was obvious very quickly; the temperature of the air around them dropped until Sayuri could see her breath. In summer clothes, that was indeed very distracting.
Kentaro did not initially do anything; he'd crossed his arms over his chest and frowned just slightly in Ayla's general direction. “I'm not going to use fire," he said flatly, “so unless you have any better ideas, I'll leave the distracting to him."
Tatsuya snorted. “Don't be dense, Taro. This should be much easier for you than it is for me."
“...Fine." But he still didn't do anything. Maybe he was waiting for something?
Sayuri frowned slightly, shivering a little bit as well, as she drew the string back. She could hear her own heart beat pick up in pace as the two brothers just stood there. Ayla raised a brow in her direction and tapped her foot.
"Oh for the love of," she started, however; the sudden change in tone caused Sayuri to yelp slightly, and the arrow flew a few feet away from Ayla. She blinked, and glanced behind her. "Congrats, Yuri, you killed the post," she spoke, jabbing her thumb behind her. Sayuri followed the motion with her eyes, and saw her arrow sticking out of the posts. She frowned.
"But Ayla... I'm not, this is," she couldn't find the right words to say. Ayla rolled her eyes, though. "I'm sorry, Ayla," she apologized, and Ayla sighed a little too heavily.
"Look, it's nothing to be sorry for, but you're going to have to learn to draw your bow quickly. If you don't, you'll likely either die, or you'll accidentally get someone else killed. You're going to have to learn how to focus on what is important. There will be fighting all around you, but you'll have to focus on picking your battle," she seemed to explain, however; Sayuri was confused. Pick a battle? Focus on what's important?
"I don't know what you mean," she admitted, dropping her gaze. She didn't understand any of it, really.
"Kentaro, come stand by me," Ayla spoke, motioning for Kentaro to stand beside her. "I want you to pretend I'm attacking Taro-chan. Taro-chan, for some reason, needs your help, but 'suya over there is also going to be distracting you because he is going to also need help. If you don't draw your bow quickly, they'll both die," she said it a little too casually.
"This would have been easier if Tsu-Tsu was here. He could make clones of himself," she spoke beneath her breath, but shook her head. "Either way, you're going to have distractions. Filter them out, and just focus, alright?" she continued. Sayuri furrowed her brows, but nodded. Ayla wasn't making any sense to her, but she supposed it would make more sense if she just did as she was told.
"Alright, I'll try."
“You just gonna let them fumble for the rest of the afternoon, or are you going to help?" Tatsuya asked the question, apparently directed at Kentaro, who blinked at him for a moment before pushing a breath out of his nose. It almost sounded like a sigh, but Sayuri knew he wasn't the type of person who usually did that.
He glanced at Ayla. “May I assist your explanation?"
"Go for it."
Tatsuya moved away to the side of the ring, gesturing for Ayla to join him.
Kentaro, meanwhile, approached Sayuri, coming to a stop in front of her the same way he did when he was explaining some new concept in their lessons. “All I want you to do," he said quietly, “is focus on me. Pretend no one else is here, and do as I ask. That's all. Can you do that?"
She blinked, but nodded her head. Ayla had joined Tatsuya on the side of the ring, and smirked in her direction before turning that smirk on Tatsuya. Sayuri sighed softly. She was going to tease her the rest of the day, wasn't she? Pushing the thought from her mind, she focused back on Kentaro.
"Yes, I can do that, Kentaro-san," she spoke. It was, perhaps, better to say it out loud rather than just nod her head. It was a little easier to focus on him than it had been to focus on Ayla. Perhaps because he was more familiar to her. She wasn't even sure how to explain that one, but at the moment, it didn't matter.
“Focus," he repeated, “and follow me. I will not be harmed."
She blinked, and he was gone. He reappeared behind one of the many targets set up in the ring and gestured for her to fire. “Don't aim for now. Just shoot, and keep up with me." No sooner had she fired one arrow than he was suddenly at another target, not next to the first one, either. He decreased the time he remained still with each new target, forcing her to spend more of her attention tracking him than aiming.
She did as she was told, firing her arrow one after the other as he moved. It was a little difficult tracking him, however; it was becoming easier for her to understand. When she reached for the next arrow, she noticed there were none. She sighed softly, taking in a much needed breath, before turning her attention back towards Kentaro.
"I think, I understand, now. Thank you, Kentaro-san," she stated, offering him a small smile followed by a polite bow. She was learning a lot, thanks to him. She was also certain that she was learning things easier with him. She glanced down, her face warming slightly. She could hear Ayla snicker at her, but she didn't say anything.
He returned the bow, his hair falling forward to obscure his expression for just a moment. When he straightened, he gestured to the target. “You didn't do too badly, even without aiming," he said. “In a real battle, there are rarely precise hits at a target's heart or neck with arrows. It is enough to hit them anywhere at all, in most cases. Continue to practice, but know that you will do well enough if you must fire swiftly."
“You gonna teach the rest of us too, sensei?" Tatsuya obviously meant it as a joke; his tone indicated as much.
Kentaro only gave him a flat look. “I hardly think you would be half as good a student."
Ayla laughed at Kentaro's response, though Sayuri smiled. "I think... Tatsuya-san would do well, Kentaro-san. You're an excellent teacher," she spoke, though she knew Tatsuya was joking, she was being a little too serious about him being an excellent teacher. She'd learned so much under his tutelage. Definitely more-so his than Ayla's, that was for sure.
"You know, that's almost adorable," Ayla spoke, her grin inching just the slightest bit wider. Sayuri did her best to fight down the blush, though she only slightly succeeded. "Feel free to keep practicing, Yuri-chan. I'm leaving you in his capable hands," she stated. Sayuri couldn't fight down the blush this time.
"And you're horrible, Ayla-chan."
"The worst."
“Second-worst," Tatsuya protested, pretending to consider it for a second. “But with the worst self-control." He arched a brow at his brother. “I'd tell you to use your capable hands responsibly, Taro, but we both know you're too much of a chicken shit when it comes to that kind of thing, hm?"
This time, Kentaro really did sigh, but it rumbled at the end, almost like a soft growl. He did not dignify Tatsuya's comment with a response, and the elder brother took his leave with Ayla.
The younger shook his head slightly. “They don't have to be so crude," he muttered.
"But if you think about it, Taro-chan," she began, blinking slowly at the realization that she'd called him that. "I mean, Kentaro-san, if you think about it, they're really a good match. They're similar and it's clear there's something there," but maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe they were just really good friends? She couldn't claim to know, and she wasn't going to be like them, and make assumptions.
"A-anyway, I'm going to... get more arrows," because she was out and it seemed like the most logical thing to do at the moment.
“I suppose they deserve each other," he replied, not making it at all clear whether he considered that to be a good thing or a bad one. He paused a moment; she'd turned away before he spoke again.
“You can call me that, if you want. Taro. I don't mind."
"Oh, um, o-okay," she hated when she stuttered around him, but she wasn't going to deny that it as nice being able to call him that. It was a step forward, right?
"Yuri-chan, are you alright?" Ayla asked as she quirked a brow. Sayuri nodded her head furiously, though she regretted it somewhat when the headache came. Ayla chuckled lowly and shook her head. "You should be more careful, Yuri-chan, who knows who you might bump into," she spoke. Sayuri frowned. Ayla was teasing her, and she knew it.
"Well fortunate for me, that it was only you whom I bumped into, Ayla-san," she replied. Sayuri wasn't going to give the woman any kind information that she might use against her, later.
"Only me? Ouch, Yuri-chan, I'm hurt," Ayla replied, laying a hand over her heart and feigning a hurt expression. "If you're ready, we have practice today with the yumi. Today you'll be using actual arrows, and not those duds I've given you," she continued. Sayuri blinked. She almost forgot she was practicing with Ayla today. She furrowed her brows softly. Wasn't she supposed to train with Kentaro today? Why did the thought of not training with him, upset her?
"Alright, Ayla-san. If you think I'm ready," she replied. Ayla only grinned before leading the way to the training grounds.
The ring, as it turned out, was already occupied. It was hard to tell, exactly, because both of the people in it were moving so quickly they were just blurs to her eyes. The clanging of swords was obvious, though; at one point, they impacted so hard that it stopped both of them dead in their tracks. It was Kentaro and Tatsuya. Their arms shook with the force they used to push on their locked swords, each trying to overcome the other's strength.
Tatsuya seemed to have the advantage, either because he was a bit stronger or because he had two swords crossed instead of just one like Kentaro, but the younger brother was unfazed. He broke the deadlock with a swift step away. It would have overbalanced Tatsuya if he weren't careful; as it was he took a hard step forward and pivoted, catching Kentaro's next strike on his left hand blade, though the angle was awkward.
He was the one who had to step away that time, but instead of going directly back in, he flung an arc of ice daggers off the edge of one of his blades. They glinted in the light of the sun. Kentaro's eyes narrowed; his shoulders rose as he pulled in a breath, then exhaled it as a jet of flame, melting the daggers before they reached him.
“That's new, Taro. And I thought I was the dragon here." His name was indeed written as 'dragon,' which had to be what he meant.
Though Tatsuya smiled, Kentaro did not react, jumping in for another round of clanging swords. The gap in their skill wasn't large, but it was discernible to Sayuri, now that she'd spent some time studying what separated good swordplay from bad. Kentaro was very, very good. But he was not as good as Tatsuya. It was evident in the way none of his strikes made it past his brother's iron defense. Tatsuya was fighting defensively, but not because Kentaro had him on the ropes. Rather, it was clearly a deliberate decision on his part.
That much was obvious when the flow of the spar shifted. Tatsuya dropped into a more aggressive stance, and Kentaro was immediately forced onto the defense. He held his own well; it was a full five minutes before Tatsuya's left-hand sword came to rest at his heart, pressing just lightly into the exposed skin over his sternum, between the sides of his gi.
“I yield." The concession was toneless.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes. “Finally. Ayla and Sayuri have been waiting for us to finish for about ten minutes now, you know." Tatsuya didn't actually sound sorry about that, but his eyes did flicker over towards them.
Kentaro apparently didn't have anything to say to that. Sheathing his sword, he followed his brother over to the edge of the ring.
“All yours, ladies."
"Actually," Ayla spoke, her eyes on the retreating forms of the brothers. "Both of you can help, if you're up to it," she continued, arching a brow as she did. Sayuri frowned lightly. How could they help? It wasn't that she didn't want them to help, but they had just finished their own training session. Wouldn't they be somewhat tired?
"I don't see how they could help, Ayla," she spoke, the confusion in her voice was apparent. She could hear it, herself. Ayla gave her a flat look, though.
"You've been learning how to wield a bow properly, but that is because you have had no distractions," she smirked when she said that. "You don't have the same senses we do, so our distractions might be a little more intense than what you would feel. For example," she began, walking so that she was just a few feet in front. "Kentaro, 'suya, will you both go stand beside Yuri-chan, please? Stand as close as you can, but be polite about it."
Sayuri blinked. What did standing close to Tatsuya and Kentaro have to do with anything? She also didn't like the small smirk that appeared on Ayla's face. "Yuri, take the arrow I gave you, and draw it. Your target is me. Don't worry, though, it won't hurt me if you accidentally shoot me," she continued, adding the last part probably because she could see the worried look on Sayuri's face.
"But Ayla, isn't that... dangerous?" she questioned. She was really worried. What if she actually managed to hit Ayla? Then she'd be bleeding, and that might not be good with Tatsuya or Kentaro. Granted, they probably had more control than she was giving them credit for, but Reiko wasn't around at the moment to stop them if something did happen. Ayla just rolled her eyes, though.
"First off, you wound me for having so little faith in me. Secondly, I'm not going to get hurt, I promise. Trust me, I've had plenty of practice with this," she continued. Sayuri wasn't too convinced, but she would oblige Ayla. "Guys, I'm going to need you to do something distracting. Just... be nice about it," she stated, narrowing her eyes in particular at Tatsuya.
They exchanged a look; Tatsuya rolled his eyes. “Seriously?"
Nevertheless, they both obliged, standing a polite-but-not-very polite distance away from Sayuri. Tatsuya's contribution to the distraction was obvious very quickly; the temperature of the air around them dropped until Sayuri could see her breath. In summer clothes, that was indeed very distracting.
Kentaro did not initially do anything; he'd crossed his arms over his chest and frowned just slightly in Ayla's general direction. “I'm not going to use fire," he said flatly, “so unless you have any better ideas, I'll leave the distracting to him."
Tatsuya snorted. “Don't be dense, Taro. This should be much easier for you than it is for me."
“...Fine." But he still didn't do anything. Maybe he was waiting for something?
Sayuri frowned slightly, shivering a little bit as well, as she drew the string back. She could hear her own heart beat pick up in pace as the two brothers just stood there. Ayla raised a brow in her direction and tapped her foot.
"Oh for the love of," she started, however; the sudden change in tone caused Sayuri to yelp slightly, and the arrow flew a few feet away from Ayla. She blinked, and glanced behind her. "Congrats, Yuri, you killed the post," she spoke, jabbing her thumb behind her. Sayuri followed the motion with her eyes, and saw her arrow sticking out of the posts. She frowned.
"But Ayla... I'm not, this is," she couldn't find the right words to say. Ayla rolled her eyes, though. "I'm sorry, Ayla," she apologized, and Ayla sighed a little too heavily.
"Look, it's nothing to be sorry for, but you're going to have to learn to draw your bow quickly. If you don't, you'll likely either die, or you'll accidentally get someone else killed. You're going to have to learn how to focus on what is important. There will be fighting all around you, but you'll have to focus on picking your battle," she seemed to explain, however; Sayuri was confused. Pick a battle? Focus on what's important?
"I don't know what you mean," she admitted, dropping her gaze. She didn't understand any of it, really.
"Kentaro, come stand by me," Ayla spoke, motioning for Kentaro to stand beside her. "I want you to pretend I'm attacking Taro-chan. Taro-chan, for some reason, needs your help, but 'suya over there is also going to be distracting you because he is going to also need help. If you don't draw your bow quickly, they'll both die," she said it a little too casually.
"This would have been easier if Tsu-Tsu was here. He could make clones of himself," she spoke beneath her breath, but shook her head. "Either way, you're going to have distractions. Filter them out, and just focus, alright?" she continued. Sayuri furrowed her brows, but nodded. Ayla wasn't making any sense to her, but she supposed it would make more sense if she just did as she was told.
"Alright, I'll try."
“You just gonna let them fumble for the rest of the afternoon, or are you going to help?" Tatsuya asked the question, apparently directed at Kentaro, who blinked at him for a moment before pushing a breath out of his nose. It almost sounded like a sigh, but Sayuri knew he wasn't the type of person who usually did that.
He glanced at Ayla. “May I assist your explanation?"
"Go for it."
Tatsuya moved away to the side of the ring, gesturing for Ayla to join him.
Kentaro, meanwhile, approached Sayuri, coming to a stop in front of her the same way he did when he was explaining some new concept in their lessons. “All I want you to do," he said quietly, “is focus on me. Pretend no one else is here, and do as I ask. That's all. Can you do that?"
She blinked, but nodded her head. Ayla had joined Tatsuya on the side of the ring, and smirked in her direction before turning that smirk on Tatsuya. Sayuri sighed softly. She was going to tease her the rest of the day, wasn't she? Pushing the thought from her mind, she focused back on Kentaro.
"Yes, I can do that, Kentaro-san," she spoke. It was, perhaps, better to say it out loud rather than just nod her head. It was a little easier to focus on him than it had been to focus on Ayla. Perhaps because he was more familiar to her. She wasn't even sure how to explain that one, but at the moment, it didn't matter.
“Focus," he repeated, “and follow me. I will not be harmed."
She blinked, and he was gone. He reappeared behind one of the many targets set up in the ring and gestured for her to fire. “Don't aim for now. Just shoot, and keep up with me." No sooner had she fired one arrow than he was suddenly at another target, not next to the first one, either. He decreased the time he remained still with each new target, forcing her to spend more of her attention tracking him than aiming.
She did as she was told, firing her arrow one after the other as he moved. It was a little difficult tracking him, however; it was becoming easier for her to understand. When she reached for the next arrow, she noticed there were none. She sighed softly, taking in a much needed breath, before turning her attention back towards Kentaro.
"I think, I understand, now. Thank you, Kentaro-san," she stated, offering him a small smile followed by a polite bow. She was learning a lot, thanks to him. She was also certain that she was learning things easier with him. She glanced down, her face warming slightly. She could hear Ayla snicker at her, but she didn't say anything.
He returned the bow, his hair falling forward to obscure his expression for just a moment. When he straightened, he gestured to the target. “You didn't do too badly, even without aiming," he said. “In a real battle, there are rarely precise hits at a target's heart or neck with arrows. It is enough to hit them anywhere at all, in most cases. Continue to practice, but know that you will do well enough if you must fire swiftly."
“You gonna teach the rest of us too, sensei?" Tatsuya obviously meant it as a joke; his tone indicated as much.
Kentaro only gave him a flat look. “I hardly think you would be half as good a student."
Ayla laughed at Kentaro's response, though Sayuri smiled. "I think... Tatsuya-san would do well, Kentaro-san. You're an excellent teacher," she spoke, though she knew Tatsuya was joking, she was being a little too serious about him being an excellent teacher. She'd learned so much under his tutelage. Definitely more-so his than Ayla's, that was for sure.
"You know, that's almost adorable," Ayla spoke, her grin inching just the slightest bit wider. Sayuri did her best to fight down the blush, though she only slightly succeeded. "Feel free to keep practicing, Yuri-chan. I'm leaving you in his capable hands," she stated. Sayuri couldn't fight down the blush this time.
"And you're horrible, Ayla-chan."
"The worst."
“Second-worst," Tatsuya protested, pretending to consider it for a second. “But with the worst self-control." He arched a brow at his brother. “I'd tell you to use your capable hands responsibly, Taro, but we both know you're too much of a chicken shit when it comes to that kind of thing, hm?"
This time, Kentaro really did sigh, but it rumbled at the end, almost like a soft growl. He did not dignify Tatsuya's comment with a response, and the elder brother took his leave with Ayla.
The younger shook his head slightly. “They don't have to be so crude," he muttered.
"But if you think about it, Taro-chan," she began, blinking slowly at the realization that she'd called him that. "I mean, Kentaro-san, if you think about it, they're really a good match. They're similar and it's clear there's something there," but maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe they were just really good friends? She couldn't claim to know, and she wasn't going to be like them, and make assumptions.
"A-anyway, I'm going to... get more arrows," because she was out and it seemed like the most logical thing to do at the moment.
“I suppose they deserve each other," he replied, not making it at all clear whether he considered that to be a good thing or a bad one. He paused a moment; she'd turned away before he spoke again.
“You can call me that, if you want. Taro. I don't mind."
"Oh, um, o-okay," she hated when she stuttered around him, but she wasn't going to deny that it as nice being able to call him that. It was a step forward, right?
Reiko sat back and smiled. She was completely exhausted, but she'd finally done it. The entire town was under the protection of her sanctification ability. It was almost overwhelming, actually; she could feel all the townspeople at the edge of her mind, and if she focused on any specific one, she could know where they were and how they were feeling. She tried not to infringe on their privacy, of course. That meant not paying much mind to them and letting them remain little flickers at the edge of her awareness. That should be enough to detect any major changes in them, like if one of them saw an oni and got scared.
Of course, she should be able to sense an oni attempting to enter the town before that happened. Her barrier would provide at least a little protection while they ran to the spot, too. It wasn't an ideal solution, but it was the best one they had, and she was a little bit proud of herself for being able to do it.
“You're done, then?" Tatsuya tilted his head at her, eyes intent.
She nodded. “Yes."
Trying to stand, however, proved to be more difficult; a wave of dizziness washed over her and Reiko found herself falling, at least until strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“Little fool," Syua murmured, almost too quietly for ever her eyes to pick up. “I'll never understand why you go to all this trouble just for a bunch of humans who will never thank you." He set her back on her feet, but kept a steadying arm around her.
She leaned heavily into him, shaking her head. “You do, too," she insisted. “You're friends with Setsuka-san, and all of the girls at the okiya think you hung the moon in the sky, Suya."
He rolled his eyes. “Oh good. Prostitutes like me. That must mean I'm benevolent and fond of humans." His tone was sharp, but she didn't believe it for a moment. He cared about them; he really did. Exactly because they were the people no one else ever remembered to help or check on or care about.
“You don't fool this one, Suya."
He grumbled something noncommittal under his breath. “You need to eat." That, at least, was loud enough to make out.
“No, this one does not," she replied dishonestly.
But she wasn't any better at lying to him than he was at lying to her. Not right now, anyway. He frowned at her and picked her up, lifting her high enough that she could easily reach his neck. He tipped his head to the side, a clear invitation.
She considered it for a moment, sighing from her nose. “Do you ever think it's wrong?" she asked.
“What is?"
Reiko pursed her lips, unsure how he would take the explanation. “Doing this. Drinking from each other. It doesn't seem to help the hunger much, does it?" Still, it was better than nothing. She knew he was just as hungry as she was, and taking blood from him would only make it worse, but... if the alternative was feeding from humans they could accidentally kill or turn so easily...
She leaned forward, daintily sinking her fangs into his neck.
“The old man got drunk one night," he said, seemingly apropos of nothing, speaking quietly while she fed. “He said hunger was nearly permanent, for one of us. He'd only ever known one exception."
She hummed a note that stood in for the actual question.
Tatsuya reached up to hold the back of her head when she tried to pull away. “That wasn't near enough. Don't argue, just drink. If you don't I won't tell you." Once she'd complied, he continued. “He said the only exception was your mother. Not mine; just yours." He paused thoughtfully for a moment. “I thought it must have something to do with the Mark, but it doesn't." He brushed a callused thumb over the mark on her neck.
She could feel it in her mind, too, not so unlike the one she had with the townspeople, but stronger. Perhaps it was the same basic principle. She couldn't Mark anyone, after all, but her brothers couldn't sanctify.
This time, when she finished, running her tongue over the wound to close it faster, he let her up and set her back down on her feet. Reiko had to admit she felt stronger again, but the hunger was still there, niggling at the very edge of her consciousness.
“Then do you think... it was because he loved her? In that particular way, this one means." She and Tatsuya certainly loved each other, but not in that way. She couldn't imagine being in love with any of her brothers, though she understood such things were not entirely uncommon in noble families, or in the small clans that still existed of those few humans her father had changed directly.
It was strange, to not fully understand how her kind worked despite being one. Maybe not even Tou-chan had known.
“It used to be I'd have laughed at you for even suggesting it," Tatsuya replied, curling a rogue strand of her hair around one of his fingers and tucking it behind her ear. “But now... fuck if I know. Some people smell better than others. I guess it makes sense that some of them would be more..." he searched for a word. “Satisfying, than others."
Reiko hummed softly, then sighed. It would certainly be nice if that were the case, but what if such a person was a human? Then they'd die, and besides that it was such a... macabre sort of thing to do to a person. What if the person who could take away the hunger was afraid, or didn't want to be fed from? She would certainly not want to force the issue. Not again.
“Stop thinking about that," Tatsuya said bluntly. “I know you are because you always get the same look on your face. It was a fucking accident, Reiko."
She glanced down. “That does not make it better."
“Oh for fuck's sake." He sighed gustily, turning to put both of his hands on her shoulders and lower himself until they were nearly nose-to-nose. “Yes, it does. Everyone makes mistakes. People with more power make bigger ones. It happens. If he hadn't struggled so much after volunteering, nothing would have happened anyway."
“It was not his fault, Suya."
“It wasn't anyone's fault, Reiko. Yours included. I'm not sure how you can keep blaming yourself for this when you know full well I've killed hundreds of humans over the years without giving a single damn about any of them."
She flinched. That was true; she knew it was. Tatsuya and some of the others had a habit of killing their prey to avoid the risk of changing them, or letting the secret out.
“You've stopped," she said in a small voice.
“And so have you. It took me a whole lot longer to see my mistake than it took you. You've forgiven me. You forgave Taro and Taka and Tsu and Jirō and even fucking Dai. So forgive yourself." He moved his hands up to either side of her jaw; his grip was gentle, but insistent.
“Because I'm tired of seeing you treat yourself like some kind of monster. We're all tired of it. And you should be, too."
Reiko took a deep, shaky breath. “But what if this one is a monster, Suya? What if we all are?"
His jaw tightened for a moment. She knew right then that it was a possibility he'd considered as well. “Then we are," he replied. “But we choose what kind of monster. We're not oni. We're vampires. And we get to decide what that means, no matter what anyone else thinks."
Reiko swallowed. Was it really so simple?
Perhaps.
“Okay," she said softly, nodding her head.
“Okay."
Of course, she should be able to sense an oni attempting to enter the town before that happened. Her barrier would provide at least a little protection while they ran to the spot, too. It wasn't an ideal solution, but it was the best one they had, and she was a little bit proud of herself for being able to do it.
“You're done, then?" Tatsuya tilted his head at her, eyes intent.
She nodded. “Yes."
Trying to stand, however, proved to be more difficult; a wave of dizziness washed over her and Reiko found herself falling, at least until strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“Little fool," Syua murmured, almost too quietly for ever her eyes to pick up. “I'll never understand why you go to all this trouble just for a bunch of humans who will never thank you." He set her back on her feet, but kept a steadying arm around her.
She leaned heavily into him, shaking her head. “You do, too," she insisted. “You're friends with Setsuka-san, and all of the girls at the okiya think you hung the moon in the sky, Suya."
He rolled his eyes. “Oh good. Prostitutes like me. That must mean I'm benevolent and fond of humans." His tone was sharp, but she didn't believe it for a moment. He cared about them; he really did. Exactly because they were the people no one else ever remembered to help or check on or care about.
“You don't fool this one, Suya."
He grumbled something noncommittal under his breath. “You need to eat." That, at least, was loud enough to make out.
“No, this one does not," she replied dishonestly.
But she wasn't any better at lying to him than he was at lying to her. Not right now, anyway. He frowned at her and picked her up, lifting her high enough that she could easily reach his neck. He tipped his head to the side, a clear invitation.
She considered it for a moment, sighing from her nose. “Do you ever think it's wrong?" she asked.
“What is?"
Reiko pursed her lips, unsure how he would take the explanation. “Doing this. Drinking from each other. It doesn't seem to help the hunger much, does it?" Still, it was better than nothing. She knew he was just as hungry as she was, and taking blood from him would only make it worse, but... if the alternative was feeding from humans they could accidentally kill or turn so easily...
She leaned forward, daintily sinking her fangs into his neck.
“The old man got drunk one night," he said, seemingly apropos of nothing, speaking quietly while she fed. “He said hunger was nearly permanent, for one of us. He'd only ever known one exception."
She hummed a note that stood in for the actual question.
Tatsuya reached up to hold the back of her head when she tried to pull away. “That wasn't near enough. Don't argue, just drink. If you don't I won't tell you." Once she'd complied, he continued. “He said the only exception was your mother. Not mine; just yours." He paused thoughtfully for a moment. “I thought it must have something to do with the Mark, but it doesn't." He brushed a callused thumb over the mark on her neck.
She could feel it in her mind, too, not so unlike the one she had with the townspeople, but stronger. Perhaps it was the same basic principle. She couldn't Mark anyone, after all, but her brothers couldn't sanctify.
This time, when she finished, running her tongue over the wound to close it faster, he let her up and set her back down on her feet. Reiko had to admit she felt stronger again, but the hunger was still there, niggling at the very edge of her consciousness.
“Then do you think... it was because he loved her? In that particular way, this one means." She and Tatsuya certainly loved each other, but not in that way. She couldn't imagine being in love with any of her brothers, though she understood such things were not entirely uncommon in noble families, or in the small clans that still existed of those few humans her father had changed directly.
It was strange, to not fully understand how her kind worked despite being one. Maybe not even Tou-chan had known.
“It used to be I'd have laughed at you for even suggesting it," Tatsuya replied, curling a rogue strand of her hair around one of his fingers and tucking it behind her ear. “But now... fuck if I know. Some people smell better than others. I guess it makes sense that some of them would be more..." he searched for a word. “Satisfying, than others."
Reiko hummed softly, then sighed. It would certainly be nice if that were the case, but what if such a person was a human? Then they'd die, and besides that it was such a... macabre sort of thing to do to a person. What if the person who could take away the hunger was afraid, or didn't want to be fed from? She would certainly not want to force the issue. Not again.
“Stop thinking about that," Tatsuya said bluntly. “I know you are because you always get the same look on your face. It was a fucking accident, Reiko."
She glanced down. “That does not make it better."
“Oh for fuck's sake." He sighed gustily, turning to put both of his hands on her shoulders and lower himself until they were nearly nose-to-nose. “Yes, it does. Everyone makes mistakes. People with more power make bigger ones. It happens. If he hadn't struggled so much after volunteering, nothing would have happened anyway."
“It was not his fault, Suya."
“It wasn't anyone's fault, Reiko. Yours included. I'm not sure how you can keep blaming yourself for this when you know full well I've killed hundreds of humans over the years without giving a single damn about any of them."
She flinched. That was true; she knew it was. Tatsuya and some of the others had a habit of killing their prey to avoid the risk of changing them, or letting the secret out.
“You've stopped," she said in a small voice.
“And so have you. It took me a whole lot longer to see my mistake than it took you. You've forgiven me. You forgave Taro and Taka and Tsu and Jirō and even fucking Dai. So forgive yourself." He moved his hands up to either side of her jaw; his grip was gentle, but insistent.
“Because I'm tired of seeing you treat yourself like some kind of monster. We're all tired of it. And you should be, too."
Reiko took a deep, shaky breath. “But what if this one is a monster, Suya? What if we all are?"
His jaw tightened for a moment. She knew right then that it was a possibility he'd considered as well. “Then we are," he replied. “But we choose what kind of monster. We're not oni. We're vampires. And we get to decide what that means, no matter what anyone else thinks."
Reiko swallowed. Was it really so simple?
Perhaps.
“Okay," she said softly, nodding her head.
“Okay."
Aram woke, restless and covered in a cold sweat. He did not like the dream he just had. It was... he could feel how near it was, however; it had changed. It felt distant, yet near. The sensation it left behind was confusing, and he wasn't sure he wanted to understand it. Sighing softly, he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, taking a deep breath to keep his heart beat steady. Strange how the only time it accelerated was when he dreamed. Not even during the battle with the oni, previous and current, had it ever picked up. At least, not in this kind of way.
"Bad dream?" Ayla's voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to face her. He pursed his lips, though, realizing she was in his room. "You still do it, you know," she spoke softly, and her expression softened a considerable degree. He hadn't seen that expression since... he paused the thought and shook his head.
"I do," he wasn't going to deny it. Particularly bad dreams caused him to cry out. It wasn't in the same way a child would if they were experiencing a nightmare. This was different in a way that was hard to explain. She sighed, but didn't press. She never did because she knew by now, he wouldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her.
"You should go take a walk. They always calmed your mind," she spoke, though it sounded more like a soft command. He sighed. He might as well. It would help him clear his mind, and piece together what the dreams had meant. "I'll join you if you want," she offered, but he shook his head. He knew she would accompany him wherever he went, but this was something he wanted to do on his own.
"I won't be long," he spoke finally. She nodded and left his room, allowing him to dress into something more appropriate. With no destination in mind, he walked, guided only by the light of the moon and nothing else.
He hadn't made it far before he ran into Reiko. Or, more accurately, she nearly ran into him, coming around a corner at a swift jog, a look of alarm painted over her features. When she realized who it was she'd nearly collided with, she sighed; it sounded like relief. Her panic-stricken expression eased back into one of more ordinary concern; from the way her eyes moved, she was checking him over, as if for injuries.
“Are you all right?" she said, dropping her voice halfway through the sentence when she realized her previous urgency was reflected in her volume, it seemed. “This one felt..." she made a vague gesture to her head. “This one felt that you were distressed?"
He'd nearly forgotten about her ability. He offered her a soft smile, but even he could feel that it just wasn't there. "I am fine, Reiko," he replied, holding his arms out to prove his point. If she was checking him for injuries, he might as well make the appropriate movements to show he wasn't. He did, however, purse his lips and allowed his gaze to fall.
"It was just... a bad dream," he confessed softly. He had promised, and he was trying to make good on that promise. If she pressed, he wasn't entirely sure how he could even explain it. The only comforting thought he had, however, was knowing she wasn't there. At least he hoped she wasn't. No matter how many times he was constantly reminded that he couldn't see her, it still surprised him. Pushing a heavier sigh through his nose, he straightened out his back.
"It is nothing to worry about, though, Reiko. It will... likely change. They've been doing that a lot," more than he was comfortable admitting, actually.
“But they aren't just dreams," she said softly, making a similar point to one he'd made to her a while ago. She sighed through her nose, reaching out almost as if to touch him somehow, but she seemed to remember herself, and let her hand drop.
Instead, she glanced to the side and sighed again, this one a bit louder. “This one supposes it's natural that they would change more now, though; things have been... unsteady, lately." The oni situation did seem to change basically every day as new rumors filtered in from elsewhere in the country. And of course, all of them were preparing more and more each day as well.
“Aram-sama was going for a walk, right? Might this one come along? This one just, um... had a bit of a fright, you see." Perhaps her sensing his distress had woken her as well; she was wearing a sleeping kimono.
"Of course," he replied almost immediately. Once, that would have surprised him, the swiftness that he'd answered. But it no longer did. He offered a small smile, and began walking again, making sure to take slower strides. She was at least a foot shorter than him, and he didn't want her to have to walk faster just to keep up. Besides, he didn't mind the slower pace.
"Dreams do not usually change," he began, speaking low and soft to accommodate any nearby sleeping individuals. He didn't want to wake them, after all. "Usually, the only time they change is if an outside factor has disturbed something, strayed off their own path," he continued, trying to explain. It was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be. He hadn't had to explain them in such a long time.
"These dreams, though, have been changing so constantly that it seems," odd? Normal? He didn't know the word. They were frequent, and they were growing more disturbing by the minute. He chanced a glance in her direction, wondering if he should tell her exactly what he saw. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows.
"All I've been able to see is everyone perishing, Reiko. Each dream brings with it a different way, a different method," and each one more gruesome as it continued. "The only comfort I have from these dreams is... that you are not present," he admitted softly. Because he could not see her death, he drew a strange sense of comfort from it. The possibility that she would live, and they would all perish, was the only comfort he had. Even Ayla's death had shaken him greatly, but knowing that she would be alright...
"I am not certain if it is because I cannot see you," or of some strange feeling he could not name.
Reiko seemed to process that information for a while. She lifted both hands to fuss with her extremely long black plait, currently pulled over one shoulder. Her brows furrowed; she chewed on her lip a little. “This one is not especially comforted by that news, Aram-sama." She said it with a wan smile, her tone gentle. “This one can put up with a lot of things, but losing everyone this one cares about... is probably not one of those things."
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Do you think that... something out there might be interfering with your visions? Could it... could it show you things that aren't true, maybe?" From her perspective, it must have seemed a logical question. He'd expressed some unusual difficulties lately with them, after all.
He hadn't really thought about that. "Under normal circumstances, I would have said no," he responded. Unfortunately, these were not normal circumstances. She was not a normal circumstance. "But the only other way that could happen is if..." he paused. How could he describe his father to her. Their father. It wasn't something easily spoken of, simply because they had not been born in the usual sense. They were created.
"The only way that could have happened is if someone were as Ayla and myself are. As your father was," a being created by some other, more complex being. As far as he knew, his father was the only one of his kind. He furrowed his brows. Was it possible that there was something else? If he could not see Reiko's future, surely, then, it was possible that something was interfering.
"I apologize, Reiko. I did not mean to tell you the news as I did," because comforting or not, it had been the truth. "I also did not want to keep it from you, though. A promise is a promise, and I shall not break mine," he added. It was the least he could do, at the moment.
She blinked, then shook her head emphatically. “This one did not mean to say that this one was upset to get the news, Aram-sama. This one is... glad you felt like you could tell me. This one only meant to say that the part you take comfort from is a bit more... disconcerting to this one. This one does not wish to imagine being alive without this one's family and friends, is all."
That she had to whether she liked it or not went unsaid, but clearly implied.
After a moment of heavy silence, Reiko hummed a soft note in the back of her throat. “Forgive this one's forwardness, Aram-sama, but this one wants to show you something." What she was asking for forgiveness for became clear a moment later, as she linked her arm with his, tugging him along gently but insistently down a hallway that he'd not had occasion to navigate before.
He didn't mind, though. He could understand why Ayla enjoyed being around her, perhaps a little better now. She might not want to imagine being the only one alive, however; he knew all too well what it would feel like, in the end. He had neglected to mention that he hadn't seen himself perish, only the others. He wasn't sure if that meant he would survive just a little longer, or if he'd simply die after everyone else. He wasn't sure.
"If you do not mind me asking, where are we going?" he decided to ask. They were headed somewhere he wasn't familiar with. Unlike Ayla, he hadn't had the desire to roam and explore.
“Patience, Aram-sama," she chided without any actual sharpness. “You'll see."
There was something different about the wing of the castle they entered. It seemed vaguely... hollow, like there wasn't really anyonearound, despite the fact that two halls back were dozens of chambers with occupants. The air smelled aged like old paper and silk even to his nose. There wasn't much dust or dirt to be seen, but at the same time, there were no signs of the recent presence of servants, either. Yet Reiko steered them through it with surety, stopping in front of a particular door and relinquishing her hold on his arm so she could open it carefully with both hands.
It slid to the side smoothly, revealing what looked to be a library of sorts; dozens of shelves in neat rows all held scrolls. Some of them were yellowed with age; a few had even been placed behind glass doors, a rather expensive investment. Two more doors on the opposite side of the room seemed to lead outdoors, but again not to any part of the castle he'd ever seen.
“This was Tou-chan's wing," Reiko explained, fondness suffusing her tone until it was warm and tender. “And this was his collection of things to read." She gesured around them; no doubt the collection as a whole was priceless.
But she seemed to have something specific in mind, moving to one of the small glass-lined cabinets and reaching slightly down into the front of her kimono to fish out a thin silver chain around her neck. At the end of it was a tiny key; she unclasped the necklace and used the key to unlock the cabinet.
It creaked a little at the metal joints, but otherwise opened easily. “Tou-chan wasn't just a reader, though; he wrote all kinds of things. Many of them he wrote for this one, because this one liked his stories so much that I... well, pestered him to tell me new ones all the time. So he wrote them all down so this one could read them whenever I wanted." She paused at that, swallowing thickly and letting her fingers rest on the glass for a moment. One slow sigh later, and she seemed to have collected herself.
“This one always preferred hearing them from him, but since..." She shook her head. “That's not what this is about. Here." She took out one of the scrolls, new compared to some of the things in the room, and handed it to him. The title indicated that it was called 'Hizashi-sama and Tsuki-sama Enter the Forest of Death.'
“They weren't exactly fairy tales," Reiko admitted. “But this one liked them better. All of the ones in this case are about you and Ayla-san and Tou-chan, though mostly the two of you. Tou-chan told it like he was just your assistant, kind of. He's the narrator voice. Um... please ignore the illustrations."
There were, indeed, some illustrations in spots that had clearly been left for them; they were done in a child's hand, though admittedly a talented child, in that all of them were recognizable as corresponding to the characters and events in the story, even if the lines were shaky and the shapes were simplistic.
Reiko cleared her throat. “Tou-chan let this one do the drawings. This one was about seven, so that didn't go too well. This one wishes there were clean copies to give you instead."
Aram took the scroll with a gentle hand. They were, clearly, important to Reiko, and he did not want to accidentally damage them. He stared at the scroll, though, for a few minutes. He wasn't aware of how much time actually passed, only that he'd kept his gaze on the scroll. It wasn't until he realized what Reiko said, however, that he finally moved his gaze to her.
"You don't have to do that," he spoke, his voice oddly quiet. He smiled, though, and held onto the scroll. "I think..." he paused, unsure if he should say what he was going to. Figuring it would be best, he continued, "I think they are nice. You were a talented child, and now a talented woman," he'd, of course, meant her talents as a fighter.
"But thank you, Reiko. This... means a lot," he continued. It really did. "I may have said this before, and constantly, so please forgive me if I say it again," he spoke, smiling just a little softer in her direction. "You are an endearing and kind person."
Reiko cleared her throat, glancing away. Even in profile, though, he could tell that her face was darkening to pink. “I-it's nothing, Aram-sama. This one just thought you might like to know how Tou-chan described everything. This one used to come here all the time, when this one could not sleep. You can, too, if you like." She held out the key on its bright chain, clearly intending that he should take it.
“This one has another key I can use." It was clear that, despite her words, this was not nothing to her. He was holding in his hands some of her most precious memories; that much was clear from the way she treated everything here. With a careful reverence, but also with obvious fondness. Everything in the room spoke still of Amon's presence, almost like he'd walk in at any moment to sit at the desk and keep writing these scrolls. It was clear she hadn't changed it or allowed it to be changed in the years since his death.
And it broke his heart, a little.
"Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, stepping a little closer to her. "Forgive the forwardness, but," he spoke, deciding it was best to show his gratitude with a hug. He'd always been like that, though. For the things that he was most grateful for, he'd embrace the person who'd given it to him. Amon used to tease him about it, but it was just how he was. The hug was brief, and as polite as he could make it, though. This place was important to her, and if she trusted him enough to come here when he could not sleep, then he would not waste her kindness.
"I shall make use of it if that is what you are permitting me to do," he spoke, taking a step back, and giving her a formal bow.
“Please do," she replied softly, looking at him in a way he could not quite decipher. It was soft, and warm; that much was clear. “This one thinks Tou-chan would have wanted that." She paused.
“And this one does, too."
Then he would. How could he refuse?
"Bad dream?" Ayla's voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to face her. He pursed his lips, though, realizing she was in his room. "You still do it, you know," she spoke softly, and her expression softened a considerable degree. He hadn't seen that expression since... he paused the thought and shook his head.
"I do," he wasn't going to deny it. Particularly bad dreams caused him to cry out. It wasn't in the same way a child would if they were experiencing a nightmare. This was different in a way that was hard to explain. She sighed, but didn't press. She never did because she knew by now, he wouldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her.
"You should go take a walk. They always calmed your mind," she spoke, though it sounded more like a soft command. He sighed. He might as well. It would help him clear his mind, and piece together what the dreams had meant. "I'll join you if you want," she offered, but he shook his head. He knew she would accompany him wherever he went, but this was something he wanted to do on his own.
"I won't be long," he spoke finally. She nodded and left his room, allowing him to dress into something more appropriate. With no destination in mind, he walked, guided only by the light of the moon and nothing else.
He hadn't made it far before he ran into Reiko. Or, more accurately, she nearly ran into him, coming around a corner at a swift jog, a look of alarm painted over her features. When she realized who it was she'd nearly collided with, she sighed; it sounded like relief. Her panic-stricken expression eased back into one of more ordinary concern; from the way her eyes moved, she was checking him over, as if for injuries.
“Are you all right?" she said, dropping her voice halfway through the sentence when she realized her previous urgency was reflected in her volume, it seemed. “This one felt..." she made a vague gesture to her head. “This one felt that you were distressed?"
He'd nearly forgotten about her ability. He offered her a soft smile, but even he could feel that it just wasn't there. "I am fine, Reiko," he replied, holding his arms out to prove his point. If she was checking him for injuries, he might as well make the appropriate movements to show he wasn't. He did, however, purse his lips and allowed his gaze to fall.
"It was just... a bad dream," he confessed softly. He had promised, and he was trying to make good on that promise. If she pressed, he wasn't entirely sure how he could even explain it. The only comforting thought he had, however, was knowing she wasn't there. At least he hoped she wasn't. No matter how many times he was constantly reminded that he couldn't see her, it still surprised him. Pushing a heavier sigh through his nose, he straightened out his back.
"It is nothing to worry about, though, Reiko. It will... likely change. They've been doing that a lot," more than he was comfortable admitting, actually.
“But they aren't just dreams," she said softly, making a similar point to one he'd made to her a while ago. She sighed through her nose, reaching out almost as if to touch him somehow, but she seemed to remember herself, and let her hand drop.
Instead, she glanced to the side and sighed again, this one a bit louder. “This one supposes it's natural that they would change more now, though; things have been... unsteady, lately." The oni situation did seem to change basically every day as new rumors filtered in from elsewhere in the country. And of course, all of them were preparing more and more each day as well.
“Aram-sama was going for a walk, right? Might this one come along? This one just, um... had a bit of a fright, you see." Perhaps her sensing his distress had woken her as well; she was wearing a sleeping kimono.
"Of course," he replied almost immediately. Once, that would have surprised him, the swiftness that he'd answered. But it no longer did. He offered a small smile, and began walking again, making sure to take slower strides. She was at least a foot shorter than him, and he didn't want her to have to walk faster just to keep up. Besides, he didn't mind the slower pace.
"Dreams do not usually change," he began, speaking low and soft to accommodate any nearby sleeping individuals. He didn't want to wake them, after all. "Usually, the only time they change is if an outside factor has disturbed something, strayed off their own path," he continued, trying to explain. It was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be. He hadn't had to explain them in such a long time.
"These dreams, though, have been changing so constantly that it seems," odd? Normal? He didn't know the word. They were frequent, and they were growing more disturbing by the minute. He chanced a glance in her direction, wondering if he should tell her exactly what he saw. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows.
"All I've been able to see is everyone perishing, Reiko. Each dream brings with it a different way, a different method," and each one more gruesome as it continued. "The only comfort I have from these dreams is... that you are not present," he admitted softly. Because he could not see her death, he drew a strange sense of comfort from it. The possibility that she would live, and they would all perish, was the only comfort he had. Even Ayla's death had shaken him greatly, but knowing that she would be alright...
"I am not certain if it is because I cannot see you," or of some strange feeling he could not name.
Reiko seemed to process that information for a while. She lifted both hands to fuss with her extremely long black plait, currently pulled over one shoulder. Her brows furrowed; she chewed on her lip a little. “This one is not especially comforted by that news, Aram-sama." She said it with a wan smile, her tone gentle. “This one can put up with a lot of things, but losing everyone this one cares about... is probably not one of those things."
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Do you think that... something out there might be interfering with your visions? Could it... could it show you things that aren't true, maybe?" From her perspective, it must have seemed a logical question. He'd expressed some unusual difficulties lately with them, after all.
He hadn't really thought about that. "Under normal circumstances, I would have said no," he responded. Unfortunately, these were not normal circumstances. She was not a normal circumstance. "But the only other way that could happen is if..." he paused. How could he describe his father to her. Their father. It wasn't something easily spoken of, simply because they had not been born in the usual sense. They were created.
"The only way that could have happened is if someone were as Ayla and myself are. As your father was," a being created by some other, more complex being. As far as he knew, his father was the only one of his kind. He furrowed his brows. Was it possible that there was something else? If he could not see Reiko's future, surely, then, it was possible that something was interfering.
"I apologize, Reiko. I did not mean to tell you the news as I did," because comforting or not, it had been the truth. "I also did not want to keep it from you, though. A promise is a promise, and I shall not break mine," he added. It was the least he could do, at the moment.
She blinked, then shook her head emphatically. “This one did not mean to say that this one was upset to get the news, Aram-sama. This one is... glad you felt like you could tell me. This one only meant to say that the part you take comfort from is a bit more... disconcerting to this one. This one does not wish to imagine being alive without this one's family and friends, is all."
That she had to whether she liked it or not went unsaid, but clearly implied.
After a moment of heavy silence, Reiko hummed a soft note in the back of her throat. “Forgive this one's forwardness, Aram-sama, but this one wants to show you something." What she was asking for forgiveness for became clear a moment later, as she linked her arm with his, tugging him along gently but insistently down a hallway that he'd not had occasion to navigate before.
He didn't mind, though. He could understand why Ayla enjoyed being around her, perhaps a little better now. She might not want to imagine being the only one alive, however; he knew all too well what it would feel like, in the end. He had neglected to mention that he hadn't seen himself perish, only the others. He wasn't sure if that meant he would survive just a little longer, or if he'd simply die after everyone else. He wasn't sure.
"If you do not mind me asking, where are we going?" he decided to ask. They were headed somewhere he wasn't familiar with. Unlike Ayla, he hadn't had the desire to roam and explore.
“Patience, Aram-sama," she chided without any actual sharpness. “You'll see."
There was something different about the wing of the castle they entered. It seemed vaguely... hollow, like there wasn't really anyonearound, despite the fact that two halls back were dozens of chambers with occupants. The air smelled aged like old paper and silk even to his nose. There wasn't much dust or dirt to be seen, but at the same time, there were no signs of the recent presence of servants, either. Yet Reiko steered them through it with surety, stopping in front of a particular door and relinquishing her hold on his arm so she could open it carefully with both hands.
It slid to the side smoothly, revealing what looked to be a library of sorts; dozens of shelves in neat rows all held scrolls. Some of them were yellowed with age; a few had even been placed behind glass doors, a rather expensive investment. Two more doors on the opposite side of the room seemed to lead outdoors, but again not to any part of the castle he'd ever seen.
“This was Tou-chan's wing," Reiko explained, fondness suffusing her tone until it was warm and tender. “And this was his collection of things to read." She gesured around them; no doubt the collection as a whole was priceless.
But she seemed to have something specific in mind, moving to one of the small glass-lined cabinets and reaching slightly down into the front of her kimono to fish out a thin silver chain around her neck. At the end of it was a tiny key; she unclasped the necklace and used the key to unlock the cabinet.
It creaked a little at the metal joints, but otherwise opened easily. “Tou-chan wasn't just a reader, though; he wrote all kinds of things. Many of them he wrote for this one, because this one liked his stories so much that I... well, pestered him to tell me new ones all the time. So he wrote them all down so this one could read them whenever I wanted." She paused at that, swallowing thickly and letting her fingers rest on the glass for a moment. One slow sigh later, and she seemed to have collected herself.
“This one always preferred hearing them from him, but since..." She shook her head. “That's not what this is about. Here." She took out one of the scrolls, new compared to some of the things in the room, and handed it to him. The title indicated that it was called 'Hizashi-sama and Tsuki-sama Enter the Forest of Death.'
“They weren't exactly fairy tales," Reiko admitted. “But this one liked them better. All of the ones in this case are about you and Ayla-san and Tou-chan, though mostly the two of you. Tou-chan told it like he was just your assistant, kind of. He's the narrator voice. Um... please ignore the illustrations."
There were, indeed, some illustrations in spots that had clearly been left for them; they were done in a child's hand, though admittedly a talented child, in that all of them were recognizable as corresponding to the characters and events in the story, even if the lines were shaky and the shapes were simplistic.
Reiko cleared her throat. “Tou-chan let this one do the drawings. This one was about seven, so that didn't go too well. This one wishes there were clean copies to give you instead."
Aram took the scroll with a gentle hand. They were, clearly, important to Reiko, and he did not want to accidentally damage them. He stared at the scroll, though, for a few minutes. He wasn't aware of how much time actually passed, only that he'd kept his gaze on the scroll. It wasn't until he realized what Reiko said, however, that he finally moved his gaze to her.
"You don't have to do that," he spoke, his voice oddly quiet. He smiled, though, and held onto the scroll. "I think..." he paused, unsure if he should say what he was going to. Figuring it would be best, he continued, "I think they are nice. You were a talented child, and now a talented woman," he'd, of course, meant her talents as a fighter.
"But thank you, Reiko. This... means a lot," he continued. It really did. "I may have said this before, and constantly, so please forgive me if I say it again," he spoke, smiling just a little softer in her direction. "You are an endearing and kind person."
Reiko cleared her throat, glancing away. Even in profile, though, he could tell that her face was darkening to pink. “I-it's nothing, Aram-sama. This one just thought you might like to know how Tou-chan described everything. This one used to come here all the time, when this one could not sleep. You can, too, if you like." She held out the key on its bright chain, clearly intending that he should take it.
“This one has another key I can use." It was clear that, despite her words, this was not nothing to her. He was holding in his hands some of her most precious memories; that much was clear from the way she treated everything here. With a careful reverence, but also with obvious fondness. Everything in the room spoke still of Amon's presence, almost like he'd walk in at any moment to sit at the desk and keep writing these scrolls. It was clear she hadn't changed it or allowed it to be changed in the years since his death.
And it broke his heart, a little.
"Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, stepping a little closer to her. "Forgive the forwardness, but," he spoke, deciding it was best to show his gratitude with a hug. He'd always been like that, though. For the things that he was most grateful for, he'd embrace the person who'd given it to him. Amon used to tease him about it, but it was just how he was. The hug was brief, and as polite as he could make it, though. This place was important to her, and if she trusted him enough to come here when he could not sleep, then he would not waste her kindness.
"I shall make use of it if that is what you are permitting me to do," he spoke, taking a step back, and giving her a formal bow.
“Please do," she replied softly, looking at him in a way he could not quite decipher. It was soft, and warm; that much was clear. “This one thinks Tou-chan would have wanted that." She paused.
“And this one does, too."
Then he would. How could he refuse?
It was night, when they came.
Reiko was considering settling down to sleep again at the time. She was doing a lot of that lately; maintaining her protection over the town took a lot of effort, even if she was slowly getting used to it, and sleep helped stave off the need to eat.
But there would be no sleep right now. She felt something large and powerful come into contact with her barrier on the west side of the village, near some of the outlying farms. All the farmers had been cautioned to sleep in the town at night, but she was unsure if they were complying. She didn't feel anyone panicking within her radius, which could mean that no one was harmed... or that no one out there had made it as far as Shimamaki before they died.
There was little time to consider it. Grabbing her sword, she sent a tendril of urgency through the Mark to Suya, knowing that he would be able to sense it and likely interpret the cause. Sliding the door to her room open with a bang, Reiko left it hanging open and dashed out into the hallway, banging on her brothers' doors as she went. There wasn't time to try and collect absolutely everyone, not in a castle this large. They had to take who they could get, and leave someone behind to gather the rest for reinforcements.
Takahiro responded first, apparently having guessed the reason for her forceful knocking. He fell into step beside her. “Where are they?" he asked.
“West side, near the road in," she replied quickly. “Will you stay behind and gather the second group?"
“Are you certain?" She could hear the concern in his voice.
“Yes," she said. “This one will go with the advance team." If she didn't, the feeling of intrusion would continue to drive her to distraction, anyway. She had no idea how long her barriers would hold against an oni... or how many would be there. It was imperative that as many of them as possible got out there as soon as they could.
“Be careful, Reiko." He touched her shoulder briefly, then split off, no doubt to begin the process of locating the part of their family that was not in the immediate area.
Kentaro and Tatsuya were waiting for her when she reached the outside. “Are we all?" she asked, feeling a spike of concern.
“Tsubasa took half the soldiers on a training exercise this evening. More night drills. Jirō hasn't returned from Tohoku yet." Business and negotiation did go on, regardless of the state of the rest of the world, she supposed.
Still... Daichi was probably around; hopefully Takahiro would be able to find him in time to reinforce. “Where are Aram-sama and Ayla-san?" She thought she'd caught a whiff of them earlier.
"Aram went ahead of us. I told the idiot to wait," came Ayla's voice no sooner had Reiko had spoken. She looked slightly alarmed, perhaps because Aram had taken off by himself without help. "He'll be fine if we hurry," the implication that he wouldn't be if they did not, was there.
Well, then there was no time to waste. The four of them departed, jogging through the gate before breaking out into a run. Ayla was somewhat slower than the rest of them; Kentaro dropped back to stay with her, worlessly allowing Reiko and Tatsuya to speed up to full velocity. Her surroundings blurred around her, but Reiko kept her attention steadily on the path forward.
By the time they got to the edge of town, all the trees had cleared away, leaving them on mostly even ground. By that point, they were following their noses more than Reiko's barrier-sense; fortunately it only made things more efficient.
What Reiko had though was only one oni turned out to be nearly a dozen, and so far, Aram was the only one fighting them. Without hesitation, she drew her sword, flashing quickly towards the first. Since they'd still not been noticed, she was able to cut her target down without resistance, interrupting his attempt to flank Aram.
Tatsuya did something similar on the other side, but they both knew that they had to stick together if they wanted to have a chance of surviving this. So they planted themselves on either side of Aram, keeping enough space between them for easy movement, but not enough for an oni to slide in between them to get at someone's back.
Aram seemed to be more on the defensive side rather than the offensive. Perhaps that was slightly due to the number of oni around, and even with her and Tatsuya's aid. He did, however, spare them a glance before he moved to another one. It was at this time, Ayla and Kentaro showed up. Immediately, Ayla was with them, fighting off an oni that attempted to strike at Aram. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave her was the same one of gratitude he'd given to her and Tatsuya when they'd arrived.
"I did not expect there to be so many," Aram made the obvious statement as he continued deflecting blows. Ayla scowled, but she remained silent. "We need to get this number under control. Three are down," he began, pausing only a moment to dodge a blade heading for him.
"And that will only make them fight harder. You know that, Aram," Ayla spoke. She didn't seem to have her bow with her, this time. She seemed to be fighting with a kusarigama with a katana strapped to her hip.
"That is why they are here, too," he replied, possibly referring to Reiko and her brothers. "They will be enough," he continued. "We need to divide them up if we are to have a proper chance," he spoke. The five of them against the nine oni wouldn't be an even divide, though.
"Alright," Ayla offered no resistance and immediately left to distract two of the oni. Aram, however, spared the others a glance.
"It will not be easy, but you will be successful," he spoke, leaving as well to take on a pair of oni, himself. That left five for them.
Reiko wasn't sure that splitting up was the best way to handle this, but it seemed to be what they were doing regardless of how she felt about it. Tatsuya drew away the largest one, obviously the leader, and Kentaro took two more. That left her with two of her own.
Reiko took a deep breath, inadvertently getting herself a lungful of awful stench in the process, but she fought down the bile that rose in her throat. These oni seemed to be stronger than the last ones, or at least more intelligent; the two that attacked her did so as a team. One swung in from the right. She leaped over the barehanded blow, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws. But the one on the left seemed to anticipate that, catching her in midair. His hand was large enough to grip her around the waist, and he did, hauling her upwards with a heave.
Her legs dangled in the air; Reiko tried to cut at the creature from her position, but the opporunity for leverage was minimal. She put several gashes at the oni's wrist, but it only squeezed tighter. Abandoning that effort as useless, she changed her grip on the blade and stabbed downwards, driving the point of her sword into the meaty portion of the oni's thumb.
It roared and squeezed harder; Reiko's vision went dark as several of her ribs snapped at once. To her, the wet cracks sounded loud, but over the general din of battle, they were probably nothing. She lacked the air in her lungs to cry out; her sword dropped from numb fingers.
Still, she continued to struggle, thrashing in the oni's grip and leaning forward to sink her teeth into the part of her opponent's hand that she could manage. That finally got him to let her go, but the other was waiting. He'd picked up a piece of wood discarded along the side of the road—perhaps once part of a wagon—and bore down with it, breaking it over her head.
The other grabbed her gi by the sleeve, ripping it in half and leaving that side of her abdomen exposed but for her sarashi. Reiko rolled free, spitting out her own blood from a split lip, and lunged to retrieve her sword.
One of the oni grabbed her by the ankles just as her fingers brushed the hilt. Her fingers dug into the ground in an effort to keep herself from being dragged aloft again, but it was a fruitless effort—the oni were much stronger than she was. Pain blossomed suddenly across her back; the other had gouged her deeply with his claws and dragged them down her spine.
Reiko gritted her teeth against the pain; she was so dizzy now. Her vision swam before her, her surroundings fading in and out of clarity. No doubt the head wound and blood loss were only making things were; her healing factor was struggling to keep up. On instinct, she kicked out, swinging herself in the oni's grip with all the weight and force she had left to her. Startled, he bent his elbow—and that was all she needed. Reiko hooked her fingers into his shoulder gripping with the foreign claws she could feel at her fingertips. Pulling herself forward with a mighty heave, she buried her face in his neck, tearing into his flesh with her teeth. They must have been at least as hard as oni bones, because they sank in without difficulty.
Instead of simply drawing gently away to drink, she tightened her jaw and tore, ripping flesh and a section of artery free of his body. He bellowed, hot blood spraying from the wound in his neck, splashing onto her face and shoulders.
He fell almost in slow motion. Reiko didn't have the strength to do anything but fall with him. Her moment of clarity and strength was gone—she had no energy left. When the other pinned her to the ground by the throat, she cried out softly, scrabbling uselessly against him with her now-clawless fingers.
This was it: she was going to die. With blood smeared across her face and hands and a sick churning in her stomach. Reiko swallowed, then closed her eyes.
It looked like Aram-sama had misinterpreted her absence from his visions, after all.
Something large must have collided with the oni, though, freeing her. Snarling could be heard, and she could only interpret as Ayla. She must have shifted sometime during Reiko's fight. From the sounds alone, the oni seemed to be trying to defend himself from her, however; it sounded like Ayla wasn't moving. The sound of more flesh being torn could be heard as well, and the smell of blood in the air, thickened. There was a pair of arms wrapping around her, though, lifting her up so that she was no longer on the floor.
"Reiko, are you alright?" it was Aram. He sounded so concerned for her, almost as if he'd been frightened of something. "You've lost a lot of blood," he continued, as if making the observation for himself. For him to be by her, and helping her, he must have taken care of his own opponents as well. He shifted her somewhat so that her head was cradled against his shoulder by his neck.
"Your brothers are still fighting. If you must, take it," the implication was clear. He was offering his own blood for her to at least heal. But he was also leaving that option to her whether or not she would, or wait for one of her brothers.
She cracked her eyes open cautiously, even as the sound reached her of another oni falling. It was hard to make her vision focus, but she could vaguely see Aram's face. She shook her head—even in her addled state, she had no desire to do that to him.
A moment later, Tatsuya's scent filled her nose, almost overpowering in its potency. That was unusual; she swung her eyes to him, squinting when the colors didn't seem quite right. She blinked several times, still steadied by Aram's hold on her, and pulled in a short breath.
Her brother's hair was as white as Ayla's; his eyes had become luminescent gold. Short, black horns prodruded from his head, their bases hidden by snowy hair. Red marks cut slashes across his skin, but they were not wounds. She'd seen him like this only once before, but this time was different. Though he breathed heavily, lips pulled back from his thickened teeth, he didn't seem unaware of his surroundings, or not in control of himself.
“Reiko," His voice, deepened at least two full octaves, rolled and ground like stones, but she could still hear him beneath it.
She nodded, stretching her arms out towards him. She would not hurt what was not a monster like her, but Tatsuya was... Tatsuya was...
We choose what kind of monster. We get to decide what that means, no matter what anyone else thinks.
He took her from Aram, helping her settle herself in the crook of his neck. In the distance, the last oni fell. She sank her teeth into her brother's throat.
“Eh... looks like we missed a party." Tsubasa's familiar voice was accompanied by a faint trace of his scent, and Daichi's, and Takahiro's. Reiko obviously could not answer.
“Shut up, you moron," Daichi hissed. “She's obviously hurt—we need to get her back to the castle immediately."
Even Tatsuya's obvious physical transformation seemed to be a lower priority in the discussion. Reiko thought that was a bit strange, but she appreciated it. Drawing back from Tatsuya, she managed to smile weakly at him before darkness took her.
She went limp in his arms.
Reiko was considering settling down to sleep again at the time. She was doing a lot of that lately; maintaining her protection over the town took a lot of effort, even if she was slowly getting used to it, and sleep helped stave off the need to eat.
But there would be no sleep right now. She felt something large and powerful come into contact with her barrier on the west side of the village, near some of the outlying farms. All the farmers had been cautioned to sleep in the town at night, but she was unsure if they were complying. She didn't feel anyone panicking within her radius, which could mean that no one was harmed... or that no one out there had made it as far as Shimamaki before they died.
There was little time to consider it. Grabbing her sword, she sent a tendril of urgency through the Mark to Suya, knowing that he would be able to sense it and likely interpret the cause. Sliding the door to her room open with a bang, Reiko left it hanging open and dashed out into the hallway, banging on her brothers' doors as she went. There wasn't time to try and collect absolutely everyone, not in a castle this large. They had to take who they could get, and leave someone behind to gather the rest for reinforcements.
Takahiro responded first, apparently having guessed the reason for her forceful knocking. He fell into step beside her. “Where are they?" he asked.
“West side, near the road in," she replied quickly. “Will you stay behind and gather the second group?"
“Are you certain?" She could hear the concern in his voice.
“Yes," she said. “This one will go with the advance team." If she didn't, the feeling of intrusion would continue to drive her to distraction, anyway. She had no idea how long her barriers would hold against an oni... or how many would be there. It was imperative that as many of them as possible got out there as soon as they could.
“Be careful, Reiko." He touched her shoulder briefly, then split off, no doubt to begin the process of locating the part of their family that was not in the immediate area.
Kentaro and Tatsuya were waiting for her when she reached the outside. “Are we all?" she asked, feeling a spike of concern.
“Tsubasa took half the soldiers on a training exercise this evening. More night drills. Jirō hasn't returned from Tohoku yet." Business and negotiation did go on, regardless of the state of the rest of the world, she supposed.
Still... Daichi was probably around; hopefully Takahiro would be able to find him in time to reinforce. “Where are Aram-sama and Ayla-san?" She thought she'd caught a whiff of them earlier.
"Aram went ahead of us. I told the idiot to wait," came Ayla's voice no sooner had Reiko had spoken. She looked slightly alarmed, perhaps because Aram had taken off by himself without help. "He'll be fine if we hurry," the implication that he wouldn't be if they did not, was there.
Well, then there was no time to waste. The four of them departed, jogging through the gate before breaking out into a run. Ayla was somewhat slower than the rest of them; Kentaro dropped back to stay with her, worlessly allowing Reiko and Tatsuya to speed up to full velocity. Her surroundings blurred around her, but Reiko kept her attention steadily on the path forward.
By the time they got to the edge of town, all the trees had cleared away, leaving them on mostly even ground. By that point, they were following their noses more than Reiko's barrier-sense; fortunately it only made things more efficient.
What Reiko had though was only one oni turned out to be nearly a dozen, and so far, Aram was the only one fighting them. Without hesitation, she drew her sword, flashing quickly towards the first. Since they'd still not been noticed, she was able to cut her target down without resistance, interrupting his attempt to flank Aram.
Tatsuya did something similar on the other side, but they both knew that they had to stick together if they wanted to have a chance of surviving this. So they planted themselves on either side of Aram, keeping enough space between them for easy movement, but not enough for an oni to slide in between them to get at someone's back.
Aram seemed to be more on the defensive side rather than the offensive. Perhaps that was slightly due to the number of oni around, and even with her and Tatsuya's aid. He did, however, spare them a glance before he moved to another one. It was at this time, Ayla and Kentaro showed up. Immediately, Ayla was with them, fighting off an oni that attempted to strike at Aram. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave her was the same one of gratitude he'd given to her and Tatsuya when they'd arrived.
"I did not expect there to be so many," Aram made the obvious statement as he continued deflecting blows. Ayla scowled, but she remained silent. "We need to get this number under control. Three are down," he began, pausing only a moment to dodge a blade heading for him.
"And that will only make them fight harder. You know that, Aram," Ayla spoke. She didn't seem to have her bow with her, this time. She seemed to be fighting with a kusarigama with a katana strapped to her hip.
"That is why they are here, too," he replied, possibly referring to Reiko and her brothers. "They will be enough," he continued. "We need to divide them up if we are to have a proper chance," he spoke. The five of them against the nine oni wouldn't be an even divide, though.
"Alright," Ayla offered no resistance and immediately left to distract two of the oni. Aram, however, spared the others a glance.
"It will not be easy, but you will be successful," he spoke, leaving as well to take on a pair of oni, himself. That left five for them.
Reiko wasn't sure that splitting up was the best way to handle this, but it seemed to be what they were doing regardless of how she felt about it. Tatsuya drew away the largest one, obviously the leader, and Kentaro took two more. That left her with two of her own.
Reiko took a deep breath, inadvertently getting herself a lungful of awful stench in the process, but she fought down the bile that rose in her throat. These oni seemed to be stronger than the last ones, or at least more intelligent; the two that attacked her did so as a team. One swung in from the right. She leaped over the barehanded blow, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws. But the one on the left seemed to anticipate that, catching her in midair. His hand was large enough to grip her around the waist, and he did, hauling her upwards with a heave.
Her legs dangled in the air; Reiko tried to cut at the creature from her position, but the opporunity for leverage was minimal. She put several gashes at the oni's wrist, but it only squeezed tighter. Abandoning that effort as useless, she changed her grip on the blade and stabbed downwards, driving the point of her sword into the meaty portion of the oni's thumb.
It roared and squeezed harder; Reiko's vision went dark as several of her ribs snapped at once. To her, the wet cracks sounded loud, but over the general din of battle, they were probably nothing. She lacked the air in her lungs to cry out; her sword dropped from numb fingers.
Still, she continued to struggle, thrashing in the oni's grip and leaning forward to sink her teeth into the part of her opponent's hand that she could manage. That finally got him to let her go, but the other was waiting. He'd picked up a piece of wood discarded along the side of the road—perhaps once part of a wagon—and bore down with it, breaking it over her head.
The other grabbed her gi by the sleeve, ripping it in half and leaving that side of her abdomen exposed but for her sarashi. Reiko rolled free, spitting out her own blood from a split lip, and lunged to retrieve her sword.
One of the oni grabbed her by the ankles just as her fingers brushed the hilt. Her fingers dug into the ground in an effort to keep herself from being dragged aloft again, but it was a fruitless effort—the oni were much stronger than she was. Pain blossomed suddenly across her back; the other had gouged her deeply with his claws and dragged them down her spine.
Reiko gritted her teeth against the pain; she was so dizzy now. Her vision swam before her, her surroundings fading in and out of clarity. No doubt the head wound and blood loss were only making things were; her healing factor was struggling to keep up. On instinct, she kicked out, swinging herself in the oni's grip with all the weight and force she had left to her. Startled, he bent his elbow—and that was all she needed. Reiko hooked her fingers into his shoulder gripping with the foreign claws she could feel at her fingertips. Pulling herself forward with a mighty heave, she buried her face in his neck, tearing into his flesh with her teeth. They must have been at least as hard as oni bones, because they sank in without difficulty.
Instead of simply drawing gently away to drink, she tightened her jaw and tore, ripping flesh and a section of artery free of his body. He bellowed, hot blood spraying from the wound in his neck, splashing onto her face and shoulders.
He fell almost in slow motion. Reiko didn't have the strength to do anything but fall with him. Her moment of clarity and strength was gone—she had no energy left. When the other pinned her to the ground by the throat, she cried out softly, scrabbling uselessly against him with her now-clawless fingers.
This was it: she was going to die. With blood smeared across her face and hands and a sick churning in her stomach. Reiko swallowed, then closed her eyes.
It looked like Aram-sama had misinterpreted her absence from his visions, after all.
Something large must have collided with the oni, though, freeing her. Snarling could be heard, and she could only interpret as Ayla. She must have shifted sometime during Reiko's fight. From the sounds alone, the oni seemed to be trying to defend himself from her, however; it sounded like Ayla wasn't moving. The sound of more flesh being torn could be heard as well, and the smell of blood in the air, thickened. There was a pair of arms wrapping around her, though, lifting her up so that she was no longer on the floor.
"Reiko, are you alright?" it was Aram. He sounded so concerned for her, almost as if he'd been frightened of something. "You've lost a lot of blood," he continued, as if making the observation for himself. For him to be by her, and helping her, he must have taken care of his own opponents as well. He shifted her somewhat so that her head was cradled against his shoulder by his neck.
"Your brothers are still fighting. If you must, take it," the implication was clear. He was offering his own blood for her to at least heal. But he was also leaving that option to her whether or not she would, or wait for one of her brothers.
She cracked her eyes open cautiously, even as the sound reached her of another oni falling. It was hard to make her vision focus, but she could vaguely see Aram's face. She shook her head—even in her addled state, she had no desire to do that to him.
A moment later, Tatsuya's scent filled her nose, almost overpowering in its potency. That was unusual; she swung her eyes to him, squinting when the colors didn't seem quite right. She blinked several times, still steadied by Aram's hold on her, and pulled in a short breath.
Her brother's hair was as white as Ayla's; his eyes had become luminescent gold. Short, black horns prodruded from his head, their bases hidden by snowy hair. Red marks cut slashes across his skin, but they were not wounds. She'd seen him like this only once before, but this time was different. Though he breathed heavily, lips pulled back from his thickened teeth, he didn't seem unaware of his surroundings, or not in control of himself.
“Reiko," His voice, deepened at least two full octaves, rolled and ground like stones, but she could still hear him beneath it.
She nodded, stretching her arms out towards him. She would not hurt what was not a monster like her, but Tatsuya was... Tatsuya was...
We choose what kind of monster. We get to decide what that means, no matter what anyone else thinks.
He took her from Aram, helping her settle herself in the crook of his neck. In the distance, the last oni fell. She sank her teeth into her brother's throat.
“Eh... looks like we missed a party." Tsubasa's familiar voice was accompanied by a faint trace of his scent, and Daichi's, and Takahiro's. Reiko obviously could not answer.
“Shut up, you moron," Daichi hissed. “She's obviously hurt—we need to get her back to the castle immediately."
Even Tatsuya's obvious physical transformation seemed to be a lower priority in the discussion. Reiko thought that was a bit strange, but she appreciated it. Drawing back from Tatsuya, she managed to smile weakly at him before darkness took her.
She went limp in his arms.
Something snapped, then cracked. She wasn't sure if it was her hand that had cracked, along with the bone, or if it was the post that she'd just hit. Reiko was still out, but from what Aram had said, she was still alive. It'd been a few days since the attack, and she still hadn't woken up. Ayla was angry. She knew she'd lost control of herself that day, too, and the only reason she hadn't attacked anyone else was because someone had brought her back. She was certain it was Aram since he was the only one who could. Sighing softly, she shook her hand, and looked at it.
"Shit, I broke it," she spoke once she'd looked it over. It was swollen, but she could almost hear it pushing itself back into place. She never understood why her regeneration always worked slower than her brothers. Perhaps it was because of what she was? If she'd been able to heal faster, she might not have had the ability to shift as she did. She scoffed slightly. Her father had a sense of humor, it seemed. She could almost remember the first time she'd shifted, how painful it had been. It still hurt, but she supposed she'd just gotten used to it over the years. She was as calloused as her hands were.
"Ayla-san," she hadn't even noticed Sayuri approach. "Maybe, we shouldn't practice today," she continued. She'd forgotten about that. Ayla sighed softly and nodded her head. It was, perhaps, best if they didn't. Who was to say that something wouldn't happen while Reiko was out, and they might be needed. But shirking duties wasn't exactly a good thing, either.
"Sorry, Sayuri-chan. Perhaps tomorrow, we can do a training shift with Taro-chan, hm?" she offered. Sayuri smiled at her, and nodded. "Alright, we'll do that. In the mean time, you should still practice on your draw. You don't need arrows to do that," she said as she offered a smile in return.
"Alright, Ayla-san. You should be more careful, though. You'll break more than just your wrist if you keep focusing like that," Sayuri replied, causing Ayla to smirk.
"Since when did you become the teacher, Yuri-chan?"
"Since Ayla-san decided to tease me," she replied without missing a beat. Ayla snorted softly. She watched as Sayuri left, and slumped her shoulders as she did. Maybe she should go visit Reiko, and see if anything has changed? She pushed the thought out of her mind, and shook her head. She could almost smell Reiko's condition. She was still unconscious.
"I need... something," she wasn't sure what she needed though. A drink? To hit something? None of those seemed right, at the moment. Maybe she should go see Aram, and see if he figured anything out? "Aram it is," she spoke to no one in particular, and made her way to find her brother.
Her route took her past the living quarters, including Reiko's room. As she rounded the corner, she could see Tatsuya and Jirō both exiting. Jirō looked probably more tired than she'd ever seen him—they didn't interact that often and he wasn't one to show anything if he could help it. Tatsuya wore a thunderous expression, but it was unclear why.
Both of them spotted her at the same time; Jirō simply gave her a short nod before departing the other way down the hall. Tatsuya crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall just outside of Reiko's door. “No change," he said, perhaps guessing she'd come to check on his sister. “Her body was under a lot of stress; I'm not sure how long it'll take her to sleep it off, but that's all it is." A hint of relief made its way into his voice, but he said nothing further.
"That's good," she spoke softly. She was glad that was the case. Reiko would be alright, but she just needed to sleep it off. She glanced away for a second, narrowing her eyes slightly before turning them back to Tatsuya. She wasn't sure why, but some part of her wanted to ask if he was doing alright. The fight had worn on all of them, that much was apparent. But the way he had been concerned for Reiko, it was... she wasn't sure what that was. Still, she wanted to make sure he was alright, too.
"You'll probably get tired of me saying this, but," she began, sighing softly as she did, "how are you holding up?"
"Reiko's condition couldn't have been easy for you," she continued. She'd only barely registered his scent at the time, but she knew it had changed the same time she'd shifted. And that had been when Reiko had been hurt, badly.
He shrugged, but something about his indifference seemed feigned to her, as if he were in fact more troubled by everything than he let on. “It's... hard on all of us, seeing her hurt. Not just because she's our sister, either. It's something... different from that." Tatsuya's eyes fell to the floor; he snorted softly and shook his head. “You might have noticed, but we're not the most stable bunch. She makes that... better. She always has."
He pursed his lips. “Jirō thinks we shouldn't let her fight anymore. I can understand where he's coming from; I'd sleep a lot easier if I knew she never had to see another oni in her life. But..." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. This close, it was obvious that he was at least exhausted; he likely hadn't slept much in a while.
“She's so... she's better now, than she used to be. She used to just do whatever people told her to do, but ever since—" he paused, and lifted his eyes to Ayla's. “Ever since you and your brother, she's herself again, like she was when the old man was alive. I don't think we should be trying to tell her not to put herself in danger. But... we almost lost her. If we had..." He let the thought trail off.
He'd never been quite so... raw, with her before. The slightly-confused look on his face suggested that he might not have planned to be, either. But this seemed to be Tatsuya as he really was right now, stripped of braggadocio and exaggerated coyness.
She supposed she could understand. Reiko was delicate in some ways, however; Ayla knew better than most than to judge someone based on how they seemed. She knew, though, what he was saying if they'd lost her. She allowed her gaze to drop. She knew how it would feel, and it wouldn't be easy to deal with. Losing someone so precious to you... it was hard, and it had torn her apart.
"She's your sister," she began, trying to find the words she wanted to say. "She's your only sister, and it makes sense that you all would want to keep her safe. But I think that she's lucky to have you all there to help her," she continued, shaking her head softly. It wasn't quite the way she wanted to word that.
"All I'm saying is that, do what's best for her, and what will make her happy. If she decides she no longer wants to fight, support it. If she decides she wants to fight, support that, too. I'm sure that's what she'll decide to do. Reiko's the kind of person who wants to keep others safe, and if that's the case," she paused to purse her lips together.
"Then help her become stronger," because no one would do that for her, besides them. She sighed softly, again. "I can't tell you what to do for her. Hell, I can't tell you anything, really. I'm sure that you've noticed, but," she spoke suddenly, the corner of her lip tilting up just slightly. "I suck at giving speeches and shit like that."
She snorted softly.
“Who said I wanted a speech?" he replied, though his tone seemed a little bit amused more than anything; a small smile tugged just barely at one corner of his mouth. “If I thought the answers were that easy, I'd have them myself. And if I wanted pretty words, I'd ask Takahiro or your brother or someone." He shrugged, pushing a heavy breath out of his nose.
“It wasn't the most helpful advice, sure. But it was honest. You'd be surprised how few people would do that. Even if I asked."
She shrugged. "Yeah, they'd be better at giving elaborate speeches and things like that. And what can I say? I'm honest... sometimes. That, and I'm just here to look pretty, apparently," she stated, the faintest of smiles pulling on her face. She rolled her eyes at herself, though. "Well, I planned on going to see if Ara found anything useful, but," she paused, raising a brow in his direction.
"It looks like you might be in more of assistance, so," she continued, folding her arms over her chest. "You've got two options. One, you can go with me to find Jirō's stash, or two... you can go with me to find Tsu-Tsu's stash, and go have a drink. You look like shit, no offense, and it looks like you need a drink."
He snorted. “Jirō's gonna be in his office. It's not worth it to steal from him when he can see. Tsubasa keeps his in his office, too, but he's never in it." He glanced back at Reiko's door one last time, as though reluctant to go anywhere too far from her, but shook himself slightly and gestured for her to precede him down the hall. “Third on the left in the office wing."
"Oh, but there's where you're wrong, 'suya. It would be worth it. You know, because then you'd have taken it right there from underneath his smug face," she snorted softly. She didn't dislike Jirō, or anything. She just didn't interact with him as much as the others. She shook her head and glanced at Reiko's door as well.
"But Tsu-Tsu won't mind so much. Besides, he'll never know," she shrugged her shoulders and made to walk towards Tsubasa's office, however; she paused and glanced at Tatsuya. "I don't make any promises, but I'll try not to fall asleep on you again," she snorted. She felt, oddly, happier.
“I dunno," he replied, opening the door to what was obviously Tsubasa's office. It was messier than it probably should be, but not filthy or anything. Most of the tables and walls had maps, patrol schedules, and the like on them. He really took his role as captain of the Fujiwara's forces seriously, it seemed.
Tatsuya made a beeline for the desk. “I haven't slept in nearly a week. I might fall asleep on you. And if you have any sense of fairness, you'll damn well let me." He glanced up at her with a slight smile to show he wasn't that serious about it before returning his attention to the desk. Frowning, he tilted his head.
“A lock? Please, Tsubasa. I'm not an amateur." From his obi, Tatsuya withdrew two thin pieces of metal, about four inches long apiece. She couldn't see exactly what he did, but the lock clicked open a few moments later, and he tugged the drawer open. “Think fast."
He lobbed a jug of sake at her, though the toss was easier than his heads-up had implied. He took another one, shutting the drawer and letting the lock click back into place. He sniffed the cork on the jug and made a sound of appreciation. “Jackpot. He took this shit from Jirō anyway."
She laughed softly, and shook her head. "I almost feel bad for taking his stash, especially since he went through all the trouble of taking it from Jirō," she spoke. "Almost. And we'll see about that. I can't guarantee, though, that if you do fall asleep on me, you might wake up alone and without your clothes," she snickered at the implication of that sentence. He'd take it the way he always did, but that was partly the reason why she said it. Besides, his clothes were very comfortable.
“While I do encourage you to consider how that would sound if our genders were reversed, it wouldn't be unusual," he replied, smiling slyly. “I don't sleep in my clothes."
She choked back a laugh. She blinked, thinking for just a moment, however; she mentally slapped herself for even going that far. Instead, she rolled her eyes. "Well, not that I'd give a shit either way, it'll just make it easier for me to take your clothes if you don't sleep in them. Hm... that's an interesting fact to know. I might have to make use of that, now," because if he didn't have his clothes, then he couldn't exactly walk around the place. But then again, he'd probably do it anyway.
"As much as you like me imagining you naked, I'd like to go drink now so I can burn the image out of my mind, thank you," she spoke, shaking her head as she did.
“Does it make you uncomfortable, dear Ayla?" He inquired lightly, apparently not quite believing what she'd implied there. He followed her out of the office, closing the door behind them and leaning just far enough forward to direct a gust of breath onto her neck. He made it cold, too, the asshole. “A little hot under the collar perhaps?"
He didn't pause for her answer, perhaps anticipating a denial. “It not wrong, you know. To appreciate the way someone else looks. I've certainly imagined you naked. Unless you'd prefer I didn't?"
"Never said it was," she replied, putting a little more distance between herself and him. It was hard, though, considering he was much taller than she was, and he was able to keep up. "And for your information, you saw me naked not that long ago," she spoke with a little too much casualness to it. "Though if I remember correctly, you actually looked forward. Shame, really," she stated, allowing the slightest of smirks on her face to appear.
"You wouldn't have had to imagine, then," she continued. "And by all means, keep imagining. It's amusing," she was not exactly ashamed of anything, after all. She shrugged, and raised a challenging brow at him. If he was trying to fluster her, he was going to have to work a little harder than that.
“That's a little offensive," he replied easily, arching a brow right back at her. “I may be a cad and a rake, but I have never taken anything not freely offered. Peeks included. Now... if you believe I may have some deficiency in imagination, you are welcome to... correct me at any time you choose. Perhaps then I can turn by creativity to even more pleasant purposes, hm?"
They reached the garden, then, and Tatsuya took a seat on the edge of the engawa, letting his feet rest on the ground below. He set his jug down beside him.
"I didn't know you could get offended," she replied, but rolled her eyes at his statement after that. "Hm, also, tempting offer, but I'm going to have to pass for now. I might like you, but I don't like you enough, yet," she continued, taking a seat on his other side. She didn't think she'd ever like anyone, to be honest. She was fond of him, she knew that, but she wasn't exactly sure where that fondness lay at the moment.
"I do remember what I say, you know," she spoke, smirking just lightly. She might have been drunk when she said it, but she also remembered exactly what she said. "Hm... actually," she stated, leaning over just slightly. She narrowed her eyes at him, making it look like she was studying him for a moment.
"Never mind, guess I was wrong. Not yet," she stated, leaning back to her side with a smirk on her face.
“And I reiterate," he replied, “that you are a tease." He didn't much seem to mind, though, merely popping the cork out of the jug and moving it to rest on one knee, pulling the corresponding leg up underneath him. “That's fine, though. I'm sure I'm not missing anything I haven't already seen." He tipped his head back to take a swig straight from the bottle. Considering they had no cups, he pretty much had to.
"I'm sure," she replied. She grinned still, and took a drink out of her own. "Remind me next time to steal his cups, too," because drinking straight from the bottle wasn't too thrilling. It was also easier to moderate herself. Not that she needed to, but still. She liked to believe she had some control, after all. She glanced at him for a second, opened her mouth to say something, but clamped it shut after that.
"You know you're going to miss me when I'm gone, though," she spoke, half serious, half joking. Once this threat was dealt with, she had a feeling she and Aram would be moving on. They couldn't stay in one spot for too long, after all. They didn't have quite the same luxury as Tatsuya and his family did.
"But for now," she started, grinning again as she took a longer drink from her jug, "we'll just keep doing this."
“As you say."
He didn't indicate whether he was just agreeing with the last part of the statement, or the whole thing.
"Shit, I broke it," she spoke once she'd looked it over. It was swollen, but she could almost hear it pushing itself back into place. She never understood why her regeneration always worked slower than her brothers. Perhaps it was because of what she was? If she'd been able to heal faster, she might not have had the ability to shift as she did. She scoffed slightly. Her father had a sense of humor, it seemed. She could almost remember the first time she'd shifted, how painful it had been. It still hurt, but she supposed she'd just gotten used to it over the years. She was as calloused as her hands were.
"Ayla-san," she hadn't even noticed Sayuri approach. "Maybe, we shouldn't practice today," she continued. She'd forgotten about that. Ayla sighed softly and nodded her head. It was, perhaps, best if they didn't. Who was to say that something wouldn't happen while Reiko was out, and they might be needed. But shirking duties wasn't exactly a good thing, either.
"Sorry, Sayuri-chan. Perhaps tomorrow, we can do a training shift with Taro-chan, hm?" she offered. Sayuri smiled at her, and nodded. "Alright, we'll do that. In the mean time, you should still practice on your draw. You don't need arrows to do that," she said as she offered a smile in return.
"Alright, Ayla-san. You should be more careful, though. You'll break more than just your wrist if you keep focusing like that," Sayuri replied, causing Ayla to smirk.
"Since when did you become the teacher, Yuri-chan?"
"Since Ayla-san decided to tease me," she replied without missing a beat. Ayla snorted softly. She watched as Sayuri left, and slumped her shoulders as she did. Maybe she should go visit Reiko, and see if anything has changed? She pushed the thought out of her mind, and shook her head. She could almost smell Reiko's condition. She was still unconscious.
"I need... something," she wasn't sure what she needed though. A drink? To hit something? None of those seemed right, at the moment. Maybe she should go see Aram, and see if he figured anything out? "Aram it is," she spoke to no one in particular, and made her way to find her brother.
Her route took her past the living quarters, including Reiko's room. As she rounded the corner, she could see Tatsuya and Jirō both exiting. Jirō looked probably more tired than she'd ever seen him—they didn't interact that often and he wasn't one to show anything if he could help it. Tatsuya wore a thunderous expression, but it was unclear why.
Both of them spotted her at the same time; Jirō simply gave her a short nod before departing the other way down the hall. Tatsuya crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall just outside of Reiko's door. “No change," he said, perhaps guessing she'd come to check on his sister. “Her body was under a lot of stress; I'm not sure how long it'll take her to sleep it off, but that's all it is." A hint of relief made its way into his voice, but he said nothing further.
"That's good," she spoke softly. She was glad that was the case. Reiko would be alright, but she just needed to sleep it off. She glanced away for a second, narrowing her eyes slightly before turning them back to Tatsuya. She wasn't sure why, but some part of her wanted to ask if he was doing alright. The fight had worn on all of them, that much was apparent. But the way he had been concerned for Reiko, it was... she wasn't sure what that was. Still, she wanted to make sure he was alright, too.
"You'll probably get tired of me saying this, but," she began, sighing softly as she did, "how are you holding up?"
"Reiko's condition couldn't have been easy for you," she continued. She'd only barely registered his scent at the time, but she knew it had changed the same time she'd shifted. And that had been when Reiko had been hurt, badly.
He shrugged, but something about his indifference seemed feigned to her, as if he were in fact more troubled by everything than he let on. “It's... hard on all of us, seeing her hurt. Not just because she's our sister, either. It's something... different from that." Tatsuya's eyes fell to the floor; he snorted softly and shook his head. “You might have noticed, but we're not the most stable bunch. She makes that... better. She always has."
He pursed his lips. “Jirō thinks we shouldn't let her fight anymore. I can understand where he's coming from; I'd sleep a lot easier if I knew she never had to see another oni in her life. But..." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. This close, it was obvious that he was at least exhausted; he likely hadn't slept much in a while.
“She's so... she's better now, than she used to be. She used to just do whatever people told her to do, but ever since—" he paused, and lifted his eyes to Ayla's. “Ever since you and your brother, she's herself again, like she was when the old man was alive. I don't think we should be trying to tell her not to put herself in danger. But... we almost lost her. If we had..." He let the thought trail off.
He'd never been quite so... raw, with her before. The slightly-confused look on his face suggested that he might not have planned to be, either. But this seemed to be Tatsuya as he really was right now, stripped of braggadocio and exaggerated coyness.
She supposed she could understand. Reiko was delicate in some ways, however; Ayla knew better than most than to judge someone based on how they seemed. She knew, though, what he was saying if they'd lost her. She allowed her gaze to drop. She knew how it would feel, and it wouldn't be easy to deal with. Losing someone so precious to you... it was hard, and it had torn her apart.
"She's your sister," she began, trying to find the words she wanted to say. "She's your only sister, and it makes sense that you all would want to keep her safe. But I think that she's lucky to have you all there to help her," she continued, shaking her head softly. It wasn't quite the way she wanted to word that.
"All I'm saying is that, do what's best for her, and what will make her happy. If she decides she no longer wants to fight, support it. If she decides she wants to fight, support that, too. I'm sure that's what she'll decide to do. Reiko's the kind of person who wants to keep others safe, and if that's the case," she paused to purse her lips together.
"Then help her become stronger," because no one would do that for her, besides them. She sighed softly, again. "I can't tell you what to do for her. Hell, I can't tell you anything, really. I'm sure that you've noticed, but," she spoke suddenly, the corner of her lip tilting up just slightly. "I suck at giving speeches and shit like that."
She snorted softly.
“Who said I wanted a speech?" he replied, though his tone seemed a little bit amused more than anything; a small smile tugged just barely at one corner of his mouth. “If I thought the answers were that easy, I'd have them myself. And if I wanted pretty words, I'd ask Takahiro or your brother or someone." He shrugged, pushing a heavy breath out of his nose.
“It wasn't the most helpful advice, sure. But it was honest. You'd be surprised how few people would do that. Even if I asked."
She shrugged. "Yeah, they'd be better at giving elaborate speeches and things like that. And what can I say? I'm honest... sometimes. That, and I'm just here to look pretty, apparently," she stated, the faintest of smiles pulling on her face. She rolled her eyes at herself, though. "Well, I planned on going to see if Ara found anything useful, but," she paused, raising a brow in his direction.
"It looks like you might be in more of assistance, so," she continued, folding her arms over her chest. "You've got two options. One, you can go with me to find Jirō's stash, or two... you can go with me to find Tsu-Tsu's stash, and go have a drink. You look like shit, no offense, and it looks like you need a drink."
He snorted. “Jirō's gonna be in his office. It's not worth it to steal from him when he can see. Tsubasa keeps his in his office, too, but he's never in it." He glanced back at Reiko's door one last time, as though reluctant to go anywhere too far from her, but shook himself slightly and gestured for her to precede him down the hall. “Third on the left in the office wing."
"Oh, but there's where you're wrong, 'suya. It would be worth it. You know, because then you'd have taken it right there from underneath his smug face," she snorted softly. She didn't dislike Jirō, or anything. She just didn't interact with him as much as the others. She shook her head and glanced at Reiko's door as well.
"But Tsu-Tsu won't mind so much. Besides, he'll never know," she shrugged her shoulders and made to walk towards Tsubasa's office, however; she paused and glanced at Tatsuya. "I don't make any promises, but I'll try not to fall asleep on you again," she snorted. She felt, oddly, happier.
“I dunno," he replied, opening the door to what was obviously Tsubasa's office. It was messier than it probably should be, but not filthy or anything. Most of the tables and walls had maps, patrol schedules, and the like on them. He really took his role as captain of the Fujiwara's forces seriously, it seemed.
Tatsuya made a beeline for the desk. “I haven't slept in nearly a week. I might fall asleep on you. And if you have any sense of fairness, you'll damn well let me." He glanced up at her with a slight smile to show he wasn't that serious about it before returning his attention to the desk. Frowning, he tilted his head.
“A lock? Please, Tsubasa. I'm not an amateur." From his obi, Tatsuya withdrew two thin pieces of metal, about four inches long apiece. She couldn't see exactly what he did, but the lock clicked open a few moments later, and he tugged the drawer open. “Think fast."
He lobbed a jug of sake at her, though the toss was easier than his heads-up had implied. He took another one, shutting the drawer and letting the lock click back into place. He sniffed the cork on the jug and made a sound of appreciation. “Jackpot. He took this shit from Jirō anyway."
She laughed softly, and shook her head. "I almost feel bad for taking his stash, especially since he went through all the trouble of taking it from Jirō," she spoke. "Almost. And we'll see about that. I can't guarantee, though, that if you do fall asleep on me, you might wake up alone and without your clothes," she snickered at the implication of that sentence. He'd take it the way he always did, but that was partly the reason why she said it. Besides, his clothes were very comfortable.
“While I do encourage you to consider how that would sound if our genders were reversed, it wouldn't be unusual," he replied, smiling slyly. “I don't sleep in my clothes."
She choked back a laugh. She blinked, thinking for just a moment, however; she mentally slapped herself for even going that far. Instead, she rolled her eyes. "Well, not that I'd give a shit either way, it'll just make it easier for me to take your clothes if you don't sleep in them. Hm... that's an interesting fact to know. I might have to make use of that, now," because if he didn't have his clothes, then he couldn't exactly walk around the place. But then again, he'd probably do it anyway.
"As much as you like me imagining you naked, I'd like to go drink now so I can burn the image out of my mind, thank you," she spoke, shaking her head as she did.
“Does it make you uncomfortable, dear Ayla?" He inquired lightly, apparently not quite believing what she'd implied there. He followed her out of the office, closing the door behind them and leaning just far enough forward to direct a gust of breath onto her neck. He made it cold, too, the asshole. “A little hot under the collar perhaps?"
He didn't pause for her answer, perhaps anticipating a denial. “It not wrong, you know. To appreciate the way someone else looks. I've certainly imagined you naked. Unless you'd prefer I didn't?"
"Never said it was," she replied, putting a little more distance between herself and him. It was hard, though, considering he was much taller than she was, and he was able to keep up. "And for your information, you saw me naked not that long ago," she spoke with a little too much casualness to it. "Though if I remember correctly, you actually looked forward. Shame, really," she stated, allowing the slightest of smirks on her face to appear.
"You wouldn't have had to imagine, then," she continued. "And by all means, keep imagining. It's amusing," she was not exactly ashamed of anything, after all. She shrugged, and raised a challenging brow at him. If he was trying to fluster her, he was going to have to work a little harder than that.
“That's a little offensive," he replied easily, arching a brow right back at her. “I may be a cad and a rake, but I have never taken anything not freely offered. Peeks included. Now... if you believe I may have some deficiency in imagination, you are welcome to... correct me at any time you choose. Perhaps then I can turn by creativity to even more pleasant purposes, hm?"
They reached the garden, then, and Tatsuya took a seat on the edge of the engawa, letting his feet rest on the ground below. He set his jug down beside him.
"I didn't know you could get offended," she replied, but rolled her eyes at his statement after that. "Hm, also, tempting offer, but I'm going to have to pass for now. I might like you, but I don't like you enough, yet," she continued, taking a seat on his other side. She didn't think she'd ever like anyone, to be honest. She was fond of him, she knew that, but she wasn't exactly sure where that fondness lay at the moment.
"I do remember what I say, you know," she spoke, smirking just lightly. She might have been drunk when she said it, but she also remembered exactly what she said. "Hm... actually," she stated, leaning over just slightly. She narrowed her eyes at him, making it look like she was studying him for a moment.
"Never mind, guess I was wrong. Not yet," she stated, leaning back to her side with a smirk on her face.
“And I reiterate," he replied, “that you are a tease." He didn't much seem to mind, though, merely popping the cork out of the jug and moving it to rest on one knee, pulling the corresponding leg up underneath him. “That's fine, though. I'm sure I'm not missing anything I haven't already seen." He tipped his head back to take a swig straight from the bottle. Considering they had no cups, he pretty much had to.
"I'm sure," she replied. She grinned still, and took a drink out of her own. "Remind me next time to steal his cups, too," because drinking straight from the bottle wasn't too thrilling. It was also easier to moderate herself. Not that she needed to, but still. She liked to believe she had some control, after all. She glanced at him for a second, opened her mouth to say something, but clamped it shut after that.
"You know you're going to miss me when I'm gone, though," she spoke, half serious, half joking. Once this threat was dealt with, she had a feeling she and Aram would be moving on. They couldn't stay in one spot for too long, after all. They didn't have quite the same luxury as Tatsuya and his family did.
"But for now," she started, grinning again as she took a longer drink from her jug, "we'll just keep doing this."
“As you say."
He didn't indicate whether he was just agreeing with the last part of the statement, or the whole thing.
Still nothing.
Kentaro frowned, smoothing Reiko's hair back from her forehead before he stood and left the room. It had been nearly a week, and still she hadn't stirred. She was bound to be ravenous when she woke again, if she was even strong enough to move at all. In view of this, her brothers had taken to checking in on her on a fixed rotation, to make sure one of them was nearby whenever she did wake. Tatsuya would doubtless know if it happened when none of them were there, through the mark.
For now, however... there was still work to do.
Takahiro was at his side almost as soon as he'd left. “My turn, I think," he said, and Kentaro nodded. It didn't matter that Takahiro couldn't see. He would know anyway, somehow.
“By the way... Tsubasa just got back from the site. He said he saw something irregular. Apparently, a large quantity of earth was removed from near where Reiko fell. Not by the battle—like someone had come by and taken the soil afterwards."
Kentaro frowned. “Has he told the others?"
Takahiro, one hand on the door, nodded slightly.
It was a troubling piece of information, but Kentaro wasn't exactly sure what it meant. What it could mean, besides the fact that someone out there had seen the bodies of the oni before they'd been able to remove all the evidence. But maybe that wasn't the concern. They'd removed the bodies on the same day. But the other evidence...
Grinding his teeth a little bit, Kentaro made his way through the hallway. Perhaps he should take a visit himself, though he didn't know what to look for. Perhaps it was simply better if he rested a while. He wasn't as tired as Tatsuya or Reiko, obviously, but they wore themselves a little thinner with each passing day. Their pool of resources wasn't getting any bigger, and the careful equilibrium they'd achieved with blood exchange had been thrown off considerably by injuries and increased pressure on their bodies from training. If they didn't devise a solution soon, someone was going to snap.
Kentaro had always had poor control. It might well be him. It could be Daichi. It could be Tatsuya, who was further starved than any of them. It could be anyone, and waiting for it to happen was only making things worse.
It didn't take long before voices could be heard around the corner. It sounded like Aram and Sayuri. They were speaking to each other about something. From some of the conversation he could catch, it sounded like they were talking about tea.
"I was just wondering if the next time you go into town for tea, if you could pick up some lavender tea, and..." she paused in her words. She remained quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again, "And if you could get some anman for... for Taro-san, I would appreciate it," her voice had sounded a little more nervous when she spoke that, almost as if she were embarrassed of the request.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. It will be my pleasure. I will be passing through the town sometime today, actually, perhaps you'd like to join me?" he asked. There was something light in his voice, but it didn't sound like he'd meant it as anything other than a simple offer to take her into the town for the objects she wanted.
"Oh, um, if it's... if it's alright, Aram-san," she spoke, seemingly taking the offer, however; she'd paused. "I'd rather stay here for the moment. Just... just in case Reiko wakes up," she spoke.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. I understand. I shall collect the items you have requested when I visit the town today."
At that point, Kentaro's pace caused him to round the corner, bringing him face-to-face with the both of them. He blinked, unsure what to say, or even if he should say anything. He recalled the only piece of information he had that might be relevant, and decided now was as good a time as any to pass it along to the one person who might be able to make sense of it.
“Someone removed blood from the battle site," he told Aram bluntly. “Tsubasa knows the details, since he's the one who found it. I thought... you should know." His eyes flickered to Sayuri for a moment before he returned them to Aram.
Aram blinked slowly at Kentaro, as if what he'd just said was still processing. His eyes widened, though, and he bowed quickly. "My apologies, Sayuri-san, but it looks like I will make the trip another day," he spoke, glancing towards Sayuri, and offering her a small smile. Perhaps apologetic? He turned back towards Kentaro, though, and furrowed his brows.
"I must speak with Tsubasa-san. Thank you for the information, Kentaro-san," he spoke, bowing once more before departing, perhaps to find Tsubasa. Sayuri had blinked at the entire exchange, but didn't say anything. She simply sighed and shook her head.
"That's alright," she seemed to say as a delayed reaction. "I can just go myself," she continued muttering. She spared Kentaro a glance, though, and gave him a small smile. "Taro-san," she began softly, but she'd paused and shook her head.
"Never mind, Taro-san. If you'd like, there's no one in Reiko's garden. If you wanted to go rest there, I mean. I know... it helps you sometimes," she offered.
He had not counted on this particular complication. “You should not go to the town by yourself," he said. With Reiko out of commission, there was no telling how well her barrier would hold if subjected to any pressure. It was possible that an oni could just walk into Shimamaki without any of them being any the wiser until they could smell the blood. Tsubasa's men could only patrol so much.
“If you desire to go, I will accompany you." Kentaro blinked. “Unless my presence is disagreeable, in which case we will find someone else to go with you." He didn't think she disliked his company, but Kentaro knew better than to ever be sure about such a thing. He wasn't very good at reading people.
"Oh, no, Kentaro-san, that's not... I hope it doesn't seem like that. I do enjoy your company, very much, actually," she spoke a little quickly. The color on her face deepened, and she glanced away from him. "I just didn't want to bother you. You all have been working and fighting so hard that you hardly get to rest. I just... I thought that maybe you'd rather rest than accompany me," she continued. She still didn't look at him, and the color seemed to stay on her face.
"But I'd like that, if you would," she said as she shifted in her spot somewhat. "B-but like I said, if you'd rather rest..." she trailed off at the end.
He shook his head. “I would not rather rest. Did you intend to go now or later this afternoon?" He thought now would probably be best; he'd noticed that the oni they'd encountered so far preferred to attack at dawn, dusk, or during the night. The middle of the day seemed to be safer. He wondered if they were weaker in the daylight.
"Oh, um, well now would be a good time," she seemed to agree with him, though, perhaps, for different reasons. "Most of the stalls will be open right now, and I believe Saionji-san will be open today," she spoke. That must have been the name of the person she bought her tea from. "Thank you for going with me, Taro-san," she spoke, giving him a polite bow before she straightened back up.
"I appreciate it," she added before she began walking.
“It isn't any trouble," he replied with a small shrug. Actually, he found that he was... pleased? That seemed right. It was sort of a foreign feeling, this particular kind of pleasantness, but he'd been noticing it more often lately. It was something she seemed uniquely capable of causing in him, distinct from the contentment he felt around Reiko or the comfort of solitude or even the vague and slight settling in his demeanor that Tatsuya, Tsubasa, Ayla, or Takahiro could produce.
They exited through the gate, stepping out onto the road that led out into town. For the first few minutes, their passage was silent. But then Kentaro broke it. “Are you..." he paused. “How are you?" He did not imagine that this was an easy time for her, either. His family was really all she'd known for her short life, and she had to watch them go out and risk themselves over and over again. He knew that would not sit easily with someone so tenderhearted, but she had not complained.
"Worried," she replied, sighing softly as she did. "I always worry that, whenever you, or any of the others, go out on patrols, that something will happen. And then, I'd never see any of you again. It's..." she paused, glancing up at him for a second and keeping his gaze. "It's especially bad when it's you, though," she seemed to whisper the sentence. She shook her head, though, and dropped her gaze in front of her.
"I know you are all strong enough to take care of yourselves, but after that day... when you came back injured, I thought," she paused again, and seemed to swallow thickly. "I thought that I would lose you if you went out again. And then, when Reiko came back injured so badly, it makes me feel useless," she seemed to strain the last word when she said it.
"I'm not like you and Reiko, or even Aram-san or Ayla-san. I'm just... this," she spoke and gestured vaguely to herself. "I want to help, too, but... I can't help the same way," she continued. She paused for just a second in her step, almost as if she was trying to avoid something in the road, but she picked up her pace to match his.
"I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I didn't mean to make it sound as if I'm... ungrateful for anything. I am truly grateful for everything, but... I want to help, too," her voice dropped off at the end. If it wasn't for his hearing, he'd probably have missed it.
Almost without deciding to do it, Kentaro reached out. He laid his hand on the top of her head; she was cool to the touch, but he suspected that was simply relative, since he ran much warmer than anyone else he knew. He'd never really touched her, exactly; not deliberately like this. The occasional brush was unavoidable in practice, but those were accidents. The time he'd attacked her was, too, of a kind. This was not, though that didn't mean he quite knew what it was. He'd simply... wanted to offer her some kind of comfort. Other people did this kind of thing all the time.
“Don't blame yourself for what you are," he said quietly. “You're doing everything that is within your power. And it is helping." That she was human and therefore unable to fight the oni was no fault of hers. She still trained hard every day, and helped them in ways that didn't have to do with going out and fighting. He thought she might be underestimating that; fighting was not the only important thing.
She sighed softly. 'That's not the point, Kentaro-san," she began, speaking less quietly. "It still won't be enough. I'm not blaming myself for being what I am. We can't help how we're born. It's just how things are sometimes, and I've accepted that. But that's not what upsets me," she spoke, shaking her head slightly.
"What upsets me is not being able to help in any other way," she spoke, though she left it a little vague as to what she meant. "I can't help fight, I can't help... support my family the way Reiko does," she continued. She was referring to their need for blood, apparently. "I just... sometimes I wish I could help out more than just... just being here and being useless. If it really came down to it, Kentaro-san, do you honestly think I'd survive a fight if we were attacked? If I didn't have any other choice but to fight?" she questioned, sighing heavily as she did so.
"I wouldn't," she whispered softly before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I don't mean to say these things. I just..." she didn't seem to be able to finish that sentence.
That gave him pause. It was true that blood was in low supply in the household, in part because of everyone's paranoia. He'd just been considering how troubling that was. But... “Reiko's value to us has nothing to do with her blood. And her support doesn't have much to do with it, either. So why would yours?" He blinked at her and dropped his hand.
“You..." Kentaro pursed his lips, trying to get a grip on what he wanted to say. He'd never had elegant or soothing words for any occasion. This one would be no different, he expected. But there was no one else around right now. “You help me. I feel... better. When you're around. No one else makes me..." He pushed a harsh breath out of his nose. “Reiko helps us all, but you... it's different. I don't want you to be more like her. I want you to be you." He wasn't sure he was conveying it right. Probably because he still wasn't entirely sure what it was supposed to be.
She blinked in mild surprise at him. She remained quiet, almost as if she were still processing his words. A smile, however, bloomed over her face, and before anything could be said, she hugged him. That was the second time she did that. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san," she spoke, pulling back after a few seconds. She wiped at her face, though it was hard to tell if it was because there was something there, or if it was something else.
"I'll... I'll do that, then. If... if it helps you, and you... don't mind," she paused momentarily to smooth her kimono out, "then I'll keep trying." She blinked before she pointed in front of her. "It looks like Saionji-san is open, we can get the tea today. If he's open, then Nakamura-san should be open, too. We can get some anman from her," she spoke as she glanced up at him.
He stiffened a bit at the contact, though perhaps less than he had the last time. When she pulled away and spoke, he nodded slightly, swallowing past something in his throat. “How did you know I like anman?" he asked. She had mentioned it specifically in reference to him earlier; she wasn't wrong, but he didn't recall ever saying as much around her.
"Reiko told me," she answered without hesitation. "She mentioned it sometime last year when we first met Kyabetsu-san," she continued, blinking mildly at him. "I figured since it's been a while since you last had any, I wanted to get some for you," she spoke, looking up at him.
He found it odd that she'd remembered such a thing a year later, but he didn't say it. The information was... slightly flattering, actually. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt flattered before, but this was probably it. “I see," he said after a short pause. “Is there anything you would like?"
"Oh, I'm here for the lavender tea," she spoke, perhaps not understanding how he'd meant it. She blinked for a second as it registered, and her face turned a light pink, again. "No, no it's alright, Kentaro-san. I think... you accompanying me this much is all I could ask for," she replied. She offered him a smile, probably to reassure him.
He felt the corners of his mouth downturn slightly. “Well... will you at least tell me what your favorite food is? You know mine; it only seems... fair."
"Oh, I'm sorry Kentaro-san. It's um... it's daifuku. They're really good," she replied, her face turning a deeper shade of the pink. "I like daifuku," she repeated it.
He nodded. Daifuku then.
He'd remember.
Kentaro frowned, smoothing Reiko's hair back from her forehead before he stood and left the room. It had been nearly a week, and still she hadn't stirred. She was bound to be ravenous when she woke again, if she was even strong enough to move at all. In view of this, her brothers had taken to checking in on her on a fixed rotation, to make sure one of them was nearby whenever she did wake. Tatsuya would doubtless know if it happened when none of them were there, through the mark.
For now, however... there was still work to do.
Takahiro was at his side almost as soon as he'd left. “My turn, I think," he said, and Kentaro nodded. It didn't matter that Takahiro couldn't see. He would know anyway, somehow.
“By the way... Tsubasa just got back from the site. He said he saw something irregular. Apparently, a large quantity of earth was removed from near where Reiko fell. Not by the battle—like someone had come by and taken the soil afterwards."
Kentaro frowned. “Has he told the others?"
Takahiro, one hand on the door, nodded slightly.
It was a troubling piece of information, but Kentaro wasn't exactly sure what it meant. What it could mean, besides the fact that someone out there had seen the bodies of the oni before they'd been able to remove all the evidence. But maybe that wasn't the concern. They'd removed the bodies on the same day. But the other evidence...
Grinding his teeth a little bit, Kentaro made his way through the hallway. Perhaps he should take a visit himself, though he didn't know what to look for. Perhaps it was simply better if he rested a while. He wasn't as tired as Tatsuya or Reiko, obviously, but they wore themselves a little thinner with each passing day. Their pool of resources wasn't getting any bigger, and the careful equilibrium they'd achieved with blood exchange had been thrown off considerably by injuries and increased pressure on their bodies from training. If they didn't devise a solution soon, someone was going to snap.
Kentaro had always had poor control. It might well be him. It could be Daichi. It could be Tatsuya, who was further starved than any of them. It could be anyone, and waiting for it to happen was only making things worse.
It didn't take long before voices could be heard around the corner. It sounded like Aram and Sayuri. They were speaking to each other about something. From some of the conversation he could catch, it sounded like they were talking about tea.
"I was just wondering if the next time you go into town for tea, if you could pick up some lavender tea, and..." she paused in her words. She remained quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again, "And if you could get some anman for... for Taro-san, I would appreciate it," her voice had sounded a little more nervous when she spoke that, almost as if she were embarrassed of the request.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. It will be my pleasure. I will be passing through the town sometime today, actually, perhaps you'd like to join me?" he asked. There was something light in his voice, but it didn't sound like he'd meant it as anything other than a simple offer to take her into the town for the objects she wanted.
"Oh, um, if it's... if it's alright, Aram-san," she spoke, seemingly taking the offer, however; she'd paused. "I'd rather stay here for the moment. Just... just in case Reiko wakes up," she spoke.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. I understand. I shall collect the items you have requested when I visit the town today."
At that point, Kentaro's pace caused him to round the corner, bringing him face-to-face with the both of them. He blinked, unsure what to say, or even if he should say anything. He recalled the only piece of information he had that might be relevant, and decided now was as good a time as any to pass it along to the one person who might be able to make sense of it.
“Someone removed blood from the battle site," he told Aram bluntly. “Tsubasa knows the details, since he's the one who found it. I thought... you should know." His eyes flickered to Sayuri for a moment before he returned them to Aram.
Aram blinked slowly at Kentaro, as if what he'd just said was still processing. His eyes widened, though, and he bowed quickly. "My apologies, Sayuri-san, but it looks like I will make the trip another day," he spoke, glancing towards Sayuri, and offering her a small smile. Perhaps apologetic? He turned back towards Kentaro, though, and furrowed his brows.
"I must speak with Tsubasa-san. Thank you for the information, Kentaro-san," he spoke, bowing once more before departing, perhaps to find Tsubasa. Sayuri had blinked at the entire exchange, but didn't say anything. She simply sighed and shook her head.
"That's alright," she seemed to say as a delayed reaction. "I can just go myself," she continued muttering. She spared Kentaro a glance, though, and gave him a small smile. "Taro-san," she began softly, but she'd paused and shook her head.
"Never mind, Taro-san. If you'd like, there's no one in Reiko's garden. If you wanted to go rest there, I mean. I know... it helps you sometimes," she offered.
He had not counted on this particular complication. “You should not go to the town by yourself," he said. With Reiko out of commission, there was no telling how well her barrier would hold if subjected to any pressure. It was possible that an oni could just walk into Shimamaki without any of them being any the wiser until they could smell the blood. Tsubasa's men could only patrol so much.
“If you desire to go, I will accompany you." Kentaro blinked. “Unless my presence is disagreeable, in which case we will find someone else to go with you." He didn't think she disliked his company, but Kentaro knew better than to ever be sure about such a thing. He wasn't very good at reading people.
"Oh, no, Kentaro-san, that's not... I hope it doesn't seem like that. I do enjoy your company, very much, actually," she spoke a little quickly. The color on her face deepened, and she glanced away from him. "I just didn't want to bother you. You all have been working and fighting so hard that you hardly get to rest. I just... I thought that maybe you'd rather rest than accompany me," she continued. She still didn't look at him, and the color seemed to stay on her face.
"But I'd like that, if you would," she said as she shifted in her spot somewhat. "B-but like I said, if you'd rather rest..." she trailed off at the end.
He shook his head. “I would not rather rest. Did you intend to go now or later this afternoon?" He thought now would probably be best; he'd noticed that the oni they'd encountered so far preferred to attack at dawn, dusk, or during the night. The middle of the day seemed to be safer. He wondered if they were weaker in the daylight.
"Oh, um, well now would be a good time," she seemed to agree with him, though, perhaps, for different reasons. "Most of the stalls will be open right now, and I believe Saionji-san will be open today," she spoke. That must have been the name of the person she bought her tea from. "Thank you for going with me, Taro-san," she spoke, giving him a polite bow before she straightened back up.
"I appreciate it," she added before she began walking.
“It isn't any trouble," he replied with a small shrug. Actually, he found that he was... pleased? That seemed right. It was sort of a foreign feeling, this particular kind of pleasantness, but he'd been noticing it more often lately. It was something she seemed uniquely capable of causing in him, distinct from the contentment he felt around Reiko or the comfort of solitude or even the vague and slight settling in his demeanor that Tatsuya, Tsubasa, Ayla, or Takahiro could produce.
They exited through the gate, stepping out onto the road that led out into town. For the first few minutes, their passage was silent. But then Kentaro broke it. “Are you..." he paused. “How are you?" He did not imagine that this was an easy time for her, either. His family was really all she'd known for her short life, and she had to watch them go out and risk themselves over and over again. He knew that would not sit easily with someone so tenderhearted, but she had not complained.
"Worried," she replied, sighing softly as she did. "I always worry that, whenever you, or any of the others, go out on patrols, that something will happen. And then, I'd never see any of you again. It's..." she paused, glancing up at him for a second and keeping his gaze. "It's especially bad when it's you, though," she seemed to whisper the sentence. She shook her head, though, and dropped her gaze in front of her.
"I know you are all strong enough to take care of yourselves, but after that day... when you came back injured, I thought," she paused again, and seemed to swallow thickly. "I thought that I would lose you if you went out again. And then, when Reiko came back injured so badly, it makes me feel useless," she seemed to strain the last word when she said it.
"I'm not like you and Reiko, or even Aram-san or Ayla-san. I'm just... this," she spoke and gestured vaguely to herself. "I want to help, too, but... I can't help the same way," she continued. She paused for just a second in her step, almost as if she was trying to avoid something in the road, but she picked up her pace to match his.
"I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I didn't mean to make it sound as if I'm... ungrateful for anything. I am truly grateful for everything, but... I want to help, too," her voice dropped off at the end. If it wasn't for his hearing, he'd probably have missed it.
Almost without deciding to do it, Kentaro reached out. He laid his hand on the top of her head; she was cool to the touch, but he suspected that was simply relative, since he ran much warmer than anyone else he knew. He'd never really touched her, exactly; not deliberately like this. The occasional brush was unavoidable in practice, but those were accidents. The time he'd attacked her was, too, of a kind. This was not, though that didn't mean he quite knew what it was. He'd simply... wanted to offer her some kind of comfort. Other people did this kind of thing all the time.
“Don't blame yourself for what you are," he said quietly. “You're doing everything that is within your power. And it is helping." That she was human and therefore unable to fight the oni was no fault of hers. She still trained hard every day, and helped them in ways that didn't have to do with going out and fighting. He thought she might be underestimating that; fighting was not the only important thing.
She sighed softly. 'That's not the point, Kentaro-san," she began, speaking less quietly. "It still won't be enough. I'm not blaming myself for being what I am. We can't help how we're born. It's just how things are sometimes, and I've accepted that. But that's not what upsets me," she spoke, shaking her head slightly.
"What upsets me is not being able to help in any other way," she spoke, though she left it a little vague as to what she meant. "I can't help fight, I can't help... support my family the way Reiko does," she continued. She was referring to their need for blood, apparently. "I just... sometimes I wish I could help out more than just... just being here and being useless. If it really came down to it, Kentaro-san, do you honestly think I'd survive a fight if we were attacked? If I didn't have any other choice but to fight?" she questioned, sighing heavily as she did so.
"I wouldn't," she whispered softly before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san, I don't mean to say these things. I just..." she didn't seem to be able to finish that sentence.
That gave him pause. It was true that blood was in low supply in the household, in part because of everyone's paranoia. He'd just been considering how troubling that was. But... “Reiko's value to us has nothing to do with her blood. And her support doesn't have much to do with it, either. So why would yours?" He blinked at her and dropped his hand.
“You..." Kentaro pursed his lips, trying to get a grip on what he wanted to say. He'd never had elegant or soothing words for any occasion. This one would be no different, he expected. But there was no one else around right now. “You help me. I feel... better. When you're around. No one else makes me..." He pushed a harsh breath out of his nose. “Reiko helps us all, but you... it's different. I don't want you to be more like her. I want you to be you." He wasn't sure he was conveying it right. Probably because he still wasn't entirely sure what it was supposed to be.
She blinked in mild surprise at him. She remained quiet, almost as if she were still processing his words. A smile, however, bloomed over her face, and before anything could be said, she hugged him. That was the second time she did that. "I'm sorry, Kentaro-san," she spoke, pulling back after a few seconds. She wiped at her face, though it was hard to tell if it was because there was something there, or if it was something else.
