hitsuzensei | it's always raining; the present will continue into the future

Entry tags:

marius pontmercy

it's always raining; the present will continue into the future

This city is a loud one. But also one where no one listens. For hours, the young boy has stood at the side of the main street of the city, the sound of the train soft in the distance, barely a whisper against the ears of passerby. Conversations filter by his ears at every turn — colleagues murmuring about the next business prospect, lovers sharing embarrassed laughs and nudges, an angry driver waving his fist upon being cut off at the intersection.

It's so much noise, and it clutters in the air with no one there to set it straight. The boy watches, and learns, and carefully shapes his tongue around the words on the lips of passerby. Echoes them back, sometimes earning a startled look. Sometimes, an annoyed sneer. No one stops to talk to him.

No one appreciates the sounds he's trying so hard to learn.

Nighttime threatens to arrive soon, and the boy's breath comes faster, uneven with his panic. He wraps arms tightly around himself as he shifts his weight from foot to foot, lingering by the corner of the intersection.

As people pass, he parts his lips as though to speak — but without being spoken to first, he can't start the conversation. Silence serves as his prison.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Mmm," Yuuko says, eyes briefly falling to the way that the boy's hand is still wrapped tightly around Marius', then drawing back up to the flush of Marius' cheeks. The sympathy that he's shown the amefurikozo makes more sense knowing his background, and it tempers Yuuko's tone. Makes it softer, more considerate.

There are some people more easily driven by being aggravated and having the foundation shaken under them. Others fare better with a gentler approach.

"I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Though you have clearly grown into an upstanding young man, and very thoughtful for having cared for this spirit when many others passed him by." Yuuko glances up as the girls return to the room, carrying between them a simple Japanese tea set, both of them humming quietly as they set it out between Yuuko and her guests. "I can tell you more of the history behind this young spirit, if you like. Why it is that he repeats your words, for instance, which you may have noticed. But... information like this does carry a cost."

"Thank you," Marius says, startled by the compliments. "I couldn't ignore a child in need." He glances down beside him to find the child still all but attached to him. It makes his heart glad that the young boy finds comfort in him.

"How much?" He doesn't hesitate in asking, because he does truly want to help the young child by his side and he is also curious as to the reasons for the repetition of words. From the way she pronounces 'cost,' Marius wonders if she means a price beyond money. Regardless, he is willing to pay it, if he can help this child.

Although she doesn't say it, Yuuko's well aware that there are plenty of people who would ignore a child of need. Doubtlessly, plenty of people who already did, for the amefurikozo to take such a liking to this young man. Spirits weren't always the most trusting of humans, and so humans who behaved outside of the norm were always lent a certain amount of credence.

Yuuko certainly doesn't want to lose contact with this one.

The cost for helping to return a spirit to its natural habit isn't too great of one. Yuuko gives Marius a thoughtful look, then leans down to start preparing the tea. A small spoonful of bright green maccha powder makes it into the large cup, and then the boiling water, before she whisks it quickly until the top enjoys a thin layer of foam.

"You can repay me by bringing me a dish. Could be made by your hand, could be made by someone else's. But a dish that specifically reminds you of your home," Yuuko decides, glancing up with a smile. "Anytime in the next couple of days would be sufficient. It's more important that it evokes a sense of home than for it to be timely."

When she remains quiet, Marius wonders if he'd said something wrong. Perhaps it was presumptuous of him to ask for a specific amount in payment. He says nothing, however; he observes her making the tea, the way she seems to bring it to life in her hands. Marius finds himself in awe of her, unable to look away from the motion of her hands.

"Do you mean a dish as in a plate or as a meal?" He asks her finally. Since arriving in Darrow, he has come to find that many words contain more than one meaning, and it is another thing for him to learn as he settles in. But as a form of payment, it does not sound overly difficult, and so Marius has no problem agreeing to it. He just wants to make sure he gets it right. "I will be happy to bring it to you, mademoiselle Yuuko-san, as soon as I am able."

"I mean a meal," Yuuko says, chuckling under his breath as holds out the first cup of tea for Marius. It's bound to be bitter, but also full and warm, a tea that Yuuko has always appreciated for its complexity and the almost velvet-like smoothness in the mouth when prepared correctly.

And she's had many years to hone that craft.

"One of the first things to learn about me is that I love good food. Good clothing too, as you can probably tell, but good food is something you can never learn fully, no matter how many lifetimes you're given. There is always someone who will cook with a type of heart that you can't replicate on your own. Food is as varied as the people who walk this earth." She watches as the amefurikozo sits himself down, dropping slowly to his knees. "And it's just Yuuko-san, Marius. The -san is an honorific. It's how you respectfully address someone in Japan, and is ubiquitous across all people. Male, female, old or young. All with -san."

