HALLOWEEN
Chikara brushed through her long, chestnut-colored hair. Ever since last night something had been on her mind. Perhaps talking to someone would help. She opened up her closet and pulled some black pants out. She put them on and clasped the three belts tightly. Next she slipped a baggy haori on, the color of faded black to gray. Not caring to look good she just slipped her hair into a bun.
Shinyo, Aoshi, and Shikijou were gone. Hyottoko was storing oil in the celler out back. She didn't dare bother Beshimi after what had happened the previous day. Chikara found Han'nya in the library. She sat in a leather-bound chair, pulling her legs up to her. Han'nya glanced her way before continuing his book. "What troubles you Ouka-chan?" Chikara smiled. She knew Han'nya would ask. She didn't even have to say a word.
"Yesterday in town I heard a Gai-Jin talking about today. He called it 'Hallow's Eve'." Han'nya looked up from his book. "Yes. Those across sea call it that. Though we call it the Day of the Spirit's Return, it's also known as the Day of the Dead and Halloween." Chikara nodded. It wasn't the name that was bothering her. It's what they did on the day. "They say children dress up like heroines and beg for sweets. Why is that?"
Had Han'nya had lips he would have smiled. He closed his book and sat on the chair next to her. "Some kids are not as educated as you are. So they pretend to be someone they are not. They are given candy as compliments."
"Why do you bring this up?" Han'nya questioned. She shrugged lightly. "I just wondered why they act so silly... and why we don't." This interested him. Chikara was a lively child but not to hyperness and fantasy. She stuck to reality and enjoyed combat. What was it that made her want to be childish?
"Suppose you could dress up, you have enough clothes," then with a sly tone he added, "Who would you be if not you? The Okashira?" Chikara smiled at him with a gleam in her eye. "Nope. Father is strong and admirable. I will never be as good as him so he's not my model." Han'nya was slightly caught off-guard. He had not heard this from her before. "Then who?"
She smiled. "You of course."
Ouka-Chan
Ouka-chan is the nickname I came up with for Han'nya to call Chikara. Ouka originally means blue flower and chan means small (or little, mainly used to address one of smaller stature or lower authority) However since Chikara is the daughter of the Okashira I decided that it would be a good fit. Plus Ouka-chan looks cuter than Oka-chat don't you think?
Gai-Jin
Gai foreign Jin person At least I believe that to be right. However Gai-Jin is pretty much just "foreigner" or "alien". It's was commanly used during the Tokagawa Era as the Japanese addressed the white men in thier country. (reference from James Clavell's Gai-Jin)
Okashira
Literally meaning "the head" i.e. the leader, the boss (reference from Nobuhiro Watsuki's 4th Rurouni Kenshin graphic novel from Shonen Jump)