The Gospel of Tohru
Well here is part two! Thanks those who reviewed! And I realized that I forgot a disclaimer the last time (*grumble*). Anyway you guys know that any characters from Fruits Basket don't belong to me, but the rest of them do, right? Okay, without further delay, here is chapter two! And review, please.
Two - The Calm
When the dinner dishes were cleared away, Kyo went to his usual spot on the roof where he sat- thinking. Up high was where he did his best thinking, where the air was fresh.
From now on, I'll have you breathe from higher up places.
A sentence that was half a promise, and half a rejection of the lowly prejudices he was treated with. Kyo would always remember that sentence. But now shishio was somewhere across the same city in a dojo, while he was here in this accursed house.
.well, he'd had this argument before and had lost. Through the most painful of trials. But there was a thought he didn't like to linger on either.
It was this time that he heard the sound. When he scrambled to the edge of the roof and looked down, he saw to his shock Shouji practicing kenjutsu. with a katana. Kyo stared- and in the darkness, his eyesight was rather good. There was no doubt about it, it was an authentic Japanese sword. Where had he gotten it from?
He watched quietly for a moment the flowing movements, the swordsman performing the daily practices like a holy ritual, the way the old warriors once did.
And inside the house, the sound of splashing water could be heard and the clanging of dishes against stainless steel. Tohru watched as Naname rolled back the sleeves of her elaborate kimono and set about tackling the dishes with an energy that belied her looks.
"Well Shouji and I have lived alone for a while now," she explained when asked. She laughed a little. "And as you can imagine, he cooks. Anything I prepare is usually inedible. So I try to make up for it by doing the dishes."
"Ah," Tohru said. Then she hesitated; "Naname-san, have you always lived with Shouji? What about your family?"
Naname shrugged. "We rarely see each other. It's. painful. My mother and father both died when I was very young."
Tohru gasped. "I'm so sorry!"
Naname said; "I can hardly remember them. But I have a twin brother- Ryo."
"Twin?!" Tohru gasped. "Honto?"
Naname nodded. "Truly. But we're not identical. In fact, we're quite different!" She laughed a little. "I miss him. Obassan - she keeps our family together - is taking care of him." She paused here and for a minute all that could be heard was the spashing of soapy water against dishes. Then she added softly; "I have an older sister. But she died too."
Tohru felt wave of sympathy. It only seemed worse that Naname spoke the words so tonelessly, without a hint of sadness.
"Don't look like that," Naname said. "I remember very little of her. She was three years older than me, but she died when she was eight. Her name was Takae. She was beautiful, I think. Well obaasan always told me so."
Naname eye's had taken on a queer, distant expression. Tohru was suddenly and inexplicably reminded of Yuki's eyes that afternoon, when he'd spoken of Akito. Naname's usually clear eyes were suddenly clouded. In fact she looked positevely perplexed. But with a slight shrug of her shoulders, she banished the thought.
"What about you Honda-san?" Naname asked. "How did you become involved with the Souma family?"
"About a year ago my mother died." Tohru explained. "I've been living with Yuki-kun, Shigeru-san and Kyo-kun ever since. They've all been incredibly kind to me." She clasped her hands together. "Sometimes I think I don't deserve this kindness. After all I'm not talented at anything. But I've been very very happy!"
Naname watched her smiling. "I hope you will always been happy, Honda-san."
"Er?" Tohru was surprised. Naname laughed a little and turned back to the dishwashing. Tohru turned slightly, perking an ear. ".hm? What's that?"
Naname peeled back the kitchen curtains, and they stared out into the front garden where Kyo and Shouji could be seen practicing martial arts. Shouji has laid his katana aside.
"Sugoi!" Tohry exclaimed. Naname nodded then laughed. She said; "Kyo-sama is better than I expected. He lacks foresight but makes up for it with energy."
"Do you know a lot about martial arts, Naname-san?" Tohru asked, remembering the time she had tried to read that book - the Spirit of a Warrior or something and had come up frightfully confused.
Naname shook her head. "No, but I've come to understand a little by listening to Shouji. He has always been with me, you know." She let go of the curtains and they fell back into place. "Ever since I was young."
She went back to her washing. Tohru watched her. Okaasan, Tohru thought, I seem to have found a new friend. I want to know Naname-san better.
------------------------------------------------
As usual, Tohru was the first person in the house to get up as usual. Padding silently to the kitchen, she turned on the fire, preparing to fry a few eggs for breakfast.
"Now let's see." she said as she opened the fridge. "What should we have. it looks as though we've run out of orange juice."
"Ah, Good morning Honda-san."
She turned quickly, smiling. "Yuki-kun! Good morning!"
"You're always up so early." Yuki said sleepily. He wasn't much of an early person. Come to think of it.
"Yuki-kun," Tohru said. "You're up awfully early this morning."
"I couldn't sleep properly." Yuki said. He scratched his head absently. "I had funny dreams. There was somebody crying or something."
Tohru gasped. "Was it frightening?"
"Err. no." Yuki said. He rubbed at his eyes. "What are we having for breakfast?"
--------------------------------------------------
Naname actually ended up being the last person to get up. She emerged dressed in light blue dress just as Kyo, Yuki and Tohru were about to leave for school. Tohru noticed that her eyes were strangely unfocused and her smile drooped around the edges.
"Naname," Tohru asked. "Are you quite all right?"
"Oh yes." Naname said queerly, embellishing every syllable. Her lovely gray eyes focused rather - painfully - into Tohru's. She smiled. "I guess I didn't sleep very well."
Shigure popped up suddenly over her shoulder. "Well you know what they say about that!"
And while Kyo, Yuki and Naname sweatdropped; Tohru asked; "What?"
And another few minutes were passed in an uproar as Shigure attempted an explanation and the two other Souma's raced to stop him. Eventually with a cheerful backhand wave, they disappeared out the door.
Naname watched Tohru's figure grow smaller and smaller, like that of the two young men by her side. Slowly she slid the door closed. When she turned back to Shigure, her eyes had become more focused.
She asked; "Have you enquired about it yet?" Shouji had come up the hallway with a soft foot.
Shigure said; "Yes. I rang last night. Akito-sama would like to see you tommorow."
Naname nodded. She said softly; "I see. Thank you."
Shigure said suddenly; "I wonder, do you remember-" He stopped suddenly. He was staring over Naname's head into Shouji's eyes which had become unnaturally still. Then he smiled suddenly, all cheer. "Never mind! Ah, we'll just have to make do with lunch now that Tohru-kun is away! Oh and wait in longing for her return.!"
--------------------------------------------------
"Himitsu?" Momiji asked, his high voice questioning. "What's that?"
He listened with surprising solemnity as Yuki made his explanations.
"Oh, that's horrible!" He said when he had finished. "That's so terrible! How did they become that way?"
Yuki shook his head. "I don't know. It's just what I've overheard. Shigure might but." He broke off here and shrugged.
Hatsuharu broke off the tip of the leaf he was holding. He said without looking at the others; "It's a bit like Hatori, ne?"
Yuki looked at him, surprised at the comparison. "I suppose."
"You do realize," Hatsuharu was saying. "That she'd have to present herself at the Main House soon. It would be rude otherwise."
Kyo raised his head. He looked disturbed. Tohru's eyes went from him to Yuki, and to her distress she drew an absolute blank there. He was still looking at Hatsuharu.
"Yes," Yuki said. "I was thinking of that." He shrugged a bit and Tohru could tell he was fighting a battle to look calm. Just then a male student walked by, calling out to him and pointing at his watch. Yuki looked down. "Ah, it's time for my meeting. I'll see you in class, later."
More than one pair of eyes followed his progress down the schoolyard, a slim straight figure. Tohru pursed her lips.
"Well," Momiji was saying. "We'll get going too. Ja, Tohru!"
"Bye Momiji." She said sweetly, and waved as Hatsuharu let him away. Then picking up her books she walked the remaining distance with Kyo.
"Oi," Kyo said suddenly. "Are you okay with all this?"
"Eh?" Tohru asked, surprised. "With what?"
