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shyanimegrl generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:11 pm
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[BATTLE] An Unexpected Turn of Events [C][Legion Victory]
_____________________________________________________________ It was late afternoon and there was a woman up ahead who was looking extremely worried, Kotone observed while she was on one of her strolls. It so happened that today she was tackling the maze that was the quiet roads.
The woman knocked on one of the doors of the residences and was answered by the time Kotone was passing within audible range. The exchange was fairly brief and from what Kotone gathered, the two were familiar with one another's families.
"Please, have you seen my son, I haven't seen him since he left home so late last night. He did seem slightly rushed and he even took a weapon. I fear something awful had befallen him," a woman voiced her words pleadingly to the man who answered his door, "Usually I'd have seen him by now."
The man then replied to the woman, "No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him for days now."
"I really don't know what to do," the woman sounded close to tears, "He's a so very, very troublesome son, but I can't help but worry for him all the same. I.."
"Calm down," the man cut off the woman's words gently, "He's lucky to have you as his mother. Now...."
This was the only portion of the conversation Kotone heard by the time she had passed out of the range of being able to hear more of the conversation and she admitted to herself that she didn't really want to hear anymore. That was such a sad exchange to hear, Kotone thought, and at the following instance she also angrily acknowledged the likelihood that the woman's worries about her son also consisted of thoughts connected to the war that was currently raging in Lunaria.
This overheard conversation between worried mother and neighbor resurfaced in Kotone's memory at the near end of the afternoon on the next day.
"Father, what shall be done with the Noble? He's been trapped down there since he'd fall in while trying to sneak in the night before last. We've unarmed him, but will we leave him there to die? The informers say the Noble resides in the quiet roads-"
"Leave him."
'Night before last' night? 'Quiet roads?' These are the questions that ran through her mind as feeling familiar to her and which eventually prompted the recollection of yesterday while she overheard the conversation that took place on the other side of the wall she was walking along today.
This is a Legion family's home. So, a Noble is captive after being caught? Fell in? Did they dig a ditch as a trap? This is the first Kotone has heard of such taken precaution in another estate. In her home, she knows only of there being guards on patrol. It made her wonder if her elders had such traps that she isn't aware of.
After that, one might ask a series of questions regarding what happened following Kotone's discovery of the imprisonment.
Why had she gone and fetched some rope? Why had she climbed the tree that she presumed had been climbed by the captive when he'd decided to trespass?
Getting over the wall to the other side, involved first carefully moving from the tree branch to the wall. Kotone had then moved to slowly maneuver herself down along it to let go of her grip on the top to let herself slide the remaining distance she couldn't stretch down along.
"Oof," the sound was pushed out of her upon gravity causing her to fall back onto her bottom after her feet made contact with the ground and bent into a crouch beforehand. It was while she was rubbing her impacted rump that she realized and suspected she had made the same mistake her predecessor had.
"Oh..this is a problem." Her thoughts raced nervously in her mind as she tried to quickly think of solution to get back to the other side later. Her palm pressed against the wall, she look up and along the wall she had just gotten down from as though it would give her an answer. However, when she realized that wasn't happening anytime soon, it struck her to try to figure out the solution again later.
Turning to survey the rest of the area, it wasn't hard to miss what she reckoned to be the now clearly visible ditch that was once obscured for effectiveness that successfully accomplished its purpose.
"Um, hello," she whispered aiming for just the captive and herself to hear. Said captive angled his head toward her and now looked up from the ground in front of him that he seemed to occupy himself with staring at before she called to him from where she was checking on him at the edge of the ditch. He was out of her reach as she'd guessed and produced from her backpack the rope she'd brought for this.
"I've brought rope, are you able to climb or would you like to eat some mandarin first if you're really hungry?" Kotone asked, showing him said rope and some mandarins she held.
The young man appeared around her age and didn't answer right away, looking puzzled at the sight of her as though processing her appearance for a length of time.
"Wha?? Uh, yeah, I can climb," his voice sounded hurried and urgent yet kept low. He looked like he should eat, but apparently seemed set to escape first and foremost.
"Okay," Kotone made quick work of throwing down one end of the rope and going back a distance with the other end and bracing herself for supporting the expected weight with the aid of the ground along the rope bent by the edge of the hole. She ended up sliding forward some in the process, but managed to hang in there until he'd climbed out of the trap. Her breathes were slightly heavier after the tug of war.
She swiftly reeled in the rope and returned it to her backpack for now, having thought of a way to get across the wall.
"Your mother is worried about you. Would you be able to give me a quick boost? I'll tie the rope to the tree and send the rope for you to climb," she hurried over to him and with urgent zeal disclosed her idea, before just as quickly heading over toward the wall.
After a surprised paused and momentary chuckle on his part, he followed after her and asked, "Alright. Hey, what's your name? How do you know my mother?"
"Oh, i-it's kind of a long story. I can tell you after," Kotone began to reply as she set her foot in his offered palms for the boost, "I'm Wakahisa no Kotone. What's-"
What happened next prompted a sharp gasp from her as she was dropped mid-boost.
"What joke is this?!" the Noble's voice exclaimed angrily as he backed away from her in disgust. Clearly it now seemed to make no sense to him to keep his voice down. "You're a member of the Legion!!"
"Huh?? Y-yes, I am," Kotone gave her startled reply.
After a silence with him glaring at her, he sneered as he suddenly began advancing towards her, "Well, it shouldn't be so surprising to meet a stupid Legion girl, I guess."
Confusion. Anger. Fear. Kotone felt these three emotions at once. It beyond upset her to no end that the words Legion and Noble can cause such a change. This despicable war, she felt a renewed fiery desire for it to end. It was unbelievable and frightening how powerful the animosity nurtured by the clashing of both sides is.
Exchanging each other's gazes, talking felt like it would no longer be heard and so she made a quick dash away from the wall, dodging his lunge.
What does he intend to do if he caught her? His aura felt murderous to her. Was he hoping to kill Legion members the night he was captured? She felt like one among many he would be pleased were dead.
"Come to think of it, you're pretty quick and have a little muscle on you," his pace quickening as he said this and went after her again.
Kotone found herself backing away in reflex and then unsheathing her staff in its short form defensively in the process.
The change in his expression told her he was thinking along the lines of looking down on her as a fighter. It was a challenge and running away from it was the furthest thing in her mind now. Maybe he'd listen again if she'd knock the sense back into him. But could she do it? Kotone's insecurity found an opportunity to taunt her.
However, her eyes narrowed in rebellious determination as she froze in likeness to his standing in place after seeing her draw her weapon. She then entered a braced stance that he mimicked with loose motions to spite her.
Moments passed as neither moved. "Hey, I'm trying be a gentlemen here," he lied with a sickening tone. She made no effort to reply as she simply observed him. He was lean, but for now she wanted to resist the risk of an attempt at striking him to be possibly overpowered if he'd grab hold of her.
Her silence eventually annoyed him as he impatiently threw a punch to her face without any hesitation. She dodged successfully and kept dodging as what seemed like his pride kept him eager to land a blow.
She was being pushed back despite evading impact. Simply staying on the defensive wasn't ideal and she was being backed against the wall again if this keeps up.
After another dodge she sped toward the wall in the middle of a following dodge, which didn't take long given how close they'd moved toward it since his fists started flying.
The dash was enough momentum for her to send her climbing it and flipping backward to land behind him, then delivering as strong a kick she could muster at that moment to his form after he'd just finished turning to face her, her kick landing in the cross of his arms.
He'd blocked and ended up backing up with the force from her, but then he laughed mockingly at her. 'That's all you've got, right?!' That was the message she felt behind his laughter and her diffidence attacked her at the same time that he charged after her running back at his intimidation.
No! She yelled at herself for succumbing to the urge to run then. Don't give up! She ordered herself again right before he'd gotten a hold of one of her ponytails. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes at the sudden sharp tug as they closed. But, then forced her eyes open as she willed herself to counter, backing up to him with his pull on her hair and sending her elbow back into a sharp jab to his gut. His laughter morphed to a pained groan at her hit and she successfully freed herself from his loosened hold.
She gave in to the urge to put distance between him and herself again, but stopped herself short from falling into the ditch she'd have forgotten if she hadn't seen it in her way. She turned in time to see him and respond to his readied fist, having just enough time to reflexively react and avoid it as it flew forward at her.
"Aaagghh!"
"Sir?! Sir??!!" she exclaimed, when she looked down into the hole to check on her opponent who had fallen back into the trap if he was alive.
"Leave!!" she saw him trembling with the impact and breathing heavily after offering no other words but that, like he was mustering just enough to venomously spit out that one word to her.
She shook when she heard it, her mind blank of words for a reply as she breathed angry, labored breaths.
Shakily, she stood back up and was taken by surprise by another voice, one she's never heard before.
"He doesn't want your help, so it seems to me that going on your way would be a good idea," Kotone couldn't help but notice that this woman kept her sword sheathed at her side, "That tree wasn't cut down soon enough, I think."
The angry expression on Kotone's features remained unchanged but now also looked lost as she looked from the woman to the man in the ditch. This war, she was finding it harder and harder to understand. This woman and that man, their faces carry a similar stubbornness in their views. Kotone wondered if her face looked similar. Is the clashing between Legion and Noble fated?
"Though, I'd really like to thank you for the entertainment," the woman said while clapping, her words coming off more smoothly than the young man's had.
"Goodbye," was Kotone's final word after her polite bow despite her state. Her mind was working again on how to get across the wall as she turned back and headed towards it. An idea surfacing, her steps broke into a short sprint and she was lifted up in to the air, landing on the wall after using the elongation of her staff to accomplish this. Kotone disappeared from the view of the two after climbing back down the tree. This sad reality made glaringly evident today, Kotone didn't know if she would ever understand it. The bitterness of it as she made her way home felt overwhelming to her.
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shyanimegrl generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:13 pm
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[BATTLE] "Then fight me. Take it back if you can." [C][Legion Victory]
_____________________________________________________________ "The fight's over?"
"According to the report. We're performing precautionary rounds."
"Get to bed, Kotone. Sleep well."
At this, Kotone excused herself obediently, standing and bowing before heading to her room, "Yes, Mother. Sleep well, Mother, Grandmother."
Her Grandmother's reply was a tacit one in kind, giving Kotone a smile before turning her attention to other matters at hand as her daughter, Kotone's Mother, had.
It had been a dinner without her Father and Grandfather, which wasn't so uncommon, but as always on the quieter side.
Sliding her door closed, Kotone next seated herself on her bed as she went over her thoughts.
Two voices. Another fight. Their tones were serious, which was always the case whenever she overheard such things, but she reckoned it was the new recruits to the family guard that were more likely the ones overheard at such times. She can't recall a time when she overheard her Father and Grandfather speak about the fights they've engaged in that she overhears bits of information about from others. Of course, there are times she isn't as isolated as she is now from such matters, but this isn't one of those times. Such times usually involved her when circumstances were more urgent. It's likely that this evening's fight settled along better lines than more chaotic, past incidences.
She'd been more stubborn in the past, trying to protest being sent to bed from the start or waiting impatiently for a while before trying to leave her room. She was always barred from the success of such attempts. She found recent times of resisting her stubbornness building her patience but not extinguishing her determination. She wanted to grow stronger. Just being protected, she was finding it harder and harder to stand.
Her covers sounded her inward huff as she forced herself to comply with sleep.
Little did she know, tomorrow had something in store for her regarding this evening's turn of events.
It was late in the afternoon of the day following the night of the mentioned fight, approaching early evening, when that something began setting it's plans for her in motion. She had nearly forgotten the errand that had been given to her by her mother in the morning. It was an errand to pick up a vase from a shop on main street and it was on her way there that she was confronted and robbed near a popular bar and inn.
-----
"Then fight me. Take it back if you can."
-----
"Oh, Miss Wakahisa." It was said nearly in unison by two individuals.
At first Kotone had barely heard it and thought to dismiss it as just her imagination. "Miss Wakahisa."
"Miss Wakahisa."
Twice more her name was called to her and both she heard clearly and turned to those who were addressing her again as they fell in step with her as her steps had slowed in curiosity. "Miss Wakahisa, please thank your Grandfather and Father again for us," said the lady she guessed was the wife of the man accompanying her.
"Yes, please do. We're greatly indebted to them for all their help when we were attacked last night," the man spoke after the woman. Four bodyguards. Unconcealed in presence. Never speaking. Voiding any expression. It was like they sealed the two in a glass box that she spoke with them from the outside of.
The lady looked somewhat familiar, but Kotone couldn't be so sure. Perhaps they'd met in a party she'd attended with her mother or at a party that was even hosted in their home. However, Kotone couldn't say attending such parties with her mother were a favorite past-time of hers. She always worried about pleasing her mother at such events and she always felt that she fell short of satisfactory. Thus, her preoccupied thoughts during them made remembering details harder to do.
"Oh, t-thank you, I shall tell them of our meeting," she bowed with her polite reply, feeling rather shy.
The pleasantries came to an end fairly quickly as Kotone learned of their names and they dismissed themselves with a worried apology for interrupting her, of which Kotone declined that being the case.