"I'll... I'll do that, then. If... if it helps you, and you... don't mind," she paused momentarily to smooth her kimono out, "then I'll keep trying." She blinked before she pointed in front of her. "It looks like Saionji-san is open, we can get the tea today. If he's open, then Nakamura-san should be open, too. We can get some anman from her," she spoke as she glanced up at him.
He stiffened a bit at the contact, though perhaps less than he had the last time. When she pulled away and spoke, he nodded slightly, swallowing past something in his throat. “How did you know I like anman?" he asked. She had mentioned it specifically in reference to him earlier; she wasn't wrong, but he didn't recall ever saying as much around her.
"Reiko told me," she answered without hesitation. "She mentioned it sometime last year when we first met Kyabetsu-san," she continued, blinking mildly at him. "I figured since it's been a while since you last had any, I wanted to get some for you," she spoke, looking up at him.
He found it odd that she'd remembered such a thing a year later, but he didn't say it. The information was... slightly flattering, actually. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt flattered before, but this was probably it. “I see," he said after a short pause. “Is there anything you would like?"
"Oh, I'm here for the lavender tea," she spoke, perhaps not understanding how he'd meant it. She blinked for a second as it registered, and her face turned a light pink, again. "No, no it's alright, Kentaro-san. I think... you accompanying me this much is all I could ask for," she replied. She offered him a smile, probably to reassure him.
He felt the corners of his mouth downturn slightly. “Well... will you at least tell me what your favorite food is? You know mine; it only seems... fair."
"Oh, I'm sorry Kentaro-san. It's um... it's daifuku. They're really good," she replied, her face turning a deeper shade of the pink. "I like daifuku," she repeated it.
He nodded. Daifuku then.
He'd remember.
It was alarming, to say the least. He didn't understand why someone would go to all the trouble of digging out a chunk of earth, however; it made some sense to him. In order to put the pieces together, though, he needed to find out more information. He needed to find Tsubasa so he could question him. Unfortunately, he did not have the same nose as the others did. He couldn't find Tsubasa by simply sniffing him out. He had to rely on sheer luck.
"Aram," Ayla's voice caught him mid-step, and he paused. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" she chided, however; her brows furowed when his frown deepened. "Aram," she began in a tone that told him to tell her something. He might as well ask.
"Can you tell me where Tsubasa-san is?" he asked. She blinked at him, quirking a brow in his direction, but sighed. She lifted her head in the air, and it looked like she inhaled slowly.
"He's on the training grounds," was the only thing she said as she walked away. He sighed softly, but made his way towards the place she said he would be. He would have to tell her eventually, but he wanted to make sure he had all of his information correct before he said anything.
Tsubasa was indeed there. It looked like he was supervising a training exercise. Surprisingly, Daichi was there with him, looking somewhat sullen. That was normal for him, it seemed; and of course they all had a reason to be upset, lately. Tsubasa turned when Aram approached, offering half of one of his usual grins. Even he was being worn down by all this, it seemed. Daichi tilted his head such that it was obvious he was paying attention, but he didn't move from where he was leaned against the wooden fence around the ring.
“Aram-san. With a look like that, yer here about what I found, right?" He wasn't the brightest of his brothers, but he could be surprisingly intuitive.
"I am," he replied. "Kentaro-san said that you discovered a large chunk of earth had been removed. It was the spot where Reiko had fallen, correct?" he stated, curling his forefinger underneath his lip. He was thinking about what significance that could have meant. If it was where Reiko had fallen, then it must mean that they'd taken it intentionally for something else. What would they want with dirt, after all?
"Was there anything else amiss? Anything strange, or out of the ordinary?" he needed as many details as he could get.
Tsubasa thought about it for a moment. “I mean... uh... I can tell you what stuck out to me, but I'm not exactly sure that it would matter to anyone else, you know? We're kinda..."
Daichi snorted, giving both of them an aside glance. “The soil that's missing would have had a lot of her blood in it," he said bluntly. “Tsubasa's not sure that matters because oni don't drink it like we do. But they practically cut a puddle of it out of the ground. What else could they have wanted?"
That wasn't good.
"You are correct, oni do not drink blood, however; they aren't organized enough to do something like that," he spoke. Oni weren't too intelligent; that was a fact. Some of them could be, but for them to do something like that, to dig out a chunk of earth... it didn't sit well with Aram. "But it might not be for that purpose in which they want to use it," he began, furrowing his brows.
"Do you recall when I spoke of someone using a ritual to bring the oni back?" he stated, glancing at Tsubasa. He'd told all of them after the raid. "It is possible that they will use the blood they collected to enhance that ritual. Blood is a vital ingredient to any dark ritual, and if they took a large amount," there was a possibility that they were trying to change the oni, somehow.
But the question still remained: who?
"Did you happen to notice any smells, anything that shouldn't have been there?" he asked.
Tsubasa scratched the back of his head. “It's really hard to smell anything else with dead oni and that much of Reiko's blood around," he confessed, leaning heavily on his spear. “What about you, Dai?"
The other brother shook his head in the negative.
With a sigh, Tsubasa dropped his hand. “I mean... maybe something human? It was really hard to tell, and it could have been old, but there was something there that wasn't us or the dead ones." He shrugged.
Aram sighed heavily. That wasn't what he was hoping to hear. But he supposed it was something. "Thank you, Tsubasa-san. The information is still helpful, if a little disturbing," he spoke honestly. It was disturbing because if he was right, then they would have a real problem. The oni were a problem, that was true, but if they used Reiko's blood to increase the power of the ritual... it was a thought he'd rather not have.
"I believe we should find a way to increase patrols," he began. He frowned, though. They were already stretched thin as it was. Perhaps... "And we should also increase the training," that would be hard on everyone. They were all weak in a sense that they had not fed as they should have. He knew what that could do to someone like them. He'd seen it with Amon, once. But he didn't have a way for them to deal with that.
"Ayla has offered herself as a means if you need it. I know that at the moment, it is hard, considering, however; I will do my best to see if I can find an alternative for you all. It might take same time, but... there might be something that will help," of course, not even he was certain if he could find a substitute. He also knew that they would not take his or Ayla's blood, even if they continued to offer it. He understood. It was the only thing he could do, really.
"For now, I think it is best if I visit the site again," because he might be able to find something they missed.
“I'll talk to Jirō about it," Tsubasa said, frowning a bit. “The training part I can understand, but for the patrols... we might just have to hope Rei wakes up soon. She does much better at watching the town than any number of patrols would do." He wasn't wrong about that, considering.
“You'd think the guy who could see the future would be a bit more helpful, too." Daichi muttered the words so quietly Aram barely heard them. The sharp glare Tsubasa gave him was followed by a heavy sigh.
“Don't mind him, Aram-san. We know you and Ayla-san are doing what you can. We don't want to tire you out, either." He must be referring to the thing about blood. “Anyway, feel free to go take a look. We've done the cleanup already, to keep any humans from knowing what happened, but if ya think there might still be something useful there, by all means check it out."
But Daichi was right. He should be more helpful. He should be able to see what was going to happen, and protect the people so much better. But he couldn't. And he was ashamed of it.
"Thank you, Tsubasa-san," he spoke, offering the man a bow. "I shall do that," because he had to do something.
"Aram," Ayla's voice caught him mid-step, and he paused. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" she chided, however; her brows furowed when his frown deepened. "Aram," she began in a tone that told him to tell her something. He might as well ask.
"Can you tell me where Tsubasa-san is?" he asked. She blinked at him, quirking a brow in his direction, but sighed. She lifted her head in the air, and it looked like she inhaled slowly.
"He's on the training grounds," was the only thing she said as she walked away. He sighed softly, but made his way towards the place she said he would be. He would have to tell her eventually, but he wanted to make sure he had all of his information correct before he said anything.
Tsubasa was indeed there. It looked like he was supervising a training exercise. Surprisingly, Daichi was there with him, looking somewhat sullen. That was normal for him, it seemed; and of course they all had a reason to be upset, lately. Tsubasa turned when Aram approached, offering half of one of his usual grins. Even he was being worn down by all this, it seemed. Daichi tilted his head such that it was obvious he was paying attention, but he didn't move from where he was leaned against the wooden fence around the ring.
“Aram-san. With a look like that, yer here about what I found, right?" He wasn't the brightest of his brothers, but he could be surprisingly intuitive.
"I am," he replied. "Kentaro-san said that you discovered a large chunk of earth had been removed. It was the spot where Reiko had fallen, correct?" he stated, curling his forefinger underneath his lip. He was thinking about what significance that could have meant. If it was where Reiko had fallen, then it must mean that they'd taken it intentionally for something else. What would they want with dirt, after all?
"Was there anything else amiss? Anything strange, or out of the ordinary?" he needed as many details as he could get.
Tsubasa thought about it for a moment. “I mean... uh... I can tell you what stuck out to me, but I'm not exactly sure that it would matter to anyone else, you know? We're kinda..."
Daichi snorted, giving both of them an aside glance. “The soil that's missing would have had a lot of her blood in it," he said bluntly. “Tsubasa's not sure that matters because oni don't drink it like we do. But they practically cut a puddle of it out of the ground. What else could they have wanted?"
That wasn't good.
"You are correct, oni do not drink blood, however; they aren't organized enough to do something like that," he spoke. Oni weren't too intelligent; that was a fact. Some of them could be, but for them to do something like that, to dig out a chunk of earth... it didn't sit well with Aram. "But it might not be for that purpose in which they want to use it," he began, furrowing his brows.
"Do you recall when I spoke of someone using a ritual to bring the oni back?" he stated, glancing at Tsubasa. He'd told all of them after the raid. "It is possible that they will use the blood they collected to enhance that ritual. Blood is a vital ingredient to any dark ritual, and if they took a large amount," there was a possibility that they were trying to change the oni, somehow.
But the question still remained: who?
"Did you happen to notice any smells, anything that shouldn't have been there?" he asked.
Tsubasa scratched the back of his head. “It's really hard to smell anything else with dead oni and that much of Reiko's blood around," he confessed, leaning heavily on his spear. “What about you, Dai?"
The other brother shook his head in the negative.
With a sigh, Tsubasa dropped his hand. “I mean... maybe something human? It was really hard to tell, and it could have been old, but there was something there that wasn't us or the dead ones." He shrugged.
Aram sighed heavily. That wasn't what he was hoping to hear. But he supposed it was something. "Thank you, Tsubasa-san. The information is still helpful, if a little disturbing," he spoke honestly. It was disturbing because if he was right, then they would have a real problem. The oni were a problem, that was true, but if they used Reiko's blood to increase the power of the ritual... it was a thought he'd rather not have.
"I believe we should find a way to increase patrols," he began. He frowned, though. They were already stretched thin as it was. Perhaps... "And we should also increase the training," that would be hard on everyone. They were all weak in a sense that they had not fed as they should have. He knew what that could do to someone like them. He'd seen it with Amon, once. But he didn't have a way for them to deal with that.
"Ayla has offered herself as a means if you need it. I know that at the moment, it is hard, considering, however; I will do my best to see if I can find an alternative for you all. It might take same time, but... there might be something that will help," of course, not even he was certain if he could find a substitute. He also knew that they would not take his or Ayla's blood, even if they continued to offer it. He understood. It was the only thing he could do, really.
"For now, I think it is best if I visit the site again," because he might be able to find something they missed.
“I'll talk to Jirō about it," Tsubasa said, frowning a bit. “The training part I can understand, but for the patrols... we might just have to hope Rei wakes up soon. She does much better at watching the town than any number of patrols would do." He wasn't wrong about that, considering.
“You'd think the guy who could see the future would be a bit more helpful, too." Daichi muttered the words so quietly Aram barely heard them. The sharp glare Tsubasa gave him was followed by a heavy sigh.
“Don't mind him, Aram-san. We know you and Ayla-san are doing what you can. We don't want to tire you out, either." He must be referring to the thing about blood. “Anyway, feel free to go take a look. We've done the cleanup already, to keep any humans from knowing what happened, but if ya think there might still be something useful there, by all means check it out."
But Daichi was right. He should be more helpful. He should be able to see what was going to happen, and protect the people so much better. But he couldn't. And he was ashamed of it.
"Thank you, Tsubasa-san," he spoke, offering the man a bow. "I shall do that," because he had to do something.
Reiko's dreams were pleasant.
In them, she dreamed of a sunny field somewhere she'd never been, and a castle on a hill that seemed to welcome her to explore it, opening its gates before her and allowing her to pass inside. She wandered the corridors for hours, or days—it was hard to tell the difference, here. She never got tired. Certainly she never got hungry.
She passed through libraries and grand meeting halls and a kitchen and several bedrooms and the garden, always tugged along by something that felt like belonging. Like something wonderful and new was at the end of her journey, if only she could hurry there and discover what it was.
When she did, she could not have been happier.
She sat now at her father's feet, as she had so many times before, letting herself fall backwards onto the soft grass in the meadow outside the castle and listen to the sound of his voice as he spoke about everything and nothing. It seemed like one big, long, lazy summer day, and it was absolutely perfect.
She must have said that out loud, because he chuckled. “Perfect? Now we both know that can't be true." His big, callused hand, covered in tiny scars and calluses from his sword, stroked gently through her hair where she lay.
She pursed her lips. “This one supposes not. Perhaps it would be perfect if this one's brothers were here, too. And Sayu-chan." They were her family, after all, though for some reason she was having trouble bringing their faces to mind the right way just now.
“And?" he prompted, leaning over to make eye contact. Some of his shaggy, dark hair fell into his face—she'd inherited more of his coloration than anyone, though Tatsuya... Tatsuya had more of his face than the rest of them did, strong as he was in all of them. Tou-chan sees your heart, Reiko. I know there are others crowding in now, taking my place."
She shook her head violently, sitting up. “No! No, Tou-chan. No one will ever take your place. This one is... this one misses you so much. Every day."
He smiled sadly at her. “I know," he said quietly, holding out his arms. She crawled into them without further prompting, and he wrapped her in his strong arms and held her close to his chest. “I know, little one. I didn't mean to upset you." His hand splayed across her back, rubbing up and down a few moments before he went back to combing his fingers through her hair. “But why don't you tell me about your new friends, hm?"
She sniffled. “They aren't this one's friends, Tou-chan. They're yours. Hi-hizashi-sama and Tsuki-sama."
“Is that so?" he said, not sounding very surprised. “And how are they doing these days?"
“They miss you, too," she mumbled into his chest. “Ayla-san was in love with you, Tou-chan. Did you know that?" She felt a little bad for telling the secret, but some part of her knew that this was just a dream, and it didn't count, really.
He hummed softly, a noncommittal sound. Of course, in a dream, he wouldn't know any more than she did, since it was her dream. But... all the same, it sounded like what he did when the answer was yes but he didn't want to say it. She remembered the tone of it.
“And Hizashi-sama? Is he still on about fate and all that depressing business?"
She giggled a little bit despite herself. “All the time. Sometimes he talks to this one, though, about how he feels. He told this one about bad things that might happen to Sayu-chan. This one... this one might have made it worse."
Her hair stirred faintly as he sighed above her. “All any of us can do is our best, Reiko. I'm sure that if you acted out of love, and as thoughtfully as you could, it will be okay in the end."
“How do you know?"she protested miserably. “Tou-chan doesn't know the future."
He laughed, rocking her slightly in his hold. It was such an achingly-familiar sound that she wanted to cry. “No," he agreed. “I don't. But Aram doesn't know you, and I do. I'm right; you'll see. My little one is stronger than anything fate can do."
Reiko didn't feel very strong. She hugged hims tighter, letting his warmth and his scent and his safety wrap around her for just a little while longer. The dream was fading, she could feel it. Soon she'd be back in the real world, with no Tou-chan to make it all better.
“I love you, Tou-chan," she whispered hoarsely.
I love you, too, little one.
It was more thought than vocalization, blurring into the line between sleep and wakefulness such that she could almost imagine him right beside her for a moment, before reality crashed back in like a wave and deposited her firmly back in a house that would never again contain him.
She cracked her eyes open, and slowly tried to sit up.
"Are you sure you want to be moving?" a voice called out, one that she could only recognize as Ayla's. "You've been out for quite a long time, Reiko. You should lay still for a moment and stretch your muscles," she continued. She was sitting to Reiko's left, leaning over her and just staring at her. There was a smile on her face, or from what she could make out, but it still looked slightly worried.
"You could try sitting up after," she added.
Reiko shook her head. “This one can't. This one has to..." She winced, pulling her lips back from her teeth. Her fangs were distended, long enough to prick her bottom lip. No doubt Tatsuya had felt her awaken and would be here shortly, but she didn't know where he was right now or how long it would take.
For now, she needed to keep her mind off it. “How long... how long was this one unconscious?" She was famished, so it had to have been a while.
"A little over a week," she responded with a sigh. "You've been in and out the last couple of days, though. We thought you were going to wake up, but you never did," she continued, leaning so that her cheek was in her hand. Her elbow was propped on her thigh, and from the way she sat, she wasn't in a kimono but something else. She wouldn't have been able to sit cross-legged if she were.
"It looks like you're awake now, though. Do you want me to go fetch one of your brothers?" she asked, raising a brow at her. Her tone was light, and almost teasing. She was probably trying to keep everything easy and settled.
She shook her head again. “Suya will be here soon—"
As it turned out, she need not have even spent the energy to say it, because the door slid open in the next moment and Tatsuya entered. He looked a little windswept, as though he'd run to get here as fast as he had.
“You're awake," he said, more an expression of relief than a declaration of fact, since the latter was quite obvious.
She smiled at him; he moved to kneel on her other side, opposite Ayla's position. “Catch me up on everything that happened?" Reiko glanced at Ayla to include her in the request.
Tatsuya lifted her carefully onto his lap to make him easier to reach, wrapping one arm around her back to support her without squeezing too tightly. It almost reminded her of the way Tou-chan hugged her. She lifted herself up the last couple of inches and bit carefully.
"Someone took a good chunk of earth with your blood pooled in it. Aram thinks they're going to try and use it somehow," Ayla spoke. She wasn't reserved in the way Aram was, and seemed a little more blunt if anything. But then again, Ayla wasn't exactly gentle in her words, either. She pulled a breath, before letting it out slowly.
"He thinks that they might use it to strengthen the ritual somehow, perhaps to make the oni stronger. He also said that it might work considering that you all," she paused, nodding her head in Reiko and Tatsuya's direction, "are a type of oni."
She scoffed slightly, and sat back properly. "We used to call your father the King of Oni," she spoke softly. "We can't be too sure what's being planned, but everyone was advised to increase their training. We still don't know who's responsible, though," she added.
Reiko pulled back from Tatsuya, licking her lips absently to make sure there wasn't still blood on them. She maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on the ground next to him instead of on him, but let herself lean into his side. He didn't seem to mind.
Her brows pulled down over her eyes, and she sighed slightly. “That is... not good news," she said softly. “This one is worried that if there are more oni soon, then we will need to split up, to protect the rest of the region." It wasn't a pleasant prospect, but it may well be a necessary one. It wasn't just Shimamaki they were responsible for, after all.
Even just trying to imagine the logistics of it was difficult. Some solution other than herself for blood would have to be devised. In some ways, that could be good; everyone would have a chance to recover their strength. In others, it would be bad. Her brothers were at greater risk for losing control without her, and they'd need every bit of it to feed from humans without killing or turning them.
But what else could they do?
"It's not good news, no," Ayla seemed to agree. "But it's a possibility that we're going to have to account for. If more oni do show up, there aren't a lot of us to deal with it. There's only nine of us, and every one of us is going to be needed to deal with this threat. You've seen what happens when we're out numbered," she spoke, referring to Reiko's condition.
"Aram and myself are not as good as we once were, nor as strong. Before, it was just the three of us and we handled it. Now," she paused, glancing at the both of them. "You've seen that we need help," she said a little heavily. It must have been hard for her to admit that.
"If it comes down to it, though, if we need to split up..." she trailed off, the implication clear.
“We'll find a way." Reiko tried to let some of her Tou-chan's confidence in her seep through, though it was difficult. Especially since it had only been a dream, however real it had felt. It was hardly anything against Aram's visions or her own sense of foreboding. And yet... dream or not, she knew her Tou-chan would have said the same, if he were here. He'd died for her. Even unable to remember the exact circumstances, she knew that much.
He'd died for her, so she would have to do the work he was no longer around to do. And she owed it to him to succeed.
“If we plan it together, we should be able to work out a small number of strongholds that we can post ourselves at. And we can figure out a messenger system if things get too much at one of them. We can track the oni and try to figure out patterns, see if we can learn where they're originating from. If we can do that, we can figure out who is responsible."
Tatsuya squeezed her shoulder. “We'll have to be smart about it, but there isn't much other choice, if the goal is to protect the province and wipe out the oni."
"Agreed. It's going to be our best chance if we want to figure out how this shit happened in the first place," she grumbled the words at the end. "I would say you should rest a little more, but I know you won't do that, so," she paused, standing from her spot and dusting off her clothes, "I'm going to go find my idiot, and let him know so far what's going on. From there, I'm sure you'll want to devise a strategy as soon as possible. I'll bring him to one of your offices if you'd like," she stated.
She hadn't moved yet, obviously waiting for Reiko's input.
“We can use this one's office," she said. It was more neutral than using anyone else's, and was large enough to hold everyone. “This one will be there soon." First she needed to dress, though; Reiko glanced at Tatsuya, who understood without needing her to spell it out.
“Guess that means I'm gathering the rest of the idiots."
In them, she dreamed of a sunny field somewhere she'd never been, and a castle on a hill that seemed to welcome her to explore it, opening its gates before her and allowing her to pass inside. She wandered the corridors for hours, or days—it was hard to tell the difference, here. She never got tired. Certainly she never got hungry.
She passed through libraries and grand meeting halls and a kitchen and several bedrooms and the garden, always tugged along by something that felt like belonging. Like something wonderful and new was at the end of her journey, if only she could hurry there and discover what it was.
When she did, she could not have been happier.
She sat now at her father's feet, as she had so many times before, letting herself fall backwards onto the soft grass in the meadow outside the castle and listen to the sound of his voice as he spoke about everything and nothing. It seemed like one big, long, lazy summer day, and it was absolutely perfect.
She must have said that out loud, because he chuckled. “Perfect? Now we both know that can't be true." His big, callused hand, covered in tiny scars and calluses from his sword, stroked gently through her hair where she lay.
She pursed her lips. “This one supposes not. Perhaps it would be perfect if this one's brothers were here, too. And Sayu-chan." They were her family, after all, though for some reason she was having trouble bringing their faces to mind the right way just now.
“And?" he prompted, leaning over to make eye contact. Some of his shaggy, dark hair fell into his face—she'd inherited more of his coloration than anyone, though Tatsuya... Tatsuya had more of his face than the rest of them did, strong as he was in all of them. Tou-chan sees your heart, Reiko. I know there are others crowding in now, taking my place."
She shook her head violently, sitting up. “No! No, Tou-chan. No one will ever take your place. This one is... this one misses you so much. Every day."
He smiled sadly at her. “I know," he said quietly, holding out his arms. She crawled into them without further prompting, and he wrapped her in his strong arms and held her close to his chest. “I know, little one. I didn't mean to upset you." His hand splayed across her back, rubbing up and down a few moments before he went back to combing his fingers through her hair. “But why don't you tell me about your new friends, hm?"
She sniffled. “They aren't this one's friends, Tou-chan. They're yours. Hi-hizashi-sama and Tsuki-sama."
“Is that so?" he said, not sounding very surprised. “And how are they doing these days?"
“They miss you, too," she mumbled into his chest. “Ayla-san was in love with you, Tou-chan. Did you know that?" She felt a little bad for telling the secret, but some part of her knew that this was just a dream, and it didn't count, really.
He hummed softly, a noncommittal sound. Of course, in a dream, he wouldn't know any more than she did, since it was her dream. But... all the same, it sounded like what he did when the answer was yes but he didn't want to say it. She remembered the tone of it.
“And Hizashi-sama? Is he still on about fate and all that depressing business?"
She giggled a little bit despite herself. “All the time. Sometimes he talks to this one, though, about how he feels. He told this one about bad things that might happen to Sayu-chan. This one... this one might have made it worse."
Her hair stirred faintly as he sighed above her. “All any of us can do is our best, Reiko. I'm sure that if you acted out of love, and as thoughtfully as you could, it will be okay in the end."
“How do you know?"she protested miserably. “Tou-chan doesn't know the future."
He laughed, rocking her slightly in his hold. It was such an achingly-familiar sound that she wanted to cry. “No," he agreed. “I don't. But Aram doesn't know you, and I do. I'm right; you'll see. My little one is stronger than anything fate can do."
Reiko didn't feel very strong. She hugged hims tighter, letting his warmth and his scent and his safety wrap around her for just a little while longer. The dream was fading, she could feel it. Soon she'd be back in the real world, with no Tou-chan to make it all better.
“I love you, Tou-chan," she whispered hoarsely.
I love you, too, little one.
It was more thought than vocalization, blurring into the line between sleep and wakefulness such that she could almost imagine him right beside her for a moment, before reality crashed back in like a wave and deposited her firmly back in a house that would never again contain him.
She cracked her eyes open, and slowly tried to sit up.
"Are you sure you want to be moving?" a voice called out, one that she could only recognize as Ayla's. "You've been out for quite a long time, Reiko. You should lay still for a moment and stretch your muscles," she continued. She was sitting to Reiko's left, leaning over her and just staring at her. There was a smile on her face, or from what she could make out, but it still looked slightly worried.
"You could try sitting up after," she added.
Reiko shook her head. “This one can't. This one has to..." She winced, pulling her lips back from her teeth. Her fangs were distended, long enough to prick her bottom lip. No doubt Tatsuya had felt her awaken and would be here shortly, but she didn't know where he was right now or how long it would take.
For now, she needed to keep her mind off it. “How long... how long was this one unconscious?" She was famished, so it had to have been a while.
"A little over a week," she responded with a sigh. "You've been in and out the last couple of days, though. We thought you were going to wake up, but you never did," she continued, leaning so that her cheek was in her hand. Her elbow was propped on her thigh, and from the way she sat, she wasn't in a kimono but something else. She wouldn't have been able to sit cross-legged if she were.
"It looks like you're awake now, though. Do you want me to go fetch one of your brothers?" she asked, raising a brow at her. Her tone was light, and almost teasing. She was probably trying to keep everything easy and settled.
She shook her head again. “Suya will be here soon—"
As it turned out, she need not have even spent the energy to say it, because the door slid open in the next moment and Tatsuya entered. He looked a little windswept, as though he'd run to get here as fast as he had.
“You're awake," he said, more an expression of relief than a declaration of fact, since the latter was quite obvious.
She smiled at him; he moved to kneel on her other side, opposite Ayla's position. “Catch me up on everything that happened?" Reiko glanced at Ayla to include her in the request.
Tatsuya lifted her carefully onto his lap to make him easier to reach, wrapping one arm around her back to support her without squeezing too tightly. It almost reminded her of the way Tou-chan hugged her. She lifted herself up the last couple of inches and bit carefully.
"Someone took a good chunk of earth with your blood pooled in it. Aram thinks they're going to try and use it somehow," Ayla spoke. She wasn't reserved in the way Aram was, and seemed a little more blunt if anything. But then again, Ayla wasn't exactly gentle in her words, either. She pulled a breath, before letting it out slowly.
"He thinks that they might use it to strengthen the ritual somehow, perhaps to make the oni stronger. He also said that it might work considering that you all," she paused, nodding her head in Reiko and Tatsuya's direction, "are a type of oni."
She scoffed slightly, and sat back properly. "We used to call your father the King of Oni," she spoke softly. "We can't be too sure what's being planned, but everyone was advised to increase their training. We still don't know who's responsible, though," she added.
Reiko pulled back from Tatsuya, licking her lips absently to make sure there wasn't still blood on them. She maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on the ground next to him instead of on him, but let herself lean into his side. He didn't seem to mind.
Her brows pulled down over her eyes, and she sighed slightly. “That is... not good news," she said softly. “This one is worried that if there are more oni soon, then we will need to split up, to protect the rest of the region." It wasn't a pleasant prospect, but it may well be a necessary one. It wasn't just Shimamaki they were responsible for, after all.
Even just trying to imagine the logistics of it was difficult. Some solution other than herself for blood would have to be devised. In some ways, that could be good; everyone would have a chance to recover their strength. In others, it would be bad. Her brothers were at greater risk for losing control without her, and they'd need every bit of it to feed from humans without killing or turning them.
But what else could they do?
"It's not good news, no," Ayla seemed to agree. "But it's a possibility that we're going to have to account for. If more oni do show up, there aren't a lot of us to deal with it. There's only nine of us, and every one of us is going to be needed to deal with this threat. You've seen what happens when we're out numbered," she spoke, referring to Reiko's condition.
"Aram and myself are not as good as we once were, nor as strong. Before, it was just the three of us and we handled it. Now," she paused, glancing at the both of them. "You've seen that we need help," she said a little heavily. It must have been hard for her to admit that.
"If it comes down to it, though, if we need to split up..." she trailed off, the implication clear.
“We'll find a way." Reiko tried to let some of her Tou-chan's confidence in her seep through, though it was difficult. Especially since it had only been a dream, however real it had felt. It was hardly anything against Aram's visions or her own sense of foreboding. And yet... dream or not, she knew her Tou-chan would have said the same, if he were here. He'd died for her. Even unable to remember the exact circumstances, she knew that much.
He'd died for her, so she would have to do the work he was no longer around to do. And she owed it to him to succeed.
“If we plan it together, we should be able to work out a small number of strongholds that we can post ourselves at. And we can figure out a messenger system if things get too much at one of them. We can track the oni and try to figure out patterns, see if we can learn where they're originating from. If we can do that, we can figure out who is responsible."
Tatsuya squeezed her shoulder. “We'll have to be smart about it, but there isn't much other choice, if the goal is to protect the province and wipe out the oni."
"Agreed. It's going to be our best chance if we want to figure out how this shit happened in the first place," she grumbled the words at the end. "I would say you should rest a little more, but I know you won't do that, so," she paused, standing from her spot and dusting off her clothes, "I'm going to go find my idiot, and let him know so far what's going on. From there, I'm sure you'll want to devise a strategy as soon as possible. I'll bring him to one of your offices if you'd like," she stated.
She hadn't moved yet, obviously waiting for Reiko's input.
“We can use this one's office," she said. It was more neutral than using anyone else's, and was large enough to hold everyone. “This one will be there soon." First she needed to dress, though; Reiko glanced at Tatsuya, who understood without needing her to spell it out.
“Guess that means I'm gathering the rest of the idiots."
It wasn't hard finding her idiot. He had a very distinctive smell, and it would be hard to confuse him for anyone else. Once she'd told him the information, she could see the lines on his forehead deepen. If he kept that up, he would be an old man before he'd even had a chance to consider his actual age. She would have laughed at the thought if hers weren't so scattered at the moment. Instead, he had fallen into step with her, walking to her side as they walked to Reiko's office.
"Are you certain?" he finally spoke, causing her to glance up at him.
"When have I ever not been, Ara?" she replied, causing him to sigh. If she wasn't certain about what Reiko said, and what she was deciding, he was about to be in the same room as her. He could ask her, himself. Once they'd reached it, Ayla hadn't bothered knocking. She could already smell everyone inside.
They were gathered around a table in the middle of the room; it looked like Tsu-Tsu had brought in one of his fancy maps to work with. There was a wooden token with the Fujiwara crest on it placed directly over Shimamaki, but they hadn't gotten any further than that, perhaps because they were waiting for Ayla and Aram.
Reiko, out of her sleeping kimono and smelling much fresher, was dressed in her usual gi and hakama, dark blue today for whatever reason. She smiled slightly at them when they entered, but it wasn't long before they were forced to get down to business.
“So the proposal is that we split our strength?" Jirō idly stroked the small goatee on his chin, his iron-grey hair pulled into a high tail on his head. “It is certainly risky."
“But it will give us a better sense of the oni's overall movements. This one is not proposing that we all leave each other to our own devices. Communication will be essential. But we need to understand where they're coming from."
“Even so, there is considerable risk. If it's just a few at a time and starts to concentrate somewhere over time, that is fine. But what about a sudden powerful attack at a location? We would be unable to assist in time, and whomever was left there would almost surely suffer defeat. And worse."
"I hate to say it, but that's the casualty of war. It might not seem like one at the moment," she began, pursing her lips together. She and Aram knew the risks. Perhaps that is why they were only created as three, and not more. So they wouldn't have to worry about that kind of casualty. She couldn't say for sure, but it was about as good of a guess as she had.
"There is also the case of evacuation," Aram cut in. "It might not be the most pleasant of things to swallow, but if the need did arise, if the oni became too much, retreat would be the best option," he continued. She supposed he had a point, but even that wasn't a guarantee. They'd all likely be killed before they could even think of retreating.
"Even if they could, it wouldn't be easy. You know how oni get when they're riled up and in battle. They keep chasing," she added with a slight shudder.
"I know, but they are still swifter than oni. They could out run them if they had to."
"And if they were injured? And if they had humans to help evacuate? They couldn't just leave them behind, Ara, you know that," she spoke, frowning at him. He sighed, and she knew he hadn't meant it that way.
“It's still the best option." Tatsuya's input caused Jirō to dip his head slightly, apparently conceding for the moment. “The harder part is going to be choosing where we set up, and dividing ourselves accordingly. Hokkaido's a big province. We probably shouldn't let anyone man a base alone, but if we're in groups bigger than two, we probably won't cover the whole region."
Tsubasa leaned over the map. “There's only nine of us," he said. “Which means someone's probably going to have to be by themselves."
“I believe that person should be stationed to the north," Takahiro said softly, tapping the map at the right spot despite not being able to see it. “It is highly unlikely that anyone who needs blood to create oni does so from such a remote location. They would likely want to spread the initial samples as fast as possible. Let them breed on their own, as it were."
It was a fair point.
“I will go there," Kentaro said simply. “So remove me from the other calculations."
“Are you sure, Taro? This is all just our best guesses. It could still be really dangerous, and with no one to support you..." Her concern was obvious in her voice.
“I am sure."
“All right," Tsubasa said, tilting his head down at the map. “That gives us four more groups to work with. Obviously, one team has to stay here." He added additional tokens to the map, over the northern settlement, one near the center of the region, another to the west, and the last to the east. Together, they were roughly a cross shape, covering the largest towns directly as well as much of the countryside.
“I think we're gonna want it to look like this. It'll give us the best idea of the patterns." He looked to Tatsuya, obviously for confirmation.
The oldest of the brothers nodded. “That makes sense."
"I will go south," Aram spoke, leaning slightly forward to look at the map. "We know that they were first spotted near the Kanto region. It is likely that they are making their way up. If they are, I'd like to be there," he continued. Ayla pursed her lips together, furrowing her brows. "It will be best if you go with someone else, Ayla. You and I will be most helpful to the others than we will to each other," he spoke, almost as if he were reading her mind. She furrowed her brows deeper.
"Fine. I'll take the west," she stated. She'd rather be with Aram, however; he was right. They would be useful to other people rather than themselves. She still didn't like the idea of having to leave him with one of the brothers, though. She'd be fine if it were the three she was accustomed to: Kentaro, Tsubasa, or Tatsuya. She didn't trust Daichi, too much, and if he was the one who offered to go with Aram... she wasn't sure how she'd feel about that.
"It will be fine, Ayla," he spoke, laying a hand on her shoulder with a soft squeeze. He couldn't be certain whether or not it would be, but she was going to trust his judgment.
Fortunately, Daichi didn't seem inclined to be anywhere near either of them. Probably because he still didn't trust them. “I'll go east," he said simply.
“This one thinks it makes the most sense for Tsubasa to stay here," Reiko pointed out. “You already run the garrison anyway, and disrupting the routine as little as possible would be good. Perhaps Jirō should stay as well, for the same reason."
That, quite obviously, left Reiko, Tatsuya, and Takahiro. The last volunteered himself first. “I'll go with Daichi," he said mildly. Sometimes, he seemed suspicious of his brother; maybe he thought it was better that someone other than Reiko was there with Daichi. Or maybe he planned to keep tabs on him or something.
“This one is fine with either west or south, Suya," Reiko said, tilting her head at her brother.
“The south might be where they're likely originating, but the west has sent us the most reports of sightings," Tsubasa volunteered, pointing to a stack of paper on his desk.
“West, then."
Almost as a single unit, the brothers turned their eyes on Aram. Without one of them having to say so much as a word, the message was clear: if Reiko was hurt, he'd have every last one of them to deal with.
Reiko, apparently sensing the sudden spike in tension and possibly guessing the source, cleared her throat, breaking the long moment. “Then it is a plan. We should all depart as soon as we are ready... and as soon as we have agreed on how to arrange the messenger system. For now, this one thinks everyone should take a break and discuss the logistics of the individual journeys. This one will... leave last, so that this one might be able to see everyone before your departures." The reason for that was obvious, and needed no further words.
Ayla tried her best not to snicker at her brother, especially the way he shifted uncomfortably beneath their stares. It was hilarious, if not slightly disturbing. Still, she managed to keep herself composed. "I think we should leave tomorrow," she spoke, glancing towards Tatsuya. "More sightings," she added with a light shrug of her shoulders. If there were more sightings there, it would be best to get there as soon as possible.
"Alright," Aram finally spoke, his voice unusually soft and low. It was possible he knew the threat behind those stares since his ears were slightly pink. She almost reached over to pull on them.
"But we can also leave the day after. It's up to you," because really, she didn't care too much. The sooner they left, the sooner they could deal with the threat, however; she could also understand the logic behind what Reiko was saying. She sighed softly.
"You should take this, Ayla. You won't always have your arrows, and you don't want to risk changing in front of the humans. That should be a last resort," Aram began, removing his sword from his side. Ayla pursed her lips together. That was his sword, the one he'd been given.
"Ara, you keep it. We made more from the bones, remember? I can take one of those. You're going to need that," she declined, however; his expression was a little more stern than she was used to seeing. She rolled her eyes, but took the blade from him. If it would make him happy, then she'll do it.
"You be careful, too, alright?" she whispered to him. She'd leaned over close enough, but the others could probably still hear her. She didn't care. She worried for him as they worried for Reiko. Siblings instinct, she supposed.
“Tomorrow's fine," Tatsuya said, drawing most of the attention away from their exchange and towards himself, perhaps deliberately. “None of us should take more than a day or two. It's going to take time to set up at the outposts, and we don't want to be caught by surprise. Look into fortifying the settlements as much as you can while you're there. I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere forever. If someone's really directing this, I want as much strength together as possible for the endgame."
He nodded slightly, and they split, each to their tasks.
Once all his brothers were gone and only Reiko and he remained with her and Aram, he gave them a considering look. “If you want me to switch with you," he said, crossing his arms. “Now's the time to say so. I don't think the strategic difference is that significant."
There was something almost a little... soft, about his expression. Like he knew what they were thinking and understood.
Well there was a thought. "I am certain. I'd rather have her with one of you. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm doubting any of you, but it would make me feel better knowing that one of us was with one of you," he spoke, causing Ayla to frown.
"Ara, it's not like it's going to kill them if we're together, and they're together. I'm sure they've proven themselves more than capable," she spoke, but Aram shook his head. "Fine, you're boring anyway. It wouldn't be fun if you were there," she chided, causing him to frown at her.
"It will be beneficial for everyone, this way," he spoke, though it was a little vague by what he meant. How would anyone benefit from this? If anything, Reiko and Tatsuya would benefit from each other. They'd at least have a source in each other if things got a little too out of hand for them.
Tatsuya looked a little skeptical, but shrugged. “Fine. Then that's what we'll do." He nodded once, then left.
Reiko sighed. “This one guesses that's that, then."
"I suppose so."
"Are you certain?" he finally spoke, causing her to glance up at him.
"When have I ever not been, Ara?" she replied, causing him to sigh. If she wasn't certain about what Reiko said, and what she was deciding, he was about to be in the same room as her. He could ask her, himself. Once they'd reached it, Ayla hadn't bothered knocking. She could already smell everyone inside.
They were gathered around a table in the middle of the room; it looked like Tsu-Tsu had brought in one of his fancy maps to work with. There was a wooden token with the Fujiwara crest on it placed directly over Shimamaki, but they hadn't gotten any further than that, perhaps because they were waiting for Ayla and Aram.
Reiko, out of her sleeping kimono and smelling much fresher, was dressed in her usual gi and hakama, dark blue today for whatever reason. She smiled slightly at them when they entered, but it wasn't long before they were forced to get down to business.
“So the proposal is that we split our strength?" Jirō idly stroked the small goatee on his chin, his iron-grey hair pulled into a high tail on his head. “It is certainly risky."
“But it will give us a better sense of the oni's overall movements. This one is not proposing that we all leave each other to our own devices. Communication will be essential. But we need to understand where they're coming from."
“Even so, there is considerable risk. If it's just a few at a time and starts to concentrate somewhere over time, that is fine. But what about a sudden powerful attack at a location? We would be unable to assist in time, and whomever was left there would almost surely suffer defeat. And worse."
"I hate to say it, but that's the casualty of war. It might not seem like one at the moment," she began, pursing her lips together. She and Aram knew the risks. Perhaps that is why they were only created as three, and not more. So they wouldn't have to worry about that kind of casualty. She couldn't say for sure, but it was about as good of a guess as she had.
"There is also the case of evacuation," Aram cut in. "It might not be the most pleasant of things to swallow, but if the need did arise, if the oni became too much, retreat would be the best option," he continued. She supposed he had a point, but even that wasn't a guarantee. They'd all likely be killed before they could even think of retreating.
"Even if they could, it wouldn't be easy. You know how oni get when they're riled up and in battle. They keep chasing," she added with a slight shudder.
"I know, but they are still swifter than oni. They could out run them if they had to."
"And if they were injured? And if they had humans to help evacuate? They couldn't just leave them behind, Ara, you know that," she spoke, frowning at him. He sighed, and she knew he hadn't meant it that way.
“It's still the best option." Tatsuya's input caused Jirō to dip his head slightly, apparently conceding for the moment. “The harder part is going to be choosing where we set up, and dividing ourselves accordingly. Hokkaido's a big province. We probably shouldn't let anyone man a base alone, but if we're in groups bigger than two, we probably won't cover the whole region."
Tsubasa leaned over the map. “There's only nine of us," he said. “Which means someone's probably going to have to be by themselves."
“I believe that person should be stationed to the north," Takahiro said softly, tapping the map at the right spot despite not being able to see it. “It is highly unlikely that anyone who needs blood to create oni does so from such a remote location. They would likely want to spread the initial samples as fast as possible. Let them breed on their own, as it were."
It was a fair point.
“I will go there," Kentaro said simply. “So remove me from the other calculations."
“Are you sure, Taro? This is all just our best guesses. It could still be really dangerous, and with no one to support you..." Her concern was obvious in her voice.
“I am sure."
“All right," Tsubasa said, tilting his head down at the map. “That gives us four more groups to work with. Obviously, one team has to stay here." He added additional tokens to the map, over the northern settlement, one near the center of the region, another to the west, and the last to the east. Together, they were roughly a cross shape, covering the largest towns directly as well as much of the countryside.
“I think we're gonna want it to look like this. It'll give us the best idea of the patterns." He looked to Tatsuya, obviously for confirmation.
The oldest of the brothers nodded. “That makes sense."
"I will go south," Aram spoke, leaning slightly forward to look at the map. "We know that they were first spotted near the Kanto region. It is likely that they are making their way up. If they are, I'd like to be there," he continued. Ayla pursed her lips together, furrowing her brows. "It will be best if you go with someone else, Ayla. You and I will be most helpful to the others than we will to each other," he spoke, almost as if he were reading her mind. She furrowed her brows deeper.
"Fine. I'll take the west," she stated. She'd rather be with Aram, however; he was right. They would be useful to other people rather than themselves. She still didn't like the idea of having to leave him with one of the brothers, though. She'd be fine if it were the three she was accustomed to: Kentaro, Tsubasa, or Tatsuya. She didn't trust Daichi, too much, and if he was the one who offered to go with Aram... she wasn't sure how she'd feel about that.
"It will be fine, Ayla," he spoke, laying a hand on her shoulder with a soft squeeze. He couldn't be certain whether or not it would be, but she was going to trust his judgment.
Fortunately, Daichi didn't seem inclined to be anywhere near either of them. Probably because he still didn't trust them. “I'll go east," he said simply.
“This one thinks it makes the most sense for Tsubasa to stay here," Reiko pointed out. “You already run the garrison anyway, and disrupting the routine as little as possible would be good. Perhaps Jirō should stay as well, for the same reason."
That, quite obviously, left Reiko, Tatsuya, and Takahiro. The last volunteered himself first. “I'll go with Daichi," he said mildly. Sometimes, he seemed suspicious of his brother; maybe he thought it was better that someone other than Reiko was there with Daichi. Or maybe he planned to keep tabs on him or something.
“This one is fine with either west or south, Suya," Reiko said, tilting her head at her brother.
“The south might be where they're likely originating, but the west has sent us the most reports of sightings," Tsubasa volunteered, pointing to a stack of paper on his desk.
“West, then."
Almost as a single unit, the brothers turned their eyes on Aram. Without one of them having to say so much as a word, the message was clear: if Reiko was hurt, he'd have every last one of them to deal with.
Reiko, apparently sensing the sudden spike in tension and possibly guessing the source, cleared her throat, breaking the long moment. “Then it is a plan. We should all depart as soon as we are ready... and as soon as we have agreed on how to arrange the messenger system. For now, this one thinks everyone should take a break and discuss the logistics of the individual journeys. This one will... leave last, so that this one might be able to see everyone before your departures." The reason for that was obvious, and needed no further words.
Ayla tried her best not to snicker at her brother, especially the way he shifted uncomfortably beneath their stares. It was hilarious, if not slightly disturbing. Still, she managed to keep herself composed. "I think we should leave tomorrow," she spoke, glancing towards Tatsuya. "More sightings," she added with a light shrug of her shoulders. If there were more sightings there, it would be best to get there as soon as possible.
"Alright," Aram finally spoke, his voice unusually soft and low. It was possible he knew the threat behind those stares since his ears were slightly pink. She almost reached over to pull on them.
"But we can also leave the day after. It's up to you," because really, she didn't care too much. The sooner they left, the sooner they could deal with the threat, however; she could also understand the logic behind what Reiko was saying. She sighed softly.
"You should take this, Ayla. You won't always have your arrows, and you don't want to risk changing in front of the humans. That should be a last resort," Aram began, removing his sword from his side. Ayla pursed her lips together. That was his sword, the one he'd been given.
"Ara, you keep it. We made more from the bones, remember? I can take one of those. You're going to need that," she declined, however; his expression was a little more stern than she was used to seeing. She rolled her eyes, but took the blade from him. If it would make him happy, then she'll do it.
"You be careful, too, alright?" she whispered to him. She'd leaned over close enough, but the others could probably still hear her. She didn't care. She worried for him as they worried for Reiko. Siblings instinct, she supposed.
“Tomorrow's fine," Tatsuya said, drawing most of the attention away from their exchange and towards himself, perhaps deliberately. “None of us should take more than a day or two. It's going to take time to set up at the outposts, and we don't want to be caught by surprise. Look into fortifying the settlements as much as you can while you're there. I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere forever. If someone's really directing this, I want as much strength together as possible for the endgame."
He nodded slightly, and they split, each to their tasks.
Once all his brothers were gone and only Reiko and he remained with her and Aram, he gave them a considering look. “If you want me to switch with you," he said, crossing his arms. “Now's the time to say so. I don't think the strategic difference is that significant."
There was something almost a little... soft, about his expression. Like he knew what they were thinking and understood.
Well there was a thought. "I am certain. I'd rather have her with one of you. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm doubting any of you, but it would make me feel better knowing that one of us was with one of you," he spoke, causing Ayla to frown.
"Ara, it's not like it's going to kill them if we're together, and they're together. I'm sure they've proven themselves more than capable," she spoke, but Aram shook his head. "Fine, you're boring anyway. It wouldn't be fun if you were there," she chided, causing him to frown at her.
"It will be beneficial for everyone, this way," he spoke, though it was a little vague by what he meant. How would anyone benefit from this? If anything, Reiko and Tatsuya would benefit from each other. They'd at least have a source in each other if things got a little too out of hand for them.
Tatsuya looked a little skeptical, but shrugged. “Fine. Then that's what we'll do." He nodded once, then left.
Reiko sighed. “This one guesses that's that, then."
"I suppose so."
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Kentaro didn't really have much of note to gather for the trip. He made a point of selecting some warmer clothes; though it was the middle of summer, the northern part of Hokkaido would still be cooler than he preferred. It was remote there, and in the mountains, but aside from the temperature he knew it wouldn't bother him. That part of the country had a certain harsh beauty to it. Perhaps he would draw the landscapes.
Perhaps he would not.
Once he had set aside all the items he would need for his trip out tomorrow, he set about searching for Sayuri. He felt he owed it to her to explain where he would be going and for how long. They were... something, to each other. Not strangers, he knew. More than acquaintances. Perhaps friends, though he wasn't sure he knew how to identify friendship when he saw it, exactly. Besides... someone should catch her up on what had been decided. They were her family, of sorts.
It didn't take him long to find her. She was talking to someone, one of the servants it looked like. She smiled, offering them a polite bow as they returned it. She turned in his direction, and blinked mildly in surprise. "Sometimes I feel like if I just keep turning around a corner, you're going to be there," she spoke to him, though the smile remained.
"Do you have a minute, Kentaro-san?" she asked suddenly, keeping his gaze with hers. "I made a new batch of tea, and I was wondering if you'd like to try it," she spoke. It looked like no one had told her, yet, of what was decided.
He supposed he might as well take the offer as an opportunity to bring her up to speed, then. Inclining his head slightly, he stood aside to let her lead the way to wherever she needed to go.
She led him towards the cooking area. She didn't have her own office so she probably had to make use of the area to make her tea. Once they arrived, she set a cup down for him and grabbed the pot. Before she poured it, though, she glanced at him, her lips pursed together as if she were unsure. She took a breath, though, and poured it into the cup.
"It's lavender tea, but with some other flavors," she seemed to explain. "I figured since lavender tea is used to help keep you calm, you and the others could probably benefit from it. It doesn't always have the most pleasant of taste but I figured I could try to make it a little more sweet. I... added some peach flavoring to it. It wasn't easy, but I think I finally got it right," she continued explaining, setting the pot down.
Kentaro had always had something of a sweet tooth. This was not a widely-known fact, mostly because he wasn't the sort to just offer the information apropos of nothing and he didn't really have an abundance of people wanting to know such things about him. Perhaps his liking for anman had been enough for her to infer. Perhaps she hadn't given his tastes in particular any specific thought in making the tea. Either way, he found the taste of it quite pleasant.
“It's good," he said simply. “Is there any rock sugar left?" Sometimes Reiko kept some in here, but he didn't know exactly where. He thought it would taste good in the tea, in any case.
But he'd come here at least partially with the intention of sharing news, so he didn't waste any more time before getting to it. “We've decided to split up, for the moment," he informed her. “We've identified several settlements that could use defense, and we're going to them with the intention of fortification, as well as getting a better idea of how the oni move and where they might be originating from."
She had nodded her head to his earlier statement, and was looking for it when she stopped. Slowly, she turned around, and stared at him. "So that means you all will be leaving, then?" she stated it rather than questioning it, and a frown tugged at her lips. "But there's only nine of you," she spoke.
"How will you be dividing up?" she questioned, moving towards him to give him the rock sugar he'd asked for.
“Mostly into pairs," he replied, accepting the small pouch of the sugar. He tipped a few of the crystals into his cup and stirred them. “Since there is an odd number, however, I will be going north myself. It is relatively unlikely to be attacked, but it is still important to fortify the town, so someone had to go, but it made sense for that to be the place only one of us went."
He'd wondered whether it would be seen as cowardice, to volunteer for what may turn out to be the easiest assignment. But from his point of view, they knew so little for certain that it was hard to say. The only thing he knew for sure was that he alone would have no backup readily available. He accepted the risk.
Her eyes widened a fraction before she glanced away. She remained quiet for a few moments, as if she were thinking to herself. She wore a thoughtful expression. "I'll go with you," she stated suddenly, moving her gaze so that she was staring at him. She seemed resolved in her statement. "You say that it's unlikely that it will be attacked, but it still needs to be fortified, right?" she stated, keeping her gaze steady with his.
"I can help," she spoke.
Kentaro had not expected that, which he realized now was an oversight on his part. It was like her to want to be helpful, and he was in a rather unique position compared to the others. Still... something about it didn't sit well with him. If they were attacked...
“Do not underestimate the danger, Sayuri," he said quietly, meeting her eyes for a moment before he dropped his back to his teacup. “If there is an attack, I will be the only person capable of doing anything about it. In a situation like that, the danger to everyone else is much greater than it would be here."
"I'm not," she simply spoke, her voice unusually serious. "I am aware of how much danger there could be, and given that I'm not exactly strong, I can still help out. The people will be panicked, and I can at least try to keep them calm enough to avoid most of the danger. I'm not... I'm not underestimating anything, Kentaro-san," she continued.
"I can be helpful in other ways other than just fighting, Kentaro. I want to do this, will you at least trust me that much?" she questioned, her voice softening just a bit.
He frowned slightly. “It isn't a matter of trusting you or not," he replied. It was a matter of whether or not he trusted himself to be able to keep her safe, and he wasn't entirely sure he did. He'd certainly gone wrong on that account before, and it was something he wouldn't forget.
“But if you are determined to do this, then... I will respect your decision. You may accompany me."
"Thank you, Kentaro-san," she spoke, smiling at him as she did. "I'll do my best to stay out of your way, and I will do my best to help where I can," she added, giving him a small bow, as if saying her thanks wasn't enough.
He supposed that decided things.
Perhaps he would not.
Once he had set aside all the items he would need for his trip out tomorrow, he set about searching for Sayuri. He felt he owed it to her to explain where he would be going and for how long. They were... something, to each other. Not strangers, he knew. More than acquaintances. Perhaps friends, though he wasn't sure he knew how to identify friendship when he saw it, exactly. Besides... someone should catch her up on what had been decided. They were her family, of sorts.
It didn't take him long to find her. She was talking to someone, one of the servants it looked like. She smiled, offering them a polite bow as they returned it. She turned in his direction, and blinked mildly in surprise. "Sometimes I feel like if I just keep turning around a corner, you're going to be there," she spoke to him, though the smile remained.
"Do you have a minute, Kentaro-san?" she asked suddenly, keeping his gaze with hers. "I made a new batch of tea, and I was wondering if you'd like to try it," she spoke. It looked like no one had told her, yet, of what was decided.
He supposed he might as well take the offer as an opportunity to bring her up to speed, then. Inclining his head slightly, he stood aside to let her lead the way to wherever she needed to go.
She led him towards the cooking area. She didn't have her own office so she probably had to make use of the area to make her tea. Once they arrived, she set a cup down for him and grabbed the pot. Before she poured it, though, she glanced at him, her lips pursed together as if she were unsure. She took a breath, though, and poured it into the cup.
"It's lavender tea, but with some other flavors," she seemed to explain. "I figured since lavender tea is used to help keep you calm, you and the others could probably benefit from it. It doesn't always have the most pleasant of taste but I figured I could try to make it a little more sweet. I... added some peach flavoring to it. It wasn't easy, but I think I finally got it right," she continued explaining, setting the pot down.
Kentaro had always had something of a sweet tooth. This was not a widely-known fact, mostly because he wasn't the sort to just offer the information apropos of nothing and he didn't really have an abundance of people wanting to know such things about him. Perhaps his liking for anman had been enough for her to infer. Perhaps she hadn't given his tastes in particular any specific thought in making the tea. Either way, he found the taste of it quite pleasant.
“It's good," he said simply. “Is there any rock sugar left?" Sometimes Reiko kept some in here, but he didn't know exactly where. He thought it would taste good in the tea, in any case.
But he'd come here at least partially with the intention of sharing news, so he didn't waste any more time before getting to it. “We've decided to split up, for the moment," he informed her. “We've identified several settlements that could use defense, and we're going to them with the intention of fortification, as well as getting a better idea of how the oni move and where they might be originating from."
She had nodded her head to his earlier statement, and was looking for it when she stopped. Slowly, she turned around, and stared at him. "So that means you all will be leaving, then?" she stated it rather than questioning it, and a frown tugged at her lips. "But there's only nine of you," she spoke.
"How will you be dividing up?" she questioned, moving towards him to give him the rock sugar he'd asked for.
“Mostly into pairs," he replied, accepting the small pouch of the sugar. He tipped a few of the crystals into his cup and stirred them. “Since there is an odd number, however, I will be going north myself. It is relatively unlikely to be attacked, but it is still important to fortify the town, so someone had to go, but it made sense for that to be the place only one of us went."
He'd wondered whether it would be seen as cowardice, to volunteer for what may turn out to be the easiest assignment. But from his point of view, they knew so little for certain that it was hard to say. The only thing he knew for sure was that he alone would have no backup readily available. He accepted the risk.
Her eyes widened a fraction before she glanced away. She remained quiet for a few moments, as if she were thinking to herself. She wore a thoughtful expression. "I'll go with you," she stated suddenly, moving her gaze so that she was staring at him. She seemed resolved in her statement. "You say that it's unlikely that it will be attacked, but it still needs to be fortified, right?" she stated, keeping her gaze steady with his.
"I can help," she spoke.
Kentaro had not expected that, which he realized now was an oversight on his part. It was like her to want to be helpful, and he was in a rather unique position compared to the others. Still... something about it didn't sit well with him. If they were attacked...
“Do not underestimate the danger, Sayuri," he said quietly, meeting her eyes for a moment before he dropped his back to his teacup. “If there is an attack, I will be the only person capable of doing anything about it. In a situation like that, the danger to everyone else is much greater than it would be here."
"I'm not," she simply spoke, her voice unusually serious. "I am aware of how much danger there could be, and given that I'm not exactly strong, I can still help out. The people will be panicked, and I can at least try to keep them calm enough to avoid most of the danger. I'm not... I'm not underestimating anything, Kentaro-san," she continued.
"I can be helpful in other ways other than just fighting, Kentaro. I want to do this, will you at least trust me that much?" she questioned, her voice softening just a bit.
He frowned slightly. “It isn't a matter of trusting you or not," he replied. It was a matter of whether or not he trusted himself to be able to keep her safe, and he wasn't entirely sure he did. He'd certainly gone wrong on that account before, and it was something he wouldn't forget.
“But if you are determined to do this, then... I will respect your decision. You may accompany me."
"Thank you, Kentaro-san," she spoke, smiling at him as she did. "I'll do my best to stay out of your way, and I will do my best to help where I can," she added, giving him a small bow, as if saying her thanks wasn't enough.
He supposed that decided things.
Aram sighed softly. He didn't like the idea of splitting up, but there wasn't much else they could do. They had to set up defenses, and he needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. The appearance of the oni had certainly been alarming, but now that they'd taken Reiko's blood, he wanted to know who was behind this. And why his dreams had been changing constantly. One vision saw the death of multiple people, another saw the deaths of just a few, and then the one before saw the deaths of everyone. That included himself.
He'd accepted that, however; it had changed again. Never, in the entirety of his life, had his dreams ever changed that constantly. He shook the thoughts from his mind. He didn't need to be troubled by them, right now. He had other things to do, like prepare for the journey. Reiko and himself wouldn't be leaving until after everyone else, and so far, he'd only gathered his weapons. He'd given Ayla his sword simply because he knew she would need it.
"We'll be leaving soon," Ayla's voice cut through his mind, and he glanced in her direction. She raised a brow at him, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed against her chest. He offered her a solemn smile, however; he nodded his head in understanding. She was saying goodbye, or at least it seemed that way.
"Do you wish to say goodbye to Reiko?" he asked, knowing she hadn't done so, yet. Tatsuya was probably with Reiko at the moment. That would explain why Ayla was here, at least. She nodded her head, and pushed herself from the wall, dropping her arms as she did so. "I will go with you," he spoke. From there, he could send them both off.
"Are you sure?" she asked, shuffling the sword at her hip in his direction. "You know how much it means to you, Aram," she continued, but he just smiled.
"Precisely why I want you to have it. You risk the chance of losing control, Ayla. At least with that blade, it will help you," he spoke, frowning just slightly. He knew her control had improved over the last few centuries, but he still worried that she could snap. If she had something with his scent, perhaps she would be less likely to do so.
"If you say so," she responded, rolling her eyes softly at him. At least she wasn't trying to give it back to him. "C'mon, let's go find Reiko," she spoke, shuffling so that she was leading the way. He chuckled softly.
They found her at the gates, wrapped up in a hug with Tatsuya, who huffed slightly but clearly didn't actually mind the display of affection. He went so far as to drop a kiss on the crown of her head before they pulled apart. Reiko smiled at the two of them while her brother attached his belongings to the saddle of one of the other horses. It looked like he'd brought one for Ayla, too; one of the milder-tempered ones that wasn't too scared of her to let her ride.
Reiko approached; perhaps understandably, she spoke to Ayla first. “Taking off?" she asked. It was clearly not an actual question; all the evidence was there to give the answer. She stopped about three feet clear of them, looking slightly unsure of what Ayla would find appropriate as far as farewell gestures.
"It's time," she simply replied, offering Reiko a small smile. She, however, didn't seem unsure at all, and wrapped Reiko in what looked like a warm hug. He smiled at the display, and waited until she released Reiko. "Do me a favor and make sure Washi-san doesn't get too lonely, hm?" she stated, grinning in Reiko's direction. Aram felt his lips purse together. What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't claim to understand his sister sometimes.
"And you," she spoke, turning on him. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, before she sighed. "You take care of her, alright? Because it won't just be six angry brothers coming after you," she spoke, though he could hear the slight teasing in her voice. She was also serious. He knew that.
"I will, Ayla. You take care of yourself, alright?" he returned the concern, and she rolled her eyes at him.
"When have I not?"
A few times that he could count, actually. But she seemed to be taking better care of herself ever since their talk. She sighed, and shook her head. "Come here," she spoke, and he blinked at her. Instead of questioning it, he obliged her. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him with a little too much force. She might have broken something if she hugged any firmer. "I mean it, Ara. Take care of yourself, alright?"
"Alright," he responded, returning the hug before she let go.
"I guess this is it," she spoke softly, taking one last glance at them.
Reiko nodded, a bit sadly, by the look of it. “Whatever happens, Ayla-san... this one is so very glad to have met you. This last year has been wonderful because you were in it." She smiled broadly; the expression reached her eyes in a way they often did not.
“We've got to get going if we want to hit our stopover in time," Tatsuya said, drawing everyone's attention firmly back to the matter at hand. He did not do so harshly, however. He'd already mounted his horse, and held the other ones reins, presumably to give to Ayla.
He glanced at Aram for a moment and inclined his head. “Try not to die, Washi-san." He must have said all he wanted to say to Reiko, because they did no more than exchange a look of silent understanding.
Ayla snorted at Tatsuya's comment, and took the reins. Aram merely pursed his lips together. "I do not plan to," he responded. He didn't plan on dying, not yet at least. "Until we meet again," he spoke, bowing slightly in their direction. Ayla had already mounted her horse, and glanced one last time at Reiko, and then on Aram.
"Until then," was the only thing she said before she motioned her horse forward. He watched as they left, the frown still on his lips.
Reiko stood beside him, waving until they were out of sight. When she lowered her hand, the look on her face was melancholy. “That's everyone," she murmured. All those who were leaving Shimamaki had now done so, save themselves.
She frowned for a moment, but then brightened up. “Oh, this one almost forgot. This one has something for you, Aram-sama. Would you please follow this one?" She gestured towards the residential side of the castle.
He arched a brow at her, but nodded his head. "Of course, Reiko," he replied, finding it better to actually say something rather than just nod his head. He followed beside her, letting her lead the way to wherever she was taking him. "I shall be patient this time," he spoke, referring to the last time she'd taken him someplace. It had been to Amon's wing, and he'd found himself in the confines of the room where she'd given him the scroll. It was helpful in a way he could not describe, and he was grateful.
She huffed softly, a little smile tugging at a corner of her mouth. “This time is not quite as... significant," she admitted. “But it might turn out to be useful, anyway."
Reiko led him to what looked like her room, pausing at the door for a moment as though suddenly realizing something. “Oh, um... you don't have to come in. This one can get it and come back to the hallway, if you would prefer. But you can come in if you like, that is."
He debated with himself for a moment. It would be improper of him to just enter her room, however; she was giving him permission to do so. On the other hand, she said he could simply wait outside. It was his decision, and he was taking far too much time thinking about it. For once, he simply acted, and nodded his head.
"I will follow you," he spoke, offering her a reassuring smile.
If anything, that seemed to put her at ease, and she nodded. “Okay, then please come in." She slid the door open and stepped inside.
Her room was pristine in terms of both cleanliness and neatness, which wasn't all that surprising. The furnishings were fairly simple, but all of good make. What stood out most about it were the various trinkets and knickknacks sitting in delicate arrangments on shelves. She had what looked like a collection of glass-blown figurines of animals, several handpainted scrolls and other pieces of art. A few of them were signed with what seemed to be Kentaro's name. There was a polished koto on one corner.
She went for a wall-mounted daisho, however; he recognized the swords as being her personal set. Carefully, she took them down off the wall: first the katana, then the wakizashi and finally the tantō. When she turned back around, she had a slightly rueful look on her face.
“Seeing as how Aram-sama doesn't have swords right now, this one thought you might be willing to use this one's. Unfortunately, we don't have many spares, and of what we do have, none of them are katana." She offered the full set towards him with a slight bow. “This one realizes they are not nearly so good as yours, but this one hopes they will suffice."
He stared at her for a moment. "I..." he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. "Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, smiling softly and taking the set from her. He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He didn't want to potentially upset her, or insult her. "I shall cherish them greatly, and return them to you in the proper condition when they are no longer needed," he spoke, bowing in response. It was a little difficult since he was holding on to the weapons a little awkwardly, but he managed to fix that once he straightened back out.
"I'm afraid I have nothing in return for you, though," he spoke, frowning just slightly. He knew she didn't give him her weapons to expect something in return, however; he wanted to return the gesture. He'd have to find something, eventually.
She shook her head. “Please don't worry about it, Aram-sama." She hesitated for a moment, looking torn about something, then continued more quietly. “This one thought you should use Tou-chan's daisho, but some of the others were against it, so this one will be using those for now. This one apologizes."
Use Amon's weapons? He wouldn't dare use Amon's weapons, even if the others had agreed. He'd actually respected the weapons a little too much to even consider that, however; for some reason, he thought it was fitting that she would wield them. So, he smiled at her. "I believe it is a wise decision, that you should wield your father's weapons. You don't have to apologize for that," he spoke.
Her brows knit a little, like something about either what he'd said or the fact itself bothered her a little, but she didn't comment on whatever it was. “A-anyway," she said, sighing softly. “This one supposes we should get ready to leave, shouldn't we? This one doesn't mind traveling a bit into the night time, if it doesn't bother you, Aram-sama." Likely, if they left now, they would have to. But the other option was to leave tomorrow, and who knew what the cost of an extra day would be?
"It does not bother me," he spoke, shaking his head. "I shall leave you to it, then," he spoke, bowing slightly before excusing himself. He paused by her door, though, and kept his gaze forward. "Many thanks again, Reiko," he spoke, mentally shaking his head at himself. He left her room, thereafter.
He'd accepted that, however; it had changed again. Never, in the entirety of his life, had his dreams ever changed that constantly. He shook the thoughts from his mind. He didn't need to be troubled by them, right now. He had other things to do, like prepare for the journey. Reiko and himself wouldn't be leaving until after everyone else, and so far, he'd only gathered his weapons. He'd given Ayla his sword simply because he knew she would need it.
"We'll be leaving soon," Ayla's voice cut through his mind, and he glanced in her direction. She raised a brow at him, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed against her chest. He offered her a solemn smile, however; he nodded his head in understanding. She was saying goodbye, or at least it seemed that way.
"Do you wish to say goodbye to Reiko?" he asked, knowing she hadn't done so, yet. Tatsuya was probably with Reiko at the moment. That would explain why Ayla was here, at least. She nodded her head, and pushed herself from the wall, dropping her arms as she did so. "I will go with you," he spoke. From there, he could send them both off.
"Are you sure?" she asked, shuffling the sword at her hip in his direction. "You know how much it means to you, Aram," she continued, but he just smiled.
"Precisely why I want you to have it. You risk the chance of losing control, Ayla. At least with that blade, it will help you," he spoke, frowning just slightly. He knew her control had improved over the last few centuries, but he still worried that she could snap. If she had something with his scent, perhaps she would be less likely to do so.
"If you say so," she responded, rolling her eyes softly at him. At least she wasn't trying to give it back to him. "C'mon, let's go find Reiko," she spoke, shuffling so that she was leading the way. He chuckled softly.
They found her at the gates, wrapped up in a hug with Tatsuya, who huffed slightly but clearly didn't actually mind the display of affection. He went so far as to drop a kiss on the crown of her head before they pulled apart. Reiko smiled at the two of them while her brother attached his belongings to the saddle of one of the other horses. It looked like he'd brought one for Ayla, too; one of the milder-tempered ones that wasn't too scared of her to let her ride.
Reiko approached; perhaps understandably, she spoke to Ayla first. “Taking off?" she asked. It was clearly not an actual question; all the evidence was there to give the answer. She stopped about three feet clear of them, looking slightly unsure of what Ayla would find appropriate as far as farewell gestures.
"It's time," she simply replied, offering Reiko a small smile. She, however, didn't seem unsure at all, and wrapped Reiko in what looked like a warm hug. He smiled at the display, and waited until she released Reiko. "Do me a favor and make sure Washi-san doesn't get too lonely, hm?" she stated, grinning in Reiko's direction. Aram felt his lips purse together. What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't claim to understand his sister sometimes.
"And you," she spoke, turning on him. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, before she sighed. "You take care of her, alright? Because it won't just be six angry brothers coming after you," she spoke, though he could hear the slight teasing in her voice. She was also serious. He knew that.
"I will, Ayla. You take care of yourself, alright?" he returned the concern, and she rolled her eyes at him.
"When have I not?"
A few times that he could count, actually. But she seemed to be taking better care of herself ever since their talk. She sighed, and shook her head. "Come here," she spoke, and he blinked at her. Instead of questioning it, he obliged her. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him with a little too much force. She might have broken something if she hugged any firmer. "I mean it, Ara. Take care of yourself, alright?"
"Alright," he responded, returning the hug before she let go.
"I guess this is it," she spoke softly, taking one last glance at them.
Reiko nodded, a bit sadly, by the look of it. “Whatever happens, Ayla-san... this one is so very glad to have met you. This last year has been wonderful because you were in it." She smiled broadly; the expression reached her eyes in a way they often did not.
“We've got to get going if we want to hit our stopover in time," Tatsuya said, drawing everyone's attention firmly back to the matter at hand. He did not do so harshly, however. He'd already mounted his horse, and held the other ones reins, presumably to give to Ayla.
He glanced at Aram for a moment and inclined his head. “Try not to die, Washi-san." He must have said all he wanted to say to Reiko, because they did no more than exchange a look of silent understanding.
Ayla snorted at Tatsuya's comment, and took the reins. Aram merely pursed his lips together. "I do not plan to," he responded. He didn't plan on dying, not yet at least. "Until we meet again," he spoke, bowing slightly in their direction. Ayla had already mounted her horse, and glanced one last time at Reiko, and then on Aram.
"Until then," was the only thing she said before she motioned her horse forward. He watched as they left, the frown still on his lips.
Reiko stood beside him, waving until they were out of sight. When she lowered her hand, the look on her face was melancholy. “That's everyone," she murmured. All those who were leaving Shimamaki had now done so, save themselves.
She frowned for a moment, but then brightened up. “Oh, this one almost forgot. This one has something for you, Aram-sama. Would you please follow this one?" She gestured towards the residential side of the castle.
He arched a brow at her, but nodded his head. "Of course, Reiko," he replied, finding it better to actually say something rather than just nod his head. He followed beside her, letting her lead the way to wherever she was taking him. "I shall be patient this time," he spoke, referring to the last time she'd taken him someplace. It had been to Amon's wing, and he'd found himself in the confines of the room where she'd given him the scroll. It was helpful in a way he could not describe, and he was grateful.
She huffed softly, a little smile tugging at a corner of her mouth. “This time is not quite as... significant," she admitted. “But it might turn out to be useful, anyway."
Reiko led him to what looked like her room, pausing at the door for a moment as though suddenly realizing something. “Oh, um... you don't have to come in. This one can get it and come back to the hallway, if you would prefer. But you can come in if you like, that is."
He debated with himself for a moment. It would be improper of him to just enter her room, however; she was giving him permission to do so. On the other hand, she said he could simply wait outside. It was his decision, and he was taking far too much time thinking about it. For once, he simply acted, and nodded his head.
"I will follow you," he spoke, offering her a reassuring smile.
If anything, that seemed to put her at ease, and she nodded. “Okay, then please come in." She slid the door open and stepped inside.
Her room was pristine in terms of both cleanliness and neatness, which wasn't all that surprising. The furnishings were fairly simple, but all of good make. What stood out most about it were the various trinkets and knickknacks sitting in delicate arrangments on shelves. She had what looked like a collection of glass-blown figurines of animals, several handpainted scrolls and other pieces of art. A few of them were signed with what seemed to be Kentaro's name. There was a polished koto on one corner.
She went for a wall-mounted daisho, however; he recognized the swords as being her personal set. Carefully, she took them down off the wall: first the katana, then the wakizashi and finally the tantō. When she turned back around, she had a slightly rueful look on her face.
“Seeing as how Aram-sama doesn't have swords right now, this one thought you might be willing to use this one's. Unfortunately, we don't have many spares, and of what we do have, none of them are katana." She offered the full set towards him with a slight bow. “This one realizes they are not nearly so good as yours, but this one hopes they will suffice."
He stared at her for a moment. "I..." he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. "Thank you, Reiko," he spoke, smiling softly and taking the set from her. He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He didn't want to potentially upset her, or insult her. "I shall cherish them greatly, and return them to you in the proper condition when they are no longer needed," he spoke, bowing in response. It was a little difficult since he was holding on to the weapons a little awkwardly, but he managed to fix that once he straightened back out.
"I'm afraid I have nothing in return for you, though," he spoke, frowning just slightly. He knew she didn't give him her weapons to expect something in return, however; he wanted to return the gesture. He'd have to find something, eventually.
She shook her head. “Please don't worry about it, Aram-sama." She hesitated for a moment, looking torn about something, then continued more quietly. “This one thought you should use Tou-chan's daisho, but some of the others were against it, so this one will be using those for now. This one apologizes."
Use Amon's weapons? He wouldn't dare use Amon's weapons, even if the others had agreed. He'd actually respected the weapons a little too much to even consider that, however; for some reason, he thought it was fitting that she would wield them. So, he smiled at her. "I believe it is a wise decision, that you should wield your father's weapons. You don't have to apologize for that," he spoke.
Her brows knit a little, like something about either what he'd said or the fact itself bothered her a little, but she didn't comment on whatever it was. “A-anyway," she said, sighing softly. “This one supposes we should get ready to leave, shouldn't we? This one doesn't mind traveling a bit into the night time, if it doesn't bother you, Aram-sama." Likely, if they left now, they would have to. But the other option was to leave tomorrow, and who knew what the cost of an extra day would be?
"It does not bother me," he spoke, shaking his head. "I shall leave you to it, then," he spoke, bowing slightly before excusing himself. He paused by her door, though, and kept his gaze forward. "Many thanks again, Reiko," he spoke, mentally shaking his head at himself. He left her room, thereafter.
The journey west was one of the longest ones to make from Shimamaki, which was along the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. They were headed for Sapporo, the second-largest settlement in the region at present. Tatsuya remembered that the old man had been considering moving the capital there; the place already had a castle they could stay in, staffed with a bunch of retainers and servants that Jirō paid and kept track of. They'd know to expect visitors, though he himself hadn't bothered to worry about the details. Jirō knew what he was doing. Tatsuya had always figured he could be lord if he wanted, but according to him, he didn't.
Even after he'd taken stewardship from Reiko, he kept trying to foist it on Tatsuya. But that was the last thing he was interested in.
Their horses covered the ground at a steady clip; it wasn't nearly as fast as they'd have been able to run, of course, but there was no point in exhausting themselves before they got there.
“Ever been to Sapporo before?" he asked his companion, turning his head slightly to arch an eyebrow at her. She'd done a lot of traveling, apparently, but he didn't know exactly to where.
"Once, but that was a few centuries ago," she replied, keeping her gaze forward. She had a somewhat tranquil look on her face, but it wasn't one brought upon by melancholy or last minute regrets. It was simple, as if she were truly a peace for a moment. She blinked, though, and turned towards him. "We never went past the Chūbu region," she continued, arching a brow in his direction.
"Never liked the south too much. It was too warm down there," she said with a light tilt of her head. "I take it, though, that Sapporo has changed since the last time I visited," she stated with a light sigh.
He shrugged. “Well, it's bigger, obviously. Humans have a way of multiplying when you're not looking. Definitely bigger than Shimamaki at this point. The landscape's basically the same, though." One of the best growing regions in the country, much of Sapporo's surrounding countryside was low, fertile plains, interspersed with glades and lakes. It was slightly warmer than Shimamaki on average, but Hokkaido in general tended to vary greatly with the seasons, sitting under feet of snow in winter and climbing to uncomfortably-hot temperatures in summer.
"Considering they have such short lifespans, yeah, they tend to do that," she spoke, referring to his first statement. "And obviously it's bigger. Humans don't keep things simple, anymore, but I suppose humans aren't as simple as they used to be," she continued, shrugging her shoulders lightly.
"What about you? When was the last time you've been to Sapporo?" she questioned, raising a brow in his direction. "Couldn't have been recently," she added.
“About twenty years ago," he replied evenly. “The old man used to send us to check up on the settlements personally every decade or so." They were on a rotation, so that no one would live to remember the same brother visiting twice. It was one thing to know the man visiting you looked like the lord your grandmother had told you about. It was another thing entirely to see the same young-looking man fifty years apart.
Twenty years was still pushing it, but they didn't have much choice at the moment.
“Seriously, though? You've been alive for a couple thousand years and never made it further south than Chūbu? Even Reiko's been to Kyūshu."
She shrugged. "I never wanted to travel too far from..." she paused in that statement, and glanced up at him. Sighing softly, she shook her head. "I've never had reason to travel too far from Hokkaido," she spoke softly. She'd spoke as if it were only her who had traveled, and not Aram.
"Maybe, after all of this is said and done, I'll make my way down that way. That's assuming we're all alive by the end of this," she said as she scoffed lightly.
“We will be." His tone left no room for doubt. Tatsuya had never seen the point of worrying over things no one could know for certain. It was better to believe they would succeed, because the confidence might actually help them do it. If he couldn't believe in his own strength, then he had no right to expect anyone else to, either. Not Reiko, not the others, not the humans under their family's protection. So he made a point of choosing not to doubt himself, of discarding all those annoying thoughts when they entered his head. They would succeed. He would.
“No point in believing anything else, right?"
She scoffed lightly, but smiled just the same. "Cocky bastard," she muttered beneath her breath, but it didn't sound malicious. "I suppose you have a point. No point in believing anything else," she repeated, the smile turning into a grin. "Since it's been a while since I've been to Sapporo, you going to give me the grand tour?" she asked, raising her brow at him, the grin spreading just a little wider.
He considered it a moment, turning the jest around by assenting to it seriously. “I could. It's a nice place, as far as they go. We'll need to do a survey before we can decide how to fortify anyway. Probably the first day after we get there." He could get the retainer to provide him with the best surveyors and architects in the region. Kentaro had more of a head for all of that stuff than Tatsuya did, but he knew how to listen, and weigh information other people provided before making decisions. That was all that would really be required of him.
Leadership was its own art form, and while he wasn't exactly fond of it, the old man had made sure they were all damn well as good at it as he could make them.
“It might bore you, since there's no fighting involved, though." He glanced sideways at her, letting her see his small smirk.
"Oh? So is that what you think of me? That I only get off on fighting?" she replied, her brow raising a little further up. It caused the other one to raise slightly, too. "I suppose I've given that impression since the only time we're actually together is when we're drinking," she paused, snorting softly, "or training and fighting."
"I'm not a stick in the mud, 'suya. I may be a hag, but this hag knows a few things," she stated, her grin turning somewhat feral. It disappeared, though, and a smile was left in its place. "But I suppose you're right. It might bore me. Maybe I'll just leave you behind and go exploring on my own after the survey," she said, shrugging lightly.
He laughed, mostly at her choice of words. “If you would like to tell me about all the other things that get you off, I'm always willing to bend my ear to such scintillating topics," he replied. There was a grain of truth in it, though: neither she nor her brother seemed to have hobbies of any kind. Reiko had her garden and their dad's library, he had his flute; fuck, even Kentaro had a hobby of drawing or carving stuff.
It was of course possible that they had such things and simply never displayed them in front of everyone, but in all honesty he didn't think that was it. He just doubted the two of them knew the first thing about actually having fun. It would be funny if it wasn't so damn depressing.
"Oh, I could," she started, pausing only to take a breath, "but the things I might consider fun, were fun almost a thousand years ago." The smile disappeared from her face, and her lips pursed together. She seemed to be thinking since she stopped speaking to him for a moment. The frown smoothed over, and for once, she wore an expression that was hard to read. It seemed caught between realization and melancholy. She shook her head, though.
"Who knows. If I'm feeling generous, maybe I'll have you and Reiko teach me something new and fun," she spoke, drawing out the last word almost deliberately slow. The smirk returned to her face, but she turned her gaze forward.
He snorted. “I'll believe it when I see it."
Even after he'd taken stewardship from Reiko, he kept trying to foist it on Tatsuya. But that was the last thing he was interested in.
Their horses covered the ground at a steady clip; it wasn't nearly as fast as they'd have been able to run, of course, but there was no point in exhausting themselves before they got there.
“Ever been to Sapporo before?" he asked his companion, turning his head slightly to arch an eyebrow at her. She'd done a lot of traveling, apparently, but he didn't know exactly to where.
"Once, but that was a few centuries ago," she replied, keeping her gaze forward. She had a somewhat tranquil look on her face, but it wasn't one brought upon by melancholy or last minute regrets. It was simple, as if she were truly a peace for a moment. She blinked, though, and turned towards him. "We never went past the Chūbu region," she continued, arching a brow in his direction.
"Never liked the south too much. It was too warm down there," she said with a light tilt of her head. "I take it, though, that Sapporo has changed since the last time I visited," she stated with a light sigh.
He shrugged. “Well, it's bigger, obviously. Humans have a way of multiplying when you're not looking. Definitely bigger than Shimamaki at this point. The landscape's basically the same, though." One of the best growing regions in the country, much of Sapporo's surrounding countryside was low, fertile plains, interspersed with glades and lakes. It was slightly warmer than Shimamaki on average, but Hokkaido in general tended to vary greatly with the seasons, sitting under feet of snow in winter and climbing to uncomfortably-hot temperatures in summer.
"Considering they have such short lifespans, yeah, they tend to do that," she spoke, referring to his first statement. "And obviously it's bigger. Humans don't keep things simple, anymore, but I suppose humans aren't as simple as they used to be," she continued, shrugging her shoulders lightly.
"What about you? When was the last time you've been to Sapporo?" she questioned, raising a brow in his direction. "Couldn't have been recently," she added.
“About twenty years ago," he replied evenly. “The old man used to send us to check up on the settlements personally every decade or so." They were on a rotation, so that no one would live to remember the same brother visiting twice. It was one thing to know the man visiting you looked like the lord your grandmother had told you about. It was another thing entirely to see the same young-looking man fifty years apart.
Twenty years was still pushing it, but they didn't have much choice at the moment.
“Seriously, though? You've been alive for a couple thousand years and never made it further south than Chūbu? Even Reiko's been to Kyūshu."
She shrugged. "I never wanted to travel too far from..." she paused in that statement, and glanced up at him. Sighing softly, she shook her head. "I've never had reason to travel too far from Hokkaido," she spoke softly. She'd spoke as if it were only her who had traveled, and not Aram.
"Maybe, after all of this is said and done, I'll make my way down that way. That's assuming we're all alive by the end of this," she said as she scoffed lightly.
“We will be." His tone left no room for doubt. Tatsuya had never seen the point of worrying over things no one could know for certain. It was better to believe they would succeed, because the confidence might actually help them do it. If he couldn't believe in his own strength, then he had no right to expect anyone else to, either. Not Reiko, not the others, not the humans under their family's protection. So he made a point of choosing not to doubt himself, of discarding all those annoying thoughts when they entered his head. They would succeed. He would.
“No point in believing anything else, right?"
She scoffed lightly, but smiled just the same. "Cocky bastard," she muttered beneath her breath, but it didn't sound malicious. "I suppose you have a point. No point in believing anything else," she repeated, the smile turning into a grin. "Since it's been a while since I've been to Sapporo, you going to give me the grand tour?" she asked, raising her brow at him, the grin spreading just a little wider.
He considered it a moment, turning the jest around by assenting to it seriously. “I could. It's a nice place, as far as they go. We'll need to do a survey before we can decide how to fortify anyway. Probably the first day after we get there." He could get the retainer to provide him with the best surveyors and architects in the region. Kentaro had more of a head for all of that stuff than Tatsuya did, but he knew how to listen, and weigh information other people provided before making decisions. That was all that would really be required of him.
Leadership was its own art form, and while he wasn't exactly fond of it, the old man had made sure they were all damn well as good at it as he could make them.
“It might bore you, since there's no fighting involved, though." He glanced sideways at her, letting her see his small smirk.
"Oh? So is that what you think of me? That I only get off on fighting?" she replied, her brow raising a little further up. It caused the other one to raise slightly, too. "I suppose I've given that impression since the only time we're actually together is when we're drinking," she paused, snorting softly, "or training and fighting."
"I'm not a stick in the mud, 'suya. I may be a hag, but this hag knows a few things," she stated, her grin turning somewhat feral. It disappeared, though, and a smile was left in its place. "But I suppose you're right. It might bore me. Maybe I'll just leave you behind and go exploring on my own after the survey," she said, shrugging lightly.
He laughed, mostly at her choice of words. “If you would like to tell me about all the other things that get you off, I'm always willing to bend my ear to such scintillating topics," he replied. There was a grain of truth in it, though: neither she nor her brother seemed to have hobbies of any kind. Reiko had her garden and their dad's library, he had his flute; fuck, even Kentaro had a hobby of drawing or carving stuff.
It was of course possible that they had such things and simply never displayed them in front of everyone, but in all honesty he didn't think that was it. He just doubted the two of them knew the first thing about actually having fun. It would be funny if it wasn't so damn depressing.
"Oh, I could," she started, pausing only to take a breath, "but the things I might consider fun, were fun almost a thousand years ago." The smile disappeared from her face, and her lips pursed together. She seemed to be thinking since she stopped speaking to him for a moment. The frown smoothed over, and for once, she wore an expression that was hard to read. It seemed caught between realization and melancholy. She shook her head, though.
"Who knows. If I'm feeling generous, maybe I'll have you and Reiko teach me something new and fun," she spoke, drawing out the last word almost deliberately slow. The smirk returned to her face, but she turned her gaze forward.
He snorted. “I'll believe it when I see it."
Aram stared at his hands, allowing his horse to keep a steady pace next to Reiko's. He had remained quiet for a majority of the travel, not saying anything to her. He was occupied mostly by his own thoughts. They were still too jumbled for him to make sense of, but he figured now was a good time to collect them. Reiko hadn't been too inclined to speak, either, which he didn't mind. She was probably thinking too, or perhaps he was making things akward by remaining silent. He blinked slowly as he lifted his gaze to her. He pursed his lips together. Maybe that was the case?
"Reiko," he spoke softly so that he did not startle her. He didn't say anything else, though. He was at a loss for words, and he furrowed his brows. He wasn't entirely sure what he could speak of with her. He didn't want to speak of any more of his dreams for fear of upsetting her further. That was the last thing he wanted, but he also knew that he'd promised to share with her if he could. His dreams, however, didn't bother him at the moment.
"If you'd be so kind," he began, finally finding his voice again. "Would you tell me of your fondest memory?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know, only that he did. Perhaps because he didn't have many of his own.
Reiko turned to make eye contact with him, her brows furrowed slightly. It was a highly-personal question; perhaps she was surprised he'd asked it. But she didn't seem upset; her expression swiftly shifted to one of thoughtfulness. “Fondest?" she hummed. “This one has many fond memories. Picking out any single one would be difficult. But this one can try."
She lapsed into silence for another few minutes, occasionally smiling or huffing to herself with amusement. Clearly, she had quite the inventory to pick through. After a while, though, she spoke again. “When this one turned fifteen, this one had a small party. This one remembers it because this one's whole family was there together. We started a fire in the evening, and everyone sat around it and ate food and played games. Tou-chan told one of his stories, and Kaa-san taught this one how to juggle." Her smile inched wider, bright on her face.
“Taro made the flames into shapes to go along with the story, and Tsu got really drunk and kept trying to sneak up on Taka, who would always throw food at him when he did. He got poor Dai, though. Dai made this horrible silly noise because he was surprised, and swore revenge when we played tag. He beat everyone, but let this one win because it was this one's birthday."
She glanced down at the horse underneath her, leaning forward to rub at his neck. “This one is... it's not a very exciting memory. But it was one of the only times that this one's whole family was together; Kaa-san died the year after."
He found himself smiling along with her story. It was still a memory she was fond of, exciting or not. His smile, however, slowly disappeared when she spoke of her mother. It seemed that the question still managed to make her upset, even if she didn't visibly show it. At least, he hoped it didn't. He furrowed his brows, and tried to think of something that would bring her spirits back up. He didn't have very many fond memories. The only ones he could recall were the years they fought the oni, and then the century they had spent together before Amon departed them.
"I remember..." he began, pausing just long enough so that he could properly gather his thoughts. "I remember when your father did the same thing to me," he spoke, allowing a small smile to pull at his lips. "He had startled me greatly that I nearly fell into the nearby pond," he continued, shaking his head lightly. He remembered that, though he couldn't say if he was particularly fond of it. Perhaps he was, and that was why he shared it with Reiko?
She let out a peal of laughter, bright and clear in the quiet that surrounded them. “I guess what he did to this one was an improvement on his technique, then," she said, reminding him of the story she'd told him about her dad letting her fall in the garden pond.
Her obvious smile faded a little, and she shook her head. “More than anything... this one wishes to remember what happened, that day." She had to be referring to the day Amon died. “This one can't help but think it's important, you know? Because if... this one's father was so strong. This one knows nothing ordinary would have hurt him. What if... what if there were oni, even back then? But no one would know, because this one can't remember."
He didn't know what to say to that. There wasn't anything he could do to help her regain her memories. But what she said could have some truth to it. He couldn't say for sure how long the oni have been around. He couldn't gather any clues in the nest, and it had seemed almost recent, at the time. What if there were more nests? Ones that were older? If that were true, perhaps Amon had perished by the hands of an oni? That didn't seem right, though. They were created to be stronger than the oni, and at the time, they were.
He doubted Amon would have allowed himself to neglect his training, however; it was possible that he had. Ayla and himself had not kept up with their training, after all. Something didn't sit well, though. Even if that were the case, Amon had been the strongest of the three of them. It would have taken another being, someone stronger than Amon in order to kill him. He pushed a long sigh through his nose.
"I cannot say for certain, but if that is true..." he trailed off. If it were true, then there was a possibility that this entity was just as she was: an anomaly in the weave of fate that he could not see. "I am sorry that there is nothing I can do to help you remember, though," he finally spoke. Even if he could help her remember, there might have been a reason as to why she shouldn't. He could not claim to know.
And that, in itself, was strange.
“You don't need to apologize, Aram-sama," she said quietly, sighing through her nose and offering him a small smile. “This one did not mean to turn the conversation to sad things. Perhaps... perhaps Aram-sama would be willing to share a fond memory with this one, as well? You don't have to, but..." The smile wobbled a bit with her uncertainty, but then steadied.
A fond memory? He blinked slowly at her, and pursed his lips together. "I will try," he spoke, glancing away from her for the moment. He couldn't think of anything that he was particularly fond of. The memories that stood out the most were the ones of battle, of seeing, and of death. He couldn't claim that any of those were fond, however; perhaps he just wasn't remembering hard enough. He smiled as he thought of something.
"I remember the day the three of us were together for the last time," he spoke. It wasn't necessarily a fond memory, since the events that happened after it were not pleasant, however; that particular day was nice. "It was the day before Amon left us. We had gathered for a meal, however; Ayla had decided to try something different. She put too much of a spicy herb into our meal and nearly burned Amon's and my tongue off," he continued.
"You should have seen the faces we made," he smiled gently. He had thought that he would never get the sting out of his mouth, that night. They had managed, eventually, but it has kept him from trying anything spicy since then.
Reiko grinned. Apparently, it had been an acceptable answer. “This one thinks her cooking has improved a lot since then," she said. “Everything this one ate at her restaurant was delicious, even the spicy dishes."
She turned to face forward, and for a moment, that seemed like the end of the conversation. When she spoke again, she was still looking into the distance. “This one used to think," she said softly, “that all of this ones fondest memories would always be in the past. But lately... lately this one thinks that, even with everything that's happening... some of them might be yet to come, as well."
That was a way of putting it. He wasn't so sure he could be as optimistic as she was. Perhaps she was referring to the future? Perhaps she thought that they would succeed, and that they would all still be here. He couldn't claim the same hopefulness. He knew that he was planning for a death along the way. It always came. Whether it would be his, his sister's, or one of Reiko's brothers.
Someone would die.
"You should not lose sight of that," he spoke softly. She should cling to her hope, her optimism. Perhaps hers could be enough? "You should keep hoping for something like that," he continued, shaking his head at himself. Now he was the one turning things sorrowful. "Perhaps one day I'll be able to do the same," he ended that with a soft hum. Perhaps he could, one day, start seeing things in a different light? He wasn't counting on it, though.
“This one already promised, right?" she said, turning her head to look at him at last. “This one would do enough hoping for both of us, because sometimes Aram-sama can't. This one doesn't forget a promise."
He smiled. "Of course," he replied, inclining his head in her direction. She would hope for the both of them until the day came where he could hope, too. Perhaps that day wasn't so far off? Perhaps... it was closer than he thought it was. Strange how not even time could change him, yet, here she was slowly giving him clarity he'd thought he'd once lost.
"You are a lot stronger than I," in different ways, perhaps, but it was true. She was.
She snorted softly and shook her head. “This one just has a lot of practice hoping," she replied easily. “It gets easier if you practice."
"Then I shall endeavor to practice," he replied, laughing softly. "Perhaps you will be kind enough to show me, one day," he spoke, though he meant it lightly. She was, in some ways, already showing him somethings. Things he could not quite name, yet.
"Reiko," he spoke softly so that he did not startle her. He didn't say anything else, though. He was at a loss for words, and he furrowed his brows. He wasn't entirely sure what he could speak of with her. He didn't want to speak of any more of his dreams for fear of upsetting her further. That was the last thing he wanted, but he also knew that he'd promised to share with her if he could. His dreams, however, didn't bother him at the moment.
"If you'd be so kind," he began, finally finding his voice again. "Would you tell me of your fondest memory?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know, only that he did. Perhaps because he didn't have many of his own.
Reiko turned to make eye contact with him, her brows furrowed slightly. It was a highly-personal question; perhaps she was surprised he'd asked it. But she didn't seem upset; her expression swiftly shifted to one of thoughtfulness. “Fondest?" she hummed. “This one has many fond memories. Picking out any single one would be difficult. But this one can try."
She lapsed into silence for another few minutes, occasionally smiling or huffing to herself with amusement. Clearly, she had quite the inventory to pick through. After a while, though, she spoke again. “When this one turned fifteen, this one had a small party. This one remembers it because this one's whole family was there together. We started a fire in the evening, and everyone sat around it and ate food and played games. Tou-chan told one of his stories, and Kaa-san taught this one how to juggle." Her smile inched wider, bright on her face.
“Taro made the flames into shapes to go along with the story, and Tsu got really drunk and kept trying to sneak up on Taka, who would always throw food at him when he did. He got poor Dai, though. Dai made this horrible silly noise because he was surprised, and swore revenge when we played tag. He beat everyone, but let this one win because it was this one's birthday."
She glanced down at the horse underneath her, leaning forward to rub at his neck. “This one is... it's not a very exciting memory. But it was one of the only times that this one's whole family was together; Kaa-san died the year after."
He found himself smiling along with her story. It was still a memory she was fond of, exciting or not. His smile, however, slowly disappeared when she spoke of her mother. It seemed that the question still managed to make her upset, even if she didn't visibly show it. At least, he hoped it didn't. He furrowed his brows, and tried to think of something that would bring her spirits back up. He didn't have very many fond memories. The only ones he could recall were the years they fought the oni, and then the century they had spent together before Amon departed them.
"I remember..." he began, pausing just long enough so that he could properly gather his thoughts. "I remember when your father did the same thing to me," he spoke, allowing a small smile to pull at his lips. "He had startled me greatly that I nearly fell into the nearby pond," he continued, shaking his head lightly. He remembered that, though he couldn't say if he was particularly fond of it. Perhaps he was, and that was why he shared it with Reiko?
She let out a peal of laughter, bright and clear in the quiet that surrounded them. “I guess what he did to this one was an improvement on his technique, then," she said, reminding him of the story she'd told him about her dad letting her fall in the garden pond.
Her obvious smile faded a little, and she shook her head. “More than anything... this one wishes to remember what happened, that day." She had to be referring to the day Amon died. “This one can't help but think it's important, you know? Because if... this one's father was so strong. This one knows nothing ordinary would have hurt him. What if... what if there were oni, even back then? But no one would know, because this one can't remember."
He didn't know what to say to that. There wasn't anything he could do to help her regain her memories. But what she said could have some truth to it. He couldn't say for sure how long the oni have been around. He couldn't gather any clues in the nest, and it had seemed almost recent, at the time. What if there were more nests? Ones that were older? If that were true, perhaps Amon had perished by the hands of an oni? That didn't seem right, though. They were created to be stronger than the oni, and at the time, they were.
He doubted Amon would have allowed himself to neglect his training, however; it was possible that he had. Ayla and himself had not kept up with their training, after all. Something didn't sit well, though. Even if that were the case, Amon had been the strongest of the three of them. It would have taken another being, someone stronger than Amon in order to kill him. He pushed a long sigh through his nose.
"I cannot say for certain, but if that is true..." he trailed off. If it were true, then there was a possibility that this entity was just as she was: an anomaly in the weave of fate that he could not see. "I am sorry that there is nothing I can do to help you remember, though," he finally spoke. Even if he could help her remember, there might have been a reason as to why she shouldn't. He could not claim to know.
And that, in itself, was strange.
“You don't need to apologize, Aram-sama," she said quietly, sighing through her nose and offering him a small smile. “This one did not mean to turn the conversation to sad things. Perhaps... perhaps Aram-sama would be willing to share a fond memory with this one, as well? You don't have to, but..." The smile wobbled a bit with her uncertainty, but then steadied.
A fond memory? He blinked slowly at her, and pursed his lips together. "I will try," he spoke, glancing away from her for the moment. He couldn't think of anything that he was particularly fond of. The memories that stood out the most were the ones of battle, of seeing, and of death. He couldn't claim that any of those were fond, however; perhaps he just wasn't remembering hard enough. He smiled as he thought of something.
"I remember the day the three of us were together for the last time," he spoke. It wasn't necessarily a fond memory, since the events that happened after it were not pleasant, however; that particular day was nice. "It was the day before Amon left us. We had gathered for a meal, however; Ayla had decided to try something different. She put too much of a spicy herb into our meal and nearly burned Amon's and my tongue off," he continued.
"You should have seen the faces we made," he smiled gently. He had thought that he would never get the sting out of his mouth, that night. They had managed, eventually, but it has kept him from trying anything spicy since then.
Reiko grinned. Apparently, it had been an acceptable answer. “This one thinks her cooking has improved a lot since then," she said. “Everything this one ate at her restaurant was delicious, even the spicy dishes."
She turned to face forward, and for a moment, that seemed like the end of the conversation. When she spoke again, she was still looking into the distance. “This one used to think," she said softly, “that all of this ones fondest memories would always be in the past. But lately... lately this one thinks that, even with everything that's happening... some of them might be yet to come, as well."
That was a way of putting it. He wasn't so sure he could be as optimistic as she was. Perhaps she was referring to the future? Perhaps she thought that they would succeed, and that they would all still be here. He couldn't claim the same hopefulness. He knew that he was planning for a death along the way. It always came. Whether it would be his, his sister's, or one of Reiko's brothers.
Someone would die.
"You should not lose sight of that," he spoke softly. She should cling to her hope, her optimism. Perhaps hers could be enough? "You should keep hoping for something like that," he continued, shaking his head at himself. Now he was the one turning things sorrowful. "Perhaps one day I'll be able to do the same," he ended that with a soft hum. Perhaps he could, one day, start seeing things in a different light? He wasn't counting on it, though.
“This one already promised, right?" she said, turning her head to look at him at last. “This one would do enough hoping for both of us, because sometimes Aram-sama can't. This one doesn't forget a promise."
He smiled. "Of course," he replied, inclining his head in her direction. She would hope for the both of them until the day came where he could hope, too. Perhaps that day wasn't so far off? Perhaps... it was closer than he thought it was. Strange how not even time could change him, yet, here she was slowly giving him clarity he'd thought he'd once lost.
"You are a lot stronger than I," in different ways, perhaps, but it was true. She was.
She snorted softly and shook her head. “This one just has a lot of practice hoping," she replied easily. “It gets easier if you practice."
"Then I shall endeavor to practice," he replied, laughing softly. "Perhaps you will be kind enough to show me, one day," he spoke, though he meant it lightly. She was, in some ways, already showing him somethings. Things he could not quite name, yet.
A week into their occupation of the castle in Sapporo found Tatsuya helping with the construction of a large wall around the outside of the settlement.
It had to be stronger than most such constructions, and so he'd ordered his retainers to pull the stone from a reserve quarry they'd been holding onto in case the lord wanted to use it for some construction project, like the expansion of the castle his old man had been considering, back when he thought the capital might move here. Fortunately, it was now being put to a much more practical purpose. Though they'd have to get some height with thick wooden beams and ceramic tiles, the vast majority of the foundation would be stone, and in total it would be high enough to stop even the tallest oni Ayla could describe.
Of course, those terms were heard by his retainers only; the village at large simply believed that the lord was fortifying the town, perhaps due to the recent warring in the south. It was close enough to the truth.
Unbeknownst to them, they'd arrived in Sapporo just in time for Tanabata. Though he'd spent all day laboring on the wall, unrecognizable as who he was, Tatsuya found that he wasn't tired, and made his way almost automatically to Ayla's room. He paused outside her door, then decided he might as well and raised his hand to knock a few times, taking a step back and folding his hands into his sleeves.
"Give me a moment," was the only thing she said from behind the door. Shuffling could be heard, along with items being placed back where they were supposed to be. Or perhaps they were being taken down. A few seconds later, the door opened, producing Ayla. She was holding her hair back with one hand, and a dark blue ribbon was hanging between her teeth. She blinked at him for a moment before she pulled the ribbon from her mouth, and tied it into her hair.
"Is there something you need, 'suya?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in a questioning manner. She'd spoken in a lighter tone, though, and she was wearing a small smile.
“No," he replied. That was the truth: he wasn't here because he needed anything. The reason he was here was slightly baffling, but he didn't bother to question it much. “I thought you might want part two of the tour. We can actually see the town this time; they're all around for Tanabata, so." He shrugged. The survey had only been of the surrounding landscape, and had involved a lot of stopping to discuss evacuation routes, defenses, and the like, so it was hardly a proper tour.
“You don't have to come, but I'll be going in about an hour if you want to get out of the castle." He needed to bathe first, and change into something slightly nicer than the ordinary laborer's clothes he was currently wearing.
"Alright," she replied, moving so that she was standing properly. "I'll go with. I did ask for a tour, and I actually do want to get out of the castle. It's a little... boring," she replied with a light sigh. "Meet you in an hour?" she questioned. He did say he was going within that time frame.
Tatsuya nodded, turning away to head back to his room. He didn't smile, but that was only half a victory because for some reason he'd wanted to. It shouldn't have made a damn bit of difference that she'd agreed to go with him. Perhaps he could have felt a bit of relief that this would give him an excuse not to be around any of the large number of single young women who suddenly seemed to be everywhere in the castle. Rake he might have been, but he avoided people angling for alliance marriages like the plague.
But what he felt was beyond the pale of simple relief. He quashed it viciously.
One of the benefits of being the presumed lord of the region was the nicest guest room in the castle, and while it wasn't as luxurious as his quarters in Shimamaki, it did have small bath outbuilding within easy reach, and the water was kept heated at this time of day. While he wasn't especially fatigued by the labor, he still wasn't eating properly, and so he wore down significantly more easily than normal. The hot water was a relief, and sloughed off all the grime he'd accumulated working under the unforgiving sun.
He made it back to his room refreshed. As an important guest, he'd been provided with a substantial wardrobe sized for his height, as no doubt Ayla had. He chose a black yukata with a simple dark red obi, not wanting to stand out too much from the ordinary villagers, though of course there were other reasons that would be impossible. Still, if he could avoid looking significantly richer than any of them, they'd be less concerned about the other oddities in his appearance. Drying his hair by drawing all the water out with his powers, he elected to wear only one of his swords. He didn't anticipate an oni attack, but they were always possible.
Precisely an hour after he'd left, he once again knocked on Ayla's door.
She didn't immediately answer it. There was a few moments of silence before shuffling could be heard, and the door slid open. She arched a brow at him, before stepping out. It looked like she'd dressed in the complete opposite. Though the kimono she wore was red, it wasn't as dark as his obi. There was some sheen to it, however; her obi was a gold color. She'd elected to leave her hair in the ribbon, though it was a different color. Gold to match the obi, perhaps.
"What is Tanabata, anyway?" she questioned, taking a step next to him as they walked. "It's not something I'm familiar with," she continued.
He shrugged. “It's a human festival. Celebrated on the day two particular stars in the sky are closest to each other; there's a whole story about it." Supposedly, the stars were actually entities of a sort. Orihime and Hikoboshi. He would not admit that he'd learned the story for the sake of telling it to Reiko. “There's a bunch of food, usually some imported pyrotechnics, and all the humans write some kind of wish on a piece of paper and tie them to special plants." He wasn't sure what that had to do with the stars, but he was actually pretty sure that part was blended with an even older festival from China, which explained the wishes.
“Mostly it's just an excuse for them to celebrate."
"They need an excuse to celebrate?" she questioned, arching her brow in a slightly quizzical manner. She shook her head and pushed a breath through her nose, like she wanted to laugh. "They have such strange customs, but I suppose it can't be all that bad," she added. She fell silent after that. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though, and she seemed content with something. Her eyes widened for just a fraction before they returned to a more relaxed expression.
"It must be nice, having something like that to look forward to," she spoke softly. "We never really had much to look forward to. The only thing we did, was the end of the battle," she didn't have to elaborate on which battle she was referring to. "After that, it was just constantly wandering. No real purpose, you know?" She took in a deep breath and shook her head. She was being, oddly, personal, at the moment.
"I guess we have a purpose again, but after..." she trailed off; the implication was there. She scoffed, though, and smiled. "Ignore that, I'm just muttering nonesense, I guess," she spoke, rolling her eyes at herself, it seemed.
He took that in for a bit, examining her words from all angles before deciding what to say about them. He generally tried not to give other people the impression that he was a thoughtful person, but he could be, when the occasion called for it. And dammit if she didn't seem to be trusting him with something here.
“Do you have to have a purpose?" he asked at last, as they passed the castle gate. It was still a bit of distance to the main street of the town, where they were having the festival. There wasn't really anyone else here, except a couple of guards. He was pleased to see they were posted; it was vital that an alarm go up quickly if oni were spotted.
He glanced sideways at her. “I don't think I have one. A purpose is something a tool or a weapon has. People are more complicated than just having one function in life." He knew she didn't want to be aimless, but that was something different than having a specific function only. “Can't you just... find things you like, and do those?" It kind of went back to the lack of hobbies thing, honestly.
She gave him a flat look, but it looked like she was also thinking about what he said. "You have to understand something, Tatsuya," she began pausing only to glance up at him, "Aram and myself are weapons. We were made with only one purpose in life, however; you and Reiko..." she trailed off sighing softly. It looked like she was thinking on what to say next.
"It might not look it, but you and Reiko do have a purpose. You both oversee your lands, making sure that its people are safe and happy. You keep each other grounded whereas Aram and myself... we're just... here."
She fell quiet for another few minutes, taking her gaze from him as she did. "You know, I used to think that I would have a purpose one day," she spoke, scoffing lightly as she did. "I used to think that I'd be someone's... something. I used to think that I'd be normal, for once, and just... I don't know, be happy?" she inflected it like a question, as if she were unsure herself.
"But things have a way of changing your perspective, I suppose," she shrugged lightly. "And to answer your other question, the things I do like, I highly doubt will last forever," she stated, arching her brow at him for a moment. "Who's to say you won't get tired of me and my drinking and stealing your clothes, hm?" she questioned, the familiar smirk crossing her face.
He blinked at her. That was a hell of a lot. “Okay, let's pick that apart one thing at a time," he said. “Firstly, whatever you were made for or whatever doesn't have to dictate everything about you. You have your own will. I know better than anyone that you don't just let anyone tell you how to feel or what to do." he raised an eyebrow and snorted softly. “So what if you were made to do a thing? It doesn't mean you have to do it. You have choices."
She furrowed her brows slightly. "If I don't, then who will?" she questioned back. "My choices are limited. If I don't do what I was created to do, then what becomes of the people? They'll die, and that will be on me. Not anyone else, and I can't have that," she began, shaking her head lightly. She heaved her shoulders, and let loose a slow sigh. Turning her gaze to him, she spoke again, "I used to think that wandering, filling odd jobs here and there, would be enough for me, but it wasn't. What... I wanted," she paused, her brows deepening as she did. She let out a long sigh, but remained quiet.
"I don't know what I want anymore," she spoke softly. "In some ways, I guess the world is still new to me. I'm slowly figuring things out, like what I actually enjoy, who I like spending time with, and just... I don't know how to explain it," she continued, tearing her gaze from him.
"This isn't easy for me to admit, but..." she began, trailing off as if she were unsure of whether she wanted to tell him, or not. She must have decided, because she spoke again. "I like being around you and your family. There's something... something I can't explain, really," she muttered the last part lowly, like she was embarrassed to admit it.
She might not have known how to explain it, but it made perfect sense to him. “So do it," he said with a shrug. He stopped them at a food stand selling rice cakes and bought two, handing one to her without comment. “Stick around. It's obvious you fit fine into the place; none of us would say no if you decided you wanted to."
He sighed. “Even if you do things because you think you have to, you're still choosing them. Leaving the humans to die might not be something you'd ever want to do, but it's something you could do. So you know you don't want that, at least." Not knowing what one wanted was pretty much a foreign concept to him. Tatsuya had always been very good at identifying what he wanted and then going after it.
“You don't have to be anybody's anything, you know. You don't even have to know what you want in some big, grand sense. Most of the time, I find it's enough to just know what I want here and now, and sometimes think about what I want in a decade or whatever, and just go from there. No cosmic destiny shit involved. You might want to try it sometime."
She snorted softly. "Yeah, I know. You try living with Aram for nearly a millenia and then try telling me the same thing. Like I said, though, the world is still new to me, and I'm trying... to figure shit out. And it's not a matter of knowing what I want in the grand sense of things. It's trying to find out what I want now. I'm still working out the details on that one, you know," she stated, scoffing lightly, but the smirk had returned, at least.
"I think, what I want now, though," she started, her smirk inching just a bit wider as she leaned closer to him. "Is..." she continued, pausing only momentarily until she was almost touching him, "this."
She took a bite out of her rice cake and stepped back.
He rolled his eyes. That one, he'd seen coming from a mile out. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, he shook his head and took a bite from his own. Tatsuya didn't mind sweets, though he wasn't as fond of them as Kentaro or Reiko were.
The town's main street was lively and packed with people; various colors of paper lantern were hanging from the food stalls and small games for entertainment purposes were mixed in with the consumables. All types were out and about, from children to the elderly. The former were apparently quite rambunctious, often freeing themselves from the constraints of their parents' hands and running around after one another, playing with paper balls, or just flinging themselves after each other in chase games.
Not unexpectedly, one of them eventually lost her footing trying to avoid the two of them, and wound up crashing into Tatsuya's legs. He was quite a solid object to run into, and he wasn't surprised when she rebounded off, falling to her rear in the dirt.
He blinked down at her. She stared up at him.
Then the fact that she was in pain registered, and she started to sniffle, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Tatsuya sighed under his breath, crouching down to be closer to eye-level. He consciously softened the expression o his face; if he didn't she'd probably think he was glaring at her. Humans were usually pretty uncomfortable with his eyes because of the color.
“It hurts," she whined, tears starting to streak down her chubby face. He suspected she was overselling it by a considerable margin in an attempt to stop him from getting angry at her.
Inwardly rolling his eyes, he reached forward and swiped the tears away with his thumbs. “I'm sure it does," he told her simply. Wrapping both hands around her tiny waist, he hoisted her back onto her feet and dusted off her little yukata. “And you can cry about it if you want to, as long as you remember to stand up again."
She sniffled, but joined him in shaking the dirt off her clothes. When they were done, he put his hand on her shoulder and narrowed his eyes at her. “Feel better now?"
She nodded, dark eyes wide.
He returned it just as solemnly, then broke away an uneaten portion of his rice cake and handed it to her. “Good. Now go catch the stupid boy you were chasing, and run faster this time."
“Okay!" All trace of her pain gone, she dashed away, stuffing rice cake into her mouth as she went.
He shook his head faintly and rose, scoffing low in his throat. “Children."
If she was trying to hide her amusement, she was doing a poor job of it. Ayla looked liked she was trying to hold back a laugh, but small bits of laughter escaped her. "You know, you can be adorable when you want to be," she spoke finally, the amusement still in her voice. She must have thought of something amusing, because the grin widened. "Imagine if that had been yours. I don't think you would have been so... kind," she stated, raising an amused brow at him.
"You would have just had a serious face on, kind of like this," she spoke, pulling her face into one that mimicked his. It wasn't a good job, but that might have been because of the fact that she was still trying not to laugh at him. "And you'd probably would have told him, or her, to go kick the other kid's ass."
He did roll his eyes then. “I had six younger siblings, you know. I just know that kids don't always need that hokey coddling bullshit." Sure, sometimes a more sympathetic approach was required, something he hadn't quite figured out how to do until Reiko was a child. But most of the time, children only acted like immature shitheads if you treated them like they were.
“And no kid of mine is going to need me to tell them that. They'll be perfectly capable of figuring it out on their own, thank you very much." He spoke of children as though he knew he'd have at least one eventually. But then, he'd always figured that.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Because they'll be a little shithead just like you, right?" she replied, but shook her head in good nature. "Well, good luck... well I can't actually say that because," she paused, tilting her head towards the side. She was motioning to a few young women who were staring at him. "It looks like if you wanted, you'd have your own little harem," she visibly shivered at that, as though the thought were a little revolting to her.
"But who knows how you work," she shrugged lightly. She took another bite out of her rice cake, and chuckled lightly to herself, as if she were thinking of something she found amusing.
There was a time in his life, honestly not long ago at all, in which he might have attempted to prove her point. Three wasn't the most he'd ever had in his bed at once, but convincing them to leave with him from such a public location would have been an interesting challenge.
Now, though, he just wasn't interested. “Honestly? I'm not in a rush," he muttered. “I'm in a bit of a bind, really: the kind of woman that would want to marry a man like me isn't the kind of woman I'd want to be married to." Once, he had mistaken this for an aversion to marriage in general. To be fair, they might end up with the same effects, considering the bind.
He shot an aside glance at the women; all three of them immediately coyly averted their gazes. He snorted and started walking forward again.
She raised a brow at him. "It's not like you don't have time," she replied in a casual manner. "For a creature like you and I, all we have is time. Perhaps she hasn't been born yet, or you simply haven't traveled far enough to meet her. I'm sure there is a woman out there who'd you'd like to marry who would, in turn, want to be with you," she spoke as if it were the most simplest things in the world.
"I think it's a... thing all women want, actually," she spoke, frowning slightly. "To find someone they want to be with isn't so hard. It's the finding someone who wants you in the same way, I suppose. I don't really know how else to explain it," she continued, her frown deepening.
"I suppose that's what they mean by finding someone you love, and who loves you in return, that you can actually be happy. Sometimes I think it's just bullshit humans made up in order to cope with their short lifespans," she said as she took the last bite of her rice cake.
He snorted. “How cynical." Not that he didn't get it. He was pretty cynical about the whole thing himself. Probably why he hadn't bothered doing any of that stuff in the seven and a half centuries he'd been old enough.
Tatsuya glanced sideways and Ayla, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “You have something—let me get that for you." There was a single sticky grain of rice from her cake at the corner of her mouth. He reached out, catching it on his index finger, then brought it up to his tongue and licked it off. “Better."
She raised a brow at him. "Oh? I see how it is," she spoke, rolling her eyes slightly. "You'll take my left overs, but nothing else I'll offer, hm?" she continued, amusement evident in her voice. "Remind me to just leave a trail, next time," she snorted softly, rubbing at her face as if she still had rice on it.
“I'm sorry, was there an offer in there somewhere? Because all I got out of that was a bunch of abstract thoughts about things in general. Perhaps you should be more... explicit, in the future."
"Was it something I offered now? I could have sworn I offered other things before, but maybe my age is finally catching up to my memory," she replied, shrugging. "And maybe... maybe I'll think about being more explicit in the future. Never know, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, or maybe a few weeks from now, I'll decide what I want is you, and then..." she paused, turning so that she was looking up, and not at him.
"And then I'll stop making offers of my services," she spoke, trying not to laugh, it seemed.
He supposed she was talking about blood again. But his thoughts on that hadn't changed, so he didn't reply to that bit.
“Well, we've got time," he said with a shrug. “But no one waits forever, so don't keep me hanging too long. Unlike you, I always know what I want, and I don't make a habit of holding back because of maybe."
She rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I'm not always sure of things, so you'll have to excuse my caution. I don't..." she paused, her face pulling into something melancholic and unsure. "I don't have the luxury of having another heart to give, you know. And no, I'm not saying I have to fall in love with you first before anything, I just... never mind," she turned her gaze from him and let it drop.
“Hey." He thought she'd gotten the wrong impression just then, and for whatever reason it seemed important that he not let her keep having it. Tatsuya laid a hand on her shoulder, stepping in front of her and taking gentle hold of her chin with his other, tilting her head up so they had eye contact. They stood in the shadow of a building, harder to see for anyone that might wander by, just in case.
He shook his head, but maintained eye contact. “I'm not rushing you," he said firmly. “And I'm not pressuring you. You do what you want, when you want, and how you want. I will never tell you what decision to make or any of that shit. Not about this or anything else." He tipped his head sideways slightly, tracing the fingers on her chin back along her jawline to her ear.
“I'm not asking for your heart. I'm not even asking for your body. But if you decide you want to give me either or both..." He sighed quietly. “I'll do my best to be careful with whatever I get." He'd had plenty of bodies in his hands before, but hearts were another matter. Still... little as he believed in that sort of thing, he did know that other people did. He knew it was possible, if not probable.
She sighed an inaudible one, but he could tell from the slump of her shoulders. She turned her gaze away from him, though. "If only it were that simple," she spoke softly. "I know you're not rushing, and I know you're not... asking for anything, but," she continued, stopping herself from saying something more, it seemed.
"Even if I did want to give you any of that, it wouldn't be fair," though she didn't elaborate on why. She remained quiet again, keeping her gaze away from his. "It wouldn't be fair to you, or to me," she stated softly. "Reiko knows... I suppose it's only fair that you know, too. I don't know why, but I want you to know, so that you'll understand. Maybe you will, maybe you won't."
"There is a reason as to why I do these things, the reason I keep my distance. I loved him. Do you know what that's like, loving someone who knew, but never said anything about it? How little that made me feel when I found out he knew? It makes me... it made me feel small, like I wasn't really worth anything," she spoke. She was being open, vulnerable, perhaps?
"So it wouldn't be fair," she spoke as if trying to reassure herself that.
Tatsuya felt like he'd been hit in the guts, and he wasn't quite sure why.
He wanted to laugh.
He wanted to hit something.
He wanted to kiss her.
But none of those things would be the right reaction. All of them would give her the wrong idea about something, he was certain. He turned away from her a moment, folding his arms into his sleeves and trying to collect his thoughts.
