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 Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:10 pm
[[ Reserved for Sasaki Raiden and Miharu Gozen.
Please do not post without Capricorn Sunchai's and Kurama no Koishi's permission. ]]
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:50 pm
The soft tones of Miharu's singing started up in the tranquil garden once again as she sat down in a more secluded place, away from the nobleman and the maids she had encountered in the garden earlier. Her art was not something that could be accomplished with others milling about nearby; therefore, privacy was one of the most important elements to the things she did.
She spread the rice paper out on the ground and took the ink stick in hand, grinding it against the inkstone to revive the ink that had begun to dry out. Thoughtful for a moment, her fingers hovered over the small brush, but after some deliberation the Shirabyoshi chose a larger brush. The strokes that followed across the clear paper were sporadic at first, but after a time they began to resemble the flowers that blossomed directly overhead.
Then she stopped to smile at her work, her voice subdued. Ah, the beauty of sumi painting. There were no mistakes, for there was no way to erase or cover over the black ink. Just like life, she mused, everything happens for a reason.
[[ Okay, actually, sumi painting didn't come to Japan until a little later, but yeah. xD ]]
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:47 pm
Ugh. Honestly.
Raiden's footsteps fell perhaps a bit harder than he intended, thoroughly flustered at the moment. The nerve! He was tired of sitting amongst other samurai in the performance rooms and being amongst their company in general. They had no sense of honor, no morals when it came to the real world. Not the battlefield where it was gloves off and have at it, but the world where all was calm and peaceful on the surface, where most resided in content harmony.
They just didn't get it.
Perhaps he was just too young to understand why they were that way; but even so, they were much older than he and twice as immature. The private show had started out smoothly enough, but after a few rounds of sake a few of the samurai had already succumbed to the drink. They had been loud and disrespectful, and Raiden had left in a furious mood at their indecency. He tried his hardest to be polite to the women that performed, and here -they- were pushing back the little progress samurai were making in the social ladder.
Strolling straight out into the gardens, hands thrust deep into the pockets of his garment, the young man stopped at the trunk of a large tree in full bloom. A deep breath filled his lungs, the thick scent of the flowers numbing his senses. Lifting a hand to push his dark hair from his face, he continued his walk deeper into the garden, hoping for a bit of peace and quiet amongst the shrubs and trees that grew more thickly here. As he rounded a bend he was caught off guard by the figure of- ohh.
"Ahh, Miharu-san." His voice was quiet, not wanting to startle her. In such a mood he should have turned and went in the other direction, but something about her relaxed pose wouldn't quite let him pull away.
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:58 pm
And all too soon, the peace that came from her solitude began to slip away.
Miharu heard the footsteps, and the voice, but they were muffled in her mind—ignored, as it were—as she continued to perfect the sprigs and leaves that now blossomed on the paper. Those were foremost in her mind, and for a few moments she made no reaction. It wasn't until something stirred in the back of her mind, subconsciously responding to the familiar voice that her head turned in the voice's direction.
Who she saw incited a surprised reaction out of her; she had only just managed to stifle a small squeak that was beginning to make its way out of her mouth. "A—ah, Raiden-san," she murmured, suddenly acutely aware of too many things at once, aware of their walk the other night, of the brief embarrassment and confusion that followed, that she was not dressed for performance, and most importantly, she was aware that her art lay haphazardly across the ground for all to see...
Miharu took quick steps to change that, dropping brush and ink to gather her creations into a small space obscured by her other supplies, then moving to greet the samurai properly. "What... brings you here this fine day?" she inquired lightly as she bowed; nothing seemed amiss. She only needed to remember that she was a Shirabyoshi. Still, she could not help the fact that she did indeed know this man.
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:49 pm
Raiden's brow furrowed a bit as he noticed his attempt at a flawless entry seemed to have failed. His eyes glanced over the paper as she scooped them up, noting that it was all artwork. A pang in his chest told him he had interrupted her, but he knew full well that he indeed had.
"Apologies if I interrupted you, he murmured softly, quickly, and a little more nervously than he would have liked, "I was just on a stroll when I came across you, and I couldn't help but say hello."
The samurai fought the urge to inquire about her art, and instead offered his trademark smile, the one that crossed ever-so-gently across the corners of his mouth. He had not forgotten the other night by any means, and was well-aware that it could make for awkward conversation.
"Seeking solace," he replied simply, chuckling softly in the back of his throat, "I have found once again that many like myself seem to lack the general grace of public appearance." He shook his head, hoping that he would not have to elaborate for her. Eyes closing for a moment, he lifted a hand to delicately massage the bridge of his nose between his eyes.
"What brought you so far into the gardens today, then, Miharu-san?" he inquired, eyes glancing to her face. A soft breeze ruffled his robe and his hair, and the samurai was suddenly all-too-aware of the way his heart was hammering against his chest. What in the world was wrong with him? He talked with this young woman all the time, didn't he?
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Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:04 pm
"Well then, hello." Those were the first words out of Miharu's mouth when the samurai's words reached her ears. A small smile tugged at her lips in response to his—she liked that. She liked that he had the ability to make her smile by only smiling. The shirabyoshi watched him carefully, understandingly, as he explained his reasons for being... well, here. Because she did understand to some extent the rowdiness that could be present in the performance and dining halls, but perhaps not the way he saw it...
Watching his gestures, Miharu found that she had the urge to reach her hand toward him in a sympathetic move. That was not possible, of course, so her actions faltered in the small step that she subconsciously made toward him. He was looking at her again, now, inquiring as to her own reason for being in the gardens. It was then, when she tried to reply, that she noticed that she was slightly short of breath. She was quite unable to speak for the moment, so she paused to take a a soothing breath—hopefully this wasn't too obvious to the man in front of her. How embarrassing.
"Ah..." she began, testing the stability of her voice, "I was merely capturing the summer before it leaves us. It is a beautiful day, is it not?" She was reluctant to wave vaguely at the paintings that lay behind her. Miharu offered him another smile, hoping that he would not inquire overmuch about the paintings. She wasn't sure if she could handle the conversation—not when she was fighting for her breath and for coherency. What was doing this to her?
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:00 pm
Raiden's smile broadened at both her reply and the expression that crept across her face, feeling the soft grace of relief flood through his veins. She hadn't inquired further, and she certainly hadn't been cross and told him to leave. Then again, it wouldn't have been in her nature to do something like that. He knew that much of course. Or did he? Once he thought about it, the samurai realized he knew more about Miharu and her personality then he had originally thought.
He hadn't directly noticed her step closer, but he felt it someplace in the back of his head; the sense that kept him alive on the battlefield had picked up on the slight disturbance of the air, the quiet sound of ground crunching underfoot. Unlike in the midst of battle, however, this didn't put him on edge, didn't startle him into a defensive pose.
He caught his breath by now, not even noticing as Miharu took a second to gain her composure. His slender fingers ran distractedly through his hair as he straightened his spine, his general calm exterior coming back for just a moment. Why, just a moment ago he had been fuming with rage, and now- well. Now he was fighting just to think of words to say, wasn't he?
"It's gorgeous," he replied after a second's pause, "I will be... sad to see the summer go, though winter and autumn can be just as beautiful." He trailed off for a quick moment, quickly coming back to his senses. "Though often some mistake it's simple scenery as bland, it truly is a thing of beauty."
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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:44 pm
Miharu felt her nerves go to rest as Raiden picked up on the conversation; it seemed that she had diverted the attention away from any potential awkward stuttering and pauses. At least, that was what she hoped. Even in a relaxed setting, she still felt that it was her job as an entertainer to keep the conversation flowing and comfortable, especially now that she was with someone who... she considered a good acquaintance. Right?
"Certainly," she affirmed, now seeming to be of a better mood than before, "Each one has its own beauties." That much, she knew, was true for everything. It served as a blanket statement in a conversation—sometimes stale, but often very useful. "However, there are a few things that belong only to the summer... for instance, the vivid growth of the cherry blossoms, only to swirl down to the earth in a beautiful storm of pink..." The shirabyoshi had made her way to the pond by now, past the paintings that she had thrown aside before, past the cool shade that the still-lush trees had provided for both of them.
Such pretty words. Miharu remembered how she used to stumble over the language as a student—it was sometimes so false. She would be forever trapped in her cage of floral eloquence, now that she was a full-fledged Shirabyoshi with a lifetime of entertainment ahead of her. It was a clever trap, a clever cage, but one that truly could eclipse the purity and reality of one's being. All this Miharu realized in the back of her head, and she sighed, though for what reason one could not tell. She smiled a subdued, more child-like smile to the samurai as she gently motioned to the koi in the pond.
And she said simply, "You see, the koi will not last into the winter, either."
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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