Post by Sadist on Mar 28, 2017 21:59:20 GMT -8
Change the voices in your head
{ tag: king fire }{ notes: Yue's Dress / Song / Lily Symbolism }
{ full quote by Khalil Gibran "Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity." }
{ full quote by Khalil Gibran "Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity." }
She was standing in the middle of a traditional Japanese garden, her pink dress fluttering around her legs in the breeze. Warm grass tickled her bare feet as she approached the sakura tree. A voice echoed through her dream, at once familiar and strange to her. Like something she'd long forgotten. I think it's time we had a little chat, Yue-tan. You never seem to listen to me all that well when you're awake... The world shifted, and she was falling. Only she wasn't afraid, just disoriented. There was a bright light that blinded her momentarily. As her surroundings came back into focus, she realized she was back in the Matsumoto Estate in the Nara prefecture.
Cho Mei-Fen sat in a rocking chair, holding a bundled blanket close to her chest. No, not a blanket, a baby. Across the room, a young boy, about five years old was butchering "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on an old piano while Emiko--Yue recognized her from the family pictures, but she was younger here, about Yue's age--sang along, trying to make the boy's misplayed notes sound purposeful. Despite her efforts, the boy was becoming visibly frustrated. Taki-chan always was such a perfectionist, so hard on himself. The voice was warm, amused and carried a note of such love that it made Yue's chest hurt, just a little.
It was at this point that two young boys, twins of about ten years in age, entered the room and proceeded to harrass Cho-san and the baby. Their young voices spat words of hatred they'd learned from their cousins in the main branch of the family. It didn't take long for the infant to start crying. Taki slammed his hands down on the keys and glared at them before turning to his sister. "Aneki, make the baby be quiet. It's annoying." She frowned at her little brother and shook her head. "It isn't Yue-chan's fault, Taki-chan. Those boys are being mean." The boy huffed and shrugged. "Then make them stop."
He's grown so much since then. He knows the difference between those who are to blame and those who aren't... The voice, which Yue had begun to realize belonged to Emiko, whispered in her ear. But pay attention to those two. I like Taki-chan's name for them: the Tweedles. It suits them. Emiko stood from her seat by the piano and crossed over to the young troublemakers. Rather than deferring to the older girl, they only changed their target. The insults they threw at her shocked Yue. This was their future Matriarch, and they were treating her like the lowest of Fighters.
Ah, but you see, back then they thought Taki-chan was a Common. He didn't begin to show potential as a Sacrifice for a good five years after this. As for me...I was still in training... The floor tilted out from under her feet, and she watched as the cousins in front of her tilted with it. It was as though she were standing on a cube, and each side held a different scene. For a moment, she thought she saw a 12-year-old version of Taki, ears gone and crying into his sister's arms, but the cube kept tumbling. Another side held a lecture from Takehiro on the responsibilities of being Matriarch. Yet another, meeting baby Takumi for the first time and being jealous that the infant would take attention away from Emiko. It finally stopped with a scene that Yue knew well: a trainee beaten and bloody while their trainer mocked their incompetence. Only here, Emiko was the trainee, and Yue's own father was the trainer.
"If you cannot defend yourself, your Sacrifice is as good as dead. Get up, child. I do not have all day to indulge your weaknesses." Emiko shot Kunichi a hard look as she struggled to her feet. Yet despite the girl's bravado, she was still blasted backward by his next attack before she could utter a word of defense. This continued for some time before Emiko was too weak to stand.
The scene before her faded to darkness, but the floor remained. For a moment, she wondered what was next, but then the ground trembled and came apart beneath her feet, and she was falling again. A splash, cold enveloping her body, a muffled rushing in her ears. She kicked her legs and surfaced to find herself in the ocean near the pier where she and Taki liked to meet when they could get away from their duties. She swam to the pier and hoisted herself up. As she sat wiping her hair off her face, she heard voices and turned around to a rather startling scene.