She'd loved his father.
It didn't surprise him as much as it should have. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he'd had some clue that he hadn't thought about enough. Maybe he wasn't surprised because Reiko knew and little pieces of things were always filtering through their bond, whether or not he wanted them to. A hundred thoughts warred for dominance in his head; he felt his pulse picking up. Stress, he realized; something about this was affecting him. For a moment, he wasn't sure what it was, but then one of his thoughts crystallized, banishing the others.
A hurdle.
He turned back around, settling his eyes intently on her face. “What am I, to you, right now? Am I some kind of... lesser version of him? Is that why you're here?"
That question brought her attention back to him, and she frowned. "No," she answered almost immediately. "You're nothing like he was," she continued, her voice firm, but still low and soft. "That wasn't the impression I was trying to leave on you," she continued, keeping her gaze on him.
"I'm not saying that you are any version of him, and I'm not comparing you to him. It would be stupid of me to even make that comparison. You are your own person, Tatsuya, and I would never say otherwise. I've seen that. What you are to me right now, though... I don't know," she spoke honestly. "I don't know if I'll ever know," she continued.
"But what I do know... is that I care enough that I want you safe. Not quite the same way I'd want to keep Reiko safe, or Aram. It's... different, and I don't know what to make of it anymore. I'd do just about anything for you, really, and that's what scares the shit out of me. And yet... it doesn't. I don't think I'm making sense right now, either. I've never been good at talking about shit like this," she muttered.
Fine.
He could accept that.
Stepping forward, he hooked two fingers into her obi and used the hold to tug her closer; close enough that when he put his arms around her, it was a hug with no intervening space.
“Fuck what's fair," he muttered, moving his hand down her hair in a way he'd used to do for Reiko. “Life hurts, and you can cry about it if you want to, as long as you stand up again." She was really damn tiny; sometimes, that was easy to forget. Not as small as Reiko, but still more than a foot shorter than him. Then again... he was pretty tall, by most standards.
“Do what you want," he said, “whenever you figure out what that is. And be fair to yourself. But you let me decide what's fair for me."
Her hands curled beneath his arms, and up his back. Her face was buried in his chest, or as close as she could get because of the height difference, but she did not cry. She simply held him. "I'm tired of crying," she spoke, sighing into his yukata. "I feel like I'm repeating myself, but, I'm still learning, alright? I'm still learning to be fair to myself, figuring out what I want, and what I want to do. For now, this will have to be enough," she continued, curling her fingers into his back. It seemed like she was holding on a little tighter, but her hold on him, relaxed.
"Maybe, I'll have to rethink my priorities, though," she spoke, scoffing lightly, perhaps at herself. "Maybe... I'll even let you teach me a few things, hm?" she spoke, the light tone returning to her voice. It felt like she smiled, too.
He huffed. “Yeah, sure. We'll find you some hobbies and everything."
It had to be stronger than most such constructions, and so he'd ordered his retainers to pull the stone from a reserve quarry they'd been holding onto in case the lord wanted to use it for some construction project, like the expansion of the castle his old man had been considering, back when he thought the capital might move here. Fortunately, it was now being put to a much more practical purpose. Though they'd have to get some height with thick wooden beams and ceramic tiles, the vast majority of the foundation would be stone, and in total it would be high enough to stop even the tallest oni Ayla could describe.
Of course, those terms were heard by his retainers only; the village at large simply believed that the lord was fortifying the town, perhaps due to the recent warring in the south. It was close enough to the truth.
Unbeknownst to them, they'd arrived in Sapporo just in time for Tanabata. Though he'd spent all day laboring on the wall, unrecognizable as who he was, Tatsuya found that he wasn't tired, and made his way almost automatically to Ayla's room. He paused outside her door, then decided he might as well and raised his hand to knock a few times, taking a step back and folding his hands into his sleeves.
"Give me a moment," was the only thing she said from behind the door. Shuffling could be heard, along with items being placed back where they were supposed to be. Or perhaps they were being taken down. A few seconds later, the door opened, producing Ayla. She was holding her hair back with one hand, and a dark blue ribbon was hanging between her teeth. She blinked at him for a moment before she pulled the ribbon from her mouth, and tied it into her hair.
"Is there something you need, 'suya?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in a questioning manner. She'd spoken in a lighter tone, though, and she was wearing a small smile.
“No," he replied. That was the truth: he wasn't here because he needed anything. The reason he was here was slightly baffling, but he didn't bother to question it much. “I thought you might want part two of the tour. We can actually see the town this time; they're all around for Tanabata, so." He shrugged. The survey had only been of the surrounding landscape, and had involved a lot of stopping to discuss evacuation routes, defenses, and the like, so it was hardly a proper tour.
“You don't have to come, but I'll be going in about an hour if you want to get out of the castle." He needed to bathe first, and change into something slightly nicer than the ordinary laborer's clothes he was currently wearing.
"Alright," she replied, moving so that she was standing properly. "I'll go with. I did ask for a tour, and I actually do want to get out of the castle. It's a little... boring," she replied with a light sigh. "Meet you in an hour?" she questioned. He did say he was going within that time frame.
Tatsuya nodded, turning away to head back to his room. He didn't smile, but that was only half a victory because for some reason he'd wanted to. It shouldn't have made a damn bit of difference that she'd agreed to go with him. Perhaps he could have felt a bit of relief that this would give him an excuse not to be around any of the large number of single young women who suddenly seemed to be everywhere in the castle. Rake he might have been, but he avoided people angling for alliance marriages like the plague.
But what he felt was beyond the pale of simple relief. He quashed it viciously.
One of the benefits of being the presumed lord of the region was the nicest guest room in the castle, and while it wasn't as luxurious as his quarters in Shimamaki, it did have small bath outbuilding within easy reach, and the water was kept heated at this time of day. While he wasn't especially fatigued by the labor, he still wasn't eating properly, and so he wore down significantly more easily than normal. The hot water was a relief, and sloughed off all the grime he'd accumulated working under the unforgiving sun.
He made it back to his room refreshed. As an important guest, he'd been provided with a substantial wardrobe sized for his height, as no doubt Ayla had. He chose a black yukata with a simple dark red obi, not wanting to stand out too much from the ordinary villagers, though of course there were other reasons that would be impossible. Still, if he could avoid looking significantly richer than any of them, they'd be less concerned about the other oddities in his appearance. Drying his hair by drawing all the water out with his powers, he elected to wear only one of his swords. He didn't anticipate an oni attack, but they were always possible.
Precisely an hour after he'd left, he once again knocked on Ayla's door.
She didn't immediately answer it. There was a few moments of silence before shuffling could be heard, and the door slid open. She arched a brow at him, before stepping out. It looked like she'd dressed in the complete opposite. Though the kimono she wore was red, it wasn't as dark as his obi. There was some sheen to it, however; her obi was a gold color. She'd elected to leave her hair in the ribbon, though it was a different color. Gold to match the obi, perhaps.
"What is Tanabata, anyway?" she questioned, taking a step next to him as they walked. "It's not something I'm familiar with," she continued.
He shrugged. “It's a human festival. Celebrated on the day two particular stars in the sky are closest to each other; there's a whole story about it." Supposedly, the stars were actually entities of a sort. Orihime and Hikoboshi. He would not admit that he'd learned the story for the sake of telling it to Reiko. “There's a bunch of food, usually some imported pyrotechnics, and all the humans write some kind of wish on a piece of paper and tie them to special plants." He wasn't sure what that had to do with the stars, but he was actually pretty sure that part was blended with an even older festival from China, which explained the wishes.
“Mostly it's just an excuse for them to celebrate."
"They need an excuse to celebrate?" she questioned, arching her brow in a slightly quizzical manner. She shook her head and pushed a breath through her nose, like she wanted to laugh. "They have such strange customs, but I suppose it can't be all that bad," she added. She fell silent after that. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though, and she seemed content with something. Her eyes widened for just a fraction before they returned to a more relaxed expression.
"It must be nice, having something like that to look forward to," she spoke softly. "We never really had much to look forward to. The only thing we did, was the end of the battle," she didn't have to elaborate on which battle she was referring to. "After that, it was just constantly wandering. No real purpose, you know?" She took in a deep breath and shook her head. She was being, oddly, personal, at the moment.
"I guess we have a purpose again, but after..." she trailed off; the implication was there. She scoffed, though, and smiled. "Ignore that, I'm just muttering nonesense, I guess," she spoke, rolling her eyes at herself, it seemed.
He took that in for a bit, examining her words from all angles before deciding what to say about them. He generally tried not to give other people the impression that he was a thoughtful person, but he could be, when the occasion called for it. And dammit if she didn't seem to be trusting him with something here.
“Do you have to have a purpose?" he asked at last, as they passed the castle gate. It was still a bit of distance to the main street of the town, where they were having the festival. There wasn't really anyone else here, except a couple of guards. He was pleased to see they were posted; it was vital that an alarm go up quickly if oni were spotted.
He glanced sideways at her. “I don't think I have one. A purpose is something a tool or a weapon has. People are more complicated than just having one function in life." He knew she didn't want to be aimless, but that was something different than having a specific function only. “Can't you just... find things you like, and do those?" It kind of went back to the lack of hobbies thing, honestly.
She gave him a flat look, but it looked like she was also thinking about what he said. "You have to understand something, Tatsuya," she began pausing only to glance up at him, "Aram and myself are weapons. We were made with only one purpose in life, however; you and Reiko..." she trailed off sighing softly. It looked like she was thinking on what to say next.
"It might not look it, but you and Reiko do have a purpose. You both oversee your lands, making sure that its people are safe and happy. You keep each other grounded whereas Aram and myself... we're just... here."
She fell quiet for another few minutes, taking her gaze from him as she did. "You know, I used to think that I would have a purpose one day," she spoke, scoffing lightly as she did. "I used to think that I'd be someone's... something. I used to think that I'd be normal, for once, and just... I don't know, be happy?" she inflected it like a question, as if she were unsure herself.
"But things have a way of changing your perspective, I suppose," she shrugged lightly. "And to answer your other question, the things I do like, I highly doubt will last forever," she stated, arching her brow at him for a moment. "Who's to say you won't get tired of me and my drinking and stealing your clothes, hm?" she questioned, the familiar smirk crossing her face.
He blinked at her. That was a hell of a lot. “Okay, let's pick that apart one thing at a time," he said. “Firstly, whatever you were made for or whatever doesn't have to dictate everything about you. You have your own will. I know better than anyone that you don't just let anyone tell you how to feel or what to do." he raised an eyebrow and snorted softly. “So what if you were made to do a thing? It doesn't mean you have to do it. You have choices."
She furrowed her brows slightly. "If I don't, then who will?" she questioned back. "My choices are limited. If I don't do what I was created to do, then what becomes of the people? They'll die, and that will be on me. Not anyone else, and I can't have that," she began, shaking her head lightly. She heaved her shoulders, and let loose a slow sigh. Turning her gaze to him, she spoke again, "I used to think that wandering, filling odd jobs here and there, would be enough for me, but it wasn't. What... I wanted," she paused, her brows deepening as she did. She let out a long sigh, but remained quiet.
"I don't know what I want anymore," she spoke softly. "In some ways, I guess the world is still new to me. I'm slowly figuring things out, like what I actually enjoy, who I like spending time with, and just... I don't know how to explain it," she continued, tearing her gaze from him.
"This isn't easy for me to admit, but..." she began, trailing off as if she were unsure of whether she wanted to tell him, or not. She must have decided, because she spoke again. "I like being around you and your family. There's something... something I can't explain, really," she muttered the last part lowly, like she was embarrassed to admit it.
She might not have known how to explain it, but it made perfect sense to him. “So do it," he said with a shrug. He stopped them at a food stand selling rice cakes and bought two, handing one to her without comment. “Stick around. It's obvious you fit fine into the place; none of us would say no if you decided you wanted to."
He sighed. “Even if you do things because you think you have to, you're still choosing them. Leaving the humans to die might not be something you'd ever want to do, but it's something you could do. So you know you don't want that, at least." Not knowing what one wanted was pretty much a foreign concept to him. Tatsuya had always been very good at identifying what he wanted and then going after it.
“You don't have to be anybody's anything, you know. You don't even have to know what you want in some big, grand sense. Most of the time, I find it's enough to just know what I want here and now, and sometimes think about what I want in a decade or whatever, and just go from there. No cosmic destiny shit involved. You might want to try it sometime."
She snorted softly. "Yeah, I know. You try living with Aram for nearly a millenia and then try telling me the same thing. Like I said, though, the world is still new to me, and I'm trying... to figure shit out. And it's not a matter of knowing what I want in the grand sense of things. It's trying to find out what I want now. I'm still working out the details on that one, you know," she stated, scoffing lightly, but the smirk had returned, at least.
"I think, what I want now, though," she started, her smirk inching just a bit wider as she leaned closer to him. "Is..." she continued, pausing only momentarily until she was almost touching him, "this."
She took a bite out of her rice cake and stepped back.
He rolled his eyes. That one, he'd seen coming from a mile out. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, he shook his head and took a bite from his own. Tatsuya didn't mind sweets, though he wasn't as fond of them as Kentaro or Reiko were.
The town's main street was lively and packed with people; various colors of paper lantern were hanging from the food stalls and small games for entertainment purposes were mixed in with the consumables. All types were out and about, from children to the elderly. The former were apparently quite rambunctious, often freeing themselves from the constraints of their parents' hands and running around after one another, playing with paper balls, or just flinging themselves after each other in chase games.
Not unexpectedly, one of them eventually lost her footing trying to avoid the two of them, and wound up crashing into Tatsuya's legs. He was quite a solid object to run into, and he wasn't surprised when she rebounded off, falling to her rear in the dirt.
He blinked down at her. She stared up at him.
Then the fact that she was in pain registered, and she started to sniffle, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Tatsuya sighed under his breath, crouching down to be closer to eye-level. He consciously softened the expression o his face; if he didn't she'd probably think he was glaring at her. Humans were usually pretty uncomfortable with his eyes because of the color.
“It hurts," she whined, tears starting to streak down her chubby face. He suspected she was overselling it by a considerable margin in an attempt to stop him from getting angry at her.
Inwardly rolling his eyes, he reached forward and swiped the tears away with his thumbs. “I'm sure it does," he told her simply. Wrapping both hands around her tiny waist, he hoisted her back onto her feet and dusted off her little yukata. “And you can cry about it if you want to, as long as you remember to stand up again."
She sniffled, but joined him in shaking the dirt off her clothes. When they were done, he put his hand on her shoulder and narrowed his eyes at her. “Feel better now?"
She nodded, dark eyes wide.
He returned it just as solemnly, then broke away an uneaten portion of his rice cake and handed it to her. “Good. Now go catch the stupid boy you were chasing, and run faster this time."
“Okay!" All trace of her pain gone, she dashed away, stuffing rice cake into her mouth as she went.
He shook his head faintly and rose, scoffing low in his throat. “Children."
If she was trying to hide her amusement, she was doing a poor job of it. Ayla looked liked she was trying to hold back a laugh, but small bits of laughter escaped her. "You know, you can be adorable when you want to be," she spoke finally, the amusement still in her voice. She must have thought of something amusing, because the grin widened. "Imagine if that had been yours. I don't think you would have been so... kind," she stated, raising an amused brow at him.
"You would have just had a serious face on, kind of like this," she spoke, pulling her face into one that mimicked his. It wasn't a good job, but that might have been because of the fact that she was still trying not to laugh at him. "And you'd probably would have told him, or her, to go kick the other kid's ass."
He did roll his eyes then. “I had six younger siblings, you know. I just know that kids don't always need that hokey coddling bullshit." Sure, sometimes a more sympathetic approach was required, something he hadn't quite figured out how to do until Reiko was a child. But most of the time, children only acted like immature shitheads if you treated them like they were.
“And no kid of mine is going to need me to tell them that. They'll be perfectly capable of figuring it out on their own, thank you very much." He spoke of children as though he knew he'd have at least one eventually. But then, he'd always figured that.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Because they'll be a little shithead just like you, right?" she replied, but shook her head in good nature. "Well, good luck... well I can't actually say that because," she paused, tilting her head towards the side. She was motioning to a few young women who were staring at him. "It looks like if you wanted, you'd have your own little harem," she visibly shivered at that, as though the thought were a little revolting to her.
"But who knows how you work," she shrugged lightly. She took another bite out of her rice cake, and chuckled lightly to herself, as if she were thinking of something she found amusing.
There was a time in his life, honestly not long ago at all, in which he might have attempted to prove her point. Three wasn't the most he'd ever had in his bed at once, but convincing them to leave with him from such a public location would have been an interesting challenge.
Now, though, he just wasn't interested. “Honestly? I'm not in a rush," he muttered. “I'm in a bit of a bind, really: the kind of woman that would want to marry a man like me isn't the kind of woman I'd want to be married to." Once, he had mistaken this for an aversion to marriage in general. To be fair, they might end up with the same effects, considering the bind.
He shot an aside glance at the women; all three of them immediately coyly averted their gazes. He snorted and started walking forward again.
She raised a brow at him. "It's not like you don't have time," she replied in a casual manner. "For a creature like you and I, all we have is time. Perhaps she hasn't been born yet, or you simply haven't traveled far enough to meet her. I'm sure there is a woman out there who'd you'd like to marry who would, in turn, want to be with you," she spoke as if it were the most simplest things in the world.
"I think it's a... thing all women want, actually," she spoke, frowning slightly. "To find someone they want to be with isn't so hard. It's the finding someone who wants you in the same way, I suppose. I don't really know how else to explain it," she continued, her frown deepening.
"I suppose that's what they mean by finding someone you love, and who loves you in return, that you can actually be happy. Sometimes I think it's just bullshit humans made up in order to cope with their short lifespans," she said as she took the last bite of her rice cake.
He snorted. “How cynical." Not that he didn't get it. He was pretty cynical about the whole thing himself. Probably why he hadn't bothered doing any of that stuff in the seven and a half centuries he'd been old enough.
Tatsuya glanced sideways and Ayla, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “You have something—let me get that for you." There was a single sticky grain of rice from her cake at the corner of her mouth. He reached out, catching it on his index finger, then brought it up to his tongue and licked it off. “Better."
She raised a brow at him. "Oh? I see how it is," she spoke, rolling her eyes slightly. "You'll take my left overs, but nothing else I'll offer, hm?" she continued, amusement evident in her voice. "Remind me to just leave a trail, next time," she snorted softly, rubbing at her face as if she still had rice on it.
“I'm sorry, was there an offer in there somewhere? Because all I got out of that was a bunch of abstract thoughts about things in general. Perhaps you should be more... explicit, in the future."
"Was it something I offered now? I could have sworn I offered other things before, but maybe my age is finally catching up to my memory," she replied, shrugging. "And maybe... maybe I'll think about being more explicit in the future. Never know, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, or maybe a few weeks from now, I'll decide what I want is you, and then..." she paused, turning so that she was looking up, and not at him.
"And then I'll stop making offers of my services," she spoke, trying not to laugh, it seemed.
He supposed she was talking about blood again. But his thoughts on that hadn't changed, so he didn't reply to that bit.
“Well, we've got time," he said with a shrug. “But no one waits forever, so don't keep me hanging too long. Unlike you, I always know what I want, and I don't make a habit of holding back because of maybe."
She rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I'm not always sure of things, so you'll have to excuse my caution. I don't..." she paused, her face pulling into something melancholic and unsure. "I don't have the luxury of having another heart to give, you know. And no, I'm not saying I have to fall in love with you first before anything, I just... never mind," she turned her gaze from him and let it drop.
“Hey." He thought she'd gotten the wrong impression just then, and for whatever reason it seemed important that he not let her keep having it. Tatsuya laid a hand on her shoulder, stepping in front of her and taking gentle hold of her chin with his other, tilting her head up so they had eye contact. They stood in the shadow of a building, harder to see for anyone that might wander by, just in case.
He shook his head, but maintained eye contact. “I'm not rushing you," he said firmly. “And I'm not pressuring you. You do what you want, when you want, and how you want. I will never tell you what decision to make or any of that shit. Not about this or anything else." He tipped his head sideways slightly, tracing the fingers on her chin back along her jawline to her ear.
“I'm not asking for your heart. I'm not even asking for your body. But if you decide you want to give me either or both..." He sighed quietly. “I'll do my best to be careful with whatever I get." He'd had plenty of bodies in his hands before, but hearts were another matter. Still... little as he believed in that sort of thing, he did know that other people did. He knew it was possible, if not probable.
She sighed an inaudible one, but he could tell from the slump of her shoulders. She turned her gaze away from him, though. "If only it were that simple," she spoke softly. "I know you're not rushing, and I know you're not... asking for anything, but," she continued, stopping herself from saying something more, it seemed.
"Even if I did want to give you any of that, it wouldn't be fair," though she didn't elaborate on why. She remained quiet again, keeping her gaze away from his. "It wouldn't be fair to you, or to me," she stated softly. "Reiko knows... I suppose it's only fair that you know, too. I don't know why, but I want you to know, so that you'll understand. Maybe you will, maybe you won't."
"There is a reason as to why I do these things, the reason I keep my distance. I loved him. Do you know what that's like, loving someone who knew, but never said anything about it? How little that made me feel when I found out he knew? It makes me... it made me feel small, like I wasn't really worth anything," she spoke. She was being open, vulnerable, perhaps?
"So it wouldn't be fair," she spoke as if trying to reassure herself that.
Tatsuya felt like he'd been hit in the guts, and he wasn't quite sure why.
He wanted to laugh.
He wanted to hit something.
He wanted to kiss her.
But none of those things would be the right reaction. All of them would give her the wrong idea about something, he was certain. He turned away from her a moment, folding his arms into his sleeves and trying to collect his thoughts.
She'd loved his father.
It didn't surprise him as much as it should have. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he'd had some clue that he hadn't thought about enough. Maybe he wasn't surprised because Reiko knew and little pieces of things were always filtering through their bond, whether or not he wanted them to. A hundred thoughts warred for dominance in his head; he felt his pulse picking up. Stress, he realized; something about this was affecting him. For a moment, he wasn't sure what it was, but then one of his thoughts crystallized, banishing the others.
A hurdle.
He turned back around, settling his eyes intently on her face. “What am I, to you, right now? Am I some kind of... lesser version of him? Is that why you're here?"
That question brought her attention back to him, and she frowned. "No," she answered almost immediately. "You're nothing like he was," she continued, her voice firm, but still low and soft. "That wasn't the impression I was trying to leave on you," she continued, keeping her gaze on him.
"I'm not saying that you are any version of him, and I'm not comparing you to him. It would be stupid of me to even make that comparison. You are your own person, Tatsuya, and I would never say otherwise. I've seen that. What you are to me right now, though... I don't know," she spoke honestly. "I don't know if I'll ever know," she continued.
"But what I do know... is that I care enough that I want you safe. Not quite the same way I'd want to keep Reiko safe, or Aram. It's... different, and I don't know what to make of it anymore. I'd do just about anything for you, really, and that's what scares the shit out of me. And yet... it doesn't. I don't think I'm making sense right now, either. I've never been good at talking about shit like this," she muttered.
Fine.
He could accept that.
Stepping forward, he hooked two fingers into her obi and used the hold to tug her closer; close enough that when he put his arms around her, it was a hug with no intervening space.
“Fuck what's fair," he muttered, moving his hand down her hair in a way he'd used to do for Reiko. “Life hurts, and you can cry about it if you want to, as long as you stand up again." She was really damn tiny; sometimes, that was easy to forget. Not as small as Reiko, but still more than a foot shorter than him. Then again... he was pretty tall, by most standards.
“Do what you want," he said, “whenever you figure out what that is. And be fair to yourself. But you let me decide what's fair for me."
Her hands curled beneath his arms, and up his back. Her face was buried in his chest, or as close as she could get because of the height difference, but she did not cry. She simply held him. "I'm tired of crying," she spoke, sighing into his yukata. "I feel like I'm repeating myself, but, I'm still learning, alright? I'm still learning to be fair to myself, figuring out what I want, and what I want to do. For now, this will have to be enough," she continued, curling her fingers into his back. It seemed like she was holding on a little tighter, but her hold on him, relaxed.
"Maybe, I'll have to rethink my priorities, though," she spoke, scoffing lightly, perhaps at herself. "Maybe... I'll even let you teach me a few things, hm?" she spoke, the light tone returning to her voice. It felt like she smiled, too.
He huffed. “Yeah, sure. We'll find you some hobbies and everything."
Aram pursed his lips together, resisting the urge to rub his head. He couldn't get it quite right, and he wasn't certain if he'd be able to. He'd never tried making something before, but from the scent it was producing , perhaps he was getting it right? He wasn't gifted at cooking; everyone knew that. The one thing he could do, though, was make tea. He wasn't certain why he wanted to do that, only that he did. Perhaps because everyone was working hard into the fortifications of the town he and Reiko were in? And he wanted them to have something to drink during their downtimes.
"Perhaps... I should have tried a different batch," he spoke to himself as he leaned over the wood burner. The smell wasn't unpleasant, or anything like that, however; he didn't have the nose of his sister, or of Reiko and her brothers. What he thought was nice, might not be so for others. They could find the scent, or taste, revolting, and he didn't want that. He wanted people to relax and enjoy the tea he'd made. Sighing softly, he turned back to the tea pot, and tilted his head.
"Another trial is in order," he continued speaking to himself, shifting around so that he could find more tea leaves. "Perhaps I can use this, and combine it with this." He needed to learn the names of the different teas.
“Um, Aram-sama... is everything okay?" Reiko stood in the doorway, dressed in heavy working clothes. Her sleeves were tied back, and she'd managed to secure most of her sheets of hair into a bun. The ponytail that trailed down her back was only as long as her shoulderblades as a result. She looked to have just come in from the construction site; there was still stone dust on her, mostly on her shoulders and knees, though some of it was making her dark hair look grey.
He smiled in her direction. "I'm making tea," he spoke, keeping his gaze on her. He was half tempted to brush the dust from her shoulders and hair, however; he didn't think it would be appropriate. Instead, he simply stood where he was, and tilted his head in her direction. "Everyone has been working hard, and I thought I'd try to alleviate some of their burderns by making them tea," he explained, gesturing towards the tea pot on the wood burner.
"I'm afraid I don't have quite the nose, though, to see if it is turning out well. It smells nice to me, but it might not smell nice, nor taste well, to the others," he continued, pursing his lips together. He wanted to help, and not make things worse.
She half-smiled at that. “Well, this one's nose might be of some assistance, but honestly if it smells good to you, it will probably smell good to a human as well." Reiko shook off her garments a bit before stepping into the kitchen, though she didn't get rid of nearly all the dust.
“May this one smell the herbs you're using?"
He frowned slightly. He supposed she had a point. Instead of stating it, though, he simply held the herbs up to her. If he remembered correctly, the ones he held up were jasmine. He wasn't so sure, though. "I just want to make certain that the taste will match the smell," or as he failed to state it, he wanted to make sure it tasted as good as it smelled. He didn't want to serve the workers something that smelled good, but tasted horrible.
"I'm trying to find a good blend," he admitted, sighing softly. "I want them to be able to enjoy it," and hopefully benefit from it, somehow. He knew certain teas were used to make someone relax, and others were supposed to revitalize them.
Reiko took each of the herbs in turn, sniffing delicately at each. Her mouth pulled slightly to the side, and she tilted her head down at the available ingredients. “This one is not an expert," she said. “But Sayu-chan likes to create new blends of tea sometimes. This one thinks the basic principle is to keep things simple: choose one purpose, and layer together the flavors and smells that will compliment."
She started to sort the plants into three rough groups, though it wasn't clear what the criteria were for the distinctions. A smaller, fourth pile seemed to consist of herbs that she'd rejected outright; maybe they weren't dried properly. When she was done, she stepped back.
“Um, so... the first one is things that are supposed to relax people. The second pile is the more energetic flavors, and the third pile is common compliments to either. Depending on which effect Aram-sama wishes to achieve, you should pick from the right bunches." She smiled at him, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. “This one thinks you'll probably be okay however you choose to combine them, if you keep that in mind." Of course, certain combinations were bound to be better than others, still, but that was to be expected.
"Thank you," he replied, smiling a little too brightly. He knew he was, but he was grateful that she would take the time out of her day to assist him with this. She didn't have to, but here she was. He turned his attention to the first pile, and took a pinch of the herbs, placing them careful in the palm of his hand. He grabbed another pinch from the second pile, and held it in the opposite hand. He furrowed his brows. He wanted to give people energy, but he also wanted them to relax.
If he mixed these two together, would that give them the desired effect, or would that make it worse? He knew that some things should be kept separate, so perhaps he should make this for people to relax rather than to give them energy? This should be for something after their hard work. Nodding to himself, he placed the herbs from the second pile, back, and took from the third pile. Once he was finished, he turned to Reiko.
"I want them to relax," he spoke, explaining his choices. "That way the can be well-rested for tomorrow. They will need as much strength as they can get," he continued. Even with himself and Reiko helping out, there was only so much humans could do. They didn't need to be worn down every day, even if their fortifications were, in the long run, beneficial.
Reiko nodded placidly, apparently accepting his explanation without issue. “It is kind of you to think of them, Aram-sama," she said with a small nod. “If you would like this one's assistance with anything else, feel free to ask for it. This one should leave you to it, perhaps."
He blinked. "Actually, if you'd be so kind as to stay," he began, glancing up from his work so that he was holding her gaze. "I could use a second opinion on the taste," he continued. He was... biased against his own tea, perhaps. He knew he would like it regardless, however; if someone else enjoyed the tea, then perhaps it will have been a small, personal victory.
Reiko blinked at him in surprise for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Okay," she said quietly, taking up a spot against one of the walls, presumably so as to be well out of his way.
She was quiet for a while as he prepared his selections, but then she broke the silence, still speaking softly. “The eastern wall is almost done now," she said, updating him on the condition of their project. “After the attack two days ago, we had to redo most of the section where the gate is going to go, but the rest of it held up well." A good sign, considering what it was for. “After that, it will mostly be the gates on that wall and the south side. Those will take a while longer, but this one thinks everyone already feels a lot safer with the main walls in place. It is easier to guard a gap than an entire perimeter."
He hummed softly. It was good that the construction was coming along well, however; what concerned him most was the patrols. Once they completed the wall, they would need to assign specific stations and guards. And they would all have to be fitted with the proper weapons. What good is a gate if it eventually falls? He sighed, perhaps a little too heavily. He shouldn't think that way, but it was hard not to. For everything he knew, and experienced, there was always a flaw somewhere. They couldn't afford any here.
"It is good that they feel safe. There are..." other places that did not have the benefit of having Reiko and her brothers as their lord. "There are so few ways to make people feel that way," he spoke, offering her a small smile. "Perhaps, it will be enough to have the wall," though he doubted it. He knew from experience that oni could be just as stubborn and willful as any other creature. They wouldn't stop until they received what they wanted.
"But I have endeavored to be more hopeful," he continued, shaking his head lightly. He was trying to be, but he wasn't doing a very good job at it. "How are you, though? You've been working hard, you must be tired as well," he inquired. He wanted to know about her health because, for some reason, he worried. Maybe he could make something for her, too? Something that would be helpful for her, at least in the sense of being relaxed and vitalized. There was only so much he could do, after all.
Reiko smiled at him. “This one is fine, Aram-sama. It takes more than a few weeks of labor to wear this one's stamina down." She tapped a fist to her heart hard enough for him to hear an audible thud. Her smile was perhaps even a tad silly, as though she knew someone that looked like she did proclaiming such a thing was quite odd.
“This one is neither the strongest nor the fastest of this one's family, but not even Suya has this one's endurance," she said, a little more seriously. “This one has had lots of practice."
He smiled softly, chuckling at her antics. It was... a strange thought that he did not want to linger on. Coughing lightly into his hand, he glanced back at her and tried to keep the smile on his face from faltering. "Far be it from me to question your endurance," he spoke, allowing a small amount of amusement to lace his tone.
"But I believe you might be wrong. Perhaps you might not think so, but you are the strongest. Perhaps even more-so than Ayla and myself," he spoke, a little too seriously. She had proven that on multiple occasions. "That is a good thing, though. We rely on your strength," he spoke, smiling in her direction. He wasn't sure why he said that, but he knew it to be true. At least in his case, he was relying on her for a lot of things. To keep hope, to keep optimistic. Those were just to name a few.
It didn't take long for her cheeks to turn pink. Her eyes flicked away from his, and she shook her head. “This one thinks we must have different ideas about what strength is, if you think that," she confessed with a small sigh. “This one never feels very strong." Her mouth pulled up slightly at one corner, and Reiko sighed softly.
“But... thank you anyway, Aram-sama. It, um... means a lot to hear that, from you." If anything, her face darkened further.
"Strength comes in different forms, Reiko," he spoke, the smile still on his face. "It's not just one's physical capabilities that define strength. It can also be the strength of their heart, or their conviction. In your case, your heart is strong. Things that would normally fell someone such as myself, or even Ayla, you have stood against, proudly," and it was an admirable trait.
"It is a strength to be proud of," he added, tilting his head in her direction. "Not many people can claim the same thing, but if you believe our ideas to be different, I will not attempt to change them," and he wouldn't. She would, perhaps, in time, come to see the same strength in herself as he saw it.
“You always say such kind things," she said, almost too softly for him to hear. “Sometimes, it makes this one think—" Whatever the rest of the thought was, she didn't finish it, instead cutting herself off and shaking her head.
Reiko smiled more fully, tilting her head at him. “How is the tea coming?"
He'd nearly forgotten about it. Glancing towards the pot, it didn't seem to be finished quite yet. "Perhaps another minute or so, and it will be completed," he spoke, turning his attention back to her. He smiled softly as he stared at her. A thought occured to him, and his smile brightened a little more.
"Reiko," he called out, making sure he had her full attention before he continued. "Since you have been kind enough to hope for me, perhaps I can return the favor?" he asked. It was not an easy thing to do, what he was going to ask her. He knew that from experience with Ayla. "Perhaps you will allow me to believe in your strength in the same way," because believing it yourself took time.
And he was a patient man. He could do that much for her.
“U-um," she stuttered, apparently quite surprised by the question. “Th-that is... i-if you want to. B-but please don't feel obligated, Aram-sama."
He blinked slowly at her, and smiled. "Of course I do," he spoke, smiling just a bit wider. "It would be my honor to do that for you," he added, offering her a small bow.
“O-okay, then," she murmured, wringing her fingers together and seeming to make a point not to look at him. She didn't appear upset, though, at least not exactly.
Before he could say anything further, though, he turned his attention to his tea and lifted it from the wood burner. He poured a cup for Reiko, and one for himself, before handing Reiko hers. "I hope it is to your liking," he spoke. For some reason, he hoped she did. It would be a small victory for him, though he wasn't entirely sure how. Perhaps because if she did like the tea, it would have been something he made and offered to her.
He glanced away, unable to bring himself to see her reaction.
He was also unable to avoid hearing it, however. She took a small sip and hummed thoughtfully. “This is very nice, Aram-sama," she said with some enthusiasm. “Did you use the lotus petals? This one thinks that was a good choice."
He was, oddly, glad. He glanced back up at her, and smiled. "I did, or at least I think I did," he spoke, glancing back at the pile of herbs. "But I am glad that you think so," he continued. He couldn't explain the small bout of happiness that bubbled beneath, but he didn't mind it. It was a pleasant feeling, and it caused his smile to inch slightly wider.
"It means I have to record this selection for when I make it again," which he planned to the day after. He was, after all, making something for everyone to enjoy. The least he could do was make sure he had enough herbs so that he could remake this particular tea. For now, though, he wanted to enjoy this small moment.
"I must thank you, Reiko. If it were not for your help, I do not think I could have made this," and he was being serious. He didn't think he'd have been able to find this particular blend if it weren't for her.
“This one thinks you'd have managed eventually," she replied with a small grin. “But you're welcome. This one was glad to help."
And he was appreciative of it.
"Perhaps... I should have tried a different batch," he spoke to himself as he leaned over the wood burner. The smell wasn't unpleasant, or anything like that, however; he didn't have the nose of his sister, or of Reiko and her brothers. What he thought was nice, might not be so for others. They could find the scent, or taste, revolting, and he didn't want that. He wanted people to relax and enjoy the tea he'd made. Sighing softly, he turned back to the tea pot, and tilted his head.
"Another trial is in order," he continued speaking to himself, shifting around so that he could find more tea leaves. "Perhaps I can use this, and combine it with this." He needed to learn the names of the different teas.
“Um, Aram-sama... is everything okay?" Reiko stood in the doorway, dressed in heavy working clothes. Her sleeves were tied back, and she'd managed to secure most of her sheets of hair into a bun. The ponytail that trailed down her back was only as long as her shoulderblades as a result. She looked to have just come in from the construction site; there was still stone dust on her, mostly on her shoulders and knees, though some of it was making her dark hair look grey.
He smiled in her direction. "I'm making tea," he spoke, keeping his gaze on her. He was half tempted to brush the dust from her shoulders and hair, however; he didn't think it would be appropriate. Instead, he simply stood where he was, and tilted his head in her direction. "Everyone has been working hard, and I thought I'd try to alleviate some of their burderns by making them tea," he explained, gesturing towards the tea pot on the wood burner.
"I'm afraid I don't have quite the nose, though, to see if it is turning out well. It smells nice to me, but it might not smell nice, nor taste well, to the others," he continued, pursing his lips together. He wanted to help, and not make things worse.
She half-smiled at that. “Well, this one's nose might be of some assistance, but honestly if it smells good to you, it will probably smell good to a human as well." Reiko shook off her garments a bit before stepping into the kitchen, though she didn't get rid of nearly all the dust.
“May this one smell the herbs you're using?"
He frowned slightly. He supposed she had a point. Instead of stating it, though, he simply held the herbs up to her. If he remembered correctly, the ones he held up were jasmine. He wasn't so sure, though. "I just want to make certain that the taste will match the smell," or as he failed to state it, he wanted to make sure it tasted as good as it smelled. He didn't want to serve the workers something that smelled good, but tasted horrible.
"I'm trying to find a good blend," he admitted, sighing softly. "I want them to be able to enjoy it," and hopefully benefit from it, somehow. He knew certain teas were used to make someone relax, and others were supposed to revitalize them.
Reiko took each of the herbs in turn, sniffing delicately at each. Her mouth pulled slightly to the side, and she tilted her head down at the available ingredients. “This one is not an expert," she said. “But Sayu-chan likes to create new blends of tea sometimes. This one thinks the basic principle is to keep things simple: choose one purpose, and layer together the flavors and smells that will compliment."
She started to sort the plants into three rough groups, though it wasn't clear what the criteria were for the distinctions. A smaller, fourth pile seemed to consist of herbs that she'd rejected outright; maybe they weren't dried properly. When she was done, she stepped back.
“Um, so... the first one is things that are supposed to relax people. The second pile is the more energetic flavors, and the third pile is common compliments to either. Depending on which effect Aram-sama wishes to achieve, you should pick from the right bunches." She smiled at him, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. “This one thinks you'll probably be okay however you choose to combine them, if you keep that in mind." Of course, certain combinations were bound to be better than others, still, but that was to be expected.
"Thank you," he replied, smiling a little too brightly. He knew he was, but he was grateful that she would take the time out of her day to assist him with this. She didn't have to, but here she was. He turned his attention to the first pile, and took a pinch of the herbs, placing them careful in the palm of his hand. He grabbed another pinch from the second pile, and held it in the opposite hand. He furrowed his brows. He wanted to give people energy, but he also wanted them to relax.
If he mixed these two together, would that give them the desired effect, or would that make it worse? He knew that some things should be kept separate, so perhaps he should make this for people to relax rather than to give them energy? This should be for something after their hard work. Nodding to himself, he placed the herbs from the second pile, back, and took from the third pile. Once he was finished, he turned to Reiko.
"I want them to relax," he spoke, explaining his choices. "That way the can be well-rested for tomorrow. They will need as much strength as they can get," he continued. Even with himself and Reiko helping out, there was only so much humans could do. They didn't need to be worn down every day, even if their fortifications were, in the long run, beneficial.
Reiko nodded placidly, apparently accepting his explanation without issue. “It is kind of you to think of them, Aram-sama," she said with a small nod. “If you would like this one's assistance with anything else, feel free to ask for it. This one should leave you to it, perhaps."
He blinked. "Actually, if you'd be so kind as to stay," he began, glancing up from his work so that he was holding her gaze. "I could use a second opinion on the taste," he continued. He was... biased against his own tea, perhaps. He knew he would like it regardless, however; if someone else enjoyed the tea, then perhaps it will have been a small, personal victory.
Reiko blinked at him in surprise for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Okay," she said quietly, taking up a spot against one of the walls, presumably so as to be well out of his way.
She was quiet for a while as he prepared his selections, but then she broke the silence, still speaking softly. “The eastern wall is almost done now," she said, updating him on the condition of their project. “After the attack two days ago, we had to redo most of the section where the gate is going to go, but the rest of it held up well." A good sign, considering what it was for. “After that, it will mostly be the gates on that wall and the south side. Those will take a while longer, but this one thinks everyone already feels a lot safer with the main walls in place. It is easier to guard a gap than an entire perimeter."
He hummed softly. It was good that the construction was coming along well, however; what concerned him most was the patrols. Once they completed the wall, they would need to assign specific stations and guards. And they would all have to be fitted with the proper weapons. What good is a gate if it eventually falls? He sighed, perhaps a little too heavily. He shouldn't think that way, but it was hard not to. For everything he knew, and experienced, there was always a flaw somewhere. They couldn't afford any here.
"It is good that they feel safe. There are..." other places that did not have the benefit of having Reiko and her brothers as their lord. "There are so few ways to make people feel that way," he spoke, offering her a small smile. "Perhaps, it will be enough to have the wall," though he doubted it. He knew from experience that oni could be just as stubborn and willful as any other creature. They wouldn't stop until they received what they wanted.
"But I have endeavored to be more hopeful," he continued, shaking his head lightly. He was trying to be, but he wasn't doing a very good job at it. "How are you, though? You've been working hard, you must be tired as well," he inquired. He wanted to know about her health because, for some reason, he worried. Maybe he could make something for her, too? Something that would be helpful for her, at least in the sense of being relaxed and vitalized. There was only so much he could do, after all.
Reiko smiled at him. “This one is fine, Aram-sama. It takes more than a few weeks of labor to wear this one's stamina down." She tapped a fist to her heart hard enough for him to hear an audible thud. Her smile was perhaps even a tad silly, as though she knew someone that looked like she did proclaiming such a thing was quite odd.
“This one is neither the strongest nor the fastest of this one's family, but not even Suya has this one's endurance," she said, a little more seriously. “This one has had lots of practice."
He smiled softly, chuckling at her antics. It was... a strange thought that he did not want to linger on. Coughing lightly into his hand, he glanced back at her and tried to keep the smile on his face from faltering. "Far be it from me to question your endurance," he spoke, allowing a small amount of amusement to lace his tone.
"But I believe you might be wrong. Perhaps you might not think so, but you are the strongest. Perhaps even more-so than Ayla and myself," he spoke, a little too seriously. She had proven that on multiple occasions. "That is a good thing, though. We rely on your strength," he spoke, smiling in her direction. He wasn't sure why he said that, but he knew it to be true. At least in his case, he was relying on her for a lot of things. To keep hope, to keep optimistic. Those were just to name a few.
It didn't take long for her cheeks to turn pink. Her eyes flicked away from his, and she shook her head. “This one thinks we must have different ideas about what strength is, if you think that," she confessed with a small sigh. “This one never feels very strong." Her mouth pulled up slightly at one corner, and Reiko sighed softly.
“But... thank you anyway, Aram-sama. It, um... means a lot to hear that, from you." If anything, her face darkened further.
"Strength comes in different forms, Reiko," he spoke, the smile still on his face. "It's not just one's physical capabilities that define strength. It can also be the strength of their heart, or their conviction. In your case, your heart is strong. Things that would normally fell someone such as myself, or even Ayla, you have stood against, proudly," and it was an admirable trait.
"It is a strength to be proud of," he added, tilting his head in her direction. "Not many people can claim the same thing, but if you believe our ideas to be different, I will not attempt to change them," and he wouldn't. She would, perhaps, in time, come to see the same strength in herself as he saw it.
“You always say such kind things," she said, almost too softly for him to hear. “Sometimes, it makes this one think—" Whatever the rest of the thought was, she didn't finish it, instead cutting herself off and shaking her head.
Reiko smiled more fully, tilting her head at him. “How is the tea coming?"
He'd nearly forgotten about it. Glancing towards the pot, it didn't seem to be finished quite yet. "Perhaps another minute or so, and it will be completed," he spoke, turning his attention back to her. He smiled softly as he stared at her. A thought occured to him, and his smile brightened a little more.
"Reiko," he called out, making sure he had her full attention before he continued. "Since you have been kind enough to hope for me, perhaps I can return the favor?" he asked. It was not an easy thing to do, what he was going to ask her. He knew that from experience with Ayla. "Perhaps you will allow me to believe in your strength in the same way," because believing it yourself took time.
And he was a patient man. He could do that much for her.
“U-um," she stuttered, apparently quite surprised by the question. “Th-that is... i-if you want to. B-but please don't feel obligated, Aram-sama."
He blinked slowly at her, and smiled. "Of course I do," he spoke, smiling just a bit wider. "It would be my honor to do that for you," he added, offering her a small bow.
“O-okay, then," she murmured, wringing her fingers together and seeming to make a point not to look at him. She didn't appear upset, though, at least not exactly.
Before he could say anything further, though, he turned his attention to his tea and lifted it from the wood burner. He poured a cup for Reiko, and one for himself, before handing Reiko hers. "I hope it is to your liking," he spoke. For some reason, he hoped she did. It would be a small victory for him, though he wasn't entirely sure how. Perhaps because if she did like the tea, it would have been something he made and offered to her.
He glanced away, unable to bring himself to see her reaction.
He was also unable to avoid hearing it, however. She took a small sip and hummed thoughtfully. “This is very nice, Aram-sama," she said with some enthusiasm. “Did you use the lotus petals? This one thinks that was a good choice."
He was, oddly, glad. He glanced back up at her, and smiled. "I did, or at least I think I did," he spoke, glancing back at the pile of herbs. "But I am glad that you think so," he continued. He couldn't explain the small bout of happiness that bubbled beneath, but he didn't mind it. It was a pleasant feeling, and it caused his smile to inch slightly wider.
"It means I have to record this selection for when I make it again," which he planned to the day after. He was, after all, making something for everyone to enjoy. The least he could do was make sure he had enough herbs so that he could remake this particular tea. For now, though, he wanted to enjoy this small moment.
"I must thank you, Reiko. If it were not for your help, I do not think I could have made this," and he was being serious. He didn't think he'd have been able to find this particular blend if it weren't for her.
“This one thinks you'd have managed eventually," she replied with a small grin. “But you're welcome. This one was glad to help."
And he was appreciative of it.
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The attack had come without warning.
That, in and of itself, was expected. The oni had not caught the garrison unprepared; construction on the wall and siege weaponry was nearly done; the completed trebuchets and ballistae had already taken out three of the attackers. But the party and the oni in it were large, and that wasn't even the biggest of their problems.
Kentaro had decided early that evacuation was best; he'd sent Sayuri to lead the noncombatants into the cave system the castle was built near. Nestled in the mountains, the castle's strategic position was good, but even defending two sides from attack was more than the townspeople would be able to do with incomplete walls and this many oni. That meant it fell on him to buy them the time they needed.
He jumped, stabbing his sword down into the back of the nearest oni's neck. The sharp blade of his sword severed its spinal cord; whether it died or not, it wasn't moving again. He tore the blade free and moved on to the next. Perhaps, if he could tear down the leader of the assault, the others would turn aside...
There was no alpha.
There was only the oni, and him. Kentaro could recognize Akarui's advisor by the simple mask the man wore, and by the faint glimpse of white hair beneath the cloak. He was standing idle, arms folded into the sleeves of his cloak, and even from the distance, a smirk could be seen on his face. He looked like he was enjoying the chaos. The sounds of the people screaming didn't seem to faze him. He looked like he was searching for something, though.
He seemed to have found it since the smirk on his face grew. "Kentaro!" Sayuri's voice called out to him, and it looked like she was running in his general direction. She was carrying the bow Ayla had given her, and a wakizashi was strapped to her hip. It wouldn't do her much good against the oni, though. She stopped, however, and her eyes were diverted to something else. It wasn't easy to see, but she gave him a look, and darted in the other direction.
It became obvious what she was running towards. An oni looked to have cornered a villager. She was running towards the oni and the villager as its club was coming down on them. It missed the villager and Sayuri. She was able to push both the villager and herself out of the way, however; from the expression on her face, she did not escape unscathed. She mouthed something to the villager; it was difficult to tell what it was with all the noise around. Whatever it was, the villager ran, leaving Sayuri behind.
She was sitting on the floor, holding her leg. It looked like she was bleeding. One of the spikes must have caught her leg when the club came down.
Dammit.
Kentaro hesitated for just a moment, abandoning his pursuit of Akarui's advisor and diverting his direction for Sayuri. Knowing that to do so would leave the gap in the wall wide open, he summoned fire, lighting the area he'd been guarding into a blaze and ratcheting up the heat of the flames until they would cook even an oni. It wouldn't flare out of control as long as he was conscious, and for now that would have to be enough.
He nearly flew over the ground towards her, reaching the place she'd fallen not a moment too soon. He raised his sword to block the downward swing of the oni's club, aiming to make her a bloody pulp on the ground. Pulling a deep breath into his lungs, Kentaro exhaled more flames at the creature's chest. It staggered backwards, scorched but far from dead. He used the opportunity to shore his footing, keeping himself between Sayuri and the danger.
He wanted to ask her what she thought she was doing here when she was supposed to be evacuating, but there was no time. His priority right now was keeping her alive.
"Can you move?"
"I... think so," she spoke, a hint of pain in her voice. She stood, but her legs didn't seem to be capable of holding her up much longer. She took in a sharp breath, and pushed herself forward. "I'm okay, don't worry about me. There's still a few villagers who need help," she spoke. It explained why she was still here, at least.
"I'm going to go help them, but, Kentaro," she paused, her gaze becoming rather serious, "be careful, okay. I'll... see you once everyone has evacuated, right?"
"Don't—" he started, but then the oni cut in again, and he was forced to devote his attention to killing it, letting her slip away towards her task. She should have known by now not to do this; she should know what her blood did to creatures like him.
And indeed, the prospect of wounded prey drew them to her like flies to honey. Kentaro had to use more fire to control the flow; it was becoming more and more of a strain to keep all the flames contained. A few times, his control wavered, and he felt one or more of them spread to eat ground he had not meant them to cover. But he successfully kept them away from civilians, trying to beat the oni back by himself.
One after another they fell, but always there were more. One caught him across the ribcage with its claws, raking bloody furrows into his flesh. Kentaro hissed, and the last thread keeping him intact snapped.
It was echoed by a literal snapping noise, the result of gaining two feet in height so quickly that his muscles broke and mended to accommodate. The hair in front of his eyes bleached until there was no color left in it at all; every one of his senses sharpened to a fine point. Dark horns, not unlike those many of the oni sported, erupted from his temples, and claws from his fingertips. The transformation shredded most of his shitagi and kosode; his zori and tabi were completely obliterated. Small pinpricks of pain registers as his teeth broke his lip in two places, but it was nothing to him.
The next oni to step within range triggered a violent reaction. Kentaro sprang upwards, catching one of its tusks in his hand and wrenching down with enough strength to tear its lower jaw off with a messy snapping of bone and popping of overtaxed muscles. He was over eight feet tall himself, now; not as small by comparison as he'd once been, but still considerably shorter than they.
Strength itself was another matter. He snarled, the sound tearing from his throat with a low rumble, and dove for the next.
There were more screams, more sounds of villagers getting caught by the oni or crushed by them. Sounds of arrows being deflected off of the hides of the oni could be heard, as well. It sounded like Sayuri was trying to get the attention of an oni, though the reason was unknown. Shuffling feet and more screams until one registered as hers. A sicking crunch sound could be heard before she fell silent. An oni held her in his hands, and it looked like it had crushed her ribs from the way he held her. She dangled in his hold, though, however; the advisor seemd to be standing them.
He muttered something, and seemed almost disappointed. With a small shake of his head, he left, causing the oni that held onto her to continue crushing her. It looked like he was doing it slow on purpose, like he wanted to see the life escape her. From the inaudible screams she was trying to let out, she was still alive. It was apparent that she wouldn't be for much longer, though.
Kentaro didn't think.
If he had, he might have reasoned that capturing or killing Akarui's advisor was the highest priority. He'd been trained to know the way a battlefield worked, the way to prevent more bloodshed. But at the moment, the only bloodshed, the only life he cared about was hers.
He slammed hard into the oni's side at top speed, bringing all three of them to the ground. The rest of the oni went up in flames as the fires on the field surged, barely kept from passing the wall and incinerating the town. Barely still under his command, just like his own body.
The oni's hand protected Sayuri from the worst of the fall, but nothing protected the oni himself from Kentaro. Savagely, his claws rent flesh, digging in row after row of furrows as he pulled himself along the thrashing creature's body to its head. Taking its horns in his hands, he pulled with all of his strength, wrenching its passive head up and back too fast for it to endure. Its neck broke, rending the skin from inside and spraying Kentaro with a hot gout of blood. It obscured the red marks on his near-white skin, dripping down the contours of his flesh in crimson rivers.
He had no care for any of it. Immediately, he vaulted over the corpse, wrenching its fingers open to free Sayuri. Before she could tumble out and hit the ground, he caught her, holding her close to his body. He tried to suppress the heat of the fire in him, hoping it did not burn, even though the oni's blood hissed slightly against his skin.
"Sayuri," his voice sounded like his own, but with an undertone of rumbling stone. He could not suppress the transformation any further. Could not change back. Not with adrenaline and rage flooding his system.
Not while she struggled to breathe because of them.
Because of him.
"Ken...Kentaro," speaking seemed difficult for her, and her breathing sounded raspy. It was as if a bone had punctured a lung, and it was flooding it with blood. She could barely breathe. She coughed, and it must have been painful for her if the expression that crossed her face was anything to go by. "I'm sorry, Kentaro. I... I got in the way," she continued speaking. "I promised... I promised I-I wouldn't."
She reached a hand up, trembling softly as she did, and ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled at him, despite the blood that seemed to coat her face. "It... it hurts, but," she spoke again, taking in another sharp breath. She didn't finish her sentence, and instead, simply stared at him. Talking was difficult for her; that was easy to see.
"Please... don't... don't let Reiko worry. And... I'm sorry I won't be able to help you anymore," she said as her hand fell from his hair. "I love you... and," she didn't seem to be able to finish that sentence. Her eyes were losing the light to them. Her life was fading.
He was having serious difficulty registering her words. Something about an apology, and Reiko, and who knew what else. It was hard to hear, hard to pay attention to anything beyond the mind-numbing panic that rose in him like a tide of cold water.
All at once, Kentaro smothered his fires; they disappeared into curls of smoke. All of the oni—so many of them—were dead. Either burned, cut, or crushed, and minus the few that had been dispatched with siege weaponry, the damage was all his.
But for all of it, for all of his carnage, he had failed to do the one thing he was supposed to do. The one thing that mattered most. He'd doubted his ability to protect her, but he'd wanted to give her the choice to be here. He wasn't sure if he regretted that, but he knew he felt bitter sorrow, and the thought that she would die for his error in judgement was too much to bear.
"No," he said softly. Too softly; it was barely a whisper in his own ears. So he said it again, more solidly this time. "No."
The course was clear. He could not let her die because of him.
Carefully, Kentaro laid her down on a clean spot, still warm from the recently-doused fire. He crouched at her side, smoothing her hair back from her face, then shifted onto his knees. Splaying one large hand beneath her back, he supported her head with the other and half-lifted her, half-descended towards her. He paused, hesitating for only a moment before instinct drove him forward.
He sank his teeth into her neck, but he did not take. Instead, he gave, the hollow points at the back of his incisors injecting a very particular sort of venom into her bloodstream. Like ink, a dark red mark bloomed to life on the skin of her throat, shaped like a single tongue of flame. Pulling back, he licked the wound clean, swiping away two drops of blood and resisting the urge to take more.
She would need all she had left, to endure the change. But the Mark would keep her from death.
It was all he could do.
That, in and of itself, was expected. The oni had not caught the garrison unprepared; construction on the wall and siege weaponry was nearly done; the completed trebuchets and ballistae had already taken out three of the attackers. But the party and the oni in it were large, and that wasn't even the biggest of their problems.
Kentaro had decided early that evacuation was best; he'd sent Sayuri to lead the noncombatants into the cave system the castle was built near. Nestled in the mountains, the castle's strategic position was good, but even defending two sides from attack was more than the townspeople would be able to do with incomplete walls and this many oni. That meant it fell on him to buy them the time they needed.
He jumped, stabbing his sword down into the back of the nearest oni's neck. The sharp blade of his sword severed its spinal cord; whether it died or not, it wasn't moving again. He tore the blade free and moved on to the next. Perhaps, if he could tear down the leader of the assault, the others would turn aside...
There was no alpha.
There was only the oni, and him. Kentaro could recognize Akarui's advisor by the simple mask the man wore, and by the faint glimpse of white hair beneath the cloak. He was standing idle, arms folded into the sleeves of his cloak, and even from the distance, a smirk could be seen on his face. He looked like he was enjoying the chaos. The sounds of the people screaming didn't seem to faze him. He looked like he was searching for something, though.
He seemed to have found it since the smirk on his face grew. "Kentaro!" Sayuri's voice called out to him, and it looked like she was running in his general direction. She was carrying the bow Ayla had given her, and a wakizashi was strapped to her hip. It wouldn't do her much good against the oni, though. She stopped, however, and her eyes were diverted to something else. It wasn't easy to see, but she gave him a look, and darted in the other direction.
It became obvious what she was running towards. An oni looked to have cornered a villager. She was running towards the oni and the villager as its club was coming down on them. It missed the villager and Sayuri. She was able to push both the villager and herself out of the way, however; from the expression on her face, she did not escape unscathed. She mouthed something to the villager; it was difficult to tell what it was with all the noise around. Whatever it was, the villager ran, leaving Sayuri behind.
She was sitting on the floor, holding her leg. It looked like she was bleeding. One of the spikes must have caught her leg when the club came down.
Dammit.
Kentaro hesitated for just a moment, abandoning his pursuit of Akarui's advisor and diverting his direction for Sayuri. Knowing that to do so would leave the gap in the wall wide open, he summoned fire, lighting the area he'd been guarding into a blaze and ratcheting up the heat of the flames until they would cook even an oni. It wouldn't flare out of control as long as he was conscious, and for now that would have to be enough.
He nearly flew over the ground towards her, reaching the place she'd fallen not a moment too soon. He raised his sword to block the downward swing of the oni's club, aiming to make her a bloody pulp on the ground. Pulling a deep breath into his lungs, Kentaro exhaled more flames at the creature's chest. It staggered backwards, scorched but far from dead. He used the opportunity to shore his footing, keeping himself between Sayuri and the danger.
He wanted to ask her what she thought she was doing here when she was supposed to be evacuating, but there was no time. His priority right now was keeping her alive.
"Can you move?"
"I... think so," she spoke, a hint of pain in her voice. She stood, but her legs didn't seem to be capable of holding her up much longer. She took in a sharp breath, and pushed herself forward. "I'm okay, don't worry about me. There's still a few villagers who need help," she spoke. It explained why she was still here, at least.
"I'm going to go help them, but, Kentaro," she paused, her gaze becoming rather serious, "be careful, okay. I'll... see you once everyone has evacuated, right?"
"Don't—" he started, but then the oni cut in again, and he was forced to devote his attention to killing it, letting her slip away towards her task. She should have known by now not to do this; she should know what her blood did to creatures like him.
And indeed, the prospect of wounded prey drew them to her like flies to honey. Kentaro had to use more fire to control the flow; it was becoming more and more of a strain to keep all the flames contained. A few times, his control wavered, and he felt one or more of them spread to eat ground he had not meant them to cover. But he successfully kept them away from civilians, trying to beat the oni back by himself.
One after another they fell, but always there were more. One caught him across the ribcage with its claws, raking bloody furrows into his flesh. Kentaro hissed, and the last thread keeping him intact snapped.
It was echoed by a literal snapping noise, the result of gaining two feet in height so quickly that his muscles broke and mended to accommodate. The hair in front of his eyes bleached until there was no color left in it at all; every one of his senses sharpened to a fine point. Dark horns, not unlike those many of the oni sported, erupted from his temples, and claws from his fingertips. The transformation shredded most of his shitagi and kosode; his zori and tabi were completely obliterated. Small pinpricks of pain registers as his teeth broke his lip in two places, but it was nothing to him.
The next oni to step within range triggered a violent reaction. Kentaro sprang upwards, catching one of its tusks in his hand and wrenching down with enough strength to tear its lower jaw off with a messy snapping of bone and popping of overtaxed muscles. He was over eight feet tall himself, now; not as small by comparison as he'd once been, but still considerably shorter than they.
Strength itself was another matter. He snarled, the sound tearing from his throat with a low rumble, and dove for the next.
There were more screams, more sounds of villagers getting caught by the oni or crushed by them. Sounds of arrows being deflected off of the hides of the oni could be heard, as well. It sounded like Sayuri was trying to get the attention of an oni, though the reason was unknown. Shuffling feet and more screams until one registered as hers. A sicking crunch sound could be heard before she fell silent. An oni held her in his hands, and it looked like it had crushed her ribs from the way he held her. She dangled in his hold, though, however; the advisor seemd to be standing them.
He muttered something, and seemed almost disappointed. With a small shake of his head, he left, causing the oni that held onto her to continue crushing her. It looked like he was doing it slow on purpose, like he wanted to see the life escape her. From the inaudible screams she was trying to let out, she was still alive. It was apparent that she wouldn't be for much longer, though.
Kentaro didn't think.
If he had, he might have reasoned that capturing or killing Akarui's advisor was the highest priority. He'd been trained to know the way a battlefield worked, the way to prevent more bloodshed. But at the moment, the only bloodshed, the only life he cared about was hers.
He slammed hard into the oni's side at top speed, bringing all three of them to the ground. The rest of the oni went up in flames as the fires on the field surged, barely kept from passing the wall and incinerating the town. Barely still under his command, just like his own body.
The oni's hand protected Sayuri from the worst of the fall, but nothing protected the oni himself from Kentaro. Savagely, his claws rent flesh, digging in row after row of furrows as he pulled himself along the thrashing creature's body to its head. Taking its horns in his hands, he pulled with all of his strength, wrenching its passive head up and back too fast for it to endure. Its neck broke, rending the skin from inside and spraying Kentaro with a hot gout of blood. It obscured the red marks on his near-white skin, dripping down the contours of his flesh in crimson rivers.
He had no care for any of it. Immediately, he vaulted over the corpse, wrenching its fingers open to free Sayuri. Before she could tumble out and hit the ground, he caught her, holding her close to his body. He tried to suppress the heat of the fire in him, hoping it did not burn, even though the oni's blood hissed slightly against his skin.
"Sayuri," his voice sounded like his own, but with an undertone of rumbling stone. He could not suppress the transformation any further. Could not change back. Not with adrenaline and rage flooding his system.
Not while she struggled to breathe because of them.
Because of him.
"Ken...Kentaro," speaking seemed difficult for her, and her breathing sounded raspy. It was as if a bone had punctured a lung, and it was flooding it with blood. She could barely breathe. She coughed, and it must have been painful for her if the expression that crossed her face was anything to go by. "I'm sorry, Kentaro. I... I got in the way," she continued speaking. "I promised... I promised I-I wouldn't."
She reached a hand up, trembling softly as she did, and ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled at him, despite the blood that seemed to coat her face. "It... it hurts, but," she spoke again, taking in another sharp breath. She didn't finish her sentence, and instead, simply stared at him. Talking was difficult for her; that was easy to see.
"Please... don't... don't let Reiko worry. And... I'm sorry I won't be able to help you anymore," she said as her hand fell from his hair. "I love you... and," she didn't seem to be able to finish that sentence. Her eyes were losing the light to them. Her life was fading.
He was having serious difficulty registering her words. Something about an apology, and Reiko, and who knew what else. It was hard to hear, hard to pay attention to anything beyond the mind-numbing panic that rose in him like a tide of cold water.
All at once, Kentaro smothered his fires; they disappeared into curls of smoke. All of the oni—so many of them—were dead. Either burned, cut, or crushed, and minus the few that had been dispatched with siege weaponry, the damage was all his.
But for all of it, for all of his carnage, he had failed to do the one thing he was supposed to do. The one thing that mattered most. He'd doubted his ability to protect her, but he'd wanted to give her the choice to be here. He wasn't sure if he regretted that, but he knew he felt bitter sorrow, and the thought that she would die for his error in judgement was too much to bear.
"No," he said softly. Too softly; it was barely a whisper in his own ears. So he said it again, more solidly this time. "No."
The course was clear. He could not let her die because of him.
Carefully, Kentaro laid her down on a clean spot, still warm from the recently-doused fire. He crouched at her side, smoothing her hair back from her face, then shifted onto his knees. Splaying one large hand beneath her back, he supported her head with the other and half-lifted her, half-descended towards her. He paused, hesitating for only a moment before instinct drove him forward.
He sank his teeth into her neck, but he did not take. Instead, he gave, the hollow points at the back of his incisors injecting a very particular sort of venom into her bloodstream. Like ink, a dark red mark bloomed to life on the skin of her throat, shaped like a single tongue of flame. Pulling back, he licked the wound clean, swiping away two drops of blood and resisting the urge to take more.
She would need all she had left, to endure the change. But the Mark would keep her from death.
It was all he could do.
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Sayuri felt weightless. It was almost as if she were suspended in animation. She floated, but she did not move. There was something burning in her, too, something she could not explain. There was also the feeling of being hungry. She wasn't sure, but it felt like the burning sensation and the hunger were the same. Is this what death felt like? An unpleasant burning sensation that left you hungry, and feeling hollow?
It certainly felt that way. She was dead, right? Her ribs had been crushed, and she'd drowned in her own blood. She knew that. Her lungs had been punctured, and she'd felt her blood flood in. She'd felt it all in her throat as she'd spoken her last words to Kentaro. Kentaro. She'd died in his arms. She knew that, so why did she feel warm? Why was her chest rising and falling softly, as if she were breathing? Why was she breathing?
With a sharp intake of air, Sayuri shot up in her spot. She regretted it almost immediately. Her vision swam, and her head began to pound. She could hear things clearly, as if they were right beside her. When her vision cleared, everything looked a little sharper, as if everything she'd seen in life were hazy. That wasn't the immediate concern, though. There was an unbearable hunger in her, and she grasped her throat. Why was she so thirsty? She felt starved, dehydrated, almost.
It was such a foreign feeling, and it hurt. What was wrong with her?
A soft rustle beside her was clear in her ears, as though she could hear every thread in the fabric moving against the others. She could also hear the slight shake in the exhale of the person next to her. And smell him. That was immediate; sandalwood, and the faintest trace of ash, as well as something she had no name for.
“Sayuri." Her name was little more than a breath given shape. Kentaro had dark circles under his eyes, but he'd returned to the appearance she was used to him having, and any trace of injury was gone. The light around them was dim, but clearly illuminated the bright shade of his eyes—her perception of color seemed... different, as well.
He offered no more than that, no more than her name. But the way he watched her had a sort of enforced patience to it, like he was waiting for something, but not inclined to rush it.
"Kentaro?" she questioned. Was she dreaming? Was this some sick, twisted joke someone was playing on her? "Kentaro," she called out again, this time a little more certain. She wasn't dead? How? "Kentaro, what's going on?" she questioned. And why did she want him? More specifically, why did she want his blood? The thought would have normally been repulsive to her, but there it was.
"What's happening to me?" she questioned, reaching out to him. She was so thirsty, and his blood was singing to her.
She heard his throat work as he swallowed. “You are thirsty," he said quietly. He reached towards her, only to draw himself to a stop before making contact and let his hand drop. “I... there was no other way to save your life. I am... sorry." He dropped his eyes away from her; she caught the twitch of a microexpression flitting over his face. Shame, it looked like, but it was gone in an instant.
She knew that.
She knew she was thirsty, but she was thirsty for something that seemed wrong. What was he apologizing for, though? Why was he sorry? "Kentaro, please," she pleaded to him. She didn't know what to do. She didn't understand what was happening to her. The hand that reached out to him, recoiled to her throat, and she held it. Her throat was burning, and she could feel the rise of her heartbeat, pounding in her chest. She could almost hear it, too, however; his blood was still there, still singing to her.
"Why am I so thirsty?" she had so many other questions floating in her mind, and she couldn't sort them all out. The only thing she could concentrate on, was him. And even that concentration was starting to fade.
He turned his whole head to face a wall, further away from her. It was as though he was retreating, guarding himself against something without ever leaving the room or lifting a hand. An emotional retreat, then. In profile, she could see his lips purse.
“I changed you," he murmured. “You are... you are like us now. The thirst is for the only thing that feeds us." He paused for several heartbeats. “I don't expect you to forgive me. But I..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but somehow, she knew how it ended. She could feel something; a sort of deep anguish and self-loathing that was not her own. It could only be coming from him.
He'd changed her? She furrowed her brows. She was like... like him and Reiko and the others? Did that mean she was a... The thought did not process correctly, at least not to her. "Kentaro," she began, speaking as softly as she could. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Could she forgive him? Yes. Would she forgive him? She wasn't even certain what she'd be forgiving him for. He saved her life by changing her. She was upset, angry even, but she did not know why. Her anger wasn't at him. Was it towards herself?
"Kentaro, it's not your fault," she began again. "If anyone is to blame, it is I who should be blamed. If I hadn't gone with you, I wouldn't have..." she wouldn't have died, and he wouldn't have had to change her.
He shook his head. “The blame for this is mine. I knew that your death was a possibility and I did not bar you from being here. I wanted..." He trailed off; another wave of bitter sadness rolled over her. If what she was feeling really was coming from him, then he felt things with a foreign depth. Certainly his face never gave away such emotions.
He sighed through his nose, closing his eyes but turning his head towards her. “You must feed," he said, even more quietly. “That is why... I am here. Until we go back, there are only humans besides me. In your condition, you may accidentally kill or change them." His eyes cracked open, meeting with hers.
“I am afraid there is no other option."
And she wanted to.
But she dropped her gaze from his, and glanced at her hands. Even if there was no other option, what he was feeling made her feel regret. She shouldn't have gone with him. She knew the consequences of her actions, but that was a risk she wanted to take. She wanted to be with him just in case something had happened to him. He was the only one, and if he'd fallen in battle, the villagers wouldn't have had anyone to lead them to safety.
But it was more than that. She wanted to be where he was. To be with him wherever he went because she... she didn't know what she felt. She might have said the words, she could recall that much. She wasn't even embarrassed by the admission, but she wasn't sure if that was what she'd actually felt. Did she love him like she said she did?
Probably.
She couldn't think straight, and the hunger was becoming unbearable. "Alright," she spoke softly. If he was her only option, she would take it. She didn't want to accidentally kill someone. That was the last thing she wanted.
He nodded, a short, jerky little motion, and settled into a crosslegged position next to her futon. Any attempt to focus elsewhere was gone, his eyes locked on hers, and he extended a hand. The offer to guide her towards him was obvious. “Find somewhere you feel comfortable," he said. “Nothing you do will inconvenience me."
If his hand was a clear invitation, the way he tilted his head to the side was crystalline.
She sighed softly, and took his hand. She settled herself so she was hovering over his neck, and paused. She stared at his neck, and she could almost hear the singing of his blood coming to a gentle stop. This was new for her. She didn't know what to do, however; it appeared that she didn't have to know anything. She could feel a slight prick on her bottom lip, and she knew her teeth had extended on their own. She leaned closer to him, and laid her forehead on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He was warm, and it was a small comfort for her.
Lifting her head, she allowed herself to give in to the strange instinct to feed. Her teeth pierced his flesh, almost too easily, and immediately, her tongue was assaulted by the metallic taste of blood. The strange thing about it, though, was that it didn't taste the way she'd remembered blood could taste like. It was free of the iron taste, and was something different. She couldn't describe it, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to stop.
It was satisfying the hunger that burned in her stomach, and she just wanted to keep drinking. Reluctantly, she forced herself to stop, and pulled back. If she didn't... she would do something she'd regret. She felt something warm on her face, streaming down her cheeks, and falling from her chin. She reached up to wipe it away, however; she realized she was crying. Why was she crying?
"I'm... sorry Kentaro," she spoke, trying to wipe her tears away, but they kept falling.
Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face, brushing under her eyes with the callused pads of his thumbs. His breath was shaky when it left his lungs, hitching in a way she never would have been able to pick out with her human ears. It was that subtle. Slowly, almost as if he was afraid she'd stop him at any second, he skimmed his fingers back, from her cheekbones to her ears, pulling a few strands of her hair back behind them.
“Don't be," he replied shaking his head only slightly. His eyes, half-lidded, flickered across her face, settling a moment too long on her mouth before he tore them away. “If you wish... if you wish to live this way, as one of us, I will help you as much as I can. There is much to know. Much to learn."
She took in a shaky breath, trying to keep her breathing even. Once she was certain she wasn't going to break down again, she lifted her gaze to meet his. Something she recalled, flickered over her mind, and she tried her best to smile. It didn't quite feel like it reached her face, but she knew it was a small smile. "I... am lucky to have a great teacher," she spoke. She wanted to stay with her family, to be with them for as long as she could, and to be with him. She knew that was what she wanted. What she'd always wanted. Now that she could stay with them for as long as she could... she wasn't going to leave them.
"I do wish to live," she continued. Whether it meant living as she was, or in some other way, this was what she wanted. "Thank you, Kentaro," she added, dropping her gaze again. She was grateful, even if she was still confused as to what was going on. But at least she would have him helping her through this. It wouldn't be easy, and she knew there were going to be some rough patches, but...
"I'm glad I have you."
“You should not be," he replied in a whisper, but then he leaned down, pressing warm, dry lips to her brow. It was only a brief contact, and extremely soft, but he'd done it with intention. “You need sleep," he told her with more certainty, and it was easy to understand that this was an instruction as her teacher. “The thirst will come and go for several days. When it has abated for a while, we will return to the others."
The fortifications were nearly done; they'd probably be complete in another three or four days anyway.
She'd closed her eyes, almost instinctively, when his lips brushed her brow. She was tired, still. "Okay," was the only thing she could say. She was, however, still glad that she did have him, even if he said otherwise. With that in mind, she laid in her futon, and allowed sleep to overtake her once more.
It certainly felt that way. She was dead, right? Her ribs had been crushed, and she'd drowned in her own blood. She knew that. Her lungs had been punctured, and she'd felt her blood flood in. She'd felt it all in her throat as she'd spoken her last words to Kentaro. Kentaro. She'd died in his arms. She knew that, so why did she feel warm? Why was her chest rising and falling softly, as if she were breathing? Why was she breathing?
With a sharp intake of air, Sayuri shot up in her spot. She regretted it almost immediately. Her vision swam, and her head began to pound. She could hear things clearly, as if they were right beside her. When her vision cleared, everything looked a little sharper, as if everything she'd seen in life were hazy. That wasn't the immediate concern, though. There was an unbearable hunger in her, and she grasped her throat. Why was she so thirsty? She felt starved, dehydrated, almost.
It was such a foreign feeling, and it hurt. What was wrong with her?
A soft rustle beside her was clear in her ears, as though she could hear every thread in the fabric moving against the others. She could also hear the slight shake in the exhale of the person next to her. And smell him. That was immediate; sandalwood, and the faintest trace of ash, as well as something she had no name for.
“Sayuri." Her name was little more than a breath given shape. Kentaro had dark circles under his eyes, but he'd returned to the appearance she was used to him having, and any trace of injury was gone. The light around them was dim, but clearly illuminated the bright shade of his eyes—her perception of color seemed... different, as well.
He offered no more than that, no more than her name. But the way he watched her had a sort of enforced patience to it, like he was waiting for something, but not inclined to rush it.
"Kentaro?" she questioned. Was she dreaming? Was this some sick, twisted joke someone was playing on her? "Kentaro," she called out again, this time a little more certain. She wasn't dead? How? "Kentaro, what's going on?" she questioned. And why did she want him? More specifically, why did she want his blood? The thought would have normally been repulsive to her, but there it was.
"What's happening to me?" she questioned, reaching out to him. She was so thirsty, and his blood was singing to her.
She heard his throat work as he swallowed. “You are thirsty," he said quietly. He reached towards her, only to draw himself to a stop before making contact and let his hand drop. “I... there was no other way to save your life. I am... sorry." He dropped his eyes away from her; she caught the twitch of a microexpression flitting over his face. Shame, it looked like, but it was gone in an instant.
She knew that.
She knew she was thirsty, but she was thirsty for something that seemed wrong. What was he apologizing for, though? Why was he sorry? "Kentaro, please," she pleaded to him. She didn't know what to do. She didn't understand what was happening to her. The hand that reached out to him, recoiled to her throat, and she held it. Her throat was burning, and she could feel the rise of her heartbeat, pounding in her chest. She could almost hear it, too, however; his blood was still there, still singing to her.
"Why am I so thirsty?" she had so many other questions floating in her mind, and she couldn't sort them all out. The only thing she could concentrate on, was him. And even that concentration was starting to fade.
He turned his whole head to face a wall, further away from her. It was as though he was retreating, guarding himself against something without ever leaving the room or lifting a hand. An emotional retreat, then. In profile, she could see his lips purse.
“I changed you," he murmured. “You are... you are like us now. The thirst is for the only thing that feeds us." He paused for several heartbeats. “I don't expect you to forgive me. But I..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but somehow, she knew how it ended. She could feel something; a sort of deep anguish and self-loathing that was not her own. It could only be coming from him.
He'd changed her? She furrowed her brows. She was like... like him and Reiko and the others? Did that mean she was a... The thought did not process correctly, at least not to her. "Kentaro," she began, speaking as softly as she could. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Could she forgive him? Yes. Would she forgive him? She wasn't even certain what she'd be forgiving him for. He saved her life by changing her. She was upset, angry even, but she did not know why. Her anger wasn't at him. Was it towards herself?
"Kentaro, it's not your fault," she began again. "If anyone is to blame, it is I who should be blamed. If I hadn't gone with you, I wouldn't have..." she wouldn't have died, and he wouldn't have had to change her.
He shook his head. “The blame for this is mine. I knew that your death was a possibility and I did not bar you from being here. I wanted..." He trailed off; another wave of bitter sadness rolled over her. If what she was feeling really was coming from him, then he felt things with a foreign depth. Certainly his face never gave away such emotions.
He sighed through his nose, closing his eyes but turning his head towards her. “You must feed," he said, even more quietly. “That is why... I am here. Until we go back, there are only humans besides me. In your condition, you may accidentally kill or change them." His eyes cracked open, meeting with hers.
“I am afraid there is no other option."
And she wanted to.
But she dropped her gaze from his, and glanced at her hands. Even if there was no other option, what he was feeling made her feel regret. She shouldn't have gone with him. She knew the consequences of her actions, but that was a risk she wanted to take. She wanted to be with him just in case something had happened to him. He was the only one, and if he'd fallen in battle, the villagers wouldn't have had anyone to lead them to safety.
But it was more than that. She wanted to be where he was. To be with him wherever he went because she... she didn't know what she felt. She might have said the words, she could recall that much. She wasn't even embarrassed by the admission, but she wasn't sure if that was what she'd actually felt. Did she love him like she said she did?
Probably.
She couldn't think straight, and the hunger was becoming unbearable. "Alright," she spoke softly. If he was her only option, she would take it. She didn't want to accidentally kill someone. That was the last thing she wanted.
He nodded, a short, jerky little motion, and settled into a crosslegged position next to her futon. Any attempt to focus elsewhere was gone, his eyes locked on hers, and he extended a hand. The offer to guide her towards him was obvious. “Find somewhere you feel comfortable," he said. “Nothing you do will inconvenience me."
If his hand was a clear invitation, the way he tilted his head to the side was crystalline.
She sighed softly, and took his hand. She settled herself so she was hovering over his neck, and paused. She stared at his neck, and she could almost hear the singing of his blood coming to a gentle stop. This was new for her. She didn't know what to do, however; it appeared that she didn't have to know anything. She could feel a slight prick on her bottom lip, and she knew her teeth had extended on their own. She leaned closer to him, and laid her forehead on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He was warm, and it was a small comfort for her.
Lifting her head, she allowed herself to give in to the strange instinct to feed. Her teeth pierced his flesh, almost too easily, and immediately, her tongue was assaulted by the metallic taste of blood. The strange thing about it, though, was that it didn't taste the way she'd remembered blood could taste like. It was free of the iron taste, and was something different. She couldn't describe it, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to stop.
It was satisfying the hunger that burned in her stomach, and she just wanted to keep drinking. Reluctantly, she forced herself to stop, and pulled back. If she didn't... she would do something she'd regret. She felt something warm on her face, streaming down her cheeks, and falling from her chin. She reached up to wipe it away, however; she realized she was crying. Why was she crying?
"I'm... sorry Kentaro," she spoke, trying to wipe her tears away, but they kept falling.
Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face, brushing under her eyes with the callused pads of his thumbs. His breath was shaky when it left his lungs, hitching in a way she never would have been able to pick out with her human ears. It was that subtle. Slowly, almost as if he was afraid she'd stop him at any second, he skimmed his fingers back, from her cheekbones to her ears, pulling a few strands of her hair back behind them.
“Don't be," he replied shaking his head only slightly. His eyes, half-lidded, flickered across her face, settling a moment too long on her mouth before he tore them away. “If you wish... if you wish to live this way, as one of us, I will help you as much as I can. There is much to know. Much to learn."
She took in a shaky breath, trying to keep her breathing even. Once she was certain she wasn't going to break down again, she lifted her gaze to meet his. Something she recalled, flickered over her mind, and she tried her best to smile. It didn't quite feel like it reached her face, but she knew it was a small smile. "I... am lucky to have a great teacher," she spoke. She wanted to stay with her family, to be with them for as long as she could, and to be with him. She knew that was what she wanted. What she'd always wanted. Now that she could stay with them for as long as she could... she wasn't going to leave them.
"I do wish to live," she continued. Whether it meant living as she was, or in some other way, this was what she wanted. "Thank you, Kentaro," she added, dropping her gaze again. She was grateful, even if she was still confused as to what was going on. But at least she would have him helping her through this. It wouldn't be easy, and she knew there were going to be some rough patches, but...
"I'm glad I have you."
“You should not be," he replied in a whisper, but then he leaned down, pressing warm, dry lips to her brow. It was only a brief contact, and extremely soft, but he'd done it with intention. “You need sleep," he told her with more certainty, and it was easy to understand that this was an instruction as her teacher. “The thirst will come and go for several days. When it has abated for a while, we will return to the others."
The fortifications were nearly done; they'd probably be complete in another three or four days anyway.
She'd closed her eyes, almost instinctively, when his lips brushed her brow. She was tired, still. "Okay," was the only thing she could say. She was, however, still glad that she did have him, even if he said otherwise. With that in mind, she laid in her futon, and allowed sleep to overtake her once more.
Reiko sighed, handing her horse off to the attendant that waited just inside the gate.
On the one hand, it was nice to be home again, and good to know that for all the battles they'd faced, everyone in her family had survived. Except that in one case in particular, it had been a very near thing, and was not likely to be without repercussions.
"Aram-sama; this one is going to check on Sayu-chan. Would you like to come along?" Perhaps he would prefer to rest; she could smell that Ayla-san and Tatsuya hadn't arrived back yet, but it was likely only a matter of time. They'd all been summoned back to Shimamaki at roughly the same time; their journey was just slightly longer than the rest.
But though there was much to do, and much to talk about, apparently, Reiko knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on any of it without talking to her sister first.
He blinked down at her, and smiled. "Of course, Reiko. I'd like to see how she's faring, too," he replied, tilting his head in her direction. He waited for her to lead the way, and fell into step beside her. "I don't know if I'll be much help, or if I can do anything, though," he spoke, his smile faltering for just a second. He managed to put it back on his face, though, and glanced down at her.
"Speaking of conditions," he said, folding his hands into the sleeves of his yukata. "The fortifications of the walls and the oni attacks have not been kind to us. How are you faring?" he questioned. His voice was laced with genuine concern, but the smile was still on his face when he asked.
She snorted at him good-naturedly. "This one told you, right? That this one has a lot of stamina?" The smile on her face was almost an indulgent one, as though she found the question a bit silly but was choosing to answer it anyway. "This one is fine, Aram-sama. This one is always fine."
They stopped outside of Sayuri's door. Reiko raised her hand to knock a couple of times. "Sayu-chan? It's this one, and Aram-sama is here, too. Can we come in?"
There was a few moments of silence before the sound of shuffling feet could be heard. They shuffled across the floor, and the door was pulled open, producing Sayuri. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she were looking at Reiko for the first time, before he gaze shifted towards Aram. She tilted her head for a second, before a smile bloomed on her face.
"Reiko, Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, moving so that she could let them into her room. Aram smiled fondly at the nickname, and shook his head before stepping into Sayuri's room. He glanced back towards Reiko and Sayuri, the same soft smile still on his face.
"I hope you are faring well, Sayuri-san," he spoke. The smile on her face faltered for a second before she shook her head.
"I'm... okay," she spoke, almost as if she were unsure whether or not she was okay.
Reiko showed little hesitation, wrapping her adopted sister in a strong embrace as soon as they were fully inside the room. "This one was so worried, Sayu-chan. This one is so glad you're alive!" Comically, Reiko was shorter even than someone as small as Sayuri, but easily lifted her feet several inches off the ground, turning them both around in a quick whirl before settling her back down.
Her expression dimmed a bit once that was done, though, and she smiled with understanding. Perhaps no one would understand Sayuri's possible reservations about this better than Reiko did. "Perhaps we should sit down, and you can tell us the whole story?" The question was gentle, giving Sayuri plenty of room to refuse if she wished.
Sayuri smiled softly in Reiko's direction. "Of course," she replied, offering them a seat in her room. Aram took a seat, and Sayuri looked like she was waiting for Reiko to do the same before she sat down herself. She took in a deep breath, and seemed a little hesitant to begin. She fumbled with her hands for a moment before they fell still in her lap.
"You can take your time, Sayuri-san," Aram spoke, his voice gentle as he did so. She smiled at him, and shook her head.
"It's okay, Kyabetsu-san. I just don't know where to begin," she replied. "The village Kentaro and I were at... the one we were helping with the fortifications, it was attacked," she began softly, keeping her gaze from the both of them. "There were too many of them, so we decided to evacuate the villagers," she continued, finally glancing up towards them.
"It wouldn't have been... I don't think it would have been all that unusual if it weren't..." she paused, moving her gaze down again. "He was there, Reiko. Akarui-dono's advisor was there," she spoke softly. "He was... I don't know what he was looking for, but he was disappointed when..." she trailed off on the sentence, as if she didn't want to continue.
"He was disappointed when I was crushed. I would... I would have died if it weren't for Kentaro," she spoke. Aram hummed softly to himself, and took his gaze from Sayuri. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, as if he were contemplating what Sayuri's words meant.
Reiko frowned; the news was obviously troubling. Though... it did confirm some of her lingering suspicions about Eiji. She was more glad than she'd ever been that she hadn't let Sayuri go through with the arranged marriage; it was clear as day to her now that they would have had an extremely useful hostage against her family if she had. Not to mention what it would have put Sayu through.
Kentaro had changed her, then; that much she knew from the reports. But what had not been included was now extremely apparent. There was a new mark on the side of Sayu's neck, a brilliant crimson etching that looked like a living flame. Reiko didn't have to guess who it represented. What it meant. Though she'd be surprised if Sayuri knew the significance. It was a well-kept family secret, after all, and the only other person who currently bore such a thing was Reiko herself, hidden beneath the collar of her gi.
"Sayu... that mark on your neck. What do you know about it?"
Sayuri's hand went to her neck, whether reflexively, or instinctively was hard to tell. She frowned, though, and shook her head. "I don't know anything," she replied, keeping her hand on the mark. "All I know is that it appeared when Kentaro changed me, and that sometimes I feel things. Things like glimmers of emotions that are not mine," she continued.
"Taro didn't say anything about it," she added, removing her hand and allowing it to fall into her lap.
Reiko figured that made sense. Truthfully, it was a difficult thing to explain, and Kentaro rarely trusted his own words. Most likely, he'd been counting on her intervening like this. She nodded slightly. "He would have done it to keep you alive," she said softly. "If you were already injured during the change, there was a high probability that the strain would kill you." Changing was rarely a guarantee anyway; it was worse when the other party was weakened, sick, or injured in any way, and from the sounds of it, Sayu had already been at death's door.
"That... it is called the Royal Mark. This one's brothers can all do it, but no one else can. It... Taro bound his life to yours, Sayu-chan. The emotions you can feel are his." She tugged her collar to the side, exposing the snowflake-patterned Mark in light blue against her own skin. "Suya Marked this one, as well. This one thinks... you must be very important to Taro, if he did that. But if you don't want it, this one is sure he would remove it for you."
Aram, who'd looked lost in his own thoughs, focused on Reiko. His expression shifted to a soft frown, but he did not say anything. Sayuri, however, immediately let her hand cover the mark again, her face turning a light shade of pink. "He... what?" she seemed at a loss for words, and from the expression on her face, it looked like she half believed what Reiko had said, but also didn't. She shook her head, though, after a few moments of silence.
"I don't think... maybe," she seemed to be talking more to herself than, to them, but she smiled softly. "I'll... have to talk with him, then. I don't want him to... but I think... maybe we should. He shouldn't have had to do that, but if what you say is true, then I have to know," she spoke just as softly.
"It appears your fate has changed, Sayuri-san, and it seems to be for the better," Aram finally spoke, his tone rather light. He was probably referring to her previous fate, where she'd died. She smiled softly at him, and nodded her head.
Hearing it was a relief; Reiko was fairly sure that Aram would not simply have said this if he didn't mean it. There was no need to placate anyone with omissions; if he'd said nothing, they all would have believed what they believed before. So she had reason to believe that in this he was telling the truth, though as with everything to do with his visions, she didn't know if it was the whole truth.
She accepted that about him. It was necessary for him to keep those particular things hidden, and he'd tell her everything he felt he could. So when he said it, she nodded, smiling and breathing a soft sigh of amelioration.
Reiko turned back to Sayu. "This one knows it's a lot to deal with, Sayu-chan," she said softly. She knew what it was to have her doubts about being what she was, after all, and she'd never been human to begin with. "This one knows of no way to reverse the change, but... if you think about it and decide that is what you want, this one will do everything possible to find a way. But if you want to stay then... this one is so glad to be able to have you around for so much more time."
It had always bothered her, that Sayuri would age and die so quickly. Reiko was selfishly glad that it was no longer true. But all the same, if Sayu wanted to go back, she'd spend as many years as it took to find out how. "And if you have any questions about anything, please let this one know." She assumed Sayu was drinking Kentaro's blood at the moment, and she would not disrupt that by offering her own unless one of them showed some discomfort with the arrangement.
She nodded her head. "It is a lot, but... Taro is patient, and he is teaching me," she replied, smiling softly. "He's always been a good teacher, and..." she paused, her face turning a shade darker. "I'm glad, too, that I'll be able to stay around much longer with you, and him... and everyone else," she quickly added. Aram smiled, as if he'd figured something out about Sayuri.
"It's okay to admit that you enjoy someone's company above others, Sayuri-san," he spoke, the smile still on his face, however; he turned to face Reiko. "Just as I can admit that I enjoy being in Reiko's company," he continued, the smile on his face inching just the slightest bit. Sayuri, however, blinked a few times, and grinned at Reiko. Aram did not see it, because he was facing Reiko, however; Reiko could see the mischief behind that grin.
Reiko's cheeks rivaled her eyes for color, she was sure of it. Frantically, she shook her head at Sayuri, silently pleading with her not to push it. It's obvious from Aram's obliviousness that he did not mean it in the way Sayu is taking it, and in the way Reiko almost let herself take it. Maybe she should talk to him about that. The thought of how mortifying the conversation would be stopped her from actually deciding on it, though, and she sighed, trying to get her blush to subside before he noticed it.
"I-in any case," she said quietly. "I'm glad you're working through it together. Taro would not have done something like that lightly, and he probably feels guilty about it." She'd probably need to have a conversation with him, too, but if it was going to work, she'd have to do so alone. In the end, probably only Sayuri would ever be able to fully convince him he'd done the right thing.
"For now... get some rest, Sayu-chan. This one will take care of contributing your side of the story to the reports, if Taro has not already done so."
Luckily, Sayuri did not press, and she merely nodded. "Alright, Reiko-chan," she replied, smiling a little too brightly. Her eyes went back to Aram, though, and the smile seemed to grow. "Make sure you take care of my Reiko-chan, Kyabetsu-san. If what you say is true, then you will," she spoke, causing Aram to blink a little confusedly in her direction.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. I will do my best," he spoke, offering her a light bow, or about as much as he could in his seated position.
Reiko was mortified, but she managed to contain it to a soft clearing of her throat. Having a family was absolutely wonderful.
But sometimes it was also an enormous pain.
On the one hand, it was nice to be home again, and good to know that for all the battles they'd faced, everyone in her family had survived. Except that in one case in particular, it had been a very near thing, and was not likely to be without repercussions.
"Aram-sama; this one is going to check on Sayu-chan. Would you like to come along?" Perhaps he would prefer to rest; she could smell that Ayla-san and Tatsuya hadn't arrived back yet, but it was likely only a matter of time. They'd all been summoned back to Shimamaki at roughly the same time; their journey was just slightly longer than the rest.
But though there was much to do, and much to talk about, apparently, Reiko knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on any of it without talking to her sister first.
He blinked down at her, and smiled. "Of course, Reiko. I'd like to see how she's faring, too," he replied, tilting his head in her direction. He waited for her to lead the way, and fell into step beside her. "I don't know if I'll be much help, or if I can do anything, though," he spoke, his smile faltering for just a second. He managed to put it back on his face, though, and glanced down at her.
"Speaking of conditions," he said, folding his hands into the sleeves of his yukata. "The fortifications of the walls and the oni attacks have not been kind to us. How are you faring?" he questioned. His voice was laced with genuine concern, but the smile was still on his face when he asked.
She snorted at him good-naturedly. "This one told you, right? That this one has a lot of stamina?" The smile on her face was almost an indulgent one, as though she found the question a bit silly but was choosing to answer it anyway. "This one is fine, Aram-sama. This one is always fine."
They stopped outside of Sayuri's door. Reiko raised her hand to knock a couple of times. "Sayu-chan? It's this one, and Aram-sama is here, too. Can we come in?"
There was a few moments of silence before the sound of shuffling feet could be heard. They shuffled across the floor, and the door was pulled open, producing Sayuri. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she were looking at Reiko for the first time, before he gaze shifted towards Aram. She tilted her head for a second, before a smile bloomed on her face.
"Reiko, Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, moving so that she could let them into her room. Aram smiled fondly at the nickname, and shook his head before stepping into Sayuri's room. He glanced back towards Reiko and Sayuri, the same soft smile still on his face.
"I hope you are faring well, Sayuri-san," he spoke. The smile on her face faltered for a second before she shook her head.
"I'm... okay," she spoke, almost as if she were unsure whether or not she was okay.
Reiko showed little hesitation, wrapping her adopted sister in a strong embrace as soon as they were fully inside the room. "This one was so worried, Sayu-chan. This one is so glad you're alive!" Comically, Reiko was shorter even than someone as small as Sayuri, but easily lifted her feet several inches off the ground, turning them both around in a quick whirl before settling her back down.
Her expression dimmed a bit once that was done, though, and she smiled with understanding. Perhaps no one would understand Sayuri's possible reservations about this better than Reiko did. "Perhaps we should sit down, and you can tell us the whole story?" The question was gentle, giving Sayuri plenty of room to refuse if she wished.
Sayuri smiled softly in Reiko's direction. "Of course," she replied, offering them a seat in her room. Aram took a seat, and Sayuri looked like she was waiting for Reiko to do the same before she sat down herself. She took in a deep breath, and seemed a little hesitant to begin. She fumbled with her hands for a moment before they fell still in her lap.
"You can take your time, Sayuri-san," Aram spoke, his voice gentle as he did so. She smiled at him, and shook her head.
"It's okay, Kyabetsu-san. I just don't know where to begin," she replied. "The village Kentaro and I were at... the one we were helping with the fortifications, it was attacked," she began softly, keeping her gaze from the both of them. "There were too many of them, so we decided to evacuate the villagers," she continued, finally glancing up towards them.
"It wouldn't have been... I don't think it would have been all that unusual if it weren't..." she paused, moving her gaze down again. "He was there, Reiko. Akarui-dono's advisor was there," she spoke softly. "He was... I don't know what he was looking for, but he was disappointed when..." she trailed off on the sentence, as if she didn't want to continue.
"He was disappointed when I was crushed. I would... I would have died if it weren't for Kentaro," she spoke. Aram hummed softly to himself, and took his gaze from Sayuri. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, as if he were contemplating what Sayuri's words meant.
Reiko frowned; the news was obviously troubling. Though... it did confirm some of her lingering suspicions about Eiji. She was more glad than she'd ever been that she hadn't let Sayuri go through with the arranged marriage; it was clear as day to her now that they would have had an extremely useful hostage against her family if she had. Not to mention what it would have put Sayu through.
Kentaro had changed her, then; that much she knew from the reports. But what had not been included was now extremely apparent. There was a new mark on the side of Sayu's neck, a brilliant crimson etching that looked like a living flame. Reiko didn't have to guess who it represented. What it meant. Though she'd be surprised if Sayuri knew the significance. It was a well-kept family secret, after all, and the only other person who currently bore such a thing was Reiko herself, hidden beneath the collar of her gi.
"Sayu... that mark on your neck. What do you know about it?"
Sayuri's hand went to her neck, whether reflexively, or instinctively was hard to tell. She frowned, though, and shook her head. "I don't know anything," she replied, keeping her hand on the mark. "All I know is that it appeared when Kentaro changed me, and that sometimes I feel things. Things like glimmers of emotions that are not mine," she continued.
"Taro didn't say anything about it," she added, removing her hand and allowing it to fall into her lap.
Reiko figured that made sense. Truthfully, it was a difficult thing to explain, and Kentaro rarely trusted his own words. Most likely, he'd been counting on her intervening like this. She nodded slightly. "He would have done it to keep you alive," she said softly. "If you were already injured during the change, there was a high probability that the strain would kill you." Changing was rarely a guarantee anyway; it was worse when the other party was weakened, sick, or injured in any way, and from the sounds of it, Sayu had already been at death's door.
"That... it is called the Royal Mark. This one's brothers can all do it, but no one else can. It... Taro bound his life to yours, Sayu-chan. The emotions you can feel are his." She tugged her collar to the side, exposing the snowflake-patterned Mark in light blue against her own skin. "Suya Marked this one, as well. This one thinks... you must be very important to Taro, if he did that. But if you don't want it, this one is sure he would remove it for you."
Aram, who'd looked lost in his own thoughs, focused on Reiko. His expression shifted to a soft frown, but he did not say anything. Sayuri, however, immediately let her hand cover the mark again, her face turning a light shade of pink. "He... what?" she seemed at a loss for words, and from the expression on her face, it looked like she half believed what Reiko had said, but also didn't. She shook her head, though, after a few moments of silence.
"I don't think... maybe," she seemed to be talking more to herself than, to them, but she smiled softly. "I'll... have to talk with him, then. I don't want him to... but I think... maybe we should. He shouldn't have had to do that, but if what you say is true, then I have to know," she spoke just as softly.
"It appears your fate has changed, Sayuri-san, and it seems to be for the better," Aram finally spoke, his tone rather light. He was probably referring to her previous fate, where she'd died. She smiled softly at him, and nodded her head.
Hearing it was a relief; Reiko was fairly sure that Aram would not simply have said this if he didn't mean it. There was no need to placate anyone with omissions; if he'd said nothing, they all would have believed what they believed before. So she had reason to believe that in this he was telling the truth, though as with everything to do with his visions, she didn't know if it was the whole truth.
She accepted that about him. It was necessary for him to keep those particular things hidden, and he'd tell her everything he felt he could. So when he said it, she nodded, smiling and breathing a soft sigh of amelioration.
Reiko turned back to Sayu. "This one knows it's a lot to deal with, Sayu-chan," she said softly. She knew what it was to have her doubts about being what she was, after all, and she'd never been human to begin with. "This one knows of no way to reverse the change, but... if you think about it and decide that is what you want, this one will do everything possible to find a way. But if you want to stay then... this one is so glad to be able to have you around for so much more time."
It had always bothered her, that Sayuri would age and die so quickly. Reiko was selfishly glad that it was no longer true. But all the same, if Sayu wanted to go back, she'd spend as many years as it took to find out how. "And if you have any questions about anything, please let this one know." She assumed Sayu was drinking Kentaro's blood at the moment, and she would not disrupt that by offering her own unless one of them showed some discomfort with the arrangement.
She nodded her head. "It is a lot, but... Taro is patient, and he is teaching me," she replied, smiling softly. "He's always been a good teacher, and..." she paused, her face turning a shade darker. "I'm glad, too, that I'll be able to stay around much longer with you, and him... and everyone else," she quickly added. Aram smiled, as if he'd figured something out about Sayuri.
"It's okay to admit that you enjoy someone's company above others, Sayuri-san," he spoke, the smile still on his face, however; he turned to face Reiko. "Just as I can admit that I enjoy being in Reiko's company," he continued, the smile on his face inching just the slightest bit. Sayuri, however, blinked a few times, and grinned at Reiko. Aram did not see it, because he was facing Reiko, however; Reiko could see the mischief behind that grin.
Reiko's cheeks rivaled her eyes for color, she was sure of it. Frantically, she shook her head at Sayuri, silently pleading with her not to push it. It's obvious from Aram's obliviousness that he did not mean it in the way Sayu is taking it, and in the way Reiko almost let herself take it. Maybe she should talk to him about that. The thought of how mortifying the conversation would be stopped her from actually deciding on it, though, and she sighed, trying to get her blush to subside before he noticed it.
"I-in any case," she said quietly. "I'm glad you're working through it together. Taro would not have done something like that lightly, and he probably feels guilty about it." She'd probably need to have a conversation with him, too, but if it was going to work, she'd have to do so alone. In the end, probably only Sayuri would ever be able to fully convince him he'd done the right thing.
"For now... get some rest, Sayu-chan. This one will take care of contributing your side of the story to the reports, if Taro has not already done so."
Luckily, Sayuri did not press, and she merely nodded. "Alright, Reiko-chan," she replied, smiling a little too brightly. Her eyes went back to Aram, though, and the smile seemed to grow. "Make sure you take care of my Reiko-chan, Kyabetsu-san. If what you say is true, then you will," she spoke, causing Aram to blink a little confusedly in her direction.
"Of course, Sayuri-san. I will do my best," he spoke, offering her a light bow, or about as much as he could in his seated position.
Reiko was mortified, but she managed to contain it to a soft clearing of her throat. Having a family was absolutely wonderful.
But sometimes it was also an enormous pain.
That night, Aram dreamed of nothing. It was odd, floating about in his own head with nothing to see, and nothing to feel. Even if it was not a vision, he would still dream of something. Whether it was a memory, or some recent experience, he would always dream. This time, however, there was nothing. If he could have, he would have frowned. Did this have anything to do with the information Sayuri had given them? That didn't seem right. What could the information she gave, have anything to do with the fact that he wasn't dreaming?
It didn't.
He should have known that because this was not the first time he'd had a dreamless sleep. He'd noticed it was a lot more frequent whenever he'd give Reiko an insight as to what he had dreamed before. Perhaps she was the reason as to why he didn't dream? At one point in his life, he might have welcomed it, however; now was not the time to be losing his sight. He needed it. He needed it more than he thought he'd ever have to.
Still, he allowed himself to drift in his dream.
For a while, the featurelessness of the dream remained, but eventually it began to shift by degrees. His drifting, which he'd allowed to be aimless and directionless, shifted, until he was being almost pulled along by an unseen tether, like a small hand clasped around his wrist, urging him to make haste. It suddenly felt urgent, important that he get wherever this sensation was trying to guide him, but he was detached from that urgency. Like it belonged to someone other than him.
In time, his invisible guide deposited him in what seemed to be a garden, sprung to life all of a sudden around him. It wasn't entirely unlike the garden of the castle, save that it was much larger, and the walls that rose in the distance were made of stone in a strange style he had never seen. Perhaps it was western?
But more striking than the difference was the obvious similarity: here, too, motes of light drifted about, pale grey imitations of the ones in Reiko's garden, but flickering with some inner silver brightness that shed more than enough light to see. The ground was steeped in fog, swirling around his knees. It lent the whole place a patina of grey, just like the spheres; color was dim and leeched out of everything around him.
He was confused. Was he seeing something? Was this a vision, perhaps? That didn't seem right to him, though. This felt present, as if he were truly here, and not asleep in his bedroom where he knew he was. The familiarity of it all, though, was what confused him the most. The motes of lights he knew to be Reiko's, confused him a great deal more. Was he finally seeing her future? If that were true, then where was she? Why was nothing else happening? He gazed around, and immediately, his eyes widened.
He blinked at first, though, as if he were seeing someone for the first time. "Reiko?" he questioned. It looked like her, but he wasn't certain. She was older somehow. Not old as in aged by time, but perhaps more mature. She couldn't be the same Reiko that he knew, could she?
She stood in front of a patch of earth, bare compared with the rest of the garden. The soil was slightly mounded in several places, regular spaces between them. Each had a wooden marker placed just behind it, the kanji of names inked into the markers in a neat, steady hand that looked much like a more elegant version of what he knew Reiko's to be.
At the sound of his voice, she turned. She wore a sort of garment he'd never seen; it hugged her from its high collar to approximately her waist, then flared away from her body in a manner similar to hakama, cutting off at her knees. The color was deep black, almost as dark as the hair that spilled over her shoulders and back, shorter than he knew it to be in that it only reached her waist.
Her face had indeed matured, but it was undeniably the same face, sans the last vestiges of youth. Very much a woman's face, and not at all a girl's. More than anything, though, her eyes were striking. The red of the irises had... darkened? Perhaps it was an artifact of the pervasive gloom here, but he could detect in them not even the faintest spark of hope or life. They were... almost dead.
With a small gesture she beckoned him to her side, turning back around to gaze down at the markers. The names were unfamiliar. Hikaru. Shizuka. Sora. Naya. Torahiko. Ryoku. Haru.
He didn't understand. Who were these people? Why were their names on the markers? Were these... graves? He turned his attention back to Reiko, the confusion clear on his face. "Reiko, what is happening?" he asked, pursing his lips further together. He'd never seen anything like this before, and it was deeply confusing. Not only was it confusing, it was mortifying.
"Who are they?" he asked. He wanted to know who they were because it felt important to know. Somehow, he felt that he already knew the answer. Then why did that knowledge tear him apart inside?
“My children," she whispered softly. If her physical appearance had changed, her voice had not, save that it carried now an undertone of melancholy he'd only ever heard when she called herself a monster. “My grandchildren. Not a one of them a child of my body, but all of them children of my heart." Her voice wavered, and cracked.
“They are gone, and so few are left. Perhaps by now the ones that were left are gone as well. I can no longer know." He saw her knuckles whiten where her hands were clasped together in front of her. “I've been trying so long to reach you, but he has blocked me at every turn."
Children? Grandchildren? He furrowed his brows, and his lips pursed even further into a fine line. "Reach me?" it was the only thing he could speak. She'd been trying to reach him? Wasn't she with him, though? Wasn't she just a few doors down in her bedroom, sleeping? "I do not understand. How have you been trying to reach me? Who has been blocking you?" he continued. None of it made sense to him, perhaps because he wasn't entirely focused on making sense of it.
His eyes were still glued to the markers, and the names. These were her children and grandchildren, though not by her own blood. Then whose children were they?
She didn't answer the question he'd asked aloud, at least not right then. Instead, she answered the one he'd asked in his head. “Hikaru is—was theirs," she said. Her eyed closed for a long moment, and she pulled in a trembling breath, but they were dry when she opened them. “Tatsuya's and Ayla's. I raised him as my own after... what happened to them. Sora was... he believed he was Akarui's, but he never was. Sayuri's and Kentaro's; I never told him. Never knew how. Never had proof. But I knew."
Reiko shook her head. “Shizuka... you raised Shizuka. Pulled her from some lab facility where she'd been created from Ayla's blood. She and Hikaru fell in love. Ryoku was theirs. Sora married; Naya and Haru were his children." She pushed a soft sigh through her nose. “Torahiko and his brother Tatsuhiko were created as well, from you and I together. But all of them were mine. There was no one else left to show them what they were. What they could be. And I was not enough."
If he had known sorrow before, he knew it almost intimately now. They were also his children. His grandchildren. He could almost hear the breaking of his heart. How did such a fate befall them? Why did such a fate befall them? He dropped his gaze from hers. This was why his hope had died so long ago. Because everything he'd seen would come true, and if it didn't, something far worse would happen. It was foolish of him to think that he could hope again. He could only surmise that something happened to Tatsuya, Ayla, Sayuri, and Kentaro if they were no where to be seen.
"What became of them?" he had to know. What had become of his sister, and her brother? What had become of Sayuri and Kentaro, and everyone else he was starting to care about? "How did they perish?" he wanted to know that, too.
“Oni," she whispered. “That man, Eiji. I didn't understand how he was behind everything until it was too late. He... he has powers just like yours, only... they are darker. So much darker. His god moves through him, and the power it grants him only grew. The oni he created became mightier and mightier, as his labs provided him with stronger and stronger blood to use in the rituals. Torahiko and Tatsuhiko were the culmination of centuries of work. When he killed Hikaru, he—"
She nearly choked. It was apparent that her connection to her nephew was particularly strong. Perhaps she shared it with more than one of them. “There is no stopping them, anymore. Just delaying the inevitable. The world is ashes, Aram. Humanity is nearly gone, and the rest will likely will be captured and contained like cattle within a decade. By then, the rest of my family will..." She swallowed thickly, but still she did not cry. Perhaps it was impossible.
“It's him, that's been stopping me from reaching you. I've been trying for what seems like an eternity, but it seems that I might not be too late, yet."
He blinked.
Nearly gone? Stronger oni? How could this have happened? She said Eiji was responsible, that he was creating stronger oni with labs. He furrowed his brows. "I am sorry, Reiko," it was the only thing he could say. His voice, for once in his life, cracked. It almost felt like he was choking on something. What could he do, though? He could not interfere with fate. If he did, this future she spoke of, would only get worse. But what could be worse than having humanity on the brink of extinction? Wasn't he created to save them? Wasn't it his purpose to save them?
"I can do nothing," he spoke, and almost regretted it. He spoke the truth, though. He could do nothing against what was happening. He could fight and help defend the villages, but that was about as far as he could go to help.
She turned to him, then, shaking her head. “That's not true, Aram. In fact... I've bet my life on it." Sighing softly, she reached out; her fingers alighted butterfly-soft on the side of his face. Her eyes flickered over his expression, as though she were searching for something. Given her particular abilities, she probably was. But this was different from when the Reiko he knew read his feelings. It felt like she could see everything, as though her eyes were somehow boring right through him.
“Things are already changing. Eiji is interfering. You knew who I was talking about, which means he's already exposed himself. He didn't do that until he'd already nearly won, in my..." she paused, apparently seeing the right word. “My timeline. My past. If he can keep me out, he can keep other things out, Aram. It may be that you see only what he wants you to. Until you are strong enough to push him away, you cannot believe everything you see. Perhaps not even me."
She half-smiled at that, but it was a foreign expression to him, wry like one he knew but tinged with bitter grief as well. “If he can change what lies in the future, so can you. So can the version of me you know, and Tatsuya and Ayla as well. For me there is no more hope. But for you... for you it is not yet too late."
Something twisted in his heart. No more hope? When did she stop believing? He almost leaned into her hand when she traced her fingers on the side of his face. Strange how he should find some comfort in that act alone, and he sighed. Blinking suddenly, something she said caught him off guard. "You've bet your life on it?" he questioned, furrowing his brows. What did she mean by that? For some reason, those words alone seemed to be what he focused on the most. He didn't seem to focus on the fact that, there might be a chance to change the future.
He didn't focus on the fact that she said it wasn't too late. The only thing that kept repeating in his head was the fact that she bet her life on the possibility that he could do something. "What did you do, Reiko?" he asked, and for once in his life, he allowed more emotion to escape into his voice than he'd ever let before. He did not understand why, but he knew he could not take it back.
The smile fell off Reiko's face; she regarded him with solemn eyes. “The only thing I could do, for them." For a moment, her lips twisted into a grimace, but she smoothed her expression back out again. “What you see before you is all that is left of me, and soon, this too will be gone. If the future can be changed, then... it will have been worth it."
Her features softened. “Perhaps it was worth it anyway, if the last thing I see is you."
Something about the way she'd said it, though, caused something in him to feel the sadness he'd thought he was no longer capable of. She was no more, and she wanted to see him. "Why?" he asked, though he was certain he was asking himself more than he was asking her. "Why would the last thing you would want to see be me?" he continued. Shouldn't she have wanted to see someone else, her brother perhaps?
"Reiko, I..." he paused in his words. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. She shouldn't have wanted to see him. She should have wanted to see anyone else, but not him. What could he do? He couldn't do anything. He shouldn't do anything. He dropped his gaze from her.
Reiko's lips turned up at the corner. “I am not sure I should say, if you have not yet figured it out." With a faint shake of her head, she lowered her hand from his face to his shoulder.
“Listen to me, Aram." She ducked her head so that they were making eye contact again. “I know how difficult it is, for you to believe that you can change this future. But I also know that you believed not interfering was preventing something worse. And I'm here to tell you that you have it the wrong way around. What happens if you do not act is the something worse. I've lived through it. Whether it's Eiji interfering or something else, you're looking without seeing. I—all of us. We need you to see."
She shook her head, rippling her dark hair. “I do not know what you should do instead. But I know that standing by is what destroyed my world. What killed my family and enslaved humanity. I will... I will keep Eiji away from your dreams as long as I can. Until I... until I disappear. But you have to fight this. Please." Her hand flexed, applying gentle pressure to his shoulder, as if to lend him her strength.
"Reiko," he spoke her name softly, and he simply kept er gaze. Sighing softly, he shook his head. "I will... try," he said as he lifted his hand. He reached out to trace her face, however; his hand dropped to her shoulder instead. With a light tug forward, he brought her towards him, and wrapped his arms around her. He always found that he felt comforted whenever he hugged her. It wouldn't be easy, but he could try for her, at least.
"Reiko, I'm so sorry," he spoke, a strange warmth behind his eyes. In the future, she was going to die. In her timeline, she would die. Everyone he cared about would die, if he didn't do something. But wasn't that how things were supposed to be? Something warm slid down his cheeks, and he blinked. It'd been almost a millenium since he'd last cried. Was that what he was doing now?
Her return embrace was warm; one of her hands found the back of his head and held him gently to her. She was sturdy and strong in his hold; that much at least had not changed. “Don't be," she said softly. “The life I have lived has been difficult and painful, but still I have known happiness and love and so many wonderful things." She stroked his hair gently, her other arm banded firmly around his waist.
“I believe in you, Aram. I believe you can make this better, for everyone you know now. And I know that the me you know will help you in any way possible. They all will. You'll build a better future, and then everything will have been worth the pain."
But there shouldn't have been any pain. "I will try," he finally spoke, because that was the only thing he could do. He could try, but if she believed in him... maybe that could be enough for him. Maybe she could be enough for him to try. His hold on her tightened slightly, but he was still gentle. "For the sake of our future, I will try," he continued.
"You have taught me much, and you continue to teach me. I am, and will always be, grateful for that, Reiko," he said softly, taking in a slow breath. "So that you will not have to live a difficult life, so that it will not be painful," he started, pulling away so that he could stare at her.
"I will try," because she did not deserve that kind of life. No one deserved a life full of pain, or of sorrow, least of all his family. If what she said is true, if Eiji is, somehow, responsible for his dreams turning out the way they did, he needed to do something. Perhaps, he could test that? Perhaps he could attempt to change something, and see how it played out. But hadn't he already? Hadn't he seen Sayuri's death? She still lived, though. Changed in order to save her life, but she still lived.
She smiled, full and genuine for the first time since he'd entered the dream. Resting the fingertips of her left hand at his jawline, she stood on her toes and brushed her lips softly across his right cheek.
“I'm glad," she said, returning to her heels. Her hand trailed down his neck and came to rest over his heart. “And Aram? This time... when you figure out how you feel about me, tell me. No matter what the answer is. I'll appreciate knowing."
How he felt about her? He blinked a little stupidly at her, and furrowed his brows. He wasn't sure how he felt about her, but he knew it was a certain kind of fondness. He smiled, though, and nodded. "I am not sure what you mean by that, but... when I figure it out, I will tell you," he'd spoken as if he'd actually figure it out, though. Perhaps he would? Perhaps he was closer than he realized, but things were still too chaotic, too out of order for him to put the pieces together.
"Reiko," he began, already feeling the blurring of his vision. He would be waking soon. "Thank you," he stated, offering her a bow of gratitude. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have changed so much. If it wasn't for her, he would have no hope blossoming in his chest.
If it were not for her, he would not know how much life meant.
“You're welcome," she replied. “But now it is time for me to go, and you to wake up."
As though the words were a cue, the dreamscape and she along with it were pulled away from him like a warm blanket on a cold morning, and he was suddenly conscious once more.
It didn't.
He should have known that because this was not the first time he'd had a dreamless sleep. He'd noticed it was a lot more frequent whenever he'd give Reiko an insight as to what he had dreamed before. Perhaps she was the reason as to why he didn't dream? At one point in his life, he might have welcomed it, however; now was not the time to be losing his sight. He needed it. He needed it more than he thought he'd ever have to.
Still, he allowed himself to drift in his dream.
For a while, the featurelessness of the dream remained, but eventually it began to shift by degrees. His drifting, which he'd allowed to be aimless and directionless, shifted, until he was being almost pulled along by an unseen tether, like a small hand clasped around his wrist, urging him to make haste. It suddenly felt urgent, important that he get wherever this sensation was trying to guide him, but he was detached from that urgency. Like it belonged to someone other than him.
In time, his invisible guide deposited him in what seemed to be a garden, sprung to life all of a sudden around him. It wasn't entirely unlike the garden of the castle, save that it was much larger, and the walls that rose in the distance were made of stone in a strange style he had never seen. Perhaps it was western?
But more striking than the difference was the obvious similarity: here, too, motes of light drifted about, pale grey imitations of the ones in Reiko's garden, but flickering with some inner silver brightness that shed more than enough light to see. The ground was steeped in fog, swirling around his knees. It lent the whole place a patina of grey, just like the spheres; color was dim and leeched out of everything around him.
He was confused. Was he seeing something? Was this a vision, perhaps? That didn't seem right to him, though. This felt present, as if he were truly here, and not asleep in his bedroom where he knew he was. The familiarity of it all, though, was what confused him the most. The motes of lights he knew to be Reiko's, confused him a great deal more. Was he finally seeing her future? If that were true, then where was she? Why was nothing else happening? He gazed around, and immediately, his eyes widened.
He blinked at first, though, as if he were seeing someone for the first time. "Reiko?" he questioned. It looked like her, but he wasn't certain. She was older somehow. Not old as in aged by time, but perhaps more mature. She couldn't be the same Reiko that he knew, could she?
She stood in front of a patch of earth, bare compared with the rest of the garden. The soil was slightly mounded in several places, regular spaces between them. Each had a wooden marker placed just behind it, the kanji of names inked into the markers in a neat, steady hand that looked much like a more elegant version of what he knew Reiko's to be.
At the sound of his voice, she turned. She wore a sort of garment he'd never seen; it hugged her from its high collar to approximately her waist, then flared away from her body in a manner similar to hakama, cutting off at her knees. The color was deep black, almost as dark as the hair that spilled over her shoulders and back, shorter than he knew it to be in that it only reached her waist.
Her face had indeed matured, but it was undeniably the same face, sans the last vestiges of youth. Very much a woman's face, and not at all a girl's. More than anything, though, her eyes were striking. The red of the irises had... darkened? Perhaps it was an artifact of the pervasive gloom here, but he could detect in them not even the faintest spark of hope or life. They were... almost dead.
With a small gesture she beckoned him to her side, turning back around to gaze down at the markers. The names were unfamiliar. Hikaru. Shizuka. Sora. Naya. Torahiko. Ryoku. Haru.
He didn't understand. Who were these people? Why were their names on the markers? Were these... graves? He turned his attention back to Reiko, the confusion clear on his face. "Reiko, what is happening?" he asked, pursing his lips further together. He'd never seen anything like this before, and it was deeply confusing. Not only was it confusing, it was mortifying.
"Who are they?" he asked. He wanted to know who they were because it felt important to know. Somehow, he felt that he already knew the answer. Then why did that knowledge tear him apart inside?
“My children," she whispered softly. If her physical appearance had changed, her voice had not, save that it carried now an undertone of melancholy he'd only ever heard when she called herself a monster. “My grandchildren. Not a one of them a child of my body, but all of them children of my heart." Her voice wavered, and cracked.
“They are gone, and so few are left. Perhaps by now the ones that were left are gone as well. I can no longer know." He saw her knuckles whiten where her hands were clasped together in front of her. “I've been trying so long to reach you, but he has blocked me at every turn."
Children? Grandchildren? He furrowed his brows, and his lips pursed even further into a fine line. "Reach me?" it was the only thing he could speak. She'd been trying to reach him? Wasn't she with him, though? Wasn't she just a few doors down in her bedroom, sleeping? "I do not understand. How have you been trying to reach me? Who has been blocking you?" he continued. None of it made sense to him, perhaps because he wasn't entirely focused on making sense of it.
His eyes were still glued to the markers, and the names. These were her children and grandchildren, though not by her own blood. Then whose children were they?
She didn't answer the question he'd asked aloud, at least not right then. Instead, she answered the one he'd asked in his head. “Hikaru is—was theirs," she said. Her eyed closed for a long moment, and she pulled in a trembling breath, but they were dry when she opened them. “Tatsuya's and Ayla's. I raised him as my own after... what happened to them. Sora was... he believed he was Akarui's, but he never was. Sayuri's and Kentaro's; I never told him. Never knew how. Never had proof. But I knew."
Reiko shook her head. “Shizuka... you raised Shizuka. Pulled her from some lab facility where she'd been created from Ayla's blood. She and Hikaru fell in love. Ryoku was theirs. Sora married; Naya and Haru were his children." She pushed a soft sigh through her nose. “Torahiko and his brother Tatsuhiko were created as well, from you and I together. But all of them were mine. There was no one else left to show them what they were. What they could be. And I was not enough."
If he had known sorrow before, he knew it almost intimately now. They were also his children. His grandchildren. He could almost hear the breaking of his heart. How did such a fate befall them? Why did such a fate befall them? He dropped his gaze from hers. This was why his hope had died so long ago. Because everything he'd seen would come true, and if it didn't, something far worse would happen. It was foolish of him to think that he could hope again. He could only surmise that something happened to Tatsuya, Ayla, Sayuri, and Kentaro if they were no where to be seen.
"What became of them?" he had to know. What had become of his sister, and her brother? What had become of Sayuri and Kentaro, and everyone else he was starting to care about? "How did they perish?" he wanted to know that, too.
“Oni," she whispered. “That man, Eiji. I didn't understand how he was behind everything until it was too late. He... he has powers just like yours, only... they are darker. So much darker. His god moves through him, and the power it grants him only grew. The oni he created became mightier and mightier, as his labs provided him with stronger and stronger blood to use in the rituals. Torahiko and Tatsuhiko were the culmination of centuries of work. When he killed Hikaru, he—"
She nearly choked. It was apparent that her connection to her nephew was particularly strong. Perhaps she shared it with more than one of them. “There is no stopping them, anymore. Just delaying the inevitable. The world is ashes, Aram. Humanity is nearly gone, and the rest will likely will be captured and contained like cattle within a decade. By then, the rest of my family will..." She swallowed thickly, but still she did not cry. Perhaps it was impossible.
“It's him, that's been stopping me from reaching you. I've been trying for what seems like an eternity, but it seems that I might not be too late, yet."
He blinked.
Nearly gone? Stronger oni? How could this have happened? She said Eiji was responsible, that he was creating stronger oni with labs. He furrowed his brows. "I am sorry, Reiko," it was the only thing he could say. His voice, for once in his life, cracked. It almost felt like he was choking on something. What could he do, though? He could not interfere with fate. If he did, this future she spoke of, would only get worse. But what could be worse than having humanity on the brink of extinction? Wasn't he created to save them? Wasn't it his purpose to save them?
"I can do nothing," he spoke, and almost regretted it. He spoke the truth, though. He could do nothing against what was happening. He could fight and help defend the villages, but that was about as far as he could go to help.
She turned to him, then, shaking her head. “That's not true, Aram. In fact... I've bet my life on it." Sighing softly, she reached out; her fingers alighted butterfly-soft on the side of his face. Her eyes flickered over his expression, as though she were searching for something. Given her particular abilities, she probably was. But this was different from when the Reiko he knew read his feelings. It felt like she could see everything, as though her eyes were somehow boring right through him.
“Things are already changing. Eiji is interfering. You knew who I was talking about, which means he's already exposed himself. He didn't do that until he'd already nearly won, in my..." she paused, apparently seeing the right word. “My timeline. My past. If he can keep me out, he can keep other things out, Aram. It may be that you see only what he wants you to. Until you are strong enough to push him away, you cannot believe everything you see. Perhaps not even me."
She half-smiled at that, but it was a foreign expression to him, wry like one he knew but tinged with bitter grief as well. “If he can change what lies in the future, so can you. So can the version of me you know, and Tatsuya and Ayla as well. For me there is no more hope. But for you... for you it is not yet too late."
Something twisted in his heart. No more hope? When did she stop believing? He almost leaned into her hand when she traced her fingers on the side of his face. Strange how he should find some comfort in that act alone, and he sighed. Blinking suddenly, something she said caught him off guard. "You've bet your life on it?" he questioned, furrowing his brows. What did she mean by that? For some reason, those words alone seemed to be what he focused on the most. He didn't seem to focus on the fact that, there might be a chance to change the future.
He didn't focus on the fact that she said it wasn't too late. The only thing that kept repeating in his head was the fact that she bet her life on the possibility that he could do something. "What did you do, Reiko?" he asked, and for once in his life, he allowed more emotion to escape into his voice than he'd ever let before. He did not understand why, but he knew he could not take it back.
The smile fell off Reiko's face; she regarded him with solemn eyes. “The only thing I could do, for them." For a moment, her lips twisted into a grimace, but she smoothed her expression back out again. “What you see before you is all that is left of me, and soon, this too will be gone. If the future can be changed, then... it will have been worth it."
Her features softened. “Perhaps it was worth it anyway, if the last thing I see is you."
Something about the way she'd said it, though, caused something in him to feel the sadness he'd thought he was no longer capable of. She was no more, and she wanted to see him. "Why?" he asked, though he was certain he was asking himself more than he was asking her. "Why would the last thing you would want to see be me?" he continued. Shouldn't she have wanted to see someone else, her brother perhaps?
"Reiko, I..." he paused in his words. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. She shouldn't have wanted to see him. She should have wanted to see anyone else, but not him. What could he do? He couldn't do anything. He shouldn't do anything. He dropped his gaze from her.
Reiko's lips turned up at the corner. “I am not sure I should say, if you have not yet figured it out." With a faint shake of her head, she lowered her hand from his face to his shoulder.
“Listen to me, Aram." She ducked her head so that they were making eye contact again. “I know how difficult it is, for you to believe that you can change this future. But I also know that you believed not interfering was preventing something worse. And I'm here to tell you that you have it the wrong way around. What happens if you do not act is the something worse. I've lived through it. Whether it's Eiji interfering or something else, you're looking without seeing. I—all of us. We need you to see."
She shook her head, rippling her dark hair. “I do not know what you should do instead. But I know that standing by is what destroyed my world. What killed my family and enslaved humanity. I will... I will keep Eiji away from your dreams as long as I can. Until I... until I disappear. But you have to fight this. Please." Her hand flexed, applying gentle pressure to his shoulder, as if to lend him her strength.
"Reiko," he spoke her name softly, and he simply kept er gaze. Sighing softly, he shook his head. "I will... try," he said as he lifted his hand. He reached out to trace her face, however; his hand dropped to her shoulder instead. With a light tug forward, he brought her towards him, and wrapped his arms around her. He always found that he felt comforted whenever he hugged her. It wouldn't be easy, but he could try for her, at least.
"Reiko, I'm so sorry," he spoke, a strange warmth behind his eyes. In the future, she was going to die. In her timeline, she would die. Everyone he cared about would die, if he didn't do something. But wasn't that how things were supposed to be? Something warm slid down his cheeks, and he blinked. It'd been almost a millenium since he'd last cried. Was that what he was doing now?
Her return embrace was warm; one of her hands found the back of his head and held him gently to her. She was sturdy and strong in his hold; that much at least had not changed. “Don't be," she said softly. “The life I have lived has been difficult and painful, but still I have known happiness and love and so many wonderful things." She stroked his hair gently, her other arm banded firmly around his waist.
“I believe in you, Aram. I believe you can make this better, for everyone you know now. And I know that the me you know will help you in any way possible. They all will. You'll build a better future, and then everything will have been worth the pain."
But there shouldn't have been any pain. "I will try," he finally spoke, because that was the only thing he could do. He could try, but if she believed in him... maybe that could be enough for him. Maybe she could be enough for him to try. His hold on her tightened slightly, but he was still gentle. "For the sake of our future, I will try," he continued.
"You have taught me much, and you continue to teach me. I am, and will always be, grateful for that, Reiko," he said softly, taking in a slow breath. "So that you will not have to live a difficult life, so that it will not be painful," he started, pulling away so that he could stare at her.
"I will try," because she did not deserve that kind of life. No one deserved a life full of pain, or of sorrow, least of all his family. If what she said is true, if Eiji is, somehow, responsible for his dreams turning out the way they did, he needed to do something. Perhaps, he could test that? Perhaps he could attempt to change something, and see how it played out. But hadn't he already? Hadn't he seen Sayuri's death? She still lived, though. Changed in order to save her life, but she still lived.
She smiled, full and genuine for the first time since he'd entered the dream. Resting the fingertips of her left hand at his jawline, she stood on her toes and brushed her lips softly across his right cheek.
“I'm glad," she said, returning to her heels. Her hand trailed down his neck and came to rest over his heart. “And Aram? This time... when you figure out how you feel about me, tell me. No matter what the answer is. I'll appreciate knowing."
How he felt about her? He blinked a little stupidly at her, and furrowed his brows. He wasn't sure how he felt about her, but he knew it was a certain kind of fondness. He smiled, though, and nodded. "I am not sure what you mean by that, but... when I figure it out, I will tell you," he'd spoken as if he'd actually figure it out, though. Perhaps he would? Perhaps he was closer than he realized, but things were still too chaotic, too out of order for him to put the pieces together.
"Reiko," he began, already feeling the blurring of his vision. He would be waking soon. "Thank you," he stated, offering her a bow of gratitude. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have changed so much. If it wasn't for her, he would have no hope blossoming in his chest.
If it were not for her, he would not know how much life meant.
“You're welcome," she replied. “But now it is time for me to go, and you to wake up."
As though the words were a cue, the dreamscape and she along with it were pulled away from him like a warm blanket on a cold morning, and he was suddenly conscious once more.
“I yield."
Tatsuya nodded and sheathed his blades. It was rare for Jirō to spar with anyone else, but he could admit that his younger brother was good enough to pose him a serious challenge; the thin sheen of sweat on his brow and the elevated breaths pushing and pulling from his lungs were enough testament to that.
Jirō stood, brushing off his practice gear; they exchanged short bows. He retied the topknot in his ash-colored hair and pushed a heavy breath out through his nose. “I believe I needed that."
The statement was innocuous on the face of it, but Jirō had better, tighter self-control than any of them, even Takahiro. The fact that the itch to fight was even under his skin to the point where he'd had to ask Tatsuya to spar was not a great sign for their collective temperament.
In the month since they'd all returned to Shimamaki, it had been near-constant planning. Since Akarui's adviser was involved in all of this, apparently behind it, it stood to reason that the lord was behind him. Though Tatsuya had his doubts about that, based on what he knew of Eiji. It seemed more likely that he was manipulating the ningen lord, rather than the other way around. It didn't really matter.
“Anything from the southern garrison?" He asked, folding his arms into his sleeves and leaning back against one of the fenceposts in the ring.
Jirō worked himself through several cooldowns, then started taking shots at targets with nearly-invisible blades of air. “Nothing new. They're everywhere now. The fortifications are helping the humans repel them; the hunter clans have their hands full now that we've moved them into the settlements."
That had been Reiko and Takahiro's idea. Their mother had originally been from one of those clans. It wasn't that hard to make them see the advantage of being able to wage war on the oni from behind fortifications. Between their techniques and modified siege weapons, they could hold a few at bay at a time.
Where the next concentrated attack would be was anyone's guess, but the walls should let any of the settlements last long enough for them to get there for assistance. Tatsuya thought the waiting games were too conservative; he thought they should just march south and conquer Akarui's territory. Pull the problem out by the roots. But the damn treaty would make them look like the aggressors without more proof.
In effect, they were sitting around until Akarui tried to conquer them first, breaking the treaty and giving them justification to do the same. It was annoying, but he could deal with it for now.
He grunted some kind of assent to Jirō's statement and left the ring. Maybe a bath would be sufficient distraction for now.
Voices, ones that sounded like Washi-san and Ayla, could be heard around the corner though. They came into sight, and both paused to blink and stare at him. "Minamoto," Aram greeted, giving Tatsuya a slight bow in greeting. Ayla merely tilted her head to the side before letting her gaze fall towards Aram.
"Are both you and Jirō-san through with the ring?" he asked, straightening out his posture. Ayla snorted softly at his statement, and rolled her eyes.
"He's basically saying are you both done so we can use it," she spoke. When she did, it was oddly soft. Aram shifted uncomfortably in his stance though, as if something were bothering him. He kept glancing at Ayla, and then back towards Tatsuya before his gaze shifted again. It was almost as if he couldn't keep direct eye contact, which was strange. He always did.
He wasn't sure what to make of that, exactly, but he let it go. Washi-san was a peculiar person, half of the time apparently in his own damn world. Tatsuya shrugged. “Jirō's still doing target practice, but there's plenty of room on the other side for a spar if that's what you want."
He kept his eye contact with Ayla steady as he answered, but he did not say anything unnecessary. He'd resolved to give her her space; even if it was only a vow to himself, he would keep it. It was the respectful thing to do, and she had more than earned that from him.
Washi-san glanced out towards the ring where Jirō was, and furrowed his brows somewhat. "Perhaps we should come back later?" he stated, turning his attention towards Ayla. She raised a brow in his direction, pursing her lips into a thin line.
"Are you shy of fighting with someone else around?" she spoke, some amusement in her voice. Washi-san merely shook his head. "Then why would we come back later if we can do this now, Ara?" she questioned. He didn't seem to have an answer for that one since he remained silent. She sighed softly and shook her head.
"What is wrong with you, lately? You haven't been able to concentrate," she spoke, furrowing her brows.
"It's... nothing, Ayla. I've just had a lot on my mind," he replied. She didn't seem too convinced, but she didn't say anything. "If it is alright, we can train later when Jirō-san is finished with it," he seemed pretty adamant about it. Giving a slight bow in Tatsuya's direction, he departed back the way he'd come from, leaving Ayla behind. She sighed softly.
"He's been acting strange, lately," she muttered. "It's not like him to actively avoid eye contact, for one, and he's usually a little more aggressive when it comes to sparring. He can't even look at me without having to excuse himself for a moment," though the way she said it, she sounded amused.
Tatsuya hummed slightly in the back of his throat, tilting his head and tracking the other man's departure. “Maybe he had a really weird dream or something, who knows?" Washi-san supposedly saw the future. Even if Tatsuya thought such an ability was next to useless if you couldn't direct it, he could see where it could be inconvenient at times.
“If you wanted to spar right now, I could do another." He pressed the point no further than that, however, leaving her perfectly able to refuse. Not that she needed his help with something like that. Ayla never had difficulties saying what she thought, even if someone else was trying to back her into a corner.
"Maybe," she said with a light shrug of her shoulders. "Although it kind of makes me curious. What could he have dreamed of that it's difficult to make eye contact," she stated, but shifted her glance up towards him. Her expression had smoothed, somewhat, and she shrugged again. "You just had a spar," she began, arching her brow in his direction.
"It's not like I'm itching for a fight right now, and if I recall," she paused for a moment so she could shift in her spot, "the last spar we had, you'd nearly kicked my ass."
She snorted at the comment, though. "Oh," she spoke suddenly, "I wasn't being the aggressor, and something about groundwork and being short," she added.
“Well, we never did get to groundwork," he pointed out. And it wasn't the best idea, considering how much touching was involved in trying to manipulate one's opponent into holds and pins. No... full-body contact was best avoided at the moment. He glanced towards the ring, where Jirō was working through the last targets. He tended to cluster his attacks, focusing on completely eliminating one imagined enemy before moving onto the next.
“Anyway, I'm sure Jirō will finish soon, so you can always go find Washi-san again."
"Maybe, but I'm actually going to go make something to eat, first. Might as well use the opportunity to eat something. I skipped lunch thinking I was going to have a spar with Washi-san, but apparently not. Plus, I'm hungry," she spoke, muttering the last part. "You can come with, or you can go do whatever it is you were going to do. Maybe I'll go find Reiko and..." she paused in her sentence, the small smile on her face, disappearing as she did.
"I think I'll just go make lunch for myself. If you see Washi-san, tell him he better be at the ring when I get back," she stated, reaching up to tap his shoulder a couple of times.
He'd been a moment from consenting to accompany her, but the slight shift in her facial expression and the words that followed had apparently made the decision for him already. If that was what she wished, he wouldn't argue.
“If I see him, I will."
He nodded once, and took his leave. Though he no longer felt much like a bath, he should at least wash the sweat and the dirt of the ring off himself.
Tatsuya nodded and sheathed his blades. It was rare for Jirō to spar with anyone else, but he could admit that his younger brother was good enough to pose him a serious challenge; the thin sheen of sweat on his brow and the elevated breaths pushing and pulling from his lungs were enough testament to that.
Jirō stood, brushing off his practice gear; they exchanged short bows. He retied the topknot in his ash-colored hair and pushed a heavy breath out through his nose. “I believe I needed that."
The statement was innocuous on the face of it, but Jirō had better, tighter self-control than any of them, even Takahiro. The fact that the itch to fight was even under his skin to the point where he'd had to ask Tatsuya to spar was not a great sign for their collective temperament.
In the month since they'd all returned to Shimamaki, it had been near-constant planning. Since Akarui's adviser was involved in all of this, apparently behind it, it stood to reason that the lord was behind him. Though Tatsuya had his doubts about that, based on what he knew of Eiji. It seemed more likely that he was manipulating the ningen lord, rather than the other way around. It didn't really matter.
“Anything from the southern garrison?" He asked, folding his arms into his sleeves and leaning back against one of the fenceposts in the ring.
Jirō worked himself through several cooldowns, then started taking shots at targets with nearly-invisible blades of air. “Nothing new. They're everywhere now. The fortifications are helping the humans repel them; the hunter clans have their hands full now that we've moved them into the settlements."
That had been Reiko and Takahiro's idea. Their mother had originally been from one of those clans. It wasn't that hard to make them see the advantage of being able to wage war on the oni from behind fortifications. Between their techniques and modified siege weapons, they could hold a few at bay at a time.
Where the next concentrated attack would be was anyone's guess, but the walls should let any of the settlements last long enough for them to get there for assistance. Tatsuya thought the waiting games were too conservative; he thought they should just march south and conquer Akarui's territory. Pull the problem out by the roots. But the damn treaty would make them look like the aggressors without more proof.
In effect, they were sitting around until Akarui tried to conquer them first, breaking the treaty and giving them justification to do the same. It was annoying, but he could deal with it for now.
He grunted some kind of assent to Jirō's statement and left the ring. Maybe a bath would be sufficient distraction for now.
Voices, ones that sounded like Washi-san and Ayla, could be heard around the corner though. They came into sight, and both paused to blink and stare at him. "Minamoto," Aram greeted, giving Tatsuya a slight bow in greeting. Ayla merely tilted her head to the side before letting her gaze fall towards Aram.
"Are both you and Jirō-san through with the ring?" he asked, straightening out his posture. Ayla snorted softly at his statement, and rolled her eyes.
"He's basically saying are you both done so we can use it," she spoke. When she did, it was oddly soft. Aram shifted uncomfortably in his stance though, as if something were bothering him. He kept glancing at Ayla, and then back towards Tatsuya before his gaze shifted again. It was almost as if he couldn't keep direct eye contact, which was strange. He always did.
He wasn't sure what to make of that, exactly, but he let it go. Washi-san was a peculiar person, half of the time apparently in his own damn world. Tatsuya shrugged. “Jirō's still doing target practice, but there's plenty of room on the other side for a spar if that's what you want."
He kept his eye contact with Ayla steady as he answered, but he did not say anything unnecessary. He'd resolved to give her her space; even if it was only a vow to himself, he would keep it. It was the respectful thing to do, and she had more than earned that from him.
Washi-san glanced out towards the ring where Jirō was, and furrowed his brows somewhat. "Perhaps we should come back later?" he stated, turning his attention towards Ayla. She raised a brow in his direction, pursing her lips into a thin line.
"Are you shy of fighting with someone else around?" she spoke, some amusement in her voice. Washi-san merely shook his head. "Then why would we come back later if we can do this now, Ara?" she questioned. He didn't seem to have an answer for that one since he remained silent. She sighed softly and shook her head.
"What is wrong with you, lately? You haven't been able to concentrate," she spoke, furrowing her brows.
"It's... nothing, Ayla. I've just had a lot on my mind," he replied. She didn't seem too convinced, but she didn't say anything. "If it is alright, we can train later when Jirō-san is finished with it," he seemed pretty adamant about it. Giving a slight bow in Tatsuya's direction, he departed back the way he'd come from, leaving Ayla behind. She sighed softly.
"He's been acting strange, lately," she muttered. "It's not like him to actively avoid eye contact, for one, and he's usually a little more aggressive when it comes to sparring. He can't even look at me without having to excuse himself for a moment," though the way she said it, she sounded amused.
Tatsuya hummed slightly in the back of his throat, tilting his head and tracking the other man's departure. “Maybe he had a really weird dream or something, who knows?" Washi-san supposedly saw the future. Even if Tatsuya thought such an ability was next to useless if you couldn't direct it, he could see where it could be inconvenient at times.
“If you wanted to spar right now, I could do another." He pressed the point no further than that, however, leaving her perfectly able to refuse. Not that she needed his help with something like that. Ayla never had difficulties saying what she thought, even if someone else was trying to back her into a corner.
"Maybe," she said with a light shrug of her shoulders. "Although it kind of makes me curious. What could he have dreamed of that it's difficult to make eye contact," she stated, but shifted her glance up towards him. Her expression had smoothed, somewhat, and she shrugged again. "You just had a spar," she began, arching her brow in his direction.
"It's not like I'm itching for a fight right now, and if I recall," she paused for a moment so she could shift in her spot, "the last spar we had, you'd nearly kicked my ass."
She snorted at the comment, though. "Oh," she spoke suddenly, "I wasn't being the aggressor, and something about groundwork and being short," she added.
“Well, we never did get to groundwork," he pointed out. And it wasn't the best idea, considering how much touching was involved in trying to manipulate one's opponent into holds and pins. No... full-body contact was best avoided at the moment. He glanced towards the ring, where Jirō was working through the last targets. He tended to cluster his attacks, focusing on completely eliminating one imagined enemy before moving onto the next.
“Anyway, I'm sure Jirō will finish soon, so you can always go find Washi-san again."
"Maybe, but I'm actually going to go make something to eat, first. Might as well use the opportunity to eat something. I skipped lunch thinking I was going to have a spar with Washi-san, but apparently not. Plus, I'm hungry," she spoke, muttering the last part. "You can come with, or you can go do whatever it is you were going to do. Maybe I'll go find Reiko and..." she paused in her sentence, the small smile on her face, disappearing as she did.
"I think I'll just go make lunch for myself. If you see Washi-san, tell him he better be at the ring when I get back," she stated, reaching up to tap his shoulder a couple of times.
He'd been a moment from consenting to accompany her, but the slight shift in her facial expression and the words that followed had apparently made the decision for him already. If that was what she wished, he wouldn't argue.
“If I see him, I will."
He nodded once, and took his leave. Though he no longer felt much like a bath, he should at least wash the sweat and the dirt of the ring off himself.
Ayla sat in Reiko's garden, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere it had. The flowers managed to filter through her nose, and she found herself inhaling with a soft smile on her face. After her spar with Aram, she'd felt slightly restless, as if the energy she had, wasn't spent during that match. She felt like she could go on a run, however; it wasn't exactly the best idea to do so. With everything that was going on, she needed the energy she had just in case something happened.
"Ayla-san?" a voice called out timidly, and Ayla cracked both of her eyes open. Sayuri stared at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. "I thought I smelled you," she spoke. Ayla scoffed slightly. She wasn't going to get used to that. Sayuri wasn't a human, at least not anymore, and she had sharper senses now. "It's funny, you smell like... like lilies," she spoke, as if the comparison were funny somehow.
"Are you saying that we should swap names, Sayu?" she asked, causing Sayuri to shake her head. "Because I like my name a little too much. I've never heard it anywhere else," which was true, in some cases. You didn't hear names like 'Aram' or 'Ayla' in the world. They were unique, she supposed.
"Neither have I, but I was just passing through. I was... looking for Kentaro and his scent came through this way," she spoke, offering a smile before she took her leave. Ayla couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her face. She knew things were different now, but Sayuri was obviously in love. Just like she is... was. She frowned slightly at the thought. She wasn't going to admit that, least of all to herself. She couldn't.
But why?
Why couldn't she admit it to herself? Because it is not him that you love. It is the idea, the voice sounded vaguely like her own, but maybe because it was her voice. In her own mind, perhaps, but still there all the same. She sighed softly, allowing herself to lean back on the trunk of the tree she was perched against. She swallowed a little thickly, but chose not to linger on the thought. That was the reason she came to Reiko's garden, so she could empty her thoughts and concentrate on something else.
It was a little while later that Reiko walked by, a small bundle tucked under one arm and a tea tray in her other hand. It would seem she'd been seeking out Ayla specifically, because she stopped and lowered herself into a sitting position near her, setting the tray down between them. Steam curled from the mouth of the teapot; it smelled mostly like chamomile.
“Forgive this one for saying so, Ayla-san, but... you look troubled by something. Perhaps it would help if you talked to this one about it?" She settled into her spot, setting the bundle down on her other side.
"I'd say you were a mind reader," she spoke, glancing in Reiko's direction. She supposed Reiko would know. She always seemed to know even if Ayla were simply thinking. She glanced towards the tea, and raised a brow. "Just can't keep secrets from you, can I?" she spoke in a light tone. She wasn't sure, though, if she actually wanted to talk about it. Not because she didn't know, or anything like that. She simply didn't know where to begin.
"I don't know if you'll know, anyway," she muttered softly. She doubted Reiko would know, anyway, considering the circumstances. Reiko had loved one person, if her memory served her right, however; Ayla loved one person, too. In that sense, she would understand somethings. But now there was the dillema of knowing she was, perhaps, in love with someone else. She was only slightly hesitant because she wasn't sure if she truly was.
"How do you know if you love someone, or if it's just infatuation?" she decided to start there. She, obviously, knew the difference, but for some reason, this particular problem was a mystery to her.
Reiko considered that question for a moment, sighing through her nose and pouring a cup of tea for each of them. She'd taken hers into her lap before she answered. “Infatuation... this one thinks that's purely feelings. It's the light sort of fluttery one that you get in your stomach when you see or think about the other person." She paused, tracing the rim of her teacup with a thumb. “It's the part where your heartbeat accelerates and you feel lighter and happier around them."
She took a sip and lowered the cup back to her knee. “Erm... eventually, that starts to blend with desire, this one thinks." Reiko cleared her throat, clearly not precisely comfortable venturing much further into that end of the topic. “B-but... love is something different than either of those things, this one thinks. If... if you're in love with someone, then you probably feel those things, but... also you feel like they're a friend you can trust, and... and something deeper than that. That there's something about the two of you that..."
She hesitated, perhaps searching for the words. “Something that connects you. Something that fits and feels right. Not just the little temporary feelings, but something underneath all of it that doesn't go away, even when things are hard and the normal sort of happiness is harder to get to." Reiko's eyes flitted away. “This one isn't sure this one makes any sense."
Actually, that made a lot of sense. She understood what Reiko was saying, because she had felt those things for him. But somehow, even that seemed wrong. What she felt now was deeper. It was like, for the first time, everything made sense. Her beast was quiet, control wasn't nearly as difficult as it had once been, and she was... lighter did not seem like the right word she wanted, but it was the only one she could use to describe the sensation she had.
"Even so," she spoke, shifting her gaze upwards, "I'm not sure if there really is a difference. And there is nothing to be embarrassed about desiring someone, Reiko," she spoke, a small smile on her face. She wasn't even trying to tease Reiko. It was just a fact she'd learned a long time ago.
"But I suppose you have a point," she added. "Indulge me for a second, Reiko," she spoke, leaning forward so that she caught her chin in her hand, and let her elbow rest on her leg. "Do you still love this person you'd loved before?" she asked. She wanted to know because it would help her with her problem.
Maybe.
Maybe it wouldn't. She'd thought she still loved him, but after Aram had told her those things, that no longer seemed the case. She would always care for him, yes, but she no longer seemed to love him.
“U-uh," Reiko stammered, coloring slightly. “Th-this one's case is somewhat... peculiar, Ayla-san. This one isn't honestly sure it deserves such an important name as love. P-perhaps infatuation is the better way to put it." She seemed to have difficulty meeting Ayla's eyes. Either that, or something in her teacup had suddenly become very interesting, indeed.
She snorted. "And mine wasn't?" she asked, blinking slightly at her choice of words. Wasn't. "But I think you just answered the question for me," she continued, raising a brow at Reiko. She said it didn't deserve such an important name, but Ayla didn't mind it. Reiko could think what she wanted to. "You are lucky I am being merciful at the moment, Reiko," she stated softly.
"Otherwise I'd have had to find a way to press the information from you," still, what Reiko said was enough for her. "You may be on to something, though. Maybe I do love someone, or maybe I'm just infatuated. Or maybe...," she spoke, allowing a sly smile to cross her face. She leaned forward slightly as she did. "Maybe I desire them, hm?" she spoke, the smile pulling just a little bit wider.
"You know, the benefits of having exceptional hearing is that I get to hear everything," Sayuri's voice cut through, and Ayla turned in her direction. She had a small smile of amusement on her face, and she had her arms crossed over her chest. "Ayla-san's obviously in love, Rei-Rei, can't you tell?" she spoke, causing Ayla to roll her eyes.
"The only question that really needs answering is who. Who was unfortunate enough to capture Ayla-san's attention? Surely it has to be..." she shot Ayla a sly glance. Ayla had to admit, though, that she was impressed. Since when did the little lily princess become so cunning? Two could play that game, though.
"Oh, I don't know if you know him. He's taller than I am," she began, though it was a little vague. Almost all the males were taller than her. "He's got dark eyes," which was just about everyone in Reiko's family. Sayuri huffed lightly, as if she were trying not to laugh.
Reiko seemed to recover once the pressure was away from her, and rolled her eyes. “This one isn't stupid," she said with a small huff. “It's obvious who the person in question is. This one was trying to respect Ayla-san's privacy by not pressing for details."
Ayla snorted softly. "Well, I thought it was obvious enough," she spoke, causing Sayuri to raise a brow. "It's Tsubaki-chan, of course," she replied, causing Sayuri to frown at her. Ayla had to keep herself from laughing. It looked like Sayuri actually believed her.
"I... guess that makes sense. You and Tsubasa-san get along really well," she spoke. Ayla had to admit, the look on Sayuri's face was cute. It was taking a lot not to laugh at her right now, though.
Reiko snorted. “It is not," she said, nudging Ayla with her elbow. “Not telling us is one thing, but you shouldn't lie to Sayu-chan, Ayla-san. She might try to set you two up or something." It did sound a little bit like the sort of meddlesome thing that Sayuri would attempt on her behalf.
"Is that so?" Ayla spoke, shooting a glance towards Sayuri. Sayuri had the expression of being slightly mortified, as if she'd been figured out. "By all means, please do," she stated, a smirk crossing her features. Sayuri looked confused, though.
"Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure Tsubasa-san wouldn't mind," she spoke. Ayla couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Ayla-san, what's so funny?" she asked. Ayla had to get her laughing under control before she could answer. Sayuri was too much fun.
"Sayuri, don't do that. It's not Tsubaki-chan," she managed to say through fits of laughter. Once she was able to take a deep breath, she shook her head. "I don't think the other one would take it very well, though, if it were Tsubaki-chan," she spoke softly. Reiko knew whom she was referring to, however; she didn't want Sayuri to know. At least not yet.
"You're horrible, Ayla-san."
"The worst."
Reiko huffed a soft chuckle, shaking her head. It seemed like she knew something that no one else did, but then, that wasn't very unusual with her. “Yes, well, whether she's the worst or just pretty bad, this one thinks there's a lesson in here somewhere." She arched an eyebrow. “Would Sayu-chan like to have some tea as well?"
Ayla laughed softly as Sayuri sat down with them. Perhaps... this was what she needed, after all?
"Ayla-san?" a voice called out timidly, and Ayla cracked both of her eyes open. Sayuri stared at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. "I thought I smelled you," she spoke. Ayla scoffed slightly. She wasn't going to get used to that. Sayuri wasn't a human, at least not anymore, and she had sharper senses now. "It's funny, you smell like... like lilies," she spoke, as if the comparison were funny somehow.
"Are you saying that we should swap names, Sayu?" she asked, causing Sayuri to shake her head. "Because I like my name a little too much. I've never heard it anywhere else," which was true, in some cases. You didn't hear names like 'Aram' or 'Ayla' in the world. They were unique, she supposed.
"Neither have I, but I was just passing through. I was... looking for Kentaro and his scent came through this way," she spoke, offering a smile before she took her leave. Ayla couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her face. She knew things were different now, but Sayuri was obviously in love. Just like she is... was. She frowned slightly at the thought. She wasn't going to admit that, least of all to herself. She couldn't.
But why?
Why couldn't she admit it to herself? Because it is not him that you love. It is the idea, the voice sounded vaguely like her own, but maybe because it was her voice. In her own mind, perhaps, but still there all the same. She sighed softly, allowing herself to lean back on the trunk of the tree she was perched against. She swallowed a little thickly, but chose not to linger on the thought. That was the reason she came to Reiko's garden, so she could empty her thoughts and concentrate on something else.
It was a little while later that Reiko walked by, a small bundle tucked under one arm and a tea tray in her other hand. It would seem she'd been seeking out Ayla specifically, because she stopped and lowered herself into a sitting position near her, setting the tray down between them. Steam curled from the mouth of the teapot; it smelled mostly like chamomile.
“Forgive this one for saying so, Ayla-san, but... you look troubled by something. Perhaps it would help if you talked to this one about it?" She settled into her spot, setting the bundle down on her other side.
"I'd say you were a mind reader," she spoke, glancing in Reiko's direction. She supposed Reiko would know. She always seemed to know even if Ayla were simply thinking. She glanced towards the tea, and raised a brow. "Just can't keep secrets from you, can I?" she spoke in a light tone. She wasn't sure, though, if she actually wanted to talk about it. Not because she didn't know, or anything like that. She simply didn't know where to begin.
"I don't know if you'll know, anyway," she muttered softly. She doubted Reiko would know, anyway, considering the circumstances. Reiko had loved one person, if her memory served her right, however; Ayla loved one person, too. In that sense, she would understand somethings. But now there was the dillema of knowing she was, perhaps, in love with someone else. She was only slightly hesitant because she wasn't sure if she truly was.
"How do you know if you love someone, or if it's just infatuation?" she decided to start there. She, obviously, knew the difference, but for some reason, this particular problem was a mystery to her.
Reiko considered that question for a moment, sighing through her nose and pouring a cup of tea for each of them. She'd taken hers into her lap before she answered. “Infatuation... this one thinks that's purely feelings. It's the light sort of fluttery one that you get in your stomach when you see or think about the other person." She paused, tracing the rim of her teacup with a thumb. “It's the part where your heartbeat accelerates and you feel lighter and happier around them."
She took a sip and lowered the cup back to her knee. “Erm... eventually, that starts to blend with desire, this one thinks." Reiko cleared her throat, clearly not precisely comfortable venturing much further into that end of the topic. “B-but... love is something different than either of those things, this one thinks. If... if you're in love with someone, then you probably feel those things, but... also you feel like they're a friend you can trust, and... and something deeper than that. That there's something about the two of you that..."
She hesitated, perhaps searching for the words. “Something that connects you. Something that fits and feels right. Not just the little temporary feelings, but something underneath all of it that doesn't go away, even when things are hard and the normal sort of happiness is harder to get to." Reiko's eyes flitted away. “This one isn't sure this one makes any sense."
Actually, that made a lot of sense. She understood what Reiko was saying, because she had felt those things for him. But somehow, even that seemed wrong. What she felt now was deeper. It was like, for the first time, everything made sense. Her beast was quiet, control wasn't nearly as difficult as it had once been, and she was... lighter did not seem like the right word she wanted, but it was the only one she could use to describe the sensation she had.
"Even so," she spoke, shifting her gaze upwards, "I'm not sure if there really is a difference. And there is nothing to be embarrassed about desiring someone, Reiko," she spoke, a small smile on her face. She wasn't even trying to tease Reiko. It was just a fact she'd learned a long time ago.
"But I suppose you have a point," she added. "Indulge me for a second, Reiko," she spoke, leaning forward so that she caught her chin in her hand, and let her elbow rest on her leg. "Do you still love this person you'd loved before?" she asked. She wanted to know because it would help her with her problem.
Maybe.
Maybe it wouldn't. She'd thought she still loved him, but after Aram had told her those things, that no longer seemed the case. She would always care for him, yes, but she no longer seemed to love him.
“U-uh," Reiko stammered, coloring slightly. “Th-this one's case is somewhat... peculiar, Ayla-san. This one isn't honestly sure it deserves such an important name as love. P-perhaps infatuation is the better way to put it." She seemed to have difficulty meeting Ayla's eyes. Either that, or something in her teacup had suddenly become very interesting, indeed.
She snorted. "And mine wasn't?" she asked, blinking slightly at her choice of words. Wasn't. "But I think you just answered the question for me," she continued, raising a brow at Reiko. She said it didn't deserve such an important name, but Ayla didn't mind it. Reiko could think what she wanted to. "You are lucky I am being merciful at the moment, Reiko," she stated softly.
"Otherwise I'd have had to find a way to press the information from you," still, what Reiko said was enough for her. "You may be on to something, though. Maybe I do love someone, or maybe I'm just infatuated. Or maybe...," she spoke, allowing a sly smile to cross her face. She leaned forward slightly as she did. "Maybe I desire them, hm?" she spoke, the smile pulling just a little bit wider.
"You know, the benefits of having exceptional hearing is that I get to hear everything," Sayuri's voice cut through, and Ayla turned in her direction. She had a small smile of amusement on her face, and she had her arms crossed over her chest. "Ayla-san's obviously in love, Rei-Rei, can't you tell?" she spoke, causing Ayla to roll her eyes.
"The only question that really needs answering is who. Who was unfortunate enough to capture Ayla-san's attention? Surely it has to be..." she shot Ayla a sly glance. Ayla had to admit, though, that she was impressed. Since when did the little lily princess become so cunning? Two could play that game, though.
"Oh, I don't know if you know him. He's taller than I am," she began, though it was a little vague. Almost all the males were taller than her. "He's got dark eyes," which was just about everyone in Reiko's family. Sayuri huffed lightly, as if she were trying not to laugh.
Reiko seemed to recover once the pressure was away from her, and rolled her eyes. “This one isn't stupid," she said with a small huff. “It's obvious who the person in question is. This one was trying to respect Ayla-san's privacy by not pressing for details."
Ayla snorted softly. "Well, I thought it was obvious enough," she spoke, causing Sayuri to raise a brow. "It's Tsubaki-chan, of course," she replied, causing Sayuri to frown at her. Ayla had to keep herself from laughing. It looked like Sayuri actually believed her.
"I... guess that makes sense. You and Tsubasa-san get along really well," she spoke. Ayla had to admit, the look on Sayuri's face was cute. It was taking a lot not to laugh at her right now, though.
Reiko snorted. “It is not," she said, nudging Ayla with her elbow. “Not telling us is one thing, but you shouldn't lie to Sayu-chan, Ayla-san. She might try to set you two up or something." It did sound a little bit like the sort of meddlesome thing that Sayuri would attempt on her behalf.
"Is that so?" Ayla spoke, shooting a glance towards Sayuri. Sayuri had the expression of being slightly mortified, as if she'd been figured out. "By all means, please do," she stated, a smirk crossing her features. Sayuri looked confused, though.
"Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure Tsubasa-san wouldn't mind," she spoke. Ayla couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Ayla-san, what's so funny?" she asked. Ayla had to get her laughing under control before she could answer. Sayuri was too much fun.
"Sayuri, don't do that. It's not Tsubaki-chan," she managed to say through fits of laughter. Once she was able to take a deep breath, she shook her head. "I don't think the other one would take it very well, though, if it were Tsubaki-chan," she spoke softly. Reiko knew whom she was referring to, however; she didn't want Sayuri to know. At least not yet.
"You're horrible, Ayla-san."
"The worst."
Reiko huffed a soft chuckle, shaking her head. It seemed like she knew something that no one else did, but then, that wasn't very unusual with her. “Yes, well, whether she's the worst or just pretty bad, this one thinks there's a lesson in here somewhere." She arched an eyebrow. “Would Sayu-chan like to have some tea as well?"
Ayla laughed softly as Sayuri sat down with them. Perhaps... this was what she needed, after all?
Reiko frowned down at the shogi board. “Ne, Taka, you always beat this one." Takahiro was the best shogi player of her brothers, with the exception of Jirō. A match between those two was a rare event, but always worth watching. She could reliably beat Tsubasa or Daichi, but she wasn't honestly sure if Tatsuya even played.
“You did very well, though, Reiko." Takahiro had always been free with his praise, but genuine. His smile was warm and bright, and she smiled back even though he couldn't see it.
“This one will win someday, Taka. You'll see."
He chuckled softly, clearing the board of its engraved pieces and sorting them into two small silk bags. “I look forward to it." He finished his task and stood, coming to a stop a polite distance from her.
It wasn't difficult to figure out why, and she closed the gap, tilting her head to the side. He lingered a moment, running a finger along Tatsuya's mark. “You should consider getting him to take this off," Takahiro advised. “I know he didn't mean anything by it, but you've outgrown the need for such things, haven't you?"
She supposed that might be true. The Mark was there more to soothe Tatsuya's need to keep her safe than because she felt she needed it, but she would not deny that it brought her a certain sense of safety as well. Still... she thought back to her conversation with Ayla the day before.
Perhaps it was for the better if he did take it back.
Takahiro was careful and clinical in his bite; he took exactly the same amount of blood every time, unwavering in his self control, much like Jirō.The others struggled a little more, but that wasn't their fault. The wound was gone by the time he pulled back, letting his hands fall from her shoulders and pressing a quick kiss to her hair.
“But I'm sure you have better things to do than play shogi with me all day. Go on, then; off with you." He made an exaggerated shooing motion, and she laughed as she left, the door sliding gently shut behind her.
The truth of it was that she didn't have much to do today, but that was no significant obstacle. She'd just wander until she encountered someone who was free and willing to spend time with her, and if she found no one, she'd go read in Tou-chan's library for a while.
"Good morning, Reiko," her walk had brought her past Aram. He wore a small, contemplative smile on his face when he greeted her, though. "Are you, perchance, busy?" he inquired, tilting his head to the side as he did. He seemed calmer, somehow, and his demeanor seemed slightly more hopeful.
"If you are not, perhaps there is something you can help me with," he continued, his smile inching just the slightest bit wider.
Calmer was just about the opposite of what she felt though. Belatedly, his scent hit her like a wall, and she startled slightly at the sound of his voice. Goodness, she was being a little ninny. Resolved not to do so any longer than necessary, she cleared her throat and settled her body language, smiling slightly.
“This one is not occupied, Aram-sama. What is it that you would like assistance with?"
He smiled at her, though there was some concern when he'd startled her. "Forgive me, I did not mean to do that," he spoke first, shaking his head. "I was wondering if you would walk with me, and perhaps indulge me with your thoughts on something," he spoke, the smile inching wider as he did so. He also looked slightly nervous, now. As if what he wanted to say was slightly uncomforable.
"You are not, of course, obligated, but I thought I would ask," he continued. He seemed to be trusting her more and more, lately, with the things he could not share with anyone else. Perhaps this was another one of those times?
“Of course," she said, perhaps a little too quickly. She paused to swallow, then nodded a little more sedately. “Would Aram-sama perhaps like to look at the new flowers coming in for autumn?" She'd just finished preparing the summer plants for the long period of dormancy that would soon be upon them, but the autumn ones were just emerging into bloom now, and she'd always thought it was the garden's prettiest season, even moreso than spring.
Of course, the main benefit of going to the garden was the privacy. No one would overhear them without her knowing, and it wasn't quite as... personal as using either of their quarters.
"Of course," he spoke, inclining his head in her direction. He fell in step next to her as he always did. Despite being almost a foot taller than her, he always seemed to be mindful of their height difference, and walked in a way that she did not have to hurry in her steps. He hummed a slight, thoughtful note, in his throat before he broke the silence. "Do you insist on still calling me Aram-sama, even though we are friends?" he asked, smiling down at her as he did.
He seemed slightly amused by the fact that she called him that, but he didn't seem entirely bothered by it. Maybe it did, but perhaps not in the way it would have bothered Ayla if she'd called her that.
For some reason, the question—simple as it was—caught her off-guard. “W-we are?" she asked. Her face quickly flushed. “Ah, um, that is..." she cast around for a way to explain her flustered demeanor, and swallowed thickly. “I-it is just that... this one is..."
How did she explain to him that she still used the address because he was so far above her that it was the appropriate thing to do? He would surely disagree, and yet...
Reiko dropped her eyes. They stood on the engawa bordering the garden, not yet within its safe confines. “Aram-sama has always been -sama to this one. Even when you were Hizashi-sama. This one is... this one does not want to presume."
He seemed to raise a brow at her, a slight confused look crossing his features. "I would like to say that we are. You are a dear friend, Reiko, someone whom I can talk freely with. Is that not what friends do?" he questioned, his brow raising a little further. "And I don't believe that is true. If it were, why is it that you refer to me as -sama, and not Ayla? She is your friend, too, is she not?" he continued.
"It does not bother me that you do, but it is slightly curious," he smiled at her as if to reassure her that it did not, in fact, bother him. His curiosity was genuine, it seemed.
She pursed her lips. She couldn't really explain the truth of it to him. It was a truth she poorly understood herself. She knew only that she needed the distance the manner of address provided. Needed to remind herself how insignificant she was next to him, because he was so very good at making her forget. At making her feel... well, lots of things. Worthy of his company among them.
“This one thinks that Ayla-san would not want to be this one's friend if this one called her Ayla-sama," she said instead. That was true, and hopefully he would also take it as an explanation, though it was only the least part of one.
“A-anyway... This one remembers that Aram-sa—that you had something to ask this one about?" She didn't think that had been it.
He chuckled softly at her, and nodded his head. "There was, but it seems I have forgotten," he spoke. That seemed genuine, too. "I would like to spend time in your company so that you may come to see me as a friend, too," he continued, smiling a little too brightly at her. "Besides," he spoke, the smile faltering slightly as he glanced away from her.
"I was not lying to Sayuri-san that day. I do enjoy your company, Reiko. Perhaps moreso that I ought to," he admitted, a light color dusting his cheeks. He was embarrassed, and that was easy to see.
It was nothing. He didn't mean anything by it. She repeated that in her head like a mantra, even though her brain and heart both skittered near to stopping for a second there. The repetition, the reassurance, allowed her to keep any trace of her distress from her face, save a slight warming of her cheeks. But even he was doing that; it still didn't mean anything. She was able to smile placidly and ignore the sharp, stabbing ache in her chest.
“Well, that is natural, isn't it? Everyone enjoys the company of their friends, and if Aram-sama says we are friends, then it must be so." She somehow managed even a light teasing lilt to her tone. Anything but what she really felt. What she really wanted to do and say.
Anything so she would not destroy this fragile friendship, this delicate balancing act between what she had and what she wanted.
He sighed softly, though, and shook his head. "Be that as it may, Reiko," he spoke, moving his eyes so that he was gazing into hers. "Your company is something that I find myself seeking out. It is more than enjoying the company of friends. We could stand in silence, and I would still feel..." he paused, pursing his lips together. It looked like he was searching for the right words to say.
"Satisfied is the only way I can describe it," he continued, his gaze still holding hers. He was earnest in his admission. "Perhaps it is because you have given me reason to hope again, to believe in something more. I confess, I do not know what it is, but it is true, nonetheless."
He doesn't mean what that sounds like. He doesn't mean what that sounds like. He doesn't, he doesn't he doesn't.
Only Aram would be able to look at someone like that, say something like that, and have no idea how it could reasonably be interpreted. Strangely, it's that knowledge that calmed her, cemented her little mantra in her head. He didn't know how it sounded, and so there was no reason for her to dwell on it either.
Well, no reason except her traitorous heart. It was beating much too fast even now, but Reiko did her best to ignore it, to keep her breathing steady and even, to keep her facial expression locked tightly on 'benevolent amusement' and let it veer no further toward the truth.
“Perhaps that is the explanation," she conceded. It seemed right for the kind of person he was. She knew it was an honor, a profound thing, to have been that person for him. The one who helped him in that way. But her heart was a selfish, greedy thing, and all she could think was how that wasn't enough.
She sighed, shaking her head faintly. “You say such kind things, Aram-sama. You should be a little bit more careful about that, perhaps. It could be misleading." There wasn't really any admonishment in her tone; despite all the grief it was causing her, she wouldn't really change it about him. Because she wouldn't change anything about him at all, if he really believed in changing the future now.
Still, she couldn't stop herself from saying it.
"Misleading, how?" he questioned, giving her a confused look. "There is nothing misleading in what I say. Because I cannot put a name to what it is, does not mean it is any less true," he spoke, his voice unusually soft. He sighed softly, and shook his head. "But if that is what you wish, I shall endeavor to be more... careful in my words," he stated. Oddly, there was something sad to the way he'd said it. It was as if what she said had caused some kind of doubt to filter into him.
"Do not think I would ever deceive you, Reiko. I... you are too precious to do that to," he spoke, dropping his gaze as he did so.
But even the truth could be misleading. She knew that; surely he must know it as well. She hated that she felt guilty for protecting herself even this much, though of course if he didn't understand what she meant in the first place, he wouldn't understand her reasons for doing it.
Reiko sighed. “This one did not mean to say you should not tell this one things, only that... never mind. Forget this one said anything, Aram-sama. This one was being silly." She half-smiled, though she suspected it might not quite reach her eyes.
"If that is what you wish," he spoke, his tone a little more dejected than it had been. He didn't say anything after that, and simply allowed the silence between them. It was another few moments before he spoke again. "Reiko-san, because I cannot offer you anything else, I will say this," he started, pausing only to glance to his side.
"You will not have to endure anymore pain or sorrow. I will make sure of it," he spoke, though it was vague as to what he meant. He seemed resolved in the statement, though, and he lifted his gaze back up to meet hers. His eyes were, oddly, firmer than before.
She smiled a little more fully. It was a lovely thought, but she did not think that even he could know that, with all his powers of foresight and all the wisdom to interpret what he saw.
“This one hopes you are right, Aram-sama."
“You did very well, though, Reiko." Takahiro had always been free with his praise, but genuine. His smile was warm and bright, and she smiled back even though he couldn't see it.
“This one will win someday, Taka. You'll see."
He chuckled softly, clearing the board of its engraved pieces and sorting them into two small silk bags. “I look forward to it." He finished his task and stood, coming to a stop a polite distance from her.
It wasn't difficult to figure out why, and she closed the gap, tilting her head to the side. He lingered a moment, running a finger along Tatsuya's mark. “You should consider getting him to take this off," Takahiro advised. “I know he didn't mean anything by it, but you've outgrown the need for such things, haven't you?"
She supposed that might be true. The Mark was there more to soothe Tatsuya's need to keep her safe than because she felt she needed it, but she would not deny that it brought her a certain sense of safety as well. Still... she thought back to her conversation with Ayla the day before.
Perhaps it was for the better if he did take it back.
Takahiro was careful and clinical in his bite; he took exactly the same amount of blood every time, unwavering in his self control, much like Jirō.The others struggled a little more, but that wasn't their fault. The wound was gone by the time he pulled back, letting his hands fall from her shoulders and pressing a quick kiss to her hair.
“But I'm sure you have better things to do than play shogi with me all day. Go on, then; off with you." He made an exaggerated shooing motion, and she laughed as she left, the door sliding gently shut behind her.
The truth of it was that she didn't have much to do today, but that was no significant obstacle. She'd just wander until she encountered someone who was free and willing to spend time with her, and if she found no one, she'd go read in Tou-chan's library for a while.
"Good morning, Reiko," her walk had brought her past Aram. He wore a small, contemplative smile on his face when he greeted her, though. "Are you, perchance, busy?" he inquired, tilting his head to the side as he did. He seemed calmer, somehow, and his demeanor seemed slightly more hopeful.
"If you are not, perhaps there is something you can help me with," he continued, his smile inching just the slightest bit wider.
Calmer was just about the opposite of what she felt though. Belatedly, his scent hit her like a wall, and she startled slightly at the sound of his voice. Goodness, she was being a little ninny. Resolved not to do so any longer than necessary, she cleared her throat and settled her body language, smiling slightly.
“This one is not occupied, Aram-sama. What is it that you would like assistance with?"
He smiled at her, though there was some concern when he'd startled her. "Forgive me, I did not mean to do that," he spoke first, shaking his head. "I was wondering if you would walk with me, and perhaps indulge me with your thoughts on something," he spoke, the smile inching wider as he did so. He also looked slightly nervous, now. As if what he wanted to say was slightly uncomforable.
"You are not, of course, obligated, but I thought I would ask," he continued. He seemed to be trusting her more and more, lately, with the things he could not share with anyone else. Perhaps this was another one of those times?
“Of course," she said, perhaps a little too quickly. She paused to swallow, then nodded a little more sedately. “Would Aram-sama perhaps like to look at the new flowers coming in for autumn?" She'd just finished preparing the summer plants for the long period of dormancy that would soon be upon them, but the autumn ones were just emerging into bloom now, and she'd always thought it was the garden's prettiest season, even moreso than spring.
Of course, the main benefit of going to the garden was the privacy. No one would overhear them without her knowing, and it wasn't quite as... personal as using either of their quarters.
"Of course," he spoke, inclining his head in her direction. He fell in step next to her as he always did. Despite being almost a foot taller than her, he always seemed to be mindful of their height difference, and walked in a way that she did not have to hurry in her steps. He hummed a slight, thoughtful note, in his throat before he broke the silence. "Do you insist on still calling me Aram-sama, even though we are friends?" he asked, smiling down at her as he did.
He seemed slightly amused by the fact that she called him that, but he didn't seem entirely bothered by it. Maybe it did, but perhaps not in the way it would have bothered Ayla if she'd called her that.
For some reason, the question—simple as it was—caught her off-guard. “W-we are?" she asked. Her face quickly flushed. “Ah, um, that is..." she cast around for a way to explain her flustered demeanor, and swallowed thickly. “I-it is just that... this one is..."
How did she explain to him that she still used the address because he was so far above her that it was the appropriate thing to do? He would surely disagree, and yet...
Reiko dropped her eyes. They stood on the engawa bordering the garden, not yet within its safe confines. “Aram-sama has always been -sama to this one. Even when you were Hizashi-sama. This one is... this one does not want to presume."
He seemed to raise a brow at her, a slight confused look crossing his features. "I would like to say that we are. You are a dear friend, Reiko, someone whom I can talk freely with. Is that not what friends do?" he questioned, his brow raising a little further. "And I don't believe that is true. If it were, why is it that you refer to me as -sama, and not Ayla? She is your friend, too, is she not?" he continued.
"It does not bother me that you do, but it is slightly curious," he smiled at her as if to reassure her that it did not, in fact, bother him. His curiosity was genuine, it seemed.
She pursed her lips. She couldn't really explain the truth of it to him. It was a truth she poorly understood herself. She knew only that she needed the distance the manner of address provided. Needed to remind herself how insignificant she was next to him, because he was so very good at making her forget. At making her feel... well, lots of things. Worthy of his company among them.
“This one thinks that Ayla-san would not want to be this one's friend if this one called her Ayla-sama," she said instead. That was true, and hopefully he would also take it as an explanation, though it was only the least part of one.
“A-anyway... This one remembers that Aram-sa—that you had something to ask this one about?" She didn't think that had been it.
He chuckled softly at her, and nodded his head. "There was, but it seems I have forgotten," he spoke. That seemed genuine, too. "I would like to spend time in your company so that you may come to see me as a friend, too," he continued, smiling a little too brightly at her. "Besides," he spoke, the smile faltering slightly as he glanced away from her.
"I was not lying to Sayuri-san that day. I do enjoy your company, Reiko. Perhaps moreso that I ought to," he admitted, a light color dusting his cheeks. He was embarrassed, and that was easy to see.
It was nothing. He didn't mean anything by it. She repeated that in her head like a mantra, even though her brain and heart both skittered near to stopping for a second there. The repetition, the reassurance, allowed her to keep any trace of her distress from her face, save a slight warming of her cheeks. But even he was doing that; it still didn't mean anything. She was able to smile placidly and ignore the sharp, stabbing ache in her chest.
“Well, that is natural, isn't it? Everyone enjoys the company of their friends, and if Aram-sama says we are friends, then it must be so." She somehow managed even a light teasing lilt to her tone. Anything but what she really felt. What she really wanted to do and say.
Anything so she would not destroy this fragile friendship, this delicate balancing act between what she had and what she wanted.
He sighed softly, though, and shook his head. "Be that as it may, Reiko," he spoke, moving his eyes so that he was gazing into hers. "Your company is something that I find myself seeking out. It is more than enjoying the company of friends. We could stand in silence, and I would still feel..." he paused, pursing his lips together. It looked like he was searching for the right words to say.
"Satisfied is the only way I can describe it," he continued, his gaze still holding hers. He was earnest in his admission. "Perhaps it is because you have given me reason to hope again, to believe in something more. I confess, I do not know what it is, but it is true, nonetheless."
He doesn't mean what that sounds like. He doesn't mean what that sounds like. He doesn't, he doesn't he doesn't.
Only Aram would be able to look at someone like that, say something like that, and have no idea how it could reasonably be interpreted. Strangely, it's that knowledge that calmed her, cemented her little mantra in her head. He didn't know how it sounded, and so there was no reason for her to dwell on it either.
Well, no reason except her traitorous heart. It was beating much too fast even now, but Reiko did her best to ignore it, to keep her breathing steady and even, to keep her facial expression locked tightly on 'benevolent amusement' and let it veer no further toward the truth.
“Perhaps that is the explanation," she conceded. It seemed right for the kind of person he was. She knew it was an honor, a profound thing, to have been that person for him. The one who helped him in that way. But her heart was a selfish, greedy thing, and all she could think was how that wasn't enough.
She sighed, shaking her head faintly. “You say such kind things, Aram-sama. You should be a little bit more careful about that, perhaps. It could be misleading." There wasn't really any admonishment in her tone; despite all the grief it was causing her, she wouldn't really change it about him. Because she wouldn't change anything about him at all, if he really believed in changing the future now.
Still, she couldn't stop herself from saying it.
"Misleading, how?" he questioned, giving her a confused look. "There is nothing misleading in what I say. Because I cannot put a name to what it is, does not mean it is any less true," he spoke, his voice unusually soft. He sighed softly, and shook his head. "But if that is what you wish, I shall endeavor to be more... careful in my words," he stated. Oddly, there was something sad to the way he'd said it. It was as if what she said had caused some kind of doubt to filter into him.
"Do not think I would ever deceive you, Reiko. I... you are too precious to do that to," he spoke, dropping his gaze as he did so.
But even the truth could be misleading. She knew that; surely he must know it as well. She hated that she felt guilty for protecting herself even this much, though of course if he didn't understand what she meant in the first place, he wouldn't understand her reasons for doing it.
Reiko sighed. “This one did not mean to say you should not tell this one things, only that... never mind. Forget this one said anything, Aram-sama. This one was being silly." She half-smiled, though she suspected it might not quite reach her eyes.
"If that is what you wish," he spoke, his tone a little more dejected than it had been. He didn't say anything after that, and simply allowed the silence between them. It was another few moments before he spoke again. "Reiko-san, because I cannot offer you anything else, I will say this," he started, pausing only to glance to his side.
"You will not have to endure anymore pain or sorrow. I will make sure of it," he spoke, though it was vague as to what he meant. He seemed resolved in the statement, though, and he lifted his gaze back up to meet hers. His eyes were, oddly, firmer than before.
She smiled a little more fully. It was a lovely thought, but she did not think that even he could know that, with all his powers of foresight and all the wisdom to interpret what he saw.
“This one hopes you are right, Aram-sama."
She knew that look. She'd know that look from a mile away. She tilted her brow in his direction, and gave him a quizzical look. He blinked at her, though, and tilted his head in a confused manner. The moon was high in the sky, and if she had to guess, the time wasn't too late, but late enough that most of the people in the land would be sleeping. Unfortunately, Ayla hadn't had the luxury of being able to sleep this particular night, and she had dragged Aram with her. She was bothered by something, but she would work it out, eventually. No... at the moment, the expression on Aram's face was too good to pass up.
"Who is she?" she asked, though she had a vague idea. Aram blinked at her, before he did so again in a rapid session. Poor idiot. He didn't even know what she was talking about. That much was obvious from the expression on his face. "The woman who has my brother's attention must be quite the specimen," she continued, letting her legs dangle in the pond.
"I do not understand what you mean, Ayla," he finally spoke, pursing his lips together. She scoffed at him. He really could be clueless sometimes, but she didn't think that was the case. From the look on his face, he knew something. It probably hadn't quite dawned on him. She rolled her eyes again, and sighed.
"Aram, for once in your life, don't be stupid. I don't know if I could handle you if you were," she spoke, causing him to frown and purse his lips together. "Do you really not know what I'm talking about?" she asked, raising her brow in slight shock. Perhaps she shouldn't be. She'd never known Aram to be taken by anyone, really. There was a point in her life that she thought he wasn't capable of being like that, at least not like she was.
"If I knew, I would understand what you were talking about. As it currently stands, I do not," he replied, heaving his shoulders lightly. She would have laughed if it weren't so damn sad. "I do not believe it is important, though," he spoke, causing her to sigh heavily.
"Come on, Ara, you know that's not true. It's... alright to feel like that, you know. You shouldn't be so shy about it. Admit it, you like her, don't you?" she asked, waiting for his response. She already knew what he was going to say.
"Of course I do, Ayla. She's..." he paused, blinking slowly as if he were trying to think of the right words. She knew that hesitance, and she simply smiled at him. "It is not the same thing, Ayla," he spoke, causing her to smirk somewhat. It seemed he'd finally caught on to what she was saying. It was, dare she say, hilarious to see the faint color rising to his cheeks.
"And who are you trying to convince, hm? You or me?" she shot back, raising a challenging brow at him. "Look Ara, it's not going to kill you to admit that you might actually care for her in a way that makes you feel. We... don't get to be lucky about things like that, but I'm certain that if you were to tell her, you wouldn't be disappointed," she spoke, smiling a little too broadly.
She couldn't say for sure if Reiko loved who she thought she did, but it would make sense. Or at least some sense, she supposed. Ayla knew she wasn't exactly the brightest of the three, but she knew what love looked like, and what it felt like. And it hurt like a bitch. It had taken some time, but she'd finally been able to admit it to herself. She loved someone... again. Even now, it sent a strange sensation through her, and she felt like a stupid little girl with a crush on someone. But she knew it wasn't a crush.
It was more than that.
"I don't think it's the same thing, Ayla. I do care for her, but I do not love her," he spoke, but she could hear the slight hesitance in his voice, and the confusion. She smiled ruefully at him.
"You might not think you do, but Aram," she began, turning so that she could cup his face with both of her hands. She kept his head turned towards her, and held his gaze. "You do. I can see it on your face, and in the way you look at her. You do, but if you cannot admit it to yourself, then perhaps it is best that she never know," because she wouldn't want that for Reiko. But maybe it wasn't her situation. Maybe Reiko would return his affections, and they could be happy. In reality, that was all she ever wanted for him.
For both of them.
She wanted Aram and Amon to both be happy. Even if she couldn't be the one to make them so. She'd accepted that, recently. Aram, however, sighed softly. "Perhaps you are correct," he spoke softly, lifting his hand to rest on her face. She smiled at him. At least he was coming around to the idea. Baby steps. She'd take them where she could get them. She dropped her hands at the same time he did, and chuckled softly at him.
"Of course I'm right. I'm your sister and I'm always right," she spoke, grinning at him. He chuckled lightly as he shook his head. She smiled brighter. "So are you finally going to tell me why you've been avoiding our gazes lately?" she asked, watching as his face turned a deep shade of red. She would have laughed. Should have laughed.
"I don't... I don't want to say," he admitted. If Ayla didn't know any better, it almost sounded childish. "It is something that... you will find out, eventually."
"Why not tell me now, then?" she questioned, and he furrowed his brows.
"I do not believe it is the right time. And I believe it is something you need to discover on your own," he replied, shaking his head softly. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes he could be so vague, and she really hated when he did that.
"On my own? Why do you have to be so damn cryptic," she stated, sighing softly. He merely shook his head, though. "Fine. I'll accept defeat for now, Ara, but you owe me an eventual explanation," she said as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I promise I will tell you when the time is right. But something tells me you will find out, soon," he spoke, the smile returning to his face. She snorted. She'd believe it when it happened. But for now, she would take his word for it. If it had something to do with her, personally, then she'd find out one way or another.
"If you say so," she replied. She leaned over so that her head rested against his shoulder, and he leaned over so that his head laid upon hers. She smiled softly. He really was affectionate. She wondered if he knew that? Probably not. If he did, he would stop these small things, and she didn't want that. He was her brother, and she drew comfort from the small things like that. Maybe she just liked the contact? Maybe it was just contact in general that she liked? That would certainly explain a lot of things.
"I hope that you are happy, Ayla," he spoke suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts. She blinked up at him, and raised a brow.
"Moreso than I used to be," she confessed. And it was true. She was happy for the first time in her life. She knew that it was because of them, because of him, however; she would not admit that to anyone else. At least not yet.
"As am I."
That was good, too. He deserved it, moreso than she did.
"Who is she?" she asked, though she had a vague idea. Aram blinked at her, before he did so again in a rapid session. Poor idiot. He didn't even know what she was talking about. That much was obvious from the expression on his face. "The woman who has my brother's attention must be quite the specimen," she continued, letting her legs dangle in the pond.
"I do not understand what you mean, Ayla," he finally spoke, pursing his lips together. She scoffed at him. He really could be clueless sometimes, but she didn't think that was the case. From the look on his face, he knew something. It probably hadn't quite dawned on him. She rolled her eyes again, and sighed.
"Aram, for once in your life, don't be stupid. I don't know if I could handle you if you were," she spoke, causing him to frown and purse his lips together. "Do you really not know what I'm talking about?" she asked, raising her brow in slight shock. Perhaps she shouldn't be. She'd never known Aram to be taken by anyone, really. There was a point in her life that she thought he wasn't capable of being like that, at least not like she was.
"If I knew, I would understand what you were talking about. As it currently stands, I do not," he replied, heaving his shoulders lightly. She would have laughed if it weren't so damn sad. "I do not believe it is important, though," he spoke, causing her to sigh heavily.
"Come on, Ara, you know that's not true. It's... alright to feel like that, you know. You shouldn't be so shy about it. Admit it, you like her, don't you?" she asked, waiting for his response. She already knew what he was going to say.
"Of course I do, Ayla. She's..." he paused, blinking slowly as if he were trying to think of the right words. She knew that hesitance, and she simply smiled at him. "It is not the same thing, Ayla," he spoke, causing her to smirk somewhat. It seemed he'd finally caught on to what she was saying. It was, dare she say, hilarious to see the faint color rising to his cheeks.
"And who are you trying to convince, hm? You or me?" she shot back, raising a challenging brow at him. "Look Ara, it's not going to kill you to admit that you might actually care for her in a way that makes you feel. We... don't get to be lucky about things like that, but I'm certain that if you were to tell her, you wouldn't be disappointed," she spoke, smiling a little too broadly.
She couldn't say for sure if Reiko loved who she thought she did, but it would make sense. Or at least some sense, she supposed. Ayla knew she wasn't exactly the brightest of the three, but she knew what love looked like, and what it felt like. And it hurt like a bitch. It had taken some time, but she'd finally been able to admit it to herself. She loved someone... again. Even now, it sent a strange sensation through her, and she felt like a stupid little girl with a crush on someone. But she knew it wasn't a crush.
It was more than that.
"I don't think it's the same thing, Ayla. I do care for her, but I do not love her," he spoke, but she could hear the slight hesitance in his voice, and the confusion. She smiled ruefully at him.
"You might not think you do, but Aram," she began, turning so that she could cup his face with both of her hands. She kept his head turned towards her, and held his gaze. "You do. I can see it on your face, and in the way you look at her. You do, but if you cannot admit it to yourself, then perhaps it is best that she never know," because she wouldn't want that for Reiko. But maybe it wasn't her situation. Maybe Reiko would return his affections, and they could be happy. In reality, that was all she ever wanted for him.
For both of them.
She wanted Aram and Amon to both be happy. Even if she couldn't be the one to make them so. She'd accepted that, recently. Aram, however, sighed softly. "Perhaps you are correct," he spoke softly, lifting his hand to rest on her face. She smiled at him. At least he was coming around to the idea. Baby steps. She'd take them where she could get them. She dropped her hands at the same time he did, and chuckled softly at him.
"Of course I'm right. I'm your sister and I'm always right," she spoke, grinning at him. He chuckled lightly as he shook his head. She smiled brighter. "So are you finally going to tell me why you've been avoiding our gazes lately?" she asked, watching as his face turned a deep shade of red. She would have laughed. Should have laughed.
"I don't... I don't want to say," he admitted. If Ayla didn't know any better, it almost sounded childish. "It is something that... you will find out, eventually."
"Why not tell me now, then?" she questioned, and he furrowed his brows.
"I do not believe it is the right time. And I believe it is something you need to discover on your own," he replied, shaking his head softly. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes he could be so vague, and she really hated when he did that.
"On my own? Why do you have to be so damn cryptic," she stated, sighing softly. He merely shook his head, though. "Fine. I'll accept defeat for now, Ara, but you owe me an eventual explanation," she said as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I promise I will tell you when the time is right. But something tells me you will find out, soon," he spoke, the smile returning to his face. She snorted. She'd believe it when it happened. But for now, she would take his word for it. If it had something to do with her, personally, then she'd find out one way or another.
"If you say so," she replied. She leaned over so that her head rested against his shoulder, and he leaned over so that his head laid upon hers. She smiled softly. He really was affectionate. She wondered if he knew that? Probably not. If he did, he would stop these small things, and she didn't want that. He was her brother, and she drew comfort from the small things like that. Maybe she just liked the contact? Maybe it was just contact in general that she liked? That would certainly explain a lot of things.
"I hope that you are happy, Ayla," he spoke suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts. She blinked up at him, and raised a brow.
"Moreso than I used to be," she confessed. And it was true. She was happy for the first time in her life. She knew that it was because of them, because of him, however; she would not admit that to anyone else. At least not yet.
"As am I."
That was good, too. He deserved it, moreso than she did.
Tatsuya looked down at his sister, tilting his head slightly to the side and folding his hands into his sleeves. He could not say he was fully convinced of the wisdom of this.
“You accepted my reasons when I Marked you," he said, aware that he sounded somewhat indignant and not making much effort to correct himself. “If anything, the situation has only grown more dangerous since then." There was no doubt of it. There were oni everywhere now, monsters from their father's stories that none of them had ever expected to meet in person.
It figured that it fell to them to clean up the old man's mess. Bitterly, Tatsuya thought that they were perhaps doing that in more than one way. Particularly him.
“So why change your mind all of a sudden?"
Reiko sighed, shifting slightly in her upright seiza. They sat on the private engawa outside his rooms. He was smoking, a dish of sake in one hand, but she'd made herself tea instead. Her hands curled around the outside of the cup. The calluses on them were more pronounced now, closer to the roughness of his own. They'd never get that hard, though. Thie war would end before then.
He'd make sure of it.
“Tactically," she replied, “the Mark is an advantage best utilized on the spot. Kentaro proved that when he saved Sayuri with it. It makes the most sense for you to have the same ability at your disposal."
He snorted. “If that was your reason, you'd be telling Kentaro to let his go now that she was alive. And you're not, are you?" He knew exactly why: like his father, she viewed the Royal Mark as above all else an expression of love. Love of a very particular sort. Personally, Tatsuya found the idea of that a little ridiculous. It wasn't like writing one's name on a piece of property—it shouldn't be.
Perhaps if he understood what she called love better, he'd be able to see her point better. Not see it as a territorial thing, an almost-animal thing. To him, the way to avoid that was use it in some other way. Like he had. Apparently, she thought differently, because he knew she balked at the mere idea of a woman being a man's possession. As well she should.
“Suya... haven't we changed since you used this on this one?" The question was abrupt. She set her tea aside and turned her whole body to look at him when she asked it. “Don't you trust this one, now, to know what this one wants and needs and ought to have?"
He saw the rest of the line of argument easily. If he didn't think her capable of making her own choices, then he was a hypocrite, someone who said a lot about personal choice and didn't walk the walk to back it up. If he conceded that she was, then he had to respect her decision to remove the Mark. She was trapping him in a dilemma, and at neither end did he get what he was seeking.
Tatsuya exhaled heavily, knocking back another cup of sake. The taste was pungent and sweet on his tongue. He'd been buying more of the heavily-fruity ones lately. Ayla seemed to prefer them, and he didn't mind one way or another.
He snorted, muttering under his breath. Reiko was right about one thing: they had both changed a great deal. Tatsuya wasn't sure he was fond of the ways in which he had. But... he could not deny a fierce pride in her. She was slowly becoming the magnificent woman he'd always known she could be. Who was he to stand in her way?
“Of course I do," he said gruffly. “But just because you can choose for yourself doesn't mean I won't give my opinion when those choices concern me as well." And it didn't mean he'd ever stop... worrying, about her.
“Well then," she said, rotating her empty teacup in her hands, around and around. A nervous tic. “What is your opinion on this matter?"
He grimaced, pushing another sigh out of his lungs. He'd been doing that a lot more, lately. Sighing. An autumn breeze swelled around them, carding through his hair and stirring her long topknot and the sleeves of her gi.
In that moment, he was almost sure he could see her, not as she was now, but as she could be in a century or so. When she'd fully come into her own. The image was as lovely as it was striking. Tatsuya felt an unfamiliar emotion stirring in his chest, something he thought might be a combination of pride and loss. He didn't try to force it down; he might not have thought much of certain emotions, but he allowed those that came to him to run their course, most of the time, and he could feel the way this one was becoming lodged in his heart.
He wondered if it was some version of what a parent felt, realizing that their child was no longer a child. For that was the thought: Reiko was no longer a child. She no longer needed him, or his protection, or anything. She could stand on her own. Perhaps she had been already, and he'd simply avoided looking, knowing what he would see.
She made him better. He knew that. But he could not say that he did the same for her. Certainly the Mark wasn't part of whatever positive contribution to her life he made. She didn't need his protection. Perhaps she didn't even need his love or concern, but she would always have all of them.
But not like this. He would stifle her no longer.
“I think," he said slowly, “that you don't need this anymore." Reaching forward, he laid his hand on the side of her neck. She hissed softly as the Mark lifted, transferring briefly from her skin to his, where it remained etched on his palm for a few moments before fading.
Immediately, he felt his baseline awareness of her feelings fade. He could read her face and posture as easily as ever, but that extra certainty was gone. He missed it already, but perhaps that was to be expected.
When she smiled at him, the empty space in his mind was almost worth it.
“Thank you, Suya."
He swallowed past an unexpected lump in his throat, and nodded. “Sure, Reiko."
“You accepted my reasons when I Marked you," he said, aware that he sounded somewhat indignant and not making much effort to correct himself. “If anything, the situation has only grown more dangerous since then." There was no doubt of it. There were oni everywhere now, monsters from their father's stories that none of them had ever expected to meet in person.
It figured that it fell to them to clean up the old man's mess. Bitterly, Tatsuya thought that they were perhaps doing that in more than one way. Particularly him.
“So why change your mind all of a sudden?"
Reiko sighed, shifting slightly in her upright seiza. They sat on the private engawa outside his rooms. He was smoking, a dish of sake in one hand, but she'd made herself tea instead. Her hands curled around the outside of the cup. The calluses on them were more pronounced now, closer to the roughness of his own. They'd never get that hard, though. Thie war would end before then.
He'd make sure of it.
“Tactically," she replied, “the Mark is an advantage best utilized on the spot. Kentaro proved that when he saved Sayuri with it. It makes the most sense for you to have the same ability at your disposal."
He snorted. “If that was your reason, you'd be telling Kentaro to let his go now that she was alive. And you're not, are you?" He knew exactly why: like his father, she viewed the Royal Mark as above all else an expression of love. Love of a very particular sort. Personally, Tatsuya found the idea of that a little ridiculous. It wasn't like writing one's name on a piece of property—it shouldn't be.
Perhaps if he understood what she called love better, he'd be able to see her point better. Not see it as a territorial thing, an almost-animal thing. To him, the way to avoid that was use it in some other way. Like he had. Apparently, she thought differently, because he knew she balked at the mere idea of a woman being a man's possession. As well she should.
“Suya... haven't we changed since you used this on this one?" The question was abrupt. She set her tea aside and turned her whole body to look at him when she asked it. “Don't you trust this one, now, to know what this one wants and needs and ought to have?"
He saw the rest of the line of argument easily. If he didn't think her capable of making her own choices, then he was a hypocrite, someone who said a lot about personal choice and didn't walk the walk to back it up. If he conceded that she was, then he had to respect her decision to remove the Mark. She was trapping him in a dilemma, and at neither end did he get what he was seeking.
Tatsuya exhaled heavily, knocking back another cup of sake. The taste was pungent and sweet on his tongue. He'd been buying more of the heavily-fruity ones lately. Ayla seemed to prefer them, and he didn't mind one way or another.
He snorted, muttering under his breath. Reiko was right about one thing: they had both changed a great deal. Tatsuya wasn't sure he was fond of the ways in which he had. But... he could not deny a fierce pride in her. She was slowly becoming the magnificent woman he'd always known she could be. Who was he to stand in her way?
“Of course I do," he said gruffly. “But just because you can choose for yourself doesn't mean I won't give my opinion when those choices concern me as well." And it didn't mean he'd ever stop... worrying, about her.
“Well then," she said, rotating her empty teacup in her hands, around and around. A nervous tic. “What is your opinion on this matter?"
He grimaced, pushing another sigh out of his lungs. He'd been doing that a lot more, lately. Sighing. An autumn breeze swelled around them, carding through his hair and stirring her long topknot and the sleeves of her gi.
In that moment, he was almost sure he could see her, not as she was now, but as she could be in a century or so. When she'd fully come into her own. The image was as lovely as it was striking. Tatsuya felt an unfamiliar emotion stirring in his chest, something he thought might be a combination of pride and loss. He didn't try to force it down; he might not have thought much of certain emotions, but he allowed those that came to him to run their course, most of the time, and he could feel the way this one was becoming lodged in his heart.
He wondered if it was some version of what a parent felt, realizing that their child was no longer a child. For that was the thought: Reiko was no longer a child. She no longer needed him, or his protection, or anything. She could stand on her own. Perhaps she had been already, and he'd simply avoided looking, knowing what he would see.
She made him better. He knew that. But he could not say that he did the same for her. Certainly the Mark wasn't part of whatever positive contribution to her life he made. She didn't need his protection. Perhaps she didn't even need his love or concern, but she would always have all of them.
But not like this. He would stifle her no longer.
“I think," he said slowly, “that you don't need this anymore." Reaching forward, he laid his hand on the side of her neck. She hissed softly as the Mark lifted, transferring briefly from her skin to his, where it remained etched on his palm for a few moments before fading.
Immediately, he felt his baseline awareness of her feelings fade. He could read her face and posture as easily as ever, but that extra certainty was gone. He missed it already, but perhaps that was to be expected.
When she smiled at him, the empty space in his mind was almost worth it.
“Thank you, Suya."
He swallowed past an unexpected lump in his throat, and nodded. “Sure, Reiko."
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It had been some time since Sayuri was able to train, or fight. Mostly, she was still learning her newfound abilities. It was... difficult for her, to say the least. But Kentaro had been genuine in his promise in helping her. She was learning what it meant to be as they were, and how to do what they did. Of course, still being slightly new, it was hard to keep her control of certain things. Like her strength. She wasn't as strong as Reiko, or the others, and she doubted she'd ever be strong like them. She wasn't born; she was changed.
But it was not a hindrance to her.
She accepted the flaws that came with being as she was, even the thirst, as they had called it. Strangely, she never seemed to experience the pangs it supposedly came with. She wasn't versed in the lore of bloodsharing, and she doubted they would tell her, at least not yet. She would find out, eventually, she supposed, but she found that she was always satisified when she took Taro's blood. Maybe that meant something, maybe it didn't. Just like how the Mark meant something to them. Reiko said that it was a way to save her, and that their fates were now bound, but Sayuri always speculated that there had to be more to it.
Maybe there wasn't.
Sighing softly, she lifted the yumi, and drew the bow back. She pulled too hard, though, and the string snapped, licking across her face. Almost immediately, she could smell her own blood, however; the wound was already healed, and there was only a single droplet on her face. She wiped it off, though. She really needed to learn to control her strength, better. Maybe it was because she was distracted by something? Or maybe someone? She could feel her face heat up, and for a split second, she wondered if he could feel what she felt. Reiko hadn't mentioned if it worked both ways. If it did... she felt her face grow warmer.
As though thinking of him had summoned him—which for all she knew was possible now—he entered the ring then, already holding his own ōdachi, as well as an unfamiliar katana. It looked fresh from the forge; the tsuka was wrapped in a pretty mint-green color, and the metal bits on the hilt and black sheath were all coppery as if to compliment it.
It didn't take long for Kentaro to notice her broken bow; he ducked his head, his hair doing a pretty good job of concealing his expression, but she could feel a ripple of amusement through the Mark. It seemed he was at least somewhat entertained by her difficulties. She'd felt similar little stirrings of humor from him throughout the time she'd spent trying to adjust to her new capabilities.
When he straightened, though, his face was as neutral as ever, except that the small muscles around his eyes were relaxed instead of tight. “I brought you something," he said, holding out the katana hilt-first towards her. “It is made of oni bones, like ours. For you." Another feeling not her own chased the words; vague embarrassment, it felt like.
She blinked. "For me?" she spoke, taking the katana from him. She could still feel the familiar warmth on her face, grow, but she did her best to keep the color from growing. "Thank you, Kentaro," she spoke, smiling slightly at him. It was... beautiful seemed too mild of a word to her, but perhaps she was being slightly biased. It was, after all, sporting her favorite color. She furrowed her brows. Maybe that was just a coincidence? She didn't recall telling him, or anyone else, that the color was her favorite.
"Oh, but what if I break it?" she spoke suddenly. Apparently, oni bone was what they'd used to fight the oni, however; she suddenly felt silly. If theirs didn't break during their battles, then how could she possibly break this one? "I mean... never mind, thank you, Kentaro," now she was just repeating herself. Why did she always have to be so nervous around him? Oh... that's right.
Because she loved him. She sighed softly.
He only shrugged at the concern, as if he didn't share it. “In the unlikely event that you break that one, you can always have another made. It is a weapon and therefore meant to be used."
So saying, he unsheathed his ōdachi. It was a much more utilitarian weapon, the only even vaguely decorative touch the red hilt-wrapping. Otherwise it was plain. Given the type of sword, it was nearly half again as long as hers, but it suited Kentaro's height and long limbs to wield such an implement. She certainly had plenty of evidence that his speed didn't suffer for the extra weight and distance.
“You break the likes of shinai now. So try practicing with that." He settled into a defensive stance, indicating that she was to be the aggressor for now.
She supposed he was right. Shinai were not exactly durable. She nodded, though, and took a familiar stance, one that he'd taught her. Nodding slowly, she unsheathed her weapon, and held the katana out in front of her. It was in the same way she'd held the shinai, however; it felt different. She supposed it was the difference in weight. Then again, weight didn't seem too much of a problem for her. Maybe it was just the feel of it? She sighed softly. That meant she was going to have to become familiar with the weapon in the same way she'd become familiar with the shinai.
She smiled. At least he was here to help her with that. She moved, swinging the sword in his direction in a single movement. Another thing he'd taught her. Every move she made represented what he had taught her. Perhaps it was the moment, that she was caught in, however; she was smiling. She enjoyed their practices, their sparring, and everything else they did together. She wondered if he knew that?
Her new blade whistled through the air. There was no question of hurting Kentaro; he was prepared for her attack and reacts with incredible quickness. Now that she's so much stronger, he actually uses much more of his ability. Her sword clanged off his block with enough impact to send her a step backwards.
She can feel a thin spider-thread of a fierce joy in him; it's the way he feels when he fights. Even that sensation does not prevent him from checking his blows appropriately, though. The counterswing he aims for her shoulder is fast, but controlled. If she missed the block, it would stop easily before actually hurting her. He was always careful about that.
She could understand that joy. She wasn't exactly battle-inclined as they were, however; there was something about it that was... fun. She might have found it repulsive, at one point. Why would anyone find joy in this kind of thing? But she understood it a bit better. To her, it wasn't only an admission of one's strength, but of one's ability and skill. You didn't have to be a strong to be skilled, or the other way around. She managed to block his attack, and pushed herself away.
She wasn't even tired. Her stamina had grown considerably, too, however; she wasn't ignorant. Her endurance might have increased, but she wasn't invincible. None of them were. At the moment, though, she was just warming up. She shifted into a more aggressive stance, surveying him for an opening. It was important to find an opening on the opponent. That was one of the first things she'd learned. Find an opening, a weakness, and exploit it. Of course, Kentaro didn't exactly have any, or at least none that she'd witnessed.
He had a good defense, and his offense was just as great. It was always difficult to find something like that. She supposed the oni were like that, too, however; they were a bit slower. They were, after all, larger. And being larger didn't always mean the advantage. She could utilize her own height to her advantage, if she had to. She charged Kentaro again, swinging the blade in a vertical slash.
Another clang signaled another block. He didn't push her back this time, merely flowed into his counterstrike with the explosiveness of the flames he wielded, aiming for her hip this time.
“Faster," he urged. “You are capable of more than this."
She frowned. Perhaps she was, however; it was easier said than done. She was learning how to apply her newfound abilities to everything else. Granted, she didn't know if she had any abilities like he did. He was capable of controlling flames; Tatsuya could manipulate water, and the others had other, similar abilities. She had none. At least, she thought she didn't. She pushed back on her sword, slightly alarmed when something happened. She wasn't sure what, but all she knew was something sparked. She blinked, blocking another strike as she did so.
Another spark appeared as she pushed back, gritting her teeth slightly. It almost felt like she were being shocked by something. Or rather she was shocking her blade. The sparks flared out again, this time hitting the floor like rays of lightning. Only, there were no thunder clouds, no rain, or stormy weather. Was that her doing? She pushed herself back from Kentaro, and stood a little dumbfoundedly. She glanced at her hands and blade.
"Um, Taro," she spoke, glancing back up at him. She was sure he'd be able to read the confused look on her face because, at the moment, she had no words for it.
She felt something wry over their connection. Kentaro signaled for a stop, shaking his head faintly. “Electrokinesis. Tsubasa has it as well. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have company." Sheathing his blade, Kentaro crossed his arms over his chest for a moment, stepping aside so that she was facing a target instead of him.
“Try to do it again, on purpose this time."
She didn't even know how she did it the first time. How was she supposed to do it on purpose? Sighing softly, she nodded. She might as well try. So, she stared at her hands for a moment. If she recalled, the sparks had surrounded her blade. Kentaro could exhale flames or command them with a thought, it seemed, and Tatsuya could manipulate water and ice with just a flick of his wrist. But unlike them, she didn't have the experience of controlling her ability.
"Alright," she finally spoke, breathing a soft sigh of relief. At least he was here to help her. For a moment, she closed her eyes, trying to feel something. Anything that would help her summon the lightning. Maybe, if she could focus it on one thing, an emotion perhaps, then she could summon it? That seemed to easy, but it was worth a shot. She settled on the one that was familiar. Warm, gentle, and caring. She smiled. Just like he was, in his own way.
Opening her eyes, she managed a small spark of something, and watched as it shot towards the target, only to miss. She blinked slowly. At least it was a start, right?
Kentaro certainly seemed to think so. “Well done," he said. “With kinetic talents, it's really just a matter of being able to summon the power at will and properly control it once you have. The rest is only variation on those themes."
One of his hands found her head, resting there for a moment before sliding over her hair to her back. He patted her once there, the touch tentative, before stepping back to a more polite distance. “All of that comes with practice. Try it again."
She smiled at the touch, and nodded her head. She tried again, this time able to summon the lightning, but not able to control its destination. She almost hit Taro with a stray bolt, but luckily, he'd managed to get out of the way. She was certain, though, that if it had hit him, he'd be fine. This went on for about an hour and a half before she'd finally managed some degree of summoning the ability. She would definitely have to work on control, though. Perhaps she could ask Tsubaki-chan for some advice? She blinked, realizing what she'd just thought, and chuckled lightly. She wasn't going to be able to call Tsubasa anything other than that, now.
"I think... I might have most of it down, now," she spoke, smiling slightly in victory. For a moment, she chewed the bottom of her lip, and stared at Kentaro. Resolving herself, she took a few steps forward so that she was in front of him, close enough that she was able to reach out, and wrap her arms around his torso. "Thank you for everything, Taro," she muttered, refusing to relinquish her hold on him. She didn't want to, and she hoped, above everything else, that her face was not as red as his eyes.
Surprisingly enough, she could feel embarrassment through their connection, but it receded swiftly under... happiness? It was a strange version of the feeling, tinged with a little bit of guilt and a lot of uncertainty, but the lift was nevertheless detectable. Even more surprisingly, he returned her embrace, draping his arms around her and holding her carefully to him.
His frame was tense underneath her, unyielding, but his warmth was obvious as well. With more than a hint of awkwardness, he rubbed one of his hands up and down her back.
She chuckled lightly. "Kentaro, you don't have to do anything when someone hugs you. You can just hold them, you know," she spoke, though she would admit that it was nice. He didn't have much experience when it came to hugs. She knew that from the first time she hugged him. But that was okay. She could teach him the same way he was teaching her. She grinned against him.
"I'm going to teach you how to give proper hugs, Kentaro. And then, one of these days, you'll be able to give them, too without being so... awkward," she stated, lifting her head so that she was able to look at him. "But we have time," she added. They certainly had a lot of time.
His lips pursed, eyes narrowing slightly. But then he loosened his hold, and she could feel a frission of some sort of amusement arc through him. This one was... different, from the good-natured humor at her mishaps. More serious, with something a little darker at the edges, almost.
“And in return?" he asked, his voice faintly tinged with the same something. One of his hands caught her jaw in a soft grip. His fingers were easily long enough to span its width. He hunched a bit, tilting her face up in the same moment so that their noses were only a few inches apart.
“Can you think of anything new I should teach you to do properly?"
Whether or not she wanted to, her face seemed to warm considerably at how close they were. She couldn't even look away from how close they were, and her eyes widened slightly. She was also certain that she looked like a fish, at the moment. Her mouth opened and closed, the words refusing to form and come out. She wasn't exactly prepared for the sudden turn. Since when was he capable of this? She blinked again, however, and tried her best to quiet the drumming of her heart against her chest.
"I... um... I," she found the words she spoke not to be as articulate as she wanted them to be. "Ken... Kentaro," she managed to speak out his name, but she wasn't entirely sure what to say. So, she did what she could only do. She allowed instinct to drive her forward so that they were only a hairsbreadth away from each other. She was unaware of the small smirk on her lips. "Maybe," she finally answered, closing the distance. It was soft, and she only lingered for a few seconds. She was much too shy for anything other than that.
Even that was enough to surprise him; she could feel that clearly. He warred with himself for a moment, torn now between guilt and that other feeling, but she knew which had won from the fact that he smiled.
Actually smiled. At her.
It was understated, compared to how the expression looked on anyone else's face, more a subtle quirk of the lip than anything, but it was nevertheless unmistakably a smile. He chased her back down as she separated from him, until they were breathing the same air again.
“First lesson," he said, using the same patient instructive tone he did for her kendo—except that he still wore that smile— “Don't ever rush a kiss."
He closed the distance, but this was no hurried, furtive peck as hers had been. Kentaro seemed to understand what he was doing, which was somewhat surprising, considering that his other people skills were somewhat... lacking. This was certainly not. The first brush was gentle and short, but deliberate, unhurried. The second was the same. The third time, he finally committed himself to the kiss itself, tiling his head slightly to the side to brush his nose along hers as their lips touched. With more time, it was easier to make out distinct sensations, like the fact that his were as warm as the rest of him, but unexpectedly soft as well.
She could become addicted to that smile, actually. Soft, warm, everything else seemed a blurry haze, and Sayuri found herself thinking of nothing but the future. With him. When they broke apart, she smiled, keeping her gaze with his. "Alright," she spoke in reference to his first lesson. "Like I said, we have time," and she was looking forward to whatever else he could teach her, however; she pursed her lips together. She wanted him to know something, first. Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she glanced forward, her eyes meeting the fabric of his clothes.
"I don't... I don't know when I started, or why I did, but," she began, speaking lowly before she lifted her gaze. "But Kentaro... I want you to know that I meant what I said that day. You mean a lot to me and... I do love you, you know."
It was an admission of something deep in her heart, and it was also embarrassing. Mostly because she was admitting to something she felt deeply. Perhaps he could feel it too, in the heartbeat that continued to rise in her chest.
For a moment, he looked almost confused, but then he nodded slightly. “I'd thought... you were delirious when you said it," he confessed. Sighing slightly, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. His hands found her waist and he let them rest there, a steady pressure just above the curve of her hips.
She was close enough to easily hear his throat work as he swallowed thickly. “I do not... know, with certainty, what it feels like to love that way," he confessed. “And so I do not know if what I feel has that name." It sounded difficult to say; she could feel him grappling with the concepts involved, trying to wrap his head around them. If he hadn't loved anyone in more than four centuries of life, it might well be confusing, perhaps.
“But... I also know that I have never felt the same way about anyone as I do about you. So perhaps I..." His eyes cracked open, searching hers with a much more open expression than he usually wore. “Perhaps I do." His disappointment at not being able to give her more than that was clear through their bond.
That was okay. She could understand. She would take what she could get, for now. "Perhaps you do," she repeated his words, taking a breath and just breathing him. "You don't have to know right away, Taro. I am patient. I can wait until you are certain of what you feel. When you figure it out, I will be here. I don't plan on leaving you, not again. Not ever. So, for now, I will take what you can give," it was the least she could do for everything he has done for her.
"Also..." she spoke a little nervously this time. This was something she hadn't thought about lightly. She was always taking from him, and never the other way around. "I want to help you quell your thirst, too. I... it's not something you have to do now, or even tomorrow. Maybe... in the future I can help you, too, but just know I want to help you as you've helped me."
It was something she could do, now. But that was his decision, as was everything else. She wouldn't ever dare tell him otherwise.
“You would...?" He was surprised again; he always seemed to be, whenever she extended some new gesture to him. He was clearly as unacquainted with this kind of love as he professed to be. Kentaro swallowed; one of his thumbs brushed over the pulse point at her neck before he dropped it.
“Thank you," he murmured. “Not... I don't need anything now. But if... perhaps in a day or two?" He rarely seemed so uncertain of much. This was certainly more like the side of him she knew, though, the awkward one that emerged when she hugged him or something like that.
She nodded. "Of course I would," she replied, the smile stretching across her face. "Anything for you, Taro," she spoke. She would do that for him as he's done for her. "Whenever you need it," she added. Whenever he needed it, wanted it, craved it, she did not care. He could have what he needed because she loved him. And she wanted to help him in any way she could, because she loved him.
"All you have to do is say when, Taro. I will be here," because she wasn't going anywhere. And she didn't plan on leaving him.
Ever.
But it was not a hindrance to her.
She accepted the flaws that came with being as she was, even the thirst, as they had called it. Strangely, she never seemed to experience the pangs it supposedly came with. She wasn't versed in the lore of bloodsharing, and she doubted they would tell her, at least not yet. She would find out, eventually, she supposed, but she found that she was always satisified when she took Taro's blood. Maybe that meant something, maybe it didn't. Just like how the Mark meant something to them. Reiko said that it was a way to save her, and that their fates were now bound, but Sayuri always speculated that there had to be more to it.
Maybe there wasn't.
Sighing softly, she lifted the yumi, and drew the bow back. She pulled too hard, though, and the string snapped, licking across her face. Almost immediately, she could smell her own blood, however; the wound was already healed, and there was only a single droplet on her face. She wiped it off, though. She really needed to learn to control her strength, better. Maybe it was because she was distracted by something? Or maybe someone? She could feel her face heat up, and for a split second, she wondered if he could feel what she felt. Reiko hadn't mentioned if it worked both ways. If it did... she felt her face grow warmer.
As though thinking of him had summoned him—which for all she knew was possible now—he entered the ring then, already holding his own ōdachi, as well as an unfamiliar katana. It looked fresh from the forge; the tsuka was wrapped in a pretty mint-green color, and the metal bits on the hilt and black sheath were all coppery as if to compliment it.
It didn't take long for Kentaro to notice her broken bow; he ducked his head, his hair doing a pretty good job of concealing his expression, but she could feel a ripple of amusement through the Mark. It seemed he was at least somewhat entertained by her difficulties. She'd felt similar little stirrings of humor from him throughout the time she'd spent trying to adjust to her new capabilities.
When he straightened, though, his face was as neutral as ever, except that the small muscles around his eyes were relaxed instead of tight. “I brought you something," he said, holding out the katana hilt-first towards her. “It is made of oni bones, like ours. For you." Another feeling not her own chased the words; vague embarrassment, it felt like.
She blinked. "For me?" she spoke, taking the katana from him. She could still feel the familiar warmth on her face, grow, but she did her best to keep the color from growing. "Thank you, Kentaro," she spoke, smiling slightly at him. It was... beautiful seemed too mild of a word to her, but perhaps she was being slightly biased. It was, after all, sporting her favorite color. She furrowed her brows. Maybe that was just a coincidence? She didn't recall telling him, or anyone else, that the color was her favorite.
"Oh, but what if I break it?" she spoke suddenly. Apparently, oni bone was what they'd used to fight the oni, however; she suddenly felt silly. If theirs didn't break during their battles, then how could she possibly break this one? "I mean... never mind, thank you, Kentaro," now she was just repeating herself. Why did she always have to be so nervous around him? Oh... that's right.
Because she loved him. She sighed softly.
He only shrugged at the concern, as if he didn't share it. “In the unlikely event that you break that one, you can always have another made. It is a weapon and therefore meant to be used."
So saying, he unsheathed his ōdachi. It was a much more utilitarian weapon, the only even vaguely decorative touch the red hilt-wrapping. Otherwise it was plain. Given the type of sword, it was nearly half again as long as hers, but it suited Kentaro's height and long limbs to wield such an implement. She certainly had plenty of evidence that his speed didn't suffer for the extra weight and distance.
“You break the likes of shinai now. So try practicing with that." He settled into a defensive stance, indicating that she was to be the aggressor for now.
She supposed he was right. Shinai were not exactly durable. She nodded, though, and took a familiar stance, one that he'd taught her. Nodding slowly, she unsheathed her weapon, and held the katana out in front of her. It was in the same way she'd held the shinai, however; it felt different. She supposed it was the difference in weight. Then again, weight didn't seem too much of a problem for her. Maybe it was just the feel of it? She sighed softly. That meant she was going to have to become familiar with the weapon in the same way she'd become familiar with the shinai.
She smiled. At least he was here to help her with that. She moved, swinging the sword in his direction in a single movement. Another thing he'd taught her. Every move she made represented what he had taught her. Perhaps it was the moment, that she was caught in, however; she was smiling. She enjoyed their practices, their sparring, and everything else they did together. She wondered if he knew that?
Her new blade whistled through the air. There was no question of hurting Kentaro; he was prepared for her attack and reacts with incredible quickness. Now that she's so much stronger, he actually uses much more of his ability. Her sword clanged off his block with enough impact to send her a step backwards.
She can feel a thin spider-thread of a fierce joy in him; it's the way he feels when he fights. Even that sensation does not prevent him from checking his blows appropriately, though. The counterswing he aims for her shoulder is fast, but controlled. If she missed the block, it would stop easily before actually hurting her. He was always careful about that.
She could understand that joy. She wasn't exactly battle-inclined as they were, however; there was something about it that was... fun. She might have found it repulsive, at one point. Why would anyone find joy in this kind of thing? But she understood it a bit better. To her, it wasn't only an admission of one's strength, but of one's ability and skill. You didn't have to be a strong to be skilled, or the other way around. She managed to block his attack, and pushed herself away.
She wasn't even tired. Her stamina had grown considerably, too, however; she wasn't ignorant. Her endurance might have increased, but she wasn't invincible. None of them were. At the moment, though, she was just warming up. She shifted into a more aggressive stance, surveying him for an opening. It was important to find an opening on the opponent. That was one of the first things she'd learned. Find an opening, a weakness, and exploit it. Of course, Kentaro didn't exactly have any, or at least none that she'd witnessed.
He had a good defense, and his offense was just as great. It was always difficult to find something like that. She supposed the oni were like that, too, however; they were a bit slower. They were, after all, larger. And being larger didn't always mean the advantage. She could utilize her own height to her advantage, if she had to. She charged Kentaro again, swinging the blade in a vertical slash.
Another clang signaled another block. He didn't push her back this time, merely flowed into his counterstrike with the explosiveness of the flames he wielded, aiming for her hip this time.
“Faster," he urged. “You are capable of more than this."
She frowned. Perhaps she was, however; it was easier said than done. She was learning how to apply her newfound abilities to everything else. Granted, she didn't know if she had any abilities like he did. He was capable of controlling flames; Tatsuya could manipulate water, and the others had other, similar abilities. She had none. At least, she thought she didn't. She pushed back on her sword, slightly alarmed when something happened. She wasn't sure what, but all she knew was something sparked. She blinked, blocking another strike as she did so.
Another spark appeared as she pushed back, gritting her teeth slightly. It almost felt like she were being shocked by something. Or rather she was shocking her blade. The sparks flared out again, this time hitting the floor like rays of lightning. Only, there were no thunder clouds, no rain, or stormy weather. Was that her doing? She pushed herself back from Kentaro, and stood a little dumbfoundedly. She glanced at her hands and blade.
"Um, Taro," she spoke, glancing back up at him. She was sure he'd be able to read the confused look on her face because, at the moment, she had no words for it.
She felt something wry over their connection. Kentaro signaled for a stop, shaking his head faintly. “Electrokinesis. Tsubasa has it as well. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have company." Sheathing his blade, Kentaro crossed his arms over his chest for a moment, stepping aside so that she was facing a target instead of him.
“Try to do it again, on purpose this time."
She didn't even know how she did it the first time. How was she supposed to do it on purpose? Sighing softly, she nodded. She might as well try. So, she stared at her hands for a moment. If she recalled, the sparks had surrounded her blade. Kentaro could exhale flames or command them with a thought, it seemed, and Tatsuya could manipulate water and ice with just a flick of his wrist. But unlike them, she didn't have the experience of controlling her ability.
"Alright," she finally spoke, breathing a soft sigh of relief. At least he was here to help her. For a moment, she closed her eyes, trying to feel something. Anything that would help her summon the lightning. Maybe, if she could focus it on one thing, an emotion perhaps, then she could summon it? That seemed to easy, but it was worth a shot. She settled on the one that was familiar. Warm, gentle, and caring. She smiled. Just like he was, in his own way.
Opening her eyes, she managed a small spark of something, and watched as it shot towards the target, only to miss. She blinked slowly. At least it was a start, right?
Kentaro certainly seemed to think so. “Well done," he said. “With kinetic talents, it's really just a matter of being able to summon the power at will and properly control it once you have. The rest is only variation on those themes."
One of his hands found her head, resting there for a moment before sliding over her hair to her back. He patted her once there, the touch tentative, before stepping back to a more polite distance. “All of that comes with practice. Try it again."
She smiled at the touch, and nodded her head. She tried again, this time able to summon the lightning, but not able to control its destination. She almost hit Taro with a stray bolt, but luckily, he'd managed to get out of the way. She was certain, though, that if it had hit him, he'd be fine. This went on for about an hour and a half before she'd finally managed some degree of summoning the ability. She would definitely have to work on control, though. Perhaps she could ask Tsubaki-chan for some advice? She blinked, realizing what she'd just thought, and chuckled lightly. She wasn't going to be able to call Tsubasa anything other than that, now.
"I think... I might have most of it down, now," she spoke, smiling slightly in victory. For a moment, she chewed the bottom of her lip, and stared at Kentaro. Resolving herself, she took a few steps forward so that she was in front of him, close enough that she was able to reach out, and wrap her arms around his torso. "Thank you for everything, Taro," she muttered, refusing to relinquish her hold on him. She didn't want to, and she hoped, above everything else, that her face was not as red as his eyes.
Surprisingly enough, she could feel embarrassment through their connection, but it receded swiftly under... happiness? It was a strange version of the feeling, tinged with a little bit of guilt and a lot of uncertainty, but the lift was nevertheless detectable. Even more surprisingly, he returned her embrace, draping his arms around her and holding her carefully to him.
His frame was tense underneath her, unyielding, but his warmth was obvious as well. With more than a hint of awkwardness, he rubbed one of his hands up and down her back.
She chuckled lightly. "Kentaro, you don't have to do anything when someone hugs you. You can just hold them, you know," she spoke, though she would admit that it was nice. He didn't have much experience when it came to hugs. She knew that from the first time she hugged him. But that was okay. She could teach him the same way he was teaching her. She grinned against him.
"I'm going to teach you how to give proper hugs, Kentaro. And then, one of these days, you'll be able to give them, too without being so... awkward," she stated, lifting her head so that she was able to look at him. "But we have time," she added. They certainly had a lot of time.
His lips pursed, eyes narrowing slightly. But then he loosened his hold, and she could feel a frission of some sort of amusement arc through him. This one was... different, from the good-natured humor at her mishaps. More serious, with something a little darker at the edges, almost.
“And in return?" he asked, his voice faintly tinged with the same something. One of his hands caught her jaw in a soft grip. His fingers were easily long enough to span its width. He hunched a bit, tilting her face up in the same moment so that their noses were only a few inches apart.
“Can you think of anything new I should teach you to do properly?"
Whether or not she wanted to, her face seemed to warm considerably at how close they were. She couldn't even look away from how close they were, and her eyes widened slightly. She was also certain that she looked like a fish, at the moment. Her mouth opened and closed, the words refusing to form and come out. She wasn't exactly prepared for the sudden turn. Since when was he capable of this? She blinked again, however, and tried her best to quiet the drumming of her heart against her chest.
"I... um... I," she found the words she spoke not to be as articulate as she wanted them to be. "Ken... Kentaro," she managed to speak out his name, but she wasn't entirely sure what to say. So, she did what she could only do. She allowed instinct to drive her forward so that they were only a hairsbreadth away from each other. She was unaware of the small smirk on her lips. "Maybe," she finally answered, closing the distance. It was soft, and she only lingered for a few seconds. She was much too shy for anything other than that.
Even that was enough to surprise him; she could feel that clearly. He warred with himself for a moment, torn now between guilt and that other feeling, but she knew which had won from the fact that he smiled.
Actually smiled. At her.
It was understated, compared to how the expression looked on anyone else's face, more a subtle quirk of the lip than anything, but it was nevertheless unmistakably a smile. He chased her back down as she separated from him, until they were breathing the same air again.
“First lesson," he said, using the same patient instructive tone he did for her kendo—except that he still wore that smile— “Don't ever rush a kiss."
He closed the distance, but this was no hurried, furtive peck as hers had been. Kentaro seemed to understand what he was doing, which was somewhat surprising, considering that his other people skills were somewhat... lacking. This was certainly not. The first brush was gentle and short, but deliberate, unhurried. The second was the same. The third time, he finally committed himself to the kiss itself, tiling his head slightly to the side to brush his nose along hers as their lips touched. With more time, it was easier to make out distinct sensations, like the fact that his were as warm as the rest of him, but unexpectedly soft as well.
She could become addicted to that smile, actually. Soft, warm, everything else seemed a blurry haze, and Sayuri found herself thinking of nothing but the future. With him. When they broke apart, she smiled, keeping her gaze with his. "Alright," she spoke in reference to his first lesson. "Like I said, we have time," and she was looking forward to whatever else he could teach her, however; she pursed her lips together. She wanted him to know something, first. Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she glanced forward, her eyes meeting the fabric of his clothes.
"I don't... I don't know when I started, or why I did, but," she began, speaking lowly before she lifted her gaze. "But Kentaro... I want you to know that I meant what I said that day. You mean a lot to me and... I do love you, you know."
It was an admission of something deep in her heart, and it was also embarrassing. Mostly because she was admitting to something she felt deeply. Perhaps he could feel it too, in the heartbeat that continued to rise in her chest.
For a moment, he looked almost confused, but then he nodded slightly. “I'd thought... you were delirious when you said it," he confessed. Sighing slightly, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. His hands found her waist and he let them rest there, a steady pressure just above the curve of her hips.
She was close enough to easily hear his throat work as he swallowed thickly. “I do not... know, with certainty, what it feels like to love that way," he confessed. “And so I do not know if what I feel has that name." It sounded difficult to say; she could feel him grappling with the concepts involved, trying to wrap his head around them. If he hadn't loved anyone in more than four centuries of life, it might well be confusing, perhaps.
“But... I also know that I have never felt the same way about anyone as I do about you. So perhaps I..." His eyes cracked open, searching hers with a much more open expression than he usually wore. “Perhaps I do." His disappointment at not being able to give her more than that was clear through their bond.
That was okay. She could understand. She would take what she could get, for now. "Perhaps you do," she repeated his words, taking a breath and just breathing him. "You don't have to know right away, Taro. I am patient. I can wait until you are certain of what you feel. When you figure it out, I will be here. I don't plan on leaving you, not again. Not ever. So, for now, I will take what you can give," it was the least she could do for everything he has done for her.
"Also..." she spoke a little nervously this time. This was something she hadn't thought about lightly. She was always taking from him, and never the other way around. "I want to help you quell your thirst, too. I... it's not something you have to do now, or even tomorrow. Maybe... in the future I can help you, too, but just know I want to help you as you've helped me."
It was something she could do, now. But that was his decision, as was everything else. She wouldn't ever dare tell him otherwise.
“You would...?" He was surprised again; he always seemed to be, whenever she extended some new gesture to him. He was clearly as unacquainted with this kind of love as he professed to be. Kentaro swallowed; one of his thumbs brushed over the pulse point at her neck before he dropped it.
“Thank you," he murmured. “Not... I don't need anything now. But if... perhaps in a day or two?" He rarely seemed so uncertain of much. This was certainly more like the side of him she knew, though, the awkward one that emerged when she hugged him or something like that.
She nodded. "Of course I would," she replied, the smile stretching across her face. "Anything for you, Taro," she spoke. She would do that for him as he's done for her. "Whenever you need it," she added. Whenever he needed it, wanted it, craved it, she did not care. He could have what he needed because she loved him. And she wanted to help him in any way she could, because she loved him.
"All you have to do is say when, Taro. I will be here," because she wasn't going anywhere. And she didn't plan on leaving him.
Ever.
Reiko couldn't suppress the nervous shudder that worked through her. Maybe it was understandable, considering what they'd just learned.
Akarui-dono was coming, and with him, a veritable army, including oni. He'd bypassed the southernmost settlement entirely, leaving little doubt as to the fact that he was heading for Shimamaki. Since the troops in the further settlements had orders not to engage unless absolutely necessary, he would be arriving unimpeded. It was a strategic disadvantage, but better for none of the humans to be killed if it was avoidable. At least he seemed disinclined to settle in for any sieges with the walls they'd built and let them move in to flank him.
They'd forced him and his army to come to them. That counted for a lot, but there was no mistaking that even if the first part of things was going to be a siege, there would be all-out battle eventually.
Having such a concrete idea of when it was coming was unsettling, to say the least. But at least there were some ways to prepare.
“Are you sure this is going to be any help?" Daichi sounded skeptical. She supposed she could understand that.
But Reiko nodded firmly. “The hunters will be good to have around, Dai." And they needed all the help they could get.
“I get that Akiko-san was one," he said, his tone softening slightly when he brought up her mother, “but you've got to remember that she was sent to kill chichi-ue. How do we know these ones won't just try to kill us when we're distracted?"
He was always so cynical. But Reiko could understand where that came from. They approached the rookery and she sighed. “There are no guarantees," she agreed. “But this one has been writing letters to some of their leaders. They seem more evenhanded than even this one expected. This one believes they understand now what the real threat is, and that any quarrel they have with us can be laid to rest until Akarui-dono's army is gone."
Daichi sighed, but gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. I just... hope you know what you're doing, Rei." She could feel a twinge of guilt from him, though she did not know the source. Daichi was among the most volatile people she'd ever met, and he felt a lot of things, nearly all the time. Perhaps he only regretted interrogating her about the decision. She knew from experience that it was better not to press him too much. He talked to her often enough about his feelings, but only on his own terms.
They released several of the birds with messages to hunter villages, and those who had been stationed in the other settlements, summoning them to Shimamaki as soon as possible. They'd probably be able to move faster than a slow army bogged down with supplies. Nonetheless, she'd warned them all about its presence, in case they should run afoul of the invaders.
The walk back to the castle was short enough; she and Daichi stepped past the gate together.
As soon as they passed the gate, Aram and Ayla came into view. They were walking together, a small smile on Aram's face and Ayla was sporting a large grin. She glanced in Reiko's direction, and waved, causing Aram to turn as well. His eyes locked with Reiko's, and immediately, he glanced down. There was a faint pink hue dusting his cheeks when he did. Ayla didn't seem to have any reservations about laughing at him, though.
"Reiko, good morning," she greeted, sparing Daichi a glance. Ayla never seemed to like Daichi much, but she wasn't outright hostile towards him. Just apathetic, perhaps? She did, however, greet him with a light nod.
"Good morning, Minamoto-san, Reiko," Aram finally spoke, offering the two of them a polite bow. He still didn't seem capable of glancing at Reiko, though. Ayla snorted softly at him, and shook her head. "Is there word?" he seemed to ask, instead, lifting his gaze so that he was looking over Reiko's shoulder. He seemed... embarrassed about something.
She supposed it was likely Ayla had been teasing him about something or other. She tended to end up similarly embarrassed if her friend was in the right mood, but of course usually Aram himself was indirectly the cause. Not that either of them knew that—if she were careful, they never would.
“Good morning, you two," she greeted striving to keep her tone light and pleasant. Of course, the news, such as it was, was anything but. Perhaps that made delivering it carefully all the more important.
Nodding at the pair, Daichi crossed his arms. She could feel the ripple of distrust. It seemed that even over a year of more or less living together could not quite bring him to trust them. Maybe that was to be expected—they were long-lived creatures, and change did not come easily to them. She'd always been the exception, more or less, and she was willing to put that down to the fact that she didn't even have two centuries behind her yet.
“Akarui's army is advancing," her brother said flatly. “Looks like he's making a beeline right for Shimamaki; he passed one of the settlements south of here with no more than a few potshots and some stolen rice."
Reiko grimaced. Of course, he would have had to take the rice from farmers, those who had to live outside of the wall's fortifications. What had happened to them afterward... it was probably better not to think about, but Reiko made herself consider it anyway. She couldn't ignore it, after all.
“This one sent word to the hunters posted in other towns, just now," she continued. “They will probably make it here before he does, but... the reports say there are at least fifty oni in his army, as well as lots of human soldiers."
“How's that possible, anyway?" Daichi narrowed his eyes, studying Aram and Ayla. There was no outright hostility in his expression or what she could get from his emotions, but there was definitely a lot of suspicion. “I thought you said that oni weren't intelligent enough to cooperate or take commands from a ningen. Or at least those ones were so rare as to be nearly unheard-of. Where'd he find fifty?"
"It is likely Eiji's doing," Aram spoke first. Ayla was getting agitated at the news, so she had remained quiet. "From Kentaro-san's and Sayuri-san's report, there were a few like that when they had been attacked," he continued. He sighed softly, and seemed to think of what to say. He wore a contemplative look, and his gaze had fallen to the floor.
"It is also possible that he's been doing something with Reiko's blood to make them stronger and more intelligent," Ayla added. She seemed a little hesitant at the admission, but it was a possibility she seemed to believe.
"He has," Aram confirmed, shaking his head softly. "During our stay to help with the fortifications, some of the oni attacks were effective against me," he spoke, a hint of shame entering his voice. He glanced at Ayla who merely nodded in agreement. "We were created in a way that their abilities were not to harm us, especially myself. It is a sort of null, if you will," he explained, lifting his gaze so that he was staring at Daichi when he said that.
"But for him to have created fifty in such a time? He must have used very selective breeding for that, too. Oni are not just created to be intelligent," Ayla spoke, but Aram shook his head.
"It is a possibility we must accept, though," he spoke. "He is... stronger than I," there was something like guilt that laced his voice, as if the admission were something he didn't want to do. "But even so, we must still prepare as we can. We cannot allow him to continue," he spoke softly. There seemed to be something else that he wanted to say, but he kept quiet.
“Of course not," Reiko agreed quickly, nodding. “We will do everything we can. In a way, it's good that he is coming directly here. We know what he's going to do, and we'll prepare as well as we can to meet it. We have the walls, and the siege weapons, and the hunters to help... we'll stop him."
It was... a tall order. But she had to believe that what they had here, where their strength was concentrated, would be enough. It was vital that it was, because if Akarui-dono's forces broke them here, then there would be nothing left to try and stop him with.
"You're damn right we're going to stop him," Ayla muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Aram smiled softly, and nodded his head.
"If we are to have a future, we must," Aram spoke it in such a solemn manner that it sounded like he knew they wouldn't. Perhaps he did? Ayla sighed softly, and nodded.
"Alright. I'm going to go to the training ground for a bit. Every little thing helps, and we still have some time before Heisuke and his bitch army arrive," she growled out, tapping Aram's shoulder. A smile returned to her lips, though, as she glanced at Reiko. "Take care of him for me, will you? He's kind of hopeless at the moment," she stated, the grin on her face nearly splitting it. Aram just coughed awkwardly and furrowed his brows at her as she left, presumably towards the training grounds.
Daichi rolled his eyes, but with a gentle touch to Reiko's shoulder, he left as well. He didn't say why, but then Reiko didn't really expect him to.
Then they were both gone, leaving her slightly confused and more-than-slightly flustered behind them. Reiko sighed and shot Aram a rueful glance. "This one has no idea what she meant by that." She tilted her head at him. “Is something wrong, Aram-sama?"
"Nothing is wrong, Reiko. She's just teasing me," he muttered softly, turning his attention to her. He finally lifted his gaze to meet hers, though, and something gentled in his face, as if he were realizing something for the first time. He smiled. "I suppose she was right about something, though," he spoke, something warm and gentle filtering through his expression. He merely tilted his head, and the smile grew just slightly.
"Do you need any assistance today?" he asked, perhaps trying to make things not as awkward as they were.
"Um..." Something about that particular expression on his face made it more difficult than it should be to breathe. Infatuation, indeed. She swallowed, pushed the feelings down, and smiled a bit. "Well, this one was going to take stock of the armory and maintain the weapons this afternoon," she admitted. "It isn't exactly interesting, but, um, you're welcome to help if you like." She didn't want him to think she didn't want him around or anything.
It would just be better if he didn't know quite how much she did.
He kept the same smile on his face, though, and he nodded his head. "I would like to help you with that," he spoke at the same time. He inclined his head towards her, offering her the time to fall into step with him. "Have you had time to train as well, Reiko?" he asked, glancing down at her. It was a fair question. He'd never seen her train before, or at least he was never around when she did.
"If you haven't, perhaps we can do so tomorrow morning?" he offered, the strange smile still on his face.
"Oh, uh..." she inwardly cursed her inability to say something more clever or interesting, but her tongue was doing well not to skitter around as much as her heart was. Or her stomach, for that matter. "This one trains, usually before the sun comes up. Sometimes with Suya, but—" She folded her hands in front of her to make sure she didn't fidget with them.
"This one is certain this one wouldn't be any sort of challenge for you, Aram-sama. B-but you are welcome to join this one. I-if you want to, that is." She averted her eyes; fortunately she had the excuse of needing to unlock the armory door.
The building itself was freestanding; it was large enough to warrant that, especially considering the decision they'd made to arm every one of their soldiers with oni-bone weapons. They'd collected more than enough of the bones for that, and the blacksmiths in many of their settlements had been working tirelessly to produce them. Aside from the soldiers' and samurai's personal weapons, they had a stock of spares, too, and it was these she intended to sharpen and polish today, as well as her own, of course.
Thy were all lined up neatly along the walls and in the stands arranged into broad aisles in the single-room building. Swords of all kinds, pikes, naginata, yumi and arrows, ammunition for all the siege weapons, and the like. Her father had taught her how to maintain them all.
"Perhaps that is true, or," he paused, stepping into the armory behind her, "perhaps it is not. You will not know unless you try, right?" He'd spoken as if he believed that she would be a challenge for him. "Remember, I have promised as well, to believe in your strength, Reiko. And whether it is your physical strength, or not, that I believe in, I do believe you could provide a challenge if you tried," he said it in such a way that it sounded almost believable.
"But the choice is yours to make, Reiko. I have invited you to spar with me, if you so wish. It is something I would like, but it is not necessary if you feel you are not up to it," he spoke, a strange underlying teasing note to his voice. His smile quirked up slightly, almost reminiscent to Ayla's smirk when she was teasing Reiko.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that they were related, since they looked nothing alike and their personalities were very different. But she was very conscious of what they had in common right now. Reiko sighed. "A-and this one told you when this one trains, if you recall," she replied, busying herself by collecting the first armful of swords she would need and heading towards the back of the room, where a row of workbenches allowed people to maintain the weapons nearby a cache of the necessary oils, whetstones, and so on.
"S-so this one would not mind if you joined this one tomorrow morning to... test your theory." She did feel she wasn't up to it, but even she had a hard time turning down such an obvious challenge. It was in her blood, perhaps.
Aram chuckled lowly, as if he were trying not to outright laugh at her. Maybe he was, and this was just how he laughed? "It shall be a challenge, indeed," he spoke, grabbing a few weapons himself, and following after her. "You should never doubt yourself Reiko. It is okay to have doubts about other things, but never yourself. You are..." he paused, pursing his lips together as he remained silent.
"You are much stronger than that. But I shall say nothing more, and I shall meet you in the morning for a session," his smile gentled as he spoke. There was a strange warmness to it, as if, for the moment, she were the only one he was truly smiling at. As if she were the only one he ever smiled for. It certainly wasn't one he'd worn before.
But of course that was a ridiculous thought. Aram smiled at people regularly. Perhaps not as often as she did, or anything, but often enough. Reiko swallowed, mercilessly quashing the uncomfortable tingling in her spine before it spread to the rest of her and made her clumsy as well as fumble-tongued. They had important work to do; she couldn't afford to be useless at a time like this.
She nodded slightly, acknowledgment though not agreement, and set to work, falling into a more comfortable silence as they worked side-by-side.
Akarui-dono was coming, and with him, a veritable army, including oni. He'd bypassed the southernmost settlement entirely, leaving little doubt as to the fact that he was heading for Shimamaki. Since the troops in the further settlements had orders not to engage unless absolutely necessary, he would be arriving unimpeded. It was a strategic disadvantage, but better for none of the humans to be killed if it was avoidable. At least he seemed disinclined to settle in for any sieges with the walls they'd built and let them move in to flank him.
They'd forced him and his army to come to them. That counted for a lot, but there was no mistaking that even if the first part of things was going to be a siege, there would be all-out battle eventually.
Having such a concrete idea of when it was coming was unsettling, to say the least. But at least there were some ways to prepare.
“Are you sure this is going to be any help?" Daichi sounded skeptical. She supposed she could understand that.
But Reiko nodded firmly. “The hunters will be good to have around, Dai." And they needed all the help they could get.
“I get that Akiko-san was one," he said, his tone softening slightly when he brought up her mother, “but you've got to remember that she was sent to kill chichi-ue. How do we know these ones won't just try to kill us when we're distracted?"
He was always so cynical. But Reiko could understand where that came from. They approached the rookery and she sighed. “There are no guarantees," she agreed. “But this one has been writing letters to some of their leaders. They seem more evenhanded than even this one expected. This one believes they understand now what the real threat is, and that any quarrel they have with us can be laid to rest until Akarui-dono's army is gone."
Daichi sighed, but gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. I just... hope you know what you're doing, Rei." She could feel a twinge of guilt from him, though she did not know the source. Daichi was among the most volatile people she'd ever met, and he felt a lot of things, nearly all the time. Perhaps he only regretted interrogating her about the decision. She knew from experience that it was better not to press him too much. He talked to her often enough about his feelings, but only on his own terms.
They released several of the birds with messages to hunter villages, and those who had been stationed in the other settlements, summoning them to Shimamaki as soon as possible. They'd probably be able to move faster than a slow army bogged down with supplies. Nonetheless, she'd warned them all about its presence, in case they should run afoul of the invaders.
The walk back to the castle was short enough; she and Daichi stepped past the gate together.
As soon as they passed the gate, Aram and Ayla came into view. They were walking together, a small smile on Aram's face and Ayla was sporting a large grin. She glanced in Reiko's direction, and waved, causing Aram to turn as well. His eyes locked with Reiko's, and immediately, he glanced down. There was a faint pink hue dusting his cheeks when he did. Ayla didn't seem to have any reservations about laughing at him, though.
"Reiko, good morning," she greeted, sparing Daichi a glance. Ayla never seemed to like Daichi much, but she wasn't outright hostile towards him. Just apathetic, perhaps? She did, however, greet him with a light nod.
"Good morning, Minamoto-san, Reiko," Aram finally spoke, offering the two of them a polite bow. He still didn't seem capable of glancing at Reiko, though. Ayla snorted softly at him, and shook her head. "Is there word?" he seemed to ask, instead, lifting his gaze so that he was looking over Reiko's shoulder. He seemed... embarrassed about something.
She supposed it was likely Ayla had been teasing him about something or other. She tended to end up similarly embarrassed if her friend was in the right mood, but of course usually Aram himself was indirectly the cause. Not that either of them knew that—if she were careful, they never would.
“Good morning, you two," she greeted striving to keep her tone light and pleasant. Of course, the news, such as it was, was anything but. Perhaps that made delivering it carefully all the more important.
Nodding at the pair, Daichi crossed his arms. She could feel the ripple of distrust. It seemed that even over a year of more or less living together could not quite bring him to trust them. Maybe that was to be expected—they were long-lived creatures, and change did not come easily to them. She'd always been the exception, more or less, and she was willing to put that down to the fact that she didn't even have two centuries behind her yet.
“Akarui's army is advancing," her brother said flatly. “Looks like he's making a beeline right for Shimamaki; he passed one of the settlements south of here with no more than a few potshots and some stolen rice."
Reiko grimaced. Of course, he would have had to take the rice from farmers, those who had to live outside of the wall's fortifications. What had happened to them afterward... it was probably better not to think about, but Reiko made herself consider it anyway. She couldn't ignore it, after all.
“This one sent word to the hunters posted in other towns, just now," she continued. “They will probably make it here before he does, but... the reports say there are at least fifty oni in his army, as well as lots of human soldiers."
“How's that possible, anyway?" Daichi narrowed his eyes, studying Aram and Ayla. There was no outright hostility in his expression or what she could get from his emotions, but there was definitely a lot of suspicion. “I thought you said that oni weren't intelligent enough to cooperate or take commands from a ningen. Or at least those ones were so rare as to be nearly unheard-of. Where'd he find fifty?"
"It is likely Eiji's doing," Aram spoke first. Ayla was getting agitated at the news, so she had remained quiet. "From Kentaro-san's and Sayuri-san's report, there were a few like that when they had been attacked," he continued. He sighed softly, and seemed to think of what to say. He wore a contemplative look, and his gaze had fallen to the floor.
"It is also possible that he's been doing something with Reiko's blood to make them stronger and more intelligent," Ayla added. She seemed a little hesitant at the admission, but it was a possibility she seemed to believe.
"He has," Aram confirmed, shaking his head softly. "During our stay to help with the fortifications, some of the oni attacks were effective against me," he spoke, a hint of shame entering his voice. He glanced at Ayla who merely nodded in agreement. "We were created in a way that their abilities were not to harm us, especially myself. It is a sort of null, if you will," he explained, lifting his gaze so that he was staring at Daichi when he said that.
"But for him to have created fifty in such a time? He must have used very selective breeding for that, too. Oni are not just created to be intelligent," Ayla spoke, but Aram shook his head.
"It is a possibility we must accept, though," he spoke. "He is... stronger than I," there was something like guilt that laced his voice, as if the admission were something he didn't want to do. "But even so, we must still prepare as we can. We cannot allow him to continue," he spoke softly. There seemed to be something else that he wanted to say, but he kept quiet.
“Of course not," Reiko agreed quickly, nodding. “We will do everything we can. In a way, it's good that he is coming directly here. We know what he's going to do, and we'll prepare as well as we can to meet it. We have the walls, and the siege weapons, and the hunters to help... we'll stop him."
It was... a tall order. But she had to believe that what they had here, where their strength was concentrated, would be enough. It was vital that it was, because if Akarui-dono's forces broke them here, then there would be nothing left to try and stop him with.
"You're damn right we're going to stop him," Ayla muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Aram smiled softly, and nodded his head.
"If we are to have a future, we must," Aram spoke it in such a solemn manner that it sounded like he knew they wouldn't. Perhaps he did? Ayla sighed softly, and nodded.
"Alright. I'm going to go to the training ground for a bit. Every little thing helps, and we still have some time before Heisuke and his bitch army arrive," she growled out, tapping Aram's shoulder. A smile returned to her lips, though, as she glanced at Reiko. "Take care of him for me, will you? He's kind of hopeless at the moment," she stated, the grin on her face nearly splitting it. Aram just coughed awkwardly and furrowed his brows at her as she left, presumably towards the training grounds.
Daichi rolled his eyes, but with a gentle touch to Reiko's shoulder, he left as well. He didn't say why, but then Reiko didn't really expect him to.
Then they were both gone, leaving her slightly confused and more-than-slightly flustered behind them. Reiko sighed and shot Aram a rueful glance. "This one has no idea what she meant by that." She tilted her head at him. “Is something wrong, Aram-sama?"
"Nothing is wrong, Reiko. She's just teasing me," he muttered softly, turning his attention to her. He finally lifted his gaze to meet hers, though, and something gentled in his face, as if he were realizing something for the first time. He smiled. "I suppose she was right about something, though," he spoke, something warm and gentle filtering through his expression. He merely tilted his head, and the smile grew just slightly.
"Do you need any assistance today?" he asked, perhaps trying to make things not as awkward as they were.
"Um..." Something about that particular expression on his face made it more difficult than it should be to breathe. Infatuation, indeed. She swallowed, pushed the feelings down, and smiled a bit. "Well, this one was going to take stock of the armory and maintain the weapons this afternoon," she admitted. "It isn't exactly interesting, but, um, you're welcome to help if you like." She didn't want him to think she didn't want him around or anything.
It would just be better if he didn't know quite how much she did.
He kept the same smile on his face, though, and he nodded his head. "I would like to help you with that," he spoke at the same time. He inclined his head towards her, offering her the time to fall into step with him. "Have you had time to train as well, Reiko?" he asked, glancing down at her. It was a fair question. He'd never seen her train before, or at least he was never around when she did.
"If you haven't, perhaps we can do so tomorrow morning?" he offered, the strange smile still on his face.
"Oh, uh..." she inwardly cursed her inability to say something more clever or interesting, but her tongue was doing well not to skitter around as much as her heart was. Or her stomach, for that matter. "This one trains, usually before the sun comes up. Sometimes with Suya, but—" She folded her hands in front of her to make sure she didn't fidget with them.
"This one is certain this one wouldn't be any sort of challenge for you, Aram-sama. B-but you are welcome to join this one. I-if you want to, that is." She averted her eyes; fortunately she had the excuse of needing to unlock the armory door.
The building itself was freestanding; it was large enough to warrant that, especially considering the decision they'd made to arm every one of their soldiers with oni-bone weapons. They'd collected more than enough of the bones for that, and the blacksmiths in many of their settlements had been working tirelessly to produce them. Aside from the soldiers' and samurai's personal weapons, they had a stock of spares, too, and it was these she intended to sharpen and polish today, as well as her own, of course.
Thy were all lined up neatly along the walls and in the stands arranged into broad aisles in the single-room building. Swords of all kinds, pikes, naginata, yumi and arrows, ammunition for all the siege weapons, and the like. Her father had taught her how to maintain them all.
"Perhaps that is true, or," he paused, stepping into the armory behind her, "perhaps it is not. You will not know unless you try, right?" He'd spoken as if he believed that she would be a challenge for him. "Remember, I have promised as well, to believe in your strength, Reiko. And whether it is your physical strength, or not, that I believe in, I do believe you could provide a challenge if you tried," he said it in such a way that it sounded almost believable.
"But the choice is yours to make, Reiko. I have invited you to spar with me, if you so wish. It is something I would like, but it is not necessary if you feel you are not up to it," he spoke, a strange underlying teasing note to his voice. His smile quirked up slightly, almost reminiscent to Ayla's smirk when she was teasing Reiko.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that they were related, since they looked nothing alike and their personalities were very different. But she was very conscious of what they had in common right now. Reiko sighed. "A-and this one told you when this one trains, if you recall," she replied, busying herself by collecting the first armful of swords she would need and heading towards the back of the room, where a row of workbenches allowed people to maintain the weapons nearby a cache of the necessary oils, whetstones, and so on.
"S-so this one would not mind if you joined this one tomorrow morning to... test your theory." She did feel she wasn't up to it, but even she had a hard time turning down such an obvious challenge. It was in her blood, perhaps.
Aram chuckled lowly, as if he were trying not to outright laugh at her. Maybe he was, and this was just how he laughed? "It shall be a challenge, indeed," he spoke, grabbing a few weapons himself, and following after her. "You should never doubt yourself Reiko. It is okay to have doubts about other things, but never yourself. You are..." he paused, pursing his lips together as he remained silent.
"You are much stronger than that. But I shall say nothing more, and I shall meet you in the morning for a session," his smile gentled as he spoke. There was a strange warmness to it, as if, for the moment, she were the only one he was truly smiling at. As if she were the only one he ever smiled for. It certainly wasn't one he'd worn before.
But of course that was a ridiculous thought. Aram smiled at people regularly. Perhaps not as often as she did, or anything, but often enough. Reiko swallowed, mercilessly quashing the uncomfortable tingling in her spine before it spread to the rest of her and made her clumsy as well as fumble-tongued. They had important work to do; she couldn't afford to be useless at a time like this.
She nodded slightly, acknowledgment though not agreement, and set to work, falling into a more comfortable silence as they worked side-by-side.
It was hard to admit to himself. There were so many things going on, however; the only thing that kept him grounded was the thought of her. He supposed he was just denying it when Ayla had questioned him, however; he couldn't deny it any further. Never in his life had he known what this feeling was, however; it was easy to see that she was the cause of it. When he started to feel this way, he couldn't be certain. And he knew it was before they had spent those months in the village. Sighing softly, he ran a hand through his hair, straightening out the strands.
It had grown, somewhat. It was longer, reaching the nape of his neck in an almost even fashion. Perhaps he should have it cut? It would be beneficial and advantageous if he did. Long hair was something he did not want to sport, mostly because of the incident. He visibly shuddered. He would do so, later. He knew Ayla wasn't around at the moment, and she was the one who usually cut it. Sighing softly once more, he pushed himself to his feet. It was still at least another couple of days before Akarui and Eiji would arrive. He needed to get some training in. Plus, he was to meet Reiko for a training session.
And he had a promise to keep.
One he'd made to her. He was going to try. He was going to try and be enough so that she would no longer feel pain or sorrow or grief of any kind. He wanted to be the one to take that away from her, so that she could finally be happy. Maybe that's what Ayla meant when she said he loved her?
"I suppose I do," he spoke out loud, blinking to himself in his confusion. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, and he glanced around to make sure no one else was around to hear it.
“Do what?"
It would seem he wasn't so lucky. Tatsuya approached from the direction of the practice field, a hand resting casually by the wrist on the hilt of one of his katana. He wore both; the faint dampness to his hair suggested he'd just come from some sparring match or another himself.
“Don't go talking to yourself too much, Washi-san. Half the household already figures you're senile." He arched a brow, the very slight slant to his mouth the only indication that the statement might have been a joke.
This was the reason that, sometimes, he wished he had his sister's nose. He would be able to tell if someone was around or not, and it would have kept him from some situations he'd found himself in. Like this one. He blinked at Tatsuya, though, and tilted his head. Half of the household thought he was senile? Perhaps that was a fair statement. He knew he was never one to be anything but cryptic, and he rarely ventured other interactions.
"It is something that Ayla brought up the other day," he finally spoke. He wasn't sure if he wanted to admit his current predicament to her brother. Least of all Tatsuya. He would admit that, despite being older than the vampire, Tatsuya frightened him somewhat. He never showed it, of that he was certain, but he supposed it was more out of respect than it was actual fear.
"I apologize, though, I did not mean to say anything out loud. It just... happened," which was true. He was thinking to himself, and the words had accidentally slipped out.
Tatsuya shrugged, apparently unconcerned about it. “I won't tell her then," he said, clearly with some level of amusement. “It's not like she needs another reason to call you an idiot, right?" He ran his free hand back through his hair, pulling more than a few rogue strands out of his face in the process. Most of them fell right back into place; he made a very small sound of vague frustration.
“Anyway, you're off to spar Reiko, right? Mind if I observe? She doesn't care, but she did say I had to make sure you were fine with it first."
She'd call him an idiot, regardless if she had another reason or not. That's just who Ayla was. "I do not mind," he spoke, suddenly feeling a little awkward. He supposed if the future Reiko had spoken of was true, he'd have to get used to Tatsuya being around more often. And that included this spar. Actually, it would be a good thing if he was a spectator. It would keep Aram from doing anything he'd regret, later. Or saying something he shouldn't, yet.
"You are welcome to observe, Minamoto," he spoke, glancing behind him.
“Tatsuya," he replied with a shrug. “You've been here what, a year and some? Tatsuya's fine."
He turned, assuming Tatsuya would follow, and made his way to the practice field. Once he was there, he spotted Reiko, and he glanced back towards Tatsuya. He nodded, and made his way towards her, stopping a polite distance to give her a greeting bow.
"Good morning, Reiko," he spoke, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. As long as he restrained his smiles to just that, he wouldn't make this awkward for her, or himself. Especially himself.
She seemed to be in good spirits; it looked like she'd just worked her way through a series of warm-ups. A few hairs had come loose from her tail, but none of them were in her face, so she probably hadn't even noticed. Reiko glanced from Aram back to her brother and smiled.
“This one was kind of hoping you'd say no observers; this one is not sure this one wants Suya to watch all of his hard work going to waste." The words were light, but there was a faint ring of truth to them, as though underneath it all, she meant them.
“Quit it, Reiko," her brother said, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you go in thinking you're going to be defeated, you will be."
She sighed, but nodded. Returning Aram's bow, she took a few more steps backwards while Tatsuya planted himself just outside the ring. Once they were a good starting distance apart, she tilted her head at him. “Did you want to do any warmups first, Aram-sama? This one is happy to wait if you like."
He blinked at the exchange between her and Tatsuya. If he'd known that, then maybe he might have declined, however; as it was, it was too late. He shook his head, though, and glanced at her. "Even though it is training, it is also good to train as one is. We do not have the luxury of warming up on the battle field," he spoke, declining her offer to warm up, first. It was true enough, though. Going into battle wasn't something one was prepared for, exactly. You had to simply go.
"I will be fine, though," he added. He had experience on his side, after all. His body was used to it. "If you do not mind," he spoke, shifting his stance so that he was in a defensive one. "I have not had the opportunity to see how your hand combat is. Would you care to show me this one first?" They could shift into weapons, later, if she wanted to.
Reiko looked a bit surprised at his choice of styles, but she nodded easily enough, sliding her daisho out of her obi and tossing the swords to Tatsuya, who caught them easily.
Divested of their weight, Reiko rolled out her shoulders, dropping into something Amon had always referred to as cat stance. It was more aggressive than the one he was in, designed to facilitate quick, sharp movements, like those belonging to the animal it was named after. Her chest rose as she pulled in a deep breath, and then she vanished.
A half-second later, Reiko reappeared at his side, trying to strike him with a series of rapid, testing jabs.
He supposed he had that on his side, at least. He might not have their sense of smell, but he was just as quick, and he maneuvered himself so that he was able to block. She was fast, he would give her that, but even that could be a disadvantage. But he supposed, considering her small stature and her belief that she wasn't strong enough, a quick victory was best. He shook his head. He wanted her to be more confident in her abilities, in her strength. Momentarily forgetting Tatsuya was around, he caught one of her hands, and twisted her arm behind her back. He was gentle about it, though, so that he was not hurting her.
"Speed may be an advantage for you, Reiko, but you must also think a little more about your force. Put more strength into your bearing and do not hold back. Pretend, if you must, that I am an enemy. Give it everything you've got," he spoke. Though his hold was loose, it was still firm enough that she would have to do something on her own to get out of it.
Surprisingly, she un-twisted by jumping into a flip from a dead stop, rotating their arms back the other way. Her hand shifted in his grip, fingers banding firmly over his wrist, and she yanked him forward with a sharp tug, driving her knee up for his stomach. They were close enough that it would be difficult to avoid, even for him.
He didn't.
For all his speed, even he knew he would not be able to avoid an attack like that. It was painful, to say the least, but he supposed it would always be that way. Callouses could be formed, a body could become tolerant to such things, but Aram had never allowed himself to do that. He smiled, though. "That was..." he cringed slightly, putting some distance between them as he did.
"That is a good start, Reiko," he told her, taking a deep breath to shake off the rest of the discomfort. At least she could maneuver that way. He was satisified with that. He shifted into a more aggressive stance, this time, taking charge at her with an extra boost to his speed. He did not hold back, though. Somehow, he figured that she would be upset with him if he did. And he didn't want to upset her.
Faintly, even over the immediate sounds of the match, he could hear Tatsuya laughing uproariously. Apparently, that last exchange had been extremely amusing to him.
“Stop playing around, Rei," he called over to them.
Reiko rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face was brilliant, flashing pearl-white teeth with a hint of fang. It reached all the way to her eyes, making them seem brighter in the predawn light. She shifted stances smoothly, dropping low into swallow stance, nearly crouched with one leg extended in front of her. She flowed out of the way of his first blow, using her low center of gravity to roll clear and right herself in the same position, preparing for the next attack.
Maybe he had, unknowningly, underestimated her? He didn't know why that made him smile, but it did. So, he upped his speed a bit. Something in his blood seemed to stir to life, and he found himself enjoying this match. She was, for the lack of better words, beautiful at the moment. Perhaps it was that train of thought that had paralyzed him, and he came to an abrupt stop, allowing her to knock him off his feet. He blinked mildly up at the sky, the confusion still on his face.
"Rule of battle, do not become distracted," as he just was. He spoke it more to himself, though. He should not have allowed that simple thought to stop him. He should not have had that thought in the first place, but he was resigned to allow it forward. He managed to stand up, and dusted his apparel off, avoiding her gaze entirely.
If anything, Tatsuya laughed louder.
Reiko, he could see from the corner of his eye, looked a bit nonplussed. “Are you all right?" She blinked at him, then glanced at the sky. “This one supposes the sun is coming up; did it get in your eyes? We could try again at a better time of day, if you like? This one is sorry for kicking you like that; this one didn't quite understand fast enough what had happened." Honestly, she still didn't seem to.
Aram shook his head. "It wasn't the sun that distracted me," he muttered lowly. It was a little embarrassing to admit that it was her, that distracted him. Sighing softly, he glanced in Tatsuya's direction, pursing his lips together. "It seems that Tatsuya is having fun at my expense, though," and he knew Ayla would be doing the same thing if she were here. Thankfully, she wasn't. She'd probably make it worse, now that he thought about it.
"But perhaps my head is just not... here at the moment," he admitted, shaking his head as he did so. "And do not apologize, Reiko. It was good that you took advantage of the situation," strange as it had been. Any sort of opening should be exploited, and he'd given her one. Unintentionally, but he supposed that it wouldn't have been better if it had been intentional.
She frowned up at him—when she had moved quite so close was unclear—and reached up to lay the back of her hand against his forehead. “You do feel a little warm," she murmured, perhaps more to herself than to him. Immediately, she dropped her hand and took a step back. Her eyes moved to her brother.
“Suya? Can you ask one of the servants to bring some cool water to the engawa? This one thinks Aram-sama might have a slight fever."
Tatsuya clearly did not believe that, and if the heaviness of his gaze on Aram was any indication, he had a fairly good idea of what was actually going on. He arched a brow, but sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, sure. Good luck with that fever, Washi-san."
If anything, his face grew warmer. He blinked in rapid succession, and pulled back a bit. It was hard to do that, actually, but he forced himself to do it. "I'm fine, Reiko. I don't have a fever," he spoke, keeping his voice as even as he could. It wanted to crack a bit, under the embarrassment he felt. Plus, he didn't like the way Tatsuya looked at him.
I am just... embarrassed at what distracted me," he spoke, though he would elaborate no further. He did not need to embarrass himself further by telling her it was her that distracted him. "But a break would be nice," he quickly added.
“Oh." She looked at him somewhat apologetically, half a sheepish smile quirking her lips. “This one is sorry. This one tends to worry about you—a-about everyone, that is. Including you, of course." Reiko cleared her throat, turning slightly away from him. “A-anyway, we might as well wait on the engawa for that water. Even the likes of Aram-sama should stay hydrated, right?"
He smiled. "Of course," because even the likes of him needed to stay hydrated.
It had grown, somewhat. It was longer, reaching the nape of his neck in an almost even fashion. Perhaps he should have it cut? It would be beneficial and advantageous if he did. Long hair was something he did not want to sport, mostly because of the incident. He visibly shuddered. He would do so, later. He knew Ayla wasn't around at the moment, and she was the one who usually cut it. Sighing softly once more, he pushed himself to his feet. It was still at least another couple of days before Akarui and Eiji would arrive. He needed to get some training in. Plus, he was to meet Reiko for a training session.
And he had a promise to keep.
One he'd made to her. He was going to try. He was going to try and be enough so that she would no longer feel pain or sorrow or grief of any kind. He wanted to be the one to take that away from her, so that she could finally be happy. Maybe that's what Ayla meant when she said he loved her?
"I suppose I do," he spoke out loud, blinking to himself in his confusion. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, and he glanced around to make sure no one else was around to hear it.
“Do what?"
It would seem he wasn't so lucky. Tatsuya approached from the direction of the practice field, a hand resting casually by the wrist on the hilt of one of his katana. He wore both; the faint dampness to his hair suggested he'd just come from some sparring match or another himself.
“Don't go talking to yourself too much, Washi-san. Half the household already figures you're senile." He arched a brow, the very slight slant to his mouth the only indication that the statement might have been a joke.
This was the reason that, sometimes, he wished he had his sister's nose. He would be able to tell if someone was around or not, and it would have kept him from some situations he'd found himself in. Like this one. He blinked at Tatsuya, though, and tilted his head. Half of the household thought he was senile? Perhaps that was a fair statement. He knew he was never one to be anything but cryptic, and he rarely ventured other interactions.
"It is something that Ayla brought up the other day," he finally spoke. He wasn't sure if he wanted to admit his current predicament to her brother. Least of all Tatsuya. He would admit that, despite being older than the vampire, Tatsuya frightened him somewhat. He never showed it, of that he was certain, but he supposed it was more out of respect than it was actual fear.
"I apologize, though, I did not mean to say anything out loud. It just... happened," which was true. He was thinking to himself, and the words had accidentally slipped out.
Tatsuya shrugged, apparently unconcerned about it. “I won't tell her then," he said, clearly with some level of amusement. “It's not like she needs another reason to call you an idiot, right?" He ran his free hand back through his hair, pulling more than a few rogue strands out of his face in the process. Most of them fell right back into place; he made a very small sound of vague frustration.
“Anyway, you're off to spar Reiko, right? Mind if I observe? She doesn't care, but she did say I had to make sure you were fine with it first."
She'd call him an idiot, regardless if she had another reason or not. That's just who Ayla was. "I do not mind," he spoke, suddenly feeling a little awkward. He supposed if the future Reiko had spoken of was true, he'd have to get used to Tatsuya being around more often. And that included this spar. Actually, it would be a good thing if he was a spectator. It would keep Aram from doing anything he'd regret, later. Or saying something he shouldn't, yet.
"You are welcome to observe, Minamoto," he spoke, glancing behind him.
“Tatsuya," he replied with a shrug. “You've been here what, a year and some? Tatsuya's fine."
He turned, assuming Tatsuya would follow, and made his way to the practice field. Once he was there, he spotted Reiko, and he glanced back towards Tatsuya. He nodded, and made his way towards her, stopping a polite distance to give her a greeting bow.
"Good morning, Reiko," he spoke, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. As long as he restrained his smiles to just that, he wouldn't make this awkward for her, or himself. Especially himself.
She seemed to be in good spirits; it looked like she'd just worked her way through a series of warm-ups. A few hairs had come loose from her tail, but none of them were in her face, so she probably hadn't even noticed. Reiko glanced from Aram back to her brother and smiled.
“This one was kind of hoping you'd say no observers; this one is not sure this one wants Suya to watch all of his hard work going to waste." The words were light, but there was a faint ring of truth to them, as though underneath it all, she meant them.
“Quit it, Reiko," her brother said, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you go in thinking you're going to be defeated, you will be."
She sighed, but nodded. Returning Aram's bow, she took a few more steps backwards while Tatsuya planted himself just outside the ring. Once they were a good starting distance apart, she tilted her head at him. “Did you want to do any warmups first, Aram-sama? This one is happy to wait if you like."
He blinked at the exchange between her and Tatsuya. If he'd known that, then maybe he might have declined, however; as it was, it was too late. He shook his head, though, and glanced at her. "Even though it is training, it is also good to train as one is. We do not have the luxury of warming up on the battle field," he spoke, declining her offer to warm up, first. It was true enough, though. Going into battle wasn't something one was prepared for, exactly. You had to simply go.
"I will be fine, though," he added. He had experience on his side, after all. His body was used to it. "If you do not mind," he spoke, shifting his stance so that he was in a defensive one. "I have not had the opportunity to see how your hand combat is. Would you care to show me this one first?" They could shift into weapons, later, if she wanted to.
Reiko looked a bit surprised at his choice of styles, but she nodded easily enough, sliding her daisho out of her obi and tossing the swords to Tatsuya, who caught them easily.
Divested of their weight, Reiko rolled out her shoulders, dropping into something Amon had always referred to as cat stance. It was more aggressive than the one he was in, designed to facilitate quick, sharp movements, like those belonging to the animal it was named after. Her chest rose as she pulled in a deep breath, and then she vanished.
A half-second later, Reiko reappeared at his side, trying to strike him with a series of rapid, testing jabs.
He supposed he had that on his side, at least. He might not have their sense of smell, but he was just as quick, and he maneuvered himself so that he was able to block. She was fast, he would give her that, but even that could be a disadvantage. But he supposed, considering her small stature and her belief that she wasn't strong enough, a quick victory was best. He shook his head. He wanted her to be more confident in her abilities, in her strength. Momentarily forgetting Tatsuya was around, he caught one of her hands, and twisted her arm behind her back. He was gentle about it, though, so that he was not hurting her.
"Speed may be an advantage for you, Reiko, but you must also think a little more about your force. Put more strength into your bearing and do not hold back. Pretend, if you must, that I am an enemy. Give it everything you've got," he spoke. Though his hold was loose, it was still firm enough that she would have to do something on her own to get out of it.
Surprisingly, she un-twisted by jumping into a flip from a dead stop, rotating their arms back the other way. Her hand shifted in his grip, fingers banding firmly over his wrist, and she yanked him forward with a sharp tug, driving her knee up for his stomach. They were close enough that it would be difficult to avoid, even for him.
He didn't.
For all his speed, even he knew he would not be able to avoid an attack like that. It was painful, to say the least, but he supposed it would always be that way. Callouses could be formed, a body could become tolerant to such things, but Aram had never allowed himself to do that. He smiled, though. "That was..." he cringed slightly, putting some distance between them as he did.
"That is a good start, Reiko," he told her, taking a deep breath to shake off the rest of the discomfort. At least she could maneuver that way. He was satisified with that. He shifted into a more aggressive stance, this time, taking charge at her with an extra boost to his speed. He did not hold back, though. Somehow, he figured that she would be upset with him if he did. And he didn't want to upset her.
Faintly, even over the immediate sounds of the match, he could hear Tatsuya laughing uproariously. Apparently, that last exchange had been extremely amusing to him.
“Stop playing around, Rei," he called over to them.
Reiko rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face was brilliant, flashing pearl-white teeth with a hint of fang. It reached all the way to her eyes, making them seem brighter in the predawn light. She shifted stances smoothly, dropping low into swallow stance, nearly crouched with one leg extended in front of her. She flowed out of the way of his first blow, using her low center of gravity to roll clear and right herself in the same position, preparing for the next attack.
Maybe he had, unknowningly, underestimated her? He didn't know why that made him smile, but it did. So, he upped his speed a bit. Something in his blood seemed to stir to life, and he found himself enjoying this match. She was, for the lack of better words, beautiful at the moment. Perhaps it was that train of thought that had paralyzed him, and he came to an abrupt stop, allowing her to knock him off his feet. He blinked mildly up at the sky, the confusion still on his face.
"Rule of battle, do not become distracted," as he just was. He spoke it more to himself, though. He should not have allowed that simple thought to stop him. He should not have had that thought in the first place, but he was resigned to allow it forward. He managed to stand up, and dusted his apparel off, avoiding her gaze entirely.
If anything, Tatsuya laughed louder.
Reiko, he could see from the corner of his eye, looked a bit nonplussed. “Are you all right?" She blinked at him, then glanced at the sky. “This one supposes the sun is coming up; did it get in your eyes? We could try again at a better time of day, if you like? This one is sorry for kicking you like that; this one didn't quite understand fast enough what had happened." Honestly, she still didn't seem to.
Aram shook his head. "It wasn't the sun that distracted me," he muttered lowly. It was a little embarrassing to admit that it was her, that distracted him. Sighing softly, he glanced in Tatsuya's direction, pursing his lips together. "It seems that Tatsuya is having fun at my expense, though," and he knew Ayla would be doing the same thing if she were here. Thankfully, she wasn't. She'd probably make it worse, now that he thought about it.
"But perhaps my head is just not... here at the moment," he admitted, shaking his head as he did so. "And do not apologize, Reiko. It was good that you took advantage of the situation," strange as it had been. Any sort of opening should be exploited, and he'd given her one. Unintentionally, but he supposed that it wouldn't have been better if it had been intentional.
She frowned up at him—when she had moved quite so close was unclear—and reached up to lay the back of her hand against his forehead. “You do feel a little warm," she murmured, perhaps more to herself than to him. Immediately, she dropped her hand and took a step back. Her eyes moved to her brother.
“Suya? Can you ask one of the servants to bring some cool water to the engawa? This one thinks Aram-sama might have a slight fever."
Tatsuya clearly did not believe that, and if the heaviness of his gaze on Aram was any indication, he had a fairly good idea of what was actually going on. He arched a brow, but sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, sure. Good luck with that fever, Washi-san."
If anything, his face grew warmer. He blinked in rapid succession, and pulled back a bit. It was hard to do that, actually, but he forced himself to do it. "I'm fine, Reiko. I don't have a fever," he spoke, keeping his voice as even as he could. It wanted to crack a bit, under the embarrassment he felt. Plus, he didn't like the way Tatsuya looked at him.
I am just... embarrassed at what distracted me," he spoke, though he would elaborate no further. He did not need to embarrass himself further by telling her it was her that distracted him. "But a break would be nice," he quickly added.
“Oh." She looked at him somewhat apologetically, half a sheepish smile quirking her lips. “This one is sorry. This one tends to worry about you—a-about everyone, that is. Including you, of course." Reiko cleared her throat, turning slightly away from him. “A-anyway, we might as well wait on the engawa for that water. Even the likes of Aram-sama should stay hydrated, right?"
He smiled. "Of course," because even the likes of him needed to stay hydrated.
Tatsuya sighed slightly, setting the still-full jug of sake down next to him. He sat on the side of one of the garden pathways, his back against his favorite tree, relaxing his shoulders back into it.
Tomorrow.
Akarui and his army of ningen and oni would be here tomorrow. The first part of the whole thing would likely have little to do with them, but they'd be there for it anyway, supervising the newly-arrived hunters who would be helping the villagers repel the invaders from the walls. Hopefully some of their explosives and wall-mounted trebuchets and the like would be enough to soften the army up, but that depended on how long the fortifications would last.
Before any of the gates fell but not too soon, they'd send out their army to match with Akarui's. Defending the gates would be first priority; even the oni had too much trouble with the walls to bother, meaning that the gates were the only potential weakness they needed to worry about. They'd have to split to cover those, since there were three total. How they split would depend on the situation at the time.
Beyond that, the strategy was simply to survive. Go for Akarui or Eiji if they showed themselves, push their army back if not. Stay adaptable. Read the situation when they could. Keep each other alive.
Pouring himself a cup of the sake, Tatsuya found himself thinking of his old man. Much as he was loath to admit it, they could really use the old man's help right about now. He was an old hand at this; not just the oni-fighting part, but defending castles, whole settlements. As old as Tatsuya was, Hokkaido had never been seriously threatened in his lifetime. He'd never had to test himself against something like this.
Wasn't this supposed to be his dad's fucking destiny or whatever? Why the hell were they the ones dealing with the brunt of it? Just based on Ayla and Washi-san's reactions, these oni were worse than the ones from back in the day. If the old man had really been made to stop them, and they'd won that war, what the fuck was this?
Grumbling under his breath, he knocked back a cup and filled it again.
Damn it all. He'd always said he wasn't going to be his father, but he was getting drawn into all the same shit, wasn't he? In more than one way.
"Something's really bothering you, isn't it?" Ayla spoke, half arching a brow in his direction. "You're knocking those back a lot faster than you usually do," she continued, nodding her head in the direction of his jug. She looked slightly amused, but that seemed to be fading, somewhat. She must have found something, earlier, to be amusing. She didn't move from her spot, though. She kept her arms folded across her chest, and didn't seem inclined to leaving just yet.
"But if I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with tomorrow's arrival of Heisuke and his army," she gave a careless shrug of her shoulders, disturbing the white strands that were resting over the left side.
He considered asking her to join him; he'd have been... happy, to share. Perhaps it was that thought that stopped him from doing it. Or yet another reminder that he wasn't pushing anymore. She tended to get amicable when intoxicated, to say the least, and he acknowledged that it would be difficult to deal with, in their current state of suspension.
“Bothering?" He frowned, glancing down at his cup. It was as good a word as any, perhaps. Tatsuya shrugged, meeting her eyes without difficulty. “It's the night before a major battle. The biggest one I've ever been in, at any rate." Perhaps she'd seen larger ones, but he was willing to bet the enemies hadn't quite been like these.
He downed another gulp, resting the dish on his knee. “There's no way it stays under our control the whole time." They could strategize all they wanted. With this many factors to account for, this many variables, something would not turn out like they planned. “I can't shake the feeling I'm missing something."
She scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "That's the thing about battles, though. Nothing will ever be under your control. We just have to make up for it, I suppose. It's harder to keep control, though, when you are not in control of yourself," she spoke, frowning slightly. It disappeared, though, and was replaced with a small smile.
"But all the more reason to stay sober, ne? It's the night before a major battle, and you're drinking." she continued, sighing softly and diverting her gaze. She seemed to be lost in thought about something, and she lifted her gaze back up to him. "Tatsuya..." she began, calling his name softly before she paused. It looked like she wanted to say more, but she remained quiet. Her gaze stayed with his though, and it looked like she was searching for something. She didn't seem to find it, though, since her posture shifted to a slight hunch.
"Never mind, it's not important," she spoke softly. It was almost too soft that it might have registered as a whisper if it weren't for his hearing. "We are about as prepared as we'll be, though. If you're missing something, maybe you'll find it before it's too late, hm?" she tried sounding a little more optimistic.
Tatsuya lifted his shoulders by way of response. Rambling wasn't exactly like her, but this seemed a bit like rambling to him. He'd control what he could and adapt to the rest, sure. But that didn't suppress the feeling that there was something he should have noticed, but had not, manifesting as a general unease.
So he picked out some other part of her statement and focused on it instead. “I'm not drunk, and this isn't enough to make me," he pointed out, taking another swallow. “Besides, tomorrow's a way off yet. Even if I got there eventually, we sober up quickly." Intoxicants and poisons, as well as bloodborne diseases and infections, burned out of his body quickly, without really affecting him much if at all. Perks to being a monster, perhaps.
Fuck it.
“You want any?"
She arched a brow at him, but shook her head. "I'm afraid that if I partake, I might do something stupid," she smiled almost ruefully at him. "Thanks for the offer, though," she added. She took a step, as if she were going to leave, but she didn't. Instead, she simply made her way towards him, and took a seat next to him.
"But I will stay for a moment," she spoke, leaning slightly forward. "It's nice to be able to settle my nerves before a battle, you know," she spoke as if it were he that made it possible.
He didn't miss the implication. He rarely did. Tatsuya snorted into his drink. “I've been accused of having a lot of different effects on people," he murmured around the rim of the cup before taking another swallow. “But never once has anyone found me useful for settling anything, least of all nerves."
She snorted softly. "There's a first for everything, right?" she replied, rolling her eyes somewhat, in good humor. "And unfortunately that's what you do for me, so get used to it," she continued, arching her brow somewhat. "It's one of the things I lo-like about you," she quickly changed the word and shook her head. She leaned back so that she was sitting properly.
"I don't think it's so bad, though. I mean, there are other things you could be useful for, but..." she trailed off, shrugging lightly with a small smirk forming on her lips.
Another thing he did not miss was that slip. He didn't realize until she'd finished speaking that he'd actually frozen in place when it happened. Even his breath had stilled, halfway into his lungs. He knocked back the rest of his cup and poured himself another one immediately. He was going to ignore that, because it might very well be just a slip. And even if it wasn't, he wasn't sure what he'd do with the information.
“Next thing I know, you'll be telling me to rub your feet or something," he muttered. Settling. Relaxing. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, so he feigned a touch of offense.
She laughed at him. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but now that you mention it," she spoke once she'd calmed herself. "I'd rather you not," she continued, humor laced in her voice. "It's bad enough that you know one of my weaknesses. I don't need to give you another one," she added, though she might as well have with that statement. Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second, though, before she huffed.
"Besides, you're the only one..." she paused, pursing her lips together. She seemed to be struggling with the words she wanted to use. "Look... I am not well-versed in this kind of shit. Never have been, and I don't think I ever will, but there is something I want you to know," she spoke, her tone becoming oddly serious. She had turned so that she was facing him and holding his gaze. Her hands twitched, as if she wanted to lift them, but she didn't.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, or after," she began, swallowing a little thickly. He could see it almost clear as day, the shift in her throat. "Don't die, alright? I don't... I don't know if I could," she sighed and dropped her gaze. "I don't know if I could handle that."
Tatsuya bit down on his tongue hard enough to taste his own blood in his mouth. It wouldn't do to reply in the way his first instinct bid him. Given how often he did act on instinct, forcing himself not to was a rather nontrivial task. Instead, he let the space of three whole breaths pass before he spoke.
He arched a brow, rolling his already-healed tongue over the roof of his mouth and letting a small smirk lift one side of his mouth. “Don't tell me all this nonsense has let you forget who you're talking to," he drawled, infusing the words with the same confidence that usually resulted in her calling him a cocky bastard. “I'm not about to be brought down by the likes of a few oni with a bit more brain matter to rub together. You worry about you, Ayla. I'll be fine."
He curled his fingers around the sake dish. The temptation to touch her was there, but he'd sworn it already. He did nothing she didn't ask him for. Nothing she didn't indicate well ahead of time that she wanted.
She furrowed her brows at him. "I'm being serious, you asshole," she spoke. She seemed almost angry at his choice of words. "Losing one person I loved was hard enough. I don't want to lose another one," she spoke in quick succession. Her eyes widened slightly, though. Perhaps it was what she said that made her react that way. She did not deny it, though, nor did she try to back track what she'd said. She just fell silent, and allowed her gaze to falter.
Once, he could attribute to a slip.
Twice was another matter.
Slowly, Tatsuya set his cup down, next to the jug of sake. He turned a bit so that they were facing each other, pursing his lips and locking eyes with her. He kept his hands deliberately on his knees. “Would you care to repeat that?" he asked, his tone completely devoid of any humor for once.
He took a deep breath. “If you don't, I'll pretend I never heard it." It was clearly not something she'd meant to say. So he gave her a way out.
"I do not want to lose another person I love," she repeated slowly. She sighed softly and dropped her gaze for a moment. "I realize that now, and it wasn't something I was exactly fond of. Why you? Why did I fall in love you?" she stated, lifting her gaze back up to his. She didn't seem to be questioning it, only trying to understand.
"And then I realized, why not you? You," she repeated. She wasn't making any sense, and she seemed to realize that. "You're the only one who makes me afraid," she whispered softly. "No one has ever done that. Not Aram, not your father. Just you," she continued.
"Only you," she repeated, clenching her fists into her kimono. "This was not the way I wanted you to find out, but I did want to tell you, eventually," she seemed to confess. "I just didn't know if I would be able to tell you after this war... if..." she trailed off, the implication clear. She wouldn't have been able to tell him if either of them had died.
Tatsuya blinked at her. That was... quite a lot to take in. Afraid, was it? Not of him, he thought. No, she was much more likely to be afraid for.
Carefully, so that she had plenty of time to evade his touch if she so desired, her moved on large hand to her cheek, sliding it back into her hair and using the loose hold it gave him on the back of her head to pull her forwards towards him. “Come here," he murmured, lifting her without much effort onto his crossed legs and tucking her head under his chin.
He combed his entangled fingers gently through her hair at a slow, steady pace, starting again every time he reached the ends. She smelled like flowers, and he wasn't going to bother pretending right now that he didn't enjoy that. More even than the scent, though, the feel of being that close to her, of her warmth against his chill, was something he allowed himself to relish.
“I'm not going to die," he said, the arrogance gone from his tone to be replaced by a sort of quiet confidence. One more layer of himself, peeled away so she could see what was underneath. So rarely did he do that. It should have felt wrong, to cast away all the things he protected himself with. But it didn't. Not around her.
Turning his head slightly, Tatsuya inhaled deeply, pulling in the scent of her hair and relaxing fractionally. “I'm not going to leave."
Some part of him suspected that this was the root of her fears. His father had left her, after all; he knew that had pained her. He would not make the same mistake.
She took in a soft breath, and wrapped her arms around him. She leaned her head closer to his chest, and stayed silent for a moment. "You'll have to forgive me if words do not comfort me, at the moment," she spoke. That was, perhaps, fair, all things considered. "It's an impossible promise to make, and an even harder one to keep, but," she paused, tilting her head so that she was staring at him.
"It will settle my nerves if you say you'll be careful. It's what... it's what I want, right now," she spoke, her brows furrowing slightly.
He touched the crease between her brows with the tip of his index finger. “They are not simply words," he said, tracing the digit down the bridge of her nose. Her skin was silken and warm, the bones of her face fine and strong. “They are my words. To you." That likely did little to assuage her, of course, so he explained, peeling back another layer.
“You can ask anyone you care to, and they will all tell you the same thing: I do not make promises I cannot keep. Or any I will not keep. If... you can't trust me to know, then you can trust that." He didn't expect her to trust him. Love, real or imagined, was one thing. Trust was another. Tatsuya understood trust.
“As for careful..." he pursed his lips. “That I cannot promise. Not if the situation demands that I be otherwise." His style was nearly pure offense to begin with, and he worked best when he used it instead of one of the others he knew. And he'd never been one to hold himself back when something he desired to protect was at risk. So he could not promise careful, and he would not.
She sighed softly, something like disappointment escaping with it. "I do not expect you to promise, but," she muttered, pausing only for a second. Her gaze softened somewhat and she shook her head. "I will trust you," she spoke, dropping her gaze to lean back into his chest. "There are not many things I want, or trust in life, but... I trust you," she added, her fingers curling into the fabric of his clothing.
Tatsuya was inclined to ask her whether she also wanted him, but this was not the night for that. Not the eve before a battle, when despite his assurances so much was uncertain. It was too... trivial, a question, for this particular moment. That she trusted him was the information worth much more. And much more surprising, enough to shake loose something in his chest. He did not care to know what, just yet.
But... “Sleep with me," he said suddenly. “Not... in the way I usually mean. Just... my futon's big enough, and there's no reason not to, is there?" He could have rolled his eyes at himself. Tatsuya was not usually one to fall into inelegance; he should have been able to make an offer like that much more appealing than the plain way it sounded. But maybe the comfort of this, of their bodies folded together without ulterior motives, would be enough convincing.
Maybe it felt as... natural to her as it did to him. As easy. As fitting.
"Is that what you ask all the women?" she spoke, her face still buried in his chest. She didn't seem to mean it, only in a teasing manner. She shifted somewhat in her spot, enough so that she was able to pull back and stare at him fully. "Alright," she spoke suddenly, the teasing nature and everything else that was light escaping her face. It was pulled into something more serious, but gentle.
"I'll sleep with you in the not usual way," she added, a small smirk pulling at her lips.
He snorted softly, but the smile that crept across his face was wholly genuine. Surprising even to himself.
“That is a question I have asked no woman," he replied. “None but you." He stood easily; his hold on her only required minimal adjustment to carry her. She really was quite a lot smaller than her personality suggested.
"Is that right?" she asked, arching a brow slightly before huffing. "Well aren't I lucky," she spoke, chuckling softly. "If it makes you feel any better, you're the only one I'll be sleeping with," she snorted softly, apparently not resisting the tempation to keep the implications to a teasing level. Her arms, however, had shifted from his torso to his neck.
"But there's a first time for everything, right?" she continued, her smirk shifting to a small smile.
“Hm. So it seems."
Tomorrow.
Akarui and his army of ningen and oni would be here tomorrow. The first part of the whole thing would likely have little to do with them, but they'd be there for it anyway, supervising the newly-arrived hunters who would be helping the villagers repel the invaders from the walls. Hopefully some of their explosives and wall-mounted trebuchets and the like would be enough to soften the army up, but that depended on how long the fortifications would last.
Before any of the gates fell but not too soon, they'd send out their army to match with Akarui's. Defending the gates would be first priority; even the oni had too much trouble with the walls to bother, meaning that the gates were the only potential weakness they needed to worry about. They'd have to split to cover those, since there were three total. How they split would depend on the situation at the time.
Beyond that, the strategy was simply to survive. Go for Akarui or Eiji if they showed themselves, push their army back if not. Stay adaptable. Read the situation when they could. Keep each other alive.
Pouring himself a cup of the sake, Tatsuya found himself thinking of his old man. Much as he was loath to admit it, they could really use the old man's help right about now. He was an old hand at this; not just the oni-fighting part, but defending castles, whole settlements. As old as Tatsuya was, Hokkaido had never been seriously threatened in his lifetime. He'd never had to test himself against something like this.
Wasn't this supposed to be his dad's fucking destiny or whatever? Why the hell were they the ones dealing with the brunt of it? Just based on Ayla and Washi-san's reactions, these oni were worse than the ones from back in the day. If the old man had really been made to stop them, and they'd won that war, what the fuck was this?
Grumbling under his breath, he knocked back a cup and filled it again.
Damn it all. He'd always said he wasn't going to be his father, but he was getting drawn into all the same shit, wasn't he? In more than one way.
"Something's really bothering you, isn't it?" Ayla spoke, half arching a brow in his direction. "You're knocking those back a lot faster than you usually do," she continued, nodding her head in the direction of his jug. She looked slightly amused, but that seemed to be fading, somewhat. She must have found something, earlier, to be amusing. She didn't move from her spot, though. She kept her arms folded across her chest, and didn't seem inclined to leaving just yet.
"But if I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with tomorrow's arrival of Heisuke and his army," she gave a careless shrug of her shoulders, disturbing the white strands that were resting over the left side.
He considered asking her to join him; he'd have been... happy, to share. Perhaps it was that thought that stopped him from doing it. Or yet another reminder that he wasn't pushing anymore. She tended to get amicable when intoxicated, to say the least, and he acknowledged that it would be difficult to deal with, in their current state of suspension.
“Bothering?" He frowned, glancing down at his cup. It was as good a word as any, perhaps. Tatsuya shrugged, meeting her eyes without difficulty. “It's the night before a major battle. The biggest one I've ever been in, at any rate." Perhaps she'd seen larger ones, but he was willing to bet the enemies hadn't quite been like these.
He downed another gulp, resting the dish on his knee. “There's no way it stays under our control the whole time." They could strategize all they wanted. With this many factors to account for, this many variables, something would not turn out like they planned. “I can't shake the feeling I'm missing something."
She scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "That's the thing about battles, though. Nothing will ever be under your control. We just have to make up for it, I suppose. It's harder to keep control, though, when you are not in control of yourself," she spoke, frowning slightly. It disappeared, though, and was replaced with a small smile.
"But all the more reason to stay sober, ne? It's the night before a major battle, and you're drinking." she continued, sighing softly and diverting her gaze. She seemed to be lost in thought about something, and she lifted her gaze back up to him. "Tatsuya..." she began, calling his name softly before she paused. It looked like she wanted to say more, but she remained quiet. Her gaze stayed with his though, and it looked like she was searching for something. She didn't seem to find it, though, since her posture shifted to a slight hunch.
"Never mind, it's not important," she spoke softly. It was almost too soft that it might have registered as a whisper if it weren't for his hearing. "We are about as prepared as we'll be, though. If you're missing something, maybe you'll find it before it's too late, hm?" she tried sounding a little more optimistic.
Tatsuya lifted his shoulders by way of response. Rambling wasn't exactly like her, but this seemed a bit like rambling to him. He'd control what he could and adapt to the rest, sure. But that didn't suppress the feeling that there was something he should have noticed, but had not, manifesting as a general unease.
So he picked out some other part of her statement and focused on it instead. “I'm not drunk, and this isn't enough to make me," he pointed out, taking another swallow. “Besides, tomorrow's a way off yet. Even if I got there eventually, we sober up quickly." Intoxicants and poisons, as well as bloodborne diseases and infections, burned out of his body quickly, without really affecting him much if at all. Perks to being a monster, perhaps.
Fuck it.
“You want any?"
She arched a brow at him, but shook her head. "I'm afraid that if I partake, I might do something stupid," she smiled almost ruefully at him. "Thanks for the offer, though," she added. She took a step, as if she were going to leave, but she didn't. Instead, she simply made her way towards him, and took a seat next to him.
"But I will stay for a moment," she spoke, leaning slightly forward. "It's nice to be able to settle my nerves before a battle, you know," she spoke as if it were he that made it possible.
He didn't miss the implication. He rarely did. Tatsuya snorted into his drink. “I've been accused of having a lot of different effects on people," he murmured around the rim of the cup before taking another swallow. “But never once has anyone found me useful for settling anything, least of all nerves."
She snorted softly. "There's a first for everything, right?" she replied, rolling her eyes somewhat, in good humor. "And unfortunately that's what you do for me, so get used to it," she continued, arching her brow somewhat. "It's one of the things I lo-like about you," she quickly changed the word and shook her head. She leaned back so that she was sitting properly.
"I don't think it's so bad, though. I mean, there are other things you could be useful for, but..." she trailed off, shrugging lightly with a small smirk forming on her lips.
Another thing he did not miss was that slip. He didn't realize until she'd finished speaking that he'd actually frozen in place when it happened. Even his breath had stilled, halfway into his lungs. He knocked back the rest of his cup and poured himself another one immediately. He was going to ignore that, because it might very well be just a slip. And even if it wasn't, he wasn't sure what he'd do with the information.
“Next thing I know, you'll be telling me to rub your feet or something," he muttered. Settling. Relaxing. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, so he feigned a touch of offense.
She laughed at him. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but now that you mention it," she spoke once she'd calmed herself. "I'd rather you not," she continued, humor laced in her voice. "It's bad enough that you know one of my weaknesses. I don't need to give you another one," she added, though she might as well have with that statement. Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second, though, before she huffed.
"Besides, you're the only one..." she paused, pursing her lips together. She seemed to be struggling with the words she wanted to use. "Look... I am not well-versed in this kind of shit. Never have been, and I don't think I ever will, but there is something I want you to know," she spoke, her tone becoming oddly serious. She had turned so that she was facing him and holding his gaze. Her hands twitched, as if she wanted to lift them, but she didn't.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, or after," she began, swallowing a little thickly. He could see it almost clear as day, the shift in her throat. "Don't die, alright? I don't... I don't know if I could," she sighed and dropped her gaze. "I don't know if I could handle that."
Tatsuya bit down on his tongue hard enough to taste his own blood in his mouth. It wouldn't do to reply in the way his first instinct bid him. Given how often he did act on instinct, forcing himself not to was a rather nontrivial task. Instead, he let the space of three whole breaths pass before he spoke.
He arched a brow, rolling his already-healed tongue over the roof of his mouth and letting a small smirk lift one side of his mouth. “Don't tell me all this nonsense has let you forget who you're talking to," he drawled, infusing the words with the same confidence that usually resulted in her calling him a cocky bastard. “I'm not about to be brought down by the likes of a few oni with a bit more brain matter to rub together. You worry about you, Ayla. I'll be fine."
He curled his fingers around the sake dish. The temptation to touch her was there, but he'd sworn it already. He did nothing she didn't ask him for. Nothing she didn't indicate well ahead of time that she wanted.
She furrowed her brows at him. "I'm being serious, you asshole," she spoke. She seemed almost angry at his choice of words. "Losing one person I loved was hard enough. I don't want to lose another one," she spoke in quick succession. Her eyes widened slightly, though. Perhaps it was what she said that made her react that way. She did not deny it, though, nor did she try to back track what she'd said. She just fell silent, and allowed her gaze to falter.
Once, he could attribute to a slip.
Twice was another matter.
Slowly, Tatsuya set his cup down, next to the jug of sake. He turned a bit so that they were facing each other, pursing his lips and locking eyes with her. He kept his hands deliberately on his knees. “Would you care to repeat that?" he asked, his tone completely devoid of any humor for once.
He took a deep breath. “If you don't, I'll pretend I never heard it." It was clearly not something she'd meant to say. So he gave her a way out.
"I do not want to lose another person I love," she repeated slowly. She sighed softly and dropped her gaze for a moment. "I realize that now, and it wasn't something I was exactly fond of. Why you? Why did I fall in love you?" she stated, lifting her gaze back up to his. She didn't seem to be questioning it, only trying to understand.
"And then I realized, why not you? You," she repeated. She wasn't making any sense, and she seemed to realize that. "You're the only one who makes me afraid," she whispered softly. "No one has ever done that. Not Aram, not your father. Just you," she continued.
"Only you," she repeated, clenching her fists into her kimono. "This was not the way I wanted you to find out, but I did want to tell you, eventually," she seemed to confess. "I just didn't know if I would be able to tell you after this war... if..." she trailed off, the implication clear. She wouldn't have been able to tell him if either of them had died.
Tatsuya blinked at her. That was... quite a lot to take in. Afraid, was it? Not of him, he thought. No, she was much more likely to be afraid for.
Carefully, so that she had plenty of time to evade his touch if she so desired, her moved on large hand to her cheek, sliding it back into her hair and using the loose hold it gave him on the back of her head to pull her forwards towards him. “Come here," he murmured, lifting her without much effort onto his crossed legs and tucking her head under his chin.
He combed his entangled fingers gently through her hair at a slow, steady pace, starting again every time he reached the ends. She smelled like flowers, and he wasn't going to bother pretending right now that he didn't enjoy that. More even than the scent, though, the feel of being that close to her, of her warmth against his chill, was something he allowed himself to relish.
“I'm not going to die," he said, the arrogance gone from his tone to be replaced by a sort of quiet confidence. One more layer of himself, peeled away so she could see what was underneath. So rarely did he do that. It should have felt wrong, to cast away all the things he protected himself with. But it didn't. Not around her.
Turning his head slightly, Tatsuya inhaled deeply, pulling in the scent of her hair and relaxing fractionally. “I'm not going to leave."
Some part of him suspected that this was the root of her fears. His father had left her, after all; he knew that had pained her. He would not make the same mistake.
She took in a soft breath, and wrapped her arms around him. She leaned her head closer to his chest, and stayed silent for a moment. "You'll have to forgive me if words do not comfort me, at the moment," she spoke. That was, perhaps, fair, all things considered. "It's an impossible promise to make, and an even harder one to keep, but," she paused, tilting her head so that she was staring at him.
"It will settle my nerves if you say you'll be careful. It's what... it's what I want, right now," she spoke, her brows furrowing slightly.
He touched the crease between her brows with the tip of his index finger. “They are not simply words," he said, tracing the digit down the bridge of her nose. Her skin was silken and warm, the bones of her face fine and strong. “They are my words. To you." That likely did little to assuage her, of course, so he explained, peeling back another layer.
“You can ask anyone you care to, and they will all tell you the same thing: I do not make promises I cannot keep. Or any I will not keep. If... you can't trust me to know, then you can trust that." He didn't expect her to trust him. Love, real or imagined, was one thing. Trust was another. Tatsuya understood trust.
“As for careful..." he pursed his lips. “That I cannot promise. Not if the situation demands that I be otherwise." His style was nearly pure offense to begin with, and he worked best when he used it instead of one of the others he knew. And he'd never been one to hold himself back when something he desired to protect was at risk. So he could not promise careful, and he would not.
She sighed softly, something like disappointment escaping with it. "I do not expect you to promise, but," she muttered, pausing only for a second. Her gaze softened somewhat and she shook her head. "I will trust you," she spoke, dropping her gaze to lean back into his chest. "There are not many things I want, or trust in life, but... I trust you," she added, her fingers curling into the fabric of his clothing.
Tatsuya was inclined to ask her whether she also wanted him, but this was not the night for that. Not the eve before a battle, when despite his assurances so much was uncertain. It was too... trivial, a question, for this particular moment. That she trusted him was the information worth much more. And much more surprising, enough to shake loose something in his chest. He did not care to know what, just yet.
But... “Sleep with me," he said suddenly. “Not... in the way I usually mean. Just... my futon's big enough, and there's no reason not to, is there?" He could have rolled his eyes at himself. Tatsuya was not usually one to fall into inelegance; he should have been able to make an offer like that much more appealing than the plain way it sounded. But maybe the comfort of this, of their bodies folded together without ulterior motives, would be enough convincing.
Maybe it felt as... natural to her as it did to him. As easy. As fitting.
"Is that what you ask all the women?" she spoke, her face still buried in his chest. She didn't seem to mean it, only in a teasing manner. She shifted somewhat in her spot, enough so that she was able to pull back and stare at him fully. "Alright," she spoke suddenly, the teasing nature and everything else that was light escaping her face. It was pulled into something more serious, but gentle.
"I'll sleep with you in the not usual way," she added, a small smirk pulling at her lips.
He snorted softly, but the smile that crept across his face was wholly genuine. Surprising even to himself.
“That is a question I have asked no woman," he replied. “None but you." He stood easily; his hold on her only required minimal adjustment to carry her. She really was quite a lot smaller than her personality suggested.
"Is that right?" she asked, arching a brow slightly before huffing. "Well aren't I lucky," she spoke, chuckling softly. "If it makes you feel any better, you're the only one I'll be sleeping with," she snorted softly, apparently not resisting the tempation to keep the implications to a teasing level. Her arms, however, had shifted from his torso to his neck.
"But there's a first time for everything, right?" she continued, her smirk shifting to a small smile.
“Hm. So it seems."
She was the first to wake.
Before the sun was up, before the birds began chirping, or even the scent of morning dew. She was awake. It was not as surprising as she thought it would be, to find out that she had slept peacefully, last night. For the first time in over countless years, she was able to sleep. Perhaps it had something to do with last night's confession; a confession she had not planned on making. At least she hadn't planned on making it like that. Slowly, she extracted herself from the comfort of the bed, and from his arms. She did not want to disturb him, not when he was still sleeping and she was fully awake.
Once she was able to do that, she carefully made her way out of his room so that she made no noise to disturb him. It was still a couple of hours before dawn, before they would arrive. They hadn't yet, just from the general scent of things. That was good. She needed to get one last training session in before they arrived. With that in mind, she made her way towards the training grounds. During her spar, she had allowed herself to shift. She had been working on that, recently. Usually, it took her a few seconds to fully shift, however; she knew those few seconds were where she was at her most vulnerable. She had to shift quicker.
It was the difference between life and death. And she did not want to die. She no longer had a reason to die. She had a reason to live. He might not have said it, but whether or not he felt anything for her, was of little concern. She loved him, and she wanted to live for him. And so she trained harder than she'd ever did before. Evening out her breathing, she managed to shift back, the cracks and shifting of her bones echoing softly in the air. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she pulled on her kimono. She'd been smart enough, this time, to remove it first.
Once she bathed, she walked towards the gate. It wouldn't be long before Heisuke and his army would arrive, now. And she wanted to be there when he did.
All seven of her hosts were already assembled at the gate, already clearly prepared for battle. They were outfitted to match; each wore a red shitagi under a black kosode with the Fujiwara clan crest—twisted strands of wisteria—emblazoned in bright red on the back. Their black hakama, tabi, and zori were uniform as well, and each wore their own painted animal mask either at their belt or atop their head for the moment.
Tatsuya alone wore the inverse colors—his shitagi was black and the outer kosode was red, with a black crest. He was speaking to Reiko, softly enough that Ayla could not make out the individual words, just the general murmuring tone. His sister carried Amon's swords at her waist, toying with the cat mask in her hands before shaking her head slightly.
Around them all, Tsubasa's men were making last minute preparations to march; clearly, their departure was imminent. Probably wise—they should not let Akarui's army meet the fortifications without their presence.
Reiko and Tatsuya appeared to notice Ayla at the same time. Both turned toward her; Reiko smiled thinly before touching her brother's elbow and moving away to assist one of the soldiers with a load of ballista bolts.
Tatsuya folded his arms into his sleeves as she approached the gate, and by extension, him. When she was close enough, he spoke in a voice tinged with amusement. “It's not often that I go to bed with company but wake up alone," he said, lifting an eyebrow and half-smiling at her. “Are you trying to hurt my feelings?"
She arched a brow. "If I were trying to hurt your feelings, I would have woken you up, first," she replied softly, the same amusement in her voice. She shrugged, though, and smiled. "I figured I'd let you sleep. I didn't want to wake you, but if you missed me that much..." she trailed off, her smile turning into a smirk.
"Maybe I'll let you make it up to me when this is over, hm?" she could have laughed at herself for that. She did, however, chuckle a little softly, though.
“Make it up to you?" he inquired, blinking slowly. “I was not aware the transgression was mine. It seems I've offended you somehow without ever knowing it." His smile spread slowly over his face, but the way he narrowed his eyes gave it a very different appearance.
He leaned down to speak in her ear. “In that case, do allow me to repent my sins. I'm sure we can come to some kind of... mutually-satisfactory arrangement." A sharp, but not painful pressure on the shell of her ear could only have been him biting her, but then it was gone and he was returning to his full height.
“Time to go," he murmured. The gates opened almost as he said it, and the castle's occupants started forward to the town below.
"And you say I'm a tease," she muttered lowly, rubbing her ear somewhat. She glanced to the side in time to see Aram approaching, giving her a nod before making his way towards Reiko. She grinned and rolled her eyes somewhat. She wondered, for a moment, if he would ever do anything. The answer to that, though, was obvious. He wouldn't. If that were the case, though, then she'd just have to be a meddling sister and do it for him. Or at least give him a bit of a push. Of course, that would have to wait until after the battle.
She furrowed her brows at the thought, pursing her lips together. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Whether it was to her, or someone else, she didn't like the odds that were against them. Oni were not intelligent by nature, however; the fact that Eiji had fifty intelligent ones in Heisuke's army was an unsettling thought. They would, essentially, be outnumbered in that sense. But perhaps she was just over thinking this?
She sighed softly, and pushed the thought aside. She was over thinking this. This was just another battle, another war to be won. And they would succeed. They'd won before; they would win again. She fell into step next to Tatsuya, glancing around at the others and noticing the expressions on their faces. They all wore the same one, however; she could almost smell the different emotions that were shifting through them. Perhaps it was warranted, though. These were no ordinary advesaries, but if things went well, they wouldn't have to face any of the oni.
For some reason, her brows furrowed deeply. The casualties of war would weigh heavily on her. They always did. These people, they had families to come home to, however; not all of them would return. Some of them would die, and there would be nothing she could do about it. She sighed a little heavily, and shook the thought from her head. She did not need to have her thoughts where they did not belong. Instead, she allowed her gaze to falter to Tatsuya, and she grinned.
"How long do you think this will last? An hour?" though her tone was light, she was trying to keep her thoughts elsewhere. She needed this distraction.
As though he knew it, he reached over and laid a hand on her head, running his fingers through her ponytail even while keeping his eyes forward. “Most likely? Days. The siege will be the longest part, while we're still behind the walls and trying to thin them out. We've got enough food here to get by for weeks without any problems, but most likely they'll get close to breaching one of the gates before then. That's when things will accelerate."
Tatsuya spoke as though he'd done this sort of thing before; warfare had changed since her days with Amon and Aram alone, it seemed. But that made sense: humans were inventive enough to improve on strategies for attack and defense, and even beings as strong as they were could always make use of good strategy, if they thought about it enough.
“Sieges can actually be pretty boring. The ones humans do can last for months while they try to starve each other out. But this one won't."
It wasn't the most soothing news, but she supposed it was something. "Boring or not, it's still something," she replied, allowing a faint smile on her face. "But if we can thin them out, it'll be worth it," she added. It would be worth it if they could get the enemy numbers down, especially the oni numbers. She doubted these would be easy to kill, considering their intelligence and their abilities.
If they used their abilities, it was a possibility that the siege would be a lot quicker, despite the fortifications. But she had to believe in their strength. She reached out her hand, tracing her forefinger down his elbow to the inside of his palm. She contemplated whether or not she actually wanted to hold it, however; she glanced away. She felt, oddly, shy. She pursed her lips together. When the hell has she ever been shy? She rolled her eyes at herself, and dropped her hand.
"We'll just have to do the best we can," she spoke softly.
She'd never known him to have any reservations about touch himself, but he withdrew to a more polite distance after she dropped her hand away, folding his own back into their sleeves. He nodded a short agreement, but there was little time to discuss further. They'd reached the town.
Most of the buildings were shuttered and locked up as tightly as possible. The able-bodied villagers, both men and surprisingly women, were doing what they could to help the soldiers, hunters, and strongest of their fellow townsfolk posted on the walls. Bolts were loaded into the ballistae, heavy stones into the trebuchets. The hunters looked to be making canisters of... something. Explosives or poison, perhaps.
Tatsuya nudged her with an elbow, drawing her attention back to him. In his hands was a white mask, much like those his family wore. This one was shaped unmistakably like a wolf, its lips pulled back in a snarl.
“For the poisons," he explained. “They go through our systems pretty fast, but out there you don't want to take chances. They're going to be dousing the field in the stuff. We made one for Washi-san, too." The footsoldiers looked to have simpler ones that only fit over the nose and mouth, but this was a full-face mask, down to the red designs painted across the brow and cheeks.
She took the mask from him, and held it out in front of her. The smile on her face, she could feel, caused her lips to pull back, exposing the whites of her teeth. She huffed lightly, shaking her head, and glanced up at him through her lashes. "Washi-san? Are you ever not going to call him that?" she asked. She'd always found it amusing that he called Aram, that, but she supposed he wasn't wrong, either.
Tatsuya shrugged. “Considering he now owns the mask to match? It's unlikely." Indeed, a quick glance at Aram proved that he was now holding an eagle-shaped mask of a similar design. Reiko was grinning at him, probably in amusement at the very same joke.
"Well then," she spoke, blinking slowly. They would do something like that, wouldn't they? "Thanks," she spoke, fitting the mask over her face before lifting it to rest on top of her head. "Washi-san is what he shall be," which was okay by her. He needed a new name, she supposed. And Washi-san did fit. The amusement and smile disappeared from her face, though. Instead, she pulled in a breath, and steadied her nerves.
"It's now or never, I suppose," she murmured. "I think... we should make a game out of this," she stated suddenly, glancing back up at him. If she could focus on something like that, then it would help her keep calm. "Keep track, if you can, of all you kill, and we'll see who has the most kills by the end of this war. Whoever wins gets to..." she paused, tapping her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Well I suppose it'll be victor's choosing, right?" she spoke. It's not like she had much to lose, anyway. Well, besides a bit of her pride if she lost. Plus, it'll give her more of a reason to stay alive. She was, after all, competitive in some aspects.
“Very macabre of you, my dear," he said, but he didn't seem at all put-off by the fact. “Alphas are worth five, and if one of us gets Akarui or Eiji, that's fifty. Humans are only a single count for five of them. How's that?"
"You forget who you're talking to," she spoke, slightly amused by the fact. She mused the points over, and smirked. "How about, alphas are ten, regular are five, humans are one, and whoever gets Akarui or Eiji wins," she countered. "Of course, if one of us gets both, that's just a bonus," she added, the smirk on her face growing.
Tatsuya snorted. “You're on."
"Good, because I don't plan on losing."
And she didn't.
Before the sun was up, before the birds began chirping, or even the scent of morning dew. She was awake. It was not as surprising as she thought it would be, to find out that she had slept peacefully, last night. For the first time in over countless years, she was able to sleep. Perhaps it had something to do with last night's confession; a confession she had not planned on making. At least she hadn't planned on making it like that. Slowly, she extracted herself from the comfort of the bed, and from his arms. She did not want to disturb him, not when he was still sleeping and she was fully awake.
Once she was able to do that, she carefully made her way out of his room so that she made no noise to disturb him. It was still a couple of hours before dawn, before they would arrive. They hadn't yet, just from the general scent of things. That was good. She needed to get one last training session in before they arrived. With that in mind, she made her way towards the training grounds. During her spar, she had allowed herself to shift. She had been working on that, recently. Usually, it took her a few seconds to fully shift, however; she knew those few seconds were where she was at her most vulnerable. She had to shift quicker.
It was the difference between life and death. And she did not want to die. She no longer had a reason to die. She had a reason to live. He might not have said it, but whether or not he felt anything for her, was of little concern. She loved him, and she wanted to live for him. And so she trained harder than she'd ever did before. Evening out her breathing, she managed to shift back, the cracks and shifting of her bones echoing softly in the air. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she pulled on her kimono. She'd been smart enough, this time, to remove it first.
Once she bathed, she walked towards the gate. It wouldn't be long before Heisuke and his army would arrive, now. And she wanted to be there when he did.
All seven of her hosts were already assembled at the gate, already clearly prepared for battle. They were outfitted to match; each wore a red shitagi under a black kosode with the Fujiwara clan crest—twisted strands of wisteria—emblazoned in bright red on the back. Their black hakama, tabi, and zori were uniform as well, and each wore their own painted animal mask either at their belt or atop their head for the moment.
Tatsuya alone wore the inverse colors—his shitagi was black and the outer kosode was red, with a black crest. He was speaking to Reiko, softly enough that Ayla could not make out the individual words, just the general murmuring tone. His sister carried Amon's swords at her waist, toying with the cat mask in her hands before shaking her head slightly.
Around them all, Tsubasa's men were making last minute preparations to march; clearly, their departure was imminent. Probably wise—they should not let Akarui's army meet the fortifications without their presence.
Reiko and Tatsuya appeared to notice Ayla at the same time. Both turned toward her; Reiko smiled thinly before touching her brother's elbow and moving away to assist one of the soldiers with a load of ballista bolts.
Tatsuya folded his arms into his sleeves as she approached the gate, and by extension, him. When she was close enough, he spoke in a voice tinged with amusement. “It's not often that I go to bed with company but wake up alone," he said, lifting an eyebrow and half-smiling at her. “Are you trying to hurt my feelings?"
She arched a brow. "If I were trying to hurt your feelings, I would have woken you up, first," she replied softly, the same amusement in her voice. She shrugged, though, and smiled. "I figured I'd let you sleep. I didn't want to wake you, but if you missed me that much..." she trailed off, her smile turning into a smirk.
"Maybe I'll let you make it up to me when this is over, hm?" she could have laughed at herself for that. She did, however, chuckle a little softly, though.
“Make it up to you?" he inquired, blinking slowly. “I was not aware the transgression was mine. It seems I've offended you somehow without ever knowing it." His smile spread slowly over his face, but the way he narrowed his eyes gave it a very different appearance.
He leaned down to speak in her ear. “In that case, do allow me to repent my sins. I'm sure we can come to some kind of... mutually-satisfactory arrangement." A sharp, but not painful pressure on the shell of her ear could only have been him biting her, but then it was gone and he was returning to his full height.
“Time to go," he murmured. The gates opened almost as he said it, and the castle's occupants started forward to the town below.
"And you say I'm a tease," she muttered lowly, rubbing her ear somewhat. She glanced to the side in time to see Aram approaching, giving her a nod before making his way towards Reiko. She grinned and rolled her eyes somewhat. She wondered, for a moment, if he would ever do anything. The answer to that, though, was obvious. He wouldn't. If that were the case, though, then she'd just have to be a meddling sister and do it for him. Or at least give him a bit of a push. Of course, that would have to wait until after the battle.
She furrowed her brows at the thought, pursing her lips together. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Whether it was to her, or someone else, she didn't like the odds that were against them. Oni were not intelligent by nature, however; the fact that Eiji had fifty intelligent ones in Heisuke's army was an unsettling thought. They would, essentially, be outnumbered in that sense. But perhaps she was just over thinking this?
She sighed softly, and pushed the thought aside. She was over thinking this. This was just another battle, another war to be won. And they would succeed. They'd won before; they would win again. She fell into step next to Tatsuya, glancing around at the others and noticing the expressions on their faces. They all wore the same one, however; she could almost smell the different emotions that were shifting through them. Perhaps it was warranted, though. These were no ordinary advesaries, but if things went well, they wouldn't have to face any of the oni.
For some reason, her brows furrowed deeply. The casualties of war would weigh heavily on her. They always did. These people, they had families to come home to, however; not all of them would return. Some of them would die, and there would be nothing she could do about it. She sighed a little heavily, and shook the thought from her head. She did not need to have her thoughts where they did not belong. Instead, she allowed her gaze to falter to Tatsuya, and she grinned.
"How long do you think this will last? An hour?" though her tone was light, she was trying to keep her thoughts elsewhere. She needed this distraction.
As though he knew it, he reached over and laid a hand on her head, running his fingers through her ponytail even while keeping his eyes forward. “Most likely? Days. The siege will be the longest part, while we're still behind the walls and trying to thin them out. We've got enough food here to get by for weeks without any problems, but most likely they'll get close to breaching one of the gates before then. That's when things will accelerate."
Tatsuya spoke as though he'd done this sort of thing before; warfare had changed since her days with Amon and Aram alone, it seemed. But that made sense: humans were inventive enough to improve on strategies for attack and defense, and even beings as strong as they were could always make use of good strategy, if they thought about it enough.
“Sieges can actually be pretty boring. The ones humans do can last for months while they try to starve each other out. But this one won't."
It wasn't the most soothing news, but she supposed it was something. "Boring or not, it's still something," she replied, allowing a faint smile on her face. "But if we can thin them out, it'll be worth it," she added. It would be worth it if they could get the enemy numbers down, especially the oni numbers. She doubted these would be easy to kill, considering their intelligence and their abilities.
If they used their abilities, it was a possibility that the siege would be a lot quicker, despite the fortifications. But she had to believe in their strength. She reached out her hand, tracing her forefinger down his elbow to the inside of his palm. She contemplated whether or not she actually wanted to hold it, however; she glanced away. She felt, oddly, shy. She pursed her lips together. When the hell has she ever been shy? She rolled her eyes at herself, and dropped her hand.
"We'll just have to do the best we can," she spoke softly.
She'd never known him to have any reservations about touch himself, but he withdrew to a more polite distance after she dropped her hand away, folding his own back into their sleeves. He nodded a short agreement, but there was little time to discuss further. They'd reached the town.
Most of the buildings were shuttered and locked up as tightly as possible. The able-bodied villagers, both men and surprisingly women, were doing what they could to help the soldiers, hunters, and strongest of their fellow townsfolk posted on the walls. Bolts were loaded into the ballistae, heavy stones into the trebuchets. The hunters looked to be making canisters of... something. Explosives or poison, perhaps.
Tatsuya nudged her with an elbow, drawing her attention back to him. In his hands was a white mask, much like those his family wore. This one was shaped unmistakably like a wolf, its lips pulled back in a snarl.
“For the poisons," he explained. “They go through our systems pretty fast, but out there you don't want to take chances. They're going to be dousing the field in the stuff. We made one for Washi-san, too." The footsoldiers looked to have simpler ones that only fit over the nose and mouth, but this was a full-face mask, down to the red designs painted across the brow and cheeks.
She took the mask from him, and held it out in front of her. The smile on her face, she could feel, caused her lips to pull back, exposing the whites of her teeth. She huffed lightly, shaking her head, and glanced up at him through her lashes. "Washi-san? Are you ever not going to call him that?" she asked. She'd always found it amusing that he called Aram, that, but she supposed he wasn't wrong, either.
Tatsuya shrugged. “Considering he now owns the mask to match? It's unlikely." Indeed, a quick glance at Aram proved that he was now holding an eagle-shaped mask of a similar design. Reiko was grinning at him, probably in amusement at the very same joke.
"Well then," she spoke, blinking slowly. They would do something like that, wouldn't they? "Thanks," she spoke, fitting the mask over her face before lifting it to rest on top of her head. "Washi-san is what he shall be," which was okay by her. He needed a new name, she supposed. And Washi-san did fit. The amusement and smile disappeared from her face, though. Instead, she pulled in a breath, and steadied her nerves.
"It's now or never, I suppose," she murmured. "I think... we should make a game out of this," she stated suddenly, glancing back up at him. If she could focus on something like that, then it would help her keep calm. "Keep track, if you can, of all you kill, and we'll see who has the most kills by the end of this war. Whoever wins gets to..." she paused, tapping her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Well I suppose it'll be victor's choosing, right?" she spoke. It's not like she had much to lose, anyway. Well, besides a bit of her pride if she lost. Plus, it'll give her more of a reason to stay alive. She was, after all, competitive in some aspects.
“Very macabre of you, my dear," he said, but he didn't seem at all put-off by the fact. “Alphas are worth five, and if one of us gets Akarui or Eiji, that's fifty. Humans are only a single count for five of them. How's that?"
"You forget who you're talking to," she spoke, slightly amused by the fact. She mused the points over, and smirked. "How about, alphas are ten, regular are five, humans are one, and whoever gets Akarui or Eiji wins," she countered. "Of course, if one of us gets both, that's just a bonus," she added, the smirk on her face growing.
Tatsuya snorted. “You're on."
"Good, because I don't plan on losing."
And she didn't.
“Fire trebuchets!" Tsubasa's voice rang out over the din of battle, directing the men at the siege weapons to volley them into the army at the walls.
With a series of thunderous bangs, the catapults released, hurling their payload over the walls and into the throng of soldiers approaching. Many of them were trying to climb the walls with the assistance of ladders; the oni were just trying to tear them down. So far, the stone had held for three days; hopefully it would hold for at least three more.
“Archers!" Tsubasa called the next order, and Reiko raised the bow she'd taken from the armory, drawing it back to her cheek. Ayla was much more suited to this; Reiko was not an amazing shot. But she was as good as any of the humans here, and that meant she was useful enough to have on the walls instead of running supplies below.
“Fire!" A low whistle followed the command as a hundred arrows flew through the air at once. Reiko didn't follow the trajectory of her own; she'd stopped trying to do that after the first few hours.
It wasn't constant battle; Akarui's forces pushed and pulled like the tides. Sometimes they would back off, giving everyone long enough to eat or possibly nap for a few hours, but then like an ocean wave, they would once more swell and crash forward, beating against Shimamaki's fortifications.
So far, he'd mostly held back the oni; the majority of their attackers were human; only occasionally did a small cluster of the ogres crowd forward with the soldiers. Reiko had no stomach for killing humans, but there was no choice other than defending her people that she could see. Their messenger's head had been sent back the first day as answer to their offer of negotiations. Akarui-dono had officially burned his bridge with them.
Next to her on the wall, several of the hunters pulled the tops off of their gas canisters and threw them into the fray, trailing sickly purple smoke behind them. The poison dropped entire throngs of humans, but they were saving most of it in hopes of using it to slow the oni when they committed to a strike.
There was no telling which of the three gates would be targeted when that time came.
A soft hiss drew Reiko's attention; she reacted on instinct, snapping her hand up and closing it over the arrow headed for the hunter next to her. Flipping it in her fingers and fitting it to the string of her bow, she pulled back and loosed it back the way it had come.
“Thanks." The man, little more than a boy from the look of him, grinned at her. She thought he might be a little awestruck, but it was hard to imagine such a feeling directed at her.
She smiled slightly back at him and nodded. “No problem."
“Rei! The third ballista needs more bolts; the runner's down!" Tsubasa called out to her outside of the usual rotation of commands, and she raised a hand to acknowledge, jumping off the near side of the wall and landing lightly on the ground.
Ballista bolts, ballista bolts...
"Reiko," Aram's voice called out to her as she ran past him. "Here," he spoke, handing her an armful of bolts. He must have heard Tsubasa calling out to her. "I will watch over you while you load them," he spoke, pulling the bow from his back. He wasn't the shot that Ayla was, but Aram had proven that he could use a bow just as well as his sword. Her swords were still tied to his waist, though.
"Let me know when you are ready to fire," he spoke, giving her a quick nod. His brows were furrowed, and he stayed a moment longer than necessary, before he turned his back. "Be cautious, alright?" he stated, his back turned to her. He glanced over his shoulder once, before returning to the battle, firing an arrow. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a fine line. He must not have liked killing the humans any more than she did.
But it was necessary.
They made their way back up onto the wall, Aram covering her with defensive fire, and Reiko found the ballista in question. It looked like two of the people manning it had been killed. “You're running bolts now," she told the remaining woman, who nodded and headed back down the wall for the next lot of ammunition.
Firing one of these was definitely a three-human job because of the way they were designed, but given their strength, she figured she and Aram could manage it by themselves. “This one needs you to aim it with that crank," she told him, pointing to the appropriate lever. Meanwhile, she drew back the mechanism and slotted in the bolt, making sure everything fit neatly in place so it would launch smoothly.
“Tsubasa will give us the cue to fire in a few seconds here, so... pick something quickly." She glanced up, meeting his eyes for a moment. She couldn't smile, not like this, when they were in the middle of a battle and the smell of death and smoke were on the air, in the dirt on their faces and the old, dry tear-tracks on her cheeks.
There was nothing to smile about.
He nodded solemnly, turning his attention to the appropriate lever. He moved it, pointing out into Akarui's army, and turned towards her. "It is prepared," he spoke, the same solemn expression on his face. Perhaps he could not smile, either. His expression was much too... something. Like a mixture of sorrow and loss. There was also a sense of urgency behind it, as if he wanted this to be over with, already. But this was a battle that could not be rushed.
"Whenever you are ready, Reiko," he spoke, waiting for Tsubasa's signal to fire.
She nodded even as her brother issued the command. The bolt sliced through the air when she released the mechanism, flying true into what looked like a field-constructed trebuchet of Akarui's own. Good. The longer they could keep him from bringing heavy weapons to bear against the wall and its defenders, the better.
At that point, the bolt runner returned, two more humans in tow. “The north gate, Hime-sama. They're about to breach the north gate. Tsubasa-sama asks you to go help defend it. He will hold off the assault here in the meantime."
North. That was the gate where Tatsuya, Ayla, Kentaro, and Sayuri were. Pursing her lips, Reiko nodded. “Aram-sama, let's go." She doubted he needed to be urged that way either, but... saying it was a small comfort. She wasn't alone. None of them were. They could do this.
Even if they had to open the gates and enter the field personally.
Aram nodded, following beside her. There was a brief flash of worry across his face, but it was smoothed over just as quickly as it had appeared. They'd reached the north gate in a matter of seconds, being as quick as they were, and it appeared that they were, indeed, struggling. Ayla and Sayuri were both perched on top of the wall, and from the looks of it, both were firing their arrows as quickly as they could draw them.
"I will help them on the wall, Reiko," he spoke, nodding in her direction. He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember... you are stronger than you believe," he spoke, offering her the smallest of smiles. His hand dropped, and he left to join Sayuri and Ayla at the top.
Reiko ran to Tatsuya as soon as he was gone, letting her nose lead her to her brother. He was already preparing to exit the gate, it looked like; he stood in front of it with Kentaro on his right side. She moved up to his left.
He glanced at her, face unreadable behind the dragon mask, but she could feel a slight flicker of uncertainty that he quashed quickly. “Good; you're here. Jirō says they can't spare anyone from the west side. Seems like they've got their hands full with some oni at the walls over there."
It wasn't great news, but at least it didn't sound like they were in danger of two breaches at once. The gate in front of her shuddered; a massive boom filled her hearing, nearly forcing Reiko a step back.
“Battering ram," Tatsuya explained. “We're gonna go over instead of through, or we'd risk letting too many in. The regulars can follow us out once we've cleared a bit of space."
“That makes sense," Reiko agreed. “Are we ready?"
Kentaro nodded, as did Tatsuya. As one, the three of them took a running start and leaped, clearing the gate by several feet apiece.
Reiko drew as she descended, landing lightly on top of the battering ram itself. Her father's sword flicked across the first throat she saw, ending the soldier's life as quickly and painlessly as she was able. He went limp, taking his part of the battering ram with him.
Two more collapsed backwards, on fire. Kentaro stabbed them rather than leaving them to burn, which she was grateful for. Ice daggers took out the rest. The soldiers reeled at the surprise assault, more of them falling before they had a chance to recover. Tatsuya and Kentaro pushed them back with large elemental swaths; Reiko concentrated on taking down those too stubborn to retreat in the face of fire and ice.
Time was hard to track; it felt like ten or fifteen minutes before they'd cleared out a good hundred feet away from the gate; the soldiers just kept coming. Once they had, the gates opened behind them, allowing their reinforcements through, and the battle began in earnest.
Aram and Ayla were among the reinforcements, and both had their swords drawn. It appeared that Sayuri remained on the wall, covering them from the top with her arrows. Aram, however, was by Reiko's side, swinging her blade with a sort of elegant swiftness. It looked like he'd gotten used to wielding her blade. Probably through practice. He wasn't as quick, though, in the deaths of the soldiers. It looked more like he was just disabling them, slicing off an arm here and there. It seemed, however, that it wasn't working for him since he began swinging in earnest towards their throats or heads.
They were lopped off with a sort of quickness that the heads always seemed to remain intact until the body fell. Even over the clang of metal meeting metal, she could hear him sigh. Ayla, however, didn't seem to have Reiko or Aram's reserves about killing the soldiers. Though it was quick, she did not bat an eyelash at their demise. She did not escape unscathed, though, with a few nicks from the blades of the soldiers. Even Aram was nicked, however; his healing factor was faster than Ayla's.
That was always apparent. She just healed slower than they did. "You're already losing by ten points, 'suya," she seemed to call out, her eyes meeting Reiko's for a moment. She grinned at her before she moved on to another set of soldiers.
"We must not give them room to breathe, otherwise," Aram spoke, pausing only a moment so that he was blocking an incoming strike. He managed to push the soldier aside before an arrow struck him, causing him to fall limp. Aram glanced back towards Reiko, and furrowed his brows. "Otherwise it will give them an opening to try and flank us," he concluded.
Reiko nodded tersely, silently thanking Sayu, or whoever had shot the arrow. She moved in slightly closer to Aram, leaving him plenty of room to swing and herself the same, but not quite so much that it would be easy for someone else to slide between them to flank. The other three seemed to be acting more independently; Tatsuya had even spearheaded into the main ranks of the enemy.
But that was how Suya fought: aggression and offense. He wouldn't do as well keeping tightly to a formation. Kentaro was dealing with the whole left side, corralling the soldiers there with tall walls of fire.
Everything seemed to be going more or less as well as they could expect.
And then the oni appeared.
With a series of thunderous bangs, the catapults released, hurling their payload over the walls and into the throng of soldiers approaching. Many of them were trying to climb the walls with the assistance of ladders; the oni were just trying to tear them down. So far, the stone had held for three days; hopefully it would hold for at least three more.
“Archers!" Tsubasa called the next order, and Reiko raised the bow she'd taken from the armory, drawing it back to her cheek. Ayla was much more suited to this; Reiko was not an amazing shot. But she was as good as any of the humans here, and that meant she was useful enough to have on the walls instead of running supplies below.
“Fire!" A low whistle followed the command as a hundred arrows flew through the air at once. Reiko didn't follow the trajectory of her own; she'd stopped trying to do that after the first few hours.
It wasn't constant battle; Akarui's forces pushed and pulled like the tides. Sometimes they would back off, giving everyone long enough to eat or possibly nap for a few hours, but then like an ocean wave, they would once more swell and crash forward, beating against Shimamaki's fortifications.
So far, he'd mostly held back the oni; the majority of their attackers were human; only occasionally did a small cluster of the ogres crowd forward with the soldiers. Reiko had no stomach for killing humans, but there was no choice other than defending her people that she could see. Their messenger's head had been sent back the first day as answer to their offer of negotiations. Akarui-dono had officially burned his bridge with them.
Next to her on the wall, several of the hunters pulled the tops off of their gas canisters and threw them into the fray, trailing sickly purple smoke behind them. The poison dropped entire throngs of humans, but they were saving most of it in hopes of using it to slow the oni when they committed to a strike.
There was no telling which of the three gates would be targeted when that time came.
A soft hiss drew Reiko's attention; she reacted on instinct, snapping her hand up and closing it over the arrow headed for the hunter next to her. Flipping it in her fingers and fitting it to the string of her bow, she pulled back and loosed it back the way it had come.
“Thanks." The man, little more than a boy from the look of him, grinned at her. She thought he might be a little awestruck, but it was hard to imagine such a feeling directed at her.
She smiled slightly back at him and nodded. “No problem."
“Rei! The third ballista needs more bolts; the runner's down!" Tsubasa called out to her outside of the usual rotation of commands, and she raised a hand to acknowledge, jumping off the near side of the wall and landing lightly on the ground.
Ballista bolts, ballista bolts...
"Reiko," Aram's voice called out to her as she ran past him. "Here," he spoke, handing her an armful of bolts. He must have heard Tsubasa calling out to her. "I will watch over you while you load them," he spoke, pulling the bow from his back. He wasn't the shot that Ayla was, but Aram had proven that he could use a bow just as well as his sword. Her swords were still tied to his waist, though.
"Let me know when you are ready to fire," he spoke, giving her a quick nod. His brows were furrowed, and he stayed a moment longer than necessary, before he turned his back. "Be cautious, alright?" he stated, his back turned to her. He glanced over his shoulder once, before returning to the battle, firing an arrow. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a fine line. He must not have liked killing the humans any more than she did.
But it was necessary.
They made their way back up onto the wall, Aram covering her with defensive fire, and Reiko found the ballista in question. It looked like two of the people manning it had been killed. “You're running bolts now," she told the remaining woman, who nodded and headed back down the wall for the next lot of ammunition.
Firing one of these was definitely a three-human job because of the way they were designed, but given their strength, she figured she and Aram could manage it by themselves. “This one needs you to aim it with that crank," she told him, pointing to the appropriate lever. Meanwhile, she drew back the mechanism and slotted in the bolt, making sure everything fit neatly in place so it would launch smoothly.
“Tsubasa will give us the cue to fire in a few seconds here, so... pick something quickly." She glanced up, meeting his eyes for a moment. She couldn't smile, not like this, when they were in the middle of a battle and the smell of death and smoke were on the air, in the dirt on their faces and the old, dry tear-tracks on her cheeks.
There was nothing to smile about.
He nodded solemnly, turning his attention to the appropriate lever. He moved it, pointing out into Akarui's army, and turned towards her. "It is prepared," he spoke, the same solemn expression on his face. Perhaps he could not smile, either. His expression was much too... something. Like a mixture of sorrow and loss. There was also a sense of urgency behind it, as if he wanted this to be over with, already. But this was a battle that could not be rushed.
"Whenever you are ready, Reiko," he spoke, waiting for Tsubasa's signal to fire.
She nodded even as her brother issued the command. The bolt sliced through the air when she released the mechanism, flying true into what looked like a field-constructed trebuchet of Akarui's own. Good. The longer they could keep him from bringing heavy weapons to bear against the wall and its defenders, the better.
At that point, the bolt runner returned, two more humans in tow. “The north gate, Hime-sama. They're about to breach the north gate. Tsubasa-sama asks you to go help defend it. He will hold off the assault here in the meantime."
North. That was the gate where Tatsuya, Ayla, Kentaro, and Sayuri were. Pursing her lips, Reiko nodded. “Aram-sama, let's go." She doubted he needed to be urged that way either, but... saying it was a small comfort. She wasn't alone. None of them were. They could do this.
Even if they had to open the gates and enter the field personally.
Aram nodded, following beside her. There was a brief flash of worry across his face, but it was smoothed over just as quickly as it had appeared. They'd reached the north gate in a matter of seconds, being as quick as they were, and it appeared that they were, indeed, struggling. Ayla and Sayuri were both perched on top of the wall, and from the looks of it, both were firing their arrows as quickly as they could draw them.
"I will help them on the wall, Reiko," he spoke, nodding in her direction. He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember... you are stronger than you believe," he spoke, offering her the smallest of smiles. His hand dropped, and he left to join Sayuri and Ayla at the top.
Reiko ran to Tatsuya as soon as he was gone, letting her nose lead her to her brother. He was already preparing to exit the gate, it looked like; he stood in front of it with Kentaro on his right side. She moved up to his left.
He glanced at her, face unreadable behind the dragon mask, but she could feel a slight flicker of uncertainty that he quashed quickly. “Good; you're here. Jirō says they can't spare anyone from the west side. Seems like they've got their hands full with some oni at the walls over there."
It wasn't great news, but at least it didn't sound like they were in danger of two breaches at once. The gate in front of her shuddered; a massive boom filled her hearing, nearly forcing Reiko a step back.
“Battering ram," Tatsuya explained. “We're gonna go over instead of through, or we'd risk letting too many in. The regulars can follow us out once we've cleared a bit of space."
“That makes sense," Reiko agreed. “Are we ready?"
Kentaro nodded, as did Tatsuya. As one, the three of them took a running start and leaped, clearing the gate by several feet apiece.
Reiko drew as she descended, landing lightly on top of the battering ram itself. Her father's sword flicked across the first throat she saw, ending the soldier's life as quickly and painlessly as she was able. He went limp, taking his part of the battering ram with him.
Two more collapsed backwards, on fire. Kentaro stabbed them rather than leaving them to burn, which she was grateful for. Ice daggers took out the rest. The soldiers reeled at the surprise assault, more of them falling before they had a chance to recover. Tatsuya and Kentaro pushed them back with large elemental swaths; Reiko concentrated on taking down those too stubborn to retreat in the face of fire and ice.
Time was hard to track; it felt like ten or fifteen minutes before they'd cleared out a good hundred feet away from the gate; the soldiers just kept coming. Once they had, the gates opened behind them, allowing their reinforcements through, and the battle began in earnest.
Aram and Ayla were among the reinforcements, and both had their swords drawn. It appeared that Sayuri remained on the wall, covering them from the top with her arrows. Aram, however, was by Reiko's side, swinging her blade with a sort of elegant swiftness. It looked like he'd gotten used to wielding her blade. Probably through practice. He wasn't as quick, though, in the deaths of the soldiers. It looked more like he was just disabling them, slicing off an arm here and there. It seemed, however, that it wasn't working for him since he began swinging in earnest towards their throats or heads.
They were lopped off with a sort of quickness that the heads always seemed to remain intact until the body fell. Even over the clang of metal meeting metal, she could hear him sigh. Ayla, however, didn't seem to have Reiko or Aram's reserves about killing the soldiers. Though it was quick, she did not bat an eyelash at their demise. She did not escape unscathed, though, with a few nicks from the blades of the soldiers. Even Aram was nicked, however; his healing factor was faster than Ayla's.
That was always apparent. She just healed slower than they did. "You're already losing by ten points, 'suya," she seemed to call out, her eyes meeting Reiko's for a moment. She grinned at her before she moved on to another set of soldiers.
"We must not give them room to breathe, otherwise," Aram spoke, pausing only a moment so that he was blocking an incoming strike. He managed to push the soldier aside before an arrow struck him, causing him to fall limp. Aram glanced back towards Reiko, and furrowed his brows. "Otherwise it will give them an opening to try and flank us," he concluded.
Reiko nodded tersely, silently thanking Sayu, or whoever had shot the arrow. She moved in slightly closer to Aram, leaving him plenty of room to swing and herself the same, but not quite so much that it would be easy for someone else to slide between them to flank. The other three seemed to be acting more independently; Tatsuya had even spearheaded into the main ranks of the enemy.
But that was how Suya fought: aggression and offense. He wouldn't do as well keeping tightly to a formation. Kentaro was dealing with the whole left side, corralling the soldiers there with tall walls of fire.
Everything seemed to be going more or less as well as they could expect.
And then the oni appeared.
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Sayuri hissed underneath her breath. The arrival of the oni was not a good sign, but she supposed they had somewhat of an advantage. She signaled for a different quiver to be brought to her, removing the quiver that was almost empty, from her back. She settled the new quiver over her shoulder, and quickly fitted an arrow to the string. Pulling it back with practiced restraint, she aimed at the first oni she could, allowing the arrow to fly past the others, and sinking into the shoulder of a large, dark blue one. It didn't seem fazed by it, though, and simply ripped it out of its shoulder.
"You, make sure they keep the specializations fixed on the oni. I'm going down," she spoke, handing off her yumi and quiver to one of the other soldiers. She wanted to help on the field, and she could. She was going to show Kentaro that all of his hard work, everything he taught her, was not for nothing. She would prove her strength to herself, to them, and to everyone else who threatened her family.
She slipped past the gate, making her way onto the field as the others battled an oni. Aram had kept close to Reiko, seemingly refusing to leave her side with the oni they dealt with. Ayla looked like she was struggling a bit with hers, though. From what Sayuri could recall, it must have been one of a few alphas. Aram and Reiko's oni must have been one, too, since he was about the same size as Ayla's, if not slightly smaller. That was okay, she could take care of the humans and some of the regular oni. With that in mind, Sayuri began attacking, swinging her blade with the grace she was taught.
She managed to coat her blade with her lightning, attacking a nearby oni with it. He was only a few feet taller than herself, probably eight feet in total. He was just a regular. She could handle him.
Through her connection with Kentaro, she felt an acknowledgment of her presence on the field. He sent her a burst of confidence, as well. Though he hadn't said anything out loud—she couldn't even see him—his meaning was quite clear:
He believed in her.
Behind her, Reiko and Aram felled their opponent, but a new pair stepped in almost immediately to fill the void. A large cluster of soldiers worked together to try and take another down; they'd been trained at least in the basics about oni, though they knew to avoid fighting the monsters if they could. Unfortunately, it wasn't always the case that they could.
Far ahead, giant spears of ice protruded from the ground, out of season this early in the fall. It seemed Tatsuya had made it far enough out to draw a small group of oni to himself, but he seemed to have it mostly under control at the moment, creating a bottleneck with his ice.
Fire swept across the field to her right; the breeze carried the scents of burning flesh and hot blood. Occasionally the fire parted, letting Kentaro move in and out of it freely, but sparing no such quarter for his opponents. She could feel that he was injured, but not to what extent. He didn't seem to have slowed much, in any case.
It did not stop her from worrying. With her oni felled, she moved on to the next one. She believed in Kentaro just as he believed in her. If he was too injured, she trusted he would come to her for help. Ayla dispatched her own oni as well, and luckily, she had not shifted. If she could avoid it, Sayuri knew Ayla would. She sliced open the oni's arm, watching as the skin flapped where it was, and the creature let out a loud howl. She dodged a club aimed for her, and swiped her blade again, this time, severing the arm completely.
Blood poured from the wound, and Sayuri's lips pulled back at the foul smell. That was one scent she could do without. Raising her arm to cover her nose, she jumped back, dodging the creature's massive club once more. It caught the lower half of her garment, though, and she was now sporting a few tears in it. She did not bother with it. She was still decently covered, and it wasn't exactly something she had to worry about.
This was war.
There were no luxuries to be had here. She was not counting on an oni to be behind her, though, when she dodged a third time. The creature grabbed her arm in a tight grip, crushing the bone in her arm. She let out a pained scream, but she could already feel the bone trying to heal. Gritting her teeth, she used her free hand and placed it on the creatures arm. Mustering her ability, she scorched his hand, forcing him to let go. She fell, rolling to the side and glanced at her arm. It was broken, and the way it healed was not proper. Biting her tonge, she mustered up the strength to re-break it. Once that was done, it healed properly, but she allowed it to fall limp to her side.
Just because she healed faster, did not mean that the pain was not there. In time, perhaps, she'd be able to get used to it, however; it still hurt. Pushing a sigh through her nose, she moved on to another enemy.
The whole time, Kentaro remained a steady presence in her mind, calm and unfazed by the carnage around them. The mindset settled over her like a blanket, perhaps even blunting some of what she'd otherwise be feeling.
That changed, though, some time later; she felt a flash of anger, every bit as searing as his fire, and then a kind of murderous intent she hadn't ever experienced before.
She also felt his leg snap clean in two.
It was not a feeling she was accustomed to, and her eyes snapped in the direction of Kentaro. In the distance, she could see him... and Akarui. If she wasn't so aware of Kentaro's feelings, she would have allowed herself to feel the same kind of anger Kentaro felt. She almost married that man. Something like guilt, however, flashed through her before she quashed it. She would not feel that. Not for him.
Her eyes were, however, slightly widened at the state Kentaro was actually in. He was bloodied, and so was Akarui. She furrowed her brows. Kentaro shouldn't have had a problem killing Akarui. So why was Akaru still alive? Perhaps... Eiji had given him another serum of sorts. She'd been informed of Reiko's duel with Akarui, and how he'd been stronger than normal. Shaking the thought from her mind, she ran towards Kentaro.
She needed to help him.
The clang of their blades against one another was loud, to her. Seemingly louder than any of the sounds of battle around them, or around her. Akarui struck, Kentaro parried, breathing a stream of fire right at him. Akarui moved faster than he should have been able to; the fire barely caught his shoulder. It burned away his haori and gi there, but left his skin unmarred.
No sooner had Sayuri arrived than he pushed Kentaro back with a mighty heave and scowled at the both of them. “This would have been so much easier if you'd just let me have the girl," he said, but he didn't seem to be referring to Sayuri, exactly. “Then we'd have all the oni blood we needed and no need to conquer this territory with force. A peaceful takeover would have been just fine, but no. You selfish monsters just didn't want to share your fucking power, did you?"
Kentaro rolled his shoulders out; it looked like his wounds were reparing themselves, but so were Heisuke's, if at a slower rate.
“That's all right, though," the young lord continued. “We got it in the end, and Eiji made me more. More even than the likes of you."
It wasn't clear exactly what he meant, but apparently he intended to demonstrate. Within seconds, his skin had turned dark blue, black lines scrawling themselves over his flesh in foreign patterns. Massive horns erupted from his forehead, curving back against his skull. The sound of grinding bones and tearing flesh and cloth followed as his body tore apart and remade itself. He howled at the pain of it, but the howls transformed into roars as his vocal cords changed to match his new lungs and mouth.
He tossed away his katana; it was no more than a child's toy to him now, anyway. He loomed over the whole of the battlefield, no less than a titan at twenty-five feet tall. Burning eyes like hot coals focused on the two of them, and his entire frame tensed.
He charged, faster than any creature so large had any right to.
Kentaro grabbed Sayuri by the waist before she had a chance to react, pulling the both of them out of the way just in time to avoid being snatched up by Akarui's massive hands.
“Be careful." Kentaro said it softly, setting her back down on her feet.
He did not tell her to leave, or not to fight. His belief in her, his trust, was still there in their mental link, as strong as it ever had been.
"Alright, you too," she spoke back, pulling her weapon in front of her. She spared a glance at the others, hoping that, when they were finished with their own oni, they would assist against Akarui. It wasn't that she didn't believe in her or Kentaro's strength. Quite the opposite, actually, but Akarui was large. They would need all the help they could get. With that in mind, she charged. She kept her distance, moving out of the way when Akarui tried to attack her.
She'd managed to land a few cuts on his arms, however; it appeared that her sword wasn't quite capable of cutting him. It was made of oni bone, so it should have worked. It was enough to temporarily stop her, and the back of Akarui's hand caught her, sending her a good distance away. She felt the cracks in her ribs readjusting themselves as they healed. He'd hit her hard enough to break them. She took in a sharp breath, trying to numb the pain as much as she could.
"Jerk," she muttered softly. Pushing herself forward, she charged Akarui again, this time, infusing her ability with her sword.
Kentaro came in from the other side. His sword wasn't on fire, but the cherry-red color of it meant he had to be using his ability on it anyway. When he swung, he left a broad, sizzling slash across Akarui's back, but the wound began to heal almost immediately; apparently whatever healing factor he had was enhanced in this form.
No matter how hard they hit, he was always whole again within seconds.
After yet another unsuccessful pass, Kentaro landed next to her. “I need some of his blood somehow," he said. “If I consume it, I'll be able to slow his healing factor down."
They couldn't stay in one place for long, though, and were forced to separate by a massive blow from Akarui's fist. It hit the earth hard enough to shake it under their feet.
That wasn't an easy request, though. Akarui's wounds were healing too fast, and her sword wasn't exactly slashing pieces of his skin off. She narrowed her eyes in Akarui's direction though, keeping her balance as best as she could against the quake. Perhaps... if she acted as a decoy, Kentaro could get to Akarui and retrieve his blood. She inwardly sighed. This was going to hurt so much, but it would be worth it if Kentaro could acheive what he needed. She glanced in Kentaro's direction.
"Taro, I'm going to distract him. He can't concentrate on the both of us at the same time if we attack together. Use the opportunity if you can," she wasn't giving him much choice. She charged Akarui, purposely slowing down just a fraction so that she couldn't easily escape if she were caught. She just hoped Kentaro would be able to get some of Akarui's blood as quickly as possible. She wasn't the biggest fan of pain, after all.
Akarui took the bait, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her off the ground. It felt like he was crushing her in his massive grip, not unlike the first time she'd fought an oni, and nearly died in the process.
Kentaro appeared over his shoulder, sword stabbed into the meat of his deltoid muscle for leverage. Apparently trusting his teeth to do the trick, he sank them into what looked to be a pulsing vein on the transformed lord's neck.
He didn't last there for more than a second before Akarui ripped him off with his free hand and tossed him aside like a doll. He crashed into one of the enemy trebuchets, splintering the wood and sending it in every direction.
It was hard to tell what condition he was in over the feel of her own pain. Or maybe it was his; they seemed to blend together at this point.
"Kentaro!" she still managed to scream his name. As much pain as she was in, she could ignore it long enough to turn her hands on Akarui's massive one around her waist. She needed to get free. She needed to get to Kentaro to make sure he wasn't hurt. She needed to get to him. This was the only thought in her mind as she sent her lightning through Akarui's hand. She needed to get to Kentaro.
Akarui was not about to let her go easily, however. When several of the Fujiwara's soldiers tried to move in to help her, he swatted them aside with his free hand, still squeezing her in the other.
Oddly, though, the pressure of his hold actually eased. He was still holding her tightly, and she'd already broken a few ribs, but she could breathe again, at the very least. Akarui apparently didn't mean for that to be the case, and she could hear his frustrated roar as he strained to crush her, going so far as to wrap his second hand around her as well. But his grip did not tighten. It was as though his fingers simply refused to move under his command.
She didn't care to know what that was about. She could breathe, and her ribs were already repairing themselves. She glanced in the direction Kentaro had been thrown, but hadn't seen him emerge yet. If she could just reach her sword, she could drive it into Akarui's hand and try to pry them off of her. That, or she could stick the damn thing through his eye. It was, perhaps, the only other soft spot on his body. She could drive her sword through his eye and blind him. Though his hold did not tighten, it still prevented her from moving too much.
"I hope he kills you slowly," she muttered to Akarui, narrowing her gaze at him. "I hope you suffer," she spoke even lower so that, even if the others could, they wouldn't hear. She wasn't the type to be so... vengeful? That didn't seem like the right word to her, but it would have to do. If it were any other time, she might have surprised herself to hear those words coming from her, but as it was, it didn't.
It was what she hoped. She hoped he suffered for what he did, for what he was doing.
A column of flame erupted from near where Kentaro had fallen, curving around and down to narrow into what was almost a lash. Akarui saw it coming for him and jerked his whole body as if attempting to avoid it. But his feet would move no more than his fingers would, and despite his effort, the lash wrapped around the wrist that was holding her. Sayuri was easily close enough to hear the sizzle, to smell the disgusting odor of burning flesh and bone.
The line tensed, then jerked sharply, severing the hand at the wrist. It was apparently hot enough to cauterize the wound immediately, too, because it hardly bled. The hand's grip on her gave way as she fell with it, giving her an opportunity to escape before hitting the ground.
She rolled to the side, and immediately stood, sprinting in Kentaro's direction. She needed to make sure he was alright, and to make sure he was sufficiently healed. She might have a few bruised ribs, but she could still do that much for him. Once she was able to find him, she sighed with relief. He was probably still in pain, but at the moment, she was still processing her own. Akarui had not been kind in crushing her ribs, or her body in general.
"Kentaro, are you alright?" she questioned, glancing him over. She glanced back towards Akarui for a moment, the creature still in pain. At least he looked like he was since he was grabbing his seared off hand.
“I am fine," he said. His attention was still clearly fixed on Akarui, the lines of his body tense. “But I cannot hold him in place much longer. I will ensure he cannot hurt you, but... you must kill him." He took a large, shuddering breath; she could hear the cracking and grinding of his bones trying to realign, but injuries that extensive might take as much as an hour or two to heal.
“It has to be through his eye, into the brain. I will stop his healing factor from working, but the wound must be fatal."
He turned his eyes to her for just a moment. “Can you do it?"
A brief flicker of doubt passed through her, and she pursed her lips together. She kept his gaze and swallowed thickly. She could do this. She could do this because she had to. She was the only one who could. Kentaro was holding Akarui in place, the others were dealing with their own problems, but she could do this. Taking a breath to steady herself, she nodded. She could do this.
"Yes, Kentaro," she replied, wrapping her hand over the hilt of her sword. She turned to face Akarui, sparing a glance back at Kentaro. She offered him a small smile and took off towards Akarui. True to his word, Kentaro had managed to keep Akarui in place, giving her the much needed time to jump onto Akarui's back. She dug her blade into the juncture of his neck and shoulders, twisting around so that she was grabbing onto one of his horns, and dangling in front of his face.
"This... is for my family," were the only words she spoke before she pulled back her sword. She did not hesitate, plunging the blade deep within Akarui's right eye. It wasn't in far enough, so she kept pushing, listening to the sickening sound of his eye popping, and the blade sliding easily against the soft skin. She needed to go deeper.
With a frustrated snarl, she used as much of her strength as she could to push her blade further into his eye socket. There was a certain pop that she could hear once the blade had been driven far enough. Only the tip of the hilt could be seen, and she knew she'd pierced his brain.
Akarui stilled completely, and then his body went slack, as Kentaro either relinquished or lost his grip the massive oni's blood. Almost as if in slow motion, he began to topple over. She needed to get clear, or she'd end up pinned under his massive bulk.
She managed to swing herself around the back of his neck, using it as leverage to push herself off. She knew she wasn't the most graceful of her family members, even with her newfound abilities, so she was not able to land gracefully. Instead, she managed to roll towards the side, and landed on her backside. She pushed herself to her feet and glanced at Akarui's fallen form. She'd succeeded. She managed to kill Akarui. The war, however, was far from over. She quickly made her way back to Kentaro.
"Kentaro," she did not say anything else. She didn't need to.
“Sayuri," he replied, voice thin and breathy. He was bleeding heavily from the nose, as well as several injuries that had yet to close, but he hadn't transformed or anything like that. Still, no sooner had she made it to him than he slumped, somewhat heavily, against her.
He seemed to be trying to keep the majority of his weight off her, but it was clearly difficult; the hazy look in his eyes suggested he was fighting just to stay conscious.
“You did... well."
That was not a good sign, regardless. She supported his weight as much as she could. Despite having an extra boost in strength, he was still heavy. "Shush, Taro, don't talk. Save your strength so you can heal," she almost reprimanded him. He didn't need to say anything. Nothing at all. "Take it, you have to heal and you've lost too much blood," she spoke, tilting her head to indicate what she meant. "You can pass out after," she added, glancing at him from the sides of her eyes.
He huffed, something that sounded almost amused; she could feel the same emotion over their connection, but it was indistinct. “We should get back inside," he murmured. “They can handle the rest for now."
A look around confirmed the hypothesis. While they'd been engaged with Akarui, the battle here had clearly turned in the defenders' favor. The dead were everywhere, and no small amount of Fujiwara soldiers were among them, but others still fought on. Tatsuya had clearly torn through the back ranks; even the trickle of reinforcements was slow, uneven, and only growing slower.
They didn't have much of a choice but to retreat anyway, in their condition.
"You, make sure they keep the specializations fixed on the oni. I'm going down," she spoke, handing off her yumi and quiver to one of the other soldiers. She wanted to help on the field, and she could. She was going to show Kentaro that all of his hard work, everything he taught her, was not for nothing. She would prove her strength to herself, to them, and to everyone else who threatened her family.
She slipped past the gate, making her way onto the field as the others battled an oni. Aram had kept close to Reiko, seemingly refusing to leave her side with the oni they dealt with. Ayla looked like she was struggling a bit with hers, though. From what Sayuri could recall, it must have been one of a few alphas. Aram and Reiko's oni must have been one, too, since he was about the same size as Ayla's, if not slightly smaller. That was okay, she could take care of the humans and some of the regular oni. With that in mind, Sayuri began attacking, swinging her blade with the grace she was taught.
She managed to coat her blade with her lightning, attacking a nearby oni with it. He was only a few feet taller than herself, probably eight feet in total. He was just a regular. She could handle him.
Through her connection with Kentaro, she felt an acknowledgment of her presence on the field. He sent her a burst of confidence, as well. Though he hadn't said anything out loud—she couldn't even see him—his meaning was quite clear:
He believed in her.
Behind her, Reiko and Aram felled their opponent, but a new pair stepped in almost immediately to fill the void. A large cluster of soldiers worked together to try and take another down; they'd been trained at least in the basics about oni, though they knew to avoid fighting the monsters if they could. Unfortunately, it wasn't always the case that they could.
Far ahead, giant spears of ice protruded from the ground, out of season this early in the fall. It seemed Tatsuya had made it far enough out to draw a small group of oni to himself, but he seemed to have it mostly under control at the moment, creating a bottleneck with his ice.
Fire swept across the field to her right; the breeze carried the scents of burning flesh and hot blood. Occasionally the fire parted, letting Kentaro move in and out of it freely, but sparing no such quarter for his opponents. She could feel that he was injured, but not to what extent. He didn't seem to have slowed much, in any case.
It did not stop her from worrying. With her oni felled, she moved on to the next one. She believed in Kentaro just as he believed in her. If he was too injured, she trusted he would come to her for help. Ayla dispatched her own oni as well, and luckily, she had not shifted. If she could avoid it, Sayuri knew Ayla would. She sliced open the oni's arm, watching as the skin flapped where it was, and the creature let out a loud howl. She dodged a club aimed for her, and swiped her blade again, this time, severing the arm completely.
Blood poured from the wound, and Sayuri's lips pulled back at the foul smell. That was one scent she could do without. Raising her arm to cover her nose, she jumped back, dodging the creature's massive club once more. It caught the lower half of her garment, though, and she was now sporting a few tears in it. She did not bother with it. She was still decently covered, and it wasn't exactly something she had to worry about.
This was war.
There were no luxuries to be had here. She was not counting on an oni to be behind her, though, when she dodged a third time. The creature grabbed her arm in a tight grip, crushing the bone in her arm. She let out a pained scream, but she could already feel the bone trying to heal. Gritting her teeth, she used her free hand and placed it on the creatures arm. Mustering her ability, she scorched his hand, forcing him to let go. She fell, rolling to the side and glanced at her arm. It was broken, and the way it healed was not proper. Biting her tonge, she mustered up the strength to re-break it. Once that was done, it healed properly, but she allowed it to fall limp to her side.
Just because she healed faster, did not mean that the pain was not there. In time, perhaps, she'd be able to get used to it, however; it still hurt. Pushing a sigh through her nose, she moved on to another enemy.
The whole time, Kentaro remained a steady presence in her mind, calm and unfazed by the carnage around them. The mindset settled over her like a blanket, perhaps even blunting some of what she'd otherwise be feeling.
That changed, though, some time later; she felt a flash of anger, every bit as searing as his fire, and then a kind of murderous intent she hadn't ever experienced before.
She also felt his leg snap clean in two.
It was not a feeling she was accustomed to, and her eyes snapped in the direction of Kentaro. In the distance, she could see him... and Akarui. If she wasn't so aware of Kentaro's feelings, she would have allowed herself to feel the same kind of anger Kentaro felt. She almost married that man. Something like guilt, however, flashed through her before she quashed it. She would not feel that. Not for him.
Her eyes were, however, slightly widened at the state Kentaro was actually in. He was bloodied, and so was Akarui. She furrowed her brows. Kentaro shouldn't have had a problem killing Akarui. So why was Akaru still alive? Perhaps... Eiji had given him another serum of sorts. She'd been informed of Reiko's duel with Akarui, and how he'd been stronger than normal. Shaking the thought from her mind, she ran towards Kentaro.
She needed to help him.
The clang of their blades against one another was loud, to her. Seemingly louder than any of the sounds of battle around them, or around her. Akarui struck, Kentaro parried, breathing a stream of fire right at him. Akarui moved faster than he should have been able to; the fire barely caught his shoulder. It burned away his haori and gi there, but left his skin unmarred.
No sooner had Sayuri arrived than he pushed Kentaro back with a mighty heave and scowled at the both of them. “This would have been so much easier if you'd just let me have the girl," he said, but he didn't seem to be referring to Sayuri, exactly. “Then we'd have all the oni blood we needed and no need to conquer this territory with force. A peaceful takeover would have been just fine, but no. You selfish monsters just didn't want to share your fucking power, did you?"
Kentaro rolled his shoulders out; it looked like his wounds were reparing themselves, but so were Heisuke's, if at a slower rate.
“That's all right, though," the young lord continued. “We got it in the end, and Eiji made me more. More even than the likes of you."
It wasn't clear exactly what he meant, but apparently he intended to demonstrate. Within seconds, his skin had turned dark blue, black lines scrawling themselves over his flesh in foreign patterns. Massive horns erupted from his forehead, curving back against his skull. The sound of grinding bones and tearing flesh and cloth followed as his body tore apart and remade itself. He howled at the pain of it, but the howls transformed into roars as his vocal cords changed to match his new lungs and mouth.
He tossed away his katana; it was no more than a child's toy to him now, anyway. He loomed over the whole of the battlefield, no less than a titan at twenty-five feet tall. Burning eyes like hot coals focused on the two of them, and his entire frame tensed.
He charged, faster than any creature so large had any right to.
Kentaro grabbed Sayuri by the waist before she had a chance to react, pulling the both of them out of the way just in time to avoid being snatched up by Akarui's massive hands.
“Be careful." Kentaro said it softly, setting her back down on her feet.
He did not tell her to leave, or not to fight. His belief in her, his trust, was still there in their mental link, as strong as it ever had been.
"Alright, you too," she spoke back, pulling her weapon in front of her. She spared a glance at the others, hoping that, when they were finished with their own oni, they would assist against Akarui. It wasn't that she didn't believe in her or Kentaro's strength. Quite the opposite, actually, but Akarui was large. They would need all the help they could get. With that in mind, she charged. She kept her distance, moving out of the way when Akarui tried to attack her.
She'd managed to land a few cuts on his arms, however; it appeared that her sword wasn't quite capable of cutting him. It was made of oni bone, so it should have worked. It was enough to temporarily stop her, and the back of Akarui's hand caught her, sending her a good distance away. She felt the cracks in her ribs readjusting themselves as they healed. He'd hit her hard enough to break them. She took in a sharp breath, trying to numb the pain as much as she could.
"Jerk," she muttered softly. Pushing herself forward, she charged Akarui again, this time, infusing her ability with her sword.
Kentaro came in from the other side. His sword wasn't on fire, but the cherry-red color of it meant he had to be using his ability on it anyway. When he swung, he left a broad, sizzling slash across Akarui's back, but the wound began to heal almost immediately; apparently whatever healing factor he had was enhanced in this form.
No matter how hard they hit, he was always whole again within seconds.
After yet another unsuccessful pass, Kentaro landed next to her. “I need some of his blood somehow," he said. “If I consume it, I'll be able to slow his healing factor down."
They couldn't stay in one place for long, though, and were forced to separate by a massive blow from Akarui's fist. It hit the earth hard enough to shake it under their feet.
That wasn't an easy request, though. Akarui's wounds were healing too fast, and her sword wasn't exactly slashing pieces of his skin off. She narrowed her eyes in Akarui's direction though, keeping her balance as best as she could against the quake. Perhaps... if she acted as a decoy, Kentaro could get to Akarui and retrieve his blood. She inwardly sighed. This was going to hurt so much, but it would be worth it if Kentaro could acheive what he needed. She glanced in Kentaro's direction.
"Taro, I'm going to distract him. He can't concentrate on the both of us at the same time if we attack together. Use the opportunity if you can," she wasn't giving him much choice. She charged Akarui, purposely slowing down just a fraction so that she couldn't easily escape if she were caught. She just hoped Kentaro would be able to get some of Akarui's blood as quickly as possible. She wasn't the biggest fan of pain, after all.
Akarui took the bait, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her off the ground. It felt like he was crushing her in his massive grip, not unlike the first time she'd fought an oni, and nearly died in the process.
Kentaro appeared over his shoulder, sword stabbed into the meat of his deltoid muscle for leverage. Apparently trusting his teeth to do the trick, he sank them into what looked to be a pulsing vein on the transformed lord's neck.
He didn't last there for more than a second before Akarui ripped him off with his free hand and tossed him aside like a doll. He crashed into one of the enemy trebuchets, splintering the wood and sending it in every direction.
It was hard to tell what condition he was in over the feel of her own pain. Or maybe it was his; they seemed to blend together at this point.
"Kentaro!" she still managed to scream his name. As much pain as she was in, she could ignore it long enough to turn her hands on Akarui's massive one around her waist. She needed to get free. She needed to get to Kentaro to make sure he wasn't hurt. She needed to get to him. This was the only thought in her mind as she sent her lightning through Akarui's hand. She needed to get to Kentaro.
Akarui was not about to let her go easily, however. When several of the Fujiwara's soldiers tried to move in to help her, he swatted them aside with his free hand, still squeezing her in the other.
Oddly, though, the pressure of his hold actually eased. He was still holding her tightly, and she'd already broken a few ribs, but she could breathe again, at the very least. Akarui apparently didn't mean for that to be the case, and she could hear his frustrated roar as he strained to crush her, going so far as to wrap his second hand around her as well. But his grip did not tighten. It was as though his fingers simply refused to move under his command.
She didn't care to know what that was about. She could breathe, and her ribs were already repairing themselves. She glanced in the direction Kentaro had been thrown, but hadn't seen him emerge yet. If she could just reach her sword, she could drive it into Akarui's hand and try to pry them off of her. That, or she could stick the damn thing through his eye. It was, perhaps, the only other soft spot on his body. She could drive her sword through his eye and blind him. Though his hold did not tighten, it still prevented her from moving too much.
"I hope he kills you slowly," she muttered to Akarui, narrowing her gaze at him. "I hope you suffer," she spoke even lower so that, even if the others could, they wouldn't hear. She wasn't the type to be so... vengeful? That didn't seem like the right word to her, but it would have to do. If it were any other time, she might have surprised herself to hear those words coming from her, but as it was, it didn't.
It was what she hoped. She hoped he suffered for what he did, for what he was doing.
A column of flame erupted from near where Kentaro had fallen, curving around and down to narrow into what was almost a lash. Akarui saw it coming for him and jerked his whole body as if attempting to avoid it. But his feet would move no more than his fingers would, and despite his effort, the lash wrapped around the wrist that was holding her. Sayuri was easily close enough to hear the sizzle, to smell the disgusting odor of burning flesh and bone.
The line tensed, then jerked sharply, severing the hand at the wrist. It was apparently hot enough to cauterize the wound immediately, too, because it hardly bled. The hand's grip on her gave way as she fell with it, giving her an opportunity to escape before hitting the ground.
She rolled to the side, and immediately stood, sprinting in Kentaro's direction. She needed to make sure he was alright, and to make sure he was sufficiently healed. She might have a few bruised ribs, but she could still do that much for him. Once she was able to find him, she sighed with relief. He was probably still in pain, but at the moment, she was still processing her own. Akarui had not been kind in crushing her ribs, or her body in general.
"Kentaro, are you alright?" she questioned, glancing him over. She glanced back towards Akarui for a moment, the creature still in pain. At least he looked like he was since he was grabbing his seared off hand.
“I am fine," he said. His attention was still clearly fixed on Akarui, the lines of his body tense. “But I cannot hold him in place much longer. I will ensure he cannot hurt you, but... you must kill him." He took a large, shuddering breath; she could hear the cracking and grinding of his bones trying to realign, but injuries that extensive might take as much as an hour or two to heal.
“It has to be through his eye, into the brain. I will stop his healing factor from working, but the wound must be fatal."
He turned his eyes to her for just a moment. “Can you do it?"
A brief flicker of doubt passed through her, and she pursed her lips together. She kept his gaze and swallowed thickly. She could do this. She could do this because she had to. She was the only one who could. Kentaro was holding Akarui in place, the others were dealing with their own problems, but she could do this. Taking a breath to steady herself, she nodded. She could do this.
"Yes, Kentaro," she replied, wrapping her hand over the hilt of her sword. She turned to face Akarui, sparing a glance back at Kentaro. She offered him a small smile and took off towards Akarui. True to his word, Kentaro had managed to keep Akarui in place, giving her the much needed time to jump onto Akarui's back. She dug her blade into the juncture of his neck and shoulders, twisting around so that she was grabbing onto one of his horns, and dangling in front of his face.
"This... is for my family," were the only words she spoke before she pulled back her sword. She did not hesitate, plunging the blade deep within Akarui's right eye. It wasn't in far enough, so she kept pushing, listening to the sickening sound of his eye popping, and the blade sliding easily against the soft skin. She needed to go deeper.
With a frustrated snarl, she used as much of her strength as she could to push her blade further into his eye socket. There was a certain pop that she could hear once the blade had been driven far enough. Only the tip of the hilt could be seen, and she knew she'd pierced his brain.
Akarui stilled completely, and then his body went slack, as Kentaro either relinquished or lost his grip the massive oni's blood. Almost as if in slow motion, he began to topple over. She needed to get clear, or she'd end up pinned under his massive bulk.
She managed to swing herself around the back of his neck, using it as leverage to push herself off. She knew she wasn't the most graceful of her family members, even with her newfound abilities, so she was not able to land gracefully. Instead, she managed to roll towards the side, and landed on her backside. She pushed herself to her feet and glanced at Akarui's fallen form. She'd succeeded. She managed to kill Akarui. The war, however, was far from over. She quickly made her way back to Kentaro.
"Kentaro," she did not say anything else. She didn't need to.
“Sayuri," he replied, voice thin and breathy. He was bleeding heavily from the nose, as well as several injuries that had yet to close, but he hadn't transformed or anything like that. Still, no sooner had she made it to him than he slumped, somewhat heavily, against her.
He seemed to be trying to keep the majority of his weight off her, but it was clearly difficult; the hazy look in his eyes suggested he was fighting just to stay conscious.
“You did... well."
That was not a good sign, regardless. She supported his weight as much as she could. Despite having an extra boost in strength, he was still heavy. "Shush, Taro, don't talk. Save your strength so you can heal," she almost reprimanded him. He didn't need to say anything. Nothing at all. "Take it, you have to heal and you've lost too much blood," she spoke, tilting her head to indicate what she meant. "You can pass out after," she added, glancing at him from the sides of her eyes.
He huffed, something that sounded almost amused; she could feel the same emotion over their connection, but it was indistinct. “We should get back inside," he murmured. “They can handle the rest for now."
A look around confirmed the hypothesis. While they'd been engaged with Akarui, the battle here had clearly turned in the defenders' favor. The dead were everywhere, and no small amount of Fujiwara soldiers were among them, but others still fought on. Tatsuya had clearly torn through the back ranks; even the trickle of reinforcements was slow, uneven, and only growing slower.
They didn't have much of a choice but to retreat anyway, in their condition.
Gradually, Tatsuya worked his way back towards the gate. He'd been mostly successful in his solo raid on the encampment a few miles back from the battle site, disrupting supply and reinforcement lines. In particular, he'd been happy to get rid of a few big alphas Akarui or Eiji had clearly been keeping in reserve for something. No luck finding the prognosticator himself, though he could smell Akarui further back the way he'd come.
He also smelled him die, with a lot of blood belonging to Kentaro and Sayuri in the mix. Whether they lived or not was something he didn't know but couldn't spend time contemplating right now.
He'd no sooner made it within a few hundred feet of Reiko and the others when an exhausted-looking runner approached her, a massive gash bleeding freely from his forehead. He seemed otherwise uninjured, though.
“Hime-sama! The west gate is under attack. Jirō-sama requests immediate assistance!"
Reiko's eyes went wide; she immediately turned to the others. Glancing between them, she seemed to come to some kind of decision. “Get everyone back behind the gate here again. The oni are gone; the walls will hold back the rest of the soldiers. This one must help Jirō."
Tatsuya nodded. It went without saying that he'd be going as well.
"I'll stay here and make sure everyone retreats behind the walls," Ayla spoke, appearing beside them. "I'll join you all when I can," she spoke, sparing a glance between both him and Reiko. She left again, after that, only to be replaced by Aram. He pursed his lips together, and stared at them for a second.
"I will assist," he spoke, nodding his head at the both of them. He'd be able to keep up with them easier than Ayla, anyway. He waited for them to take lead, and followed behind.
The landscape flew by underneath them; Reiko was running at top speed, and Tatsuya did no less than the same, crossing the distance in sharp, ground-eating bounds.
Even on the approach, he could tell the situation was bad. The gate stood open; more than a few of the closest buildings had been leveled or were currently burning. Oni and human corpses lay strewn over the ground, the blood still fresh. Out beyond the gate lay even more.
The smell of Jirō's blood was obvious and immediate, but even if Tatsuya had been given hundreds of guesses as to why, he'd never have imagined what he now saw.
Jirō had fallen to his knees. A katana pierced him from the front, right through his heart. Another had entered at the back, just above the trajectory of the first. His own blade fell from numb fingers as all three of the combatants turned as one.
“No," Reiko breathed. Her eyes had rounded in shock.
Tatsuya was sure his had done the same. For all their differences, all the ways in which they'd squabbled and fought over the centuries, he'd never have expected—
“Oh dear." Takahiro still wore the same unperturbed smile as always, even as he yanked his blade from Jirō's back. “The audience is a little early. I'd intended for brother dearest to be only a pile of dust by the time you arrived. Please accept my apologies, Reiko."
“T-Takahiro? Daichi? W-what...?" Reiko's voice was weak, but at least she was able to speak. Tatsuya could do little other than stare as blood ran freely from Jirō's mouth and nose, crimson rivulets falling onto the black kosode he wore.
“Dammit, Taka, you said she wouldn't have to see this!" Daichi sounded as ticked-off as ever, but the reason for it was utterly surreal. He yanked his sword out of Jirō's body with a sharp jerk, at odds with the smoothness of Takahiro's motions. His hand was shaking.
Takahiro shrugged. “Accidents happen."
“What have you done?" Reiko's pitch rose a desperate two octaves at least; her whole body trembled.
Takahiro tilted his head in her general direction. “What we were going to do all along, of course. Well... that's not quite true, I suppose. We were also going to try and kill Tatsuya, but I suppose plans must be adapted."
“You little—" Tatsuya raised his sword and advanced, but to his surprise he was cut off by Reiko.
She launched herself forward in a blur of black and white, swinging her sword with a raspy shout. Takahiro met the blow easily with his own; but she bore down with both hands. To his own apparent surprise, his arm shook under the pressure, and he was forced to jump back.
“Well... that is unexpected, now isn't it?"
Reiko hadn't grown any taller, but... her hair was white, her eyes golden, and her skin marked in the same red patterns as the rest of them bore when transformed. Her shoulders rose and fell with rapid breaths; her cheeks bore the glistening evidence of tears.
“Taka." Daichi's eyes swung between Reiko and Tatsuya with obvious apprehension.
Good. The little shit should be afraid, right now.
“Mm," Takahiro murmured. “I suppose we'd best be going. Eiji is likely growing impatient."
Before Tatsuya could so much as demand an explanation, they were running. He was about ready to follow, but a sob tore its way from Reiko's throat then, and she ran the rest of the way to where Jirō was, shrugging her way out of her kosode and holding it to his chest wound.
He ground his teeth, turning his attention to Aram. “Is there anything you can do for him?" He was a doctor, after all, wasn't he?
Aram looked just as grief stricken as Reiko, but perhaps it was more-so for Reiko. He rarely interacted with him to begin with. Aram glanced at Tatsuya, and then towards Jirō. He took a step forward, and seemed to inspect Jirō's wounds. His expression deepened, and he shook his head.
"There is nothing I can do. His heart has already been pierced," he spoke in a soft tone. "They... knew where to strike. Even if he were to be fed blood, he will not heal from those wounds," he continued, dropping his gaze. "I am... sorry," he spoke even softer. It almost sounded like he whispered it.
"He doesn't seem to have much time, if..." he trailed off, leaving the implication clear. He seemed almost as familiar as how their kind died. Perhaps he'd seen it before, personally or through his visions.
Tatsuya cursed under his breath. The urge to follow the other two intensified, but... he was already exhausted from the battle, and if they were really going to Eiji, there was a chance he might not survive.
And he'd promised to survive.
His eyes turned to his sister, who had adjusted her grip in Jirō so that his head was in her lap. She brushed his hair back away from his face. “Jirō... Jirō you can't go. What... what will all of us do without you?"
Their brother's mouth turned up in a wry sort of smile, out of place on a face so pale and blood-streaked. It was easy to tell from the way he trembled that he didn't have much time. He raised a shaking hand and laid it against the side of Reiko's face. “I'm sorry, Reiko. I don't mean to be so unreliable, but..." He paused, clearly fighting to take in another breath.
“You'll be just fine. You always are."
She bit down harshly on another sob, shaking her head vehemently. “Only because you're always taking care of things, Ji-nii. You—this one knows. This one knows you love us most of all." Her hands carded softly through his silver hair; she leaned down to press her lips gently to his brow.
“I only did what I could," he murmured, his hand falling to her neck. “I'm sorry I could not... could not be as warm as he was, for you."
“Don't say that, Ji-nii. This one loves you just as you are. This one will always love you." Her voice was hoarse; Tatsuya understood even without a mental link just how much it was taking her to keep herself composed.
“Then I can die a happy man," he said softly. “I'm sorry... I took the title from you, Reiko. You've always... you've always had what it takes to bear the name. There's... nothing wrong... with your judgement at all."
She hiccuped softly as his hand fell away. He shifted slightly in Tatsuya's direction, but his eyes were too out-of-focus for proper contact.
“I don't need to tell you to look after them, do I, Tatsuya?"
“No." The hoarseness of his own voice surprised him.
“Good, then." His attention returned to Reiko. “Don't cry for me, Reiko. I'm glad I died... protecting what I love."
“Ji-nii—" It was too late. Jirō's body dissolved all at once into a cloud of glittering ash, bursting apart and then disappearing altogether.
Reiko's hands closed uselessly around the air where he just had been. “Jirō!" She folded in on herself, fists curling into the ground, and sobbed, great wrenching cries that tore at his heart.
Tatsuya grimaced, the muscles around his eyes tightening. Cautiously, he approached, crouching to lift Reiko into his arms. She curled against him without a fight, gripping the front of his bloody shirt in her hands, heedless of the dirt and grime. Her voice, muffled against his chest, repeated the same thing over and over again.
“Ji-nii, Ji-nii, Ji-nii..."
It was about this time that Ayla had arrived, glancing in a confused manner between him and Reiko. Her attention was brought by Aram, who had walked near her. Pulling her to the side, he must have mouthed it to her quietly what had happened because her expression widened, and her eyes turned a molten gold. She'd turned, probably to go in pursuit of the other two, however; it was apparent that Aram's hold on her was tight. She said something to him, but he shook his head.
The color receded from her eyes until they were the same pale blue as they usually were. She stood where she was as Aram's hold loosened, and he walked back towards Tatsuya and Reiko. "Ayla and I will cover the north gate," Aram spoke, his eyes lingering on Reiko for a moment. He lifted his hand, but it dropped to his side, and he stepped to the side.
"If you wish to take her someplace else, Ayla and I can handle this," he seemed to reiterate, shaking his head lightly. "We will meet you once everyone is safely behind the gates, again," he continued, keeping his gaze down.
Tatsuya nodded. It was just finishing things up at this point. “Give the humans a chance to surrender if they want," he said. There was no need to rout them completely if they agreed to stop attacking once they realized the hopelessness of their situation. He couldn't imagine Eiji giving enough of a shit to try saving them now.
Most likely, he and the fucking traitors were already on their way to whatever hole he'd crawled out of in the first place, to lick their wounds and recover.
The rest of them would need to do the same, very soon. Glancing down at Reiko, Tatsuya considered that perhaps the biggest wounds would have nothing to do with their bodies.
He also smelled him die, with a lot of blood belonging to Kentaro and Sayuri in the mix. Whether they lived or not was something he didn't know but couldn't spend time contemplating right now.
He'd no sooner made it within a few hundred feet of Reiko and the others when an exhausted-looking runner approached her, a massive gash bleeding freely from his forehead. He seemed otherwise uninjured, though.
“Hime-sama! The west gate is under attack. Jirō-sama requests immediate assistance!"
Reiko's eyes went wide; she immediately turned to the others. Glancing between them, she seemed to come to some kind of decision. “Get everyone back behind the gate here again. The oni are gone; the walls will hold back the rest of the soldiers. This one must help Jirō."
Tatsuya nodded. It went without saying that he'd be going as well.
"I'll stay here and make sure everyone retreats behind the walls," Ayla spoke, appearing beside them. "I'll join you all when I can," she spoke, sparing a glance between both him and Reiko. She left again, after that, only to be replaced by Aram. He pursed his lips together, and stared at them for a second.
"I will assist," he spoke, nodding his head at the both of them. He'd be able to keep up with them easier than Ayla, anyway. He waited for them to take lead, and followed behind.
The landscape flew by underneath them; Reiko was running at top speed, and Tatsuya did no less than the same, crossing the distance in sharp, ground-eating bounds.
Even on the approach, he could tell the situation was bad. The gate stood open; more than a few of the closest buildings had been leveled or were currently burning. Oni and human corpses lay strewn over the ground, the blood still fresh. Out beyond the gate lay even more.
The smell of Jirō's blood was obvious and immediate, but even if Tatsuya had been given hundreds of guesses as to why, he'd never have imagined what he now saw.
Jirō had fallen to his knees. A katana pierced him from the front, right through his heart. Another had entered at the back, just above the trajectory of the first. His own blade fell from numb fingers as all three of the combatants turned as one.
“No," Reiko breathed. Her eyes had rounded in shock.
Tatsuya was sure his had done the same. For all their differences, all the ways in which they'd squabbled and fought over the centuries, he'd never have expected—
“Oh dear." Takahiro still wore the same unperturbed smile as always, even as he yanked his blade from Jirō's back. “The audience is a little early. I'd intended for brother dearest to be only a pile of dust by the time you arrived. Please accept my apologies, Reiko."
“T-Takahiro? Daichi? W-what...?" Reiko's voice was weak, but at least she was able to speak. Tatsuya could do little other than stare as blood ran freely from Jirō's mouth and nose, crimson rivulets falling onto the black kosode he wore.
“Dammit, Taka, you said she wouldn't have to see this!" Daichi sounded as ticked-off as ever, but the reason for it was utterly surreal. He yanked his sword out of Jirō's body with a sharp jerk, at odds with the smoothness of Takahiro's motions. His hand was shaking.
Takahiro shrugged. “Accidents happen."
“What have you done?" Reiko's pitch rose a desperate two octaves at least; her whole body trembled.
Takahiro tilted his head in her general direction. “What we were going to do all along, of course. Well... that's not quite true, I suppose. We were also going to try and kill Tatsuya, but I suppose plans must be adapted."
“You little—" Tatsuya raised his sword and advanced, but to his surprise he was cut off by Reiko.
She launched herself forward in a blur of black and white, swinging her sword with a raspy shout. Takahiro met the blow easily with his own; but she bore down with both hands. To his own apparent surprise, his arm shook under the pressure, and he was forced to jump back.
“Well... that is unexpected, now isn't it?"
Reiko hadn't grown any taller, but... her hair was white, her eyes golden, and her skin marked in the same red patterns as the rest of them bore when transformed. Her shoulders rose and fell with rapid breaths; her cheeks bore the glistening evidence of tears.
“Taka." Daichi's eyes swung between Reiko and Tatsuya with obvious apprehension.
Good. The little shit should be afraid, right now.
“Mm," Takahiro murmured. “I suppose we'd best be going. Eiji is likely growing impatient."
Before Tatsuya could so much as demand an explanation, they were running. He was about ready to follow, but a sob tore its way from Reiko's throat then, and she ran the rest of the way to where Jirō was, shrugging her way out of her kosode and holding it to his chest wound.
He ground his teeth, turning his attention to Aram. “Is there anything you can do for him?" He was a doctor, after all, wasn't he?
Aram looked just as grief stricken as Reiko, but perhaps it was more-so for Reiko. He rarely interacted with him to begin with. Aram glanced at Tatsuya, and then towards Jirō. He took a step forward, and seemed to inspect Jirō's wounds. His expression deepened, and he shook his head.
"There is nothing I can do. His heart has already been pierced," he spoke in a soft tone. "They... knew where to strike. Even if he were to be fed blood, he will not heal from those wounds," he continued, dropping his gaze. "I am... sorry," he spoke even softer. It almost sounded like he whispered it.
"He doesn't seem to have much time, if..." he trailed off, leaving the implication clear. He seemed almost as familiar as how their kind died. Perhaps he'd seen it before, personally or through his visions.
Tatsuya cursed under his breath. The urge to follow the other two intensified, but... he was already exhausted from the battle, and if they were really going to Eiji, there was a chance he might not survive.
And he'd promised to survive.
His eyes turned to his sister, who had adjusted her grip in Jirō so that his head was in her lap. She brushed his hair back away from his face. “Jirō... Jirō you can't go. What... what will all of us do without you?"
Their brother's mouth turned up in a wry sort of smile, out of place on a face so pale and blood-streaked. It was easy to tell from the way he trembled that he didn't have much time. He raised a shaking hand and laid it against the side of Reiko's face. “I'm sorry, Reiko. I don't mean to be so unreliable, but..." He paused, clearly fighting to take in another breath.
“You'll be just fine. You always are."
She bit down harshly on another sob, shaking her head vehemently. “Only because you're always taking care of things, Ji-nii. You—this one knows. This one knows you love us most of all." Her hands carded softly through his silver hair; she leaned down to press her lips gently to his brow.
“I only did what I could," he murmured, his hand falling to her neck. “I'm sorry I could not... could not be as warm as he was, for you."
“Don't say that, Ji-nii. This one loves you just as you are. This one will always love you." Her voice was hoarse; Tatsuya understood even without a mental link just how much it was taking her to keep herself composed.
“Then I can die a happy man," he said softly. “I'm sorry... I took the title from you, Reiko. You've always... you've always had what it takes to bear the name. There's... nothing wrong... with your judgement at all."
She hiccuped softly as his hand fell away. He shifted slightly in Tatsuya's direction, but his eyes were too out-of-focus for proper contact.
“I don't need to tell you to look after them, do I, Tatsuya?"
“No." The hoarseness of his own voice surprised him.
“Good, then." His attention returned to Reiko. “Don't cry for me, Reiko. I'm glad I died... protecting what I love."
“Ji-nii—" It was too late. Jirō's body dissolved all at once into a cloud of glittering ash, bursting apart and then disappearing altogether.
Reiko's hands closed uselessly around the air where he just had been. “Jirō!" She folded in on herself, fists curling into the ground, and sobbed, great wrenching cries that tore at his heart.
Tatsuya grimaced, the muscles around his eyes tightening. Cautiously, he approached, crouching to lift Reiko into his arms. She curled against him without a fight, gripping the front of his bloody shirt in her hands, heedless of the dirt and grime. Her voice, muffled against his chest, repeated the same thing over and over again.
“Ji-nii, Ji-nii, Ji-nii..."
It was about this time that Ayla had arrived, glancing in a confused manner between him and Reiko. Her attention was brought by Aram, who had walked near her. Pulling her to the side, he must have mouthed it to her quietly what had happened because her expression widened, and her eyes turned a molten gold. She'd turned, probably to go in pursuit of the other two, however; it was apparent that Aram's hold on her was tight. She said something to him, but he shook his head.
The color receded from her eyes until they were the same pale blue as they usually were. She stood where she was as Aram's hold loosened, and he walked back towards Tatsuya and Reiko. "Ayla and I will cover the north gate," Aram spoke, his eyes lingering on Reiko for a moment. He lifted his hand, but it dropped to his side, and he stepped to the side.
"If you wish to take her someplace else, Ayla and I can handle this," he seemed to reiterate, shaking his head lightly. "We will meet you once everyone is safely behind the gates, again," he continued, keeping his gaze down.
Tatsuya nodded. It was just finishing things up at this point. “Give the humans a chance to surrender if they want," he said. There was no need to rout them completely if they agreed to stop attacking once they realized the hopelessness of their situation. He couldn't imagine Eiji giving enough of a shit to try saving them now.
Most likely, he and the fucking traitors were already on their way to whatever hole he'd crawled out of in the first place, to lick their wounds and recover.
The rest of them would need to do the same, very soon. Glancing down at Reiko, Tatsuya considered that perhaps the biggest wounds would have nothing to do with their bodies.
Aram had lost count of the days since the incident. Heisuke's army had retreated after their lord's death, and they were all given time to recover. But perhaps that wasn't the right word to describe what was actually happening. They were mourning. The others, Tsubasa, Kentaro, and Sayuri, had been informed of Jirō's death, and they had all reacted differently. He wasn't entirely sure since he wasn't exactly concerned with their reactions. Only hers.
For once in his life, he felt completely useless. There was nothing he could do to help her, to comfort her in this time of need. And worst of all, he lied to her. He had promised her that he would no longer let her feel pain or sorrow or grief. He wanted to keep those things from her, but he couldn't. Didn't. He'd been, for the course of the last few weeks, avoiding her. How was he supposed to face her? To tell her that he was sorry, and that he'd utterly failed her?
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
He couldn't bring himself to see the shame in her eyes, or the pain and everything else she was likely feeling. He couldn't do it.
"For fuck's sake, Aram," Ayla's voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp knife, and she stood not more than three feet in front of him. She was glaring at him, her brows furrowed and her lips pulled back somewhat. "You need to go see her," she spoke, folding her arms over her chest. He narrowed his eyes in response.
"It is not I whom she needs to see, though," he spoke, his voice faltering. He could hear her give an exasperated sigh, and she dropped her hands.
"Aram... she's in pain. She just lost her brother, for crying out loud. Do you remember how I was like when we'd learned Amon died?" she spoke, her voice softening just a fraction. He sighed. He knew. And he couldn't even comfort her then.
"It's eating you up inside, Aram. Did you at least take into consideration how she might feel of you distancing yourself? What if you are exactly who she needs to see? Who can comfort her in her time of need? It's been at least three months. Do something or else you're going to lose her forever, and you're going to regret it," she stated, placing a hand on his shoulder before walking off. He pushed a deep sigh from his nose.
He doubted that.
He doubted that she would want him around, or even need him. She had Tatsuya, Sayuri, Kentaro, Tsubasa, and even Ayla. But she did not need him, no matter how he might feel about her. Still, he would admit Ayla was right. He should at least check in on her, because he could not deny the fact that he was worried. So, he let his legs guide him, intent on finding her.
He eventually found her by the duck pond in the garden. There was a small tea service set out next to her, apparently untouched. She looked... wan. Thinner and more delicate than usual, almost as though she were ill. There were bruiselike circles under her eyes, slightly faded as though they'd begun to heal. Her complexion was nearly sheet-white, and her skin looked paper-thin over the bones of her face and her wrists, which were the only ones he could see.
If she noticed him approaching, she made no indication of it. She did duck her head a little though, making it harder to see her face. For once her hair was loose around her, pooled on the ground behind where she sat rather than kept high on her head and away from her face.
She kept staring out over the pond; her eyes were about as dead as they'd been in his dream.
For a second, Aram felt his breath hitch in his throat. He couldn't breathe, and something in him was terrified. He could not control the muscles in his body, and he soon found himself kneeling next to her. Almost immediately, he reached out, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her towards him gently. He placed a hand behind her head, and kept her in his hold. He was shaking, and he was terrified. The look on her face, the depth of her eyes, they were all things he did not want to see on her, again.
"Reiko," he spoke softly, his voice conveying more emotion than he'd meant for it to have. "Reiko, what are you doing to yourself?" he questioned softly. His hold on her tightened, but not enough that she could not get out of it if she did not want him to hold her. But he wanted to because she was in pain, and she was grieving.
She stiffened immediately in his grip, clearly not having expected that. It wasn't more than a second before she planted her hands against his chest and pushed herself away, falling out of her seiza and onto her rear in the process.
The look on her face wasn't one she'd ever seen before. It was stricken, like she couldn't quite believe what she'd just done. Or maybe like she couldn't quite believe what he'd just done.
Her throat worked as she swallowed, thickly enough that even he could hear it in the awkward silence settling over them. She pulled in a shaky breath, planting her hands on the ground and rearranging herself back into seiza.
Reiko didn't seem to want to look at him, pointedly moving her eyes back out over the water. “This one would prefer it if you do not touch this one, Aram-sama," she said softly. She seemed to regain some of her calm by that point. If anything... she was ignoring him.
It was his fault.
He should have known better.
His eyes fell to the ground, though, and he took in a slow breath. If that was what she wanted, he would respect it. But he was not going to leave. No. He could not leave her. "Reiko," he called out. He wanted to reach out to her, but he'd resigned himself to respecting her wishes. He would not touch her if she did not want him to.
"I apologize," he spoke, apologizing for both touching her without permission, and for avoiding her for the last three months. "No apology I give will make it right, but," he started again, keeping his gaze on the ground. "Please do not ignore me, Reiko," he didn't have a right to say that. After all, hadn't he been, unintentionally, ignoring her? He pushed a sigh through his nose, and shook his head.
"If you wish for me to leave, Reiko," he offered, instead. He would not stay where he was not wanted, even if he did not wish to leave. "I will go, but please... please take care of yourself. I know I have no right to ask that of you. I have no right to ask anything of you, but..." he paused, swallowing past the lump that was suddenly in his throat. How could he tell her something when he had no right to do so? Perhaps he was too late, and she was lost to him, now?
“Why?" she asked, in the same flat tone she'd used earlier. “Why should this one not ignore you, when you ignored this one for three months?" Her lips trembled.
“This one has lost... this one has lost three of her brothers, all at once, and you..." her voice cracked. “You said you were this one's friend, Aram-sama. How could you... how could you..." She brought a shaking hand up to her mouth and covered it, turning around enough that he could no longer see her face. Her shoulders were quaking.
The spheres floating in the garden were a dull blue-grey, and deepened several more shades at once around their dark red centers.
He deserved that. He deserved to be ignored for that.
"It was not intentional," he whispered softly. He was her friend, and yet, he ignored her. He ignored her in her time of need, when she needed her friends. Was he not one of them? Was he not her friend, too? "I did not believe you wished to see me," was the only answer he could give her. It wasn't an answer at all, though. Perhaps an excuse? That seemed about right.
It was an excuse.
"Because I failed in my promise," he added just as softly. "I failed in my promise of keeping you from grief, from pain and sorrow. I promised you things that I could not keep," he continued, his voice growing just a fraction before it cracked. "But it seems that even I am causing you grief, pain, and sorrow," he reiterated. "I did not want to be a source of your sorrows Reiko, only..." he paused, pursing his lips together. He sighed softly. This was not the time to tell her such things, not when she was grieving for her brothers. But...
"I only wanted to be a source of your happiness."
“And you thought... you thought not seeing you would make this one happier?" She sounded incredulous; when she glanced back over at him, her eyes were wet. The tears only seemed to brighten the color of them, making them sharper and somehow accusatory. “Stupid. You're so stupid."
She half-lunged, half-fell towards him, gripping the front of his clothes in her small hands and yanking until they were practically nose-to-nose, her eyes boring into his with a righteous indignation he'd only ever seen her display when she was dressing down Akarui for his wrongs toward her sister. For a tense moment, she looked to be fighting some inscrutable battle with herself. They were there, frozen, close enough to breathe each other's air. She still shook; he could feel it through the fabric of his clothes.
“Not having you around... that's the opposite of happiness. This one waited for three months for anything, Aram. Anything would have been okay, as long as... as long as this one knew you cared." She shook her head slowly. “But you chose to leave this one behind."
It was not the first time someone had called him stupid. Perhaps, for all his wisdom, all his years of life, he was. For what did he know about her, about life, about fate and hope? Nothing. He knew nothing. She was teaching him all these things. All her doing. But he blinked slowly, resisting the urge to touch her. Though she'd touched him, she did not want him touching her, and he wouldn't.
"I am sorry for being so," he apologized. "I apologize for being stupid, for not telling you that I cared," he continued, keeping his breathing as steady as he could. It was hard, though, considering how close they were. And her lips were so close to his. "I apologize for not realizing it sooner, and..." he paused, keeping his gaze with hers. He allowed his expression to soften.
"I apologize for not telling you," he concluded. Hadn't she told him, some dream version of herself, that he should tell her when he figured it out? Taking in a much needed breath, and inadverdently breathing her, he closed his eyes. "I am sorry that I did not say I loved you," he confessed lightly. Because he could not keep that from her any longer. He would not keep how he felt about her, away from her. She deserved to know, despite what she might be going through.
"I will not leave you behind, again. And whether you want me to, or not, I will do my best to keep trying to make you happy, to take away your pains and sorrows. It is the only thing I can do, for what else am I good for?"
“You... what?" Reiko fell back until she was seated on her legs, only just barely remembering to let go of him at the last moment. For a few seconds, she looked utterly confused, but then as though it were automatic, her expression smoothed out and she shook herself a little.
She sighed softly. “D-don't be like that, Aram-sama," she said, pushing out another calming breath. “You're good for plenty of things, and it's silly that you think you aren't." She reached out and took one of his hands, holding it gently in both of hers.
Reiko bowed her head, hair falling to shield the sides of her face. When she looked back up, she'd regained some steadiness, and mustered a thin smile. “This one is still upset that you wouldn't speak to this one, Aram-sama. But... this one forgives you. After all, you're part of this one's family now; this one loves you, too." She gave his hand a little squeeze and patted it before withdrawing her own.
He blinked in a confused manner. Did she misunderstand him, somehow? Maybe. This was not a simple familial love. He sighed, taking her hand back into his. She could get mad at him for touching her, if she wanted. He shook his head. "You do not understand, do you?" he spoke, lowering his gaze so that he was staring directly in her eyes. He needed to make sure he was clear, because he could not bear the thought of any more mishaps. He might not understand a lot of things, and he might misinterpret things, but he was certain of this one thing.
This feeling that rested in his chest.
"I am not the most eloquent person, Reiko. I say things that might not make sense to others, but I do not wish that for you," he began, lifting her hand so that he was holding it in front of his face. His eyes were still locked with hers. "It is not something that is familial. It took me a while to realize what this was, and if it were not for you, or for Ayla's pushing, I would not have figured out what it was," he continued, leaning forward slightly.
"I was not lying when I said that I enjoyed your company, that you were precious to me, and that I seek you out more than I should," gently he tugged her hand forward. "And I am not lying when I say I love you. You are the only person I think about, who I wish to keep safe," he added, his breath ghosting over her knuckles. "And you are the only one whom I wish to make happy. I've done a poor job, so far. But I shall endeavor, for as long as I live, to make that right." He brushed his lips over the back of her hand in a gentle manner.
Perhaps she would understand him, now.
Her lips parted and her eyes went wide. It seemed she understood this time. “U-um," she stuttered, blushing red to the roots of her hair. Her free hand curled into a fist; she pressed it against her sternum. “Th-this one needs... this one needs time, Aram-sama. This is very, um... very sudden."
An emotion akin to panic seemed to be flickering behind her eyes; the urgent orange of her spheres confirmed it, though the cores of them stayed red. “It's just... so much has happened, and..." She trailed off, dropping her eyes to the pond again and biting her lip.
"I undestand," he replied, a small smile ghosting over his lips. He released her hand, allowing his to fall to his lap. He understood, and he knew it wasn't the proper time to tell her such things. But he needed to. "It is not something you should feel inclined to say about, or feel about. I just wanted you to know. I am patient, and I will wait. Take all the time you need, Reiko, but please... will you at least start taking care of yourself?" he asked. He did not want her to be as she was. He wanted her to be more vibrant than she was, not the ghost of a shell that she'd appeared to be.
She nodded slightly. “This one is trying. It was... difficult, especially in the first month after, but this one is recovering, a little bit at a time, so... please don't worry." She smiled, just a small one, but at least it seemed genuine.
As long as she would try. "Thank you. And I will be here. I will not leave you behind," not again.
Not ever again.
For once in his life, he felt completely useless. There was nothing he could do to help her, to comfort her in this time of need. And worst of all, he lied to her. He had promised her that he would no longer let her feel pain or sorrow or grief. He wanted to keep those things from her, but he couldn't. Didn't. He'd been, for the course of the last few weeks, avoiding her. How was he supposed to face her? To tell her that he was sorry, and that he'd utterly failed her?
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
He couldn't bring himself to see the shame in her eyes, or the pain and everything else she was likely feeling. He couldn't do it.
"For fuck's sake, Aram," Ayla's voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp knife, and she stood not more than three feet in front of him. She was glaring at him, her brows furrowed and her lips pulled back somewhat. "You need to go see her," she spoke, folding her arms over her chest. He narrowed his eyes in response.
"It is not I whom she needs to see, though," he spoke, his voice faltering. He could hear her give an exasperated sigh, and she dropped her hands.
"Aram... she's in pain. She just lost her brother, for crying out loud. Do you remember how I was like when we'd learned Amon died?" she spoke, her voice softening just a fraction. He sighed. He knew. And he couldn't even comfort her then.
"It's eating you up inside, Aram. Did you at least take into consideration how she might feel of you distancing yourself? What if you are exactly who she needs to see? Who can comfort her in her time of need? It's been at least three months. Do something or else you're going to lose her forever, and you're going to regret it," she stated, placing a hand on his shoulder before walking off. He pushed a deep sigh from his nose.
He doubted that.
He doubted that she would want him around, or even need him. She had Tatsuya, Sayuri, Kentaro, Tsubasa, and even Ayla. But she did not need him, no matter how he might feel about her. Still, he would admit Ayla was right. He should at least check in on her, because he could not deny the fact that he was worried. So, he let his legs guide him, intent on finding her.
He eventually found her by the duck pond in the garden. There was a small tea service set out next to her, apparently untouched. She looked... wan. Thinner and more delicate than usual, almost as though she were ill. There were bruiselike circles under her eyes, slightly faded as though they'd begun to heal. Her complexion was nearly sheet-white, and her skin looked paper-thin over the bones of her face and her wrists, which were the only ones he could see.
If she noticed him approaching, she made no indication of it. She did duck her head a little though, making it harder to see her face. For once her hair was loose around her, pooled on the ground behind where she sat rather than kept high on her head and away from her face.
She kept staring out over the pond; her eyes were about as dead as they'd been in his dream.
For a second, Aram felt his breath hitch in his throat. He couldn't breathe, and something in him was terrified. He could not control the muscles in his body, and he soon found himself kneeling next to her. Almost immediately, he reached out, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her towards him gently. He placed a hand behind her head, and kept her in his hold. He was shaking, and he was terrified. The look on her face, the depth of her eyes, they were all things he did not want to see on her, again.
"Reiko," he spoke softly, his voice conveying more emotion than he'd meant for it to have. "Reiko, what are you doing to yourself?" he questioned softly. His hold on her tightened, but not enough that she could not get out of it if she did not want him to hold her. But he wanted to because she was in pain, and she was grieving.
She stiffened immediately in his grip, clearly not having expected that. It wasn't more than a second before she planted her hands against his chest and pushed herself away, falling out of her seiza and onto her rear in the process.
The look on her face wasn't one she'd ever seen before. It was stricken, like she couldn't quite believe what she'd just done. Or maybe like she couldn't quite believe what he'd just done.
Her throat worked as she swallowed, thickly enough that even he could hear it in the awkward silence settling over them. She pulled in a shaky breath, planting her hands on the ground and rearranging herself back into seiza.
Reiko didn't seem to want to look at him, pointedly moving her eyes back out over the water. “This one would prefer it if you do not touch this one, Aram-sama," she said softly. She seemed to regain some of her calm by that point. If anything... she was ignoring him.
It was his fault.
He should have known better.
His eyes fell to the ground, though, and he took in a slow breath. If that was what she wanted, he would respect it. But he was not going to leave. No. He could not leave her. "Reiko," he called out. He wanted to reach out to her, but he'd resigned himself to respecting her wishes. He would not touch her if she did not want him to.
"I apologize," he spoke, apologizing for both touching her without permission, and for avoiding her for the last three months. "No apology I give will make it right, but," he started again, keeping his gaze on the ground. "Please do not ignore me, Reiko," he didn't have a right to say that. After all, hadn't he been, unintentionally, ignoring her? He pushed a sigh through his nose, and shook his head.
"If you wish for me to leave, Reiko," he offered, instead. He would not stay where he was not wanted, even if he did not wish to leave. "I will go, but please... please take care of yourself. I know I have no right to ask that of you. I have no right to ask anything of you, but..." he paused, swallowing past the lump that was suddenly in his throat. How could he tell her something when he had no right to do so? Perhaps he was too late, and she was lost to him, now?
“Why?" she asked, in the same flat tone she'd used earlier. “Why should this one not ignore you, when you ignored this one for three months?" Her lips trembled.
“This one has lost... this one has lost three of her brothers, all at once, and you..." her voice cracked. “You said you were this one's friend, Aram-sama. How could you... how could you..." She brought a shaking hand up to her mouth and covered it, turning around enough that he could no longer see her face. Her shoulders were quaking.
The spheres floating in the garden were a dull blue-grey, and deepened several more shades at once around their dark red centers.
He deserved that. He deserved to be ignored for that.
"It was not intentional," he whispered softly. He was her friend, and yet, he ignored her. He ignored her in her time of need, when she needed her friends. Was he not one of them? Was he not her friend, too? "I did not believe you wished to see me," was the only answer he could give her. It wasn't an answer at all, though. Perhaps an excuse? That seemed about right.
It was an excuse.
"Because I failed in my promise," he added just as softly. "I failed in my promise of keeping you from grief, from pain and sorrow. I promised you things that I could not keep," he continued, his voice growing just a fraction before it cracked. "But it seems that even I am causing you grief, pain, and sorrow," he reiterated. "I did not want to be a source of your sorrows Reiko, only..." he paused, pursing his lips together. He sighed softly. This was not the time to tell her such things, not when she was grieving for her brothers. But...
"I only wanted to be a source of your happiness."
“And you thought... you thought not seeing you would make this one happier?" She sounded incredulous; when she glanced back over at him, her eyes were wet. The tears only seemed to brighten the color of them, making them sharper and somehow accusatory. “Stupid. You're so stupid."
She half-lunged, half-fell towards him, gripping the front of his clothes in her small hands and yanking until they were practically nose-to-nose, her eyes boring into his with a righteous indignation he'd only ever seen her display when she was dressing down Akarui for his wrongs toward her sister. For a tense moment, she looked to be fighting some inscrutable battle with herself. They were there, frozen, close enough to breathe each other's air. She still shook; he could feel it through the fabric of his clothes.
“Not having you around... that's the opposite of happiness. This one waited for three months for anything, Aram. Anything would have been okay, as long as... as long as this one knew you cared." She shook her head slowly. “But you chose to leave this one behind."
It was not the first time someone had called him stupid. Perhaps, for all his wisdom, all his years of life, he was. For what did he know about her, about life, about fate and hope? Nothing. He knew nothing. She was teaching him all these things. All her doing. But he blinked slowly, resisting the urge to touch her. Though she'd touched him, she did not want him touching her, and he wouldn't.
"I am sorry for being so," he apologized. "I apologize for being stupid, for not telling you that I cared," he continued, keeping his breathing as steady as he could. It was hard, though, considering how close they were. And her lips were so close to his. "I apologize for not realizing it sooner, and..." he paused, keeping his gaze with hers. He allowed his expression to soften.
"I apologize for not telling you," he concluded. Hadn't she told him, some dream version of herself, that he should tell her when he figured it out? Taking in a much needed breath, and inadverdently breathing her, he closed his eyes. "I am sorry that I did not say I loved you," he confessed lightly. Because he could not keep that from her any longer. He would not keep how he felt about her, away from her. She deserved to know, despite what she might be going through.
"I will not leave you behind, again. And whether you want me to, or not, I will do my best to keep trying to make you happy, to take away your pains and sorrows. It is the only thing I can do, for what else am I good for?"
“You... what?" Reiko fell back until she was seated on her legs, only just barely remembering to let go of him at the last moment. For a few seconds, she looked utterly confused, but then as though it were automatic, her expression smoothed out and she shook herself a little.
She sighed softly. “D-don't be like that, Aram-sama," she said, pushing out another calming breath. “You're good for plenty of things, and it's silly that you think you aren't." She reached out and took one of his hands, holding it gently in both of hers.
Reiko bowed her head, hair falling to shield the sides of her face. When she looked back up, she'd regained some steadiness, and mustered a thin smile. “This one is still upset that you wouldn't speak to this one, Aram-sama. But... this one forgives you. After all, you're part of this one's family now; this one loves you, too." She gave his hand a little squeeze and patted it before withdrawing her own.
He blinked in a confused manner. Did she misunderstand him, somehow? Maybe. This was not a simple familial love. He sighed, taking her hand back into his. She could get mad at him for touching her, if she wanted. He shook his head. "You do not understand, do you?" he spoke, lowering his gaze so that he was staring directly in her eyes. He needed to make sure he was clear, because he could not bear the thought of any more mishaps. He might not understand a lot of things, and he might misinterpret things, but he was certain of this one thing.
This feeling that rested in his chest.
"I am not the most eloquent person, Reiko. I say things that might not make sense to others, but I do not wish that for you," he began, lifting her hand so that he was holding it in front of his face. His eyes were still locked with hers. "It is not something that is familial. It took me a while to realize what this was, and if it were not for you, or for Ayla's pushing, I would not have figured out what it was," he continued, leaning forward slightly.
"I was not lying when I said that I enjoyed your company, that you were precious to me, and that I seek you out more than I should," gently he tugged her hand forward. "And I am not lying when I say I love you. You are the only person I think about, who I wish to keep safe," he added, his breath ghosting over her knuckles. "And you are the only one whom I wish to make happy. I've done a poor job, so far. But I shall endeavor, for as long as I live, to make that right." He brushed his lips over the back of her hand in a gentle manner.
Perhaps she would understand him, now.
Her lips parted and her eyes went wide. It seemed she understood this time. “U-um," she stuttered, blushing red to the roots of her hair. Her free hand curled into a fist; she pressed it against her sternum. “Th-this one needs... this one needs time, Aram-sama. This is very, um... very sudden."
An emotion akin to panic seemed to be flickering behind her eyes; the urgent orange of her spheres confirmed it, though the cores of them stayed red. “It's just... so much has happened, and..." She trailed off, dropping her eyes to the pond again and biting her lip.
"I undestand," he replied, a small smile ghosting over his lips. He released her hand, allowing his to fall to his lap. He understood, and he knew it wasn't the proper time to tell her such things. But he needed to. "It is not something you should feel inclined to say about, or feel about. I just wanted you to know. I am patient, and I will wait. Take all the time you need, Reiko, but please... will you at least start taking care of yourself?" he asked. He did not want her to be as she was. He wanted her to be more vibrant than she was, not the ghost of a shell that she'd appeared to be.
She nodded slightly. “This one is trying. It was... difficult, especially in the first month after, but this one is recovering, a little bit at a time, so... please don't worry." She smiled, just a small one, but at least it seemed genuine.
As long as she would try. "Thank you. And I will be here. I will not leave you behind," not again.
Not ever again.
Tatsuya grumbled to himself, stamping the hanko down on yet another rebuild order. This one for carpenters, to fix the parts of the residential district that had been damaged in the fighting. First priority had been repairing the walls; they'd just moved the extra villagers into the castle while that was ongoing, but they were eager to be back in their own houses, and he was honestly eager to have them out of his hair. It was too cramped around here lately.
Then again... that might be a good thing. It made it harder to notice the three very distinct absences.
“Uh... which form do I use for rice orders, again?" At one of the desks across the room, Tsubasa was fumbling through a dozen sheets of paper, a confused look on his face.
Tatsuya couldn't blame him. There was clearly a system in place, with a form for fucking everything, which was better than the chaotic alternative, but it wasn't easy to figure out even three months later. He'd never really appreciated all the work Jirō did before he'd had to learn how to do it himself.
Even now, with all three of them splitting it, it was a pain in the ass.
“...grain requisition." Kentaro didn't sound completely certain, but it was better than anything Tatsuya could have said. Tsubasa grumbled and went looking for it.
They didn't finish the day's work until long past midnight. When they did, Tatsuya stood, cracking his spine in several places and letting out a huff at the feeling of relief. He left the office, intending to go take a bath. This nonstop work was getting ridiculous, but the worst of it would be past soon, once the town was properly repaired. At least tomorrow he could go do actual physical labor instead of filling out more forms.
His walk to the bath took him past Reiko's garden. It seemed quiet for the most part, however; it looked like the garden wasn't completely empty. Ayla was standing in the middle of it, staring up. Probably at the sky, but she didn't seem to notice him. She just kept her gaze upwards with a slightly far-off look to her face. Perhaps she was thinking of something? That or she was probably sleep walking, which wasn't the actual case. Her head finally ducked, and she looked like she was about to leave, however; she finally took notice of him.
Blinking slowly, she raised a brow before allowing a small smile to cross her face. "You look tense," she spoke, keeping her brow raised. "Hope you don't mind, but," she paused, glancing down at her apparel. It looked like she was in a yukata of some sort, but it also looked vaguely familiar. "Couldn't sleep so I borrowed something from your room," she continued, as if his yukata would make it any better. It probably did.
Tatsuya still had no idea what about him was calming to her; it was certainly something no one else had ever professed to feel in his presence. There were those who weren't unsettled by him, but even that wasn't the norm.
“Why would I mind?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. “I believe we have long since established that I quite enjoy the sight of you wearing my clothes." And the scent, actually; anything of his smelled at least a bit like him, and the particular combination of that with her scent just smelled... good. In more than one way.
He tilted his head. “It does not, however, appear to have solved your lack-of-sleep problem."
She huffed a light laugh, but the corners of her lips tilted up in a sly manner. "All it offers is your scent. It doesn't quite beat the real thing," she spoke, her eyes never leaving his. She hadn't slept with him since the first time, keeping to her own bed, instead, but it appeared to have had some drawbacks for her.
"I figured tonight, I'd fix that," she spoke with a light shrug of her shoulders. The implication wasn't quite clear, though. She could have meant it in a different number of ways. "And there is also the part of settling the score. We never did find out the results of that battle," she spoke, referring to their wager they'd made. The smirk didn't quite leave her face when she said it, though.
Well, this was an interesting development. Tatsuya considered for a moment how he'd like to handle the situation, tilting his head at her and sliding his hands into his sleeves.
Eventually, he shrugged. “Honestly? I lost count at some point, which I suppose means you win by default. As they say... to the victor go the spoils. What would you have me do, Ayla?" He could feel himself smirking, but there was no reason not to. The more entertaining her reaction, the better, and she tended to be at her most amusing when she was trying to get the better of him. That intensified if he acted particularly smug or arrogant, which was something he enjoyed exploiting.
Her brow arched just the slightest bit in amusement. "Not quite certain if that qualifies, you losing count," she replied, the smirk turning into a grin. "But if that's what you say, I suppose I have no qualms about it," she added. "Now, I guess this is the part of what I should have you do. What to do, what to do," she spoke, tapping her chin as she considered the possibilities.
Slowly, she made her way towards him, stopping so that she was at least a foot away. She reached out her hand towards him, pausing only momentarily until she resumed. Like she did before, her forefinger traced the inside of his elbow, crawling down to the inside of his palm. "There are many things that I would have you do, but," she spoke, the same teasing note behind her voice. She removed her hand from where it was, and folded it behind her back along with her other one.
"I'll settle for something small," she spoke, her voice becoming oddly serious along with her expression. "I want you to kiss me."
It sounded more of a request than a demand.
Tatsuya laughed softly. “Is that all?" he inquired, his smile softening. “I suppose I can manage that."
Lifting his hand, he rested his callused palm at the side of her neck, curling the tips of his fingers in to put light pressure on her nape; the hold was firm, present, but by no means intended to be uncomfortable. The pad of his thumb dragged slowly over her cheekbone, then her lower lip. He rested it under her chin and carefully tilted her head just a little, for a better angle relative to their height discrepancy. Since they were standing, he'd have to lean over more than a little already.
“Though... specificity is a virtue, Ayla. How am I to know whether you want me to kiss you here," he pressed his lips to the space right above the bridge of her nose. “Or here," Tatsuya turned her head slightly to the side to kiss her cheek just beneath her left eye, then drew back just a little, nose brushing along the length of hers.
“Or perhaps..." He narrowed the gap so that their mouths were but a hairsbreadth apart. “Here?"
Tatsuya knew from experience that there were all kinds of kisses, from the most chaste of pecks to the rough things with clacking teeth and bruised lips. All of them had their place, but this one was slow, languid, unhurried and sensual. Velvet and silk and honey; lazy mornings in bed with bare skin on bare skin. She tasted sweet and slightly floral, like sakuramochi.
She smiled against his lips, and when they pulled apart, she had an arched brow. "And and you say I'm a tease," she spoke, something like a satisfied sigh escaping her, but she shook her head. "And to answer your earlier question," she spoke, tilting her head so that she was directly staring at him.
"No, that is not all, but it is what I will settle for. What I want..." she paused, pursing her lips together. Shaking her head softly, she dropped her gaze, and sighed heavily. "What I want is something... something that... no words can describe," she spoke, a hint of color dusting her cheeks. "But with everything going on, I'm not sure..." she continued, trailing off without finishing her sentence. Instead, she simply wrapped her arms around him, and leaned her head on his chest.
“Hm." Tatsuya murmured the syllable from his chest; it sounded more like a rumble than a hum. He brought a hand up to her head and rested it there, holding her against him gently. “Try describing it anyway. I'm at your disposal, after all. You might as well take advantage."
He threaded his fingers through her hair against her scalp. He seemed to be developing quite a fondness for it, between the texture and the smell. “Besides, I'm interested to know what you want, since you've finally found something."
"There is only one word that comes to mind when trying to describe it," she spoke, murmuring softly against the fabric of his clothes. She still didn't lift her head from its spot, though. She remained silent for a moment, as if she were contemplating the one word. She seemed to give a sigh of defeat, and wrapped her arms a little tighter around him.
"You," she finally spoke. "The one word is you," she'd nearly whispered it.
Tatsuya snorted softly, stopping himself from laughing outright only when he realized how serious she sounded. Moving his hands to her shoulders, he stepped back a bit, separating them by a foot or so in order to better meet her eyes. Half a smile pulled at his mouth; he shook his head slightly.
“Well, then what's the problem?" He asked, dropping his hands from her shoulders to spread his arms wide out to either side. “Didn't I make it clear? I'm yours however you want me, Ayla. All you have to do is say the word." She'd always been the one with reservations, not him.
His brows furrowed; Tatsuya lowered his arms slowly. “Just to be perfectly explicit about this: I want you. And I have for some time. I know I seem like a pushy person, but... I decided a while ago that whatever happened was going to happen at the time and place you wanted. Believe me, it's been a while since I've bothered with that much self-control about something." If she was under any illusions about why he'd been reserved around her, he wanted to banish them.
She shuddered softly. "The problem is I've never wanted anyone," she murmured. "You'll have to forgive me if this isn't exactly something I'm experienced with. In all my life, I've never desired anyone. Not once," she spoke a little stronger this time. "Not once," she spoke again, making the implication clear.
"You are the one that I want, now, always, and..." she paused, swallowing past a lump in her throat. He could see it work as she did. "Forever," it almost looked like she mouthed the words. They were spoken softly, softer than a whisper. "I do not know how else to say it."
“My old man was a fucking idiot." It was the first thing that came to his mind, and true to his nature, he said it for that reason alone. “He had to be, because only an idiot would give you up for anything else."
The vehemence of his own words surprised him a little, but not that much. Tatsuya didn't think there was one single thing that everyone meant when they said 'love.' To him, it seemed like they all meant something a little different from each other, and trying to crowd all those meanings into one word was stupid and bound to confuse things.
So the best thing to do... was to use more precise ones, and hope to be understood. “I don't plan on making the same mistake." He tilted his head at her. “I like you. More than I like anyone else. I think you're funny, and you never stop doing interesting things. You're easily the best friend I've ever had. I want you to be my lover, and I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want you to keep being demanding and telling me what you want and challenging me to stupid contests at inappropriate times. I want to go drinking with you whenever the mood takes us, and help you figure out what your hobbies are and what else you want out of life. I want to spar with you, and bicker over stupid shit just to watch you get irritated or flustered." He shrugged.
“I've never felt like this, so you're not the only one that's new to the whole thing. There's things I can teach you, sure. Things I'd love to learn about you." He let his tone drop several degrees, the suggestive slide of the words enough to convey his point. “Forever's a hell of a long time, but if we live that long... sure. Forever. I haven't thought twice about another woman since I met you, and I don't see that changing."
Tatsuya grinned. “I told you, right? I'm damn good at knowing what I want. Do those sound like things you want as well?"
The smile that bloomed over her face was different than the ones she'd worn before. It actually bloomed, and something in her eyes glistened. Tears, maybe, but they did not fall. "You're talking to someone who's lived over two milleniums," she spoke, shaking her head. "But yeah, you have," she answered. She kept silent for a fraction of a second before she hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Yes, they do. They sound like things I want," she responded, not relinquishing her hold on him. "Because I love you, too," she spoke, huffing lightly against him.
“Good."
Then again... that might be a good thing. It made it harder to notice the three very distinct absences.
“Uh... which form do I use for rice orders, again?" At one of the desks across the room, Tsubasa was fumbling through a dozen sheets of paper, a confused look on his face.
Tatsuya couldn't blame him. There was clearly a system in place, with a form for fucking everything, which was better than the chaotic alternative, but it wasn't easy to figure out even three months later. He'd never really appreciated all the work Jirō did before he'd had to learn how to do it himself.
Even now, with all three of them splitting it, it was a pain in the ass.
“...grain requisition." Kentaro didn't sound completely certain, but it was better than anything Tatsuya could have said. Tsubasa grumbled and went looking for it.
They didn't finish the day's work until long past midnight. When they did, Tatsuya stood, cracking his spine in several places and letting out a huff at the feeling of relief. He left the office, intending to go take a bath. This nonstop work was getting ridiculous, but the worst of it would be past soon, once the town was properly repaired. At least tomorrow he could go do actual physical labor instead of filling out more forms.
His walk to the bath took him past Reiko's garden. It seemed quiet for the most part, however; it looked like the garden wasn't completely empty. Ayla was standing in the middle of it, staring up. Probably at the sky, but she didn't seem to notice him. She just kept her gaze upwards with a slightly far-off look to her face. Perhaps she was thinking of something? That or she was probably sleep walking, which wasn't the actual case. Her head finally ducked, and she looked like she was about to leave, however; she finally took notice of him.
Blinking slowly, she raised a brow before allowing a small smile to cross her face. "You look tense," she spoke, keeping her brow raised. "Hope you don't mind, but," she paused, glancing down at her apparel. It looked like she was in a yukata of some sort, but it also looked vaguely familiar. "Couldn't sleep so I borrowed something from your room," she continued, as if his yukata would make it any better. It probably did.
Tatsuya still had no idea what about him was calming to her; it was certainly something no one else had ever professed to feel in his presence. There were those who weren't unsettled by him, but even that wasn't the norm.
“Why would I mind?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. “I believe we have long since established that I quite enjoy the sight of you wearing my clothes." And the scent, actually; anything of his smelled at least a bit like him, and the particular combination of that with her scent just smelled... good. In more than one way.
He tilted his head. “It does not, however, appear to have solved your lack-of-sleep problem."
She huffed a light laugh, but the corners of her lips tilted up in a sly manner. "All it offers is your scent. It doesn't quite beat the real thing," she spoke, her eyes never leaving his. She hadn't slept with him since the first time, keeping to her own bed, instead, but it appeared to have had some drawbacks for her.
"I figured tonight, I'd fix that," she spoke with a light shrug of her shoulders. The implication wasn't quite clear, though. She could have meant it in a different number of ways. "And there is also the part of settling the score. We never did find out the results of that battle," she spoke, referring to their wager they'd made. The smirk didn't quite leave her face when she said it, though.
Well, this was an interesting development. Tatsuya considered for a moment how he'd like to handle the situation, tilting his head at her and sliding his hands into his sleeves.
Eventually, he shrugged. “Honestly? I lost count at some point, which I suppose means you win by default. As they say... to the victor go the spoils. What would you have me do, Ayla?" He could feel himself smirking, but there was no reason not to. The more entertaining her reaction, the better, and she tended to be at her most amusing when she was trying to get the better of him. That intensified if he acted particularly smug or arrogant, which was something he enjoyed exploiting.
Her brow arched just the slightest bit in amusement. "Not quite certain if that qualifies, you losing count," she replied, the smirk turning into a grin. "But if that's what you say, I suppose I have no qualms about it," she added. "Now, I guess this is the part of what I should have you do. What to do, what to do," she spoke, tapping her chin as she considered the possibilities.
Slowly, she made her way towards him, stopping so that she was at least a foot away. She reached out her hand towards him, pausing only momentarily until she resumed. Like she did before, her forefinger traced the inside of his elbow, crawling down to the inside of his palm. "There are many things that I would have you do, but," she spoke, the same teasing note behind her voice. She removed her hand from where it was, and folded it behind her back along with her other one.
"I'll settle for something small," she spoke, her voice becoming oddly serious along with her expression. "I want you to kiss me."
It sounded more of a request than a demand.
Tatsuya laughed softly. “Is that all?" he inquired, his smile softening. “I suppose I can manage that."
Lifting his hand, he rested his callused palm at the side of her neck, curling the tips of his fingers in to put light pressure on her nape; the hold was firm, present, but by no means intended to be uncomfortable. The pad of his thumb dragged slowly over her cheekbone, then her lower lip. He rested it under her chin and carefully tilted her head just a little, for a better angle relative to their height discrepancy. Since they were standing, he'd have to lean over more than a little already.
“Though... specificity is a virtue, Ayla. How am I to know whether you want me to kiss you here," he pressed his lips to the space right above the bridge of her nose. “Or here," Tatsuya turned her head slightly to the side to kiss her cheek just beneath her left eye, then drew back just a little, nose brushing along the length of hers.
“Or perhaps..." He narrowed the gap so that their mouths were but a hairsbreadth apart. “Here?"
Tatsuya knew from experience that there were all kinds of kisses, from the most chaste of pecks to the rough things with clacking teeth and bruised lips. All of them had their place, but this one was slow, languid, unhurried and sensual. Velvet and silk and honey; lazy mornings in bed with bare skin on bare skin. She tasted sweet and slightly floral, like sakuramochi.
She smiled against his lips, and when they pulled apart, she had an arched brow. "And and you say I'm a tease," she spoke, something like a satisfied sigh escaping her, but she shook her head. "And to answer your earlier question," she spoke, tilting her head so that she was directly staring at him.
"No, that is not all, but it is what I will settle for. What I want..." she paused, pursing her lips together. Shaking her head softly, she dropped her gaze, and sighed heavily. "What I want is something... something that... no words can describe," she spoke, a hint of color dusting her cheeks. "But with everything going on, I'm not sure..." she continued, trailing off without finishing her sentence. Instead, she simply wrapped her arms around him, and leaned her head on his chest.
“Hm." Tatsuya murmured the syllable from his chest; it sounded more like a rumble than a hum. He brought a hand up to her head and rested it there, holding her against him gently. “Try describing it anyway. I'm at your disposal, after all. You might as well take advantage."
He threaded his fingers through her hair against her scalp. He seemed to be developing quite a fondness for it, between the texture and the smell. “Besides, I'm interested to know what you want, since you've finally found something."
"There is only one word that comes to mind when trying to describe it," she spoke, murmuring softly against the fabric of his clothes. She still didn't lift her head from its spot, though. She remained silent for a moment, as if she were contemplating the one word. She seemed to give a sigh of defeat, and wrapped her arms a little tighter around him.
"You," she finally spoke. "The one word is you," she'd nearly whispered it.
Tatsuya snorted softly, stopping himself from laughing outright only when he realized how serious she sounded. Moving his hands to her shoulders, he stepped back a bit, separating them by a foot or so in order to better meet her eyes. Half a smile pulled at his mouth; he shook his head slightly.
“Well, then what's the problem?" He asked, dropping his hands from her shoulders to spread his arms wide out to either side. “Didn't I make it clear? I'm yours however you want me, Ayla. All you have to do is say the word." She'd always been the one with reservations, not him.
His brows furrowed; Tatsuya lowered his arms slowly. “Just to be perfectly explicit about this: I want you. And I have for some time. I know I seem like a pushy person, but... I decided a while ago that whatever happened was going to happen at the time and place you wanted. Believe me, it's been a while since I've bothered with that much self-control about something." If she was under any illusions about why he'd been reserved around her, he wanted to banish them.
She shuddered softly. "The problem is I've never wanted anyone," she murmured. "You'll have to forgive me if this isn't exactly something I'm experienced with. In all my life, I've never desired anyone. Not once," she spoke a little stronger this time. "Not once," she spoke again, making the implication clear.
"You are the one that I want, now, always, and..." she paused, swallowing past a lump in her throat. He could see it work as she did. "Forever," it almost looked like she mouthed the words. They were spoken softly, softer than a whisper. "I do not know how else to say it."
“My old man was a fucking idiot." It was the first thing that came to his mind, and true to his nature, he said it for that reason alone. “He had to be, because only an idiot would give you up for anything else."
The vehemence of his own words surprised him a little, but not that much. Tatsuya didn't think there was one single thing that everyone meant when they said 'love.' To him, it seemed like they all meant something a little different from each other, and trying to crowd all those meanings into one word was stupid and bound to confuse things.
So the best thing to do... was to use more precise ones, and hope to be understood. “I don't plan on making the same mistake." He tilted his head at her. “I like you. More than I like anyone else. I think you're funny, and you never stop doing interesting things. You're easily the best friend I've ever had. I want you to be my lover, and I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want you to keep being demanding and telling me what you want and challenging me to stupid contests at inappropriate times. I want to go drinking with you whenever the mood takes us, and help you figure out what your hobbies are and what else you want out of life. I want to spar with you, and bicker over stupid shit just to watch you get irritated or flustered." He shrugged.
“I've never felt like this, so you're not the only one that's new to the whole thing. There's things I can teach you, sure. Things I'd love to learn about you." He let his tone drop several degrees, the suggestive slide of the words enough to convey his point. “Forever's a hell of a long time, but if we live that long... sure. Forever. I haven't thought twice about another woman since I met you, and I don't see that changing."
Tatsuya grinned. “I told you, right? I'm damn good at knowing what I want. Do those sound like things you want as well?"
The smile that bloomed over her face was different than the ones she'd worn before. It actually bloomed, and something in her eyes glistened. Tears, maybe, but they did not fall. "You're talking to someone who's lived over two milleniums," she spoke, shaking her head. "But yeah, you have," she answered. She kept silent for a fraction of a second before she hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Yes, they do. They sound like things I want," she responded, not relinquishing her hold on him. "Because I love you, too," she spoke, huffing lightly against him.
“Good."
Sayuri sighed softly, running a hand through her hair to straighten out the stray strands. Once she'd managed to smooth them over, she braided it over her right shoulder, and allowed it to settle there. Satisfied with it, she pushed herself from the floor, and smoothed out her kimono. It was a simple one, colored in a deep blue color. It's not like she had anywhere to go, after all, with everything that had happened. Jirō's death had hit her hard, and so did Takahiro and Daichi's betrayal, however; she knew that it had hit Reiko, harder.
She'd only been able to comfort Reiko in the way she knew how, which wasn't much. She'd never known loss like that, save perhaps her own family. But she'd been much too young to remember them. The family she had now was whom she considered to be family. Placing a hand over the Mark on her neck, she smiled. And it appeared she was more than that to someone else. She huffed softly to herself and shook her head.
She wanted to see Reiko, today. The grief process was one that should not be dealt with alone. Though she knew Reiko wasn't really alone, that Ayla and the others had been there for her. Still, three months was a long time to grieve. She'd seen how bad Reiko had been when Fujiwara-dono had died, and she did not wish for her sister to go down that same path. Taking in a soft sigh, she set out to find Reiko, frowning when she could not find her in the usual spots.
Perhaps she should try smelling for her? She almost snorted to herself. A few months being what she was, and she still couldn't really differentiate smells. The only one she'd grown accustomed to, was his: Kentaro's. Shaking her head softly, she smiled and continued her search. She'd bother Kentaro later.
It took another fifteen minutes of wandering and asking servants before she finally located Reiko; she was in the kitchen, frowning slightly at a steeping pot of tea. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. If anything, Reiko wasn't paying much attention to it; her eyes were out-of-focus and slightly glazed.
She still didn't look very good; Reiko was one of those people who tended to end up reflecting her life experiences in her appearance, intentionally or not. She was considerably thinner than usual, and too pale, but it wasn't as bad as it had been after what happened to her father. Or in the three months before this. It seemed she was slowly beginning to recover, and had been for a few weeks at least.
It took her several seconds to notice Sayuri's presence. When she did, she straightened and smiled slightly. “Oh, hello Sayu. What brings you to the kitchen?"
"You, actually," she replied raising a small brow in her direction. "I'm allowed to worry about my sister, am I not?" she questioned, though she would admit that she was slightly relieved to see Reiko in better spirits. Of course, that didn't mean she had to like her appearance, or the way she still looked. She sighed and made her way into the kitchen, glancing at the tea pot.
"Are you doing better?" she asked. She couldn't ask if she was okay, because she knew Reiko wasn't. But she could inquire to see if she was doing a little better. "Because I heard Kyabetsu-san visited you the other week, and that he's not avoiding you any longer," she spoke, though she left her tone serious. She wasn't teasing Reiko or anything. There would be another time for that... maybe. She'd been a little upset with Aram for doing what he did, but she didn't know his reasons.
Maybe they were good.
Maybe they were just plain stupid and horrible.
She could not say, and she wasn't going to.
“Mm." Reiko made a vague sound of agreement, glancing down at the teapot for a moment and biting her lip. “This one is all right. And you are not mistaken. He did, um, visit this one." For the most part, her face remained neutrally-contemplative, but Sayuri could see that the tips of Reiko's ears were a little red.
She sighed, perhaps a little too deeply for the bland way in which she presented the information.
"And?" she didn't miss the color on Reiko's ear. However light it was, she could see it clear as day. She almost thanked her sight for that. "Did he beg for forgiveness?" she spoke, allowing some hint of teasing to pass through her voice. She knew this was delicate, but if she could get Reiko to smile somewhat, then she'd know for sure if Reiko was doing better.
"Because I'll go find him and make sure he does, if he didn't," she added.
“Not... not exactly," Reiko replied softly. She turned towards the door, then, cocking her head as if to listen for anyone else's presence. Sayu couldn't hear anyone and Reiko didn't seem to be able to do so, either, because she pursed her lips and continued. “He did... he did apologize a lot. Said a lot of things about how he didn't deserve this or that." She shook her head. “Which is just silly, of course. He deserves..."
She hesitated, taking the teapot in her hands and pouring two cups before pushing one of them towards Sayuri. “More than this one can give, anyway." Reiko picked up her teacup and frowned down into it. “And then he said... he said he loves this one. And not, um... not like family." If her ears had been red before, her whole face was now, her voice nothing more than embarrassed-sounding mumbling.
Sayuri blinked slowly. She was certain her expression was slightly shocked, because she could feel her eyes widening. "He what?" she asked. She was having difficulty wrapping her mind around the words Reiko had just spoken. He loved her? And not like family? Did that mean... she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face.
"Reiko. Silly, silly, Reiko," she spoke, shaking her head softly. "And what did you say? Nothing, right?" she continued, taking in a much needed breath. She knew this was delicate for Reiko, and she did not want to laugh at her. "What is it that you think you can't give him, hm? Because from what I see," she paused, glancing Reiko over on purpose.
She'd been spending too much time in Ayla's company.
"I see a woman who is capable of giving him a lot, if she'd let herself," she concluded, raising a brow in Reiko's direction.
Reiko sighed. “Everything happened too fast, Sayu. This one... this one panicked. He just... he showed up after three months of nothing and said that? This one was still trying to catch up to the fact that he cared about this one after all, and then he went and said something like that."
Reiko groaned, a miserable sound, and put her head down on the counter they sat at.
“What exactly is this one supposed to do, Sayu? Just go right up to him and say 'well, Aram-sama, actually this one has been in love with you since this one was a little girl and heard about you in Tou-chan's stories?' He'll think this one is a child!" The words were muffled by Reiko's arms, but Sayuri could still make them out.
“This one is a child, compared to him! He's so... he's so..." She lifted her head, expression forlorn. “He's basically perfect, Sayu-chan. This one has nothing to offer anyone like that."
Sayuri felt her lips purse into a flat line, and she gave Reiko an equally flat look. "For starters, no," she began, trying to pick apart Reiko's dilemma. "And no one is perfect, Reiko. You should know that. Kentaro's not perfect, I'm not perfect, and neither is Ayla or Tatsuya or Tsubasa, or even you. Not even Aram is perfect. We all have our flaws, but as long as we have someone who loves us for them, then it makes everything else better," she spoke, sighing softly. She leaned back so that she could straighten out her back.
“This one said basically," Reiko grumbled, but she fell silent, apparently sensing that Sayuri had more to say.
"And I don't think that's true, Reiko. If Aram thought of you as a child, do you honestly think he would have told you that he loved you? Because I don't think he would have. I don't think he would have went to all that trouble to tell you something like that if he didn't think of you as a woman."
"And you have love to offer him, don't you? Don't you think that that might be something he wants? Your love? Aram doesn't seem the kind of person who would want anything more than that, because he's... well he's Kyabetsu-san," she spoke. She really couldn't describe him as anything else. Her smile gentled, though, and she sighed softly.
"Love works differently for all of us, Reiko. Look at Kentaro, for example," she spoke, using her own situation as a reference. It probably wasn't the best, but she didn't really have anyone else to compare. "Kentaro is nearly four centuries my senior, if that's what you're worried about. He's... reserved and quiet, but he's really sweet and affectionate when the mood takes him. He's not versed in love, and honestly, I don't think any of us really are. But it doesn't change the way I feel about him, or how he feels about me. He lets me see parts of him that no one else does."
"And I bet Kyabetsu-san does the same with you, right? The only thing you can do, if you really love him, is tell him. Maybe not the way you said it, though. He's not... Kyabetsu-san isn't exactly normal, so I'm sure he'd wait forever for you, even if you fell out of love with him. Which I doubt you would," she spoke, quirking her lips just slightly. She dropped the grin, though, and leaned back.
"But this is something you have to do on your own, Rei-Rei. Do what you think is best, but at least tell Kyabetsu-san something. I'm sure it took a lot for him to tell you, especially after ignoring you for three months. Maybe he was just trying to gather the courage to tell you, especially after what happened."
“This one just..." Reiko dropped her chin into both of her hands. “What if he changes his mind, Sayu? This one has felt this way about him for so long, and... if it just... if it goes badly, in the end... this one won't be able to walk away from that. This one does not handle grief very well." She smiled awkwardly, apparently poking fun at her own current state.
Sighing, Reiko shook her head a little. “This one knows this one needs to say something. But... but so much has happened recently. It's... it still hurts so much, Sayu. They're gone, and this one... this one couldn't do anything. What if this one never gets to keep anything this one loves? This one isn't strong enough to lose anyone else."
Sayuri smiled sympathetically at her. She had a point. So much has happened, and it seemed that it would continue down that way, however; Sayuri also knew something. "But that's the beauty of it, Reiko. Kyabetsu-san isn't flightly. Who knows how long he's actually loved you? It could have spanned the course of the year he's been here with us, or perhaps longer since you've started changing him. And don't say you haven't, because everyone's taken notice of the changes he's made."
As for everything else, though, Sayuri couldn't really say. "Then let's get stronger," she spoke suddenly. "Let's get stronger so that we won't lose anyone else. It'll be hard, and it might be painful, but, if you really don't want to lose anyone, let's be stronger. And no one is saying not to feel that grief. It can make us stronger, too, but it's up to us how we let it shape us. Jirō-san's gone, and Takahiro and Daichi... they've," she swallowed thickly.
"But he'll always be here, with us," she spoke, placing a hand over her heart. "And it's a chance you have to take. Chances have to be taken because they help us become stronger, too. Sometimes, those chances might lead to heartbreak," she trailed off. She probably wasn't making much sense to Reiko right now, but she needed to say something.
"But sometimes those chances lead us to something beautiful, too. Take a chance, Reiko. And if Kyabetsu-san hurts you, well... I'll make sure he won't do it again." She offered Reiko a grin, but she had a feeling that Kyabetsu wouldn't hurt Reiko. Not if what he said was true, at least.
Reiko snorted softly, but the fragile smile was back on her face, and it looked like it might stay this time.
“Okay... okay, this one understands. We'll work on getting stronger together, and this one... will work up the guts to say something to Aram-sama." She sighed, still looking a little doubtful about some part of the whole thing, but at least she seemed resolved to do it.
“Thanks, Sayu."
"Good, and you're welcome. Now, let's drink some tea before I go find Kentaro. I need to ask him something."
She'd only been able to comfort Reiko in the way she knew how, which wasn't much. She'd never known loss like that, save perhaps her own family. But she'd been much too young to remember them. The family she had now was whom she considered to be family. Placing a hand over the Mark on her neck, she smiled. And it appeared she was more than that to someone else. She huffed softly to herself and shook her head.
She wanted to see Reiko, today. The grief process was one that should not be dealt with alone. Though she knew Reiko wasn't really alone, that Ayla and the others had been there for her. Still, three months was a long time to grieve. She'd seen how bad Reiko had been when Fujiwara-dono had died, and she did not wish for her sister to go down that same path. Taking in a soft sigh, she set out to find Reiko, frowning when she could not find her in the usual spots.
Perhaps she should try smelling for her? She almost snorted to herself. A few months being what she was, and she still couldn't really differentiate smells. The only one she'd grown accustomed to, was his: Kentaro's. Shaking her head softly, she smiled and continued her search. She'd bother Kentaro later.
It took another fifteen minutes of wandering and asking servants before she finally located Reiko; she was in the kitchen, frowning slightly at a steeping pot of tea. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. If anything, Reiko wasn't paying much attention to it; her eyes were out-of-focus and slightly glazed.
She still didn't look very good; Reiko was one of those people who tended to end up reflecting her life experiences in her appearance, intentionally or not. She was considerably thinner than usual, and too pale, but it wasn't as bad as it had been after what happened to her father. Or in the three months before this. It seemed she was slowly beginning to recover, and had been for a few weeks at least.
It took her several seconds to notice Sayuri's presence. When she did, she straightened and smiled slightly. “Oh, hello Sayu. What brings you to the kitchen?"
"You, actually," she replied raising a small brow in her direction. "I'm allowed to worry about my sister, am I not?" she questioned, though she would admit that she was slightly relieved to see Reiko in better spirits. Of course, that didn't mean she had to like her appearance, or the way she still looked. She sighed and made her way into the kitchen, glancing at the tea pot.
"Are you doing better?" she asked. She couldn't ask if she was okay, because she knew Reiko wasn't. But she could inquire to see if she was doing a little better. "Because I heard Kyabetsu-san visited you the other week, and that he's not avoiding you any longer," she spoke, though she left her tone serious. She wasn't teasing Reiko or anything. There would be another time for that... maybe. She'd been a little upset with Aram for doing what he did, but she didn't know his reasons.
Maybe they were good.
Maybe they were just plain stupid and horrible.
She could not say, and she wasn't going to.
“Mm." Reiko made a vague sound of agreement, glancing down at the teapot for a moment and biting her lip. “This one is all right. And you are not mistaken. He did, um, visit this one." For the most part, her face remained neutrally-contemplative, but Sayuri could see that the tips of Reiko's ears were a little red.
She sighed, perhaps a little too deeply for the bland way in which she presented the information.
"And?" she didn't miss the color on Reiko's ear. However light it was, she could see it clear as day. She almost thanked her sight for that. "Did he beg for forgiveness?" she spoke, allowing some hint of teasing to pass through her voice. She knew this was delicate, but if she could get Reiko to smile somewhat, then she'd know for sure if Reiko was doing better.
"Because I'll go find him and make sure he does, if he didn't," she added.
“Not... not exactly," Reiko replied softly. She turned towards the door, then, cocking her head as if to listen for anyone else's presence. Sayu couldn't hear anyone and Reiko didn't seem to be able to do so, either, because she pursed her lips and continued. “He did... he did apologize a lot. Said a lot of things about how he didn't deserve this or that." She shook her head. “Which is just silly, of course. He deserves..."
She hesitated, taking the teapot in her hands and pouring two cups before pushing one of them towards Sayuri. “More than this one can give, anyway." Reiko picked up her teacup and frowned down into it. “And then he said... he said he loves this one. And not, um... not like family." If her ears had been red before, her whole face was now, her voice nothing more than embarrassed-sounding mumbling.
Sayuri blinked slowly. She was certain her expression was slightly shocked, because she could feel her eyes widening. "He what?" she asked. She was having difficulty wrapping her mind around the words Reiko had just spoken. He loved her? And not like family? Did that mean... she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face.
"Reiko. Silly, silly, Reiko," she spoke, shaking her head softly. "And what did you say? Nothing, right?" she continued, taking in a much needed breath. She knew this was delicate for Reiko, and she did not want to laugh at her. "What is it that you think you can't give him, hm? Because from what I see," she paused, glancing Reiko over on purpose.
She'd been spending too much time in Ayla's company.
"I see a woman who is capable of giving him a lot, if she'd let herself," she concluded, raising a brow in Reiko's direction.
Reiko sighed. “Everything happened too fast, Sayu. This one... this one panicked. He just... he showed up after three months of nothing and said that? This one was still trying to catch up to the fact that he cared about this one after all, and then he went and said something like that."
Reiko groaned, a miserable sound, and put her head down on the counter they sat at.
“What exactly is this one supposed to do, Sayu? Just go right up to him and say 'well, Aram-sama, actually this one has been in love with you since this one was a little girl and heard about you in Tou-chan's stories?' He'll think this one is a child!" The words were muffled by Reiko's arms, but Sayuri could still make them out.
“This one is a child, compared to him! He's so... he's so..." She lifted her head, expression forlorn. “He's basically perfect, Sayu-chan. This one has nothing to offer anyone like that."
Sayuri felt her lips purse into a flat line, and she gave Reiko an equally flat look. "For starters, no," she began, trying to pick apart Reiko's dilemma. "And no one is perfect, Reiko. You should know that. Kentaro's not perfect, I'm not perfect, and neither is Ayla or Tatsuya or Tsubasa, or even you. Not even Aram is perfect. We all have our flaws, but as long as we have someone who loves us for them, then it makes everything else better," she spoke, sighing softly. She leaned back so that she could straighten out her back.
“This one said basically," Reiko grumbled, but she fell silent, apparently sensing that Sayuri had more to say.
"And I don't think that's true, Reiko. If Aram thought of you as a child, do you honestly think he would have told you that he loved you? Because I don't think he would have. I don't think he would have went to all that trouble to tell you something like that if he didn't think of you as a woman."
"And you have love to offer him, don't you? Don't you think that that might be something he wants? Your love? Aram doesn't seem the kind of person who would want anything more than that, because he's... well he's Kyabetsu-san," she spoke. She really couldn't describe him as anything else. Her smile gentled, though, and she sighed softly.
"Love works differently for all of us, Reiko. Look at Kentaro, for example," she spoke, using her own situation as a reference. It probably wasn't the best, but she didn't really have anyone else to compare. "Kentaro is nearly four centuries my senior, if that's what you're worried about. He's... reserved and quiet, but he's really sweet and affectionate when the mood takes him. He's not versed in love, and honestly, I don't think any of us really are. But it doesn't change the way I feel about him, or how he feels about me. He lets me see parts of him that no one else does."
"And I bet Kyabetsu-san does the same with you, right? The only thing you can do, if you really love him, is tell him. Maybe not the way you said it, though. He's not... Kyabetsu-san isn't exactly normal, so I'm sure he'd wait forever for you, even if you fell out of love with him. Which I doubt you would," she spoke, quirking her lips just slightly. She dropped the grin, though, and leaned back.
"But this is something you have to do on your own, Rei-Rei. Do what you think is best, but at least tell Kyabetsu-san something. I'm sure it took a lot for him to tell you, especially after ignoring you for three months. Maybe he was just trying to gather the courage to tell you, especially after what happened."
“This one just..." Reiko dropped her chin into both of her hands. “What if he changes his mind, Sayu? This one has felt this way about him for so long, and... if it just... if it goes badly, in the end... this one won't be able to walk away from that. This one does not handle grief very well." She smiled awkwardly, apparently poking fun at her own current state.
Sighing, Reiko shook her head a little. “This one knows this one needs to say something. But... but so much has happened recently. It's... it still hurts so much, Sayu. They're gone, and this one... this one couldn't do anything. What if this one never gets to keep anything this one loves? This one isn't strong enough to lose anyone else."
Sayuri smiled sympathetically at her. She had a point. So much has happened, and it seemed that it would continue down that way, however; Sayuri also knew something. "But that's the beauty of it, Reiko. Kyabetsu-san isn't flightly. Who knows how long he's actually loved you? It could have spanned the course of the year he's been here with us, or perhaps longer since you've started changing him. And don't say you haven't, because everyone's taken notice of the changes he's made."
As for everything else, though, Sayuri couldn't really say. "Then let's get stronger," she spoke suddenly. "Let's get stronger so that we won't lose anyone else. It'll be hard, and it might be painful, but, if you really don't want to lose anyone, let's be stronger. And no one is saying not to feel that grief. It can make us stronger, too, but it's up to us how we let it shape us. Jirō-san's gone, and Takahiro and Daichi... they've," she swallowed thickly.
"But he'll always be here, with us," she spoke, placing a hand over her heart. "And it's a chance you have to take. Chances have to be taken because they help us become stronger, too. Sometimes, those chances might lead to heartbreak," she trailed off. She probably wasn't making much sense to Reiko right now, but she needed to say something.
"But sometimes those chances lead us to something beautiful, too. Take a chance, Reiko. And if Kyabetsu-san hurts you, well... I'll make sure he won't do it again." She offered Reiko a grin, but she had a feeling that Kyabetsu wouldn't hurt Reiko. Not if what he said was true, at least.
Reiko snorted softly, but the fragile smile was back on her face, and it looked like it might stay this time.
“Okay... okay, this one understands. We'll work on getting stronger together, and this one... will work up the guts to say something to Aram-sama." She sighed, still looking a little doubtful about some part of the whole thing, but at least she seemed resolved to do it.
“Thanks, Sayu."
"Good, and you're welcome. Now, let's drink some tea before I go find Kentaro. I need to ask him something."
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Kentaro eyed the stack of paperwork with some feelings of trepidation. He was in charge of coordinating the builders for the repairs on Shimamaki, and though most of that work was done now, he still needed to finalize the architectural plans for the last stage of rebuilding. Apparently, that was his job now, as he was the one 'with the eye for it,' as Tsubasa had said.
He suspected this had more to do with Tsubasa wanting to avoid extra work himself than any particular admiration of Kentaro's aesthetic sensibilities, but he couldn't complain. Everyone had been working hard for the past few months; the world did not stop moving because they were bereaved.
There had never been a time in Kentaro's life when Jirō was not there. His absence was strange, unsettling. If he'd been any less stable than he currently was, he was not sure he would have been able to handle it. But even as recently as the last year, he'd been... changing. He found he didn't mind that about himself. Though he was sure he'd never feel quite right in the castle without his brother (as he'd never felt quite right since his father died), he accepted that change was inevitable.
It wasn't even always bad. Though of course in this particular case he would have preferred not to encounter it, at least he knew now that he was adaptable enough to deal with it over time.
Taking the first of the papers from his stack, he went to work.
"Working hard?" a voice called out to him, at least an hour into his work. Sayuri stood by his door, smiling at him. There was something happy that flittered across their bond, followed by something warm. It was always the case when she saw him. She always seemed happy. "Or do you need a break, now?" she asked, her lips quirking up just softly enough to be seen.
"Because if you need a break, I'm sure they won't mind if you're gone for a few minutes," she continued.
Kentaro contemplated the somewhat-smaller stack of work for a moment, then set his brush down carefully and rose. “Whether they mind or not, I'm taking one," he said decisively.
Taking a moment to crack his neck, had grown slightly stiff after an hour of no motion at all, Kentaro approached the doorway, leaning down and placing one hand on Sayuri's hip. He kissed her by way of greeting, wanting to feel the frisson of her happiness that usually accompanied such gestures from him.
She felt so many things so easily; he found it both foreign and intoxicating even secondhand.
The happiness she felt grew along with the warm feeling as she smiled against his lips. "You know, if I'd known you needed a break sooner, I would have come by earlier," she spoke when they broke. "But I guess I'll have to settle for now," she continued, returning his kiss with one of her own. Hers were always gentle and soft. They were not quick like the first time she'd attempted to kiss him, but she never lingered more than a few seconds.
"Also, I think I'm addicted to you," she murmured against his lips, pulling back to grin at him. "Now, I believe we were about to go take a break," she spoke, putting her hand in his and tugging him along.
Kentaro snorted softly, but he followed after Sayuri with no reservations. He had nowhere more important to be than wherever she wanted him to be, though that didn't mean he knew their destination. “And where, exactly, are we going?" he inquired, blinking down at her.
"Anywhere you want to go," she replied almost immediately, the smile on her face never leaving. "I didn't actually plan that far ahead," she spoke softly, something like nervousness floating through their connection. She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "My main purpose was to just distract you enough so you could take a break." she grinned at him.
He considered that for a moment, flicking his glance to her and furrowing his brows. “Then... this way." He shifted his grip on her hand so that their fingers twined together, then diverted them to the right.
There were few places in the castle that were truly private, but he found that privacy was exactly what he wanted at just that moment, so Kentaro led them both to his room. He paused in front of the door. There was something he was forgetting. Something Reiko had told him, about how this could look.
Oh, right.
“The engawa," he said. “Outside my room. The view is nice, and it's quiet." He paused, one palm resting on the door, and glanced down and to the side at Sayuri. “Is that... acceptable?"
Her heartbeat had picked up when they'd reached his room, and the color on her face had spread to her ears, however; it receded and her heartbeat slowed down when he explained. She nooded. "Yes, that's fine, Taro," she finally spoke, though her voice was exceptionally softer. There were still some remnants of embarrassment lingering through their bond, but it was soon replaced by the happiness again. She followed him inside, and again, the embarrassment filtered across. Her heartbeat also rose, and it looked like she was doing her best to keep the color from returning to her face.
He didn't quite understand the significance, himself. It was just a room, like any other. His was extremely minimalist, with the bare minimum of furniture and decorative features. He didn't display his own art or anything, though he had built most of the furnishings himself at one point or another.
Kentaro led her directly through it, sensing her embarrassment and seeking to alleviate it, even if he thought it peculiar. Opening the door on the other side, he let Sayuri precede him out onto the engawa. He used it often enough that it already had a small table and a cushion for seating, but he realized belatedly that there was only the one.
He obviously did not often entertain guests.
“I don't mind the floor," he said, attempting to stave off the otherwise-inevitable dance of courtesy and consideration.
"Oh, um, okay," she spoke, bringing her attention back to him. It looked like she was looking at his room, probably observing it. She seemed to be a little happier, though, and not as embarrassed. She took the seat on the cushion and folded her hands in her lap. Glancing at them, she remained quiet for a moment, seemingly at odds with herself. It looked like she was trying to think of something to say, but she also seemed quite satisfied with the silence.
"How has everything been going, with the repairs?" she asked, finally looking up. It seemed she found something to settle on.
It occurred to him that he probably should have stopped someone on the way and asked for refreshments or something, but he hadn't even thought of it. He didn't need to eat, and he didn't do so recreationally as often as some of the others.
But... he had made a trip into town yesterday. “One moment," he said, holding off on the question temporarily while he disappeared back into his room. It didn't take long to find the small cloth sack with his most recent purchases in it. When he returned to the engawa, he set it down on the table in front of her before taking a seat on the other side of her, the one not next to the table. He didn't have any need to use it, after all, and one spot on the floor was the same as any other.
Besides... he liked being closer to her.
The bag was full of daifuku, dusted to prevent them from sticking to each other inside. He watched her open it from the corner of his eye while he spoke. “Repairs are nearly finished. Most of the rest is only cosmetic. Everything is functional again."
She seemed focused on the daifuku, though, that she didn't say anything for a moment. She was happier, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Plus, there was an extra something that floated through their connection. It was... warmer than the usual happiness that she exuded. She glanced at him, back to the daifuku, then back to him.
"Did you..." she trailed off, the question quite clear in her voice. She smiled brighter, and turned back to the daifuku, taking one out of the bag and placing it in her mouth. "It's been a while since I last had one. I almost forgot how good they were," she spoke softly, chewing softly on the confection. She swallowed, and allowed a small grin to appear on her face. There was something sly that crossed over to him, and her face as she leaned her head over to his shoulder.
"But they don't beat you," she spoke, a light note of teasing passing through her voice.
Kentaro furrowed his brows, though he was more amused than anything. “Are you claiming that I am a superior food source to daifuku?" It was certainly never a comparison he'd had cause to wonder about. “Given the change in your constitution, that is not surprising." The food that humans ate was digestible by the vampiric system, but of little to no nutritional value. Sugar could, in extreme circumstances, stave off a blood craving, but only in a very limited way.
She tilted her head up at him and raised a brow at him. "Are you assuming that I only think you taste good because you're a food source? What if I meant I liked the taste of your lips, hm? What if I meant it that way?" she spoke, the teasing never really leaving her voice. She was just as amused as he was, it seemed.
"You know I like you for more than just your blood, and your kisses," she spoke, pushing his shoulder gently with her head. "But if that's what you think," she spoke, pushing herself away for a moment. "Then I suppose I should just stick to the daifuku, then, hm?" she stated, staring him straight in the eye and popping another daifuku in her mouth. She was chewing it slowly, on purpose.
A small smile tugged at his mouth. He found that it was easy to smile, in her company. It seemed to him that she surprised him on a daily basis. This particular sort of teasing was rather new; he hoped it meant she was more comfortable with him, now. Kentaro liked that she understood him much of the time without him needing to explain himself; he wasn't very good at it and it was a relief not to need to.
“That good, are they?" He leaned down slowly, catching her wrist in his hand and taking a bite out of the one she was working on. He rolled the sticky-sweet confection around on his tongue, chewing through the jellied insides a few times before he swallowed.
“Hm." He made an indecisive noise. “Further sampling is necessary." His smile inched just a fraction wider, and he traced the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, removing the traces of daifuku left behind from stuffing the whole thing in her mouth at once. Locking eyes with her, Kentaro swiped his thumb over his tongue with deliberate slowness.
“Better," he decided, drawing the word out in a soft murmur.
She huffed lightly, and it looked like she was trying not to laugh at him. "Is it? Better than this?" she asked, leaning closer to him so that she was just a hairsbreadth away from his lips. She didn't close the distance, only lingered for a moment with her eyes locked with his. "Because if it is..." she trailed off, her breath ghosting over his face. Her eyes lowered from his, pulling back so that she was staring at his lips. Her hand lifted from its spot, and she placed her thumb on his bottom lip.
"Then I suppose I shouldn't do this anymore," she spoke, pulling his face closer to hers. She allowed her lips to brush against his, gently at first, before she grabbed his bottom lip with her teeth, and pulled forward. She let it go once she was satisfied, and sat back as if she'd never did anything but eat her daifuku. Even the smirk and smile where gone from her face, though he could still feel a small sense of pride and confidence through their mark. There was also something else, but it was hard to tell exactly what.
It felt like a mixture of happiness, warmth, and a strange sense of teasing. She just took another bite of a daifuku, glanced at him from her lashes, and finished it off.
Kentaro narrowed his eyes, reaching out to press an index finger against her sternum and apply just enough pressure to lean her until her back rested against the floor. He hovered over her, throwing one leg over her waist and keeping himself braced half a foot above her. His body caged her in, but not inescapably. Not yet.
“Are you attempting to test my self-control, Sayuri? We both know I am not very good at it." He lowered his head, placing a slow kiss on the Mark at her neck. The warmth building in his stomach was nothing at all like the one he could feel from her through the connection.
He drew back, tilting his head at her. Kentaro trusted her to know what she wanted and did not want, and to tell him what those things were.
She arched a brow at him, and brought her hands up to cradle his face. "Testing it?" she questioned, her voice low and soft. "If I were trying to test your self control, Taro, I wouldn't do this, now would I?" she spoke, bringing his face back down. "When have you ever known me to test you, hm? I've told you before that you are important to me, and that I love you. You are the only person I will ever want, love, and need, Taro," she spoke, her voice still soft. A smile did, however, cross her face, and tilted his head so that she could rest his forehead against hers.
"And what is wrong with losing control every once and a while? Who knows what could be learned from it, hm?" she continued, her lips quirking up just slightly. "If... you are worried about hurting me, Taro, I know you won't," she said, brushing a thumb across his face. Her fingers weren't as soft as they used to be, but that was mainly due to the fact that she'd been fighting now, with him and the rest of their family. Still, they were not as calloused as they could be, if given time.
He liked her calluses. He supposed he was probably supposed to prefer women with soft hands. Soft everything. But her hands were evidence of her hard work, and that was what he liked about her most of all. Her persistence, her drive to help everyone in whatever way she was capable, and to work to improve herself little by little.
Mindful that there were still ways in which she was soft, he shifted his weight to free one of his hands, which he laid along the side of her face. “You're so beautiful," he said, his tone carrying all the certainty of fact. And why not? He knew it to be true. She was beautiful, inside and out, calluses and all. On some level, he would always worry about hurting her, not just physically, but also with his bluntness and his poor understanding of his own feelings. But he'd never mean to, and perhaps... perhaps that was enough, for now.
He slid his hand down to her neck, letting his fingers play across the Mark for a moment. “If... if it does not trouble you, I would... like you to keep this. So that when I forget to say it, or do something insensitive, you will know." He paused, hesitating and meeting her eyes directly. “That I love you."
It had taken him months to figure out. Fittingly enough, it had been through the Mark that he did. Feeling her emotions, knowing that they were so much like his, and understanding that she loved him allowed him to understand. He felt the same. That could only mean that he loved her, too.
"It does not trouble me, Kentaro. I like knowing what you feel, and I like knowing you feel what I feel. And I think... I've learned a lot about you to know that you love me just as I love you. I told you before, I would take what you could give until you could figure it out," she smiled brightly at him. "So if you don't mind me keeping it," she spoke, lifting a hand to lay over his, and pressing it to the mark.
"I'd like to keep it," she answered.
Why would he mind? Kentaro shook his head slightly at her and leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers.
That seemed to be answer enough.
He suspected this had more to do with Tsubasa wanting to avoid extra work himself than any particular admiration of Kentaro's aesthetic sensibilities, but he couldn't complain. Everyone had been working hard for the past few months; the world did not stop moving because they were bereaved.
There had never been a time in Kentaro's life when Jirō was not there. His absence was strange, unsettling. If he'd been any less stable than he currently was, he was not sure he would have been able to handle it. But even as recently as the last year, he'd been... changing. He found he didn't mind that about himself. Though he was sure he'd never feel quite right in the castle without his brother (as he'd never felt quite right since his father died), he accepted that change was inevitable.
It wasn't even always bad. Though of course in this particular case he would have preferred not to encounter it, at least he knew now that he was adaptable enough to deal with it over time.
Taking the first of the papers from his stack, he went to work.
"Working hard?" a voice called out to him, at least an hour into his work. Sayuri stood by his door, smiling at him. There was something happy that flittered across their bond, followed by something warm. It was always the case when she saw him. She always seemed happy. "Or do you need a break, now?" she asked, her lips quirking up just softly enough to be seen.
"Because if you need a break, I'm sure they won't mind if you're gone for a few minutes," she continued.
Kentaro contemplated the somewhat-smaller stack of work for a moment, then set his brush down carefully and rose. “Whether they mind or not, I'm taking one," he said decisively.
Taking a moment to crack his neck, had grown slightly stiff after an hour of no motion at all, Kentaro approached the doorway, leaning down and placing one hand on Sayuri's hip. He kissed her by way of greeting, wanting to feel the frisson of her happiness that usually accompanied such gestures from him.
She felt so many things so easily; he found it both foreign and intoxicating even secondhand.
The happiness she felt grew along with the warm feeling as she smiled against his lips. "You know, if I'd known you needed a break sooner, I would have come by earlier," she spoke when they broke. "But I guess I'll have to settle for now," she continued, returning his kiss with one of her own. Hers were always gentle and soft. They were not quick like the first time she'd attempted to kiss him, but she never lingered more than a few seconds.
"Also, I think I'm addicted to you," she murmured against his lips, pulling back to grin at him. "Now, I believe we were about to go take a break," she spoke, putting her hand in his and tugging him along.
Kentaro snorted softly, but he followed after Sayuri with no reservations. He had nowhere more important to be than wherever she wanted him to be, though that didn't mean he knew their destination. “And where, exactly, are we going?" he inquired, blinking down at her.
"Anywhere you want to go," she replied almost immediately, the smile on her face never leaving. "I didn't actually plan that far ahead," she spoke softly, something like nervousness floating through their connection. She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "My main purpose was to just distract you enough so you could take a break." she grinned at him.
He considered that for a moment, flicking his glance to her and furrowing his brows. “Then... this way." He shifted his grip on her hand so that their fingers twined together, then diverted them to the right.
There were few places in the castle that were truly private, but he found that privacy was exactly what he wanted at just that moment, so Kentaro led them both to his room. He paused in front of the door. There was something he was forgetting. Something Reiko had told him, about how this could look.
Oh, right.
“The engawa," he said. “Outside my room. The view is nice, and it's quiet." He paused, one palm resting on the door, and glanced down and to the side at Sayuri. “Is that... acceptable?"
Her heartbeat had picked up when they'd reached his room, and the color on her face had spread to her ears, however; it receded and her heartbeat slowed down when he explained. She nooded. "Yes, that's fine, Taro," she finally spoke, though her voice was exceptionally softer. There were still some remnants of embarrassment lingering through their bond, but it was soon replaced by the happiness again. She followed him inside, and again, the embarrassment filtered across. Her heartbeat also rose, and it looked like she was doing her best to keep the color from returning to her face.
He didn't quite understand the significance, himself. It was just a room, like any other. His was extremely minimalist, with the bare minimum of furniture and decorative features. He didn't display his own art or anything, though he had built most of the furnishings himself at one point or another.
Kentaro led her directly through it, sensing her embarrassment and seeking to alleviate it, even if he thought it peculiar. Opening the door on the other side, he let Sayuri precede him out onto the engawa. He used it often enough that it already had a small table and a cushion for seating, but he realized belatedly that there was only the one.
He obviously did not often entertain guests.
“I don't mind the floor," he said, attempting to stave off the otherwise-inevitable dance of courtesy and consideration.
"Oh, um, okay," she spoke, bringing her attention back to him. It looked like she was looking at his room, probably observing it. She seemed to be a little happier, though, and not as embarrassed. She took the seat on the cushion and folded her hands in her lap. Glancing at them, she remained quiet for a moment, seemingly at odds with herself. It looked like she was trying to think of something to say, but she also seemed quite satisfied with the silence.
"How has everything been going, with the repairs?" she asked, finally looking up. It seemed she found something to settle on.
It occurred to him that he probably should have stopped someone on the way and asked for refreshments or something, but he hadn't even thought of it. He didn't need to eat, and he didn't do so recreationally as often as some of the others.
But... he had made a trip into town yesterday. “One moment," he said, holding off on the question temporarily while he disappeared back into his room. It didn't take long to find the small cloth sack with his most recent purchases in it. When he returned to the engawa, he set it down on the table in front of her before taking a seat on the other side of her, the one not next to the table. He didn't have any need to use it, after all, and one spot on the floor was the same as any other.
Besides... he liked being closer to her.
The bag was full of daifuku, dusted to prevent them from sticking to each other inside. He watched her open it from the corner of his eye while he spoke. “Repairs are nearly finished. Most of the rest is only cosmetic. Everything is functional again."
She seemed focused on the daifuku, though, that she didn't say anything for a moment. She was happier, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Plus, there was an extra something that floated through their connection. It was... warmer than the usual happiness that she exuded. She glanced at him, back to the daifuku, then back to him.
"Did you..." she trailed off, the question quite clear in her voice. She smiled brighter, and turned back to the daifuku, taking one out of the bag and placing it in her mouth. "It's been a while since I last had one. I almost forgot how good they were," she spoke softly, chewing softly on the confection. She swallowed, and allowed a small grin to appear on her face. There was something sly that crossed over to him, and her face as she leaned her head over to his shoulder.
"But they don't beat you," she spoke, a light note of teasing passing through her voice.
Kentaro furrowed his brows, though he was more amused than anything. “Are you claiming that I am a superior food source to daifuku?" It was certainly never a comparison he'd had cause to wonder about. “Given the change in your constitution, that is not surprising." The food that humans ate was digestible by the vampiric system, but of little to no nutritional value. Sugar could, in extreme circumstances, stave off a blood craving, but only in a very limited way.
She tilted her head up at him and raised a brow at him. "Are you assuming that I only think you taste good because you're a food source? What if I meant I liked the taste of your lips, hm? What if I meant it that way?" she spoke, the teasing never really leaving her voice. She was just as amused as he was, it seemed.
"You know I like you for more than just your blood, and your kisses," she spoke, pushing his shoulder gently with her head. "But if that's what you think," she spoke, pushing herself away for a moment. "Then I suppose I should just stick to the daifuku, then, hm?" she stated, staring him straight in the eye and popping another daifuku in her mouth. She was chewing it slowly, on purpose.
A small smile tugged at his mouth. He found that it was easy to smile, in her company. It seemed to him that she surprised him on a daily basis. This particular sort of teasing was rather new; he hoped it meant she was more comfortable with him, now. Kentaro liked that she understood him much of the time without him needing to explain himself; he wasn't very good at it and it was a relief not to need to.
“That good, are they?" He leaned down slowly, catching her wrist in his hand and taking a bite out of the one she was working on. He rolled the sticky-sweet confection around on his tongue, chewing through the jellied insides a few times before he swallowed.
“Hm." He made an indecisive noise. “Further sampling is necessary." His smile inched just a fraction wider, and he traced the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, removing the traces of daifuku left behind from stuffing the whole thing in her mouth at once. Locking eyes with her, Kentaro swiped his thumb over his tongue with deliberate slowness.
“Better," he decided, drawing the word out in a soft murmur.
She huffed lightly, and it looked like she was trying not to laugh at him. "Is it? Better than this?" she asked, leaning closer to him so that she was just a hairsbreadth away from his lips. She didn't close the distance, only lingered for a moment with her eyes locked with his. "Because if it is..." she trailed off, her breath ghosting over his face. Her eyes lowered from his, pulling back so that she was staring at his lips. Her hand lifted from its spot, and she placed her thumb on his bottom lip.
"Then I suppose I shouldn't do this anymore," she spoke, pulling his face closer to hers. She allowed her lips to brush against his, gently at first, before she grabbed his bottom lip with her teeth, and pulled forward. She let it go once she was satisfied, and sat back as if she'd never did anything but eat her daifuku. Even the smirk and smile where gone from her face, though he could still feel a small sense of pride and confidence through their mark. There was also something else, but it was hard to tell exactly what.
It felt like a mixture of happiness, warmth, and a strange sense of teasing. She just took another bite of a daifuku, glanced at him from her lashes, and finished it off.
Kentaro narrowed his eyes, reaching out to press an index finger against her sternum and apply just enough pressure to lean her until her back rested against the floor. He hovered over her, throwing one leg over her waist and keeping himself braced half a foot above her. His body caged her in, but not inescapably. Not yet.
“Are you attempting to test my self-control, Sayuri? We both know I am not very good at it." He lowered his head, placing a slow kiss on the Mark at her neck. The warmth building in his stomach was nothing at all like the one he could feel from her through the connection.
He drew back, tilting his head at her. Kentaro trusted her to know what she wanted and did not want, and to tell him what those things were.
She arched a brow at him, and brought her hands up to cradle his face. "Testing it?" she questioned, her voice low and soft. "If I were trying to test your self control, Taro, I wouldn't do this, now would I?" she spoke, bringing his face back down. "When have you ever known me to test you, hm? I've told you before that you are important to me, and that I love you. You are the only person I will ever want, love, and need, Taro," she spoke, her voice still soft. A smile did, however, cross her face, and tilted his head so that she could rest his forehead against hers.
"And what is wrong with losing control every once and a while? Who knows what could be learned from it, hm?" she continued, her lips quirking up just slightly. "If... you are worried about hurting me, Taro, I know you won't," she said, brushing a thumb across his face. Her fingers weren't as soft as they used to be, but that was mainly due to the fact that she'd been fighting now, with him and the rest of their family. Still, they were not as calloused as they could be, if given time.
He liked her calluses. He supposed he was probably supposed to prefer women with soft hands. Soft everything. But her hands were evidence of her hard work, and that was what he liked about her most of all. Her persistence, her drive to help everyone in whatever way she was capable, and to work to improve herself little by little.
Mindful that there were still ways in which she was soft, he shifted his weight to free one of his hands, which he laid along the side of her face. “You're so beautiful," he said, his tone carrying all the certainty of fact. And why not? He knew it to be true. She was beautiful, inside and out, calluses and all. On some level, he would always worry about hurting her, not just physically, but also with his bluntness and his poor understanding of his own feelings. But he'd never mean to, and perhaps... perhaps that was enough, for now.
He slid his hand down to her neck, letting his fingers play across the Mark for a moment. “If... if it does not trouble you, I would... like you to keep this. So that when I forget to say it, or do something insensitive, you will know." He paused, hesitating and meeting her eyes directly. “That I love you."
It had taken him months to figure out. Fittingly enough, it had been through the Mark that he did. Feeling her emotions, knowing that they were so much like his, and understanding that she loved him allowed him to understand. He felt the same. That could only mean that he loved her, too.
"It does not trouble me, Kentaro. I like knowing what you feel, and I like knowing you feel what I feel. And I think... I've learned a lot about you to know that you love me just as I love you. I told you before, I would take what you could give until you could figure it out," she smiled brightly at him. "So if you don't mind me keeping it," she spoke, lifting a hand to lay over his, and pressing it to the mark.
"I'd like to keep it," she answered.
Why would he mind? Kentaro shook his head slightly at her and leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers.
That seemed to be answer enough.
There was a time in his life where he would have thought this a bit confusing. Perhaps now, though, it wasn't. Though he felt he was suspended in air, again, he knew what this meant. He was dreaming, but not in the way he usually did. After his encounter with Reiko's future self, he'd been able to sleep, but he hadn't necessarily seen anything. Perhaps, he wasn't meant to see anything? Perhaps what was happening now, was just another dream, and not a vision?
He sighed softly to himself. That wasn't the case. This had to be something, and he just had to be patient enough to see what it would bring him.
This particular event, however, seemed to take purchase in his mind much more easily. He soon found himself in what looked like the castle's receiving hall, down to the small details. If anything, it seemed a little... newer, as though it had only recently been constructed.
At the end of the hall was the slightly-raised platform designed for the lord of the Fujiwara house to meet with vassals. Surprisingly, it was occupied, and by someone Aram had not seen in centuries.
Amon had always cut quite the impressive figure. A couple of inches taller even than Tatsuya, he was just as thickly-muscled, with the same dark hair as his daughter and the ruby-red eyes shared by all of his children. He leaned forward on crossed legs, one elbow resting near his left knee, an expression of amusement crossed with keen interest on his face. His mouth was pulled into a jagged smile.
“Aram. It's about time you got here, little brother."
Aram knew he blinked stupidly at Amon, but he also knew he was shaking somewhat. He hadn't seen Amon in years. Even before his death, he hadn't seen him, however; Amon still looked the same. He smiled at his elder brother. "You'll have to forgive me for taking so long. There were... complications," he spoke, though the smile on his face didn't falter. It was tinged with a hint of bitterness, though. The complications were, mostly, his own, however; he was learning, and moving forward.
"It has been a long time, brother," he spoke, the same affection laced in his voice he'd always had for Amon. He was, after all, his older brother, the person who was there for him when he needed someone. "Too long," he added, finally dropping his gaze somewhat. "But I take it we are not here for pleasantries, are we?" he spoke, his voice growing a little grim.
He knew this vision, or whatever it was, had something else to offer besides comfort. If this was anything like the vision he had about Reiko, then he needed to prepare himself for any kind of news his brother might deliver to him.
“Aw, come on. Don't be such a stick in the mud. Sit here with me. We'll have a drink and you can tell me how my brats are doing."
Though Aram could have sworn there was no alcohol or anything else there before, there was now, and an open spot across a small table from Amon, who grinned at him, gesturing for him to take the seat and pouring them both a cup of what smelled like sake.
"You know I don't like drinking," he murmured, pursing his lips together, however; he obliged and took a seat across from Amon. "Your family," he began, situating himself so that he was facing Amon properly. "They are not well," he spoke, sighing a little heavily. How was he supposed to deliver this kind of news to his brother? He didn't know how, however; he had to say something, he supposed. Amon deserved to know.
"Your second eldest, Jirō, is dead. Killed by his brothers Daichi and Takahiro," he spoke solemnly. "Reiko is... recovering, I think, and Tatsuya," he spoke, pursing his lips as he tried to think of how to continue. "He seems unchanged by it all, but he might be... happy with someone," he wasn't going to say anything about that situation, yet.
"Kentaro has Marked Sayuri. She would have died if he did not, but I think there was more behind it, too," he would not say what he did not know for certain. What he did know was their supposed future, so he could only assume at the moment. "Tsubasa... is Tsubasa. I don't think anything could ever make him anything other," he spoke, allowing a small smile to pull at his lips.
"But it is apparent that they all miss you. As do I and Ayla," he spoke.
From the complete lack of surprise on Amon's face, it seemed like he'd known most, if not all, of that already. Considering this was a dream, it made about as much sense as anything. From between the layers of his shirt, Amon withdrew a pipe; it bore a striking resemblance to Tatsuya's, actually, though it was hard to say if it was the very same one. A flame blossomed over his index finger, and he dipped it into the bowl of the pipe, puffing a few times before adjusting his grip and sighing heavily.
“Idiots." He seemed to be referring to Takahiro and Daichi. “He promised them a lot, of course. Promises he has no intention of fulfilling. Hell, Takahiro might even know that. He's probably planning a second double-cross. He was always the sly one. Scared me sometimes, the things he cooked up in that strategist's brain of his."
Coming from someone as strategically-apt as Amon, that was quite the assessment. He raised a hand, rubbing absently over his short goatee. “You're getting stronger, though, if you're here. That's good. You're all going to need to be much stronger still, if you want a shot at beating him."
"I am aware," he spoke, referring to his statement about becoming stronger. "But what disturbs me the most is something Reiko said," he spoke, dropping his gaze for a moment. "Not the Reiko now," he clarified, though perhaps he didn't have to. "She said that Eiji's god moves through him, that he is strong because of that. I do not recall there ever being anything other than our father," he continued, referring to the entity that had created he and the others.
"We... could have used your help here," he admitted, offering his brother a solemn smile.
Amon smiled wryly. “Yeah, I know you could. But it was me or her, and believe me when I say you need her much more." Taking his pipe into his hand for a moment, he knocked back a dish of sake and then replaced it, leaning back on a hand.
“This almost happened ten years ago," Amon explained. “Eiji had gathered quite a lot of oni together, and he was channeling the power of his god through himself as well. He ambushed us on the road. I was careless, but back then I didn't understand everything. I had to protect my..."
For the first time in the conversation, Amon seemed to momentarily lose his grip on his words. He swallowed thickly, and continued in a much softer voice. “My daughter. I knew I couldn't beat him by myself, not while he was like that. So I did the only thing I could."
He paused a moment. Smoke curled languidly from the end of his pipe, noiseless in the pervasive silence. “We... all of us. We're incomplete. There are pieces of ourselves that we didn't have access to, even at the height of our strength. But she... she is those things, in a very literal way. She gave me what I needed to save her life, and I used it. My own was a bit of a steep price, I'll admit, but I don't regret it." His voice was firm.
“Not in the slightest. That was my job in all of this, to bring them into the world. All of them. And to protect them for as long as I could. But you and Ayla... your jobs aren't done yet." Amon sighed, exhaling a grey cloud.
“You have questions, I'm sure. Ask them."
How had he not known? How had he not seen Eiji and his oni army? He sighed softly. He knew the answer to that already. He wasn't strong enough, and Eiji had blocked him. He turned his attention back to Amon, and furrowed his brows. Reiko was the answer? She'd given Amon what he needed to save her life, to be more than he was?
"The only question I have," he spoke, lifting his gaze to meet Amon's. There was only one thing he wanted to know. "How are we supposed to become stronger? How are we supposed to finish our jobs, if we aren't even..." he trailed off. He left the implication there, though. How were they supposed to do any of that if they weren't complete?
“It's like I said," Amon replied, eyes going out of focus for a moment. “Reiko's the Key. By now you've seen how she suppresses the worst in everyone around her, right? Well, she can also bring out the best. If she learns to master her own power, then she'll be able to reliably unlock everyone else's as well. After that, you'll have to learn how to use what she can give you, but the first step is figuring out how to unlock it all."
Amon lifted a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed absently at it, disturbing his shaggy hair. “You all need to spend more time transformed, for a start. You've got to stop letting your abilities master you and learn to master them instead."
Easy enough for Amon to say; he'd always had excellent command of his many talents. He'd never struggled with control in quite the same way Ayla had, and his abilities weren't seemingly random the way Aram's dreams were.
“Now... that's going to look a little different for all of you, obviously. Tatsuya's like me. He needs discretion. Remembering that he wants to protect instead of destroy will help him. Ayla needs to restrain herself, obviously; think things through before she just charges in like a moron. You know how she gets. And you," Amon snorted. “If you want to get anywhere, you need to quit seeing your visions as truths handed to you by someone else and start seeing them as possibilities you can alter. That's all they've ever been. That'll get you all started, anyway. The rest is up to you."
He supposed Amon had a point. "Yeah, I know how she gets. And you're lucky she is not here, otherwise she'd be upset with you," he spoke, a small smile pulling at his lips. "For the record, it took me a while to understand that, but... I think I'm starting to see it that way. She has helped me," he did not need to speak her name for Amon to understand who he was talking about.
"And you speak as if I have a... transformed state," he muttered, referring to Amon's statement. For as long as they'd lived, Aram never had anything remotely similiar to his siblings. Ayla was a wolf, Amon resembled the oni, but Aram had nothing. He was just... whatever he was.
"But if what you say is true, then I shall have to let them know. It... won't be easy for them, but I'm sure it'll help them. We have some time before Eiji rebuilds his army and comes back for us," he spoke, offering Amon a slightly wider smile. He was learning to hope, right? He could do this. He could hope enough for a better future, one where everyone was alive. Though Amon would not be, he could keep everyone else alive. Him, Ayla, Reiko, Tatsuya, Sayuri, Kentaro, their children and grandchildren yet to be born.
He could do this.
Amon wore an enigmatic smile. “Glad to hear it." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before he spoke again. “By the way... next time you see Ayla, would you tell her I'm sorry? For being an asshole and ditching the two of you like that. I think by now she understands why I had to. I expect she might even thank me for it, but that doesn't change the fact that I could have handled it better."
He sighed through his nose. “And tell my little one I love her. I'd tell you to inform them all, but I think Tatsuya might get a bit upset. He hates the idea of my approval, you see. Maybe just Taro and Tsu."
He chuckled lightly. "I'm sure she'd have other words for that, but I shall tell them all," he replied lightly. "And Amon," he spoke, calling his brother's name for the first time in years. It felt... odd but familiar. "Thanks," he continued, finally taking a drink of the sake.
"One last drink," he spoke, offering his cup up to Amon. He wouldn't get another chance like this, and it was the least he could do.
“Heh." Amon dipped his head, clinked his cup against Aram's, and tipped the drink back. Setting the dish down, he eyed Aram solemnly for just a second. “I think that's about all the time I've got. But just one more thing." He leaned forward slightly and narrowed his eyes.
“I'm trusting you with a lot here. You be good to my little girl, or I'll find a way to make your life miserable. Never mind that I'm dead." Amon grinned, the bloodthirsty one he wore during battle, tinged with just a little bit of humor. It was easy enough to tell that he was at once joking and also utterly serious.
Aram sputtered into his cup, nearly choking in the process. He hit his chest a few times to get the drink settled and coughed. "O-okay," he stuttered. Sometimes, he forgot how alike Amon and Ayla were, and that he always knew things. And just like that, the dream faded, leaving Aram feeling a little more empty, but still filled with purpose.
He sighed softly to himself. That wasn't the case. This had to be something, and he just had to be patient enough to see what it would bring him.
This particular event, however, seemed to take purchase in his mind much more easily. He soon found himself in what looked like the castle's receiving hall, down to the small details. If anything, it seemed a little... newer, as though it had only recently been constructed.
At the end of the hall was the slightly-raised platform designed for the lord of the Fujiwara house to meet with vassals. Surprisingly, it was occupied, and by someone Aram had not seen in centuries.
Amon had always cut quite the impressive figure. A couple of inches taller even than Tatsuya, he was just as thickly-muscled, with the same dark hair as his daughter and the ruby-red eyes shared by all of his children. He leaned forward on crossed legs, one elbow resting near his left knee, an expression of amusement crossed with keen interest on his face. His mouth was pulled into a jagged smile.
“Aram. It's about time you got here, little brother."
Aram knew he blinked stupidly at Amon, but he also knew he was shaking somewhat. He hadn't seen Amon in years. Even before his death, he hadn't seen him, however; Amon still looked the same. He smiled at his elder brother. "You'll have to forgive me for taking so long. There were... complications," he spoke, though the smile on his face didn't falter. It was tinged with a hint of bitterness, though. The complications were, mostly, his own, however; he was learning, and moving forward.
"It has been a long time, brother," he spoke, the same affection laced in his voice he'd always had for Amon. He was, after all, his older brother, the person who was there for him when he needed someone. "Too long," he added, finally dropping his gaze somewhat. "But I take it we are not here for pleasantries, are we?" he spoke, his voice growing a little grim.
He knew this vision, or whatever it was, had something else to offer besides comfort. If this was anything like the vision he had about Reiko, then he needed to prepare himself for any kind of news his brother might deliver to him.
“Aw, come on. Don't be such a stick in the mud. Sit here with me. We'll have a drink and you can tell me how my brats are doing."
Though Aram could have sworn there was no alcohol or anything else there before, there was now, and an open spot across a small table from Amon, who grinned at him, gesturing for him to take the seat and pouring them both a cup of what smelled like sake.
"You know I don't like drinking," he murmured, pursing his lips together, however; he obliged and took a seat across from Amon. "Your family," he began, situating himself so that he was facing Amon properly. "They are not well," he spoke, sighing a little heavily. How was he supposed to deliver this kind of news to his brother? He didn't know how, however; he had to say something, he supposed. Amon deserved to know.
"Your second eldest, Jirō, is dead. Killed by his brothers Daichi and Takahiro," he spoke solemnly. "Reiko is... recovering, I think, and Tatsuya," he spoke, pursing his lips as he tried to think of how to continue. "He seems unchanged by it all, but he might be... happy with someone," he wasn't going to say anything about that situation, yet.
"Kentaro has Marked Sayuri. She would have died if he did not, but I think there was more behind it, too," he would not say what he did not know for certain. What he did know was their supposed future, so he could only assume at the moment. "Tsubasa... is Tsubasa. I don't think anything could ever make him anything other," he spoke, allowing a small smile to pull at his lips.
"But it is apparent that they all miss you. As do I and Ayla," he spoke.
From the complete lack of surprise on Amon's face, it seemed like he'd known most, if not all, of that already. Considering this was a dream, it made about as much sense as anything. From between the layers of his shirt, Amon withdrew a pipe; it bore a striking resemblance to Tatsuya's, actually, though it was hard to say if it was the very same one. A flame blossomed over his index finger, and he dipped it into the bowl of the pipe, puffing a few times before adjusting his grip and sighing heavily.
“Idiots." He seemed to be referring to Takahiro and Daichi. “He promised them a lot, of course. Promises he has no intention of fulfilling. Hell, Takahiro might even know that. He's probably planning a second double-cross. He was always the sly one. Scared me sometimes, the things he cooked up in that strategist's brain of his."
Coming from someone as strategically-apt as Amon, that was quite the assessment. He raised a hand, rubbing absently over his short goatee. “You're getting stronger, though, if you're here. That's good. You're all going to need to be much stronger still, if you want a shot at beating him."
"I am aware," he spoke, referring to his statement about becoming stronger. "But what disturbs me the most is something Reiko said," he spoke, dropping his gaze for a moment. "Not the Reiko now," he clarified, though perhaps he didn't have to. "She said that Eiji's god moves through him, that he is strong because of that. I do not recall there ever being anything other than our father," he continued, referring to the entity that had created he and the others.
"We... could have used your help here," he admitted, offering his brother a solemn smile.
Amon smiled wryly. “Yeah, I know you could. But it was me or her, and believe me when I say you need her much more." Taking his pipe into his hand for a moment, he knocked back a dish of sake and then replaced it, leaning back on a hand.
“This almost happened ten years ago," Amon explained. “Eiji had gathered quite a lot of oni together, and he was channeling the power of his god through himself as well. He ambushed us on the road. I was careless, but back then I didn't understand everything. I had to protect my..."
For the first time in the conversation, Amon seemed to momentarily lose his grip on his words. He swallowed thickly, and continued in a much softer voice. “My daughter. I knew I couldn't beat him by myself, not while he was like that. So I did the only thing I could."
He paused a moment. Smoke curled languidly from the end of his pipe, noiseless in the pervasive silence. “We... all of us. We're incomplete. There are pieces of ourselves that we didn't have access to, even at the height of our strength. But she... she is those things, in a very literal way. She gave me what I needed to save her life, and I used it. My own was a bit of a steep price, I'll admit, but I don't regret it." His voice was firm.
“Not in the slightest. That was my job in all of this, to bring them into the world. All of them. And to protect them for as long as I could. But you and Ayla... your jobs aren't done yet." Amon sighed, exhaling a grey cloud.
“You have questions, I'm sure. Ask them."
How had he not known? How had he not seen Eiji and his oni army? He sighed softly. He knew the answer to that already. He wasn't strong enough, and Eiji had blocked him. He turned his attention back to Amon, and furrowed his brows. Reiko was the answer? She'd given Amon what he needed to save her life, to be more than he was?
"The only question I have," he spoke, lifting his gaze to meet Amon's. There was only one thing he wanted to know. "How are we supposed to become stronger? How are we supposed to finish our jobs, if we aren't even..." he trailed off. He left the implication there, though. How were they supposed to do any of that if they weren't complete?
“It's like I said," Amon replied, eyes going out of focus for a moment. “Reiko's the Key. By now you've seen how she suppresses the worst in everyone around her, right? Well, she can also bring out the best. If she learns to master her own power, then she'll be able to reliably unlock everyone else's as well. After that, you'll have to learn how to use what she can give you, but the first step is figuring out how to unlock it all."
Amon lifted a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed absently at it, disturbing his shaggy hair. “You all need to spend more time transformed, for a start. You've got to stop letting your abilities master you and learn to master them instead."
Easy enough for Amon to say; he'd always had excellent command of his many talents. He'd never struggled with control in quite the same way Ayla had, and his abilities weren't seemingly random the way Aram's dreams were.
“Now... that's going to look a little different for all of you, obviously. Tatsuya's like me. He needs discretion. Remembering that he wants to protect instead of destroy will help him. Ayla needs to restrain herself, obviously; think things through before she just charges in like a moron. You know how she gets. And you," Amon snorted. “If you want to get anywhere, you need to quit seeing your visions as truths handed to you by someone else and start seeing them as possibilities you can alter. That's all they've ever been. That'll get you all started, anyway. The rest is up to you."
He supposed Amon had a point. "Yeah, I know how she gets. And you're lucky she is not here, otherwise she'd be upset with you," he spoke, a small smile pulling at his lips. "For the record, it took me a while to understand that, but... I think I'm starting to see it that way. She has helped me," he did not need to speak her name for Amon to understand who he was talking about.
"And you speak as if I have a... transformed state," he muttered, referring to Amon's statement. For as long as they'd lived, Aram never had anything remotely similiar to his siblings. Ayla was a wolf, Amon resembled the oni, but Aram had nothing. He was just... whatever he was.
"But if what you say is true, then I shall have to let them know. It... won't be easy for them, but I'm sure it'll help them. We have some time before Eiji rebuilds his army and comes back for us," he spoke, offering Amon a slightly wider smile. He was learning to hope, right? He could do this. He could hope enough for a better future, one where everyone was alive. Though Amon would not be, he could keep everyone else alive. Him, Ayla, Reiko, Tatsuya, Sayuri, Kentaro, their children and grandchildren yet to be born.
He could do this.
Amon wore an enigmatic smile. “Glad to hear it." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before he spoke again. “By the way... next time you see Ayla, would you tell her I'm sorry? For being an asshole and ditching the two of you like that. I think by now she understands why I had to. I expect she might even thank me for it, but that doesn't change the fact that I could have handled it better."
He sighed through his nose. “And tell my little one I love her. I'd tell you to inform them all, but I think Tatsuya might get a bit upset. He hates the idea of my approval, you see. Maybe just Taro and Tsu."
He chuckled lightly. "I'm sure she'd have other words for that, but I shall tell them all," he replied lightly. "And Amon," he spoke, calling his brother's name for the first time in years. It felt... odd but familiar. "Thanks," he continued, finally taking a drink of the sake.
"One last drink," he spoke, offering his cup up to Amon. He wouldn't get another chance like this, and it was the least he could do.
“Heh." Amon dipped his head, clinked his cup against Aram's, and tipped the drink back. Setting the dish down, he eyed Aram solemnly for just a second. “I think that's about all the time I've got. But just one more thing." He leaned forward slightly and narrowed his eyes.
“I'm trusting you with a lot here. You be good to my little girl, or I'll find a way to make your life miserable. Never mind that I'm dead." Amon grinned, the bloodthirsty one he wore during battle, tinged with just a little bit of humor. It was easy enough to tell that he was at once joking and also utterly serious.
Aram sputtered into his cup, nearly choking in the process. He hit his chest a few times to get the drink settled and coughed. "O-okay," he stuttered. Sometimes, he forgot how alike Amon and Ayla were, and that he always knew things. And just like that, the dream faded, leaving Aram feeling a little more empty, but still filled with purpose.
Aram's latest dream had thrown the household into a bit of a tizzy. Everyone was training hard, of course, but the news that she was somehow especially significant to all of this going the way it needed to was a lot of pressure. Reiko wasn't sure how she was going to handle it, but for now, she'd simply resolved to try her best.
It had only been a day, after all.
Reiko sighed, lowering her sword and sheathing it at her side. She'd been running kata and exercises all morning, trying to force a transformation. But she wasn't like Ayla or her brothers; she couldn't just do it whenever she wanted to. What was more, she didn't seem to be able to focus. Scrubbing her hands down her face, Reiko shook her head.
She was never going to be able to do this if she was burdened down with thoughts of things she still had to do. Things she still had to say. But... she still couldn't quite get up the courage.
Why was this so difficult? Aram-sama had already said how he felt. It should be a simple matter for her to admit to him that she felt the same. Sayu was right, too: he wasn't the sort of man to change his mind all of a sudden. And yet... and yet.
She looked down at herself. As usual, she was dressed in a worn practice gi and hakama, nearly drowning in the excess of fabric. She was too thin, still. Not just because of the last few months, but because she'd always been too thin, and not soft in the way a woman should be. It had never bothered her much, really. But now... somehow it did.
Pursing her lips, she decided she should do something about it. Tilting her head, she drew in a breath, seeking out Ayla and Sayu's scents.
She was almost certain they'd be able to help.
Their scents were on separate parts of the house, but they were moving towards each other, it seemed. It wasn't until they'd all met in the middle of the house, and Ayla blinked somewhat surprised at the two of them. Sayuri seemed just as surprised, but it washed over quickly as a smile bloomed on her face.
"Reiko-chan, Ayla-chan," she greeted. Sayuri was dressed in a deep orange kimono, the color bleeding almost into red if anything. It was trimmed with gold, as was her obi. She tilted her head towards them, and Ayla just allowed her brow to arch on her face. She was wearing what looked to be one of Tatsuya's yukata's. She'd been doing that a lot lately, actually. But it was a pale blue color, almost the same blue as her eyes.
"Are you looking for something, Reiko? You look out of breath," she asked, a small grin pulling at her lips.
For once, Reiko didn't let whatever teasing Ayla was trying to do get the better of her. She had a mission, now, and she needed them to help her see it through. “This one is glad you're both here," she said, trying not to lose her nerve. “This one was hoping... you would be willing to help this one with something."
"You're coming to me for help?" she asked, though Sayuri chuckled lightly.
"She's asking both of us, Ayla, not just you," she spoke, causing Ayla to chuckle softly. "Since Ayla-san can't help because she's a tease," Sayuri began, turning her attention to Reiko. "And this looks very important to you, Reiko," she continued, glancing back to Ayla who rolled her eyes.
"What do you need help with, Reiko? I may be a tease, but I'm still helpful, you know," she spoke the last bit to Sayuri who huffed lightly.
“W-well... this one can only ask the two of you for something like this," Reiko said, trying to fight down a slight flush. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and took a deep breath from her nose.
“This one... this one wants to..." Though the sentence started strong, her voice had faded almost to a whisper before she finished. “Th-this one wants to look more like a woman."
She needed confidence and strength if she was going to be able to say what she needed to say. But it wasn't the same kind of confidence that would do for a battlefield or the negotiation room. Reiko already knew she was brave enough to handle that kind of thing. But this one... she was too scared, as she was now.
Sayuri smiled brightly at Reiko, as if she were finally getting the chance she'd wanted to doll Reiko up. Ayla, however, looked like the grin on her face was about to split it. Her shoulders started shaking before a laugh escaped her. The laugh, however, turned into something a little darker, like a cackle. Sayuri elbowed Ayla in the side, though, and turned back to Reiko.
"Why the sudden interest?" Sayuri asked, though it sounded genuine, the smile on her face suggested otherwise. Ayla snorted.
"Oh you know why, Yuri-chan. But we shouldn't take this lightly. Reiko's coming to us for help to look more like a woman. Not that she doesn't already, but," she spoke, eyeing Reiko for a moment. "It's mostly just the wardrobe, Reiko. Let's... go see if we can find you a decent kimono, hm?"
"Oh, we can go to Hoshino-chan's. It's where I get most of my kimono," Sayuri spoke up. "Once we find something for you, we'll come back here, and work with," she paused, reaching forward to tap Reiko's head. "We'll have to work something with your hair, but you'll have to bathe first. Actually, go bathe, and Ayla and I will run into town to find you something. It won't take us long, so by the time you finish your bath, we'll have some kimono for you to choose from. How's that sound?"
"How about she come with us, Yuri-chan? She's going to have to learn to pick things out for herself, you know."
“This one has plenty of kimono," Reiko amended, still fighting down a blush. “This one simply does not ever wear them. There is probably something perfectly fine in this one's wardrobe; most of them belonged to this one's mother." And of course, Kaa-san had very good taste, even if she too had usually preferred not to wear kimono.
“But this one will go take a bath while you look through this one's clothes, if you like."
"That works," Ayla replied, shrugging her shoulders lightly and turned on her heel. Sayuri glanced at Reiko, and then towards Ayla's retreating form.
"Make sure you wash your hair right, Reiko. Otherwise we won't be able to do much with it, alright?" she spoke before following after Ayla. Sayuri knew where Reiko's room was, but Ayla could probably find it just as well without the guidance. They'd both disappeared down the hall after that, leaving Reiko to bathe.
Not entirely sure this was the best idea she'd ever had, Reiko asked a servant to prepare one of the small bath buildings for her use, and retrieved some soap and towels from a nearby storage area.
Her trepidation only grew during the bath, but she'd resolved to do this, and she was going to. If she was going to have the guts to do all of this, she needed to see herself as a woman, instead of the girl she'd been for so long. Because this wasn't the same thing as her childish love for the hero of her favorite stories, however real they were. She loved a man, flesh and blood, and the idealizations and confusions needed to be torn away if she was ever going to believe that someone like him could love her, a flesh-and-blood woman.
Courage. Confidence. They were there inside her somewhere. She just needed to find them.
Exiting the bath, she wrapped herself in a clean, plain yukata and hurried back to her room, sliding the door open and slipping inside to find her friends.
There were a few kimono strewn about, however; it looked like Ayla and Sayuri were both sorting through them. There were two piles, perhaps a 'yes' and 'no' pile. The 'yes' pile must have been the smaller one. In it was a kimono of a deep purple color, almost tyrian in color with a deep red obi next to it. Another one was lighter, almost white in color though it was, in fact, a very pale lavender. The obi was a dark, rich blue color, and the kimono itself seemed to have no patterns on it save for the darker shades of lavender around the trim. The third kimono was a deep red color, and had a variety of patterns.
The noticeable thing about it, though, was the fact that it was trimmed in black on the bottom, and seemed to arch up a bit. Like a wave. The designs were of lotus mixed with cherry blossoms. The obi, however, was a rich gold color, and it looked like they were both contemplating on it. Ayla shook her head, and reached for another one. It was a deep blue, darker than the one Ayla was wearing, but the print on it caused her to smirk. There were cranes on it.
"Stop being so mean, Ayla, and pick something nice, for once," Sayuri scolded. Ayla huffed a short laugh and shook her head.
"Fine, fine. Reiko, c'mere so we can put this one on you," she spoke offering the pale lavender one to Reiko. "We'll start with this one, and go from there," she spoke. Sayuri seemed to nod in agreement.
Suppressing the twinge of awkwardness, Reiko nodded. “O-okay." The juban went on first, an under layer that would work fine with any of the outer kimono. Reiko stood passively and let them manipulate her however they needed to to fit her into the garment.
She'd worn kimono a few times before, but not nearly often enough that she could do things like tie her own obi. Her mother had died when Reiko was very young, and she'd been raised by her father and brothers, none of whom cared in the least if she wore boys' clothes. Honestly, they were probably a little more comfortable that way.
At that point, there was a knock on the door. Reiko's eyes widened; she smelled Tatsuya on the other side. “Um... c-come in?" She was decent, after all.
The door slid open; Tatsuya stepped through. He took one look at all of them and sighed. “Lavender? Look at her. Her coloration is much more suited for richer colors."
“S-Suya?"
He arched an eyebrow at her, smiling slightly. “You don't have to explain. But don't wear the lavender one."
"It was the first one we tried," Ayla replied in a flat tone. Sayuri snickered softly but didn't say anything. "Plus, this is going to help her to put her own shit on, you know. It's good to start with the basics before we move onto something more complicated," she spoke, her tone dropping just a notch. Sayuri snickered again.
"I think what she's trying to say, Tatsuya, is that we're trying to start soft before we move on to something more richer. You've got to build up. It's good to see yourself in something plain before seeing yourself in something more stunning. The effects are..."
"It's a good confidence boost," Ayla cut in. "But by all means. Since you seem to know more about it, why not help?" she spoke it in an almost challenging manner.
“Hm? Are you betting you know more about women's clothing than me? Because I'm quite certain you don't."
"Just because I like wearing your clothes doesn't mean I don't know anything about women's clothing."
Reiko resisted the urge to groan. Everything was a contest with those two, really. It was easy to feel the affection that underlaid it, especially for her, but still... it did mean more trouble for everyone else.
Tatsuya sifted through the kimono in her closet and laid out on her futon, occasionally making dissatisfied or contemplative noises. “If it's meant to be simple to start, then this one will work fine. Color and complexity don't have anything to do with each other." He clicked his tongue and untied her obi deftly, setting it down and helping her slide out of the kimono, leaving her back in her juban.
Since Tatsuya had dressed her as a little girl, it actually wasn't that strange. Maybe it should be, but it wasn't.
“Sayuri, hand me those mage, will you?" Tatsuya pointed to the simple, sticklike hair ornaments. “We need to keep her hair out of the way for now."
"Sure thing," she spoke, passing him the ornaments he'd requested. Ayla mumbled beneath her breath, but it was just incoherent words. While they did that, Ayla continued rummaging through Reiko's closet, humming here and there until she'd had a few more kimono in her hands. They were all a richer color, one of them a deeper red, another a deep fuschia pink, and the last one a richer blue. She threw them onto the futon and continued. Sayuri looked like she was trying not to laugh at them.
Reiko resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands. This was ending up a lot more... involved than she'd planned. Oh well. They seemed to be having fun, so she didn't much mind.
Tatsuya twisted her hair and wound it into a bun, smoothing some of the we strands against the side of her head. The updo was only loose so it wouldn't leave any curl or indents in her hair, and he fixed it in place with the mage alone.
It went on like that for a while, Reiko being folded into and out of various kimono. She wasn't sure if it was just how unused she was to them, but they never quite felt right. They did narrow colors quite a bit though. Tatsuya was right; the darker ones and jewel tones seemed to look best, though she decided to avoid anything too close to pink. Reiko didn't think the eye-catching brightness of that color suited her at all.
“Hmm..." Tatsuya turned to the other two. “The tyrian, crimson, or kingfisher?" Those were the three left; all of them were considerably more complicated than the ones they'd started with, though none of them were excessively formal. Just something the lady of a castle this large would be expected to wear around guests or the like.
"Kingfisher."
"Definitely the kingfisher," both Ayla and Sayuri spoke, though Ayla said hers with a light smirk on her face. "I think it'll compliment her a little better, and..." she paused, pursing her lips together. She looked like she was looking for the right word to say.
"I think it'll be beautiful on her. And the color is pretty... symbolic, don't you think?" Ayla continued, her lips quirking up in a light smirk.
"Ayla," Sayuri spoke, frowning in Ayla's direction.
"What," she spoke, giving Sayuri a flat look. "Don't say it's not true, because you know it is," she continued, the smirk never really leaving her face.
Tatsuya snorted and rolled his eyes. It took Reiko a little longer to catch on; but then she coughed and turned her face away for a moment.
The slide of silk on her shoulders brought her back into the present. Obediently, she lifted her arms and slid them into the sleeves. “The silver and gold obi, I think," Tatsuya said, arranging the front fold of the garment to let one of the others fix the thick silk band around her waist.
Once it was on, he pulled the mage from her hair, sending it cascading around her shoulders and to the floor.
“This one was thinking it might be good to cut it somewhat," Reiko confessed. “Perhaps to this one's waist?" She glanced towards the others, seeking their input.
Sayuri raised a brow, but smiled and nodded. "I can do it if you want," Ayla spoke, shrugging lightly. "I usually do my own and Ara's. Though... in Ara's case, I do it on purpose," she spoke, probably referring to the uneveness of his hair. It was longer on one side than it was the other.
"And it'll be a good length. More manageable, too," she continued.
"It's still manageable as it is, but if that's what you want Reiko, it'll still look pretty. And we can still do a lot with it," Sayuri spoke, shoving her elbow lightly into Ayla's side. She snorted softly and chuckled.
“All right then." She supposed it was only a bonus if it would make things easier for them.
While Ayla worked on her hair, Tatsuya sorted through the wooden chest at the back of her closet, muttering unintelligibly to himself. It was a lot of her mother's old things, but it had been a long time since she'd looked through them.
He emerged with several small containers. Cosmetics, from the look of it. Frowning at her, he shook his head. “I think these are unnecessary, but if you want them, you can use them."
Frankly, she wouldn't have the faintest idea how. “That's all right," Reiko replied, shaking her head in the negative. “If this one has too many things to keep straight, this one will just worry about all of them anyway." She was already going to be worried about tripping over her own hem, so there was that.
Ayla had slipped her fingers through Reiko's hair just to sort out a few tangles, it seemed. There weren't many since she didn't linger too long, and began cutting Reiko's hair. It seemed she was taking her time, starting at the very bottom before working her way up. Once she was done, she didn't quite leave Reiko, yet, and instead, ushered Sayuri over. Both of them were behind her, talking about different styles to put Reiko's hair in.
"It should remain mostly down, with maybe a half-bun," Sayuri suggested. Since Ayla was behind Reiko, she couldn't see the woman's facial expression. Apparently the slight huff signaled she'd disagreed.
"You don't do that with this much hair. It's meant to be showcased. The only reason I don't do that with my hair is because of that one," she spoke, probably referring to Tatsuya. One of her hands had left Reiko's hair so she was probably jabbing at him.
Tatsuya laughed; from the corner of her eye, Reiko saw his hand flash forward and snatch up some of Ayla's tresses. He brought the strands up to his lips. “Don't pretend you don't enjoy it," he shot back. It was actually kind of... sweet, odd as it was to think that about something her brother was doing.
"Now, we're going to do this; hand me that brush and go find me some ornaments," she spoke. Sayuri chuckled lightly and she made her way towards one of the wooden chests. Ayla's hand worked through Reiko's hair with the brush, pulling and twisting until most of Reiko's hair was up. She took an ornament from Sayuri's hand. It looked like a sakura kanzashi, though it wasn't the typical pink color. The tips of the petals were tinged in a tyrian purple. She placed it into Reiko's hair, and stepped away.
"Are we sure this is the same Reiko?" Sayuri spoke, a large smile blooming on her face.
"I don't know. What do you think, Reiko?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face. The smile she gave Reiko, though, was void of any teasing nature. She seemed genuine pleased with the outcome.
“This one feels very strange," she admitted with a wry smile. It was certainly her in the mirror, but... she didn't really look like herself at all. Faintly smiling, Reiko pulled in a deep breath and turned around, hugging each of the others in turn.
“Thank you all, so much. This one appreciates your hard work."
Tatsuya snorted. “It was hardly work, Reiko. But you're welcome." He neatened the fold of her kimono again, letting his hands rest on her shoulders for a moment. “Don't forget who you are and how much you're worth," he said, quietly enough that she knew he only intended for her to hear. Though of course, Ayla and Sayuri both had excellent ears, and they were right there, so...
“Thank you, Suya." She smiled; he nodded and stepped away.
"Well, I suppose if you want this to work," Ayla began, the smile faltering to the same grin she'd usually wear when she was plotting something. Sayuri turned towards Ayla, and raised a brow. They gave each other a look, one that they'd both worn when they were up to no good, and turned back to Reiko.
"If you want, I can help out, too. We'll need to go find Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, causing Ayla to huff a short laugh.
"Yuri... it's inappropriate to meet here. This is Reiko's room," she spoke, causing Sayuri to chuckle nervously. "If you want, I can have him meet you in the garden, Reiko. Though I promise I won't tell him why," she spoke, offering Reiko a smaller grin.
"You're horrible, Ayla-san," Sayuri spoke, though she laughed. Ayla chuckled lightly too.
"Sometimes."
“Uh." Reiko had to admit, she hadn't thought that one all the way through yet. But she supposed she had to get around to it, and the sooner, the better. If she couldn't do it now, well...
Reiko took a steadying breath. “All right. Thank you, Ayla."
It had only been a day, after all.
Reiko sighed, lowering her sword and sheathing it at her side. She'd been running kata and exercises all morning, trying to force a transformation. But she wasn't like Ayla or her brothers; she couldn't just do it whenever she wanted to. What was more, she didn't seem to be able to focus. Scrubbing her hands down her face, Reiko shook her head.
She was never going to be able to do this if she was burdened down with thoughts of things she still had to do. Things she still had to say. But... she still couldn't quite get up the courage.
Why was this so difficult? Aram-sama had already said how he felt. It should be a simple matter for her to admit to him that she felt the same. Sayu was right, too: he wasn't the sort of man to change his mind all of a sudden. And yet... and yet.
She looked down at herself. As usual, she was dressed in a worn practice gi and hakama, nearly drowning in the excess of fabric. She was too thin, still. Not just because of the last few months, but because she'd always been too thin, and not soft in the way a woman should be. It had never bothered her much, really. But now... somehow it did.
Pursing her lips, she decided she should do something about it. Tilting her head, she drew in a breath, seeking out Ayla and Sayu's scents.
She was almost certain they'd be able to help.
Their scents were on separate parts of the house, but they were moving towards each other, it seemed. It wasn't until they'd all met in the middle of the house, and Ayla blinked somewhat surprised at the two of them. Sayuri seemed just as surprised, but it washed over quickly as a smile bloomed on her face.
"Reiko-chan, Ayla-chan," she greeted. Sayuri was dressed in a deep orange kimono, the color bleeding almost into red if anything. It was trimmed with gold, as was her obi. She tilted her head towards them, and Ayla just allowed her brow to arch on her face. She was wearing what looked to be one of Tatsuya's yukata's. She'd been doing that a lot lately, actually. But it was a pale blue color, almost the same blue as her eyes.
"Are you looking for something, Reiko? You look out of breath," she asked, a small grin pulling at her lips.
For once, Reiko didn't let whatever teasing Ayla was trying to do get the better of her. She had a mission, now, and she needed them to help her see it through. “This one is glad you're both here," she said, trying not to lose her nerve. “This one was hoping... you would be willing to help this one with something."
"You're coming to me for help?" she asked, though Sayuri chuckled lightly.
"She's asking both of us, Ayla, not just you," she spoke, causing Ayla to chuckle softly. "Since Ayla-san can't help because she's a tease," Sayuri began, turning her attention to Reiko. "And this looks very important to you, Reiko," she continued, glancing back to Ayla who rolled her eyes.
"What do you need help with, Reiko? I may be a tease, but I'm still helpful, you know," she spoke the last bit to Sayuri who huffed lightly.
“W-well... this one can only ask the two of you for something like this," Reiko said, trying to fight down a slight flush. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and took a deep breath from her nose.
“This one... this one wants to..." Though the sentence started strong, her voice had faded almost to a whisper before she finished. “Th-this one wants to look more like a woman."
She needed confidence and strength if she was going to be able to say what she needed to say. But it wasn't the same kind of confidence that would do for a battlefield or the negotiation room. Reiko already knew she was brave enough to handle that kind of thing. But this one... she was too scared, as she was now.
Sayuri smiled brightly at Reiko, as if she were finally getting the chance she'd wanted to doll Reiko up. Ayla, however, looked like the grin on her face was about to split it. Her shoulders started shaking before a laugh escaped her. The laugh, however, turned into something a little darker, like a cackle. Sayuri elbowed Ayla in the side, though, and turned back to Reiko.
"Why the sudden interest?" Sayuri asked, though it sounded genuine, the smile on her face suggested otherwise. Ayla snorted.
"Oh you know why, Yuri-chan. But we shouldn't take this lightly. Reiko's coming to us for help to look more like a woman. Not that she doesn't already, but," she spoke, eyeing Reiko for a moment. "It's mostly just the wardrobe, Reiko. Let's... go see if we can find you a decent kimono, hm?"
"Oh, we can go to Hoshino-chan's. It's where I get most of my kimono," Sayuri spoke up. "Once we find something for you, we'll come back here, and work with," she paused, reaching forward to tap Reiko's head. "We'll have to work something with your hair, but you'll have to bathe first. Actually, go bathe, and Ayla and I will run into town to find you something. It won't take us long, so by the time you finish your bath, we'll have some kimono for you to choose from. How's that sound?"
"How about she come with us, Yuri-chan? She's going to have to learn to pick things out for herself, you know."
“This one has plenty of kimono," Reiko amended, still fighting down a blush. “This one simply does not ever wear them. There is probably something perfectly fine in this one's wardrobe; most of them belonged to this one's mother." And of course, Kaa-san had very good taste, even if she too had usually preferred not to wear kimono.
“But this one will go take a bath while you look through this one's clothes, if you like."
"That works," Ayla replied, shrugging her shoulders lightly and turned on her heel. Sayuri glanced at Reiko, and then towards Ayla's retreating form.
"Make sure you wash your hair right, Reiko. Otherwise we won't be able to do much with it, alright?" she spoke before following after Ayla. Sayuri knew where Reiko's room was, but Ayla could probably find it just as well without the guidance. They'd both disappeared down the hall after that, leaving Reiko to bathe.
Not entirely sure this was the best idea she'd ever had, Reiko asked a servant to prepare one of the small bath buildings for her use, and retrieved some soap and towels from a nearby storage area.
Her trepidation only grew during the bath, but she'd resolved to do this, and she was going to. If she was going to have the guts to do all of this, she needed to see herself as a woman, instead of the girl she'd been for so long. Because this wasn't the same thing as her childish love for the hero of her favorite stories, however real they were. She loved a man, flesh and blood, and the idealizations and confusions needed to be torn away if she was ever going to believe that someone like him could love her, a flesh-and-blood woman.
Courage. Confidence. They were there inside her somewhere. She just needed to find them.
Exiting the bath, she wrapped herself in a clean, plain yukata and hurried back to her room, sliding the door open and slipping inside to find her friends.
There were a few kimono strewn about, however; it looked like Ayla and Sayuri were both sorting through them. There were two piles, perhaps a 'yes' and 'no' pile. The 'yes' pile must have been the smaller one. In it was a kimono of a deep purple color, almost tyrian in color with a deep red obi next to it. Another one was lighter, almost white in color though it was, in fact, a very pale lavender. The obi was a dark, rich blue color, and the kimono itself seemed to have no patterns on it save for the darker shades of lavender around the trim. The third kimono was a deep red color, and had a variety of patterns.
The noticeable thing about it, though, was the fact that it was trimmed in black on the bottom, and seemed to arch up a bit. Like a wave. The designs were of lotus mixed with cherry blossoms. The obi, however, was a rich gold color, and it looked like they were both contemplating on it. Ayla shook her head, and reached for another one. It was a deep blue, darker than the one Ayla was wearing, but the print on it caused her to smirk. There were cranes on it.
"Stop being so mean, Ayla, and pick something nice, for once," Sayuri scolded. Ayla huffed a short laugh and shook her head.
"Fine, fine. Reiko, c'mere so we can put this one on you," she spoke offering the pale lavender one to Reiko. "We'll start with this one, and go from there," she spoke. Sayuri seemed to nod in agreement.
Suppressing the twinge of awkwardness, Reiko nodded. “O-okay." The juban went on first, an under layer that would work fine with any of the outer kimono. Reiko stood passively and let them manipulate her however they needed to to fit her into the garment.
She'd worn kimono a few times before, but not nearly often enough that she could do things like tie her own obi. Her mother had died when Reiko was very young, and she'd been raised by her father and brothers, none of whom cared in the least if she wore boys' clothes. Honestly, they were probably a little more comfortable that way.
At that point, there was a knock on the door. Reiko's eyes widened; she smelled Tatsuya on the other side. “Um... c-come in?" She was decent, after all.
The door slid open; Tatsuya stepped through. He took one look at all of them and sighed. “Lavender? Look at her. Her coloration is much more suited for richer colors."
“S-Suya?"
He arched an eyebrow at her, smiling slightly. “You don't have to explain. But don't wear the lavender one."
"It was the first one we tried," Ayla replied in a flat tone. Sayuri snickered softly but didn't say anything. "Plus, this is going to help her to put her own shit on, you know. It's good to start with the basics before we move onto something more complicated," she spoke, her tone dropping just a notch. Sayuri snickered again.
"I think what she's trying to say, Tatsuya, is that we're trying to start soft before we move on to something more richer. You've got to build up. It's good to see yourself in something plain before seeing yourself in something more stunning. The effects are..."
"It's a good confidence boost," Ayla cut in. "But by all means. Since you seem to know more about it, why not help?" she spoke it in an almost challenging manner.
“Hm? Are you betting you know more about women's clothing than me? Because I'm quite certain you don't."
"Just because I like wearing your clothes doesn't mean I don't know anything about women's clothing."
Reiko resisted the urge to groan. Everything was a contest with those two, really. It was easy to feel the affection that underlaid it, especially for her, but still... it did mean more trouble for everyone else.
Tatsuya sifted through the kimono in her closet and laid out on her futon, occasionally making dissatisfied or contemplative noises. “If it's meant to be simple to start, then this one will work fine. Color and complexity don't have anything to do with each other." He clicked his tongue and untied her obi deftly, setting it down and helping her slide out of the kimono, leaving her back in her juban.
Since Tatsuya had dressed her as a little girl, it actually wasn't that strange. Maybe it should be, but it wasn't.
“Sayuri, hand me those mage, will you?" Tatsuya pointed to the simple, sticklike hair ornaments. “We need to keep her hair out of the way for now."
"Sure thing," she spoke, passing him the ornaments he'd requested. Ayla mumbled beneath her breath, but it was just incoherent words. While they did that, Ayla continued rummaging through Reiko's closet, humming here and there until she'd had a few more kimono in her hands. They were all a richer color, one of them a deeper red, another a deep fuschia pink, and the last one a richer blue. She threw them onto the futon and continued. Sayuri looked like she was trying not to laugh at them.
Reiko resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands. This was ending up a lot more... involved than she'd planned. Oh well. They seemed to be having fun, so she didn't much mind.
Tatsuya twisted her hair and wound it into a bun, smoothing some of the we strands against the side of her head. The updo was only loose so it wouldn't leave any curl or indents in her hair, and he fixed it in place with the mage alone.
It went on like that for a while, Reiko being folded into and out of various kimono. She wasn't sure if it was just how unused she was to them, but they never quite felt right. They did narrow colors quite a bit though. Tatsuya was right; the darker ones and jewel tones seemed to look best, though she decided to avoid anything too close to pink. Reiko didn't think the eye-catching brightness of that color suited her at all.
“Hmm..." Tatsuya turned to the other two. “The tyrian, crimson, or kingfisher?" Those were the three left; all of them were considerably more complicated than the ones they'd started with, though none of them were excessively formal. Just something the lady of a castle this large would be expected to wear around guests or the like.
"Kingfisher."
"Definitely the kingfisher," both Ayla and Sayuri spoke, though Ayla said hers with a light smirk on her face. "I think it'll compliment her a little better, and..." she paused, pursing her lips together. She looked like she was looking for the right word to say.
"I think it'll be beautiful on her. And the color is pretty... symbolic, don't you think?" Ayla continued, her lips quirking up in a light smirk.
"Ayla," Sayuri spoke, frowning in Ayla's direction.
"What," she spoke, giving Sayuri a flat look. "Don't say it's not true, because you know it is," she continued, the smirk never really leaving her face.
Tatsuya snorted and rolled his eyes. It took Reiko a little longer to catch on; but then she coughed and turned her face away for a moment.
The slide of silk on her shoulders brought her back into the present. Obediently, she lifted her arms and slid them into the sleeves. “The silver and gold obi, I think," Tatsuya said, arranging the front fold of the garment to let one of the others fix the thick silk band around her waist.
Once it was on, he pulled the mage from her hair, sending it cascading around her shoulders and to the floor.
“This one was thinking it might be good to cut it somewhat," Reiko confessed. “Perhaps to this one's waist?" She glanced towards the others, seeking their input.
Sayuri raised a brow, but smiled and nodded. "I can do it if you want," Ayla spoke, shrugging lightly. "I usually do my own and Ara's. Though... in Ara's case, I do it on purpose," she spoke, probably referring to the uneveness of his hair. It was longer on one side than it was the other.
"And it'll be a good length. More manageable, too," she continued.
"It's still manageable as it is, but if that's what you want Reiko, it'll still look pretty. And we can still do a lot with it," Sayuri spoke, shoving her elbow lightly into Ayla's side. She snorted softly and chuckled.
“All right then." She supposed it was only a bonus if it would make things easier for them.
While Ayla worked on her hair, Tatsuya sorted through the wooden chest at the back of her closet, muttering unintelligibly to himself. It was a lot of her mother's old things, but it had been a long time since she'd looked through them.
He emerged with several small containers. Cosmetics, from the look of it. Frowning at her, he shook his head. “I think these are unnecessary, but if you want them, you can use them."
Frankly, she wouldn't have the faintest idea how. “That's all right," Reiko replied, shaking her head in the negative. “If this one has too many things to keep straight, this one will just worry about all of them anyway." She was already going to be worried about tripping over her own hem, so there was that.
Ayla had slipped her fingers through Reiko's hair just to sort out a few tangles, it seemed. There weren't many since she didn't linger too long, and began cutting Reiko's hair. It seemed she was taking her time, starting at the very bottom before working her way up. Once she was done, she didn't quite leave Reiko, yet, and instead, ushered Sayuri over. Both of them were behind her, talking about different styles to put Reiko's hair in.
"It should remain mostly down, with maybe a half-bun," Sayuri suggested. Since Ayla was behind Reiko, she couldn't see the woman's facial expression. Apparently the slight huff signaled she'd disagreed.
"You don't do that with this much hair. It's meant to be showcased. The only reason I don't do that with my hair is because of that one," she spoke, probably referring to Tatsuya. One of her hands had left Reiko's hair so she was probably jabbing at him.
Tatsuya laughed; from the corner of her eye, Reiko saw his hand flash forward and snatch up some of Ayla's tresses. He brought the strands up to his lips. “Don't pretend you don't enjoy it," he shot back. It was actually kind of... sweet, odd as it was to think that about something her brother was doing.
"Now, we're going to do this; hand me that brush and go find me some ornaments," she spoke. Sayuri chuckled lightly and she made her way towards one of the wooden chests. Ayla's hand worked through Reiko's hair with the brush, pulling and twisting until most of Reiko's hair was up. She took an ornament from Sayuri's hand. It looked like a sakura kanzashi, though it wasn't the typical pink color. The tips of the petals were tinged in a tyrian purple. She placed it into Reiko's hair, and stepped away.
"Are we sure this is the same Reiko?" Sayuri spoke, a large smile blooming on her face.
"I don't know. What do you think, Reiko?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face. The smile she gave Reiko, though, was void of any teasing nature. She seemed genuine pleased with the outcome.
“This one feels very strange," she admitted with a wry smile. It was certainly her in the mirror, but... she didn't really look like herself at all. Faintly smiling, Reiko pulled in a deep breath and turned around, hugging each of the others in turn.
“Thank you all, so much. This one appreciates your hard work."
Tatsuya snorted. “It was hardly work, Reiko. But you're welcome." He neatened the fold of her kimono again, letting his hands rest on her shoulders for a moment. “Don't forget who you are and how much you're worth," he said, quietly enough that she knew he only intended for her to hear. Though of course, Ayla and Sayuri both had excellent ears, and they were right there, so...
“Thank you, Suya." She smiled; he nodded and stepped away.
"Well, I suppose if you want this to work," Ayla began, the smile faltering to the same grin she'd usually wear when she was plotting something. Sayuri turned towards Ayla, and raised a brow. They gave each other a look, one that they'd both worn when they were up to no good, and turned back to Reiko.
"If you want, I can help out, too. We'll need to go find Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, causing Ayla to huff a short laugh.
"Yuri... it's inappropriate to meet here. This is Reiko's room," she spoke, causing Sayuri to chuckle nervously. "If you want, I can have him meet you in the garden, Reiko. Though I promise I won't tell him why," she spoke, offering Reiko a smaller grin.
"You're horrible, Ayla-san," Sayuri spoke, though she laughed. Ayla chuckled lightly too.
"Sometimes."
“Uh." Reiko had to admit, she hadn't thought that one all the way through yet. But she supposed she had to get around to it, and the sooner, the better. If she couldn't do it now, well...
Reiko took a steadying breath. “All right. Thank you, Ayla."
Aram pursed his lips together. Ayla had been pushing him, literally, to some part of the compound. She'd said it was important, but he didn't know if it really was. With her, it could have been anything. It could be important, or it could just be a trick she was playing on him. He was willing to bet on the latter. He sighed, though.
"Will you at least tell me where we are going?" he asked, and she huffed.
"No, because it's a secret and I promised I wouldn't," she'd replied. Though he couldn't see her face, because she was behind him, he knew she was smirking at him. He sighed in defeat and resigned himself to being led to wherever it was that he was needed. For some reason, they found themselves in Reiko's garden, and he pursed his lips.
"Why are we here? There's no one here, Ayla," he spoke, turning around once she released her hands from his back. She quirked a brow at him and shook her head.
"Stay here and shut up. I forgot something," she spoke, taking her leave as she did so. The smile on her face suggested otherwise, though. He sighed again. Sometimes he wondered if she ever took anything seriously.
Around him, the spheres floating in the air shifted colors: they were mostly blue-grey at the moment.
“Aram-sama? Um..." Reiko's voice came from his left, along with the sound of her footsteps. She drew herself to a stop about five feet from where he was, folding her hands in front of her.
She was dressed... very unusually for her: a brilliant blue-colored kimono with a crane pattern on the bottom in the same gold and silver as the obi around her waist. Her hair had been swept up and held in place with a comb. She looked slightly uncomfortable, though whether that was because of the clothes or something else was hard to tell.
“...Ayla didn't tell you why you're here, did she?"
For a moment, Reiko's words did not register in his mind. He simply stared at her. She looked... different, and he had to swallow past a sudden lump in his throat. When it finally registered that she'd spoken to him, his eyes widened a fraction, and he coughed to clear his throat. He found that his voice was currently not working, and he frowned a bit. So, he just shook his head. He pursed his lips a little further when he realized it was actually rude of him to do so.
"No, she did not, only that it was important," he finally spoke, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. He wasn't doing a very good job, but at least he was trying. "You look... nice, Reiko," he spoke, glancing away for a moment as he felt his cheeks warm up. Nice, however, was not the word he wanted to use. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, though, and he refrained from saying the other word.
“Thank you." The words were quiet, almost thoughtful. But then Reiko took a deep breath, straightening her back and lowering her shoulders. “This one... has something to tell you, actually. Do you have time to hear this one out?"
"Of course, Reiko," he spoke, clearing his throat as he did so. He glanced around for a moment, and pursed his lips. "Do you... wish to sit?" he asked. Whatever she had to tell him, perhaps she'd like to sit down, first. Perhaps Ayla was right. Maybe this was important, at least for Reiko? Something in his chest felt odd. It was light, and fluttering. He could almost swear that it was beating faster, but maybe the thrumming in his ears were just his thoughts? He had to take a deep breath to remain calm. She just wanted to tell him something. It wasn't that important... was it?
Reiko shook her head. “This one is fine standing, but thank you." She seemed oddly calm, if a bit subdued. She tilted her chin up to look him in the eyes directly, and for several slow seconds, she just held the contact, wordless, as though she were searching for something.
“This one..." she paused, then shook her head. “I spent a long time trying to decide how I wanted to say this," she admitted wryly. “Because... I think you deserve to know; to understand where this is coming from. But I seem to have forgotten everything I decided to say."
Reiko sighed softly, pursing her lips. “You know already that my father told me stories about the three of you when I was just a girl. I'm sure you've guessed that I admired Hizashi-sama a great deal. I thought, of all of them, he was the one I understood the best. That one who was most like me. Because... he never wanted to fight. He did it only because he needed to, to protect people. It was the first time I ever felt... like I wasn't alone. Because I didn't want to fight, either. And everyone around me always had."
The tiniest of smiles curved her lips. “You... the fact that you were exactly who you were made me feel like it was okay for me to be who I was, too."
He had to admit, it was a lot to take in. She admired him? Because he was like her? He blinked slowly, taking the information for what it was, and slowly digesting it. It was true, in some instances. He never liked fighting, and even now, he didn't like it. But he had to because if he didn't, everything near and dear to him would be lost. He wondered, for just a moment, if he'd believed what he did today, how many more people he could have saved. His gaze faltered, but he lifted it back up.
"I am... flattered," he finally spoke, offering her a small smile. That wasn't the word he wanted to use, though. He was honored that she'd thought of him that way, that she didn't feel alone because of him. His smile inched the slightest bit wider as he stared down at her. She was small, but he knew better than that. Small or not, she was stronger than she appeared. She had a delicate type of strength, and perhaps that was something he'd grown to love about her, too.
He shook his head faintly. He figured there might be more that she had to say, and so he stood patiently. He would never rush her.
She huffed softly, as though amused by his words. “Well... I suppose that's good. The thing is, though, ah," She hesitated, then continued slightly faster. “I was quite, um, in love with you, which is silly, I know, since we'd never met or anything."
Reiko was starting to go pink in the face, a change in hue matched by the floating spheres in the area. “So... meeting you in person was a bit... complicated, for me. I'd always admired you so much. You were a hero to me. Almost like someone out of a legend, someone I'd never thought I'd meet... and someone I considered my first love."
Her first love? The way she spoke about it, though, had something in his chest in a vice-like grip. Was. He was her first love. She was in love with him. His smile faltered just slightly, but he did not let the words dishearten him any further. He loved her now, as she was, but she no longer loved him it seemed. Perhaps it was only fitting. He'd caused her pain for three months, and he'd broken his promise to keep her happy. But she was his first love, if anything. He'd never loved anyone before, didn't know if he was capable of it, however; she'd shown him he was.
"I apologize, Reiko," he spoke, bowing his head in the process. "Perhaps it was best if I had not told you that I loved you, considering that I was those things to you," he murmured softly. His heart was breaking, just slightly, but he was sorry. He didn't mean to tell her that if she didn't feel that way about him, any longer. Perhaps... he'd just made things worse?
“Well... it did make things complicated," she admitted softly. She seemed to be fidgeting with her hands quite a bit. “I thought I had it all figured out, you see. I'd convinced myself that all the things you said or did that made me almost think you might... that all of it was just the same kindness you would have shown anyone. I was your brother's daughter, after all."
Reiko shook her head a little. “Oh, it felt so much like you were tearing my heart apart, you know? You'd say things that were exactly what I'd always wanted someone to tell me. But you're you, and I couldn't even imagine that you meant them the way I wanted you to. So I called you Aram-sama to remind myself of the distance, and told myself I was content with your friendship. That it was enough."
“And then... you said you loved me, and I... I was terrified. Because my own feelings had changed too. Somewhere along the way, I stopped being a girl in love with her hero, and started being..." She flushed to the roots of her hair. “Started being a woman in love with a man."
He swallowed thickly. She still loved him? "Reiko," he had no words to say. He could only say her name. Slowly, he took a step forward. Then another one. In hurried steps, he closed the remaining distance between them, wrapping his arms around her. He flinched slightly, though, when he realized that he was hugging her. She'd pushed him away last time, but somehow, some feeling in him, said that she wouldn't. Not this time. His heart felt weird in his chest, and he was certain she could hear the drumming of it. It was beating rapidly against his chest.
"Never shall I do that again. When I say things, I will make sure that you will know that I mean them in the way I say them. You... will not have to doubt my words again," because he didn't want her to. He didn't want her to misunderstand him because he was himself. He wanted to make sure she knew that everything he said, was true. "Never again, will I mislead you," he spoke, pulling back just slightly so that he could peer down at her. He was at least a foot taller than her, but her head still reached to his shoulders.
Slowly, his head leaned down so that he could keep direct eye contact with her. In anyone else's perspective, it might have looked like he was about to kiss her, but he refrained from doing so. He wanted her to understand something, first. "And for as long as you'll let me... I will endeavor to make sure that you never doubt that I love you. You are... the first woman I've ever loved, will ever love."
And she was.
She took in a shaky breath. “I'm still afraid," she confessed. “Because heroes don't change, but men do. And I've never thought much of myself as a woman. So this is... it's more dangerous, than how it used to be. The kind of courage it takes to face that isn't one I thought I had."
Her hands smoothed down the fabric on his chest, but she didn't apply any pressure. She wasn't trying to push him away. “But I... even if things change, even if I end up hurt, I... taking the chance will be worth it. That's... that's what I decided, so." Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, one on each side of the fold. “So the only thing I need you to promise is that you'll always be honest with me. That's all I want. If I misunderstand sometimes, or suffer sometimes... that's just life."
"I've never been a hero, Reiko," he spoke softly, shaking his head. "I've always been nothing more than a simple man," he continued, lifting a hand so that he could place it on the back of her head. "But I shall never be dishonest with you. I will never deceive you, lie to you, or hurt you intentionally. If I could offer you more, I would, however; I can only offer you the love of a man who knows so little about it, but is willing to see this through until the one I love tires of me," he smiled a little brighter at her, pulling her face closer to hers until he could fit his mouth over hers. It was soft, warm and gentle and the only way he knew how to make it.
"You are... my everything, Reiko," and she really was. He wouldn't know if he could do anything else, without her.
She leaned her forehead against his chest; he could feel her smile through the fabric he wore. “I love you too, Aram."
He was... happy.
"Will you at least tell me where we are going?" he asked, and she huffed.
"No, because it's a secret and I promised I wouldn't," she'd replied. Though he couldn't see her face, because she was behind him, he knew she was smirking at him. He sighed in defeat and resigned himself to being led to wherever it was that he was needed. For some reason, they found themselves in Reiko's garden, and he pursed his lips.
"Why are we here? There's no one here, Ayla," he spoke, turning around once she released her hands from his back. She quirked a brow at him and shook her head.
"Stay here and shut up. I forgot something," she spoke, taking her leave as she did so. The smile on her face suggested otherwise, though. He sighed again. Sometimes he wondered if she ever took anything seriously.
Around him, the spheres floating in the air shifted colors: they were mostly blue-grey at the moment.
“Aram-sama? Um..." Reiko's voice came from his left, along with the sound of her footsteps. She drew herself to a stop about five feet from where he was, folding her hands in front of her.
She was dressed... very unusually for her: a brilliant blue-colored kimono with a crane pattern on the bottom in the same gold and silver as the obi around her waist. Her hair had been swept up and held in place with a comb. She looked slightly uncomfortable, though whether that was because of the clothes or something else was hard to tell.
“...Ayla didn't tell you why you're here, did she?"
For a moment, Reiko's words did not register in his mind. He simply stared at her. She looked... different, and he had to swallow past a sudden lump in his throat. When it finally registered that she'd spoken to him, his eyes widened a fraction, and he coughed to clear his throat. He found that his voice was currently not working, and he frowned a bit. So, he just shook his head. He pursed his lips a little further when he realized it was actually rude of him to do so.
"No, she did not, only that it was important," he finally spoke, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. He wasn't doing a very good job, but at least he was trying. "You look... nice, Reiko," he spoke, glancing away for a moment as he felt his cheeks warm up. Nice, however, was not the word he wanted to use. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, though, and he refrained from saying the other word.
“Thank you." The words were quiet, almost thoughtful. But then Reiko took a deep breath, straightening her back and lowering her shoulders. “This one... has something to tell you, actually. Do you have time to hear this one out?"
"Of course, Reiko," he spoke, clearing his throat as he did so. He glanced around for a moment, and pursed his lips. "Do you... wish to sit?" he asked. Whatever she had to tell him, perhaps she'd like to sit down, first. Perhaps Ayla was right. Maybe this was important, at least for Reiko? Something in his chest felt odd. It was light, and fluttering. He could almost swear that it was beating faster, but maybe the thrumming in his ears were just his thoughts? He had to take a deep breath to remain calm. She just wanted to tell him something. It wasn't that important... was it?
Reiko shook her head. “This one is fine standing, but thank you." She seemed oddly calm, if a bit subdued. She tilted her chin up to look him in the eyes directly, and for several slow seconds, she just held the contact, wordless, as though she were searching for something.
“This one..." she paused, then shook her head. “I spent a long time trying to decide how I wanted to say this," she admitted wryly. “Because... I think you deserve to know; to understand where this is coming from. But I seem to have forgotten everything I decided to say."
Reiko sighed softly, pursing her lips. “You know already that my father told me stories about the three of you when I was just a girl. I'm sure you've guessed that I admired Hizashi-sama a great deal. I thought, of all of them, he was the one I understood the best. That one who was most like me. Because... he never wanted to fight. He did it only because he needed to, to protect people. It was the first time I ever felt... like I wasn't alone. Because I didn't want to fight, either. And everyone around me always had."
The tiniest of smiles curved her lips. “You... the fact that you were exactly who you were made me feel like it was okay for me to be who I was, too."
He had to admit, it was a lot to take in. She admired him? Because he was like her? He blinked slowly, taking the information for what it was, and slowly digesting it. It was true, in some instances. He never liked fighting, and even now, he didn't like it. But he had to because if he didn't, everything near and dear to him would be lost. He wondered, for just a moment, if he'd believed what he did today, how many more people he could have saved. His gaze faltered, but he lifted it back up.
"I am... flattered," he finally spoke, offering her a small smile. That wasn't the word he wanted to use, though. He was honored that she'd thought of him that way, that she didn't feel alone because of him. His smile inched the slightest bit wider as he stared down at her. She was small, but he knew better than that. Small or not, she was stronger than she appeared. She had a delicate type of strength, and perhaps that was something he'd grown to love about her, too.
He shook his head faintly. He figured there might be more that she had to say, and so he stood patiently. He would never rush her.
She huffed softly, as though amused by his words. “Well... I suppose that's good. The thing is, though, ah," She hesitated, then continued slightly faster. “I was quite, um, in love with you, which is silly, I know, since we'd never met or anything."
Reiko was starting to go pink in the face, a change in hue matched by the floating spheres in the area. “So... meeting you in person was a bit... complicated, for me. I'd always admired you so much. You were a hero to me. Almost like someone out of a legend, someone I'd never thought I'd meet... and someone I considered my first love."
Her first love? The way she spoke about it, though, had something in his chest in a vice-like grip. Was. He was her first love. She was in love with him. His smile faltered just slightly, but he did not let the words dishearten him any further. He loved her now, as she was, but she no longer loved him it seemed. Perhaps it was only fitting. He'd caused her pain for three months, and he'd broken his promise to keep her happy. But she was his first love, if anything. He'd never loved anyone before, didn't know if he was capable of it, however; she'd shown him he was.
"I apologize, Reiko," he spoke, bowing his head in the process. "Perhaps it was best if I had not told you that I loved you, considering that I was those things to you," he murmured softly. His heart was breaking, just slightly, but he was sorry. He didn't mean to tell her that if she didn't feel that way about him, any longer. Perhaps... he'd just made things worse?
“Well... it did make things complicated," she admitted softly. She seemed to be fidgeting with her hands quite a bit. “I thought I had it all figured out, you see. I'd convinced myself that all the things you said or did that made me almost think you might... that all of it was just the same kindness you would have shown anyone. I was your brother's daughter, after all."
Reiko shook her head a little. “Oh, it felt so much like you were tearing my heart apart, you know? You'd say things that were exactly what I'd always wanted someone to tell me. But you're you, and I couldn't even imagine that you meant them the way I wanted you to. So I called you Aram-sama to remind myself of the distance, and told myself I was content with your friendship. That it was enough."
“And then... you said you loved me, and I... I was terrified. Because my own feelings had changed too. Somewhere along the way, I stopped being a girl in love with her hero, and started being..." She flushed to the roots of her hair. “Started being a woman in love with a man."
He swallowed thickly. She still loved him? "Reiko," he had no words to say. He could only say her name. Slowly, he took a step forward. Then another one. In hurried steps, he closed the remaining distance between them, wrapping his arms around her. He flinched slightly, though, when he realized that he was hugging her. She'd pushed him away last time, but somehow, some feeling in him, said that she wouldn't. Not this time. His heart felt weird in his chest, and he was certain she could hear the drumming of it. It was beating rapidly against his chest.
"Never shall I do that again. When I say things, I will make sure that you will know that I mean them in the way I say them. You... will not have to doubt my words again," because he didn't want her to. He didn't want her to misunderstand him because he was himself. He wanted to make sure she knew that everything he said, was true. "Never again, will I mislead you," he spoke, pulling back just slightly so that he could peer down at her. He was at least a foot taller than her, but her head still reached to his shoulders.
Slowly, his head leaned down so that he could keep direct eye contact with her. In anyone else's perspective, it might have looked like he was about to kiss her, but he refrained from doing so. He wanted her to understand something, first. "And for as long as you'll let me... I will endeavor to make sure that you never doubt that I love you. You are... the first woman I've ever loved, will ever love."
And she was.
She took in a shaky breath. “I'm still afraid," she confessed. “Because heroes don't change, but men do. And I've never thought much of myself as a woman. So this is... it's more dangerous, than how it used to be. The kind of courage it takes to face that isn't one I thought I had."
Her hands smoothed down the fabric on his chest, but she didn't apply any pressure. She wasn't trying to push him away. “But I... even if things change, even if I end up hurt, I... taking the chance will be worth it. That's... that's what I decided, so." Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, one on each side of the fold. “So the only thing I need you to promise is that you'll always be honest with me. That's all I want. If I misunderstand sometimes, or suffer sometimes... that's just life."
"I've never been a hero, Reiko," he spoke softly, shaking his head. "I've always been nothing more than a simple man," he continued, lifting a hand so that he could place it on the back of her head. "But I shall never be dishonest with you. I will never deceive you, lie to you, or hurt you intentionally. If I could offer you more, I would, however; I can only offer you the love of a man who knows so little about it, but is willing to see this through until the one I love tires of me," he smiled a little brighter at her, pulling her face closer to hers until he could fit his mouth over hers. It was soft, warm and gentle and the only way he knew how to make it.
"You are... my everything, Reiko," and she really was. He wouldn't know if he could do anything else, without her.
She leaned her forehead against his chest; he could feel her smile through the fabric he wore. “I love you too, Aram."
He was... happy.
Well, apparently Washi-san thought they needed to do more practicing both together and transformed, so that's what they were up to every morning now. Tatsuya didn't really mind; it had gotten easier every time, his control just a little tighter. Reiko could transform at will now; he still hadn't quite gotten used to seeing her with the change in coloration, the claws and horns. She didn't seem to get any taller, though.
He caught her hand when she lunged for him, twisting her arm around behind her back. He anticipated the way she leaped to flip herself over, and let go before she could turn the hold around on him, taking the role of aggressor while she was still righting herself. His fist flew by her head when she leaned out of the way, lithe and flexible even for someone of her small size.
He pulled the next blow and sighed, turning to the others. They were all here, even Tsubasa and Sayuri, but he aimed his question at Aram. “What exactly are we aiming for, here?" It was one thing to say they had abilities they didn't know about, but more specifics would have been nice.
"I am... uncertain," he replied, pursing his lips together. "Amon mentioned that we needed to unlock our abilities, whatever they may be. And we can only do that if she unlocks her potential, first," he spoke, allowing his gaze to drift towards Reiko. Until we do, we must spend more time in our transformed states," he continued, glancing up to meet Tatsuya's gaze.
"He said it was a start, and that the rest was up to us," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "He was being... vague," which was saying something considering Aram was vague as hell. He sighed, though, and shook his head.
"I suppose, our aim is to unlock Reiko's potential, which in turn, should unlock ours," he stated, glancing towards Reiko. "She is... off to a good start now that she can transform at will, though," he added.
Reiko grimaced slightly, reaching up to rub at her stubby ivory-colored horns. She looked slightly uncomfortable with them, as though she hadn't quite gotten used to that form yet. He thought they were actually kind of cute if anything; she looked more like a doll with oni markings than an actual oni. The thought almost made him smile.
“I'm sorry," she murmured. He'd noticed her pronoun switch, but didn't point it out just in case embarrassment would make her switch back. He much preferred the confidence implied by the change. “I really don't know how I'm supposed to unlock anything. I didn't even know I could transform until just a little while ago, though I think I might have done it before, somehow..."
Aram pursed his lips together, as if he were debating with himself on whether or not he should speak. Sighing softly, it looked like he decided on something. "You have... once," he answered. He sighed a little deeper, this time, tinged with something melancholy. He remained quiet once more, but he'd seemed resolved in continuing on how he knew that.
"It was the day... Amon died," he spoke softly, as though he knew that bringing up the subject would upset Reiko. But he did not stop. "The day your father died, he said that you'd been able to give him what he needed to save you, to protect you from Eiji," he spoke, his voice a little louder.
"He did not precisely say how you unlocked his ability, only that you did," he dropped his gaze.
Tatsuya watched Reiko's expression shift; her lips parted and a flash of hurt passed behind her eyes, the same way it did anyone brought up the old man. “But... I don't remember anything about that," she said softly, glancing down at the ground.
“Maybe not," Tatsuya replied. “But I remember some things." He glanced at Kentaro and Tsubasa. They looked about as grim as he felt. All of them had always avoided talking about this because there didn't seem to be any reason to bring it up. It hadn't seemed connected, and none of them had wanted to upset Reiko.
He sighed. “When we got there, Takahiro reached you first," he started, figuring it was best to fill everyone else in.
Reiko furrowed her brows. “No he didn't," she said, shaking her head. “The first person I saw was you, Suya."
“What? But he handed you to—that son of a bitch."
Takahiro had handed Reiko off to Tatsuya. If that was the first thing she remembered... then it wasn't out of the question that the reason she didn't remember anything was him.
“Washi-san. Could the old man modify memory?" All of them had inherited powers from their father, but none of them had exactly the same set. It was completely possible that Takahiro had hidden something like that from them. If their father could do something like that, then there was a chance that he could, as well.
Something like realization crossed his face. "Yes, he could," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "If what you say is true, then it is possible that Reiko's memory was altered. It... was not an easy thing to do, if I remember correctly," he continued. His eyes widened just slightly. "It is... possible that Takahiro might have been responsible for the entire thing. For Amon's death, for Reiko's altered memories," he spoke suddenly, his eyes narrowing lightly.
"If he altered Reiko's memories, it is possible that he was under Eiji's thumb even then," he spoke solemnly. "There is, however, a way to reverse it. I... don't know exactly how it is done, though. Amon never had reason to reverse someone's memory," he added.
Tatsuya frowned. Maybe there was such a way, but the ability wasn't one he thought he had. It seemed like it would take too much time to pursue right now. Maybe if he could tell her everything he could recall about the scene, it'd shake something loose.
“There had been a battle, when we found ya," Tsubasa said, running a clawed hand through his hair. “But the thing was, there weren't any corpses."
Obviously, given the way their kind died, they shouldn't have been able to see the old man, but there had been no oni or humans or anything else either.
“The ground was soaked in chichi-ue's blood," Kentaro observed. “Perhaps even all of it."
“But... with Tou-chan's healing factor, he should have—"
Tatsuya nodded. “So either something stopped that from working or he voluntarily halted his own healing factor." He had a hard time believing even Eiji could stop the old man from healing if he had the energy for it. “Which makes it seem like he wanted to bleed out."
It is possible, Ayla finally spoke. She'd remained quiet for a majority of the conversation, being still in her wolf form, however; she must have had something to say. Aram glanced in her direction, and she simply sat on her hind legs, and shrugged. Amon's blood always had a weird effect on oni. It is possible that Amon used his blood in some kind of sacrificial ritual. You should know that, Ara,[ she stated, causing him to frown.
"True as that may be, it still doesn't really explain how there were no bodies," he added.
It could have just been a side-effect of Amon's ability, Ayla spoke. She had a flat look on her face. He could have taken them with him. When Amon died, he should have left some trace of himself behind. Ash of some kind, but he didn't, did he, she glanced at Tatsuya, and then to the others.
“Not that we encountered," Tatsuya agreed, slightly disgruntled by the news. If his locked power was something that would kill him, he didn't want the damn thing. Hopefully there was something more to it than that.
He looked in Reiko's direction. She was wearing a pensive frown. Shaking her head slowly, she glanced between all of them. “I'm sorry," she said, “I really don't recall anything. I think... I think I'm going to go to Tou-chan's shrine. Maybe if I just... clear my head a little, something will come back to me."
You have nothing to be sorry for, Reiko. It's not your fault, Ayla spoke, but said nothing further. Aram nodded his head in agreement, and tilted his head slightly.
"If you feel that is best, do you want me to go with you?" Aram spoke, causing Ayla to snort softly.
She wants to clear her head, Ara. She doesn't need any distractions, she spoke, causing Aram to sputter somewhat, and glanced away. She rolled her eyes at him, and shook her head. Do what you want, though. I'm not going to stop you. I'm going to go find my kimono... or something, probably so she could shift back.
“There's one over there," Tatsuya said, gesturing with his chin. One of his, of course, but he'd thought of this in advance. The servants here were used to the unusual, but it was better not to scare them by wandering through the halls in their current forms.
“If... if you'd like to come, I could use the company," Reiko admitted. “But I don't think it will be very interesting."
She huffed slightly, but made her way towards the direction he'd pointed to. Aram, however, smiled softly. "I'll come, if you want the company," he'd spoken as he walked next to her. A soft huffing noise to his side signaled that Ayla was back, and shifted. She had an amused brow raised, and glanced up at him.
"It's sickeningly adorable, isn't it?" she spoke, tilting her head in Aram and Reiko's direction.
Reiko must have heard them, because Tatsuya saw her flush as the two of them left.
He raised his voice just enough for the both of them to hear. “Mm. Very chaste. I have to say, I didn't expect to be the one who had to help my sister out of that kimono. I think she would have preferred a different assistant."
Tsubasa snorted.
Reiko glared at him over her shoulder, but considering the color of her face, she was about as intimidating as a wet kitten.
Ayla didn't bother holding back her laugh. Aram, however, didn't face them at all, but from the profile of his ears, his entire face must have been red. "Indeed, I have to concede that you, m'dear, are the worst," she spoke, chuckling lowly. "But I suppose it's not a bad thing. Aram wouldn't even know the first thing about removing a kimono," she'd spoken as if she were stating something obvious. She didn't even bother to keep her voice low.
"Ayla!" Aram spoke, turning around with a slightly disturbed look on his face. His face was as red as Reiko's.
"Speaking of removing things," Ayla spoke after she'd calmed her laughing. "Care to help me with this one so I can get back into mine?" she spoke, raising a suggestive brow. Aram seemed to mutter something incoherent.
"I don't need to hear that about my sister."
"Then go take Reiko to the shrine. Just make sure you don't do anything in front of it," the grin on Ayla's face at Aram's expression looked like it'd split her face.
“Hm, depends," Tatsuya shot back. “I might not be able to find any of yours, you understand."
“Ugh, you guys, seriously." Tsubasa made a faint gagging noise. “Get a room."
He caught her hand when she lunged for him, twisting her arm around behind her back. He anticipated the way she leaped to flip herself over, and let go before she could turn the hold around on him, taking the role of aggressor while she was still righting herself. His fist flew by her head when she leaned out of the way, lithe and flexible even for someone of her small size.
He pulled the next blow and sighed, turning to the others. They were all here, even Tsubasa and Sayuri, but he aimed his question at Aram. “What exactly are we aiming for, here?" It was one thing to say they had abilities they didn't know about, but more specifics would have been nice.
"I am... uncertain," he replied, pursing his lips together. "Amon mentioned that we needed to unlock our abilities, whatever they may be. And we can only do that if she unlocks her potential, first," he spoke, allowing his gaze to drift towards Reiko. Until we do, we must spend more time in our transformed states," he continued, glancing up to meet Tatsuya's gaze.
"He said it was a start, and that the rest was up to us," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "He was being... vague," which was saying something considering Aram was vague as hell. He sighed, though, and shook his head.
"I suppose, our aim is to unlock Reiko's potential, which in turn, should unlock ours," he stated, glancing towards Reiko. "She is... off to a good start now that she can transform at will, though," he added.
Reiko grimaced slightly, reaching up to rub at her stubby ivory-colored horns. She looked slightly uncomfortable with them, as though she hadn't quite gotten used to that form yet. He thought they were actually kind of cute if anything; she looked more like a doll with oni markings than an actual oni. The thought almost made him smile.
“I'm sorry," she murmured. He'd noticed her pronoun switch, but didn't point it out just in case embarrassment would make her switch back. He much preferred the confidence implied by the change. “I really don't know how I'm supposed to unlock anything. I didn't even know I could transform until just a little while ago, though I think I might have done it before, somehow..."
Aram pursed his lips together, as if he were debating with himself on whether or not he should speak. Sighing softly, it looked like he decided on something. "You have... once," he answered. He sighed a little deeper, this time, tinged with something melancholy. He remained quiet once more, but he'd seemed resolved in continuing on how he knew that.
"It was the day... Amon died," he spoke softly, as though he knew that bringing up the subject would upset Reiko. But he did not stop. "The day your father died, he said that you'd been able to give him what he needed to save you, to protect you from Eiji," he spoke, his voice a little louder.
"He did not precisely say how you unlocked his ability, only that you did," he dropped his gaze.
Tatsuya watched Reiko's expression shift; her lips parted and a flash of hurt passed behind her eyes, the same way it did anyone brought up the old man. “But... I don't remember anything about that," she said softly, glancing down at the ground.
“Maybe not," Tatsuya replied. “But I remember some things." He glanced at Kentaro and Tsubasa. They looked about as grim as he felt. All of them had always avoided talking about this because there didn't seem to be any reason to bring it up. It hadn't seemed connected, and none of them had wanted to upset Reiko.
He sighed. “When we got there, Takahiro reached you first," he started, figuring it was best to fill everyone else in.
Reiko furrowed her brows. “No he didn't," she said, shaking her head. “The first person I saw was you, Suya."
“What? But he handed you to—that son of a bitch."
Takahiro had handed Reiko off to Tatsuya. If that was the first thing she remembered... then it wasn't out of the question that the reason she didn't remember anything was him.
“Washi-san. Could the old man modify memory?" All of them had inherited powers from their father, but none of them had exactly the same set. It was completely possible that Takahiro had hidden something like that from them. If their father could do something like that, then there was a chance that he could, as well.
Something like realization crossed his face. "Yes, he could," he spoke, pursing his lips together. "If what you say is true, then it is possible that Reiko's memory was altered. It... was not an easy thing to do, if I remember correctly," he continued. His eyes widened just slightly. "It is... possible that Takahiro might have been responsible for the entire thing. For Amon's death, for Reiko's altered memories," he spoke suddenly, his eyes narrowing lightly.
"If he altered Reiko's memories, it is possible that he was under Eiji's thumb even then," he spoke solemnly. "There is, however, a way to reverse it. I... don't know exactly how it is done, though. Amon never had reason to reverse someone's memory," he added.
Tatsuya frowned. Maybe there was such a way, but the ability wasn't one he thought he had. It seemed like it would take too much time to pursue right now. Maybe if he could tell her everything he could recall about the scene, it'd shake something loose.
“There had been a battle, when we found ya," Tsubasa said, running a clawed hand through his hair. “But the thing was, there weren't any corpses."
Obviously, given the way their kind died, they shouldn't have been able to see the old man, but there had been no oni or humans or anything else either.
“The ground was soaked in chichi-ue's blood," Kentaro observed. “Perhaps even all of it."
“But... with Tou-chan's healing factor, he should have—"
Tatsuya nodded. “So either something stopped that from working or he voluntarily halted his own healing factor." He had a hard time believing even Eiji could stop the old man from healing if he had the energy for it. “Which makes it seem like he wanted to bleed out."
It is possible, Ayla finally spoke. She'd remained quiet for a majority of the conversation, being still in her wolf form, however; she must have had something to say. Aram glanced in her direction, and she simply sat on her hind legs, and shrugged. Amon's blood always had a weird effect on oni. It is possible that Amon used his blood in some kind of sacrificial ritual. You should know that, Ara,[ she stated, causing him to frown.
"True as that may be, it still doesn't really explain how there were no bodies," he added.
It could have just been a side-effect of Amon's ability, Ayla spoke. She had a flat look on her face. He could have taken them with him. When Amon died, he should have left some trace of himself behind. Ash of some kind, but he didn't, did he, she glanced at Tatsuya, and then to the others.
“Not that we encountered," Tatsuya agreed, slightly disgruntled by the news. If his locked power was something that would kill him, he didn't want the damn thing. Hopefully there was something more to it than that.
He looked in Reiko's direction. She was wearing a pensive frown. Shaking her head slowly, she glanced between all of them. “I'm sorry," she said, “I really don't recall anything. I think... I think I'm going to go to Tou-chan's shrine. Maybe if I just... clear my head a little, something will come back to me."
You have nothing to be sorry for, Reiko. It's not your fault, Ayla spoke, but said nothing further. Aram nodded his head in agreement, and tilted his head slightly.
"If you feel that is best, do you want me to go with you?" Aram spoke, causing Ayla to snort softly.
She wants to clear her head, Ara. She doesn't need any distractions, she spoke, causing Aram to sputter somewhat, and glanced away. She rolled her eyes at him, and shook her head. Do what you want, though. I'm not going to stop you. I'm going to go find my kimono... or something, probably so she could shift back.
“There's one over there," Tatsuya said, gesturing with his chin. One of his, of course, but he'd thought of this in advance. The servants here were used to the unusual, but it was better not to scare them by wandering through the halls in their current forms.
“If... if you'd like to come, I could use the company," Reiko admitted. “But I don't think it will be very interesting."
She huffed slightly, but made her way towards the direction he'd pointed to. Aram, however, smiled softly. "I'll come, if you want the company," he'd spoken as he walked next to her. A soft huffing noise to his side signaled that Ayla was back, and shifted. She had an amused brow raised, and glanced up at him.
"It's sickeningly adorable, isn't it?" she spoke, tilting her head in Aram and Reiko's direction.
Reiko must have heard them, because Tatsuya saw her flush as the two of them left.
He raised his voice just enough for the both of them to hear. “Mm. Very chaste. I have to say, I didn't expect to be the one who had to help my sister out of that kimono. I think she would have preferred a different assistant."
Tsubasa snorted.
Reiko glared at him over her shoulder, but considering the color of her face, she was about as intimidating as a wet kitten.
Ayla didn't bother holding back her laugh. Aram, however, didn't face them at all, but from the profile of his ears, his entire face must have been red. "Indeed, I have to concede that you, m'dear, are the worst," she spoke, chuckling lowly. "But I suppose it's not a bad thing. Aram wouldn't even know the first thing about removing a kimono," she'd spoken as if she were stating something obvious. She didn't even bother to keep her voice low.
"Ayla!" Aram spoke, turning around with a slightly disturbed look on his face. His face was as red as Reiko's.
"Speaking of removing things," Ayla spoke after she'd calmed her laughing. "Care to help me with this one so I can get back into mine?" she spoke, raising a suggestive brow. Aram seemed to mutter something incoherent.
"I don't need to hear that about my sister."
"Then go take Reiko to the shrine. Just make sure you don't do anything in front of it," the grin on Ayla's face at Aram's expression looked like it'd split her face.
“Hm, depends," Tatsuya shot back. “I might not be able to find any of yours, you understand."
“Ugh, you guys, seriously." Tsubasa made a faint gagging noise. “Get a room."
Ayla sighed, the sound coming out content and... blissful. She'd never really felt this happy about anything, really. It made her heart flutter and feel strange, and she could feel her stomach doing strange flips. It was... words couldn't describe what it was, and she wasn't sure she could put any to it. She was, for once in her life, happy. Happy in a way she didn't think was possible. And it was all his doing. All his. Shaking her head, she pushed herself forward, leaning over so that she was balanced on the edge of the practice ring.
Reiko still hadn't been able to figure out how to unlock her potential, however; it'd only been a day. If experience told her anything, it was that things like that could not be rushed. Time wasn't a luxury, though, but perhaps Reiko would figure something out, soon. She pursed her lips together, straightening out her back as she pushed her tail over her shoulder. She'd kept her hair pulled back during this training exercise simply for the necessity of not having it distracting her. She'd been one of the first people out on the training grounds, practicing since before sunrise.
That was alright, though. She preferred it when she had most of the ring to herself. Not that she didn't enjoy sparring with the others, however; she'd been trying to keep her shifts down to more private matters. She didn't need to shred any of her clothing, either. She sighed, pulling in a breath as she glanced up. The sun was high, now, and she'd practiced well into the afternoon.
"I suppose a bath is in order," she spoke, lifting her ponytail and sniffing it. She didn't smell, but she was covered in sweat, and it wasn't exactly the kind she wanted to be covered in at the moment. She almost chuckled to herself. "And being addicted to something isn't a bad thing," she muttered to herself, though it wasn't as much something as it was someone. Rolling her eyes at herself, she shook her head and prepared to leave. It didn't look like the others were coming to train today, but she found she didn't mind. Maybe they would, just at a later time?
Reiko was probably still at the shrine. She could smell Tatsuya, though; he was getting closer.
When he appeared, it was in training clothes, and somewhat sweaty, as though he'd already done his training as well. Perhaps he'd gone elsewhere to do it for once. He approached when he spotted her, a half-smile pulling at his lips. He didn't smile much, but he usually found one in her company.
Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips by way of greeting. It wasn't hurried, but as far as they went, it was a chaste thing. “Good afternoon," he said, his tone a low, sonorous baritone. “Don't tell me you've been practicing all day?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she stated, pulling back a bit to stretch her arms out. "I'm covered in sweat, I stink, and my hair's pulled back. I think that qualifies, ne?" she stated, allowing a small smirk to pull at her lips. "But if you must know, yes I have been. You know, have to do the whole 'train till something happens' thing," she added, shaking her head softly. She placed a hand on her hip, though, and glanced at him.
"But from the looks of it, I'm not the only one," she said, making the observation a little more obvious. Her eyes roamed over him, after all. She chuckled lowly, though. She'd never get tired of doing that, actually. Just looking at him, tasting him, and even just holding him, some way or another. She sighed a little heavily. She really was that far gone, wasn't she?
He seemed to soak up the attention anyway, so perhaps it was a good thing. Tatsuya narrowed his eyes until they were half-lidded, tilting his head as if considering some puzzle she presented. “Well," he said, drawing the word out a little. “I was going to suggest that we work on finding you a hobby or two, but since it seems we both need a bath, perhaps a change of plans is in order, hm?"
She snorted softly. Only he could make a suggestion like that sound enticing. "And what if I already have a hobby, hm?" she questioned, arching her brow somewhat. Not that she did, but she'd consider sparring with him a hobby of sorts. Perhaps not a good one, but one nonetheless. She did, however, give the impression that she was contemplating his offer. She smiled and shook her head.
"But a bath does sound nice right about now," and it wasn't like it was an uncommon thing for a bath. She allowed the smile to quirk up a bit more, though. "Oh, you mean together," she stated it in a way that made it sound like she hadn't really caught on, however; he would know better. She had to keep herself from laughing at her own ridiculousness, though. "Hm... the offer is tempting. Very. Tempting," she drew out slowly, making her way so that she stood not more than a couple of inches from him.
She lifted her hand so that she could trace her forefinger along the side of his jaw, up to his ear, and into the back of his neck. She wasn't tall enough to reach fully into his hair, after all, so she settled with that. "What's in it for me, hm?" she asked, trailing her finger back to his chin and dropping it after.
He snorted softly, but she could feel the way he shuddered when she touched him. “I think you have a pretty good idea, the way you were looking a moment ago," he replied with obvious good humor, catching her hand as she dropped it away. The rough pad of his thumb traced small circles on the delicate skin at the inside of her wrist. “Of course, the fun part is that you won't even be completely sure until you have it, right?"
He raised her hand to his lips. At first it looked like he was going to kiss her knuckles, but he actually nipped lightly at her fingertips instead. It was playful, and the look in his eyes matched. He seemed younger somehow, smiling in that particular way, with that mischievous flicker in the way he looked at her.
She laughed. "Is that a challenge I hear?" she asked, raising a brow in the same manner. "Because I could have sworn I won the last one, even if it was by default," she spoke, huffing lightly. Of course, she'd never really know the actual outcome of that challenge. She'd killed her fair share of oni and humans, however; from what she'd recalled, he'd also managed to get to a camp of oni. If anything he was the one who might have actually won.
Smug little shithead.
"And really, my fingers? I need those," she added, laughing lightly. "Because if you wanted something else, you know I'd give it to you," she spoke, leaving it open as to what she meant. There were, after all, a lot of things she'd give him. He only had to ask it of her. Actually, he didn't even have to ask. He could just take it, and she wouldn't really mind.
“Something else, is it?" He cocked an eyebrow; one hand slid around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He stepped in to meet her until there wasn't any space there. The fingers of his hand skimmed the small of her back over her clothes; even through the fabric he had a slight chill to him.
His other hand went to her face; he smoothed his index finger over her lower lip. “So then if I wanted these, you'd be all right with that, would you?" He traced his finger down the column of her throat, running it along the edge of her collar, down to the bottom of the v created by the fold of the garment. If he was at all bothered by the sweat she'd built from exercising, he sure as hell wasn't showing it.
Sometimes she really hated him. Not in a bad way, of course. She enjoyed every minute of it. "All you have to do is say it, and they are yours," she spoke. Just like her heart, and every other part of her, was. "Just not my fingers. I need those," she spoke, offering him a light smirk. Hell, he could have her fingers if he wanted them; she wouldn't care any less.
He clicked his tongue, shaking his head with what seemed to be disappointment. False, most likely. Quite without warning, he slid the arm on her waist down and lifted her, walking them back until her back came in contact with the wall behind them. He'd lifted far enough that she was almost his height.
At first it seemed like he was going to kiss her, but he diverted to the side at the last moment and spoke in her ear instead. “You should know by now that I'm a greedy man, Ayla. I don't much like hearing that I only get part of you. Not when I want everything." He turned his head just slightly, laying a slow kiss right at the most sensitive part of her neck.
Though she did hate when he did that. It was sensitive for a reason, and she'd mustered every last ounce of strength she could, to keep from laughing. "Oh, but if I didn't have my fingers, I wouldn't be able to do this," she spoke, raising one of her hands to the back of his neck. She slipped her fingers through his hair, curling what strands she could, between them. "Or this," she spoke, tilting her head so she could do so into his ear. She slipped her hand into the back of his head, and pulled his head back up.
She placed a slow kiss on his lips, pulling lightly at the bottom of his lip before working a trail of butterfly kisses against his cheek bone. "But if you want my fingers, I guess I can part with those, too," she spoke, pulling back somewhat. She smirked at him, a brow arching as she did so. "Anything else you want?" she questioned in a playful tone.
“Hmm..." He maneuvered to catch her mouth with his again, his free hand reaching up to the tie on her hair and tugging it loose. He didn't seem in much of a hurry to answer, kissing her until they were both out of breath. Pulling back just a little, he brushed her nose with his. The gesture was pure affection, something he seemed not to mind. “Would you prefer the list in alphabetical order or in order of how much I want particular things right now?"
He smiled slowly, perhaps with a few too many teeth to be benign. Then again, benign was not a word that ever described him, really. “Because I think you can guess what would top that list."
"I can guess of a few things," she spoke, trying to catch her breath. "But why don't you enlighten me," she stated, smiling to match his. "Because I've already told you," she began, reaching up to trace her finger along his jaw. "Whatever you want, it's yours. I'm, yours."
“Well then... let's start with that bath, shall we?"
"Oh, so that's what it is?" she replied, leaning forward slightly to nuzzle the inside of his neck. She dragged her lips along the juncture of his neck, nipping lightly before pulling back. "Let's start with the bath, then."
Reiko still hadn't been able to figure out how to unlock her potential, however; it'd only been a day. If experience told her anything, it was that things like that could not be rushed. Time wasn't a luxury, though, but perhaps Reiko would figure something out, soon. She pursed her lips together, straightening out her back as she pushed her tail over her shoulder. She'd kept her hair pulled back during this training exercise simply for the necessity of not having it distracting her. She'd been one of the first people out on the training grounds, practicing since before sunrise.
That was alright, though. She preferred it when she had most of the ring to herself. Not that she didn't enjoy sparring with the others, however; she'd been trying to keep her shifts down to more private matters. She didn't need to shred any of her clothing, either. She sighed, pulling in a breath as she glanced up. The sun was high, now, and she'd practiced well into the afternoon.
"I suppose a bath is in order," she spoke, lifting her ponytail and sniffing it. She didn't smell, but she was covered in sweat, and it wasn't exactly the kind she wanted to be covered in at the moment. She almost chuckled to herself. "And being addicted to something isn't a bad thing," she muttered to herself, though it wasn't as much something as it was someone. Rolling her eyes at herself, she shook her head and prepared to leave. It didn't look like the others were coming to train today, but she found she didn't mind. Maybe they would, just at a later time?
Reiko was probably still at the shrine. She could smell Tatsuya, though; he was getting closer.
When he appeared, it was in training clothes, and somewhat sweaty, as though he'd already done his training as well. Perhaps he'd gone elsewhere to do it for once. He approached when he spotted her, a half-smile pulling at his lips. He didn't smile much, but he usually found one in her company.
Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips by way of greeting. It wasn't hurried, but as far as they went, it was a chaste thing. “Good afternoon," he said, his tone a low, sonorous baritone. “Don't tell me you've been practicing all day?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she stated, pulling back a bit to stretch her arms out. "I'm covered in sweat, I stink, and my hair's pulled back. I think that qualifies, ne?" she stated, allowing a small smirk to pull at her lips. "But if you must know, yes I have been. You know, have to do the whole 'train till something happens' thing," she added, shaking her head softly. She placed a hand on her hip, though, and glanced at him.
"But from the looks of it, I'm not the only one," she said, making the observation a little more obvious. Her eyes roamed over him, after all. She chuckled lowly, though. She'd never get tired of doing that, actually. Just looking at him, tasting him, and even just holding him, some way or another. She sighed a little heavily. She really was that far gone, wasn't she?
He seemed to soak up the attention anyway, so perhaps it was a good thing. Tatsuya narrowed his eyes until they were half-lidded, tilting his head as if considering some puzzle she presented. “Well," he said, drawing the word out a little. “I was going to suggest that we work on finding you a hobby or two, but since it seems we both need a bath, perhaps a change of plans is in order, hm?"
She snorted softly. Only he could make a suggestion like that sound enticing. "And what if I already have a hobby, hm?" she questioned, arching her brow somewhat. Not that she did, but she'd consider sparring with him a hobby of sorts. Perhaps not a good one, but one nonetheless. She did, however, give the impression that she was contemplating his offer. She smiled and shook her head.
"But a bath does sound nice right about now," and it wasn't like it was an uncommon thing for a bath. She allowed the smile to quirk up a bit more, though. "Oh, you mean together," she stated it in a way that made it sound like she hadn't really caught on, however; he would know better. She had to keep herself from laughing at her own ridiculousness, though. "Hm... the offer is tempting. Very. Tempting," she drew out slowly, making her way so that she stood not more than a couple of inches from him.
She lifted her hand so that she could trace her forefinger along the side of his jaw, up to his ear, and into the back of his neck. She wasn't tall enough to reach fully into his hair, after all, so she settled with that. "What's in it for me, hm?" she asked, trailing her finger back to his chin and dropping it after.
He snorted softly, but she could feel the way he shuddered when she touched him. “I think you have a pretty good idea, the way you were looking a moment ago," he replied with obvious good humor, catching her hand as she dropped it away. The rough pad of his thumb traced small circles on the delicate skin at the inside of her wrist. “Of course, the fun part is that you won't even be completely sure until you have it, right?"
He raised her hand to his lips. At first it looked like he was going to kiss her knuckles, but he actually nipped lightly at her fingertips instead. It was playful, and the look in his eyes matched. He seemed younger somehow, smiling in that particular way, with that mischievous flicker in the way he looked at her.
She laughed. "Is that a challenge I hear?" she asked, raising a brow in the same manner. "Because I could have sworn I won the last one, even if it was by default," she spoke, huffing lightly. Of course, she'd never really know the actual outcome of that challenge. She'd killed her fair share of oni and humans, however; from what she'd recalled, he'd also managed to get to a camp of oni. If anything he was the one who might have actually won.
Smug little shithead.
"And really, my fingers? I need those," she added, laughing lightly. "Because if you wanted something else, you know I'd give it to you," she spoke, leaving it open as to what she meant. There were, after all, a lot of things she'd give him. He only had to ask it of her. Actually, he didn't even have to ask. He could just take it, and she wouldn't really mind.
“Something else, is it?" He cocked an eyebrow; one hand slid around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He stepped in to meet her until there wasn't any space there. The fingers of his hand skimmed the small of her back over her clothes; even through the fabric he had a slight chill to him.
His other hand went to her face; he smoothed his index finger over her lower lip. “So then if I wanted these, you'd be all right with that, would you?" He traced his finger down the column of her throat, running it along the edge of her collar, down to the bottom of the v created by the fold of the garment. If he was at all bothered by the sweat she'd built from exercising, he sure as hell wasn't showing it.
Sometimes she really hated him. Not in a bad way, of course. She enjoyed every minute of it. "All you have to do is say it, and they are yours," she spoke. Just like her heart, and every other part of her, was. "Just not my fingers. I need those," she spoke, offering him a light smirk. Hell, he could have her fingers if he wanted them; she wouldn't care any less.
He clicked his tongue, shaking his head with what seemed to be disappointment. False, most likely. Quite without warning, he slid the arm on her waist down and lifted her, walking them back until her back came in contact with the wall behind them. He'd lifted far enough that she was almost his height.
At first it seemed like he was going to kiss her, but he diverted to the side at the last moment and spoke in her ear instead. “You should know by now that I'm a greedy man, Ayla. I don't much like hearing that I only get part of you. Not when I want everything." He turned his head just slightly, laying a slow kiss right at the most sensitive part of her neck.
Though she did hate when he did that. It was sensitive for a reason, and she'd mustered every last ounce of strength she could, to keep from laughing. "Oh, but if I didn't have my fingers, I wouldn't be able to do this," she spoke, raising one of her hands to the back of his neck. She slipped her fingers through his hair, curling what strands she could, between them. "Or this," she spoke, tilting her head so she could do so into his ear. She slipped her hand into the back of his head, and pulled his head back up.
She placed a slow kiss on his lips, pulling lightly at the bottom of his lip before working a trail of butterfly kisses against his cheek bone. "But if you want my fingers, I guess I can part with those, too," she spoke, pulling back somewhat. She smirked at him, a brow arching as she did so. "Anything else you want?" she questioned in a playful tone.
“Hmm..." He maneuvered to catch her mouth with his again, his free hand reaching up to the tie on her hair and tugging it loose. He didn't seem in much of a hurry to answer, kissing her until they were both out of breath. Pulling back just a little, he brushed her nose with his. The gesture was pure affection, something he seemed not to mind. “Would you prefer the list in alphabetical order or in order of how much I want particular things right now?"
He smiled slowly, perhaps with a few too many teeth to be benign. Then again, benign was not a word that ever described him, really. “Because I think you can guess what would top that list."
"I can guess of a few things," she spoke, trying to catch her breath. "But why don't you enlighten me," she stated, smiling to match his. "Because I've already told you," she began, reaching up to trace her finger along his jaw. "Whatever you want, it's yours. I'm, yours."
“Well then... let's start with that bath, shall we?"
"Oh, so that's what it is?" she replied, leaning forward slightly to nuzzle the inside of his neck. She dragged her lips along the juncture of his neck, nipping lightly before pulling back. "Let's start with the bath, then."
The walk up to the shrine was a relatively long one; it was located well outside of the castle, in the forested area behind it. Reiko didn't rush or anything; the walk was quite scenic, and though she felt an urgency with respect to trying to figure out her powers, she didn't think making it half an hour earlier to the location would make any difference.
The dirt path to the shrine was well-worn; she was far from the only person who visited. Though she was probably the only one who'd known Tou-chan personally.
She slid her eyes to Aram beside her, but quickly turned them back to the path. “The shrine has actually been there for several hundred years," she said, picking a nonexistent speck off one of her sleeves as she walked. “My family has maintained the illusion of mortality for a long time, which didn't really fit too well with what Tou-chan did when he first got here." She half-smiled, remembering him tell the story.
“It wasn't very well-settled back then, and the farmers were constantly disrupted by bandits. Tou-chan defeated them all himself, and he wasn't shy about using his abilities to do it. Some of the people who saw him took him for a god, and built him a shrine. So he's the ujigami for this place, I suppose." She snorted softly. “He used to come here and read the prayers people had left, to get an idea for what they needed. They wouldn't always talk to the lord, but they would pray to the god, and he'd know what troubled them. Now, I... I suppose coming here makes me feel like some part of him is left."
Aram hummed softly as she spoke. He didn't say anything, merely keeping in step with her as she walked. He kept his gaze forward, occasionally glancing at her from the corner of his eye, though. "It seems that he was a well loved individual," he finally spoke, turning his head to fully glance down at her. He smiled softly, and had his hands folded in front of him in the sleeves of his yukata.
"Though I can understand why. He was... many things," he spoke, allowing the smile to falter just lightly. "I... admired him for that part of himself, you know," he spoke softly, glancing away with a light pink hue dusting his cheeks. "He was... better at expressing himself, and people always seemed to flock to him," he continued, laughing a little nervously.
"But perhaps it is a good thing that this was a long time ago. I have learned to be... more confident?" he didn't seem to sure about the word.
“There was no one in the world like Tou-chan," Reiko agreed. He'd had a very unique charisma about him, a certain force of personality that tended to put people at ease at the same time as he exuded a certain kind of confident authority. It was an odd mix of things, but somehow it had always seemed so natural for him, like it was simply part of who he was.
She hesitated a moment, but then reached over and took Aram's hand, folding her fingers gently around his. “But I think there's no one in the world like you, either," she continued, fighting down her sense of embarrassment. This was all very new to her, still, and she was trying to feel out the contours of it. “You're different, but... I like that about you."
He smiled down at her, lacing his fingers with hers to hold her hand a little more securely. "I am glad," he spoke, though the color on his face turned deeper. It must have been new for him, too. He did confess that she was the first woman he'd loved, after all. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and returned his attention to the road in front of them.
"But the same could be said about you, too. There is no one in the world like you, either," he'd spoken it as if it were the absolute truth. He glanced down at her again, and smiled a reassuring smile. He applied some pressure to her hand, squeezing it as an extra measure, it seemed. "It is a good thing, though, that there is not another person like us. It means we are all unique in our own ways," he spoke, but his smile faltered somewhat.
"And it is a good thing that there is no one else like your brother and Ayla. Any more of them... would be disastrous," he spoke, pursing his lips together. It wasn't a secret that the two of them constantly teased Reiko and Aram.
Reiko groaned slightly by way of answer. They were terrible. She loved them dearly, but one of these days they were going to give her a heart problem.
They reached the shrine itself at that point, mounting the stairs up to where it sat at the top of a hill. The building was modest, but well-maintained. Reiko knew that a family in the village usually maintained the shrine, though it wasn't nearly large enough to have a full-time staff or anything.
After cleansing with the clean water off to the side, she approached the shrine itself, removing a bit of incense she'd tucked away in her obi and lighting it. Lowering herself to the floor, she put it in the holder in front of the small altar, closing her eyes and pressing her palms together.
Tou-chan, you've always protected me. Please... one last time, show me what I need to do. I love you.
She stood, cracking her eyes open and releasing a soft sigh. Tilting her head at Aram, she smiled a little. “I'm going to try meditating now. I should probably do it while transformed, I guess. Would you sit with me?"
Aram smiled softly at her, and nodded. "Of course," he spoke as well. He stood next to her before taking a seat. He sat properly, his back straight and his hands folded on his lap. "Oh... is it going to be easier to do so with me around? Ayla mentioned that I might distract you somehow," he asked suddenly. He glanced at her and tilted his head. He, of course, wouldn't know the implication of those words, at least not fully.
"Because if I do, I can wait over there for you," he added, tilting his head in the direction behind them.
“Actually," Reiko replied, “I think it might help. I'm supposed to be figuring out how to use my abilities to... do something with yours, after all. S-so it makes sense for you to be close by." Perhaps his proximity would be a bit distracting in a certain sense, but Reiko knew how to focus, and this was important.
She rearranged herself so she was sitting directly in front of him, their knees almost touching, and reached inside herself to the core of what she was, drawing it to the surface.
She still wasn't sure how she felt about her transformation. She'd spent so much time around humans in her life that she'd almost started to think of herself as one, in a way. But this... when she looked like this, felt like this, there was no way such an illusion could remain.
Shaking off the feeling, Reiko took in a deep breath and let her eyes close, trying to empty her mind of extraneous thoughts. It was difficult, considering how much sharper her senses were than usual. She seemed to notice everything: the slight rustle of fabric when either of them moved even a little, the steady rhythm of Aram's breathing, and his scent. It was heady, this close, but she did her best to ignore it.
Reiko considered her situation as the sun climbed higher into the sky. Her powers always involved receiving something, except one. Her empathy allowed her to take in the emotions of others. Her healing talent let her assume someone else's pain. The exception was her sanctification, and even that was receptive, in a way. She received information from within the area of it, understood what was going on in that area as well as she understood herself. Better, sometimes.
But it was also the only ability that she initiated first. She pushed her power into an area, in a way. The light motes stayed there, even; her garden grew better because she protected it. It was also the only power she had that didn't work directly on another person.
...but what if it did?
Cracking open an eye, she decided that the thought was crazy, but it might also work. “Aram? ...can I try something with you?"
He blinked slowly at her, his head tilting to the side. He seemed to study her for a moment, but finally, he tipped his head. "Of course. Is there anything you need me to do?" he spoke, tilting his head slightly at the inquiry he made. "Or should I just... stay here?" he continued, seemingly less nervous and more focused.
“You don't have to do anything," she said. For a moment, Reiko hesitated, then amended. “But if this starts to hurt or feel uncomfortable, please let me know right away."
Leaning forward a little, she picked up his hands with hers, moving them so that they rested right between them. She had to be in an area to sanctify it; maybe if she wanted to do the same thing to a person she should be in contact with them.
Letting her eyes close again, Reiko focused on Aram for a while, trying to get a feel for the contours of his power. She had the impression of an ocean almost, something vast and deep and smooth from a distance. Slowly, she morphed the mental image, imagining herself as standing on the shore as the surface of the water gradually started to move. Waves, small at first but growing, started to creep further and further up the shore towards her, and she stepped forward at the same time.
After what seemed like an eternity trying to push and pull the water, it finally swelled over her feet. Reaching down in the picture in her mind, Reiko touched her fingers to it, pushing her power outwards into the water, as though she were trying to protect the ocean itself.
Something snapped into place, and she felt her energy draining from her at an alarming rate. Like being dragged forward by an undertow.
Reiko didn't fight it, letting herself be carried out on the tide, submerging herself in the water until it had taken from her everything it wanted. Her head broke the surface, and she gasped for air, the sharp sound alerting her to the fact that she'd done that much in reality as well.
She felt suddenly drained, as though she really needed to eat and sleep, but it was a good kind of fatigue, perhaps. Eager to see what had happened, she cracked her eyes open and sucked in another sharp breath.
“Aram, you..."
He looked... different. He didn't look like the same Aram. He had horns protruding from his head, almost similar to her and her brother's transformation, however; where they shared in the same red markings, his horns were a little thicker and coated in strange markings. There were two small horns beneath the other two, as well. He almost looked like an oni, without their bulk or strange skin color. The only color on his skin were the markings that fell from beneath his eyes, and down into his yukata.
His eyes had been closed when she'd spoken, however; as soon as he opened his eyes, they were tinged slightly with red. He blinked slowly at her. "I am... changed," he spoke slowly, almost as if he didn't believe it himself, however; the proof was looking straight at her. He blinked a few more times, as if he were trying to adjust his vision. He tilted his head for a moment before smiling at her. There was a hint of fang, but it wasn't like the eyeteeth she and her brothers sported when they fed.
"I do not know what this means, but... I believe you've found yourself," he spoke, still smiling at her. That was another difference. Where her brother's voices would deepen, Aram's seemed to stay the same. It was still light, and had no lingering sounds to it.
Reiko blinked slowly, a smile spreading gradually over her face. Reaching forward, she touched the root of one of his horns, running her finer up the marks with curiosity. They were indeed longer than she was used to seeing, curved slightly backwards. Maybe not quite as dense as Suya's. She had no idea what the marks meant, if anything.
She huffed softly, returning her hand to her lap and shaking her head slightly. Tucking a few white hairs behind her ear, she dropped her eyes to his. “You're beautiful," she informed him with some amusement. “It figures." Even as an oni, he would be.
His face turned a deep red color, mixing in with the color of the markings. His gaze faltered for just a second, before he shook his head. "Does it... upset you?" he asked, slight concern lacing his voice. His face had twisted slightly, almost as if her words were unsettling to him. Perhaps he'd just never considered the possibilities?
"Because if it does... I am sorry," he apologized. It almost looked like he was pouting.
Reiko tried valiantly to contain her laugher into a huff, but failed. Instead, she burst into giggles, hugging herself around the middle. The look on his face was really just too funny. She shook her head repeatedly, barely avoiding another round of chuckles when she finally got herself together enough to look back up at him. “Upset me?" she echoed. “Well... I suppose some women might be upset if the man they loved was more beautiful than they were, but I'm not."
Shifting onto her knees, she leaned forward, draping her arms over his shoulders to steady herself. The proximity was still enough to fluster her, but it was a little easier now, especially since she'd initiated it herself in this case. That didn't stop her heart from thundering in her chest, of course, especially when she leaned the rest of the way forward and brushed her lips over his.
When she started laughing, he looked slightly panicked, however; his face smoothed back over to a small smile, and it grew against her lips when she kissed him. He huffed slowly, placing a hand on the back of her head to keep her in place. "Thank goodness," he spoke softly, letting out a small breath of relief. He seemed genuinely worried about it for that moment. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment before he leaned forward again, kissing her slowly, and gently.
He was always gentle with her, and never seemed to rush anything. "I was worried there, for a minute," he spoke, once they'd broken apart. He lowered his head back to hers, so that their foreheads were touching again. "But I believe you are wrong, Reiko," he spoke softly, lifting his eyes so that he was looking at her. Their foreheads were still touching, but the look in his eyes seemed rather intent, and serious.
"I am not more beautiful than you. You... outshine even me," he spoke, a small smile spreading across his lips. He spoke the words with a genuine tone.
It was her turn to go red, which was more or less par for the course with them. She huffed softly. “I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, then," she said quietly. She traced one of the marks under his eyes with a fingertip, then clicked her tongue and sat back, breaking their contact.
“We should really tell the others. I think I know what I need to do now, and you need to figure out how to use this new power of yours." She half-smiled wryly. Much as she might like to stay like this, there was work to be done, and that had to be more important.
He nodded his head, humming in agreement. "I need to learn how to do this at will, as well. I do not believe it is going to be easy, but it is a start," he spoke. He lifted himself easily enough, and turned in her direction "Shall we go inform the others?" he asked, offering her his hand to stand back up.
She took it, nodding as she stood. “Let's."
The dirt path to the shrine was well-worn; she was far from the only person who visited. Though she was probably the only one who'd known Tou-chan personally.
She slid her eyes to Aram beside her, but quickly turned them back to the path. “The shrine has actually been there for several hundred years," she said, picking a nonexistent speck off one of her sleeves as she walked. “My family has maintained the illusion of mortality for a long time, which didn't really fit too well with what Tou-chan did when he first got here." She half-smiled, remembering him tell the story.
“It wasn't very well-settled back then, and the farmers were constantly disrupted by bandits. Tou-chan defeated them all himself, and he wasn't shy about using his abilities to do it. Some of the people who saw him took him for a god, and built him a shrine. So he's the ujigami for this place, I suppose." She snorted softly. “He used to come here and read the prayers people had left, to get an idea for what they needed. They wouldn't always talk to the lord, but they would pray to the god, and he'd know what troubled them. Now, I... I suppose coming here makes me feel like some part of him is left."
Aram hummed softly as she spoke. He didn't say anything, merely keeping in step with her as she walked. He kept his gaze forward, occasionally glancing at her from the corner of his eye, though. "It seems that he was a well loved individual," he finally spoke, turning his head to fully glance down at her. He smiled softly, and had his hands folded in front of him in the sleeves of his yukata.
"Though I can understand why. He was... many things," he spoke, allowing the smile to falter just lightly. "I... admired him for that part of himself, you know," he spoke softly, glancing away with a light pink hue dusting his cheeks. "He was... better at expressing himself, and people always seemed to flock to him," he continued, laughing a little nervously.
"But perhaps it is a good thing that this was a long time ago. I have learned to be... more confident?" he didn't seem to sure about the word.
“There was no one in the world like Tou-chan," Reiko agreed. He'd had a very unique charisma about him, a certain force of personality that tended to put people at ease at the same time as he exuded a certain kind of confident authority. It was an odd mix of things, but somehow it had always seemed so natural for him, like it was simply part of who he was.
She hesitated a moment, but then reached over and took Aram's hand, folding her fingers gently around his. “But I think there's no one in the world like you, either," she continued, fighting down her sense of embarrassment. This was all very new to her, still, and she was trying to feel out the contours of it. “You're different, but... I like that about you."
He smiled down at her, lacing his fingers with hers to hold her hand a little more securely. "I am glad," he spoke, though the color on his face turned deeper. It must have been new for him, too. He did confess that she was the first woman he'd loved, after all. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and returned his attention to the road in front of them.
"But the same could be said about you, too. There is no one in the world like you, either," he'd spoken it as if it were the absolute truth. He glanced down at her again, and smiled a reassuring smile. He applied some pressure to her hand, squeezing it as an extra measure, it seemed. "It is a good thing, though, that there is not another person like us. It means we are all unique in our own ways," he spoke, but his smile faltered somewhat.
"And it is a good thing that there is no one else like your brother and Ayla. Any more of them... would be disastrous," he spoke, pursing his lips together. It wasn't a secret that the two of them constantly teased Reiko and Aram.
Reiko groaned slightly by way of answer. They were terrible. She loved them dearly, but one of these days they were going to give her a heart problem.
They reached the shrine itself at that point, mounting the stairs up to where it sat at the top of a hill. The building was modest, but well-maintained. Reiko knew that a family in the village usually maintained the shrine, though it wasn't nearly large enough to have a full-time staff or anything.
After cleansing with the clean water off to the side, she approached the shrine itself, removing a bit of incense she'd tucked away in her obi and lighting it. Lowering herself to the floor, she put it in the holder in front of the small altar, closing her eyes and pressing her palms together.
Tou-chan, you've always protected me. Please... one last time, show me what I need to do. I love you.
She stood, cracking her eyes open and releasing a soft sigh. Tilting her head at Aram, she smiled a little. “I'm going to try meditating now. I should probably do it while transformed, I guess. Would you sit with me?"
Aram smiled softly at her, and nodded. "Of course," he spoke as well. He stood next to her before taking a seat. He sat properly, his back straight and his hands folded on his lap. "Oh... is it going to be easier to do so with me around? Ayla mentioned that I might distract you somehow," he asked suddenly. He glanced at her and tilted his head. He, of course, wouldn't know the implication of those words, at least not fully.
"Because if I do, I can wait over there for you," he added, tilting his head in the direction behind them.
“Actually," Reiko replied, “I think it might help. I'm supposed to be figuring out how to use my abilities to... do something with yours, after all. S-so it makes sense for you to be close by." Perhaps his proximity would be a bit distracting in a certain sense, but Reiko knew how to focus, and this was important.
She rearranged herself so she was sitting directly in front of him, their knees almost touching, and reached inside herself to the core of what she was, drawing it to the surface.
She still wasn't sure how she felt about her transformation. She'd spent so much time around humans in her life that she'd almost started to think of herself as one, in a way. But this... when she looked like this, felt like this, there was no way such an illusion could remain.
Shaking off the feeling, Reiko took in a deep breath and let her eyes close, trying to empty her mind of extraneous thoughts. It was difficult, considering how much sharper her senses were than usual. She seemed to notice everything: the slight rustle of fabric when either of them moved even a little, the steady rhythm of Aram's breathing, and his scent. It was heady, this close, but she did her best to ignore it.
Reiko considered her situation as the sun climbed higher into the sky. Her powers always involved receiving something, except one. Her empathy allowed her to take in the emotions of others. Her healing talent let her assume someone else's pain. The exception was her sanctification, and even that was receptive, in a way. She received information from within the area of it, understood what was going on in that area as well as she understood herself. Better, sometimes.
But it was also the only ability that she initiated first. She pushed her power into an area, in a way. The light motes stayed there, even; her garden grew better because she protected it. It was also the only power she had that didn't work directly on another person.
...but what if it did?
Cracking open an eye, she decided that the thought was crazy, but it might also work. “Aram? ...can I try something with you?"
He blinked slowly at her, his head tilting to the side. He seemed to study her for a moment, but finally, he tipped his head. "Of course. Is there anything you need me to do?" he spoke, tilting his head slightly at the inquiry he made. "Or should I just... stay here?" he continued, seemingly less nervous and more focused.
“You don't have to do anything," she said. For a moment, Reiko hesitated, then amended. “But if this starts to hurt or feel uncomfortable, please let me know right away."
Leaning forward a little, she picked up his hands with hers, moving them so that they rested right between them. She had to be in an area to sanctify it; maybe if she wanted to do the same thing to a person she should be in contact with them.
Letting her eyes close again, Reiko focused on Aram for a while, trying to get a feel for the contours of his power. She had the impression of an ocean almost, something vast and deep and smooth from a distance. Slowly, she morphed the mental image, imagining herself as standing on the shore as the surface of the water gradually started to move. Waves, small at first but growing, started to creep further and further up the shore towards her, and she stepped forward at the same time.
After what seemed like an eternity trying to push and pull the water, it finally swelled over her feet. Reaching down in the picture in her mind, Reiko touched her fingers to it, pushing her power outwards into the water, as though she were trying to protect the ocean itself.
Something snapped into place, and she felt her energy draining from her at an alarming rate. Like being dragged forward by an undertow.
Reiko didn't fight it, letting herself be carried out on the tide, submerging herself in the water until it had taken from her everything it wanted. Her head broke the surface, and she gasped for air, the sharp sound alerting her to the fact that she'd done that much in reality as well.
She felt suddenly drained, as though she really needed to eat and sleep, but it was a good kind of fatigue, perhaps. Eager to see what had happened, she cracked her eyes open and sucked in another sharp breath.
“Aram, you..."
He looked... different. He didn't look like the same Aram. He had horns protruding from his head, almost similar to her and her brother's transformation, however; where they shared in the same red markings, his horns were a little thicker and coated in strange markings. There were two small horns beneath the other two, as well. He almost looked like an oni, without their bulk or strange skin color. The only color on his skin were the markings that fell from beneath his eyes, and down into his yukata.
His eyes had been closed when she'd spoken, however; as soon as he opened his eyes, they were tinged slightly with red. He blinked slowly at her. "I am... changed," he spoke slowly, almost as if he didn't believe it himself, however; the proof was looking straight at her. He blinked a few more times, as if he were trying to adjust his vision. He tilted his head for a moment before smiling at her. There was a hint of fang, but it wasn't like the eyeteeth she and her brothers sported when they fed.
"I do not know what this means, but... I believe you've found yourself," he spoke, still smiling at her. That was another difference. Where her brother's voices would deepen, Aram's seemed to stay the same. It was still light, and had no lingering sounds to it.
Reiko blinked slowly, a smile spreading gradually over her face. Reaching forward, she touched the root of one of his horns, running her finer up the marks with curiosity. They were indeed longer than she was used to seeing, curved slightly backwards. Maybe not quite as dense as Suya's. She had no idea what the marks meant, if anything.
She huffed softly, returning her hand to her lap and shaking her head slightly. Tucking a few white hairs behind her ear, she dropped her eyes to his. “You're beautiful," she informed him with some amusement. “It figures." Even as an oni, he would be.