Kyo gave a careless shrug. "With Naname and Shouji and all, another person in the house. It's not bothering you?"
Tohru almost jumped of her skin. "It's not my house! I have no right to say what I like or dislike, it's ever so kind of you to ask-"
Kyo cut through that; "So it's all right?"
Tohru softened. She smiled. "I like Naname-san very much. And Shouji-san too." A thought occurred to her. "Ano, Kyo-kun, it's not bothering you is it?"
"Huh? Nah." He stared forward. "I only wanted to make sure." another shrug here. "If it's okay with you then." here he disappeared into the classroom.
-------------------------------------------------
In the half-darkness of the afternoon, Naname sat in Tohru's room with the curtains drawn. She whispered softly; "Shouji, my hands are cold."
He grasped them softly. "Are you feeling ill, Naname-san? Perhaps we should postpone the visit?"
She shook her head. "No, that won't be possible. After all, they tell tales of his temper." She shrugged here. "It would be too rude if we didn't go to pay our respects as soon as we got here. Shigure-san has been so kind."
Shouji said; "I wonder."
Naname looked up here. "Yes?"
He shrugged, and dropped her hands. "Nothing. Have you got your medication?"
She nodded. She peered at herself in the mirror, her long dark hair falling freely about her pale face. She had meant to do it in an elaborate knot, to match the kimono but it hurt her head now, as it was so heavy. She passed a hand over her eyes and gazed longingly at the light blue casual dress she had been wearing all day.
But Shouji was already opening the sliding door, and she could hear the voices outside.
Shigure was saying; "Ha-chan! I'm surprised that you came personally!"
Naname could not hear Souma Hatori's modulated reply. She rose in a wisp of silk, emerging from the room to kneel before Hatori's strict figure. Her knees had long ceased to hurt her - it had grown numb.
"I'm honoured to meet you." She said clearly. She valued the strength in her voice. It was, essentially, the only physical strength she had.
Hatori looked down. All that was evident was a slender figure - girlish, childish - with extraordinarily long dark hair pooling around the bare feet. Beside her was another figure, a young man with thick shoulders and a fierce aura.
"Please follow me." Hatori found himself saying. They thanked him and rose. Hatori found himself faced with grey eyes like melted steel which scanned his face once - inquisitively rather than submissively - before the chin lowered.
They climbed into the car. As they did so, Naname slipped a little but Shouji caught her. Shigure said; "Perhaps you should examine her Ha-chan. Naname you don't look well-"
"No!" Naname said, too quickly and too loudly. Seeing them turn to look at her, she supplied quickly; "I'm only a little tired."
Before any of the others could comment, Shouji caught her by the waist and pulled her carefully, but swiftly into the car. Hatori raised his eyebrow at Shigure over the top of the car, but to his surprise Shigure refused to meet his eyes.
"Well Ja then!" Shigure said brightly, waving as the car pulled away. As the car disappeared in the distance, he saw Tohru, Yuki and Kyo's forms appear out of the forest.
"What happened, Shigure-san?" Tohru asked wonderingly. "Isn't that Hatori- san's car?"
"Ah well yes." Shigure was forced to admit. "He's come to take Naname and Shouji to the Main House. To pay respects, that sort of thing."
Tohru nodded slowly. She looked sideways at Yuki, who wordlessly pushed his way into the house. Sighing softly, she clasped her hands. I am worried about Yuki-kun. I want to know how to help him. I thought I had but the past seems to be overshadowing us more than ever.
"Oi, Tohru!" Kyo.
"Er, yes?!"
"Why are you still standing there?"
----------------------------------------------------
It was a decadent, misused beauty. Naname always had thoughts like this when she saw traiditonal Japanese gardens but somehow here in the Souma grounds, she felt it more than ever. Everything was too ordered, too tranquil.
It's as though the soul of the garden is gone, she thought morosely. I wonder when I began thinking like this? Everyone else appreciates the harmony of koi pools. But this House. this place, is unharmonious.
And that conviction was strong even though she'd never ever before set foot within the Souma Main House, and now there was only birds chirping cheerfully, no sigh of any omnious prescence.
