Post by Seito Risa on Sept 23, 2013 18:27:49 GMT -5
Risa strode away from the stairs and had taken all of a half dozen steps when a girl dressed in red knee length shorts and a wrap around top approached her.
Girl: "Are you Risa?"
Risa blinked. She nodded.
SR: "That is my name. You are?"
Girl: "Hikari. We have been expecting you. Please follow?"
The girl couldn't be more than fourteen. Risa watched her turn and walk, sighed to herself and started forward. Risa was escorted into a room where three hand woven mats were the only items, aside from a few lanterns on the walls. Two mats on one side, one mat on the other. Risa realized what was going on and closed her eyes. It must have been her mother who told them. She would have to remember to thank her later. Hikari led her to the single mat and motioned. Risa nodded, having left her shoes outside and knelt to the mat, settling back on her heels. Ikari moved around to her front.
Hikari: "I will need your jacket. It will be right here beside you."
Risa nodded, a bit of etiquette having escaped. She unsnapped the jacket with her right hand and shrugged it off of her left shoulder. Hikari eyed the sling and cast as she moved around to the right side to help the jacket off of Risa's right arm.
SR: "Arigato, Hikari-san."
The girl smiled and with a quick flip of her wrists, had the jacket neatly folded. She knelt at Risa's good arm and set the jacket gently to the floor and, staying bowed, backed through the door behind her.
Now I wait. I wonder how long? I wonder who?
To her surprise, she didn't have to wait long. The elderly woman walked gracefully, despite the use of a cane. Risa fought the urge to get up and help her. The woman's eyes were dark as coal and bright as the sun, fixed on Risa as she walked without mishap to the mat on Risa's right. Risa bowed her head, eyes to the floor, out of respect and embarrassment. The old woman settled without a problem into a similar position to Risa and set her cane at her side. Risa glanced up, saw the woman's look not on her face, but on her arm. Risa blushed, though she wasn't sure why. She tried to clear her mind and just look at the floor. Another person entered, she heard the rustling of the robe. This one was a bit quicker at getting to the mat and kneeling.
Voice: "Raise your eyes, please."
Slowly, Risa forced her head up, trying to reason out why she was reacting this way. The second person was also a woman, not much older than her own mother, she reckoned. The woman's face split in a smile as soon as Risa lifted her eyes.
Woman: "No doubt about it. If you are not Akemi's granddaughter then you are her returned to us."
Risa ducked her head again at the mention of her Grandmother's name. Usually the name caused hurt, as she missed her Grandmother so, but here, the name seemed to bring her a feeling of peace.
Woman: "I am Fujiwara Kazue. This is my Mother, the leader of the household, Fujiwara Megumi."
Risa's eyes, in fact her head, stayed ducked, but she provided the proper greetings and responses as she had been taught.
Kazue: "I can tell from here that you are troubled. You will not look up. The last time I saw you, nearly nine years ago, you were as bright and energetic a girl as I'd ever seen. You look tired. Megumi thinks it would be best if you had a visit with one of our fire readers. To see what you can see, try to help you find all that we need to help you with. Would you consent to that?"
Risa had done a fire reading once or twice. Nothing really had been revealed to her, but the experience had been good. And her distant cousin Miwa had been an expert.
SR: "Hai. I consent."
Kazue smiled sadly, although Risa didn't see it.
Kazue: "Here comes your guide now. I think you will remember her."
Risa turned her head and looked up. The disheveled blue hair did little to take away from the delicate face beneath it. The slight frame all but gone beneath the robe she wore. Risa felt herself try to smile.
SR: "I was just thinking about you, Mi-chan."
The other woman, two years Risa's elder, nodded.
Miwa: "I had figured you would be. If you will come with me?"
Risa nodded and turned back to the two women before her, bowing again.
SR: "Domo Arigato."
Risa raised her head and looked at Kazue. The woman nodded back to her. Megumi inclined her head, and actually spoke.
Megumi: "We never forget our children. No matter how many generations removed."
Risa turned to her and smiled, bowing again.
Kazue: "Go with Miwa, she will help you. Hikari will serve as your attendant while you are here. Let her know if you require anything."
Risa started to stand, lost her balance a moment, but regained it and stood up, even as Miwa moved to catch her if she fell. Risa again bowed to the women, then to Miwa.
SR: "I turn myself over to your guidance. I ask only your patience and understanding."
Miwa stepped to her side.
Miwa: "You will have both."
As they emerged into the early afternoon air, Miwa released a breath and stepped in front of Risa, stopping her in her tracks.
Miwa: "I want to know one thing. How did that happen?"
Risa looked at her arm. She closed her eyes.
SR: "That is part of what I am here to deal with, Mi-chan. With your help, I am hoping. I got my arm broken, in two places, trying to defend someone who I consider a friend. Alas, I wasn't able to prevent the great harm I knew was coming for her."
Miwa stepped back to Risa's side, her right, and put an arm around her neck gently, as a friend.
Miwa: "Come. Lets get you settled and get the fire going. You can tell me some about this new friend of yours. I can tell you some about what has happened since you were last here."
Risa nodded.
SR: "It might almost seem like old times."