His face turned a deep red color, mixing in with the color of the markings. His gaze faltered for just a second, before he shook his head. "Does it... upset you?" he asked, slight concern lacing his voice. His face had twisted slightly, almost as if her words were unsettling to him. Perhaps he'd just never considered the possibilities?
"Because if it does... I am sorry," he apologized. It almost looked like he was pouting.
Reiko tried valiantly to contain her laugher into a huff, but failed. Instead, she burst into giggles, hugging herself around the middle. The look on his face was really just too funny. She shook her head repeatedly, barely avoiding another round of chuckles when she finally got herself together enough to look back up at him. “Upset me?" she echoed. “Well... I suppose some women might be upset if the man they loved was more beautiful than they were, but I'm not."
Shifting onto her knees, she leaned forward, draping her arms over his shoulders to steady herself. The proximity was still enough to fluster her, but it was a little easier now, especially since she'd initiated it herself in this case. That didn't stop her heart from thundering in her chest, of course, especially when she leaned the rest of the way forward and brushed her lips over his.
When she started laughing, he looked slightly panicked, however; his face smoothed back over to a small smile, and it grew against her lips when she kissed him. He huffed slowly, placing a hand on the back of her head to keep her in place. "Thank goodness," he spoke softly, letting out a small breath of relief. He seemed genuinely worried about it for that moment. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment before he leaned forward again, kissing her slowly, and gently.
He was always gentle with her, and never seemed to rush anything. "I was worried there, for a minute," he spoke, once they'd broken apart. He lowered his head back to hers, so that their foreheads were touching again. "But I believe you are wrong, Reiko," he spoke softly, lifting his eyes so that he was looking at her. Their foreheads were still touching, but the look in his eyes seemed rather intent, and serious.
"I am not more beautiful than you. You... outshine even me," he spoke, a small smile spreading across his lips. He spoke the words with a genuine tone.
It was her turn to go red, which was more or less par for the course with them. She huffed softly. “I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, then," she said quietly. She traced one of the marks under his eyes with a fingertip, then clicked her tongue and sat back, breaking their contact.
“We should really tell the others. I think I know what I need to do now, and you need to figure out how to use this new power of yours." She half-smiled wryly. Much as she might like to stay like this, there was work to be done, and that had to be more important.
He nodded his head, humming in agreement. "I need to learn how to do this at will, as well. I do not believe it is going to be easy, but it is a start," he spoke. He lifted himself easily enough, and turned in her direction "Shall we go inform the others?" he asked, offering her his hand to stand back up.
She took it, nodding as she stood. “Let's."
For the last few months, everyone had increased their training procedures, each learning to master their own unique talent. Reiko had managed to pull forth everyone else's locked talents, though Aram still couldn't get used to his own. He looked like an oni, for one thing, and that comparison was just strange to him. Was this what he really was? Touching the tips of his horns, he frowned lightly. He still didn't understand the significance of the markings, only that he had them and the others did not. But then again, he wasn't like them, so perhaps it was fitting.
He could hear a slight grunting noise to his side, and he turned to face his sister. She'd also had a strange transformation, one that hovered as an intermediate form. She had the same red markings on her face, but she sported no horns, only ears. She didn't look quite the wolf she could be, but she also didn't look quite human. He supposed that was quite fitting, considering that they weren't. Sighing softly to himself, he returned to what he was doing. He turned his attention to a particular mark on his arm, and studied it.
He'd been able to summon particles of light with it, and in some ways, purify things with it. He still wasn't sure what that meant, but he supposed he'd be testing it in actual battle soon. There had been reports from scouts of Eiji and his oni army growing. When he'd be descending upon Shimamaki was something that Aram did not know, only that it'd be soon. Despite his newfound ability, his dreams never gave a specific day. He'd seen the battle, and the outcome of it, however; he'd known better than to believe it. It was as Amon had said, his dreams were possibilities, and not facts. He wanted to change the outcome of the battle.
Shaking his head, he opened his eyes, having realized that he'd closed them, and allowed his transformation to disappear. He glanced around him, noticing Ayla had done the same, however; the others still seemed to be in their transformed states. He had to admit, he admired their dedication and their willingness to train themselves beyond. Even their acceptance of such things was inspiring.
He smiled.
"You should stop smiling like that, Ara. It'll creep people out," Ayla spoke, huffing at him lightly. He blinked at her slowly and pursed his lips together.
"I wasn't aware a facial movement could be creepy," he spoke. Did he really do that? She chuckled at him, and he pursed his lips together. He should probably start learning not to take everything she said seriously. After all these years, he would have thought he'd be used to it by now.
At that point, Reiko appeared. She'd been absent most of the morning; they were intentionally practicing without her now, to make sure they learned to use their powers on their own, though it was always much easier and more effective when she was present. She smiled at all of them, but it disappeared quickly.
“The scouts are back," she said, loud enough for all of them to hear her. “He's coming. By their estimates, he'll be here in three days. I'm putting the evacuation plan in place; the townspeople are going to be moved to Sapporo for now."
He pursed his lips together. "That is good," he spoke, glancing down at her. It was wise to evacuate the people now rather than to wait until Eiji arrived with their army. It would minimize casualties to only the necessary onces. He sighed softly. No death should be necessary, however; Aram learned a long time ago that was the price of war. They would lose people, regardless if they were careful or not. It was just how wars were, however; he and the others could do their best to keep the casualties to a minimum by ending the war as quickly as they could.
"By then we will be prepared," he spoke, placing a hand on her head before dropping it to her shoulder. He gave it a soft squeeze and dropped his hand back to his side. "As long as we keep training, that is," he added. Of course, even he knew they could only train so much before they'd need a small rest. They had three days, though. Two days to train, and then prepare for the actual battle.
"Was there any other news?" he asked, tilting a brow up as he did. "Anything about numbers?" he added. If they could have an estimation of how many oni would be present, it wouldn't matter how many humans they had.
She frowned, then shook her head slowly. “Hundreds," she replied. “No humans anymore, just oni. At least fifty alphas, and ten even bigger. Not to mention..." He could see a pained expression flash across her face for a moment.
“Takahiro and Daichi are with them."
Tatsuya laid his sword over his shoulder. “Tsubasa's guys have been training pretty hard too, with the hunters. They should be able to deal with the small ones, at least. And we still have the wall. We'll just have to cut our way through the rest and get to that Eiji guy."
Aram sighed softly. "If there are larger ones than the alphas," he began, pursing his lips together. The humans wouldn't have much hope against anything bigger than an alpha. If they could get to the big ones, first, then at least the humans would have a better chance. Almost as if sensing his discomfort, Ayla placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shove.
"What did we say about thinking like that? You need to have more faith in the humans, Ara. They've trained diligently with the hunters, and the hunters have experience on their sides. Most of the machinations on the wall can take care of some of the alphas, too. Just... have more faith in them," she spoke. She'd spoken in a low voice, but it was apparent to him that she did not care if the others heard her.
"I am just worried for them," he spoke honestly. And he was, however; she was right. He needed to have a little more faith in them. She grinned at him, exposing her teeth in the process. "I believe you are right, though, Tatsuya. We will have to cut our way through if we are to reach Eiji. The sooner we can get to him, the sooner we can end the battle."
The other man dipped his head slightly. “Until then, we should just keep doing as we are. But we need to go into this as strong as possible, so we should rest on the last day before, to make sure we're not going in tired."
In the grand scheme of things, one day of training really wasn't going to make a difference. A full day of rest would be of more benefit for them. That much was certainly true.
Reiko nodded. “That makes sense. How was everyone's practice today? I can stick around for a little while if anyone would like to try something with me around?"
Ayla clicked her tongue, but shook her head. "I'm actually hungry. Really fucking hungry, so I'm going to go make something to eat. I'm sure you could use something in that pit you call a stomach, too, Ara," she spoke, grinning at him. He huffed lightly at her. He wasn't that hungry. Besides, he'd just eaten before they began training. It didn't do well to train on an empty stomach, after all.
"Alright, but I am not hungry," he spoke, watching as she shrugged her shoulders. She glanced at everyone else as if asking them the same question. He pursed his lips together. They didn't necessarily need food like he did, or she did. Their sustenance was blood, and they would need to make sure they were properly supplied for this battle. He glanced at Reiko, and felt his cheeks warm slightly.
It was still considered an intimate act, but he wanted her to know that she was welcome to his if she needed it. Plus, she was still serving as a source for two others, wasn't she? He shook his head lightly. It was something to ask her later, and not when the others were around. He was much to ashamed to admit his embarrassment, even to himself.
Kentaro and Tsubasa exchanged glances before shaking their heads, almost simultaneously. “We've got troops to organize," Tsubasa replied. “Actually, we'll take Sayuri-chan with us, too. See you guys later." He lifted a hand in a jaunty wave, and they departed.
Reiko smiled apologetically. “As much as I like your food, Ayla, I think I'm going to train a little more to make up for the time I missed this morning."
“I'll stay with her," Tatsuya decided. He glanced at Ayla for a moment, though, and smiled in a rather suggestive way. “Save me some dessert, would you?"
She snorted softly, waving her hand in a nonchalant fashion. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I might just eat it all. It'll be mine, after all," she spoke, smirking lightly before shaking her head. "But I'll think about it," she spoke, her smirk turning almost malicious for a moment before she left. Aram shook his head softly. He did not understand the way they were, sometimes, but he supposed he was grateful that she did not turn it around on him. She always did.
"I can stay as well, if you'd like," he spoke, glancing towards Reiko. He was, mostly, done with his training for now. But if she wanted his company, he would stay.
The smile she gave him was soft, but Reiko shook her head. “That's all right; go get something to eat. I'll come see you after we're done here?" It ended as a question, and she tilted her head as if to reinforce that.
Her brother snorted. “As though he'd say no," he muttered, seemingly somewhere between amused and sardonic.
He pursed his lips together. Tatsuya was right, though. He sighed softly, but smiled in return. "Of course," he spoke, placing a hand on her head before dropping it away. "I will see you, then," he spoke before taking his leave. He might as well eat something.
He could hear a slight grunting noise to his side, and he turned to face his sister. She'd also had a strange transformation, one that hovered as an intermediate form. She had the same red markings on her face, but she sported no horns, only ears. She didn't look quite the wolf she could be, but she also didn't look quite human. He supposed that was quite fitting, considering that they weren't. Sighing softly to himself, he returned to what he was doing. He turned his attention to a particular mark on his arm, and studied it.
He'd been able to summon particles of light with it, and in some ways, purify things with it. He still wasn't sure what that meant, but he supposed he'd be testing it in actual battle soon. There had been reports from scouts of Eiji and his oni army growing. When he'd be descending upon Shimamaki was something that Aram did not know, only that it'd be soon. Despite his newfound ability, his dreams never gave a specific day. He'd seen the battle, and the outcome of it, however; he'd known better than to believe it. It was as Amon had said, his dreams were possibilities, and not facts. He wanted to change the outcome of the battle.
Shaking his head, he opened his eyes, having realized that he'd closed them, and allowed his transformation to disappear. He glanced around him, noticing Ayla had done the same, however; the others still seemed to be in their transformed states. He had to admit, he admired their dedication and their willingness to train themselves beyond. Even their acceptance of such things was inspiring.
He smiled.
"You should stop smiling like that, Ara. It'll creep people out," Ayla spoke, huffing at him lightly. He blinked at her slowly and pursed his lips together.
"I wasn't aware a facial movement could be creepy," he spoke. Did he really do that? She chuckled at him, and he pursed his lips together. He should probably start learning not to take everything she said seriously. After all these years, he would have thought he'd be used to it by now.
At that point, Reiko appeared. She'd been absent most of the morning; they were intentionally practicing without her now, to make sure they learned to use their powers on their own, though it was always much easier and more effective when she was present. She smiled at all of them, but it disappeared quickly.
“The scouts are back," she said, loud enough for all of them to hear her. “He's coming. By their estimates, he'll be here in three days. I'm putting the evacuation plan in place; the townspeople are going to be moved to Sapporo for now."
He pursed his lips together. "That is good," he spoke, glancing down at her. It was wise to evacuate the people now rather than to wait until Eiji arrived with their army. It would minimize casualties to only the necessary onces. He sighed softly. No death should be necessary, however; Aram learned a long time ago that was the price of war. They would lose people, regardless if they were careful or not. It was just how wars were, however; he and the others could do their best to keep the casualties to a minimum by ending the war as quickly as they could.
"By then we will be prepared," he spoke, placing a hand on her head before dropping it to her shoulder. He gave it a soft squeeze and dropped his hand back to his side. "As long as we keep training, that is," he added. Of course, even he knew they could only train so much before they'd need a small rest. They had three days, though. Two days to train, and then prepare for the actual battle.
"Was there any other news?" he asked, tilting a brow up as he did. "Anything about numbers?" he added. If they could have an estimation of how many oni would be present, it wouldn't matter how many humans they had.
She frowned, then shook her head slowly. “Hundreds," she replied. “No humans anymore, just oni. At least fifty alphas, and ten even bigger. Not to mention..." He could see a pained expression flash across her face for a moment.
“Takahiro and Daichi are with them."
Tatsuya laid his sword over his shoulder. “Tsubasa's guys have been training pretty hard too, with the hunters. They should be able to deal with the small ones, at least. And we still have the wall. We'll just have to cut our way through the rest and get to that Eiji guy."
Aram sighed softly. "If there are larger ones than the alphas," he began, pursing his lips together. The humans wouldn't have much hope against anything bigger than an alpha. If they could get to the big ones, first, then at least the humans would have a better chance. Almost as if sensing his discomfort, Ayla placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shove.
"What did we say about thinking like that? You need to have more faith in the humans, Ara. They've trained diligently with the hunters, and the hunters have experience on their sides. Most of the machinations on the wall can take care of some of the alphas, too. Just... have more faith in them," she spoke. She'd spoken in a low voice, but it was apparent to him that she did not care if the others heard her.
"I am just worried for them," he spoke honestly. And he was, however; she was right. He needed to have a little more faith in them. She grinned at him, exposing her teeth in the process. "I believe you are right, though, Tatsuya. We will have to cut our way through if we are to reach Eiji. The sooner we can get to him, the sooner we can end the battle."
The other man dipped his head slightly. “Until then, we should just keep doing as we are. But we need to go into this as strong as possible, so we should rest on the last day before, to make sure we're not going in tired."
In the grand scheme of things, one day of training really wasn't going to make a difference. A full day of rest would be of more benefit for them. That much was certainly true.
Reiko nodded. “That makes sense. How was everyone's practice today? I can stick around for a little while if anyone would like to try something with me around?"
Ayla clicked her tongue, but shook her head. "I'm actually hungry. Really fucking hungry, so I'm going to go make something to eat. I'm sure you could use something in that pit you call a stomach, too, Ara," she spoke, grinning at him. He huffed lightly at her. He wasn't that hungry. Besides, he'd just eaten before they began training. It didn't do well to train on an empty stomach, after all.
"Alright, but I am not hungry," he spoke, watching as she shrugged her shoulders. She glanced at everyone else as if asking them the same question. He pursed his lips together. They didn't necessarily need food like he did, or she did. Their sustenance was blood, and they would need to make sure they were properly supplied for this battle. He glanced at Reiko, and felt his cheeks warm slightly.
It was still considered an intimate act, but he wanted her to know that she was welcome to his if she needed it. Plus, she was still serving as a source for two others, wasn't she? He shook his head lightly. It was something to ask her later, and not when the others were around. He was much to ashamed to admit his embarrassment, even to himself.
Kentaro and Tsubasa exchanged glances before shaking their heads, almost simultaneously. “We've got troops to organize," Tsubasa replied. “Actually, we'll take Sayuri-chan with us, too. See you guys later." He lifted a hand in a jaunty wave, and they departed.
Reiko smiled apologetically. “As much as I like your food, Ayla, I think I'm going to train a little more to make up for the time I missed this morning."
“I'll stay with her," Tatsuya decided. He glanced at Ayla for a moment, though, and smiled in a rather suggestive way. “Save me some dessert, would you?"
She snorted softly, waving her hand in a nonchalant fashion. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I might just eat it all. It'll be mine, after all," she spoke, smirking lightly before shaking her head. "But I'll think about it," she spoke, her smirk turning almost malicious for a moment before she left. Aram shook his head softly. He did not understand the way they were, sometimes, but he supposed he was grateful that she did not turn it around on him. She always did.
"I can stay as well, if you'd like," he spoke, glancing towards Reiko. He was, mostly, done with his training for now. But if she wanted his company, he would stay.
The smile she gave him was soft, but Reiko shook her head. “That's all right; go get something to eat. I'll come see you after we're done here?" It ended as a question, and she tilted her head as if to reinforce that.
Her brother snorted. “As though he'd say no," he muttered, seemingly somewhere between amused and sardonic.
He pursed his lips together. Tatsuya was right, though. He sighed softly, but smiled in return. "Of course," he spoke, placing a hand on her head before dropping it away. "I will see you, then," he spoke before taking his leave. He might as well eat something.
Tomorrow.
Eiji's troops were less than ten miles away, now, and without a doubt, the battle would take place the following morning. There was no one left in the castle who didn't know it; even the servants had been evacuated, leaving only themselves and their soldiers behind. Tatsuya had wandered the town for a while earlier, concluding that it was strange and uncomfortable to see the buildings all empty and boarded up the way they were.
Even if the battle finished the same day it started, the interruption to the lives of the humans in it had gone on for too long. Their fields were untended, their livestock marched across the countryside with them, their livelihoods and homes left behind. He hadn't used to think he would care about things like that, but... watching them rebuild after the last time, helping them do it, made him think he finally understood his father after all.
It made him understand how an immortal man, an oni who seemed like so much more than any human, could give up his comfortable life and the siblings he cared about to come here. To clear the bandits out of the area and build himself a castle and marry a lord's daughter he did not love to begin a dynasty.
Tatsuya had once thought it was simply a power grab like any other. Perhaps it was. But by the time his children had grown, the old man had come to love his subjects. To care about their well-being. And if a killer could turn himself around like that, could tame the violence inherent in his nature and use it for something good, then...
Perhaps his sons could, too.
There was no mistaking that his daughter had always known how.
“What are you thinking about, Suya?" she asked, tilting her head to look up at him as they walked. Kentaro and Tsubasa walked just a few steps behind them; the path to the shrine was too narrow to allow more than two people abreast.
He was quiet for a while, trying to decide how to answer. There was no question of lying to her; he didn't do that. Didn't want to. But admitting this was a little bitter for him, in truth.
“Tou-san," he confessed, slightly surprised that he'd said that instead of 'the old man.' Tatsuya folded his hands into his sleeves. Reiko's silence was patient; she could probably sense that he wanted to elaborate, but needed time to decide exactly how he meant to do so.
Eventually, he did. “I think... I finally get it. Why he did all the shit he did. Why he bothered to make himself a lord and asked us to keep doing it afterward."
She tilted her head, as though interested in the hypothesis.
“Part of it was wanting to prepare for this, I think. This future, with Eiji and everything. I don't know if he knew what the danger was, but I think he must have known that their work wasn't done." Ayla and Aram had thought they were done with oni, that they'd exterminated the lot of them, but his father's actions spoke to a different supposition. Even if he hadn't known, he'd likely suspected, or at least entertained the possibility.
“You think he knew?" Reiko blinked, a troubled frown crossing her face before it disappeared.
He shook his head. “Definitely not for sure. He'd have told them if anything was certain. But I think he was preparing for it, all the same. And that he wanted the people here to have something to rely on, if it ever happened."
“In other words, us." Kentaro spoke up from behind them, where he and Tsubasa must have been listening.
Tatsuya nodded. "It seems that way, doesn't it? Why else be such a damn stickler for our training? It wasn't like any human was going to come along and be able to kill us, even if we had nothing more than the strength we were born with."
Reiko looked to consider that for a moment. “I wonder if he ever thought he'd..." She trailed off, and for a while, the only sounds were the ambient noises of the forest and the soft fall of their footsteps, until at last they reached the shrine.
“...I doubt even Tou-san would have figured that," Tsubasa decided. It seemed to serve as enough answer for all of them.
Reiko lit the incense and placed it in the holder, bowing low before the shrine and clasping her hands together. Tatsuya knew that Kentaro ventured here with her sometimes, and he was the first to follow suit, stepping up quietly beside her and repeating her motions. Whatever they were saying to their father, they kept to themselves.
After a moment of hesitation, Tsubasa took a spot on Reiko's other side.
Tatsuya balked at the idea of praying to his own father. The man wasn't a god and deserved no reverence. But... perhaps it would be fine to just say something to him. Apparently, there was a real possibility that he heard, after all. And maybe... even if reverence was off the table, it wouldn't be so bad to pay his respects. The man had raised him. Carefully and for a purpose, it was true, but that didn't invalidate everything.
Bowing slightly, Tatsuya stared intently at the altar as he rose back into standing position.
You probably know everything you need to about what we're going to do tomorrow, he thought, feeling somewhat ridiculous for even entertaining this notion. But he kept going anyway. So I'm just going to say sorry. You hated it when we got too angry with each other, but the reality is, those two are probably going to die tomorrow, if we don't.
That was their own fault though, betraying their family like they had. They'd chosen their own paths, and while Tatsuya couldn't say that he would find it easy to hurt them, it wasn't going to keep him up tonight, either.
I think I finally get it, old man. Why you took over this region. Why you changed Akiko. Why you died. But I don't plan on dying for this, just so you know. I'm going to do my part in this without needing to. Because I don't have anything to die for. And too much to live for.
His eyes strayed to his remaining siblings as they straightened, letting their hands fall apart and stepping back.
“Tomorrow," Reiko murmured. “We decide this tomorrow. We have to."
She was right. They couldn't allow a protracted war to ravage the region. They couldn't allow oni to run wild and prey on the humans under their protection. They could not continue to put their lives on the line for draws and modest victories. Tomorrow would have to be decisive.
For all of their sakes.
Eiji's troops were less than ten miles away, now, and without a doubt, the battle would take place the following morning. There was no one left in the castle who didn't know it; even the servants had been evacuated, leaving only themselves and their soldiers behind. Tatsuya had wandered the town for a while earlier, concluding that it was strange and uncomfortable to see the buildings all empty and boarded up the way they were.
Even if the battle finished the same day it started, the interruption to the lives of the humans in it had gone on for too long. Their fields were untended, their livestock marched across the countryside with them, their livelihoods and homes left behind. He hadn't used to think he would care about things like that, but... watching them rebuild after the last time, helping them do it, made him think he finally understood his father after all.
It made him understand how an immortal man, an oni who seemed like so much more than any human, could give up his comfortable life and the siblings he cared about to come here. To clear the bandits out of the area and build himself a castle and marry a lord's daughter he did not love to begin a dynasty.
Tatsuya had once thought it was simply a power grab like any other. Perhaps it was. But by the time his children had grown, the old man had come to love his subjects. To care about their well-being. And if a killer could turn himself around like that, could tame the violence inherent in his nature and use it for something good, then...
Perhaps his sons could, too.
There was no mistaking that his daughter had always known how.
“What are you thinking about, Suya?" she asked, tilting her head to look up at him as they walked. Kentaro and Tsubasa walked just a few steps behind them; the path to the shrine was too narrow to allow more than two people abreast.
He was quiet for a while, trying to decide how to answer. There was no question of lying to her; he didn't do that. Didn't want to. But admitting this was a little bitter for him, in truth.
“Tou-san," he confessed, slightly surprised that he'd said that instead of 'the old man.' Tatsuya folded his hands into his sleeves. Reiko's silence was patient; she could probably sense that he wanted to elaborate, but needed time to decide exactly how he meant to do so.
Eventually, he did. “I think... I finally get it. Why he did all the shit he did. Why he bothered to make himself a lord and asked us to keep doing it afterward."
She tilted her head, as though interested in the hypothesis.
“Part of it was wanting to prepare for this, I think. This future, with Eiji and everything. I don't know if he knew what the danger was, but I think he must have known that their work wasn't done." Ayla and Aram had thought they were done with oni, that they'd exterminated the lot of them, but his father's actions spoke to a different supposition. Even if he hadn't known, he'd likely suspected, or at least entertained the possibility.
“You think he knew?" Reiko blinked, a troubled frown crossing her face before it disappeared.
He shook his head. “Definitely not for sure. He'd have told them if anything was certain. But I think he was preparing for it, all the same. And that he wanted the people here to have something to rely on, if it ever happened."
“In other words, us." Kentaro spoke up from behind them, where he and Tsubasa must have been listening.
Tatsuya nodded. "It seems that way, doesn't it? Why else be such a damn stickler for our training? It wasn't like any human was going to come along and be able to kill us, even if we had nothing more than the strength we were born with."
Reiko looked to consider that for a moment. “I wonder if he ever thought he'd..." She trailed off, and for a while, the only sounds were the ambient noises of the forest and the soft fall of their footsteps, until at last they reached the shrine.
“...I doubt even Tou-san would have figured that," Tsubasa decided. It seemed to serve as enough answer for all of them.
Reiko lit the incense and placed it in the holder, bowing low before the shrine and clasping her hands together. Tatsuya knew that Kentaro ventured here with her sometimes, and he was the first to follow suit, stepping up quietly beside her and repeating her motions. Whatever they were saying to their father, they kept to themselves.
After a moment of hesitation, Tsubasa took a spot on Reiko's other side.
Tatsuya balked at the idea of praying to his own father. The man wasn't a god and deserved no reverence. But... perhaps it would be fine to just say something to him. Apparently, there was a real possibility that he heard, after all. And maybe... even if reverence was off the table, it wouldn't be so bad to pay his respects. The man had raised him. Carefully and for a purpose, it was true, but that didn't invalidate everything.
Bowing slightly, Tatsuya stared intently at the altar as he rose back into standing position.
You probably know everything you need to about what we're going to do tomorrow, he thought, feeling somewhat ridiculous for even entertaining this notion. But he kept going anyway. So I'm just going to say sorry. You hated it when we got too angry with each other, but the reality is, those two are probably going to die tomorrow, if we don't.
That was their own fault though, betraying their family like they had. They'd chosen their own paths, and while Tatsuya couldn't say that he would find it easy to hurt them, it wasn't going to keep him up tonight, either.
I think I finally get it, old man. Why you took over this region. Why you changed Akiko. Why you died. But I don't plan on dying for this, just so you know. I'm going to do my part in this without needing to. Because I don't have anything to die for. And too much to live for.
His eyes strayed to his remaining siblings as they straightened, letting their hands fall apart and stepping back.
“Tomorrow," Reiko murmured. “We decide this tomorrow. We have to."
She was right. They couldn't allow a protracted war to ravage the region. They couldn't allow oni to run wild and prey on the humans under their protection. They could not continue to put their lives on the line for draws and modest victories. Tomorrow would have to be decisive.
For all of their sakes.
Ayla glanced at the shogi piece in front of her, and then to Aram. All of the siblings had taken off to the shrine, or something of the sort, and wouldn't be back for a while. She hadn't really paid much attention, however; she currently found herself in the presence of her brother, and Sayuri. They were playing shogi, or at least Ayla was attempting to play shogi. Aram had taught her some of the basics, but from the way things were going, she was losing. Sayuri had done a better job at playing shogi, than she did, and she glanced towards the other woman. She had a smug look on her face, and for some strange reason, Ayla felt proud.
She was still young, but she'd managed to grow rather well. Her eyes drifted to Sayuri's neck, and allowed a sly smile to cross her lips. She didn't even have to say anything, and Sayuri's face turned a deep red. Aram looked vaguely confused, but Ayla ignored him. Snickering softly to herself, she moved another piece across the board. It was only a few minutes into the game that Ayla lost, and she pursed her lips together. Aram looked rather pleased about the outcome, though.
"That face is unbecoming of you, Ara," she spoke, narrowing her eyes at him. A smirk found its way on her lips, though, as she tilted her head. "I'm sure Reiko wouldn't appreciate such things on her lovers face," she spoke, watching in slight amusement as Aram's face turned red. He sputtered a string of incoherent words, and Sayuri laughed gently at him.
"Ayla, you musn't be so mean to Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, causing Ayla to huff.
"You're right. It's not much fun when Reiko's not here, either," she spoke, causing Aram to purse his lips together. He stood from his spot, dusting off his yukata, and glanced in her direction.
"And you do not play a fair game, Ayla," he spoke, shaking his head. He was smiling, though, so she knew he was getting used to it. "I am going to go make sure I have everything for tomorrow. Sayuri-san, I suggest you do the same," he spoke, causing Sayuri to smile softly. She nodded her head, and left.
"No parting words for me?" she asked, feigning a hurt look. Aram, however, stared at her, his gaze a little too intense. She pursed her lips together. He was taking something a little seriously, wasn't he?
"Ayla," he began, sighing softly. "No matter what happens... I want you to know that I am proud of you," he spoke, his face softening slightly. He smiled, and Ayla felt her entire body freeze. She furrowed her brows softly at him, and sighed. She stood from her spot, and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him into a hug.
"And I'm proud of you, too, Aram. You're my big brother, and I'm proud of the way you've grown. It's taken you some time, but I'm glad you have. Now, go get your shit together. We're going to win, just you watch," she spoke, offering him a grin. He sighed and placed a hand on her head, rubbing it affectionately before he pulled away. "Aram," she called out before he could walk off. He paused and glanced at her. "I love you, you know," she spoke. She watched him smile.
"And I you, Ayla," he replied, causing her to smile. He disappeared, after that, leaving her to herself. She sighed softly, and shook her head. She might as well prepare for tomorrow, too. With that in mind, she made her way towards the armory. She needed to get a few things.
It seemed that the others must have arrived a few minutes ago, because Tsubasa was already there, checking over the armament belonging to his soldiers. He grinned at her and bobbed his head. “Evenin', Ayla. Looking for something?"
"I am, actually, Tsubaki-chan" she replied, reaching up to pat his shoulder. He wasn't as tall as Tatsuya, so it was easier to do so. "I need to make sure my yumi is still pretty useful. I also need to make sure Ara's sword is properly sharpened. I don't want to go into battle with a dull blade, you see," she spoke, smiling at him in the process. "If I did, well... I'm sure you can guess what'll happen," she continued, allowing the smile to fall into a smirk.
She would admit, out of all the siblings, she was fond of Tsubasa. Of course, that fondness was purely platonic, though for a split second, she wondered what would happen if she told him otherwise. She chuckled softly to herself, but turned her attention back to Tsubasa. "Did everything go well?" she asked, referring to their trip.
He nodded amiably enough, handing over both her bow and Aram's sword from where they were positioned on the wall racks. “Yeah. I don't go up there too often, but it's usually nice for thinking things over. Tatsuya hadn't been since tou-san passed, so it was a bit of a surprise that he did, but it seemed like a good thing for all of us t'go."
Tsubasa pulled down a few more blades, then arched a brow at her. “I think he went back to his room, by the way. In case you wanted to find him at some point." He shrugged; Tsubasa was pretty tolerant of their constant flirtation, and didn't seem embarrassed by any of the more lascivious things either of them said.
She hummed a soft note. "I see," she spoke, an answer to both statements. She contemplated his last statement, though, and arched a brow. "Oh, so that's how it is, is it Tsubaki-chan? Trying to get rid of me," she spoke, feigning a hurtful look. She chuckled in good nature, though, and shook her head. "But I suppose I should go find him. Tomorrow's a big day, after all," she sighed softly. It was more than just a big day, though. It was going to decide everything.
"See you later," she spoke, waving goodbye to him. Slowly, she wandered the halls, allowing her feet to carry her towards the room they shared. Technically, it was still his room; she just occupied it every day. Once she'd reached the room, she didn't bother knocking, and simply opened the door to let herself in.
"You know, it's kind of rude to not tell someone you're back. I had to find out through Tsubaki-chan," she stated, closing the door behind her, and turning to face the room.
His back was to her; he was tying the obi on one of his sleeping yukata. Tatsuya did turn to glance at her over his shoulder, though; the look on his face was distinctly unimpressed. “Don't you have a nose?" he drawled. “Besides, you were busy."
He settled into a sitting position on one of the futons laid out next to each other on the floor, pulling a scroll into his lap. Occasionally he did this; read over some last item of work before going to sleep. It was fairly late, come to think of it, and the battle would no doubt be the next day.
Tatsuya patted the space next to him with a hand, still studying the scroll. It was nevertheless clearly an invitation.
She just arched a brow, but obliged. She made her way to his side before taking a seat. She sighed softly, and glanced to her side. "Tomorrow..." she paused, taking in a breath. A sudden lump formed in her throat, and she tried to swallow past it. "Tomorrow's going to be it," she finally managed to speak again. She furrowed her brows softly. She had her doubts, but she also had hope. But even so, she wanted to be practical right now.
"I don't plan on letting anything happen, but... I just want you to know," she continued, lifting her gaze to him. "I want you to know that..." she pursed her lips together. She didn't want to say that she loved him. He knew that. She didn't have to keep saying it, because he knew it, however; what she wanted to say right now was lost on her.
"I just want you to know that I'm glad I met you, even if it wasn't the most pleasant of meetings," she stated, smiling just soft enough at the memory.
He scoffed softly under his breath. His free hand slid around her waist, and he pulled her more comfortably into his side, leaning his back against the wall behind them. Setting the scroll to the side, he lowered his eyes to meet hers, tightening his grip just a bit. “You mean the one where I was the fucking asshole and you were the old bitch?" His mouth turned up in a sly smile.
“I'd say we've mostly corrected that, though there's not much to be done about your age, I'm afraid."
"Were?" she asked, arching a slightly amused brow. "I don't know if that's the right word you want to use there. You still are a fucking asshole; the only difference is you're my fucking asshole, now," she spoke, huffing lightly. He was right about one thing, though. There wasn't much that could be done about her age. She was old as shit, and she knew that, however; they'd all get to that point, too. She'd always be older, but she didn't mind.
"And I don't think that's going to be changing any time soon, and there's not much you can do about it. I'm very possessive, you see," she spoke, sliding her arm behind his back and turning herself so she could slip the other one around him.
“Yours, hm?" he seemed quite amused by the declaration, leaning down to press a kiss to her head. “I suppose I can deal with that." His hand stroked her hair; he shifted slightly to put both hands around her waist and lifted her so she was in his lap, facing him.
“Better, right?" It certainly made holding him with both arms more comfortable than twisting around to the side.
He seemed to be in a contemplative mood of sorts, though; rather than continue their banter, he just hugged her, breathing slow and deep. His thumb brushed back and forth at the small of her back, but the touch was idle, with no real sense of intent. “You know we visited the shrine today," he said, apparently well aware of the fact. “I'd never been."
Tatsuya was attempting to work his way around to saying something, which was unusual considering how direct he usually was. Perhaps it was something he didn't quite know how to say.
“I'd always hated the idea that I was anything like him," he said at last. “I made a big deal of pointing out his flaws and getting on his case because I didn't want anyone to compare us. I always felt like... if we were being measured by the same standard, I wouldn't be anything next to him." He murmured the confession in a voice almost too low to hear; it was easy to get the sense that this was not something he went around telling just anyone.
She contemplated it for a second. No one could be like Amon, not even his own children. Not even him. But that was what she loved about him. He wasn't Amon, and he never would be. Tatsuya was his own person, and though he might share similarites to Amon, there were noticeable differences. She leaned forward, lifting her head to rest against the side of his. She threaded her fingers through his hair and kept it there, breathing slowly to keep a steady heart beat.
"I don't think anyone could have measured up to him," she spoke softly, though she wasn't saying it to say he wouldn't. "That's just the type of person Amon was. You, though, you're not him. You're you, and you have more charisma and charm and," she paused, pursing her lips together. She took another slow breath, and rubbed her head against his.
"You know something," she whispered softly into his ear. "When I told you that I had loved him, I was wrong," she confessed softly. "I thought I did. I thought that... what I had felt for him was love, but it turns out... it wasn't," she spoke, smiling to herself.
"I didn't know love until I met you. Because you were you, and no one else," she continued. "I'm... glad that you are nothing like him, though, because to me..." she paused, swallowing slowly, "to me you are more than what he was." She sighed softly to herself. She wasn't good at saying this kind of shit. She'd never been particularly articulate with words, and even now she was certain that she was saying something she shouldn't.
He shook slightly underneath her. At first it was hard to tell why, but after a few seconds a soft snort gave it away. He was laughing.
“Only you would ever think something like that," he said with a quiet chuckle. “Only you would think I had more charisma than him." He shook his head, his arms squeezing tighter against her waist.
Tatsuya unwound one of them and used the knuckle of his index finger to tilt her chin up. The look on his face was serious now, but it was also open. He didn't have gentle features—his face was about as angular as they came. But the expression they had now was softer than anything she'd ever seen him wear, even for Reiko.
“And only you would love me, having had the chance to love him first." He touched his forehead against hers, smoothing his hand around to the back of her neck. “I don't... I don't deserve that. But so help me, I want it." He swallowed; it was audible over the sounds of their breaths. “Forever, just like you said. Can I..." he hesitated, pressing the pad of a thumb into her pulse point.
She'd been frowning at him since he'd laughed at her. She didn't know what was so funny about it; she was being serious. She almost didn't hear the rest of what he said until his thumb on was on her pulse point. She smiled. It wasn't a grin; it wasn't even the sly, mischievous one she'd usually wear. It was a genuine smile. She tilted her head slightly, still smiling at him.
"I told you once before, didn't I?" she spoke softly. "Whatever you want, all you have to do is ask. I'm yours. Forever more, or however long forever lasts for us," she continued. "Because you're mine, remember?" she added. It was what she wanted, and if he wanted it too, he could have it. She'd made the invitation clear when she tilted her neck, after all.
He shook his head slightly. “I don't mean that," he said, sounding almost... hesitant. “Well, not just that. I also meant—" He broke off for a moment and sighed, rolling his eyes as if at himself.
“The Mark. If you want it. I—you're what I want, Ayla. The future I want. And this... even if you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, I want to protect you. If that's all right with you, then I want you to accept this from me."
Well now she felt kind of stupid, however; she blinked slowly at him. Was that really what he wanted? "You stupid fool," she spoke, her smile still on her face. "Why wouldn't I want it? I've already told you, didn't I? I want you. Forever. Forever until forever ceases to exist. I want every part of you. Everything you have to offer, everything you have to give."
She'd been staring him in the eyes the entire time she'd been talking. She wanted him, and everything he could give her. "I. Want. It." she spoke delibrately slow, raising a hand to his face to trace her knuckle over his jaw to his ear. She stopped just short of brushing his ear, though.
He'd been tense under her, but he relaxed considerably when she said that, nodding slightly and reaching up to lay his hand over hers, slowly taking it away from his face. “All right," he mumbled, almost as if to himself rather than her.
Tatsuya leaned down, breathing cool air against the skin of her neck for a moment before he laid a soft kiss on the spot. The bite itself didn't hurt much; a soothing cool sensation spread outwards from the spot. He caught the blood that welled from the wound with his lips and tongue; it was easy now to understand the intimacy of the process. One of his hands rested on the opposite side of her neck; the other remained against her waist.
He shifted a bit, biting down in a slightly different spot. The sensation was strange; as the feeling of cold spread, so too was she suddenly awash in a wave of emotion that was not her own, something tender and warm and soft, with a thread of heat situated at the very core of it. His feelings—they had to be.
Pulling back, Tatsuya ran his tongue over his bottom lip, the last trace of red disappearing with it. There was a twinge of caution at the back of her mind, one that was swiftly pushed down. But he still wore it openly on his face, a slight hint of vulnerability, of uncertainty, as though he still sort of expected her to react badly somehow.
It certainly wasn't like anything she'd experienced before, that was for certain. Still, the sensation of his feelings felt odd, but not unwelcomed. She was, as she'd always been, happy. And if this worked both ways, she hoped he understood that. She could feel the same warmth and softness of her own heart, which was still weird, too, but it was something she'd accepted a while back.
"Either I have something on my face, or there's something on my face," she stated, a large smile crossing over her face. "Because you're looking at me funny," she continued, the familiar teasing tone returning to her voice. She wanted to banish any uncertainty from him, any sort of doubt he might have had to her accepting this mark. She asked for it, because she wanted it. Just like she wanted him. As he was now, as he'd be in the future, as he'd be forever more.
“Marry me," he said suddenly, but the abrupt influx of affection, desire, and a hint of possessiveness said it was an honest request. He lifted his hands to cradle either side of her face. “When this is over. Be my wife."
"Alright," she replied almost immediately. It was an unexpected question, and it had caused her heart to beat a little faster, but she had not hesitated when she answered. She'd meant forever when she said it, and if that was what he wanted her to do, then she would do it. It was what she wanted, too. She wanted to be with him, only him. "I'll do it, marry you," she spoke, allowing the smile on her face to soften.
"When this is all over, I'll marry you. So you better keep your ass alive," she spoke, allowing the smile to turn into a grin.
“Same to you, fiancée," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her. It was playful and quick, and he pulled back right after, threading his fingers into her hair. It had always been obvious that he was quite fond of it, but it was another thing all together to feel the little spark of satisfaction he got from running his hands through it.
“We should sleep," he said softly. “There's a battle to fight tomorrow, and if we're going to stay alive, we should be well-rested."
She snorted softly. "Asshole," she spoke, teasingly of course, however; she nodded. If they wanted to stay alive, they needed their rest. "Goodnight, Tatsuya," she spoke his name with affection, placing a kiss to his forehead before dragging him down with her to the futon they shared. She wanted to be as close to him as possible.
It was the only way she could sleep.
She was still young, but she'd managed to grow rather well. Her eyes drifted to Sayuri's neck, and allowed a sly smile to cross her lips. She didn't even have to say anything, and Sayuri's face turned a deep red. Aram looked vaguely confused, but Ayla ignored him. Snickering softly to herself, she moved another piece across the board. It was only a few minutes into the game that Ayla lost, and she pursed her lips together. Aram looked rather pleased about the outcome, though.
"That face is unbecoming of you, Ara," she spoke, narrowing her eyes at him. A smirk found its way on her lips, though, as she tilted her head. "I'm sure Reiko wouldn't appreciate such things on her lovers face," she spoke, watching in slight amusement as Aram's face turned red. He sputtered a string of incoherent words, and Sayuri laughed gently at him.
"Ayla, you musn't be so mean to Kyabetsu-san," she spoke, causing Ayla to huff.
"You're right. It's not much fun when Reiko's not here, either," she spoke, causing Aram to purse his lips together. He stood from his spot, dusting off his yukata, and glanced in her direction.
"And you do not play a fair game, Ayla," he spoke, shaking his head. He was smiling, though, so she knew he was getting used to it. "I am going to go make sure I have everything for tomorrow. Sayuri-san, I suggest you do the same," he spoke, causing Sayuri to smile softly. She nodded her head, and left.
"No parting words for me?" she asked, feigning a hurt look. Aram, however, stared at her, his gaze a little too intense. She pursed her lips together. He was taking something a little seriously, wasn't he?
"Ayla," he began, sighing softly. "No matter what happens... I want you to know that I am proud of you," he spoke, his face softening slightly. He smiled, and Ayla felt her entire body freeze. She furrowed her brows softly at him, and sighed. She stood from her spot, and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him into a hug.
"And I'm proud of you, too, Aram. You're my big brother, and I'm proud of the way you've grown. It's taken you some time, but I'm glad you have. Now, go get your shit together. We're going to win, just you watch," she spoke, offering him a grin. He sighed and placed a hand on her head, rubbing it affectionately before he pulled away. "Aram," she called out before he could walk off. He paused and glanced at her. "I love you, you know," she spoke. She watched him smile.
"And I you, Ayla," he replied, causing her to smile. He disappeared, after that, leaving her to herself. She sighed softly, and shook her head. She might as well prepare for tomorrow, too. With that in mind, she made her way towards the armory. She needed to get a few things.
It seemed that the others must have arrived a few minutes ago, because Tsubasa was already there, checking over the armament belonging to his soldiers. He grinned at her and bobbed his head. “Evenin', Ayla. Looking for something?"
"I am, actually, Tsubaki-chan" she replied, reaching up to pat his shoulder. He wasn't as tall as Tatsuya, so it was easier to do so. "I need to make sure my yumi is still pretty useful. I also need to make sure Ara's sword is properly sharpened. I don't want to go into battle with a dull blade, you see," she spoke, smiling at him in the process. "If I did, well... I'm sure you can guess what'll happen," she continued, allowing the smile to fall into a smirk.
She would admit, out of all the siblings, she was fond of Tsubasa. Of course, that fondness was purely platonic, though for a split second, she wondered what would happen if she told him otherwise. She chuckled softly to herself, but turned her attention back to Tsubasa. "Did everything go well?" she asked, referring to their trip.
He nodded amiably enough, handing over both her bow and Aram's sword from where they were positioned on the wall racks. “Yeah. I don't go up there too often, but it's usually nice for thinking things over. Tatsuya hadn't been since tou-san passed, so it was a bit of a surprise that he did, but it seemed like a good thing for all of us t'go."
Tsubasa pulled down a few more blades, then arched a brow at her. “I think he went back to his room, by the way. In case you wanted to find him at some point." He shrugged; Tsubasa was pretty tolerant of their constant flirtation, and didn't seem embarrassed by any of the more lascivious things either of them said.
She hummed a soft note. "I see," she spoke, an answer to both statements. She contemplated his last statement, though, and arched a brow. "Oh, so that's how it is, is it Tsubaki-chan? Trying to get rid of me," she spoke, feigning a hurtful look. She chuckled in good nature, though, and shook her head. "But I suppose I should go find him. Tomorrow's a big day, after all," she sighed softly. It was more than just a big day, though. It was going to decide everything.
"See you later," she spoke, waving goodbye to him. Slowly, she wandered the halls, allowing her feet to carry her towards the room they shared. Technically, it was still his room; she just occupied it every day. Once she'd reached the room, she didn't bother knocking, and simply opened the door to let herself in.
"You know, it's kind of rude to not tell someone you're back. I had to find out through Tsubaki-chan," she stated, closing the door behind her, and turning to face the room.
His back was to her; he was tying the obi on one of his sleeping yukata. Tatsuya did turn to glance at her over his shoulder, though; the look on his face was distinctly unimpressed. “Don't you have a nose?" he drawled. “Besides, you were busy."
He settled into a sitting position on one of the futons laid out next to each other on the floor, pulling a scroll into his lap. Occasionally he did this; read over some last item of work before going to sleep. It was fairly late, come to think of it, and the battle would no doubt be the next day.
Tatsuya patted the space next to him with a hand, still studying the scroll. It was nevertheless clearly an invitation.
She just arched a brow, but obliged. She made her way to his side before taking a seat. She sighed softly, and glanced to her side. "Tomorrow..." she paused, taking in a breath. A sudden lump formed in her throat, and she tried to swallow past it. "Tomorrow's going to be it," she finally managed to speak again. She furrowed her brows softly. She had her doubts, but she also had hope. But even so, she wanted to be practical right now.
"I don't plan on letting anything happen, but... I just want you to know," she continued, lifting her gaze to him. "I want you to know that..." she pursed her lips together. She didn't want to say that she loved him. He knew that. She didn't have to keep saying it, because he knew it, however; what she wanted to say right now was lost on her.
"I just want you to know that I'm glad I met you, even if it wasn't the most pleasant of meetings," she stated, smiling just soft enough at the memory.
He scoffed softly under his breath. His free hand slid around her waist, and he pulled her more comfortably into his side, leaning his back against the wall behind them. Setting the scroll to the side, he lowered his eyes to meet hers, tightening his grip just a bit. “You mean the one where I was the fucking asshole and you were the old bitch?" His mouth turned up in a sly smile.
“I'd say we've mostly corrected that, though there's not much to be done about your age, I'm afraid."
"Were?" she asked, arching a slightly amused brow. "I don't know if that's the right word you want to use there. You still are a fucking asshole; the only difference is you're my fucking asshole, now," she spoke, huffing lightly. He was right about one thing, though. There wasn't much that could be done about her age. She was old as shit, and she knew that, however; they'd all get to that point, too. She'd always be older, but she didn't mind.
"And I don't think that's going to be changing any time soon, and there's not much you can do about it. I'm very possessive, you see," she spoke, sliding her arm behind his back and turning herself so she could slip the other one around him.
“Yours, hm?" he seemed quite amused by the declaration, leaning down to press a kiss to her head. “I suppose I can deal with that." His hand stroked her hair; he shifted slightly to put both hands around her waist and lifted her so she was in his lap, facing him.
“Better, right?" It certainly made holding him with both arms more comfortable than twisting around to the side.
He seemed to be in a contemplative mood of sorts, though; rather than continue their banter, he just hugged her, breathing slow and deep. His thumb brushed back and forth at the small of her back, but the touch was idle, with no real sense of intent. “You know we visited the shrine today," he said, apparently well aware of the fact. “I'd never been."
Tatsuya was attempting to work his way around to saying something, which was unusual considering how direct he usually was. Perhaps it was something he didn't quite know how to say.
“I'd always hated the idea that I was anything like him," he said at last. “I made a big deal of pointing out his flaws and getting on his case because I didn't want anyone to compare us. I always felt like... if we were being measured by the same standard, I wouldn't be anything next to him." He murmured the confession in a voice almost too low to hear; it was easy to get the sense that this was not something he went around telling just anyone.
She contemplated it for a second. No one could be like Amon, not even his own children. Not even him. But that was what she loved about him. He wasn't Amon, and he never would be. Tatsuya was his own person, and though he might share similarites to Amon, there were noticeable differences. She leaned forward, lifting her head to rest against the side of his. She threaded her fingers through his hair and kept it there, breathing slowly to keep a steady heart beat.
"I don't think anyone could have measured up to him," she spoke softly, though she wasn't saying it to say he wouldn't. "That's just the type of person Amon was. You, though, you're not him. You're you, and you have more charisma and charm and," she paused, pursing her lips together. She took another slow breath, and rubbed her head against his.
"You know something," she whispered softly into his ear. "When I told you that I had loved him, I was wrong," she confessed softly. "I thought I did. I thought that... what I had felt for him was love, but it turns out... it wasn't," she spoke, smiling to herself.
"I didn't know love until I met you. Because you were you, and no one else," she continued. "I'm... glad that you are nothing like him, though, because to me..." she paused, swallowing slowly, "to me you are more than what he was." She sighed softly to herself. She wasn't good at saying this kind of shit. She'd never been particularly articulate with words, and even now she was certain that she was saying something she shouldn't.
He shook slightly underneath her. At first it was hard to tell why, but after a few seconds a soft snort gave it away. He was laughing.
“Only you would ever think something like that," he said with a quiet chuckle. “Only you would think I had more charisma than him." He shook his head, his arms squeezing tighter against her waist.
Tatsuya unwound one of them and used the knuckle of his index finger to tilt her chin up. The look on his face was serious now, but it was also open. He didn't have gentle features—his face was about as angular as they came. But the expression they had now was softer than anything she'd ever seen him wear, even for Reiko.
“And only you would love me, having had the chance to love him first." He touched his forehead against hers, smoothing his hand around to the back of her neck. “I don't... I don't deserve that. But so help me, I want it." He swallowed; it was audible over the sounds of their breaths. “Forever, just like you said. Can I..." he hesitated, pressing the pad of a thumb into her pulse point.
She'd been frowning at him since he'd laughed at her. She didn't know what was so funny about it; she was being serious. She almost didn't hear the rest of what he said until his thumb on was on her pulse point. She smiled. It wasn't a grin; it wasn't even the sly, mischievous one she'd usually wear. It was a genuine smile. She tilted her head slightly, still smiling at him.
"I told you once before, didn't I?" she spoke softly. "Whatever you want, all you have to do is ask. I'm yours. Forever more, or however long forever lasts for us," she continued. "Because you're mine, remember?" she added. It was what she wanted, and if he wanted it too, he could have it. She'd made the invitation clear when she tilted her neck, after all.
He shook his head slightly. “I don't mean that," he said, sounding almost... hesitant. “Well, not just that. I also meant—" He broke off for a moment and sighed, rolling his eyes as if at himself.
“The Mark. If you want it. I—you're what I want, Ayla. The future I want. And this... even if you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, I want to protect you. If that's all right with you, then I want you to accept this from me."
Well now she felt kind of stupid, however; she blinked slowly at him. Was that really what he wanted? "You stupid fool," she spoke, her smile still on her face. "Why wouldn't I want it? I've already told you, didn't I? I want you. Forever. Forever until forever ceases to exist. I want every part of you. Everything you have to offer, everything you have to give."
She'd been staring him in the eyes the entire time she'd been talking. She wanted him, and everything he could give her. "I. Want. It." she spoke delibrately slow, raising a hand to his face to trace her knuckle over his jaw to his ear. She stopped just short of brushing his ear, though.
He'd been tense under her, but he relaxed considerably when she said that, nodding slightly and reaching up to lay his hand over hers, slowly taking it away from his face. “All right," he mumbled, almost as if to himself rather than her.
Tatsuya leaned down, breathing cool air against the skin of her neck for a moment before he laid a soft kiss on the spot. The bite itself didn't hurt much; a soothing cool sensation spread outwards from the spot. He caught the blood that welled from the wound with his lips and tongue; it was easy now to understand the intimacy of the process. One of his hands rested on the opposite side of her neck; the other remained against her waist.
He shifted a bit, biting down in a slightly different spot. The sensation was strange; as the feeling of cold spread, so too was she suddenly awash in a wave of emotion that was not her own, something tender and warm and soft, with a thread of heat situated at the very core of it. His feelings—they had to be.
Pulling back, Tatsuya ran his tongue over his bottom lip, the last trace of red disappearing with it. There was a twinge of caution at the back of her mind, one that was swiftly pushed down. But he still wore it openly on his face, a slight hint of vulnerability, of uncertainty, as though he still sort of expected her to react badly somehow.
It certainly wasn't like anything she'd experienced before, that was for certain. Still, the sensation of his feelings felt odd, but not unwelcomed. She was, as she'd always been, happy. And if this worked both ways, she hoped he understood that. She could feel the same warmth and softness of her own heart, which was still weird, too, but it was something she'd accepted a while back.
"Either I have something on my face, or there's something on my face," she stated, a large smile crossing over her face. "Because you're looking at me funny," she continued, the familiar teasing tone returning to her voice. She wanted to banish any uncertainty from him, any sort of doubt he might have had to her accepting this mark. She asked for it, because she wanted it. Just like she wanted him. As he was now, as he'd be in the future, as he'd be forever more.
“Marry me," he said suddenly, but the abrupt influx of affection, desire, and a hint of possessiveness said it was an honest request. He lifted his hands to cradle either side of her face. “When this is over. Be my wife."
"Alright," she replied almost immediately. It was an unexpected question, and it had caused her heart to beat a little faster, but she had not hesitated when she answered. She'd meant forever when she said it, and if that was what he wanted her to do, then she would do it. It was what she wanted, too. She wanted to be with him, only him. "I'll do it, marry you," she spoke, allowing the smile on her face to soften.
"When this is all over, I'll marry you. So you better keep your ass alive," she spoke, allowing the smile to turn into a grin.
“Same to you, fiancée," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her. It was playful and quick, and he pulled back right after, threading his fingers into her hair. It had always been obvious that he was quite fond of it, but it was another thing all together to feel the little spark of satisfaction he got from running his hands through it.
“We should sleep," he said softly. “There's a battle to fight tomorrow, and if we're going to stay alive, we should be well-rested."
She snorted softly. "Asshole," she spoke, teasingly of course, however; she nodded. If they wanted to stay alive, they needed their rest. "Goodnight, Tatsuya," she spoke his name with affection, placing a kiss to his forehead before dragging him down with her to the futon they shared. She wanted to be as close to him as possible.
It was the only way she could sleep.
Reiko sighed, letting her legs dangle off the edge of the engawa towards the garden. She knew that realistically, she should be sleeping. Trying to rest for the battle tomorrow. But she was finding it difficult to do so, and so here she was, hoping the garden would provide a modicum of peace to ease her anxious heart.
It was hard not to think abut all the ways everything could go wrong. Hard to think about meeting her brothers again tomorrow, this time on opposite sides. Her whole life, they'd always been together. Takahiro especially had been by her side. She didn't really care about the distinctions, but he was also her only full-blooded brother; the only one who'd shared a mother with her. She couldn't help but think about how their mom would feel, knowing that they'd be fighting each other. Tou-chan might understand, but Kaa-san...
She sniffed faintly, willing herself not to cry. Reiko had already made up her mind about this: she wasn't going to go looking for a fight with either Takahiro or Daichi, but if they stood in the way of stopping Eiji, then she would fight them. She had to. He had to be stopped, and they were the only ones who could do it. She could not shirk her responsibility, even if it made her feel like her heart was breaking.
The sounds of clothes rustling softly could be heard as someone took a seat next to her. It was Aram. He remained quiet next to her, and simply sat. His gaze was fixed out with hers, but he wore a small, contemplative look on his face. He seemed to be in his own thoughts, but then his arm moved so that his hand settled on her shoulder. Finally, he turned his head slowly to her, and offered her a small smile.
"Thinking about tomorrow." he simply stated. He didn't say anything further, indicating he wasn't going to press for details. He never seemed to do that. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked softly, smiling down at her, still.
She smiled softly, shaking her head just a little. “I wish I could," she replied in a murmur. There was no need to speak louder. The quiet around them was comforting, like a blanket to ward off the chill in the air. She didn't want to ruin it by speaking too loud.
Reiko leaned into his touch a little bit, but natural caution prevented her from being so forward as to tuck herself into his side or anything like that. Some things were hard to overcome; reserve had always been part of her personality. Of both of their personalities.
“But I can't stop thinking. About Takahiro and Daichi. About what happens if something goes wrong. About how worried I am."
He hummed a thoughtful note. He seemed to contemplate her words and remained quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thought. He dropped his hand from her head, though, to her shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It is difficult, thinking about all of those things," he spoke softly, a solemn smile on his face. "And it may seem impossible to not stop thinking about them, but I'll tell you a secret," he spoke, turning to face her fully.
"I am worried, too," he spoke, placing a hand on her cheek. "I am worried that the future I saw will come to light, and I will lose every single one of you," he continued, his smile inching just a fraction wider. "But I know that it will be okay because... because I have you. And no matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always be here with you. We cannot change what Takahiro and Daichi did, but we can make sure that no one else has to..." he choked a little, and he took a slow breath.
"We can make sure that no one else has to die. I cannot banish your fears, or your worries, Reiko. As much as I want to, all I can offer in comfort is this," he spoke, moving his hand from her face, and wrapping both of his arms around her. He leaned forward to hug her, keeping himself there and placing his hand against the back of her head. "But I want you to know, I do not plan on leaving you, Reiko. No matter what, I want to be with you always," he said it so softly that it almost registered as a whisper, even with her hearing and how close he was.
She let herself lean on him, then, nuzzling against his chest and returning the hug. It felt safe, being there in the tiny world created by just the two of them in that moment. And she wanted, more than anything, to believe everything he said. She trusted him. She knew he believed in what he said, but she also feared that circumstances far beyond even their control would conspire to make lies of promises like those.
“I just want it to be over," she mumbled into his shirt, savoring the warmth of his body against hers. Sadly even that was not enough to take her mind wholly away from her worries. “I'm tired of all of this fighting. Of not knowing whether the people I love will be alive at the end of the day. Of not knowing whether the people I'm protecting will be safe any longer."
"Me, too," he spoke softly, taking a deep breath. "This fight, though... it will determine everything," he continued, holding her just a little tighter. "As much as I wish for it to be over, too, of not knowing those things, either, this has to be done. If we do not succeed..." he trailed off. He didn't quite finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. He sighed softly, and shook his head.
"We must succeed if we are to have a future, Reiko. And I want a future... with everyone... and with you," he spoke, moving his head so that his cheek was pressed against the top of her head. "Because a world without you is a world that no longer shines. It is dark and bleak and unforgiving," he continued, letting out a slow breath.
"Let's take the field one last time, so that we can fight for a future where we will no longer have to. To create a world where fighting will no longer be necessary," he stated, pulling back just enough so that he could face her. "Will you take the field with me, Reiko?" he asked, tilting his head just slightly. He did not like fighting, that much was obvious, but it looked like he was willing to do it for her.
“Of course I will," she said softly. “I know we must, and I'd never leave the rest of you to bear that weight without me." But even that fact didn't ease the dread in her heart. Because she wanted a future with him as well, and tomorrow might take that away from her.
She swore, right then and there to herself, that she wouldn't let it happen. Whatever else might take place, she would not, could not, allow any future to come to pass which did not have Aram in it.
He just smiled softly at her. "Alright," he spoke softly. "I am sorry, though, that I cannot offer you any comfort for this. If there is anything you want, anything you need, now, I will do my best to give it to you," he spoke, sighing softly. "Although I don't think there is much I can give you," he spoke, a faint hint of mockery in his voice. It seemed mostly directed at himself, though. His smile, however, did not falter.
Reiko smiled sympathetically, reaching up to brush her fingers along the line of his jaw. “I'm afraid there's not much any of us can do about this," she said with a small sigh. “But you do... I do feel better that you're here right now." She could feel her cheeks heating, but said the next words anyway. “You make me feel safe."
"And I shall do my best to keep you safe," he spoke, leaning forward slightly. He didn't move any further than that, however; a small smile etched on his face as he brought a hand back to her cheek. "You are adorable with that color on your face," he spoke, a hint of something teasing and playful in his voice.
"You should wear it more often," he spoke, his smile tilting up slightly to a grin. He leaned forward to brush his lips gently against hers, before pulling back.
Reiko made an awkward little noise of embarrassment; surely she was only flushing a deeper red now. This was a new development. Aram hadn't really teased her before. She wasn't really sure what to do about it. Her lips tingled where his had brushed against them. Perhaps that was the place to start?
“Is that so?" she said, drawing her words out longer than she usually would. It felt a little silly, but she wasn't oblivious. This was the kind of thing that people did when they flirted, right? Reiko rose onto her knees, draping her arms around his shoulders and curling her fingers against the nape of his neck. “I thought you liked me in kingfisher blue."
He chuckled softly. "Mm, no. Red suits you much better than the blue," he replied, arching a brow in her direction. " The kingfisher blue was pretty," he began again, his smile tilting up a little further. He hummed a thoughtful note, for a moment, before it settled again. "But I think red makes you look more beautiful," he added, chuckling a little lowly at her. He dragged a finger across her jaw, and up towards her ear before dragging it back down.
"It brings out the shine of your eyes," he spoke genuinely, moving his gaze so he could stare at her eyes. He brushed his thumb underneath her left eye, before dropping his hand. "I think... red might be my new favorite color because of you."
It was really just like him to say sweet things like that as though they were nothing. She wasn't sure if it was that or the touch of his fingers that made it hard to breathe, but either way, it was a struggle. Given this fact, words were all but impossible.
So Reiko kissed him instead. Slow, soft, warm. When she moved back, she smiled faintly. “I think we should go to bed," she said. It took a heartbeat, but then she realized how that might sound. “Er... that is, I mean we should go to sleep. In our rooms. Which are separate." She cleared her throat, feeling utterly mortified.
He chuckled at her, the sound coming out low and soft. "I am not my sister, Reiko, however," he paused, the smile faltering to give way to something a little more serious. "If you... would like," he began, coughing a little awkwardly as he did. It looked like he was searching for the words to say. "If it might make you feel better... you can stay with me tonight," he spoke, turning the slightest bit red and facing the floor.
"Sleep wise, I mean," he added, scratching his cheek as he did. "I do not mind," he said as he lifted his gaze back to her, the smile on his face returning.
She'd definitely thought about it; Reiko didn't deny that. And maybe... maybe it would help her sleep better. Slowly, she nodded. “I'd... like that," she replied.
One last bit of peace before the chaos of the next day.
It was hard not to think abut all the ways everything could go wrong. Hard to think about meeting her brothers again tomorrow, this time on opposite sides. Her whole life, they'd always been together. Takahiro especially had been by her side. She didn't really care about the distinctions, but he was also her only full-blooded brother; the only one who'd shared a mother with her. She couldn't help but think about how their mom would feel, knowing that they'd be fighting each other. Tou-chan might understand, but Kaa-san...
She sniffed faintly, willing herself not to cry. Reiko had already made up her mind about this: she wasn't going to go looking for a fight with either Takahiro or Daichi, but if they stood in the way of stopping Eiji, then she would fight them. She had to. He had to be stopped, and they were the only ones who could do it. She could not shirk her responsibility, even if it made her feel like her heart was breaking.
The sounds of clothes rustling softly could be heard as someone took a seat next to her. It was Aram. He remained quiet next to her, and simply sat. His gaze was fixed out with hers, but he wore a small, contemplative look on his face. He seemed to be in his own thoughts, but then his arm moved so that his hand settled on her shoulder. Finally, he turned his head slowly to her, and offered her a small smile.
"Thinking about tomorrow." he simply stated. He didn't say anything further, indicating he wasn't going to press for details. He never seemed to do that. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked softly, smiling down at her, still.
She smiled softly, shaking her head just a little. “I wish I could," she replied in a murmur. There was no need to speak louder. The quiet around them was comforting, like a blanket to ward off the chill in the air. She didn't want to ruin it by speaking too loud.
Reiko leaned into his touch a little bit, but natural caution prevented her from being so forward as to tuck herself into his side or anything like that. Some things were hard to overcome; reserve had always been part of her personality. Of both of their personalities.
“But I can't stop thinking. About Takahiro and Daichi. About what happens if something goes wrong. About how worried I am."
He hummed a thoughtful note. He seemed to contemplate her words and remained quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thought. He dropped his hand from her head, though, to her shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It is difficult, thinking about all of those things," he spoke softly, a solemn smile on his face. "And it may seem impossible to not stop thinking about them, but I'll tell you a secret," he spoke, turning to face her fully.
"I am worried, too," he spoke, placing a hand on her cheek. "I am worried that the future I saw will come to light, and I will lose every single one of you," he continued, his smile inching just a fraction wider. "But I know that it will be okay because... because I have you. And no matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always be here with you. We cannot change what Takahiro and Daichi did, but we can make sure that no one else has to..." he choked a little, and he took a slow breath.
"We can make sure that no one else has to die. I cannot banish your fears, or your worries, Reiko. As much as I want to, all I can offer in comfort is this," he spoke, moving his hand from her face, and wrapping both of his arms around her. He leaned forward to hug her, keeping himself there and placing his hand against the back of her head. "But I want you to know, I do not plan on leaving you, Reiko. No matter what, I want to be with you always," he said it so softly that it almost registered as a whisper, even with her hearing and how close he was.
She let herself lean on him, then, nuzzling against his chest and returning the hug. It felt safe, being there in the tiny world created by just the two of them in that moment. And she wanted, more than anything, to believe everything he said. She trusted him. She knew he believed in what he said, but she also feared that circumstances far beyond even their control would conspire to make lies of promises like those.
“I just want it to be over," she mumbled into his shirt, savoring the warmth of his body against hers. Sadly even that was not enough to take her mind wholly away from her worries. “I'm tired of all of this fighting. Of not knowing whether the people I love will be alive at the end of the day. Of not knowing whether the people I'm protecting will be safe any longer."
"Me, too," he spoke softly, taking a deep breath. "This fight, though... it will determine everything," he continued, holding her just a little tighter. "As much as I wish for it to be over, too, of not knowing those things, either, this has to be done. If we do not succeed..." he trailed off. He didn't quite finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. He sighed softly, and shook his head.
"We must succeed if we are to have a future, Reiko. And I want a future... with everyone... and with you," he spoke, moving his head so that his cheek was pressed against the top of her head. "Because a world without you is a world that no longer shines. It is dark and bleak and unforgiving," he continued, letting out a slow breath.
"Let's take the field one last time, so that we can fight for a future where we will no longer have to. To create a world where fighting will no longer be necessary," he stated, pulling back just enough so that he could face her. "Will you take the field with me, Reiko?" he asked, tilting his head just slightly. He did not like fighting, that much was obvious, but it looked like he was willing to do it for her.
“Of course I will," she said softly. “I know we must, and I'd never leave the rest of you to bear that weight without me." But even that fact didn't ease the dread in her heart. Because she wanted a future with him as well, and tomorrow might take that away from her.
She swore, right then and there to herself, that she wouldn't let it happen. Whatever else might take place, she would not, could not, allow any future to come to pass which did not have Aram in it.
He just smiled softly at her. "Alright," he spoke softly. "I am sorry, though, that I cannot offer you any comfort for this. If there is anything you want, anything you need, now, I will do my best to give it to you," he spoke, sighing softly. "Although I don't think there is much I can give you," he spoke, a faint hint of mockery in his voice. It seemed mostly directed at himself, though. His smile, however, did not falter.
Reiko smiled sympathetically, reaching up to brush her fingers along the line of his jaw. “I'm afraid there's not much any of us can do about this," she said with a small sigh. “But you do... I do feel better that you're here right now." She could feel her cheeks heating, but said the next words anyway. “You make me feel safe."
"And I shall do my best to keep you safe," he spoke, leaning forward slightly. He didn't move any further than that, however; a small smile etched on his face as he brought a hand back to her cheek. "You are adorable with that color on your face," he spoke, a hint of something teasing and playful in his voice.
"You should wear it more often," he spoke, his smile tilting up slightly to a grin. He leaned forward to brush his lips gently against hers, before pulling back.
Reiko made an awkward little noise of embarrassment; surely she was only flushing a deeper red now. This was a new development. Aram hadn't really teased her before. She wasn't really sure what to do about it. Her lips tingled where his had brushed against them. Perhaps that was the place to start?
“Is that so?" she said, drawing her words out longer than she usually would. It felt a little silly, but she wasn't oblivious. This was the kind of thing that people did when they flirted, right? Reiko rose onto her knees, draping her arms around his shoulders and curling her fingers against the nape of his neck. “I thought you liked me in kingfisher blue."
He chuckled softly. "Mm, no. Red suits you much better than the blue," he replied, arching a brow in her direction. " The kingfisher blue was pretty," he began again, his smile tilting up a little further. He hummed a thoughtful note, for a moment, before it settled again. "But I think red makes you look more beautiful," he added, chuckling a little lowly at her. He dragged a finger across her jaw, and up towards her ear before dragging it back down.
"It brings out the shine of your eyes," he spoke genuinely, moving his gaze so he could stare at her eyes. He brushed his thumb underneath her left eye, before dropping his hand. "I think... red might be my new favorite color because of you."
It was really just like him to say sweet things like that as though they were nothing. She wasn't sure if it was that or the touch of his fingers that made it hard to breathe, but either way, it was a struggle. Given this fact, words were all but impossible.
So Reiko kissed him instead. Slow, soft, warm. When she moved back, she smiled faintly. “I think we should go to bed," she said. It took a heartbeat, but then she realized how that might sound. “Er... that is, I mean we should go to sleep. In our rooms. Which are separate." She cleared her throat, feeling utterly mortified.
He chuckled at her, the sound coming out low and soft. "I am not my sister, Reiko, however," he paused, the smile faltering to give way to something a little more serious. "If you... would like," he began, coughing a little awkwardly as he did. It looked like he was searching for the words to say. "If it might make you feel better... you can stay with me tonight," he spoke, turning the slightest bit red and facing the floor.
"Sleep wise, I mean," he added, scratching his cheek as he did. "I do not mind," he said as he lifted his gaze back to her, the smile on his face returning.
She'd definitely thought about it; Reiko didn't deny that. And maybe... maybe it would help her sleep better. Slowly, she nodded. “I'd... like that," she replied.
One last bit of peace before the chaos of the next day.
Aram breathed heavily.
The yells of the oni and humans flooded his ears as arrows whipped past him. There had been no break in between the fighting. But then again, he hadn't expected there to be. This was war, and everywhere he looked, bodies were strewn across the battle ground. Oni mostly, for which he was glad. The hunters and the humans had been able to utilize the machinations on the wall to take out a few of the oni which was a slight advantage for them. The more oni they took out, the greater chance they had at succeeding.
Aram, however, refrained from transforming. Even if he'd been given a substantial boost in strength and speed, he wanted to save it for him. He wiped the sweat from his brow, just in time to block an incoming strike against him. He managed to push the great sword away, and flicked his blade across the oni's arm. The cut split the forearm open, causing the oni to pull back. The others were facing their own oni, trying to make their way to finding Eiji.
He'd yet to take the field, but that did not mean he wasn't there.
Pushing his blade forward, he thrusted it into the side of the oni's neck, and twisted it as he pulled it out. It managed to sever the neck, splitting the tendons to where it was still half on, and half off. It did not seem to faze the creature, though, since he kept swinging his blade towards Aram. "Tch," he had to end this quickly to find Eiji. Glancing sideways, he managed to spot Ayla, who appeared to have had the same reserves as he did about transforming. It almost looked like she was dancing with her blade, however; she wore an unusual expression.
Where fighting and battles usually made her happy, she didn't quite look that way. Her brows were furrowed, and he could almost see the slight curl of her lips. Perhaps this was wearing on her, too? He shook the thought from his head. He turned his attention back to the oni, maneuvering himself so that he could finish the job he'd started by severing the oni's head from his shoulders.
He pursed his lips together, lifting his head in search of the others.
Reiko and Kentaro brought down an alpha together; both of them as well as Tsubasa to the left moved with an economy of action, suggesting an attempt to conserve their energy as much as possible. Tatsuya threw himself around with considerably less caution, but it was paying off in that he was dueling three or more oni at a time and moving through their ranks swiftly, acting as the spear-point of their formation. It was something Amon had always done, too.
Sayuri had taken over the command for the humans and was leading them. He could faintly make out her voice giving commands as she, too, partook in the battle. Everyone was doing their best, it seemed. Nodding to himself, he pushed forward as well, taking on another oni before it fell to his blade. The others seemed to be handling themselves well, and he did not have need to worry. Not yet.
He made his way to Ayla, taking on an oni that attempted to flank her. She nodded her thanks before moving on to another set. He followed after, cutting down another oni before they came to a pair of alphas. He nodded towards her, as she did the same, and they separated. He thrust his sword in a careful manner, making sure that the strength he used would be enough to pierce through the oni's hide, and into his side to the heart. He could hear the alpha to his side fall at the same time his did.
A sharp whistling sound, however, caught his attention, and he glanced towards it. He pursed his lips together as another wave of oni came. He jerked his head in Ayla's direction. Apparently she'd seen them too, and they both made their way towards Reiko and her brothers.
The group gathered as though they'd all had the same thought: cluster together for defense against the charge.
But it seemed that it would not be so simple as that. Reiko, scanning the incoming line, gasped softly, her eyes widening with what looked like some blend of panic and misery. “Taka. Dai."
Tatsuya, Kentaro, and Tsubasa followed her eyes. The oldest brother cursed under his breath. Further complicating matters was a perceptible shift in the atmosphere around them. It felt like dark miasma pressing in on his senses, like a cloud had passed over the entire field.
Eiji had entered the battle.
The others must have felt it, too; not one of them was still relaxed. “Shit," Tsubasa said, tightening his grip on his spear. “This is bad news."
"No shit," Ayla responded, but her grip tightened on her blade as Aram pursed his lips together. They wouldn't be able to fight both Eiji and the brothers. If they wanted a chance at Eiji, the four of them would need to get to him first. Takahiro and Daichi would prove to be an obstacle not only physically, but mentally as well. They were still siblings, after all. He glanced towards the others, his brows furrowing.
"They need to be dealt with," Ayla muttered, breaking him from his thoughts. Her brows were furrowed, and her lips were pursed. She didn't seem to like the idea any more than he did, but perhaps he was misreading her? She might have been livid for all he knew. He could not read her facial expressions.
"Eiji is our main priority," he spoke, instead. He didn't have to say it. They would all know, however; they had to deal with Takahiro and Daichi if they wanted to get to Eiji. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but the fact remained that Takahiro and Daichi had to be dealt with.
“Tsubasa and I will handle those two," Kentaro said firmly. “And then we'll help Sayuri and the soldiers with the oni. The four of you should go after Eiji. We can't spare anyone else."
Splitting themselves up like this would seriously damage their capabilities, but there didn't seem to be another choice. But from the way Kentaro looked at Reiko, he seemed to understand that she would have serious difficulties facing them anyway. In that sense, perhaps this was for the best.
It was for the best, he thought. "He is right," he spoke, though he flinched slightly at the coldness of the tone. Kentaro was right, though. They needed to get to Eiji, and the only way they could is if they weren't impeded. This way, at least the four of them do what they needed to.
"You heard him," Ayla spoke with no reservations. "They can handle those two while we go after Eiji. Let's finish this shit," she spoke, a hint of something feral coming through her voice. Aram nodded.
"If you are certain, then we should go," he spoke towards Kentaro before drifting his attention towards Tatsuya and Reiko.
Tatsuya nodded immediately. Reiko looked a little less sure, but then she pulled in a breath and tightened her grip on Amon's sword.
“All right," she said at last. “Let's go. There's not time to waste."
He nodded in agreement. Time was precious.
The yells of the oni and humans flooded his ears as arrows whipped past him. There had been no break in between the fighting. But then again, he hadn't expected there to be. This was war, and everywhere he looked, bodies were strewn across the battle ground. Oni mostly, for which he was glad. The hunters and the humans had been able to utilize the machinations on the wall to take out a few of the oni which was a slight advantage for them. The more oni they took out, the greater chance they had at succeeding.
Aram, however, refrained from transforming. Even if he'd been given a substantial boost in strength and speed, he wanted to save it for him. He wiped the sweat from his brow, just in time to block an incoming strike against him. He managed to push the great sword away, and flicked his blade across the oni's arm. The cut split the forearm open, causing the oni to pull back. The others were facing their own oni, trying to make their way to finding Eiji.
He'd yet to take the field, but that did not mean he wasn't there.
Pushing his blade forward, he thrusted it into the side of the oni's neck, and twisted it as he pulled it out. It managed to sever the neck, splitting the tendons to where it was still half on, and half off. It did not seem to faze the creature, though, since he kept swinging his blade towards Aram. "Tch," he had to end this quickly to find Eiji. Glancing sideways, he managed to spot Ayla, who appeared to have had the same reserves as he did about transforming. It almost looked like she was dancing with her blade, however; she wore an unusual expression.
Where fighting and battles usually made her happy, she didn't quite look that way. Her brows were furrowed, and he could almost see the slight curl of her lips. Perhaps this was wearing on her, too? He shook the thought from his head. He turned his attention back to the oni, maneuvering himself so that he could finish the job he'd started by severing the oni's head from his shoulders.
He pursed his lips together, lifting his head in search of the others.
Reiko and Kentaro brought down an alpha together; both of them as well as Tsubasa to the left moved with an economy of action, suggesting an attempt to conserve their energy as much as possible. Tatsuya threw himself around with considerably less caution, but it was paying off in that he was dueling three or more oni at a time and moving through their ranks swiftly, acting as the spear-point of their formation. It was something Amon had always done, too.
Sayuri had taken over the command for the humans and was leading them. He could faintly make out her voice giving commands as she, too, partook in the battle. Everyone was doing their best, it seemed. Nodding to himself, he pushed forward as well, taking on another oni before it fell to his blade. The others seemed to be handling themselves well, and he did not have need to worry. Not yet.
He made his way to Ayla, taking on an oni that attempted to flank her. She nodded her thanks before moving on to another set. He followed after, cutting down another oni before they came to a pair of alphas. He nodded towards her, as she did the same, and they separated. He thrust his sword in a careful manner, making sure that the strength he used would be enough to pierce through the oni's hide, and into his side to the heart. He could hear the alpha to his side fall at the same time his did.
A sharp whistling sound, however, caught his attention, and he glanced towards it. He pursed his lips together as another wave of oni came. He jerked his head in Ayla's direction. Apparently she'd seen them too, and they both made their way towards Reiko and her brothers.
The group gathered as though they'd all had the same thought: cluster together for defense against the charge.
But it seemed that it would not be so simple as that. Reiko, scanning the incoming line, gasped softly, her eyes widening with what looked like some blend of panic and misery. “Taka. Dai."
Tatsuya, Kentaro, and Tsubasa followed her eyes. The oldest brother cursed under his breath. Further complicating matters was a perceptible shift in the atmosphere around them. It felt like dark miasma pressing in on his senses, like a cloud had passed over the entire field.
Eiji had entered the battle.
The others must have felt it, too; not one of them was still relaxed. “Shit," Tsubasa said, tightening his grip on his spear. “This is bad news."
"No shit," Ayla responded, but her grip tightened on her blade as Aram pursed his lips together. They wouldn't be able to fight both Eiji and the brothers. If they wanted a chance at Eiji, the four of them would need to get to him first. Takahiro and Daichi would prove to be an obstacle not only physically, but mentally as well. They were still siblings, after all. He glanced towards the others, his brows furrowing.
"They need to be dealt with," Ayla muttered, breaking him from his thoughts. Her brows were furrowed, and her lips were pursed. She didn't seem to like the idea any more than he did, but perhaps he was misreading her? She might have been livid for all he knew. He could not read her facial expressions.
"Eiji is our main priority," he spoke, instead. He didn't have to say it. They would all know, however; they had to deal with Takahiro and Daichi if they wanted to get to Eiji. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but the fact remained that Takahiro and Daichi had to be dealt with.
“Tsubasa and I will handle those two," Kentaro said firmly. “And then we'll help Sayuri and the soldiers with the oni. The four of you should go after Eiji. We can't spare anyone else."
Splitting themselves up like this would seriously damage their capabilities, but there didn't seem to be another choice. But from the way Kentaro looked at Reiko, he seemed to understand that she would have serious difficulties facing them anyway. In that sense, perhaps this was for the best.
It was for the best, he thought. "He is right," he spoke, though he flinched slightly at the coldness of the tone. Kentaro was right, though. They needed to get to Eiji, and the only way they could is if they weren't impeded. This way, at least the four of them do what they needed to.
"You heard him," Ayla spoke with no reservations. "They can handle those two while we go after Eiji. Let's finish this shit," she spoke, a hint of something feral coming through her voice. Aram nodded.
"If you are certain, then we should go," he spoke towards Kentaro before drifting his attention towards Tatsuya and Reiko.
Tatsuya nodded immediately. Reiko looked a little less sure, but then she pulled in a breath and tightened her grip on Amon's sword.
“All right," she said at last. “Let's go. There's not time to waste."
He nodded in agreement. Time was precious.
They covered ground quickly, only cutting down the oni who tried to get in the way of their progress. Even those tapered off when Kentaro surrounded them with fire, hemming the reinforcements into a smaller area for him and Tsubasa to deal with. Reiko hoped they would be all right: she knew he and Tsubasa were strong, but so were Takahiro and Daichi, and considering all the oni with them as well...
No. She had to believe in them. She had to believe everything would be all right. She couldn't afford to be distracted now. Not when they were going to be facing down someone as dangerous as Eiji.
“There he is," Tatsuya growled, both swords ringing free of their sheaths.
Eiji stood alone, undefended by so much as a single oni. That alone made Reiko cautious; he certainly wouldn't do something like that if he believed them to be any legitimate threat to him. Reiko grit her teeth, coming to a stop alongside the others. They hadn't really been able to do much strategizing about this, because not even Aram knew what Eiji was capable of. She was inclined to wait for him to make the first move, but it was hard to say how wise that was.
The mask was pulled over his face, covering everything save for his mouth. He was smirking; that much was easy to see even as his hand went to his face. He made no move, though, simply allowing his hand to rest on his mask. The air was tense around them, and still, he made no move. It was almost as if he were waiting for them to make the first move, however; it became apparent that was not the case. The mask lifted, revealing pale white skin with particular markings on it. They bore a similarity to the ones she and the others had when they were transformed. Even the white of his hair was not the same shade that would denote age.
"So you've finally made it," he spoke simply, the quirk of his lips indicating he was still smirking. His eyes, golden in color, fixed on all of them before falling directly on her. "How nice of you to bring me the Key. You all, however, are not needed; you can go," he spoke, his tone flat as he glanced at the other three. Something akin to a snarl, wolfish in sound, came from Ayla, and Aram merely pursed his lips together.
"We can avoid unnecessary deaths, here, if you just hand her over, you know. You don't have to die. You know this outcome if you insist on resisting," he spoke directly towards Aram at that point.
"And you're just a walking piece of shit," Ayla spat back, taking a step forward, however; Aram placed his arm out in front of her, stopping her in the process. He shook his head at Eiji, though.
"It is not the outcome, just a possibility," Aram spoke, causing Eiji to huff lightly. It almost sounded like he wanted to laugh. "And you should know that a possibility is not set in stone. It can change," he continued, his voice unusually calm and stern.
"You really believe that, do you?" Eiji seemed almost amused by the fact. Aram simply nodded.
Reiko was still trying to process this. Why her? What was so special about her specifically? Could it really be that all of this was to... no, surely not.
Her fingers tightened around her father's katana. She narrowed her eyes at Eiji. “Whatever you want," she said firmly, “you aren't getting it."
Eiji didn't seem at all fazed by what she said. If anything, he looked bored. The smirk had left his face, and his brows were no longer furrowed. He simply sighed and shook his head. "This would have been easier if you'd just come willingly. It seems, now, they must die, and you will join them shortly after," he spoke, a hint of disappointment playing in his voice. What he was disappointed about was hard to tell, and whether or not he actually was.
The ring of his sword being drawn from his sheath was followed by his disappearance. He moved fast, faster than she or her brothers could move, and the blade he had was protruding from Aram's chest. It was an inch too high to have been fatal, but Eiji clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't have moved, Aram," he spoke, pulling the blade with a quick twist of his wrist.
Reiko froze, her breath stilling in her lungs. For a moment, she couldn't force herself to move; terror stuck her in place.
Ayla was the first to move, swinging her blade towards Eiji who simply dodged. Aram seemed to recover quickly enough to join his sister. Eiji, however, looked to be having no difficulty fending of the two of them. The same bored expression was still on his face, as well.
Tatsuya joined the fray, freezing Eiji's arms in the middle of a counterattack. It took only a second for him to crack the ice off and move again, but in that second, one of Aram's blows was able to hit, at least a little.
Somehow, knowing that hitting him was at least theoretically possible was enough to shake Reiko out of her stillness, and she darted forward too, sweeping low. She had no intention of hitting him herself, only of disrupting his balance so that someone else would have an easier time of it.
Eiji didn't seem fazed by what was going on. He simply kept dodging and attacking when an opportunity presented itself. Even her attempt to knock his balance off didn't quite work. It seemed almost natural for him to be fending off four people at a time. He sighed a soft breath, though, audible over the sounds of the battle, and it seemed like he'd had enough. Pushing himself a good distance away, he stood, his blade to his side. His lips were pursed and his brows were furrowed.
"It seems that you are too persistent," he spoke, sheathing his sword. "It appears I must use this," he spoke, pulling out what looked to be a flute of some kind. It was smaller, though, and he pressed it to his lips. The sound that came out of it wasn't at all like a flute. It was sharper, high-pitched, and almost deafening. Ayla seemed to double over from the sound, holding her hands to her ears as she tried to block out the sound. Aram didn't seem too fazed by the sound, perhaps because he did not have their hearing, however; he did look slightly uncomfortable.
There was a thunderous roar that answered it, followed by the appearance of three rather large oni. They were bigger than the alphas, and one looked to particularly tower over the other ones. Ayla and Aram looked at each other, and then towards Reiko and Tatsuya.
"Bastard," Ayla muttered beneath her breath. She lifted her sword out in front of her and Aram did the same. "We can't take them both on, and him," she spoke, gripping her sword a little tighter. Aram nodded his head in agreement, however; it seemed like they wouldn't have much choice. "I can handle them. You three take care of Eiji; I'll finish as quick as I can," she spoke. It didn't seem she was giving them much of a choice since she charged off towards the oni.
"Such a shame, really," Eiji spoke, though when he did, it was in Reiko's ear. He'd somehow managed to use the distraction to appear beside her. He jumped back just in time to avoid Aram's sword, though, and looked almost amused. "To think this could have all been avoided if you'd just handed her over to begin with," he seemed disappointed, and shook his head.
"But this ends now," he spoke. He moved much faster than he originally did. It almost looked like he was a blur, too quick for her eyes to pick up, and he pushed his elbow into Aram's stomach, sending him backwards a bit. He turned his blade onto Tatsuya, next.
“Suya!" Reiko knew he couldn't possibly block a blow that fast, and yet...
The sound of metal on metal followed a few seconds later; the impact was heavy and grating as their swords scraped against one another, throwing sparks into the air. Tatsuya's arms trembled as he held Eiji's blade trapped between both of his own. Reiko had just enough time to register the way his mouth curled upwards before a blast of cold air and ice temporarily blinded her, forcing her to turn away.
When she looked back, Eiji was no longer there; he must have dodged. Tatsuya was transformed, rolling his shoulders out, surrounded by frosty ground in a ten-foot radius.
He had the right idea: if they were going to stand any chance here, they had to use everything available to them. Reiko reached into herself, grasping the core of power she could almost feel in her chest and letting it flood her. “Keep him busy," she told the other two. “I'm going to make the field mine." If she could sanctify the whole thing, or at least enough of it, then Eiji wouldn't be able to move around so freely as he could right now.
But in order to do that, she would have to take her attention away from defending herself, which she knew was dangerous. But she could trust in them to protect her. She had to.
Aram nodded, and appeared to summon his own transformation. He glanced at Reiko, the concern behind his eyes conveyed, before he charged Eiji, however; Eiji seemed to grin at both Aram and Tatsuya as he fended off their attacks. He laughed, as if something were funny to him. "It appears that the prophet has found himself. Too late, might I add," he spoke, dropping his eyes back down to her. His grin spread across his face, almost maliciously. He seemed to be waiting for something, though. He kept fending off their attacks with no real sense of urgency.
Though she would have much preferred to sit for this, Reiko knew it was unwise to make herself that defenseless. So instead, she kept standing, one hand gripping Tou-chan's sword, and closed her eyes. In this form, her power was right at her fingertips, and she only had to direct its flow, like water into the ground around her feet.
There was much blood and pain on the battlefield, making it difficult to sanctify. But she knew she could do it, with enough time. Still... there was no telling how much time they had, so she hurried as much as she could, pushing her energy into the earth faster than she'd ever dared do so before. Reiko attempted to put the noise of battle aside, to focus only on what she was doing and trust the others to handle the rest.
It was beginning to take. Slowly but surely, her area of influence expanded. First five feet around her, then ten, then twenty. She was doing it. It was working.
"Finally," Eiji spoke, blasting both Tatsuya and Aram away from him with a type of kinetic blast. Immediately, he was at her side, arm draped around her waist and tugging her towards him. As quickly as he'd appeared, there was a sharp prick in her neck, and her blood seemed to spill over. He was taking from her everything it seemed. Even her sanctification.
"Reiko!" Aram shouted her name, and tried to reach her. Eiji, however, moved to avoid the attack. His lips were still on her neck, and he continued taking from her. Something large and heavy collided with them, though, and warm blood spilled over Reiko's shoulder. It wasn't her blood, and from the scent, it seemed to be Eiji's. A snarl gave way to Ayla, and it appeared that she had Eiji's shoulder in her jaws. Without missing a beat, Eiji reached up, and grabbed her by the hide, and ripped her from his shoulder.
He didn't even seem fazed by the large wound in his shoulder, however; it became apparent why. It healed. So quickly it was hard to tell if he'd even been harmed. He was still draining her. Her blood, her power, everything.
Reiko struggled to push him off her, but his grip was like iron, and she could feel her strength leaving her with every moment that passed in his hold.
“Nngh." Desperately, she dropped the katana and reached down to her waist, grabbing the tantō there in a reverse grip. Abruptly, they lurched to the side, Eiji avoiding another blow from Tatsuya. The jumping continued, because her brother was pursuing. Ice crystals formed at Eiji's feet, forcing him to stay on the move or be trapped.
Reiko used the opportunity to pick her target well. Her strength faded fast, but she had one more good hit in her, and she had to take it before the chance was gone. With a sudden, sharp movement, she drove the knife right into Eiji's eye socket.
Eiji let out a frustrated growl, however; it was enough to force him off of her. "You stupid little..." he spoke, but the grin on his face seemed to suggest something other than anger. He was holding his eye where her tantō still was, however; he ripped it out, eye and everything. He didn't seem too concerned about it, and his eye was kept closed. Immediately, Aram and Ayla were at her side. Ayla seemed to try and keep Reiko from falling over, and Aram stood in front of them.
"Reiko. Reiko are you alright?" he spoke, keeping his gaze on Eiji.
She wasn't even close to all right. Her body felt slow and sluggish, heavy and exhausted. Weakly, Reiko shook her head. “I..."
The world went dark.
No. She had to believe in them. She had to believe everything would be all right. She couldn't afford to be distracted now. Not when they were going to be facing down someone as dangerous as Eiji.
“There he is," Tatsuya growled, both swords ringing free of their sheaths.
Eiji stood alone, undefended by so much as a single oni. That alone made Reiko cautious; he certainly wouldn't do something like that if he believed them to be any legitimate threat to him. Reiko grit her teeth, coming to a stop alongside the others. They hadn't really been able to do much strategizing about this, because not even Aram knew what Eiji was capable of. She was inclined to wait for him to make the first move, but it was hard to say how wise that was.
The mask was pulled over his face, covering everything save for his mouth. He was smirking; that much was easy to see even as his hand went to his face. He made no move, though, simply allowing his hand to rest on his mask. The air was tense around them, and still, he made no move. It was almost as if he were waiting for them to make the first move, however; it became apparent that was not the case. The mask lifted, revealing pale white skin with particular markings on it. They bore a similarity to the ones she and the others had when they were transformed. Even the white of his hair was not the same shade that would denote age.
"So you've finally made it," he spoke simply, the quirk of his lips indicating he was still smirking. His eyes, golden in color, fixed on all of them before falling directly on her. "How nice of you to bring me the Key. You all, however, are not needed; you can go," he spoke, his tone flat as he glanced at the other three. Something akin to a snarl, wolfish in sound, came from Ayla, and Aram merely pursed his lips together.
"We can avoid unnecessary deaths, here, if you just hand her over, you know. You don't have to die. You know this outcome if you insist on resisting," he spoke directly towards Aram at that point.
"And you're just a walking piece of shit," Ayla spat back, taking a step forward, however; Aram placed his arm out in front of her, stopping her in the process. He shook his head at Eiji, though.
"It is not the outcome, just a possibility," Aram spoke, causing Eiji to huff lightly. It almost sounded like he wanted to laugh. "And you should know that a possibility is not set in stone. It can change," he continued, his voice unusually calm and stern.
"You really believe that, do you?" Eiji seemed almost amused by the fact. Aram simply nodded.
Reiko was still trying to process this. Why her? What was so special about her specifically? Could it really be that all of this was to... no, surely not.
Her fingers tightened around her father's katana. She narrowed her eyes at Eiji. “Whatever you want," she said firmly, “you aren't getting it."
Eiji didn't seem at all fazed by what she said. If anything, he looked bored. The smirk had left his face, and his brows were no longer furrowed. He simply sighed and shook his head. "This would have been easier if you'd just come willingly. It seems, now, they must die, and you will join them shortly after," he spoke, a hint of disappointment playing in his voice. What he was disappointed about was hard to tell, and whether or not he actually was.
The ring of his sword being drawn from his sheath was followed by his disappearance. He moved fast, faster than she or her brothers could move, and the blade he had was protruding from Aram's chest. It was an inch too high to have been fatal, but Eiji clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't have moved, Aram," he spoke, pulling the blade with a quick twist of his wrist.
Reiko froze, her breath stilling in her lungs. For a moment, she couldn't force herself to move; terror stuck her in place.
Ayla was the first to move, swinging her blade towards Eiji who simply dodged. Aram seemed to recover quickly enough to join his sister. Eiji, however, looked to be having no difficulty fending of the two of them. The same bored expression was still on his face, as well.
Tatsuya joined the fray, freezing Eiji's arms in the middle of a counterattack. It took only a second for him to crack the ice off and move again, but in that second, one of Aram's blows was able to hit, at least a little.
Somehow, knowing that hitting him was at least theoretically possible was enough to shake Reiko out of her stillness, and she darted forward too, sweeping low. She had no intention of hitting him herself, only of disrupting his balance so that someone else would have an easier time of it.
Eiji didn't seem fazed by what was going on. He simply kept dodging and attacking when an opportunity presented itself. Even her attempt to knock his balance off didn't quite work. It seemed almost natural for him to be fending off four people at a time. He sighed a soft breath, though, audible over the sounds of the battle, and it seemed like he'd had enough. Pushing himself a good distance away, he stood, his blade to his side. His lips were pursed and his brows were furrowed.
"It seems that you are too persistent," he spoke, sheathing his sword. "It appears I must use this," he spoke, pulling out what looked to be a flute of some kind. It was smaller, though, and he pressed it to his lips. The sound that came out of it wasn't at all like a flute. It was sharper, high-pitched, and almost deafening. Ayla seemed to double over from the sound, holding her hands to her ears as she tried to block out the sound. Aram didn't seem too fazed by the sound, perhaps because he did not have their hearing, however; he did look slightly uncomfortable.
There was a thunderous roar that answered it, followed by the appearance of three rather large oni. They were bigger than the alphas, and one looked to particularly tower over the other ones. Ayla and Aram looked at each other, and then towards Reiko and Tatsuya.
"Bastard," Ayla muttered beneath her breath. She lifted her sword out in front of her and Aram did the same. "We can't take them both on, and him," she spoke, gripping her sword a little tighter. Aram nodded his head in agreement, however; it seemed like they wouldn't have much choice. "I can handle them. You three take care of Eiji; I'll finish as quick as I can," she spoke. It didn't seem she was giving them much of a choice since she charged off towards the oni.
"Such a shame, really," Eiji spoke, though when he did, it was in Reiko's ear. He'd somehow managed to use the distraction to appear beside her. He jumped back just in time to avoid Aram's sword, though, and looked almost amused. "To think this could have all been avoided if you'd just handed her over to begin with," he seemed disappointed, and shook his head.
"But this ends now," he spoke. He moved much faster than he originally did. It almost looked like he was a blur, too quick for her eyes to pick up, and he pushed his elbow into Aram's stomach, sending him backwards a bit. He turned his blade onto Tatsuya, next.
“Suya!" Reiko knew he couldn't possibly block a blow that fast, and yet...
The sound of metal on metal followed a few seconds later; the impact was heavy and grating as their swords scraped against one another, throwing sparks into the air. Tatsuya's arms trembled as he held Eiji's blade trapped between both of his own. Reiko had just enough time to register the way his mouth curled upwards before a blast of cold air and ice temporarily blinded her, forcing her to turn away.
When she looked back, Eiji was no longer there; he must have dodged. Tatsuya was transformed, rolling his shoulders out, surrounded by frosty ground in a ten-foot radius.
He had the right idea: if they were going to stand any chance here, they had to use everything available to them. Reiko reached into herself, grasping the core of power she could almost feel in her chest and letting it flood her. “Keep him busy," she told the other two. “I'm going to make the field mine." If she could sanctify the whole thing, or at least enough of it, then Eiji wouldn't be able to move around so freely as he could right now.
But in order to do that, she would have to take her attention away from defending herself, which she knew was dangerous. But she could trust in them to protect her. She had to.
Aram nodded, and appeared to summon his own transformation. He glanced at Reiko, the concern behind his eyes conveyed, before he charged Eiji, however; Eiji seemed to grin at both Aram and Tatsuya as he fended off their attacks. He laughed, as if something were funny to him. "It appears that the prophet has found himself. Too late, might I add," he spoke, dropping his eyes back down to her. His grin spread across his face, almost maliciously. He seemed to be waiting for something, though. He kept fending off their attacks with no real sense of urgency.
Though she would have much preferred to sit for this, Reiko knew it was unwise to make herself that defenseless. So instead, she kept standing, one hand gripping Tou-chan's sword, and closed her eyes. In this form, her power was right at her fingertips, and she only had to direct its flow, like water into the ground around her feet.
There was much blood and pain on the battlefield, making it difficult to sanctify. But she knew she could do it, with enough time. Still... there was no telling how much time they had, so she hurried as much as she could, pushing her energy into the earth faster than she'd ever dared do so before. Reiko attempted to put the noise of battle aside, to focus only on what she was doing and trust the others to handle the rest.
It was beginning to take. Slowly but surely, her area of influence expanded. First five feet around her, then ten, then twenty. She was doing it. It was working.
"Finally," Eiji spoke, blasting both Tatsuya and Aram away from him with a type of kinetic blast. Immediately, he was at her side, arm draped around her waist and tugging her towards him. As quickly as he'd appeared, there was a sharp prick in her neck, and her blood seemed to spill over. He was taking from her everything it seemed. Even her sanctification.
"Reiko!" Aram shouted her name, and tried to reach her. Eiji, however, moved to avoid the attack. His lips were still on her neck, and he continued taking from her. Something large and heavy collided with them, though, and warm blood spilled over Reiko's shoulder. It wasn't her blood, and from the scent, it seemed to be Eiji's. A snarl gave way to Ayla, and it appeared that she had Eiji's shoulder in her jaws. Without missing a beat, Eiji reached up, and grabbed her by the hide, and ripped her from his shoulder.
He didn't even seem fazed by the large wound in his shoulder, however; it became apparent why. It healed. So quickly it was hard to tell if he'd even been harmed. He was still draining her. Her blood, her power, everything.
Reiko struggled to push him off her, but his grip was like iron, and she could feel her strength leaving her with every moment that passed in his hold.
“Nngh." Desperately, she dropped the katana and reached down to her waist, grabbing the tantō there in a reverse grip. Abruptly, they lurched to the side, Eiji avoiding another blow from Tatsuya. The jumping continued, because her brother was pursuing. Ice crystals formed at Eiji's feet, forcing him to stay on the move or be trapped.
Reiko used the opportunity to pick her target well. Her strength faded fast, but she had one more good hit in her, and she had to take it before the chance was gone. With a sudden, sharp movement, she drove the knife right into Eiji's eye socket.
Eiji let out a frustrated growl, however; it was enough to force him off of her. "You stupid little..." he spoke, but the grin on his face seemed to suggest something other than anger. He was holding his eye where her tantō still was, however; he ripped it out, eye and everything. He didn't seem too concerned about it, and his eye was kept closed. Immediately, Aram and Ayla were at her side. Ayla seemed to try and keep Reiko from falling over, and Aram stood in front of them.
"Reiko. Reiko are you alright?" he spoke, keeping his gaze on Eiji.
She wasn't even close to all right. Her body felt slow and sluggish, heavy and exhausted. Weakly, Reiko shook her head. “I..."
The world went dark.
Reiko! Ayla nearly shouted. Reiko had gone limp, and her eyes seemed to cloud over. Ayla could faintly make out Reiko's heartbeat, so she was still alive. A wave of relief washed over her, however; it was quickly replaced with anger. That didn't even seem like the right word she wanted to use. She felt a murderous intent for the one responsible, and she directed her attention towards him. He'd finally opened his other eye, but it was no longer the deep gold. It was a shade of red, carmine in color, and it was slitted to represent a feline's.
You... the word came out more as a growl than anything else. He seemed to be amused, by something because he was laughing. She didn't like it.
"Finally," he seemed to repeat, his laughter morphing into some strange sound. It turned deeper, deeper than the voices Tatsuya or the others sported when they'd transformed. "Now you get to witness what real power is," he spoke. Suddenly, black scales crawled over his body, and his body erupted into flames. There was a scream, though she wasn't sure if it was a painful one or just a reaction. The flames, however, grew.
They seemed to be fueled by something, and seemed to reach a height of over thirty feet. As quickly as they'd appeared, the flames dispersed, leaving in its path a large, serpent-like creature. The creature roared to life, shaking the very ground they stood on.
"Ayla, take Reiko and move her somewhere safe. I will attempt to draw him further away," he spoke, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She furrowed her brows at him.
Don't be stupid, Ara. We can draw him away from her. She'll be safer that way, she replied. If they could draw Eiji away, at least Reiko would be safe from harm. And that was what she wanted right now. As much as she wanted to maim the one responsible, her first priority was keeping Reiko away from the battle.
Tatsuya didn't even wait for them to finish having the argument. He simply lunged, teeth bared in a snarl, bringing both blades down on the serpent's body hard. They clanged off of scales like iron, throwing him backwards from the sheer force of the impact.
He landed on his feet, shaking his head as though to clear it of something. A feral growl, as wild as any of hers, ripped its way out of his chest—he barely seemed rational at the moment, let alone his usual self, and he rushed at the serpentine monster again, heedless of his own safety.
Shit, she gritted beneath her teeth. That wasn't a good sign. Aram, she didn't need to finish that statement. He nodded, and charged Eiji as well. His blade did little to nothing against Eiji's hide, and it seemed like he knew. There was a deep rumble coming from his throat, like he was laughing again. She growled, low and deep. Their weapons weren't doing anything against his hide. From the sounds, it almost sounded like his hide was made from the same metal. If that were the case...
Tatsuya! she called out to him. If Eiji's hide was like iron, then it could be worn down to become brittle. The only way that could happen, though is if Tatsuya was able to use his cryokinesis. It would take some time, but it would be a start, however; it would be simple if they could find a vulnerable spot.
If he was anything like the serpents from which he shared his form, they could use that to their advantage. But first she needed to get Tatsuya to concentrate. It wasn't going to work without him. Before she could do anything else, though, she was caught off guard by Eiji's tail slamming into her. She let out a pained gasp as she felt her ribs crack. They didn't completely break, which only made the pain worse.
She coughed slightly, wincing as pain shot through her side. She could shake it off. She'd felt worse pain before. Aram charged Eiji again, his blade clanging against his scales. Eiji turned his attention to Aram, then, attacking him with a swiftness not capable of something his size.
She snarled.
Tatsuya either didn't understand her or simply didn't care, because he kept hammering away at Eiji, discarding his swords to use his claws when repeated attempts did nothing to crack the scales. He was repeatedly thrown off, smashed with the snake's tail, and otherwise treated like a rag doll, but if Eiji managed to break anything, it wasn't slowing him down any.
His bare claws weren't doing much better than his blades, but they were at least scratching the armored plates, at the cost of bloodying Tatsuya's hands. His knuckles bled freely and his fingers were being slowly torn to ribbons. Neither fact looked to register with him at all.
Tatsuya, she nearly screamed his name this time. What the hell was he doing? He wasn't getting anywhere, and even if his claws were doing something, it still wasn't enough. She growled lowly. What could she do to snap him out of it? There wasn't much that could be done, but she had to try something. He was going to kill himself if he didn't. Then where would they be? She glanced at Aram.
Aram, keep him busy, she spoke, watching as he nodded. He charged Eiji once more, drawing his attention as he did. Ayla, however, turned her attention towards Tatsuya, and charged him, pushing him out of the way just in time as Eiji's claws raked against her back. It would have been him if she hadn't. Rolling to the ground, she landed so that she was able to pin Tatsuya down. She didn't have much time before he threw her off.
Tatsuya, stop! You need to concentrate! I need your help, and you're the only one who can! she was almost pleading with him. She could feel the warmth of her blood soaking her fur, but she did not care. The wounds were already healing, albeit slowly. She was trying to keep her heartbeat steady, but she was worried. Worried that he was going to kill himself, or be killed by Eiji. She couldn't lose anyone else. She'd promised not to.
Tatsuya bucked hard underneath her, throwing her off his body and rolling to his feet. His chest moved up and down like a bellows, pushing and pulling air through his massive lungs, but he did not immediately charge back into the fray, at least. Blood dripped from his fingertips to the ground underneath him, darkening the grass.
He looked confused for a moment, his eyes cloudy. It was almost as though he was struggling to focus them on her, like he didn't quite recognize her as distinct from the landscape. Slowly, though, they cleared; he shook himself hard and rolled his shoulders.
He didn't apologize or anything; there wasn't really time for such pleasantries. “Find me Reiko's tantō," he said quickly. “I'll start corroding the scales."
Returning his attention to Eiji, Tatsuya gestured sharply, pulling water out of the grass and corpses around them to gather it all together, and ran forward again, throwing swaths of it at Eiji and flash-freezing it once it hit him.
Her eyes roamed the ground. He'd thrown it somewhere nearby. Hurriedly, she moved around, searching for Reiko's blade. She spotted it not more than three feet away from where he was, and she furrowed her brows. Shit. she muttered, jumping out of the way of Eiji's tail. He seemed to be slowing down a bit, which was a good sign. She lunged for Reiko's tantō, grabbing it in her jaws. She felt something twist around her abdomen, though, and she was lifted off the ground. It applied pressure around her, squeezing harshly that she could feel the bones in her body, break.
Aram! she shouted, calling out to her brother. Immediately, he was on Eiji's tail, trying to pry her free. Stop. Give this to Tatsuya, she spoke in a hurried voice and handed the tantō to him. He looked confused, but took it anyway. He jumped from the spot, and landed, handing the tantō to Tatsuya as he did. Another crack signaled another break. She needed to get free. With as much strength as she could, she clamped down on the tail. She heard something break, though for a second, she couldn't tell if it was her teeth, or his scales.
The taste of blood signaled it was his scales, and the beast roared, throwing her into the earth. She left an indent in the ground where she landed. Managing to push herself out of the way, he tried to crush her with his tail, and she made her way back towards Aram and Tatsuya.
We need to find a vulnerable spot while Tatsuya works on the scales, she spoke, glancing at Aram.
"The underbelly," Aram spoke swiftly. "It'll be the only soft spot he has if we can get underneath the layer of scales," he continued, glancing towards Tatsuya as he did.
He held the tantō in one hand, bringing it up to his mouth. Tatsuya ran his tongue along the edge of the blade, licking a clean stripe on the bloody knife and then tossing it aside with a grin. “I can help with that," he said confidently.
Letting go of the ice he'd been controlling with his free hand, he jerked both of them upwards, fingers bending into hook shapes. Eiji, partway through a lunge in his direction, abruptly stopped short. Yanking his arms back, Tatsuya almost seemed to pull Eiji on puppet strings. The serpent flipped over in midair and crashed to the ground on his back.
“Hurry," Tatsuya ground out. “I can't hold him here all day."
It was the only chance they were going to get. She nodded towards Aram, and they both took off. They jumped onto Eiji's stomach, though she was the first to land. She needed to find his heart, however; she could faintly make out the beating of two. She didn't have time to think about decency. Immediately, she shifted, her bones quickly readjusting themselves to her intermediate form. She grabbed the wakizashi hanging on Aram's side, and immediately glanced at him.
"There are two. You get this one, I'll find the other," she spoke, pointing to the spot she stood on. This heart was closer to the stomach, it seemed, so that meant the heart she wanted was further up. Quickly, she made her way towards Eiji's chest, the beating becoming louder. The scales looked to be a little thicker here than by his stomach, but she could do this. She lifted her blade up, pausing only for a second as Aram appeared. He grabbed her hand, and with both of their strength, cracked through the first layer of scales.
Pushing further into it, she could hear it pierce something, and the creature roared a loud, painful sound. They pushed further until she could feel it slip easily into something. From the way he roared, she assumed it was his heart. The roar, though sounded horrible, and she had to cover her ears. Aram wrapped his arms around her, and jumped back. Once they were settled on the ground, something draped over her shoulders, and she could tell it was part of Aram's outfit. She did not care at the moment, and stared at Eiji. The creature convulsed, trying to thrash in its spot.
This was it.
This had to be it.
For a horrifying moment, it looked like the serpent would rise again despite his grievous injuries, but all of a sudden, he burst apart from the inside out, issuing a stream of multicolored spheres from his body. They floated there, twinkling in the air for just a moment, before they too faded away on the breeze.
“Fuck, I hurt everywhere." Tatsuya staggered towards them, looking more than a little unsteady on his feet, but as soon as he got to Reiko, he sat down next to her, laying one bloody hand on the side of her neck.
The expression of relief that passed over his face was easy to read.
She was going to be okay. They all were.
Ayla allowed herself to lean into Aram's side, pulling the piece of clothing tighter around her. They were going to be okay.
They'd finally won.
You... the word came out more as a growl than anything else. He seemed to be amused, by something because he was laughing. She didn't like it.
"Finally," he seemed to repeat, his laughter morphing into some strange sound. It turned deeper, deeper than the voices Tatsuya or the others sported when they'd transformed. "Now you get to witness what real power is," he spoke. Suddenly, black scales crawled over his body, and his body erupted into flames. There was a scream, though she wasn't sure if it was a painful one or just a reaction. The flames, however, grew.
They seemed to be fueled by something, and seemed to reach a height of over thirty feet. As quickly as they'd appeared, the flames dispersed, leaving in its path a large, serpent-like creature. The creature roared to life, shaking the very ground they stood on.
"Ayla, take Reiko and move her somewhere safe. I will attempt to draw him further away," he spoke, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She furrowed her brows at him.
Don't be stupid, Ara. We can draw him away from her. She'll be safer that way, she replied. If they could draw Eiji away, at least Reiko would be safe from harm. And that was what she wanted right now. As much as she wanted to maim the one responsible, her first priority was keeping Reiko away from the battle.
Tatsuya didn't even wait for them to finish having the argument. He simply lunged, teeth bared in a snarl, bringing both blades down on the serpent's body hard. They clanged off of scales like iron, throwing him backwards from the sheer force of the impact.
He landed on his feet, shaking his head as though to clear it of something. A feral growl, as wild as any of hers, ripped its way out of his chest—he barely seemed rational at the moment, let alone his usual self, and he rushed at the serpentine monster again, heedless of his own safety.
Shit, she gritted beneath her teeth. That wasn't a good sign. Aram, she didn't need to finish that statement. He nodded, and charged Eiji as well. His blade did little to nothing against Eiji's hide, and it seemed like he knew. There was a deep rumble coming from his throat, like he was laughing again. She growled, low and deep. Their weapons weren't doing anything against his hide. From the sounds, it almost sounded like his hide was made from the same metal. If that were the case...
Tatsuya! she called out to him. If Eiji's hide was like iron, then it could be worn down to become brittle. The only way that could happen, though is if Tatsuya was able to use his cryokinesis. It would take some time, but it would be a start, however; it would be simple if they could find a vulnerable spot.
If he was anything like the serpents from which he shared his form, they could use that to their advantage. But first she needed to get Tatsuya to concentrate. It wasn't going to work without him. Before she could do anything else, though, she was caught off guard by Eiji's tail slamming into her. She let out a pained gasp as she felt her ribs crack. They didn't completely break, which only made the pain worse.
She coughed slightly, wincing as pain shot through her side. She could shake it off. She'd felt worse pain before. Aram charged Eiji again, his blade clanging against his scales. Eiji turned his attention to Aram, then, attacking him with a swiftness not capable of something his size.
She snarled.
Tatsuya either didn't understand her or simply didn't care, because he kept hammering away at Eiji, discarding his swords to use his claws when repeated attempts did nothing to crack the scales. He was repeatedly thrown off, smashed with the snake's tail, and otherwise treated like a rag doll, but if Eiji managed to break anything, it wasn't slowing him down any.
His bare claws weren't doing much better than his blades, but they were at least scratching the armored plates, at the cost of bloodying Tatsuya's hands. His knuckles bled freely and his fingers were being slowly torn to ribbons. Neither fact looked to register with him at all.
Tatsuya, she nearly screamed his name this time. What the hell was he doing? He wasn't getting anywhere, and even if his claws were doing something, it still wasn't enough. She growled lowly. What could she do to snap him out of it? There wasn't much that could be done, but she had to try something. He was going to kill himself if he didn't. Then where would they be? She glanced at Aram.
Aram, keep him busy, she spoke, watching as he nodded. He charged Eiji once more, drawing his attention as he did. Ayla, however, turned her attention towards Tatsuya, and charged him, pushing him out of the way just in time as Eiji's claws raked against her back. It would have been him if she hadn't. Rolling to the ground, she landed so that she was able to pin Tatsuya down. She didn't have much time before he threw her off.
Tatsuya, stop! You need to concentrate! I need your help, and you're the only one who can! she was almost pleading with him. She could feel the warmth of her blood soaking her fur, but she did not care. The wounds were already healing, albeit slowly. She was trying to keep her heartbeat steady, but she was worried. Worried that he was going to kill himself, or be killed by Eiji. She couldn't lose anyone else. She'd promised not to.
Tatsuya bucked hard underneath her, throwing her off his body and rolling to his feet. His chest moved up and down like a bellows, pushing and pulling air through his massive lungs, but he did not immediately charge back into the fray, at least. Blood dripped from his fingertips to the ground underneath him, darkening the grass.
He looked confused for a moment, his eyes cloudy. It was almost as though he was struggling to focus them on her, like he didn't quite recognize her as distinct from the landscape. Slowly, though, they cleared; he shook himself hard and rolled his shoulders.
He didn't apologize or anything; there wasn't really time for such pleasantries. “Find me Reiko's tantō," he said quickly. “I'll start corroding the scales."
Returning his attention to Eiji, Tatsuya gestured sharply, pulling water out of the grass and corpses around them to gather it all together, and ran forward again, throwing swaths of it at Eiji and flash-freezing it once it hit him.
Her eyes roamed the ground. He'd thrown it somewhere nearby. Hurriedly, she moved around, searching for Reiko's blade. She spotted it not more than three feet away from where he was, and she furrowed her brows. Shit. she muttered, jumping out of the way of Eiji's tail. He seemed to be slowing down a bit, which was a good sign. She lunged for Reiko's tantō, grabbing it in her jaws. She felt something twist around her abdomen, though, and she was lifted off the ground. It applied pressure around her, squeezing harshly that she could feel the bones in her body, break.
Aram! she shouted, calling out to her brother. Immediately, he was on Eiji's tail, trying to pry her free. Stop. Give this to Tatsuya, she spoke in a hurried voice and handed the tantō to him. He looked confused, but took it anyway. He jumped from the spot, and landed, handing the tantō to Tatsuya as he did. Another crack signaled another break. She needed to get free. With as much strength as she could, she clamped down on the tail. She heard something break, though for a second, she couldn't tell if it was her teeth, or his scales.
The taste of blood signaled it was his scales, and the beast roared, throwing her into the earth. She left an indent in the ground where she landed. Managing to push herself out of the way, he tried to crush her with his tail, and she made her way back towards Aram and Tatsuya.
We need to find a vulnerable spot while Tatsuya works on the scales, she spoke, glancing at Aram.
"The underbelly," Aram spoke swiftly. "It'll be the only soft spot he has if we can get underneath the layer of scales," he continued, glancing towards Tatsuya as he did.
He held the tantō in one hand, bringing it up to his mouth. Tatsuya ran his tongue along the edge of the blade, licking a clean stripe on the bloody knife and then tossing it aside with a grin. “I can help with that," he said confidently.
Letting go of the ice he'd been controlling with his free hand, he jerked both of them upwards, fingers bending into hook shapes. Eiji, partway through a lunge in his direction, abruptly stopped short. Yanking his arms back, Tatsuya almost seemed to pull Eiji on puppet strings. The serpent flipped over in midair and crashed to the ground on his back.
“Hurry," Tatsuya ground out. “I can't hold him here all day."
It was the only chance they were going to get. She nodded towards Aram, and they both took off. They jumped onto Eiji's stomach, though she was the first to land. She needed to find his heart, however; she could faintly make out the beating of two. She didn't have time to think about decency. Immediately, she shifted, her bones quickly readjusting themselves to her intermediate form. She grabbed the wakizashi hanging on Aram's side, and immediately glanced at him.
"There are two. You get this one, I'll find the other," she spoke, pointing to the spot she stood on. This heart was closer to the stomach, it seemed, so that meant the heart she wanted was further up. Quickly, she made her way towards Eiji's chest, the beating becoming louder. The scales looked to be a little thicker here than by his stomach, but she could do this. She lifted her blade up, pausing only for a second as Aram appeared. He grabbed her hand, and with both of their strength, cracked through the first layer of scales.
Pushing further into it, she could hear it pierce something, and the creature roared a loud, painful sound. They pushed further until she could feel it slip easily into something. From the way he roared, she assumed it was his heart. The roar, though sounded horrible, and she had to cover her ears. Aram wrapped his arms around her, and jumped back. Once they were settled on the ground, something draped over her shoulders, and she could tell it was part of Aram's outfit. She did not care at the moment, and stared at Eiji. The creature convulsed, trying to thrash in its spot.
This was it.
This had to be it.
For a horrifying moment, it looked like the serpent would rise again despite his grievous injuries, but all of a sudden, he burst apart from the inside out, issuing a stream of multicolored spheres from his body. They floated there, twinkling in the air for just a moment, before they too faded away on the breeze.
“Fuck, I hurt everywhere." Tatsuya staggered towards them, looking more than a little unsteady on his feet, but as soon as he got to Reiko, he sat down next to her, laying one bloody hand on the side of her neck.
The expression of relief that passed over his face was easy to read.
She was going to be okay. They all were.
Ayla allowed herself to lean into Aram's side, pulling the piece of clothing tighter around her. They were going to be okay.
They'd finally won.
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