Emiko, by this time in her early twenties, was sitting nearby. Another woman sat beside her, hand resting familiarly on Emiko's thigh. Yue didn't recognize the woman, but that wasn't what startled her. It was the fact that the two women were kissing, something she in her sheltered life hadn't realized ever happened, that threw her off-balance. Or perhaps that was the wave that suddenly crashed into her, leaving her washed up in another of her cousin's memories. Here, Emiko was being chastised by Rei for daring to refuse an arranged marriage that would benefit the family. "I'm telling you, grandmother, Taki-chan is a Sacrifice. My Sacrifice. Which would make me Matriarch. I cannot be married into another of the Families, as it would leave him without his proper partner in this one!" The frightening thing about this memory was that it seemed to have happened only about two years before the events that led to Emiko‘s death. The scene faded to darkness.
A flickering light, like that of a candle, brought Yue‘s attention behind her. She turned, watching the light grow larger. More accurate to say that she watched it come closer, as she began picking out details of the figure that approached. "Emiko-hime…" She bit her lip, surprised when her cheeks didn’t burn with embarrassment over calling her that to her face. The woman was stunning. Her black hair fell loose down the back of her funeral kimono, the tips curling just enough to brush over the katana at her side. She was taller than Yue had expected, but the grace and confidence with which she moved, the calm of her smile was exactly what she’d come to believe the too-young Matriarch had been like in life.
For her part, Emiko broke the tension with a pleased giggle and blush of her own. You’re the only one who calls me that, did you know, Yue-tan? I’ve grown rather fond of my ’title.’ She winked and held out her hand. Come, let us sit and talk. We have a little time left before you must return to the waking world. Bemused, Yue took her cousin‘s hand as a little bench appeared a short walk away. ”This is the strangest dream I‘ve ever had…” Emiko smiled as they sat on the bench facing one another. That is because the dead can speak to the living in the world of dreams, though the living do not always choose to listen. She patted the back of Yue‘s hand, her touch as soft as her smile. I wanted to thank you for looking after Taki-chan. You‘ve helped to heal and better him where I no longer can.
She would have argued, but Emiko silenced her in the most absurd way. Yue blinked, startled by the quick, sudden press of the Matriarch‘s lips to the tip of her nose. You must stop being so hard on yourself, Yue-tan. And you must stop lying to my brother. He needs and deserves your trust. Now more than ever. A quiet sigh escaped the dead woman‘s lips. There are things you need to know, burdens you are not yet ready to bear. In time, Yue-tan, I hope you‘ll come to understand how very important you truly are.
If Emiko would have said more, Yue would never know, because at that moment, her alarm clock went off, pulling her out of sleep. As she turned to silence the horrible noise, Xing Chou jumped up onto her chest and dropped something, purring loudly. She picked it up, and her eyes widened. It was a lily of the valley…with her name, and Emiko‘s, etched into its leaf.
Cho Mei-Fen sat in a rocking chair, holding a bundled blanket close to her chest. No, not a blanket, a baby. Across the room, a young boy, about five years old was butchering "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on an old piano while Emiko--Yue recognized her from the family pictures, but she was younger here, about Yue's age--sang along, trying to make the boy's misplayed notes sound purposeful. Despite her efforts, the boy was becoming visibly frustrated. Taki-chan always was such a perfectionist, so hard on himself. The voice was warm, amused and carried a note of such love that it made Yue's chest hurt, just a little.
It was at this point that two young boys, twins of about ten years in age, entered the room and proceeded to harrass Cho-san and the baby. Their young voices spat words of hatred they'd learned from their cousins in the main branch of the family. It didn't take long for the infant to start crying. Taki slammed his hands down on the keys and glared at them before turning to his sister. "Aneki, make the baby be quiet. It's annoying." She frowned at her little brother and shook her head. "It isn't Yue-chan's fault, Taki-chan. Those boys are being mean." The boy huffed and shrugged. "Then make them stop."
He's grown so much since then. He knows the difference between those who are to blame and those who aren't... The voice, which Yue had begun to realize belonged to Emiko, whispered in her ear. But pay attention to those two. I like Taki-chan's name for them: the Tweedles. It suits them. Emiko stood from her seat by the piano and crossed over to the young troublemakers. Rather than deferring to the older girl, they only changed their target. The insults they threw at her shocked Yue. This was their future Matriarch, and they were treating her like the lowest of Fighters.
