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 Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:01 pm
It's alright.....it's alright....it's alright.
Thus was the mantra that played itself over and over again in the young-again Porcelain's mind. Tsubei was traversing the familiar, but long-ignored, walkway towards the udon-ya. She hadn't been there in quite some time, for many reasons and was trying to overcome the anxiety that was creeping upon her as she trecked slowly closer.
In her hands, a small basket was clasped between her fingers, its contents few but important. She stopped short just a few feet away from the building, looking upon the door with apprehension. She started to think she should go back home....
Before she could stop herself, she knocked gently on the door as she projected an inquiry to whomever might be inside, if anyone.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:47 pm
Kouyo sat at the table by his pretzels puzzle, but rather than working on finishing up the picture, he was poking through the contents of his model car kit. All of the pieces would have to be cut off of the little plastic frames that held them and then painted... it looked like it would be complicated, but the High Priest would never turn down a model just because it was hard to build. In the past, at least, the longer it took to build, the better....
He jumped slightly when he heard the knock at the door, then set the box containing his model aside to go see who was there. Kouyo was getting gradually more used to the frequent visitors; he still hated being lonely, and now that he had been feeling better, less shy and timid, and considerably healthier overall, he felt he could really honestly look forward to people coming over. Most of them were Porcelain looking for Setsushi, of course, but Kouyo could still greet them.
Smoothing his hands over his robes to fix the folds, the High Priest opened the door to see who was there, and smiled faintly at Tsubei. "Hello," he said softly, projecting a shy greeting and gently urging her to come in as he kept his slight anxiety carefully hidden from his projections and his face.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:58 pm
Tsubei wondered just what she was getting into when she saw the door open and the High Priest greeted her. Her heart stopped for just a moment and she swallowed down a gasp of shock, putting a soft smile on her face and projecting a friendly greeting to him.
"Hello to you too, Kouyo," She said on an equally soft tone, thanking him for offering her to come inside. She held the basket in her hands tighter as she stepped past the door and the Porcelain, looking over to the table that held his puzzle and the parts to his model. She smiled a bit, recalling one of her 'brothers' and his frustrations with such an enigma.
How has Kouyo been lately? Tsubei has not seen him for quite a while. She turned her attention back to him, genuinely curious as to his wellbeing.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:46 pm
Gesturing to draw the lady's attention away from his box on the table and instead towards the front wall near the floor, Kouyo tells Tsubei that he has been well. ... Better, even, though he does not elaborate how, or why.
And - he points out the two long rectangular flowerpots sitting against the front wall where they are out of the way - Kouyo has been taking good care of the hyacinths she gave him. Since it is getting warm out, the High Priest was planning to plant them outside soon. One of the stalks died, but the others survived just fine, and look like they might bloom again soon.
He crouches beside the flowers, then looks up at Tsubei, inquiring perhaps a bit cautiously how she has been feeling?
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:12 am
Tsubei raised an eyebrow to his gesturing and looked over to the wall he seemed to be directing her towards. A bright smile crossed her face when she heard how he was fairing and saw the beautiful flourishing flowers. They seemed to look even better than when she had bought them for him.
Feeling a bit more relaxed, she moved over to them and knelt down to inhale their light scent softly. The expression on her face was a warm, caring smile as an amost maternal feeling came from her. She almost hadn't noticed his inquiry to her own well-being.
"Oh...I've been well, though a bit of a shut-in. My current costume has consumed me, as has the greenhouse." She looked over to him, then remembered the basket in her hands.
Speaking of flowers, Tsubei has these for Kouyo. She reached in and pulled out a purple velvet pouch, handing it to him with a smile. These are seeds from Tsubei's flowers. Tsubei thought Kouyo might want to plant a nice garden with them and have many beautiful plants.
"A belated Valentine's Day gift," She admitted quietly, "But a perfect gift for the beginning of Spring.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:56 pm
The High Priest stepped back from the planters, allowing the lady her space when she went to examine the flowers. As soon as it stopped being so cold at night, he planned to take them outside to plant them, and then hopefully they would continue to grow healthy and beautiful.
He then gently inquired what costume she means? Miss Tsubei was a seamstress, then? Kouyo asked her to forgive him if she had told him before.