"Oh," Marius says, blushing as he gratefully accepts the tea, trying not to let his nervousness show. The way she talks about food makes him want to cook for her himself. To bring her a dish made by someone else doesn't feel right to him. He is able to cook, but only just so, and he doubts he'll be able to come up with any kind of complicated meal. He hopes he will be able to create something that pleases her, serves as a worthy payment for the help she is about to give. "I see."

He takes a careful sip of the tea, not wanting to burn his tongue, and he does flinch, at first, at the initial bitterness of the drink. But then the bitterness gives way to an encompassing warmth, deep and wonderful as it helps him to relax.

"This is amazing," he tells her. "The most wonderful tea I've ever had the pleasure of drinking."

He listens to what she tells him about food, about how it is the act of crafting it, the way an individual pours oneself into the making of it, that defines the meal, and Marius feels slightly less on edge about preparing a meal for her. He also notices the child as he sinks slowly to the ground, on his knees.

"So you favor food that tells a story?" He asks her before taking another long sip of his tea. "Food that has meaning, rather than perfect craftmanship?"

"Oh, my apologies, Yukko-san." He says, blushing again in embarrassment. He dislikes misusing proper titles and mistaking forms of etiquette.

"There's no need to apologize for breaking rules you couldn't have had any way of knowing," Yuuko replies fondly, raising a brow at the boy's clear earnestness. "Instead, it's my place to thank you for honoring niceties from my culture, even though they must seem foreign to you."

Yuuko leans back over the second chawan, preparing another cup of tea for herself. Some might have flinched at the bitterness, but Marius' expression is genuine in its delight. She notices the spirit brightening as well, though he makes no move towards the tea he can't drink.

This echo might be one that follows Marius for some time.

"I favor stories that are genuine over stories that are crafted towards a certain, perfect outcome," Yuuko nods, crimson eyes flickering up to meet Marius' gaze. "You're a perceptive young man for picking up on that detail. To me, the journey is as interesting as the outcome, if not even more so. And the people we journey with, the most important of all."

"Thank you," he tries again, still red about the ears a bit. "I try to be respectful of all people's cultures, no matter how foreign they may be."

He watches her make a second cup of tea as he continues to sip from his own, each gulp bringing a new burst of warmth and life within him. She moves gracefully, like a woman out of a painting, and Marius finds himself growing more at ease the longer he spends in her presence.

He also takes care to glance beside him at the child, who appears to grow happier as well. Marius smiles at that, glad the boy is more content than when he first found him alone in the night.

"I think it is the people we journey with who make the outcome worthy altogether," Marius confesses, meeting her crimson gaze with his own, considering all of the people he has met so far in his life and the way that Darrow has introduced him to many more.

Yuuko smiles knowingly, seeing how her request has resonated with the young man. When he pays the price for the information she gives him today, it will be with heart and with consideration, both valuable in their own right. Enough to make the exchange equal between the both of them.

"A journey, coincidentally, is what this young one needs," Yuuko says quietly, sitting up straighter and watching the amefurikozo carefully. "This spirit is a type of youkai — which has been translated as ghost, apparition, phantom. I tend to prefer the use of the word 'spirit' because it seems the most broadly encompassing in the English language. Or les spiritueux, in your language."

Turning her tea bowl in her hands, Yuuko takes another sip, then lowers the bowl back to the floor, letting it cool a little further.

"He is one of the children who support Ushi, the rain god, in bringing precipitation to the land. You'll find, if you watch closely enough, that there are many such spirits in the city who find themselves not yet accustomed to the relative newness of the industrial age. These high rise buildings, the straight, paved streets... are not the landscape that amefurikozo are accustomed to," she says, watching the boy shift closer to Marius again. "And until he's of an age to navigate that, the best option for this young boy may be to be returned to a more natural setting."

"A journey for a young spirit?" Marius asks, contemplating what such a journey might entail. As she explains further, he relaxes, as it sounds relatively easy enough. He feels odd thinking of the child by his side as a kind of spirit, especially when she mentions les spirituex, at which point he thinks of his dead friends, - he seems so lifelike to Marius. But he also wants to be able to help make the child comfortable, and it seems returning him to nature is the best way to achieve that. There's something almost poetic about returning a child to nature, like something out of the Romantics.

"I can imagine," he comments. "I felt like that myself when I first arrived here. So he should be taken into the country side, then?"

"That's right," Yuuko says, her smile easier and content, grateful for the fact that the mission is not a difficult one. Embarking by oneself on a journey can be daunting at best, and Yuuko doesn't want to do anything that discourages Marius from further visits to the shop.

