For the record, I don't know what ancient Japanese birthday celebrations would be… but then again, they are demons, rich ones at that, and who says that they'd celebrate like humans would? The family can do whatever probably…
PS For those of you reading After Tomorrow ... yes, you'll see.
If you haven't... go for it. I'm doing a pretty good job from the looks of it... I think. And read in the meantime. Also being published with irregularity, but yeah...
Sesshōmaru Ante Iam Part 2: Passing Days- Chapter 12 ~ Cherry Blossoms
~~Spring – April~~
Sesshōmaru is at The Estate. It's cherry blossom season. He sits in a room alone drinking from his cup with the door open looking out at one of the relatively few sakura trees that are located on the grounds.
An inner door opens behind him prompting Sesshōmaru to turn his head.
There on his knees bowing, a man who looks in his late teens. He's in white hakama, a white short-sleeved kosode, and a yellow sleeveless version of what Jaken wears. His hair is a very light yellow and his eyes like golden honey. Bangs reach to mid-cheek and frame his face, while the rest of his hair is tied in a low ponytail.
With a calm smile on his face, "Is there something else you would like, Sesshō-sama?"
"A refill."
"Ah yes. Fine choice, sir," he bows then walks over to the table for the cup. "Sesshō-sama?"
"Mn?"
"Did you find Ojō-sama's birthday present pleasing?" he looks down at him.
Sesshōmaru looks up at him. He's quite tall, about 5'11''
"You're asking me half a year later?"
"Yes. You've had time for the warmth of your emotions over the celebration to clear over, and I would like to see if you really did appreciate it... if you don't mind?"
Sesshōmaru turns away, reaches into his kimono and pulls out a card. He holds it up with two fingers.
^^ During the celebration, after the singing and the eating, everyone settled down and drank and chatted.
"Come 'ere, Setchan~" the aunt pulled Sesshōmaru from under his arms onto her lap.
The back of Sesshōmaru's head fell on her chest- *blush~* He titled his head back to look up at her, "Oba-chan?"
She leaned in, "I have a special present for you~" *wink*
Sesshōmaru's eyes widened as he turned red,"What is it..?"
She let go of him and he fixed himself to sit facing her.
Auntie reached into her sleeve to pull the present out, "Here."
Sesshōmaru took it and looked it over. It was a white card about the size of his hand. On one side were two pressed flowers: at the bottom was a purple one and at top a red one. On the other side was a small blue tulip-like shaped flower at the top, and the bottom part had a blue, black and white swallowtail butterfly. The whole thing somehow looked laminated, and at the top there was a gold tassel tied with a fancy Chinese knot.
"It's lovely." *smile*
"It's a secret key."
"Huh?" he looked up, "To what?"
She pouted. "That's a secret Setchan," she leaned in close, gave him a kiss on the forehead and smiled, "One day you'll know what it's for~"
Sesshōmaru put on a puppy-dog face, "Plee-ease~?"
She shook her head, "That's cute, but no." ^^
"You have it on you? How precious~" The servant comments.
Sesshōmaru glares at him, "Hey Muōka, why are you asking about Oba-chan's present?"
"I helped Dear Madame make it."
"Tch, you're always doing what Miren-Oba-chan says," he puts away the card. "And you're always addressing her as 'Ojō-sama' instead of a simple 'Master' like you do toward everybody else. Why do you address her like that?"
"She deserves the respect."
"And everyone else doesn't?"
He smiles slyly, "You mean like your dear father, Sesshō-sama~?"
"Uh…" Sesshōmaru successfully manages to prevent himself from blushing, "Be quiet and go get my refill!" He turns away.
"Humph. Now Sesshō-sama, did you enjoy my present?"
"…It was delicious," he says keeping a straight face. Yes, that dish that Muōka served him on his birthday was beyond anything he could've imagined. Yes. An absurd-amount-of-times better than even that Kobe beef he bought for his father all those years ago.
He smiles more serenely, "Wonderful. It was difficult to make that, you know? Especially considering how I couldn't taste test it without risk of killing myself."
"Then how…?"
"You were my judge, Sesshō-sama~"
And then Sesshōmaru remembered all those times Muōka served him and how he would mention that he was trying something new. New combinations, new flavors, new ingredients, and they usually had something poisonous, that's why he would ask him so many questions about how it tasted because he would die trying to taste it himself.
Muōka leaves, "I'll bring your refill right away Sesshō-sama."
Sesshōmaru clenches his fist, an eyebrow twitches- That sly bastard…
*Exhaaale* he relaxes his hand and face, "Heh."