And then smiled shyly when she gave him the gift, bowing deeply and thanking her. "Miss is too kind," he told her, assuring Tsubei that he would tend to the seeds as well as he could to help them grow into more flowers. The house really did need more growing things outside, and Miss Tsubei's present would help make it feel more like a home there....
A faintly troubled look crossed the High Priest's features at the mention of Valentine's Day, but whatever thoughts he had he kept well-hidden. He focused instead on thoughts of spring, which seemed to cheer him up again.
Kouyo then wondered if Miss Tsubei would like anything to drink? Tea? Juice? Some water?
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:25 am
Tsubei smiled simply and spoke no more of the love holiday that seemed to bring more sadness than happiness. She gave the blooming flowers a light caress to their petals and looked to him when he asked questions and projected his gratitude for her gift.
Tsubei does not need anything at the moment, but thank you. She also is confident that Kouyo will take good care of her grandchildren. She projected with warmth and sweetness. A small giggle escaped her as she reached into her basket and produced a gifted blank book from the Silver World that served as her sketchbook.
"Yes, I have a mentor in tailoring in the Silver World. She's marvelously talented and I've learned much from her." She explained as she opened the book to reveal the various design sketches. One looked almost like a mythical bird. Across from it, the design for a cold maiden costume that was carefully drawn and noted for accuracy.
The bird-looking one is the one Tsubei is currently working with. The other one Tsubei designed and made by herself for a dance drama for the Mid-Year Festival. Someone liked it enough to purchase it from the performer, but Tsubei received the payment. She explained as she recalled how much time she had spent getting the design right and following Kyouren's every lesson.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:40 pm
Kouyo seemed momentarily confused as the young lady referred to her "grandchildren", but quickly figured out that she was referring to the seeds. He politely thanked her and assured her again that he would do his best to raise a beautiful garden, and prove her trust in him was well-placed.
He then turned his attention to her book of sketches, gently projecting his interest and nodding as he listened to her. The High Priest was definitely impressed by her work and creativity; he also admitted that it had been quite a long time since he saw a dance-drama.
"Your work is already lovely," he told her softly. Especially if it was already receiving such recognition in the Silver World. Miss Tsubei was lucky to have had such a good mentor, "but of course the best a mentor can do is shape the talent that already exists."
... The best Kouyo had created recently is his puzzle. Whenever he set down to finish it, he would probably be done in a matter of minutes. But instead he was looking at the contents of a model kit he received recently; that would probably be his next project when the puzzle was done.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:34 pm
Tsubei almost wasn't paying attention, thinking back to the dance-drama and the performance she had attended in the palace. So many amazing things that happened and she forgot to look back upon them and appreciate them. Foolish child she had been.
She looked to Kouyo when he praised her work, which promoted a light surge of pink to her cheeks. She kept the clash of pride and humility to herself, glad to see her work had evolved from her simple sewing, needlepoint and childish cloth dolls. Still, she was not one to boast much.
Instead, she listened attenively as he spoke and relayed about his puzzle and models, which she turned to look at. Tsubei has tried puzzles before. They can be fun and time-consuming when one needs to pass the time. Tsubei knows of some puzzle games that can be almost meditative.
"My brother Amadeo has models, as well. He makes model ships and cars. They have frustrated him on several occassions." Though she is sure it helps that one works out a pattern with the pieces rather than work willy-nilly without order. Her brother has a tendancy to jump in almost desperately with too much enthusiasm.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:34 pm
Kouyo moved towards the pantry, and picked out a box of tea to make himself a cup. He then gently inquired if Miss Tsubei wanted any tea as he went to the sink to fill the kettle.
The puzzle had been amusing, but he thought his newer puzzles and the models would prove more difficult and more rewarding. Kouyo then blushed a bit, hoping that Miss Tsubei did not think him childish for collecting so many toys. He enjoyed constructing models and such in the Golden World as well, and so it was somewhat exciting to have a new set of things to build, being in a new place.
One benefit of finding himself so suddenly in Gaia, he supposed.
What did Gaian ship models look like, he wondered?
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:56 pm
Tsubei had given the flowers one more fond caress of the petals before she stood up and moved to a table with her basket of things, accepting the offer of tea with gentle gratitude. She kept her sketchbook out and had a sketching pencil out, turning to a fresh page.