Miwa nodded and guided Risa along a path of stones, toward a small building where a pyre, unlit at the moment, stood waiting...
Girl: "Are you Risa?"
Risa blinked. She nodded.
SR: "That is my name. You are?"
Girl: "Hikari. We have been expecting you. Please follow?"
The girl couldn't be more than fourteen. Risa watched her turn and walk, sighed to herself and started forward. Risa was escorted into a room where three hand woven mats were the only items, aside from a few lanterns on the walls. Two mats on one side, one mat on the other. Risa realized what was going on and closed her eyes. It must have been her mother who told them. She would have to remember to thank her later. Hikari led her to the single mat and motioned. Risa nodded, having left her shoes outside and knelt to the mat, settling back on her heels. Ikari moved around to her front.
Hikari: "I will need your jacket. It will be right here beside you."
Risa nodded, a bit of etiquette having escaped. She unsnapped the jacket with her right hand and shrugged it off of her left shoulder. Hikari eyed the sling and cast as she moved around to the right side to help the jacket off of Risa's right arm.
SR: "Arigato, Hikari-san."
The girl smiled and with a quick flip of her wrists, had the jacket neatly folded. She knelt at Risa's good arm and set the jacket gently to the floor and, staying bowed, backed through the door behind her.
Now I wait. I wonder how long? I wonder who?
To her surprise, she didn't have to wait long. The elderly woman walked gracefully, despite the use of a cane. Risa fought the urge to get up and help her. The woman's eyes were dark as coal and bright as the sun, fixed on Risa as she walked without mishap to the mat on Risa's right. Risa bowed her head, eyes to the floor, out of respect and embarrassment. The old woman settled without a problem into a similar position to Risa and set her cane at her side. Risa glanced up, saw the woman's look not on her face, but on her arm. Risa blushed, though she wasn't sure why. She tried to clear her mind and just look at the floor. Another person entered, she heard the rustling of the robe. This one was a bit quicker at getting to the mat and kneeling.
Voice: "Raise your eyes, please."
Slowly, Risa forced her head up, trying to reason out why she was reacting this way. The second person was also a woman, not much older than her own mother, she reckoned. The woman's face split in a smile as soon as Risa lifted her eyes.
Woman: "No doubt about it. If you are not Akemi's granddaughter then you are her returned to us."
Risa ducked her head again at the mention of her Grandmother's name. Usually the name caused hurt, as she missed her Grandmother so, but here, the name seemed to bring her a feeling of peace.
Woman: "I am Fujiwara Kazue. This is my Mother, the leader of the household, Fujiwara Megumi."
Risa's eyes, in fact her head, stayed ducked, but she provided the proper greetings and responses as she had been taught.
Kazue: "I can tell from here that you are troubled. You will not look up. The last time I saw you, nearly nine years ago, you were as bright and energetic a girl as I'd ever seen. You look tired. Megumi thinks it would be best if you had a visit with one of our fire readers. To see what you can see, try to help you find all that we need to help you with. Would you consent to that?"
Risa had done a fire reading once or twice. Nothing really had been revealed to her, but the experience had been good. And her distant cousin Miwa had been an expert.
SR: "Hai. I consent."
Kazue smiled sadly, although Risa didn't see it.
Kazue: "Here comes your guide now. I think you will remember her."
Risa turned her head and looked up. The disheveled blue hair did little to take away from the delicate face beneath it. The slight frame all but gone beneath the robe she wore. Risa felt herself try to smile.
SR: "I was just thinking about you, Mi-chan."
The other woman, two years Risa's elder, nodded.
Miwa: "I had figured you would be. If you will come with me?"
Risa nodded and turned back to the two women before her, bowing again.
SR: "Domo Arigato."
Risa raised her head and looked at Kazue. The woman nodded back to her. Megumi inclined her head, and actually spoke.
Megumi: "We never forget our children. No matter how many generations removed."
Risa turned to her and smiled, bowing again.
Kazue: "Go with Miwa, she will help you. Hikari will serve as your attendant while you are here. Let her know if you require anything."
Risa started to stand, lost her balance a moment, but regained it and stood up, even as Miwa moved to catch her if she fell. Risa again bowed to the women, then to Miwa.
SR: "I turn myself over to your guidance. I ask only your patience and understanding."
Miwa stepped to her side.
Miwa: "You will have both."
As they emerged into the early afternoon air, Miwa released a breath and stepped in front of Risa, stopping her in her tracks.
Miwa: "I want to know one thing. How did that happen?"
Risa looked at her arm. She closed her eyes.
SR: "That is part of what I am here to deal with, Mi-chan. With your help, I am hoping. I got my arm broken, in two places, trying to defend someone who I consider a friend. Alas, I wasn't able to prevent the great harm I knew was coming for her."
Miwa stepped back to Risa's side, her right, and put an arm around her neck gently, as a friend.
Miwa: "Come. Lets get you settled and get the fire going. You can tell me some about this new friend of yours. I can tell you some about what has happened since you were last here."
Risa nodded.
SR: "It might almost seem like old times."
Miwa nodded and guided Risa along a path of stones, toward a small building where a pyre, unlit at the moment, stood waiting...