Tiedoll

Artbug wrote Mana; Dhampir27 wrote Bookman. I shall do my best to write about Tiedoll and Kanda. I just love Froi Tiedoll! He reminds me of my mother. This story may not be as humorous as my others, but I did my research and am very proud of it.

I do not own D.Gray-Man. I'm not making any profit...Yeah, I'm broke.

'Japan huh?' Froi Tiedoll mused as he stood on the deck of a ship that had departed from China not an hour before. 'I'll be starting in Hokkaido…How interesting…' His superiors thought it would be best not to attract undue attention. They believed that the Earl had a firm grasp on Japan. Tiedoll could enter best unnoticed, if he started out where the Earl's grasp was weakest, with the Ainu in Hokkaido.

He opened his briefing folder to learn more about his mission and the people he would meet. 'I'm to search for accommodators and innocence that the Earl has not destroyed yet. I suppose they're sending me here, because they found a young girl in China not too long ago.' Tiedoll ran his fingers through his mess of graying hair. His most recent pupil, Daisya Barry, had given him a lot of trouble and most of that gray hair. 'I'm going to start off in Hokkaido and travel to Honshu undercover…I hope they put some helpful tips on how to "blend in" with the people.'

He flipped to the section describing the first people he would encounter. "Eye-new…Ainu… Not ah-ee-new…that means, 'Ah, a dog,' in Japanese…" No one on the ship seemed to notice him beginning to mumble the bizarre words. He decided to practice not drawing attention to himself, so he continued to read quietly. 'They've been pushed back to only occupying Hokkaido? Why do they not create AKUMA from their sorrow?' He found his answer on the next page. 'They believe their spirits are immortal and that their spirits will be rewarded in the afterlife by ascending to the Land of the Gods, which they call "kamuy mosir." I suppose they don't want to call the spirits back from their journey.'

He continued to read, much to his displeasure that the Ainu language, ainu itak, was a language isolate and had no similarities to those he already knew. Tiedoll was an artist, not a linguist. 'Even if I study the whole trip over, I won't have a firm grasp on it. Japanese is more important to learn. That is where I must blend in the most.' He turned to the pages about Japan. 'They borrow quite a few characters from the Chinese language. That's convenient! I can read Chinese, so the reading isn't the problem, it's the speaking.' Tiedoll rose and headed toward his cabin. He decided it would be better to butcher a language in the privacy of his own room.

His attempts turned into success sooner than he had expected. The Japanese honorific, normal, and casual language had given him more trouble than anything. He was quite intelligent and had learned numerous languages and cultural facts on the way to many a mission. He simply did not give himself credit. He then studied other aspects of both cultures such as dress, diet, ethos, and form of currency.

He tired of studying and began to muse about what he would find in Japan. 'Will I really find another accommodator? Will I have another student so soon? How much control does the Earl have over Japan? Will I find any innocence?' He decided not to dwell on such matters, for it would behoove him to get some much needed rest. He moved over to his bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning he woke before dawn and went above deck to marvel at the sunrise. 'How fitting that I'm headed to the Land of the Rising Sun!' He thought to himself with a little chuckle. There was something so serene about watching the dawn of a new day. It urged him to remember how he was fighting to bring dawn to a day without the Earl or AKUMA.

'I wonder how much longer it will take us to reach Hokkaido…' Not one to be impatient, Tiedoll sauntered below deck for breakfast. He practiced his Japanese table manners at the meal. Chopsticks were nothing new to him, for he had spent much time on missions in China and was much practiced with the eating tools. He savored his breakfast and rose to go above deck again. This time the coast of the island nation was just visible on the horizon. He went to his quarters to collect his art supplies. He would immortalize the scene in charcoal.

Tiedoll lifted his head from his sketchbook to gaze at the island he was swiftly approaching. 'These islands…what promise will they hold for the Order? Will we have come to late to find any accommodators?' He returned to his art. It did not matter how much he dwelled on the subject. Answers did not simply come because one wanted them to. He would find out in due time. After making three different sketches of the land mass he was rapidly approaching, Tiedoll left to collect his belongings and change into Ainu traditional clothing.

Froi exited his quarters adorned in a robe that stopped around his calves. It was crossed right over left, tied with a chord around the waist, and bore a lovely geometrical pattern of four-cornered spirals. The garment was surprisingly comfortable. He thought it would be rougher, for he was told the cloth was made from elm bark. He returned to the railing of the ship to take in the scene is it neared its mooring point on Hokkaido's coast. He made a few more sketches that expertly captured the beauty that was unfolding before him.

The ship soon docked. He thanked the captain and crew for their helpfulness and hospitality as he left the ship. He turned is gaze to the path in front of him. He stroked his mustache and headed in the direction of the Ainu village where he was to lodge the first night.

It was late in the day, when he reached the village. He had stopped countless times along the way to capture the glory of the scenery that surrounded him. He turned to another page in his sketchbook as he approached the village. A man in similar dress to Tiedoll's with a bushy full beard and mustache greeted him. "Are you the traveler that will be staying with us?" The man asked in his native tongue.

"Yes. Thank you for take me in," Froi responded. His grammar was not perfect, but that was to be expected from someone completely new to the language.

"It is no problem," The man replied with a smile. "Please, follow me." They set off into the village. Tiedoll noticed how many of the women bore tattoos around their mouths. The men all sported full beards and mustaches. Both genders had hair cut above their shoulders. All were dressed in calf-high robes with different geometric patterns; however the women also wore undergarments of a different cloth. They walked past many thatched huts, until the man stopped and gestured to a particular one. "You will be staying with my family for the night. Please follow me inside."

Well, that seemed like a good place to stop it. I know this chapter was a little slow. It was packed with a lot of information. I had to do a bit of research about the Ainu for this part. I think the part about Japan will be easier. Please review and tell me what you think. Should I continue with this one. It is currently more serious than my other works. I think the tone will change a little, once Kanda is brought in.