Quite frankly, she's pretty sure that he'll need to be a customer at some later point. The young man is destined for many hardships, some which can be fought with sheer fortitude, and others which may need a little help.

Like a plant unfurling before its bloom.

"He needs to be taken to the countryside, preferably a place that sees much rain. Close to the river, I imagine, would be a good place for him to go. You're welcome to stay the night, if it's too far of a trek for today, but I would recommend taking a taxi to the edge of the city, then walking the rest of the way. Or, perhaps, renting a bicycle so as not to put too much strain on your feet," Yuuko says, brushing her fingertips along the silken fabric of her robes. "As long as he finds the mountains, this one will know where to go. And will be a happy spirit, indeed."

"I haven't seen the countryside here yet, it shall be an adventure!" He turns to smile at the young boy at his side, the way he imagines his father must have smiled at him, once.

"And by the river sounds like a lovely place," Marius says, thinking of the immensity of the River Seine. He imagines this river to be more tranquil, out in the country perhaps surrounded by trees and away from the business of city life.

"I think I can manage the journey tonight, if he can," he nods to the child.

The boy immediately perks up and gets to his feet. "Tonight," he says brightly, so enthusiastic that Yuuko can hardly keep herself from laughing lightly herself.

They're a good match, these two individuals. Fated to have met and bound to bring one another happiness.

"He shouldn't be a spirit who tires easily, considering his job is to support the rain god. I'm sure he'd love to venture out tonight. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the journey with you," Yuuko says, sitting straighter and brushing her long tresses of black hair over a shoulder. "But I can lend you a lantern to help keep you safe for the journey. Not that this little one would let anything happen to you."

Marius lets out a laugh, a rare sound from him in the past few months of his life, at the boy's sudden eagerness. Clearly, an adventure out to the river is just what he needs, indeed.

"Thank you," Marius turns to her, grateful. "Thank you for all of your help and telling me about the spirit and what he needs. The lantern will be of a great help, I am certain."

He pauses as a thought strikes him.

"Will I be able to see this child again?"

He finds himself saddened by the thought of never seeing the little spirit again.

Before Yuuko even manages a reply, the little boy nods his head vigorously, tugging on Marius' hand and looking up at him in earnest. Yuuko knows well that there are many spirits in the world with more tenacity than the average human, and in many cases, more power as well to act on their whims and impulses.

She wouldn't be surprised if Marius found himself with a frequent visitor from now on in the city.

"Once he finds his way to the countryside, I'm sure this one will feel more comfortable about venturing into the city again. Show him the way once, and he'll be likely to remember, with the kind of impression you've left on him," Yuuko says, her mouth curved in a faint smile. "The possibility will always be there for a reunion."

Marius beams down at the child in response, heart gladdened by the thought of being able to visit with this spirit again.

"Oh, wonderful!" He grins, truly happy at the thought. "We'll just have to make sure we get you to the river and then we can see each other again when the possibility allows it."

"Again," the boy agrees, straightening his shoulders. Yuuko wonders if the spirit will grow over time, if this experience has emboldened him to rise above his station.

There have been stranger things she's known in her time.

"Well, I should be sending the both of you off," Yuuko declares, clapping her hands together once with a broad smile. Moro rushes back into the room, her short pink hair bouncing with every step as she raises a lantern with both hands, offering it over to Marius. "So that you make your way before it gets too dark. I'll be expecting you back at some point, Marius. And hopefully then, we'll have greater leisure for a conversation."

Marius can't help but smile again at the spirit as he repeats that single word, 'again.' The way he says it sounds so full of hope and promise. It gladdens Marius' heart.

"Thank you," he bows his head to Moro as he takes the lamp gratefully from her.

"And thank you again, Yukko-san, for everything." He bows his head to her in his turn. "Would you like me to return right after I send him back to the country? Or on another day?"

Yuuko smiles at the pair of them, and as she takes a deep breath, she can already sense the water in the air. The rain god is likely to visit upon the city in short order, she thinks.

It'll be a nice reprieve from the heavy pollen.

"I think you'll find that you'll want to spend longer with your new friend once out in the countryside. Don't rush back on my account," says Yuuko with a sly smile, leaning with all the smoothness of a cat. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"I'll be happy to spend as much time with him as possible," Marius assures her before grinning back down at his friend, and his heart warms at the word. He feels less lonely with this spirit, and he is happy to show him back to his home.

"I'll return when I am able!" He assures her, before taking the child's hand and heading towards the countryside.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

it's always raining; the present will continue into the future

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject