I'm definitely digging my own grave but, WHATEVER! Enjoy~
Tsukiko sighed softly as she settle further into the branch she was on, she was currently in her favorite tree; the Sakura. She'd made a promise with a man here, when she was little, but she'd forgotten what about. Tsukiko extended her hand just in time for a Sakura flower to land softly on her palm. She smiled softly and stroked it tenderly. "I wonder... if he'll remember..." Tsukiko whispers to herself.
Her quiet moment was ruined when Nana Sawada, wife of Iemitsu Sawada, skipped out of their living room. "Tsu-chan~ It's time to meet the match maker~" She sang out, obliviously ecstatic to have a future son-in-law to feed.
"Hai (Yes in Japanese) , mama..." Tsukiko sighed. She swung from the branch she was sitting from, giggling as she felt the wind in her face, not knowing that she was being watched. "Fhuwup! Yes! A perfect landing~" Tsukiko smiled in triumphal which was quickly wiped off her face when she remembered WHO she was meeting. It was not that she hated her family matchmaker, Bianchi, it's just that she was one of the few which believed in following her heart and finding true love, cheesy, yes, but she still believed.
"Tsuki..." A soft yet deep voice called out and Tsukiko turned around to face her twin brother, Tsunayoshi. She smiled softly and ran towards him for a hug.
"Yo, nii-san. I need to go, mama is taking me to the matchmaker again... Keep your fingers crossed that I don't fail~" Tsukiko laughed cheerily before she let go of her crippled sibling, it had happened during a war, Tsunayoshi was shot at the leg and it hit an important nerve that could not be fixed, leaving him as a cripple for the rest of his life.
"Haha, you're my cute little sister, surely, you won't fail?" Tsunayoshi smiled as Tsukiko giggled and waved to him as she prepared to meet Bianchi.
This is what you give me to work with?
Well, honey, I've seen worse
We're going to turn this sow's ear
Into a silk purse
Tsukiko cringed as Nana scrubbed at her limbs and wiped her face clear of the mud that had gathered when she had trained in the bonsai gardens that early afternoon, tutting as she spotted a new bruise or scar. "Tsu-chan tara! (My goodness or something like that in Japanese) What on earth made you as muddy as you are now? And are those muscles I see? This won't do~" Nana chided her boyish daughter as she proceeded to massage Tsukiko's hair.
"D-Demo! Mama! Wouldn't boys like a girl who can pro-" Nana tutted as she dunked her daughter under the water to clear off the shampoo.
"Saa saa (come come in Japanese)~ Let's go to the hairdressers, shall we?" Nana was oblivious of the protesting splutters of her daughter and proceeded to drag the naked girl out of the bath and into a pink yukata with sakura petals. "Hmm... we'll have to get a new kimono for you to wear~ Maybe one that complements your skin?" Tsukiko forced a smile, she was not a fan of shopping, she preferred her short yukatas with baggy pants underneath, it was easier to move around in and to train in.
We'll have you
Washed and dried
Primped and polished till you glow with pride
Trust my recipe for instant bride
You'll bring honor to us all
The hair dressers were merciless, lucky for Tsukiko, her hair was in perfect condition to abuse without her to actually feel it. They decided on tying half of her hair and rolling it into a bun, sticking a sakura hairpin to keep it in place. Tsukiko mentally blenched when she saw her reflection, she looked horrible.
"Uwah~ Tsu-chan~ You look nice~" Nana smiled as she tucked a loose strand behind her daughter's ear. Tsukiko smiled tiredly at her mother, surely this was not what men preferred? "Saa, let's go to get you a new kimono~" Tsukiko mentally groaned.
"M-Mama... won't this yukata do? Does it have to be a kimono?" Tsukiko flinched when her mother turned to face her with a face of shock.
"Tsu-chan! What are you taking about? You need to look your best when you meet Bianchi-san!" Nana shrieked in horror as Tsukiko mentally rolled her eyes. 'Yeah... and best is torture... I'd rather look my worst...' Tsukiko thought bitterly, her peach pink lips pulled into a cute pout.
Wait and see
When we're through
Boys will gladly go to war for you
With good fortune and a great hairdo
You'll bring honor to us all
"Kuh! I-Isn't that a bit TOO tight!" Tsukiko gasped as her mother and the dress makers pulled at the ribbons of the obi. 'I-I can't breathe!' Tsukiko's inner chibi cried out as she turned blue. Nana simply giggled at her daughter's antics and finally loosened it slightly before tying a knot, earning a relieved gasp from the choking girl.
"Tsu-chan~ Luce obaa-san will be stopping by later to wish you good luck~" Nana giggled as Tsukiko's eyes lit up, Luce was her grandmother who always favoured her above anyone else. "I knew you'd be happy, now, let's get going over to the boutique for your make-up and hair ornaments shall we?"
Tsukiko dragged her 'abused' body off the stool where she had stood on for thirty minutes trying on Kimono after Kimono. They had finally decided on a sky blue kimono with a navy blue obi, it had silver vine like designs on the sleeves and the hems, a transparent aqua blue shawl wrapped her petite form like a goddess (Those you see in the Chinese movies, look at mulan, the transparent thingy that hangs by the area where her elbows are.). She sighed out loud when she felt stares being directed to her as her mother dragged her to the boutique.
'They're definitely going to make fun of me later...' Tsukiko pouted, oblivious to the blushes on the faces of the village boys.
A girl can bring her family
Great honor in one way
By striking a good match
And this could be the day
"Is make-up supposed to feel heavy...? Mama..." Tsukiko felt as if her face weighed a ton and the fact that they were only applying foundation was not really very assuring.
"Oh come now, Tsu-chan, you must admit you look pretty~" Tsukiko smacked her lips together as the beautician applied her lipstick. 'Yeah, I'm pretty all right, pretty HORRIBLE!' She screamed inwardly, seriously, the things she does to bring honor to her family.
"Oh! I think blue eye shadow will look beautiful on her, or maybe orange, to complement her eyes~" Nana giggled fan-girlishly, the said person with the said eyes, sneaked outside to get a breath of fresh air.
"This is the worst... I definitely look horrible..." Tsukiko murmured to herself, unaware of the stares of the boys in the boutique.
"Tsu-chan! Where are you? We've found the perfect eye shadow and eye liner for you~" Nana sang out from in the boutique and Tsukiko winced as she heard the words eye liner and eye shadow. She sighed again, before retreating into the room again, completely oblivious of how beautiful she looked, even without eye make-up.
Men want girls with good taste
Calm
Obedient
Who work fast-paced
With good breeding
And a tiny waist
You'll bring honor to us all
"Tsu-chan! Look at this pink parasol! It'll go perfectly with your kimono won't it~?" Nana squealed as Tsukiko stared longingly at the weapons store.
"Eh.. ah... Un... (Yes in Japanese, I think? Or maybe a sound that shows you agree)" Tsukiko was actually more interested in the new combat gloves, but Nana would kill her first before she would allow Tsukiko to buy them. "L-Let's get to the Kanzashi (Hair ornaments in Jap) shop now, okay?"
Tsukiko proceeded to drag her mother to the shop, Nana giggled at her daughter's antics. "My little Tsu-chan is growing up~"
We all must serve our Emperor
Who guards us from the Huns (Er... Milliefieore? ^^V)
A man by bearing arms
A girl by bearing sons
"Tsu-chan! You have to stop moving!" Nana scolded as she adjusted the headpiece again, it was a beautiful seashell based hair pin, Tsukiko had picked it out of whim. It was encrusted with a small pearl and smaller pearls surrounding the clam.
Tsukiko sighed and stopped her fidgeting, to the delight of her mother who took out the Sakura hair pin and replaced it with the seashell hairpin before the bun fell out. She attached gold earrings and stood back to admire her work, she smiled but then frowned when she caught sight of Tsukiko's nails.
"Hmm... we'll need to get a manicure for your nails..." Tsukiko paled, the last time they went to a manicure, her nails were almost blunt and her hand was too slippery, she had to go two days without training, oh the horror!
"A-Are you sure, mama? I don't really think-" But of course, Nana being the oblivious airhead she is, ignored her daughters desperate protests and proceeded to drag her to the nail spa.
When we're through you can't fail
Like a lotus blossom soft and palm
How could any fellow say "No sale"
You'll bring honor to us all
"Ara ara (Oh my in Japanese), it seems Tsu-chan's busy at the moment~" Luce teased as she watched her granddaughter struggle in the vice-like grip of the nail stylist.
"Luce obaa-sama!" Tsukiko cried tears of joy as Luce laughed softly at her predicament. 'Please save me from this hell hole!' Was what she planned to say until she caught sight of her mother, who shot her a naive smile. Oh the things she does to keep that smile on her beloved parent's face. "It's nice to see you, please wait outside, I'll be done in a minute..." 'I hope...' She added silently.
"I shall, I have to retrieve a few items so take your time~" Luce sang out, Tsukiko smiled forcefully, enjoy a session of painting her nails? Yeah right...
"Tsu-chan's growing up so fast, I still remember the time when she used to crawl onto my lap and ask for a story... Such a polite child..." Luce smiled as she sipped the tea Nana served her (Her husband WAS the chief of their village so she had access to all the kitchens in the said village), the parent of Tsukiko smiled in agreement before turning to face the sky.
"Yes... I just wish Iemitsu had the privilege of seeing her grow up..." Nana's bangs shadowed her eyes as she remembered her late husband. Despite being a widow, she was still in control of the village.
There - you're ready
Not yet
An apple for serenity ...
A pendant for balance ...
Beads of jade for beauty
You must proudly show it
Now add a cricket just for luck
And even you can't blow it
"Hai (Here it means 'here'), have an apple..." Tsukiko bit into the fruit and smiled at the sweet taste. Her craving for sweet things will never change despite all the years. "I'll let you wear this pendant for a bit, just for today." Luce smiled as Tsukiko took another bite of the apple and fingered the pendant.
"Beads of jade for beauty... Because you'll be our beautiful little girl always." Tsukiko felt tears prick her eyes as her mother fastened the clasp, she smiled as her mother patted her cheek before she prompted her to get her parasol.
"Thank you, mama..." Tsukiko murmured as she blushed prettily. Nana smiled gently before she gently nudged her daughter in the direction of the match-maker's house.
"Saa... hurry or you'll be late~" Tsukiko nodded and took in a deep breath before taking the pink parasol leaning on the wall.
Ancestors
Hear my plea
Help me not to make a fool of me
And to not uproot my fam'ly tree
Keep my father standing tall
"From where he is anyway... " Tsukiko smiled sweetly, her eyes currently closed as she barely slipped into the line of kimono-clad girls. All of which with only one objective: To marry and bring honor to the family.
Scarier than the undertaker
We are meeting our matchmaker
Destiny
Guard our girls
And our future as it fast unfurls
Please look kindly on these cultured pearls
Each a perfect porcelain doll
"Tsu-chan… Daijoubu kana...? (Will she be alright in this case.)" Nana worried as she looked at her daughter's retreating figure.
"I'm sure she'll be fine..." Luce commented as she stared at Tsukiko, who had glanced back for a split second before smiling and continuing forward. "She's our perfect porcelain doll, after all..."
Please bring honor to us
Please bring honor to us
Please bring honor to us
Please bring honor to us
Please bring honor to us all
"Ahaha... Sawada Tsukiko-chan please step into the Match-maker's chambers, now..." A boy with spiky black hair and tanned skin with amber brown eyes scanned the line of kimono-clad girls. 'They seem so... flirtatious?' The boy sweatdropped to himself, he noticed the girl at the back staring off into space. He blinked, 'Is that the girl who was supposed to be meeting Bianchi-san? She does match the description...'
"Sawada Tsukiko-chan!" Tsukiko blinked in surprise, turning to find the source of the voice. The tanned boy blushed fervently as he caught sight of that beautiful face, her eyes were wide with surprise as her lip-stick painted lips were parted slightly, her hair was fluttering softly in the breeze and her left hand was raised to prevent it from getting messy.
"Ah! Hai Hai!" Tsukiko flusteredly stumbled to the front row, barely avoiding tripping on her two feet. "Ahaha, gomen (I'm sorry in Japanese), I'm sort of out of it today..." A distant look appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly masked with false happiness. "Is Bianchi-san ready to match-make a useless girl like me?" Tsukiko joked with the tanned boy, who laughed nervously at her joke.
"Ahaha, nobody's useless, Sawada-chan." Tsukiko stared at the tanned teen with a surprised expression before it softened into a gentle smile.
"Arigatou..." Tsukiko smiled as the tanned boy became flustered at the sight of her smile.
"Y-Yamamoto Takeshi! My name is Yamamoto Takeshi..." Tsukiko smiled again before heading into the living area of the matchmaker. "She was so... cute..." Yamamoto laughed to himself, "I hope her matchmaking goes well..."
Thirty minutes later...
"GET OUT!" Tsukiko was roughly pushed out of the matchmaker's chambers, pleading to have a second chance.
"Please! It was an accident! I didn't mean to spill tea over her kimono! Please believe me!" Tsukiko begged as she was roughly dragged to the exit, she was roughly pushed out and she stabled herself enough not to and on her face. "Papa... I'm sorry... I've failed... again..." Tears rolled down her cheek as she ran through the village.