Kotone hadn't noticed the exchange between them was being spied on.
"So you're part of the Legion, too," suddenly drawled a cocky, accusing voice addressing Kotone from a young woman who stepped out and made her presence known from the shadows of an alley.
Kotone was puzzled for a moment but then became alarmed when the stranger suddenly lunged and ripped the belt of her staff's sheath from her waist with a strong pull followed by pushing her to the ground.
Kotone scrambled back onto her feet in panic and tried to forcibly retrieve her sheathed weapon, lunging after it in her attempts to snatch it back from an apparently taunting yet nimble thief. "Nahahah."
"That's mine. Please give it back," she responded. But Kotone snatching after it and the thief avoiding the desperate grasps as she laughed continued a while longer. From their exchange so far, Kotone guessed the thief was around the same age as her own and no different in height, but in this situation, any difference in height would be difficult to determine and such observations she was feeling mattered little to her in comparison to what she considered a more pressing matter.
Immensely irritated, Kotone paused her attempts, suspecting this was not a normal theft and there may be more reason behind these troublesome circumstances than plain bullying. Who is this thief and what game was she playing at?
Unbeknownst to Kotone, she may very well be going through a similar receiving end of thoughts and emotions as a Noble she'd earlier encountered in regards to a hat. However, this comparison remained unrealized by Kotone.
Kotone tacitly delivered her plea to said thief once more in her stern gaze and outstretched palm asking for her belonging to be returned to her.
The thief reacted to Kotone by drawing her knife from a concealed sheath. A threat. Kotone was taken aback, eyes having widened and her hand had dropped back to her side as she had gasped and jumped back slightly upon the thief swiftly producing the blade rather fluidly and almost like out of thin air.
The thief laughed at her victim's reaction and just as quickly stored her knife away again. "I was thinking I'd unarm you, but.." This was all the thief got out in a lull before she burst into a fit of laughter again. She spoke again after it subsided, "I bet you're just a playing-pretend wannabe fighter."
Kotone had been too infuriated to move and she realized she probably missed an opportunity to try and grab her staff back from her offender. Instead, she attempted to just forcibly try to take her weapon back again. A cycle starting to begin again it seemed. "Oh, what's this?" Kotone missed her weapon again. Her brows furrowed further, her jaw set with anger she was struggling to control, she went for another lunge and her fingertips brushed her staff for an instant before it was yanked from her reach again, "Well, if you really insist in wanting this back.." Kotone let up, halting again to hear what terms the thief may give.
And all this was what lead up to this moment..
"Then fight me. Take it back if you can."
The thief tucked the arm of the hand holding Kotone's staff captive behind her back as she entered a fighting stance, the fist of her free hand clenched and ready.
The thief was picking on her, bullying her, ridiculing her, aiming to get on her nerves. And it was working. But Kotone felt a tugging thought in the back of her mind that there was a reason behind this. And a moment later, the thief may have given her a hint without knowing so. "It's hard to believe you're related to the men who took part in fending off an attack on that Legion duo."
So it was about last night's fight? Memories of last night came flooding back to her. She felt taken lightly then and she felt taken lightly now.
To fight with abandon. Kotone wanted to let out all the frustration and fury she was feeling through swings and blows. She couldn't think of any other way she'd rather do so at this point in time, to rid herself of these painful emotions but still she tried to remain in some semblance of control, to not get carried away as she charged at her foe in acceptance of the challenge.
She delivered a left hand punch with all the might she could muster in an intentional miss and succeeded in shocking her opponent, next grabbing the theif's side that imprisoned her staff with both her hands at the shoulder and upper arm before being shoved at. Kotone held fast and stood her ground but let go and took hurried backpedals several feet back at just narrowly managing to avoid a cut of a knife sent at her. The stranger ended up ripping down part of a side of Kotone's skirt with that attack.
Kotone had just noticed in her heightened senses that the fight had moved further into the alley. She inwardly debated to ask why, but wondered if really anything would be different if she asked. Though she thought of asking why the thief was doing this, she also thought the reply may likely be along the lines of shrugging off the question and thus no answer, a silent claim that she isn't in any position worth giving an explanation to.
But still, Kotone ended up trying anyway and asked, breaking the silence as they glared at each other, "I-isn't there something wrong with all this?"
And the response, "What?" The thief stepped forward slowly.
In the distance the sound of another voice was starting to become clearer. "-, hey, is that you? Hunting the Legion to make up for your old man losing again and not letting me in on the action?" The thief didn't seem to notice as of yet and neither did Kotone at first, missing the thief's name, but the realization striking her that her opponent may just have gained a teammate made her more alert of the new presence and his words, catching them as they overlapped with the rest of the thief's answer. Kotone noticed him lean against the wall with crossed arms and begin to watch them with a confident-looking smirk as well, but kept the bulk of her attention to the thief brandishing her knife.
"All this? There are plenty of things wrong with Lunaria, why bother caring to ask such a stupid questio- H-hey!" Kotone had rushed forward and grabbed her staff back at a spotted opportunity where the thief appeared to have forgotten the staff while answering and let the hand back down from behind her and within Kotone's sight. Kotone's opponent for only a moment longer continued to look puzzled over what happened before rage was what Kotone interpreted to have consumed her. Kotone had fallen after successfully yanking her staff out of the now enraged thief's hold and was inching back in alarm before getting a hold of herself as the thief raised the blade to strike. "You brat, I'll kill yo-!" With a sweep of her leg, Kotone knocked the knife-wielder down, luckily knocking the thief out as well in the process. Instinctively, Kotone moved to check on her opponent and confirmed the thief was unconscious and bleeding at the back of her head, the knife having been knocked away a ways from them.
"Hey!" Somewhere along the line of watching the girls butt heads, the guy had pushed off the wall and had now launched into fast steps at approaching Kotone upon the thief's fall.
Red. Blood. On the hand that wasn't clutching her retrieved staff. Kotone had not heard the voice and was pulled out of her frozen state only when one of her two bodyguards pulled her up by one of her arms. It was like she was watching more things transpire after leaving her body that was still moving on its own albeit as lost and confused as she felt watching in seemingly third person.
She was swiftly hoisted up and began getting carried away by said bodyguard as her other bodyguard trailed closely. "Wait, she's hurt," Kotone regained more of herself to protest and feel relief at the sight of the second stranger urgently checking on the thief, but only briefly before an unconsciousness-inducing blow to her gut had her slump over, the staff fortunately remained secured between herself and the shoulder that wasn't her own during the entire trip back to the Hayashi estate.