He looks out at the cherry blossom tree. It's barely begun to bloom really.
"Ouka…"
The kanji for cherry blossom can be read as 'sakura' and can also be read as 'ou.' The kanji for flower can be read as 'hana' or 'ka.' 'Ouka' is another way of referring to the blossoms.
My name is… he remembers Yume exclaiming, as if to the whole world, with her little hands on her hips a long time ago...
^^ "Sess-chan, you're name scary! I dunno what make General call you Ses-shō-ma-ru, but is real scary thing! ^^
…'unsettling' to say the least. That servant's name is rather peculiar too, although more subtlely. Mu-ou-ka – 'there are no cherry blossoms.'
Named in honor of the family's red moonlight tree, generally considered the opposite of the cherry blossom tree. While the delicate sakura represents the fleetingness of life – human life – the former represents a life not easily taken. It's the tree of demons and witches and other such things.
A rainstorm will ruin the blossoms; the red tree can withstand a lightning strike without so much as catching fire… If one sets its wood on fire the smoke will attract hoards of demons.
The servants here tend to name their children to some way honor the clan, but 'Muōka' is arguably – as Gramps would say – the most hardcore name yet.
Fifty years ago…
Taishō had brought a baby Sesshōmaru to The Estate for the first time. He sat there with the child and servants came by to see their new little master.
"Call Muōka, will you?" and so they did.
Muōka knelt down, "Awww… he's so cute~" he put his hand on the sleeping child's head, "What's his name?"
"Sesshōmaru."
"Sesshōmaru? How… interesting, sire," he returned his hand to his knees.
Taishō smiled, "Would you like to hold him?"
"Uh? ...Yes, I'd be honored."
Taishō handed Sesshōmaru over to the servant, "Shh… There, there. You'll be back with your great father in just a moment," he said as he cradled him. Sesshōmau squirmed a bit, "Oh you're a fidgety one, aren't you-" he lightly tapped Sesshōmaru's curled up hands with a finger, "-Ses-shō-chan?"
Muōka smiled, but Taishō noted that it was different than the constant one he usually had on his face.
~~000~~
Sesshōmaru was about 4 or 5-years-old. He walked up to Muōka and tugged at his leg.
He knelt down sitting on his heels but his knees up, "What is it, Sesshō-chan?"
"I wan' you to call me like a boy only - 'cuz I'm a boy! Say Sesshō-kun."
"Of course, Sesshō-kun," he smiled and nodded.
~~000~~
Sesshōmaru was about 7-years-old. He walked up to Muōka.
He put his hands on his legs and leaned down, "What's the matter, Sesshō-kun?"
"Address me more prop-properly. With respect! Say Sesshō-san."
"Why certainly, Sesshō-san," he smiled and bowed.
~~000~~
Sesshōmaru was about 10-years-old. He walked up to Muōka.
He looked down at him, "Your orders, Sesshō-san?"
"Use a more respectful title, Muōka. I'm heir to be a lord. Say Sesshō-sama from now on."
"Absolutely, Sesshō-sama," he smiled, brought his arm to his waist and bowed.
Muōka was about 6 or 7-years-old. His hair was short and parted, with the ends curling outwards. He had delivered something to Auntie.
"Thank you, Tampopo."
He looked up at her, "Tam… popo?"
She smiled and giggled. "Yes, 'dandelion.' You remind of one," she tousled his hair.
He stared blankly.
"You did a good job, Tampopo!"
He blinked a little, then his eyes widened, a smile spread on his face, and with a blush, "Mm-hm. *nod* I'm glad I could help, my lady!"
A few years later he was called up. He had been promoted to 'Trusted Servant.' He had been entrusted by them… He'd serve them more often, more directly; he'd be allowed to help with private secret things they did; he'd know more – be entrusted with valuable knowledge.
~~000~~
Early adolescence, spring. He was assistant to the estate's Head Servant.
"Tampopo!"
Muōka appeared with a hand over his heart, bowed, and raised his head, "Yes, my Dear Madame?"
'Lady' wasn't enough.
She grinned and then she would ask him to help her do little errands or other hobbies with her.
"For you, Ojō-sama, anything…"
She hugged him tight.
~~Present time…~~
"I swear, he always rats us out!"
"Damn that Yellow Cloud!"
"You were peeping at my aunt weren't you?"
The male servants looked at Sesshōmaru startled, "I'm sorry young lord-"
"We, uh, didn't see you there."
"Yeah, we were just gonna go…"
"…fishing?"