Ah, but you see, back then they thought Taki-chan was a Common. He didn't begin to show potential as a Sacrifice for a good five years after this. As for me...I was still in training... The floor tilted out from under her feet, and she watched as the cousins in front of her tilted with it. It was as though she were standing on a cube, and each side held a different scene. For a moment, she thought she saw a 12-year-old version of Taki, ears gone and crying into his sister's arms, but the cube kept tumbling. Another side held a lecture from Takehiro on the responsibilities of being Matriarch. Yet another, meeting baby Takumi for the first time and being jealous that the infant would take attention away from Emiko. It finally stopped with a scene that Yue knew well: a trainee beaten and bloody while their trainer mocked their incompetence. Only here, Emiko was the trainee, and Yue's own father was the trainer.
"If you cannot defend yourself, your Sacrifice is as good as dead. Get up, child. I do not have all day to indulge your weaknesses." Emiko shot Kunichi a hard look as she struggled to her feet. Yet despite the girl's bravado, she was still blasted backward by his next attack before she could utter a word of defense. This continued for some time before Emiko was too weak to stand.
The scene before her faded to darkness, but the floor remained. For a moment, she wondered what was next, but then the ground trembled and came apart beneath her feet, and she was falling again. A splash, cold enveloping her body, a muffled rushing in her ears. She kicked her legs and surfaced to find herself in the ocean near the pier where she and Taki liked to meet when they could get away from their duties. She swam to the pier and hoisted herself up. As she sat wiping her hair off her face, she heard voices and turned around to a rather startling scene.
Emiko, by this time in her early twenties, was sitting nearby. Another woman sat beside her, hand resting familiarly on Emiko's thigh. Yue didn't recognize the woman, but that wasn't what startled her. It was the fact that the two women were kissing, something she in her sheltered life hadn't realized ever happened, that threw her off-balance. Or perhaps that was the wave that suddenly crashed into her, leaving her washed up in another of her cousin's memories. Here, Emiko was being chastised by Rei for daring to refuse an arranged marriage that would benefit the family. "I'm telling you, grandmother, Taki-chan is a Sacrifice. My Sacrifice. Which would make me Matriarch. I cannot be married into another of the Families, as it would leave him without his proper partner in this one!" The frightening thing about this memory was that it seemed to have happened only about two years before the events that led to Emiko‘s death. The scene faded to darkness.
A flickering light, like that of a candle, brought Yue‘s attention behind her. She turned, watching the light grow larger. More accurate to say that she watched it come closer, as she began picking out details of the figure that approached. "Emiko-hime…" She bit her lip, surprised when her cheeks didn’t burn with embarrassment over calling her that to her face. The woman was stunning. Her black hair fell loose down the back of her funeral kimono, the tips curling just enough to brush over the katana at her side. She was taller than Yue had expected, but the grace and confidence with which she moved, the calm of her smile was exactly what she’d come to believe the too-young Matriarch had been like in life.
For her part, Emiko broke the tension with a pleased giggle and blush of her own. You’re the only one who calls me that, did you know, Yue-tan? I’ve grown rather fond of my ’title.’ She winked and held out her hand. Come, let us sit and talk. We have a little time left before you must return to the waking world. Bemused, Yue took her cousin‘s hand as a little bench appeared a short walk away. ”This is the strangest dream I‘ve ever had…” Emiko smiled as they sat on the bench facing one another. That is because the dead can speak to the living in the world of dreams, though the living do not always choose to listen. She patted the back of Yue‘s hand, her touch as soft as her smile. I wanted to thank you for looking after Taki-chan. You‘ve helped to heal and better him where I no longer can.
She would have argued, but Emiko silenced her in the most absurd way. Yue blinked, startled by the quick, sudden press of the Matriarch‘s lips to the tip of her nose. You must stop being so hard on yourself, Yue-tan. And you must stop lying to my brother. He needs and deserves your trust. Now more than ever. A quiet sigh escaped the dead woman‘s lips. There are things you need to know, burdens you are not yet ready to bear. In time, Yue-tan, I hope you‘ll come to understand how very important you truly are.
If Emiko would have said more, Yue would never know, because at that moment, her alarm clock went off, pulling her out of sleep. As she turned to silence the horrible noise, Xing Chou jumped up onto her chest and dropped something, purring loudly. She picked it up, and her eyes widened. It was a lily of the valley…with her name, and Emiko‘s, etched into its leaf.
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