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shyanimegrl generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:14 pm
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[BATTLE] Feeling Taken Lightly [C][Draw]
_____________________________________________________________ She was wearing training gloves, but still punching the sandbag hurt, like she wasn't even wearing gloves, she thought. But she figured if she wasn't wearing gloves, her hands probably couldn't handle throwing these punches at the solid-seeming dummy assigned to her. Sand is quite interesting .. how they escape the gaps left between one's fingers so easily and yet when packed together feels much harder as a whole. She mentally shook her head to focus. Normally, despite such difficulties she'd encounter while training, she'd be enjoying herself more but right now she felt rather grouchy.
Her brows furrowed in irritation. She was going to keep improving. Sure, it didn't hurt to throw punches at sandbags now as much as it did during her first days performing these exercises of this class, but she wanted to improve more.
It was becoming more of a certainty in her mind that her parents, her grandparents, her whole family was taking her lightly. The thief she'd recently encountered took her lightly, too. And now that she was looking back she recalled other instances her fighting ability was highly doubted. These recollections were making her feel more and more horrible and the blows sent at the sandbag became more forceful with each one that surfaced from her memory.
She sent a kick at the sandbag.
Come to think of it, did the individual she'd commissioned her belt from think lightly of her, too? At the thought coming to mind, she paused her assault of blows on the sandbag and had caught the sandbag between her palms just in time to dampen it's force against her to only pushing her back several inches.
She retrieved said belt from beside the rest of her things, slipping her staff out of the metal ring and placing her staff beside her things again. It was the belt she wanted to examine right now after her curiosity was sparked. It was still ripped from when the thief had stolen it from her as part of a bullying tactic. She decided to test her suspicions and attempted to yank apart an intact portion of the belt. To her surprise, the belt did rip apart at her effort, the threads breaking. Was she getting stronger?
She inquired a favor of one of her fellow female classmates and she and her fellow classmate were also able to rip other intact portions of the belt upon each of their tries. This! This was infuriating!
Just like she asked. A strong, sturdy belt. One that didn't rip despite a tremendous amount of force. That was a lie! But why?!
When she had resumed attacking her sandbag, she did so with abandon, her recklessness taking over. When she sent another kick at it, she took her attention away from it as it swung away from her. Her breaths came fast and very labored. More air was knocked out of her, however, when the sandbag she'd forgotten swung back at her and knocked her over sideways.
"What are you doing now?" her instructor commented as he passed by while she was getting back onto her feet. Her hand went up at her side to make sure the sandbag wouldn't knock her over again as she gave a respectful bow, her wordless reply before sending another flurry of attacks at the dummy but this time in more controlled strikes, as much as her restrained fury would allow her. For the rest of the duration left of the class that day, she persistently sent a series of punches and kicks at the dummy, only pausing for catching her breaths to restore needed air to her body. And by the end of all this, she determined that the belt was another form of bullying. She wasn't taken seriously. From the start. And she clenched her tired fists firmly at the thought as her chest, too, clenched with her negative emotions. Her angry gaze stabbed into the dummy. She, as usual, didn't notice the odd looks sent her way by a few since others like the instructor had gotten more used to her antics. And she was the last to gather her things, stomping off to her next class.
Sign language. She had fortunately calmed down enough to be able to get thoroughly distracted from her dark thoughts by the class material. The classes ended up clearing her mind, allowing her to make a plan of action on her way to her last class. Tomorrow she would be attending a party with her mother. So, on her way home she'd drop her belt off for the replacement of the ripped strap with a truly sturdy one that she'd be sure to check on this time around. The sooner she could expect to receive her belt back, the better.
-----
It was currently well into the evening and she was now sneaking into a party. This party was, of course, not the same aforementioned party that took place the day after she'd taken in her belt for repair. For one, she certainly wasn't in her mother's company right now. And, her new belt securely kept her staff by her waist with the metal ring sheath as she made her way onto the estate property. It was while attending the party she had gone to with her mother that she heard about this one scheduled to be held.
However, it could not be said that Kotone actually made it to this party. She never got the chance to eat any food like she'd been able to before until now. But she was at the right place, the garden on location. However, she was spotted before she'd even gotten a chance to catch sight of any buffet table of sorts that she was hoping to sample food from. She could hear the merriment somewhere beyond the greenery around her despite not seeing the exact location where these sounds were coming from.
"Hey. -- Who are you? Why are you sneaking around here? -- Girl with the weird hair. -- Is that a stick you're carrying at your side? -- Looks like you're not just a trespasser but a coward, too." The exclaimed statements were hostile yet taunting declarations. They prompted startled jolts and jerks in Kotone's motions as she hoped the voice had caught another intruder other than herself as she hurried about.
However, the sounds of rushing, following footsteps aside from her own on the grass and the last two comments sided with Kotone's denied thoughts and hit a nerve.
Entering a clearing just then, she decidedly shifted into backpedals, catching sight of her pursuer as she slowed to standing at a firm halt with a number of meters between them. She couldn't help the frowning expression she sent at him.
He was male. It looked like the person who followed her could be either slightly younger or older than her, around her age. She wasn't very good at determining how old someone looks. But that's besides the point. He was also on the slim side in frame. At this, Kotone felt relieved. If a fight was coming up and it may be with a trained combatant in her skill range, she usually felt a bit more reassured that she wouldn't be as likely to break a bone or get body slammed critically than if she was up against an extremely muscular opponent at the same possibilities.
His expression was different from hers at that moment. He appeared taken by surprise at her sudden action but only for a moment before a smirk took over. "Upset about something? Shouldn't I be the one glaring at you for being a criminal?"
Kotone gritted her teeth. Maybe there was something about him that kept successfully ticking her off. Or it was just as likely that her mood was due to him meeting her while she was in an incredibly distressed state of mind as of late. She could say that she thought he looks the part as well, but she managed to respond as she usually would -- with silence -- and thus refrained from voicing that which was on her mind to reply.
However, suddenly a look of disgust crossed his features before mutating to a spiteful sneer. "Wakahisa Hayashi. You're their little girl, right?"
She did not like the way he said what he had just then, not at all. "W-wha-" she at first stuttered in confusion but held her ground. And despite the slip in her words, there was seriousness and a hint of a counter in her tone. Her diffidence demanded she take the opportunity to succumb to the temptation trying to coax her to find a corner and cower there. However the scream of her recklessness was more powerful right now. "I am. Why do you ask?" Her final reply was steady but said with restrained calm. She was shivering slightly but whether in fear or anger she didn't know, likely both, and if so, more due to rage that was whispering to her of its desire to consume her.