"I do not think it childish," She commented about his collection of toys, a smile on her face. "Such hobbies are wonderful to have." Tsubei actually has been making cloth dolls since she was young....and at times still plays with them. That is more childish than Kouyo's models. It was true....she had a habit of playing with the dolls she made sometimes, acting out grand dreams or stories that came to her mind. It made the pink return to her cheeks to think about it.
Tsubei pulled a fan from her small basket, opening it to look at the design and think deeply. She wanted to be inspired to make something for the season. Something beautiful....something like springtime...
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:13 pm
Kouyo set the kettle on the stove to warm up the water, and brought a pair of cups to the table along with the box of tea. Then the priest quietly excused himself to retreat behind the screen to the private half of the house, and returned a few moments later with his book of Gaian flowers. With a small shrug and a smaller smile, he offered it to Miss Tsubei - she most likely knew more about the plants inside than Kouyo did, but the book had nice photos as well as an index of plants by season. It was the best he could offer for inspiration.
Settling down at the table with her, the red-haired Porcelain moved the box containing his model car aside, and then contemplated his puzzle. Casually, he told Miss Tsubei that he did not think it childish to have grand dreams at all. The High Priest was a poet, himself, and what was that, really, if not another way to express his own grand dreams.
His mind became silent and he smiled as he started to count the loose pieces that had not not yet become part of the finished puzzle. There were fewer than twenty of them, but Kouyo counted them anyway.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:57 pm
Tsubei smiled softly to him when he brought out the tea and cups, looking back down at the fan as she thought about a new design. She looked up when Kouyo brought out a book of Gaian flowers and smiled brighly, thanking him greatly as she took the book and opened up to the seasonal index.
Though she had her eyes on the book, her attention was on him as he spoke of his thoughts on dreams. It made the smile on her face a bit easier to hold, knowing that he did not think it too terribly immature of her to have grand dreams or play with dolls.
"I believe dreams can be the greatest inspiration," She said softly as she found the pages of spring-blooming flowers, "Dreams inspire poets, dancers, tailors and perhaps even battle strategists." Tsubei is almost certain Dame Unsou dreams of better battle techniques so she can inven or perfect them in the waking world.
Tsubei glances down at a page and smiles softly, turning to her sketchbook and letting her pencil speak to the paper. As her hands moved in fluid strokes, it wasn't clothing she was drawing....but rather seemed to be the beginning of some kind of scenery. It seemed to be turning into a garden. She stopped in the middle of it and turned to another blank page and began to sketch out a model, which she would quickly cover in some kind of clothing. It seemed that inspiration had struck her.
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:08 pm
The High Priest watched from his side of the table, sinking into his own contemplative quiet, touched from time to time with soft curiosity at what Miss Tsubei had in mind. He had never really been one with an eye for clothing. He had his favorite colors and styles, of course, but as High Priest, Kouyo had not had to worry about going out to purchase his own clothing. His attendants brought him new robes when he found he required them, which was not terribly often as his clothes hardly received much wear with Kouyo indoors nearly all the time.
Shopping for clothing in Gaia was, of course, an entirely different matter, but one that was finally starting to stress the priest out less now that he was beginning to get used to it.
When the kettle whistled, Kouyo rose to his feet and went to fetch it. He allowed the water to cool for several moments, then brushed his trailing sleeves out of the way with one hand while he used the other to pour first Tsubei's tea, then his own.
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:27 am
Tsubei smiled lightly to herself as she felt his curiosity. She would show him in time, her hand sketching with the skill she had acquired over the time she began to seriously train her talent. She heard the kettle whistle and she looked up as Kouyo moved to fetch it. She watched him move closely, seeming to be thinking deeply.
She turned back to her design, closing her eyes as she tried to imagine the righ music to make her vision come to life. She could almost hear the violins crescendoing sweetly, the woodwinds coming to life with them like the dawn chorus of birds at sunrise. The warming breeze carrying the scent of the freshly-blossomed flowers.....and her hand began to draw again, more fluidly as she created a real illusion of blooming petals upon fabric.
"What are your favorite colors?" Tsubei inquired softly to Kouyo, her eyes and hands never leaving the page as her vision urged her to pen it down before it vanished.
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