"Right," Sesshōmaru glared at them. They skedaddled quickly from Sesshōmaru's sight.
*Sigh…*
Ages ago, Muōka took it upon himself to protect Auntie from peeping toms while she took a bath in The Estate's onsen – hot springs.
He shows up early, stands there, and raises a fist to the wall enclosing the onsen threatening to knock. They didn't react the very first time he showed up, which is why he kicked the wall that time. Everyone ran for it.
He's always raining on the peeping-parade, the 'cloud' that brings the rain every time, and since his hair, eyes and outfit are yellow the servitude christened him 'The Yellow Cloud.'
He better 'rain on the parade' when they peep on me… *G-A-S-P!* the color drains from Sesshōmaru's face- Chichi-ue…!
He imagines the women, eyes glazed over in lust at his father's long gorgeous hair, beautiful face and strapping manly physique and… and… other… manly… things…
Sesshōmaru's arms are bent, his fists brought into his chest under his chin… he trembles a little and then suddenly bursts into a sprint!
"Muōkaaah!"
Bells were ringing on The Estate. Why exactly? Well sometimes it was to announce meals or for celebrations or emergencies, and sometimes they rang for the reason known as 'just because.'
Sesshōmaru stared at the bell tower and all of its inhabiting bats fly in and out in a panic, enough that they dimmed the brightness of the sky.
"Sesshōmaru?"
"Akiyo?"
"Come with me, we… we're going to talk to you."
Sessōmaru narrowed his eyes but followed Akiyo anyway.
They walked toward the center of the Grand Estate, entering through halls where doors were immediately opened before them and subsequently closed after them. The boy lost count of how many doors there were, but noting that the last ones were becoming sturdier – better fortified. They then turned after they went through a door that seemed to be made of stone and then oddly, the room they were in was spacious with a small indoor garden.
Akiyo personally opened a solid black wooden door as Sesshōmaru looked around, "Where are we?" he asked. He'd never been there before.
Akiyo was entering the door and as Sesshōmaru was about to follow him in his uncle turned around and stopped, "Ah-ah-ah~"
"Hn?"
"As a male member of this family you must be at least this tall to go beyond this point," he indicated with his hand the height. He needed to be about 70 inches, or 5'10" (177cm) but Sesshōmaru was still half a foot shorter than that…
"That's nonsense! That can't actually be a rule!"
Akiyo smiled, "Do you really think I'd make something like that up?"
"Yes," Sesshōmaru said matter-of-factly.
"Hmph," and so Akiyo went inside shutting the door behind him.
"Wait!" Sesshōmaru tried to open it but it was locked, "Akiyo!"
Pause.
"…Oh dear honorable Uncle Akiyo~ open the door~ please."
Nothing.
He couldn't have been serious about the height rule… Sesshōmaru took a step back and stared at the garden.
The blue flowers that surrounded The Estate were there, as were some scattered red petals of the family tree, dandelions, and even a little pool where a lotus sat.
Oba-chan's namesake…
Sesshōmaru's eyes suddenly widened. He looked at the door again. There was no visible outer lock but yet it was, so how did Akiyo open it?
Sesshōmaru reached into his sleeve and pulled out his Auntie's gift, "Is this what it's for then?" He slipped the card through the door split and slid it down. There was a noise – he was able to slide the door open.
It was a hallway and what else was there to do but follow it? Eventually he came across another door and that he was able to open without the key. Inside was a spacious room with floors made from a spotlessly polished black wood. The shouji doors were made with the same but with intricately carved designs, and with clean white paper. The door handles gold in the shape of a fallen crescent, with diamond-shaped chains hanging from them ending in round bells. Another door was adjacent to it, a closet, of the fusuma variety, and on it painted an image of a green island surrounded by clear ocean with a white dog flying in its skies.
His father, uncle and grandparents were sitting at a long table.
"Sit down, child."
"What is this room?"
"It's the secret meeting room. Only those in the family and some advisers know where it is."
"Why have I been invited here?"
Grandpa leans in, "You're going to learn some things today, boy."
Sesshōmaru felt uneasy for some reason as he sat down at the other end of the table…
They got straight to the point.
The vines with blue flowers that surrounded The Estate were what produced the barrier. They're function was simple: anyone and/or anything that wanted and/or would be used to harm whatever was inside the barrier would be rejected. Any individual who wished ill, their weapons, and curses would not be allowed to enter. This is why there was seemingly so little protection at the entrance of The Estate.
And then they brought up the other one: Muōka was his cousin by flesh and blood.
つづく...