He'd begun circling her, working his way closer and closer. The more he closed the distance between them, the more alert she became, keeping her back out of his sight. "You're really ignorant. With lousy parents like yours, it's like a guarantee that you've turned out like this though. Didn't you know-"
Kotone refused to stand by and let him finish. She didn't want to hear any more of what he had to say. With this resolve, she fired a punch at his head.
It was a successful blow, the impact to the lower side of his face causing him to stagger and groan sharply.
"You're pretty quick," was his reply as he sent his fist at her abdomen.
Regardless of whether or not he'd been exaggerating, Kotone was disappointed when he'd retaliated.
She'd been able to dampen the blow by avoiding it's true aim at a knock out but still she grunted painfully, how excruciatingly so was evident in the sound she made.
He could have attacked again, but she reckoned he decided to enjoy her agony and she propelled her entire weight at him for another attack.
He looked amused and her insecurity agreed that she didn't do as much damage this way than others she'd encountered were able to. He'd dodged this and countered with a kick, which she in turn avoided as well.
She was really glaring at him now, ever since he'd dared to insult her parents.
Block for block. Miss for miss.
At one point he'd managed to get her with another aimed kick that sent her rolling violently despite having met his attack with crossed arms.
Clothes now stained with dirt and grass, she ignored this and dove into the shadows.
"Running away! You really are a coward!"
What was he mad at?! But at this point, the question mattered little to her as she watched his scanning eyes follow the sounds of her movements against the leaves and ground.
She'd drawn her weapon and attempted her weapon projection.
"Arghh!" She'd launched herself into the air with the help of her staff and delivered her own falling kick from behind. The downward force on his shoulders before she jumped off and back sent him on all fours. She was panting harshly and trying hard to overlook the throbbing of her now injured right ankle while she inconspicuously favored her left side as she stood. Brows furrowing in pain masked by fury as she staggered horribly upon landing, she was nevertheless thankful she'd barely escaped breaking her neck at the move she recklessly pulled.
He cursed at her and was still able to get back on his feet like she had recovered from his last hit, clutching one of his shoulders before both his hands returned to his sides as though to deny any pain as well. But immediately after, other voices rang out.
"What's going on here?!"
"Theives?!"
"Surrender now intruders!!"
Pounding footsteps.
It wasn't really a surprise that others were drawn to their location in urgency. However, when just as suddenly her bodyguards appeared from the shadows nearer by, she attempted to dodge but was restrained swiftly.
"No!" She struggled, not wanting to be knocked unconscious yet again. Not wanting to feel so useless. Instead, the three of them took cover and Kotone's eyes met with a stern gaze that forced her not to speak any longer, not to shove any longer, for the rest of the way home.
She was carried home like a sack slung over a shoulder once more, vehemently fighting back the compelling urge to cry. She fumed intensely beneath her soundless-ness, her exterior, and tension made up the return to the estate. No more, no more of this, no more of feeling this way is what she wants.
She'll get stronger and stronger. She'll fend for herself. Definitely, with her inextinguishable determination, she will always move forward on her life's journey no matter what.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:34 pm
_____________________________________________________________
[JE] Tomorrow is my first day at the Academy. [C]
_____________________________________________________________ I can't sleep. I'm much too excited to sleep. I know this is also a serious matter, but it feels like I'm just about to embark on a brand new adventure, Kotone thought after she had just proceeded out of the house and into the gardens surrounding it. Knowing her way around its expanse fairly well from having explored the garden expanse often, she let her mind wander as she walked a route she deemed one of her favorites.
Adventure, by habit, Kotone stopped by the edge of the water before the beautiful sight of the swimming koi in clear blue framed by the garden's lush green that she so enjoys admiring and has done so many a time. However, she wasn't really seeing the view before her today nor did the light breeze that suddenly passed seem to be noticed by her as she was absorbed in her thoughts while her not-seeing gaze was directed over the water. She chuckled lightly since she recalled that she didn't think of past days and experiences of challenges as so very amazing adventures when she was in the middle of experiencing them. She did find some exciting, yes, however, she felt right now that these experiences have become more valuable since then. Will it keep being like this? A pang of annoyance at herself abruptly hit her. She felt bothered that this greater degree of the feeling of preciousness she'd come to feel only now and not then. Yes, it will probably still be like this. But why is it like this? But, again after asking herself the last question, memories ran across her mind and she felt like she could understand somewhat why her reactions were warranted to an extent. I really give Mother a hard time. She sighed in disappointment at herself. She didn't hate her mother, far, far from it, but Kotone felt she was not meeting her mother's expectations of her. I'm really grateful, really grateful to my family.. Why her mother had finally given in to her father, grandmother, and grandfather to allow her to attend the Academy, she was still confused about. But, no doubt, she was glad to be able to transfer there. Her family wasn't a picture-perfect, happy family regardless of what visitors often compliment them to be. But, Kotone loves them. She's giving her family a hard time, but she herself still didn't understand why she troubles them so despite loving them so much.
Kotone continued her walk past shrubbery, trees, and the like still lost in her thoughts. When a grin spread across her features, likely seen as an out of the blue change to the two bodyguards assigned to her, merrier thoughts filled her mind. Will I learn to jump higher? she queried inwardly with great excitement as she braced a hand on a short stone fence serving as a divider amidst the greenery and swung both her legs to land sturdily on the other side regardless of the available gate steps away.
True to her odd nature, Kotone's thoughts shifted back and forth between many emotions throughout her walk in the gardens that night. Then, when she woke up the next morning, she groggily tried to recall and failed to remember when she had gotten herself back inside the house and to bed. Her mother hovering over her as wakefulness returned to her did bring back the memory of her falling asleep beneath one of the garden trees last night. Furthermore, her mother's expression while staring at her told Kotone she'd caused her to worry about her competency again. "Was..was I carried back inside again?" Kotone questioned timidly.
"So you actually remember this time?" was the answer. But, truth be told, Kotone didn't remember being carried back. This, she did not disclose, however, as she tried to refrain from making her mother angrier.
After a moment of silence, her mother's voice came again, "You're running late."
A gasp after her mother's words sunk in was accompanied by her jumping out of bed. And, Kotone was in fact late to her first day at the Academy.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:40 pm
_____________________________________________________________
[JE] From the Get-go [C]
_____________________________________________________________ Days off from the Academy. As much as she enjoys the days she heads to the Academy and attends her classes there, Kotone admittedly feels a sense of joy during days off that is different from that which she feels on days with a campus schedule. This was one of such days off. She was still getting used to and familiarizing herself with the Academy environment and the time that has passed since she transferred there was also most certainly eventful.
It was currently still early in the morning, but she was practicing constantly waking up when she usually would so as not to repeat her lateness such as notably on her first day of classes. At the moment, Kotone was humming in front of her mirror as she practiced styling her hair. She'd seen girls during the previous years in the past who would style each other's hair but had been drawn more to participating in rowdier games. However, she didn't know herself, in fact she wasn't currently thinking about, why she'd woken up today and occupied herself with the activity of trying out a hairstyle aside from her usual after seeing herself in and then suddenly settling herself in front of her mirror. She actually has done this before. Previous attempts, however, were not very good. As she grew up, her enthusiasm toned down until this activity dropped even further in frequency. In the past when she had engaged in this more frequently, her handiwork didn't make the cut. She constantly didn't do well enough because she didn't practice enough according to her mother and she eventually started feeling that she would never do well enough. Still, she would from time to time practice but keep these times to herself mostly.
Would it be too presumptuous to think that the handiwork that was being reflected in the mirror showed good improvement to almost be as presentable enough as her usual style? Queries ran through her mind as she surveyed and debated. Perhaps it's alright to see improvement, that she wasn't imagining it? Perhaps she was imagining it? Worry shown on her features now and she changed her train of thought to practicing sign language.
When she'd inquired about the class, the information further enticed her to take the class. It was thoroughly fascinating to her that it is in fact possible to recite the alphabet with one's hands. It was becoming more and more of a fun activity to practice as she learned more of it at each class that transpired. After repeating the alphabet while watching her hands, she then watched her recitation through the mirror twice. Gradually she was speeding up at the practices.
It was her grandmother's call that reminded her she needed to have breakfast. And it was after breakfast when she proceeded to the garden to continue her homework.
After she picked a spot, she went straight to work warming up and it wasn't long before she'd transitioned to throwing zealous punches and kicks. Kotone being Kotone, her mind decided to wander in the middle of her exercise as she was reminded of a swordsman she met but remained nameless in her memory.
She began mimicking the motions he'd been practicing. Was this how he had done his practice? She reckoned there was surely a difference in how she was going through the motions and how he had performed them. Even in her memory, he continued to amaze her with his elegance with his sword. An icy elegance. He's a mystery, proper yet forbidding at the same time with a smile that could follow a glare in quick succession. Had she offended him? She considered she may very well be offending others such as not just her mother and then this young man and not knowing exactly how she did?
At this thought, her slowing motions with her increasing thoughtfulness reached a halt and a serious frown accompanied her pointing out to herself that it may be sound to consider paying more attention to her actions, how they're received, and why they're received as they are.
Her mind went on to recall an event that took place shortly after her run in with the swordsman, with paper lanterns flashing by in her memory. At this she began her exercises again. First a kick that was followed by a blocking stance and a counter punch. These movements started one sequence she'd been taught at her Academy class. Her expression was stern and mixed with some irritation as she admonished herself inwardly. She'd told herself to consistently work hard while she'd been reflecting on her actions while roaming the festival, but here she was having distracted herself while reviewing the instruction she had received from her lessons.
As consequence, she recited 'focus' in her mind as prompted reminders as she went about and eventually completed two repetitions of each of the training sets she'd learned so far, finishing the entire review session with two consecutive blocks that moved into an uppercut and then three kicks.
As she was catching her breath, she wondered how she could feel more sore than usual after the practice taught by her teachers as opposed to the exercises she'd make up for herself. She recalled them mentioning that well-balanced training exercises used an array of muscles not typically utilized. How they put together well-balanced exercises as opposed to her spontaneously executed training impressed her. She has still such a long way to go.
Then, another recently encountered individual also came to her memory. She recalled that he had also been angry with her. She could be so careless.
What actions of hers resulted in anger, she asked herself as she leaned against one of the garden trees.
Likely the mandarins were considered a very poor trade for the swordsman. She'd also ended up snatching someone's hat right off their head in a store. And there is also the issue of her following others around impulsively.
She should really work harder at thinking about the possible outcomes of her actions and important things to consider before carrying them out, she thought as she stomped a foot decidedly, letting out her frustration in a huff with the grassy thud of the sole of her shoe on the ground at the same time.
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:39 am
_____________________________________________________________
[JE] The Jolly, Adventurous Dragon [C]
_____________________________________________________________ Kotone received a journal from her grandmother during breakfast this morning. She looked forward to writing in it as soon as she accepted it thankfully and right after her meal, took the journal with her out into the garden. However, when Kotone opened it to begin writing on the first page, the pencil that accompanied the journal remained unused in her hand as she found herself at a loss for what to start writing about. Her searching expression changed when she got an idea. Her grandfather had recently begun giving her haiku lessons that he encouraged her to learn from him every now and then. And she quickly realized that creating her own haiku is an activity she greatly enjoys. Thus, she decidedly thought up right then and there and noted her own original haiku as the first thing she wrote in the journal, which reads:
'Jolly dragons fly
and weave between trees as the
sakura swoop down.'
Kotone paused thoughtfully after writing her haiku in her journal, her left cheek resting on her pencil-free hand where she was laying in the shaded, grassy spot she picked while repeatedly bending one knee and then another in alternating, relaxed motions. She rolled onto her back all of a sudden and started practicing sign language, the alphabet, random known words, random known sentences. Then she started using sign language to express recollections that came to mind. She knew how to express a portion of these recollections by speaking with her hands and the other portion she struggled a lot more while trying to. Said recollections were about what took place yesterday but she was focusing more on how to translate her thoughts to hand movements rather than on what she was remembering, trying paraphrasing approaches when her hands could not complete the actual sentence her mind produced, pulling up a mental word list she could refer to in doing so, and so on. This sign language practice occupied her for some time, successfully distracting her from her journal writing and only after she felt she'd practiced sign language to a satisfactory extent through this run did she recall she'd been in the middle of journal writing and rolled back to facing the still mostly blank first page of her grandmother's gift just as suddenly as she had spontaneously shifted to face skyward to exercise speaking words with her hands. This did ended up helping her decide on what to write about next though as she smiled with her pencil forming more words on the page:
'Yesterday, I went shopping with Mother and Grandmother. For the outing, I put on makeup and jewelry and had my hair up in one of my known, least practiced styles Mother taught me that I thought I'd try practicing again at the time I was getting ready to join them in going to a number of shops for the day. I'm amazed by the mysterious magic makeup, jewelry, and such things seem to cast on one's appearance, highlighting the radiance of an individual's features when skillfully done. Admittedly, I still feel rather puzzled by my mother's and grandmother's seemingly preferred approach to makeup. More often, the colors they use are subtle and yet somehow this subtlety, I find, can be just as effective as more apparent colors applied. Still, I can't say I have a preference between the two approaches. I also find myself agreeing when Mother and Grandmother say that jewelry can also accomplish what makeup does to features whether or not both are paired along with dressing for one's day. Earrings, bracelets, and the selection goes on and on. I certainly still have a long road to travel in such things as these before I reach the point of skill Mother and Grandmother having in dressing up. Making dress up combinations with options that include hairstyles, jewelry, makeup, and clothes seems to be effortless to them and they seem to take different approaches with ease. I'm still at the point of choosing from among approaches I've been taught for what may be more likely deemed satisfactory for an the entirety of their days and trying different, deviating approaches based on what I've learned that I've come to often recognize clearly are still unsatisfactory to show to others aside from Mother and Grandmother based on past experiences of receiving their criticisms when I initially was more unskillful than now at distinguishing what will and won't be deemed acceptable to them for my appearance outside the estate among others.
Like yesterday, the frequency of my appearance being deemed acceptable to Mother and Grandmother has been gradually yet only been increasing over the recent number of years, and I feel pleasantly surprised and glad about this and shall endeavor not to regress.
During yesterday's outing, they asked me if I wanted to buy new jewelry, but I declined and didn't buy any since I felt content with those I have despite Mother's and Grandmother's selections far outnumbering my own. While Mother and Grandmother are nearly always wearing jewelry, I don't wear mine as often as they do theirs. I wear jewelry as the mood strikes me and I think I've come to the point that I wear jewelry as often as I don't.'
Kotone couldn't help pausing very briefly while chuckling before continuing her writing:
'I believe I share a mix of Mother's and Grandmother's clothing senses for kimonos. I imagine I might not have bought anything yesterday but it turned out that I was feeling inclined to actually shopping yesterday though kimonos were the only type of purchase I made. Usually Mother and Grandmother also bought makeup when we shop together, but this time we all seemed to agree not to shop for any new makeup during yesterday's trip.
If kimonos were compared to ballet, Mother is inclined to giving me classical suggestions and Grandmother is inclined to giving me suggestions that deviate from classical. I've only ever seen Grandmother wear classical kimonos though and Mother questions Grandmother regarding why Grandmother gives me the clothing suggestions she more often does. The kimonos they suggest to me are always beautiful and I find that I do like wearing them. On this trip, for nearly all my purchases, I independently picked and bought some that are classical and some that deviate from classical, everything I purchased received both their acceptance though. Classical kimonos are what I best wear during parties with Mother. As an aspiring fighter, I like wearing kimonos with which I can move fairly well. Grandmother is playful when she replies about her suggestions of kimono styles for me to Mother's questions about them, which sound like unrelated and incomprehensible replies as Mother puts it, but perhaps one reason is that Grandmother is taking into account my choosing to walk the path of improving as a fighter. Yesterday's shopping trip was a lot of fun.'
Kotone halted while about to close her journal, having thought of more she'd like to write. She made quick work of deciding to write a bit more before proceeding to battle arts training followed by some fishing rod set-up practice:
'Also, recently I met two formidable-looking individuals. I haven't sparred with them, but they seem to me to be very skilled in battle arts by their bearings. They are Sir Bataar and Sir Huang-Fu.
Sir Bataar was spying at chickens probably as an exercise of one tier in training one's basic spying skills. He's really good at it. When I tried as well, the chickens seem to be more aware of me and less of him. He also appeared to handle a rat very well. When a rat climbed on me, he said I shouldn't have hurt the rat when I had shook the rat off. He referred to the rat as him, so I wonder if he is experienced in distinguishing gender among rats and if so, how he became knowledgeable at doing so. I agree that I shouldn't have hurt the rat. It honestly didn't cross my mind if I would hurt the rat when I shook him off and now I'd like to give my apologies to Sir Rat. I also got to thinking that I should aim to be skilled at subduing my opponent without injuring them drastically as a fighter.
Sir Huang-Fu and I met at the docks. He was fishing and it was my first time there. It didn't seem as scary as I thought but I know I should still keep the warnings I've been given in mind. Sir Huang-Fu allowed me to learn fishing from him and the day after we first met, he took me on a fishing trip and I learned how to set up a fishing rod and steps on how to use it. I really enjoyed it. Sir Huang-Fu is an impressive teacher and I shall strive to practice and improve at fishing.'
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:40 am
_____________________________________________________________
[JE] A Description of Improving: Gradual, Tricky Process [C]
_____________________________________________________________ When Kotone's eyes opened to wakefulness from her slumber, the first thing she thought to check was what time it was. Her eyes darted toward the window to do so and she could clearly tell that she slept passed the time she intended to wake up since she did intend to get up before the sun's shine completely penetrated the clouds. Still, she deemed that there was still time for her to do some practice before getting ready to play the koto for her parents and sprang from where she was laying a moment before on her bed and began her practice of sign language in front of her mirror by the reciting of the alphabet with her hands.
And the minutes and minutes and minutes went by, and she went from being focused on her language exercise to a part of her mind beginning to expect a voice of reminder. And it did come, it was her father's this day letting her know that her family was looking forward to her music today. Kotone had come to connect with this trend the unsaid message that she should give herself time to get herself ready before having breakfast with everyone and then giving her performance shortly afterwards.
Time seemed to be flying by for her today. Kotone had decidedly practiced another hairstyle she more seldom did and felt relieved that she received no criticism of it and in her combined choices of jewelry, makeup, and attire for this day. Breakfast finished before she knew it and she excused herself first to prepare for her presentation.
She was shaking by the time she finished setting up her instrument in the still empty room excluding the taking into account her own presence and it didn't escape her notice that her trembling fingers didn't produce a quality of sound that met her expectations. Her thoughts were rushing with her nervousness and she resorted to the first countermeasure that came to mind which was to play some silly made-up-then-and-there tunes without any thought on keeping any specific posture before her audience joined her for the actual show or in other words: have some comic fun while no one was looking.
However, after a few minutes of said fun, Kotone's eccentric playing and her soundless chuckle at that moment was abruptly halted by the door sliding open and she quickly corrected herself to greet her 'guests.' A light blush came to her cheeks as she suddenly thought about how her mother probably had been refraining from admonishing her stubbornness upon hearing the sound of her practice deviating from how she was taught to play the koto. But her embarrassed look left her features as quickly as it appeared when she swiftly painted calmness over it with her strong will to focus on performing well. The discouraging memories of previous disappointments surfaced but she brushed them aside for happier thoughts, fighting her diffidence's persistence vehemently. She only got more and more tired of being overwhelmed by insecurity and so she filled her thoughts with what the music she'll be playing were meant to portray, this time allowing and aiming for herself to be engrossed in and penetrated only by the delivery of these melodies.
She was surprised, her performance too seemed like it passed in a blink of an eye. And here she was now, in the garden with her journal open to a blank new page before her, feeling like she had plenty she wanted to write but not knowing where to begin. Hmm..
She began to write her first complete train of thought and went on from there:
'At breakfast, Mother gave me a correction and went on to advising me in changing my means of addressing individuals appropriately as Lady rather than Miss. The realization struck me that none of all who come to mind when prompted with the question of who are the women I've met are not ladylike and Mother always gives sound advice.
I played the koto for my family today. During a previous performance of mine like today's, I was fittingly reprimanded for my poor presentation. However, I feel glad that today, I behaved in a manner that didn't seem to disappoint my elders greatly. My mother told me that my performance today showed improvement.'
Um.. Kotone felt again that she didn't know what to write. She paused in her pondering of what to write next to look up at the sky as she went over her plans of what specific exercises to go through for her battle arts training after she finished her journal entry. After this, as her gaze lingered in watching the soft white and gradually changing shapes against the current light blue of the heavens, a memory flashed to her awareness and she decided to write about it next. The memory was set under a sky like today's, but it was a common sunny sky and she wasn't sure if it was just the weather that took part in her recollection of this memory.
'I have suddenly remembered that on a day like to day, I was sparring with friends. I have yet to be able to stop causing Mother disappointment with how I spend me time. I also remember that Mother was very disappointment that when I transferred into the academy from home schooling, my scores on the assessments Grandfather proctored and tested me with deemed me having to repeat a year.'
She was getting discouraged again. So she paused her writing and rolled in the grass, away and back to her still open journal, before picking her pencil back up, shaking off the firming grip of melancholy that attempted to set in.
'But' .. 'I am striving not to repeat a year again.' .. Kotone then sighed as she allowed her forehead to drop forward and took several controlled breaths. Her head shot back up and she resumed writing as another memory came to her of a haiku she'd made up on one occasion when she went stargazing that she was attempting to recall the gist of now to similarly reconstruct:
'Cherry blossom trees
become bare of blooms. Also,
they bear blooms again.' ..
'I met an individual who is a role model of how to carry one's self as a lady recently.' Today, Kotone's quirky thought process of making mental links was manifesting itself in her writing. 'Her name is Lady Shin-Mu. Admittedly I feel ashamed with how I behaved when I met her. It was rude of me to be so absorbed in my thoughts then. I noticed too late that she had left the clearing. This encounter also reflected how much I lack as fighter in addition to lacking as a lady.
Another recent experience in which I upset Mother is in regards to cooking and foolishly, I permitted myself to be overwhelmed much of the following day at the academy with my sadness about the night before. It was also on that day in the academy that a test was issued to the whole campus. I couldn't tell that the attack was staged.
And in another recent experience, I tried to assist a captured Noble but instead ended up fighting him.
There's' .. 'so' .. 'very, very much I don't understand. I still lack so much as a fighter and lady.' ..
'But like today' .. 'I do still believe that I am learning. Slowly. In one way or another. Oddly.' ..
'I don't ever want to give up. I want to keep learning and improving myself always.'
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:41 am
_____________________________________________________________
[JE] Living of Pressing Onward [C]
_____________________________________________________________ Away. Far away. Kotone wanted to be running from the Hayashi estate, running from her mother and everyone. But she wasn't and instead she was running in the garden grounds in said estate, putting more and more distance between herself and the house within the Hayashi residence walls. When she found a tree standing in her way up ahead, she slowed to a stop until she touched the bark and rested her forehead on the back of her hand, her breathing in quick breathes. Kotone then brushed away her tears with the same freed hand and used the edge of her skirt to dry it before returning to its previous hold on what she had taken with her in her flight: fishing gear.
Kotone had in fact just been reprimanded by her mother about her habit of sampling food. Her mother told her it wasn't proper for her to be so absorbed in it that she places her attention on it fully to the point of missing when she is being addressed by others. Then the situation went on to going over Kotone's shortcomings and though Kotone seldom lost patience like she did today in the company of her elders, she snap and fled just now. Kotone could understand her mother's corrections, today though, she couldn't sit still and listen to the end.
But she really wanted to distract herself from lingering in the recollection of what had just transpired and headed to a sturdy, high stone garden fence that served more as a sort of design or aesthetic feature than a barrier. One side of this stone structure was shaped in segmented steps that she used to climb to the very top and seated herself there. She would sniffle every now and then, but for the most part she was successfully distracting herself from wallowing in melancholy, currently occupying herself with fishing rod setup. From there she proceeded to going over such motions as casting and reeling in a line. It was a cloud-filled and windy day, so her hair kept getting in her way. This reminded her of when she recently decided on just trimming her hair to keep its length approximately reaching her waist rather than cut it shorter, but, other than the recollection, she paid it no mind and just brushed her hair out of the way again to continue her practice.
After having her fishing exercise span the fairly long length of time it did, Kotone move right on to opening her journal to writing an entry, aiming not to give herself a chance to remember anything that might very well upset her again, continuing her attempt at avoiding her bad mood.
Again, she didn't know where to begin in her thoughts to put in writing. It then occurred to her to try using sign language to translate full sentences out of piecing together the scattered parts in her thoughts whenever she drew a blank and then writing from there and thus, she executed this approach.
'I believe I've written before that my path in the academy is that of a fighter's. I'd like to write about other activities I engage in aside from combat training. At school, I take cooking, art, sign language, and handicraft. Grandfather is my haiku teacher and Sir Huang-Fu is my fishing teacher. I think these are all enjoyable activities but my skill levels differ in them. I think I'm doing fairly well in my sign language and haiku lessons. When I practice fishing, I don't often catch any fish except on a few occasions when I manage to catch one and on one occasion I caught two. My cooking skill is average. And admittedly, I'm more skilled at cooking than at my painting. I also haven't improved very much at knitting and sewing, I'm also ashamed to confess.'
It wasn't working, her bad mood persisting to haunt her, but she stubbornly kept writing anyway.
'But I have no intention to ever give up on anything. I really will keep striving to keep improving, always.
I want this feeling to stop. Feeling like I'm not capable of anything. This pessimistic feeling is an opponent I fight with often and I don't know who's winning. But I am determined not to lose.
Being bullied by the thief. Discovering that I wasn't given a sturdy sheath for my initial commission. Taunted by someone I don't know. Being excluded from being told and spoken with about important matters in the family.
More and more and more I won't stop and always aim at improving my competence as an individual.'
Kotone closed her journal upon finishing her entry and after climbing back down the stone fence with fishing gear--with which she returned her journal in the place it occupied among them--in tow, she set what occupied her hands aside to next immerse herself in her battle arts practice and further get the dark emotions out of her system in the process.
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