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 Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:41 pm
The estate is owned by an influential branch of the Fujiwara family; the gardens are well-manicured and the house perfectly kept. A man approaches on a horse and dismounts, finding his way into the garden as he is rather early. He takes his time, examining the flowers as he goes.
Anyone who knew him well might even decide that Fujiwara no Keichirou was just a little nervous.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:29 pm
Keichirou brushed past the colorful blooms of the garden, his dark eyes contemplative. He was to be married tonight and he was as nervous as any man would be, really. Or, that was what he assured himself. The samurai's exterior really didn't reveal much of his emotion, after all. It was habit; the wait for the scar on his face to heal so many years ago had left him seeming rather stoic most of the time, although others speculated that the acquisition of the scar itself was the reason for his generally calm expression.
The man sighed, his eyes wandering aimlessly as he strolled through the garden, occasionally glancing to the position of the sun. He'd arrived a few hours early, and it wasn't because he believed in over-punctuality. He was anxious to meet with his fiance, whom he'd only seen once(it wasn't as if she'd even seen him or spoken to him, either).
Indeed, he was starting to regret his brash decision to request a marriage with Aimi. He didn't know much beyond her appearance and name and he had no idea what sort of wife she'd make. Whatever the outcome, he'd have to make a note not to follow anymore impulsive decisions due to the stress they managed to cause him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:12 am
The Fujiwara estate that Aimi called her home had been buzzing with activity all day. The servants were hustling and bustling around all day, going about chores and tasks that they wouldn't normally do. The kitchen staff seemed to be in full gear, guns blazing as they cooked up what appeared to be a feast to beat all feasts. Others cleaned and scrubbed the entire estate, as if they were getting ready for some big ordeal. But all of that wasn't the only thing. There were also whispers amongst the staff - whispers of a marriage and a party to follow the festivities.
Whether that was true or not, however, didn't matter much to Fujiwara no Aimi. It was neither here nor there with her. Such ordeals didn't really pertain to her. So what if someone was getting married? It couldn't be her, she knew. She wasn't marriage material; her mother had even said so. No one wanted to marry a girl who couldn't cook, clean or sew to save her life.
It was for that very reason that the eighteen-year-old Aimi busied herself in her family's luxurious garden. Out of the entire estate that her family called home, this place was one of her favorites. How could it not be? There were both the flowers she loved so much there, and not to mention the innumerable amount of insects that called the garden home. In her hand, Aimi held one of her most prized possessions: a simple jar. What was this jar for, exactly? Why, catching insects, of course! In particular, the young noble girl had her eye on a dragonfly today - a green darner, to be exact. As quietly as she could, Aimi positioned herself, jar ready to go in for the capture.
Poor, naive Aimi. She hadn't even noticed the stoic, slightly nervous man who walked about the garden grounds along with her that day.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:17 pm
Keichirou walked through the gardens, his eyes flicking this way and that as he observed the luxurious estate. He himself had inherited the estate of the branch of the Fujiwaras he belonged to, although it was in disrepair to say the least. He hadn't bothered with trying to keep any of the servants around seeing as only he and his daughter lived there. Generally only the kitchen and their living spaces were kept particularly tidy while the garden grew wild and the rest of the grand old dwelling gathered dust.
Soon enough, however, the samurai registered movement in his peripheral vision. He glanced over, surprise flickering over his facial features as he noted that Aimi herself was in the garden. Well, this was an odd predicament. How was he even supposed to explain himself? Perhaps he could just slink away quietly and tend to his horse or something of the sort.
Still, it wasn't too hard to notice how very peculiar the young lady was acting. She had a jar, for one; in fact, it almost looked as if she were... catching bugs? Keichirou couldn't help the look of outward disgust on his face as he observed his fiance; that was hardly ladylike behavior! When he'd seen her before she'd seemed... well, actually, now that he thought of it he hadn't really seen her for long enough to gauge the general air that had been around her that day.
Oops.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:48 am
Just as Aimi went in for the capture of the beautiful dragonfly, it flew away before she could get to it. Drat! Losing such an insect was always rather disheartening, especially when it was one she didn't have in her collection. Oh, well. There would be other chances and other bugs for her to add to her collection. Jar still in hand, the young noble girl turned and was about to head back into the estate when something - or someone, rather - caused her to stop abruptly in her tracks.
It was a man. He was a samurai, by the looks of things. Tall and respectable, he had a serious air about him to which Aimi could tell that he was a warrior. And if that wasn't enough, the scar Keichirou bore was enough to give it all away as well. His clothes were of decent material, though not as fine as what she wore. Who was this man? She had never seen him before. Perhaps a friend of her parents? They usually had company over from time to time, and with talk of a wedding going around the grounds, he was probably here for that.
"Excuse me, sir," she said politely. Always be polite - that was what her mother told her. "Can I help you? If you're looking for my parents, they are inside. I'll have a servant point you in the right direction."
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