"This way," Hatori was saying. They walked through a set of sliding doors and down a long hallway made of wood. The sides of the hallway were softly grey, and coming to the end, they turned and Hatori pulled open a set of exquisite paper doors.
"Akito-sama, they are here." He said softly.
Naname looked. The room was as ordered and patterned as the rest of the house, not lighted very well but still simple, ordinary. It was just a room, yet for some reason a thick sweat broke out on her skin suddenly. The room was empty, but through the paper doors leading to the veranda she could see a dark shape sitting.
Naname bid the thumping of her heart to stop. It was innane, she thought, when she had never been here before. Yet they tell tales of his temper.
Her soft feet made no sound as she padded through the room, but Shouji made sure he made ample sound behind her. Naname pulled slowly open the sliding door to the veranda and fell to her knees on the threshold.
"Greetings Akito-sama, Head of the Souma House," she said formally. "I, the lowly Himitsu Naname am honored to meet you."
Beside her Shouji made similar salutations.
Akito stirred a little. Very slowly, he turned. And Naname was, for some unexpected reason, driven into nausea by the unexpected appearance of a tiny white bird on his finger.
------------------------------------------------------
Well 'tis all for now. Thanks again my reviewers:
Clow Angel: My first reviewer! Thank you! And yes, do keep reading please. Hopeless: Yes, well I do hope so.
And please again, review everybody.
Well here is part two! Thanks those who reviewed! And I realized that I forgot a disclaimer the last time (*grumble*). Anyway you guys know that any characters from Fruits Basket don't belong to me, but the rest of them do, right? Okay, without further delay, here is chapter two! And review, please.
Two - The Calm
When the dinner dishes were cleared away, Kyo went to his usual spot on the roof where he sat- thinking. Up high was where he did his best thinking, where the air was fresh.
From now on, I'll have you breathe from higher up places.
A sentence that was half a promise, and half a rejection of the lowly prejudices he was treated with. Kyo would always remember that sentence. But now shishio was somewhere across the same city in a dojo, while he was here in this accursed house.
.well, he'd had this argument before and had lost. Through the most painful of trials. But there was a thought he didn't like to linger on either.
It was this time that he heard the sound. When he scrambled to the edge of the roof and looked down, he saw to his shock Shouji practicing kenjutsu. with a katana. Kyo stared- and in the darkness, his eyesight was rather good. There was no doubt about it, it was an authentic Japanese sword. Where had he gotten it from?
He watched quietly for a moment the flowing movements, the swordsman performing the daily practices like a holy ritual, the way the old warriors once did.
And inside the house, the sound of splashing water could be heard and the clanging of dishes against stainless steel. Tohru watched as Naname rolled back the sleeves of her elaborate kimono and set about tackling the dishes with an energy that belied her looks.
"Well Shouji and I have lived alone for a while now," she explained when asked. She laughed a little. "And as you can imagine, he cooks. Anything I prepare is usually inedible. So I try to make up for it by doing the dishes."
"Ah," Tohru said. Then she hesitated; "Naname-san, have you always lived with Shouji? What about your family?"
Naname shrugged. "We rarely see each other. It's. painful. My mother and father both died when I was very young."
Tohru gasped. "I'm so sorry!"
Naname said; "I can hardly remember them. But I have a twin brother- Ryo."
"Twin?!" Tohru gasped. "Honto?"
Naname nodded. "Truly. But we're not identical. In fact, we're quite different!" She laughed a little. "I miss him. Obassan - she keeps our family together - is taking care of him." She paused here and for a minute all that could be heard was the spashing of soapy water against dishes. Then she added softly; "I have an older sister. But she died too."
Tohru felt wave of sympathy. It only seemed worse that Naname spoke the words so tonelessly, without a hint of sadness.
"Don't look like that," Naname said. "I remember very little of her. She was three years older than me, but she died when she was eight. Her name was Takae. She was beautiful, I think. Well obaasan always told me so."
Naname eye's had taken on a queer, distant expression. Tohru was suddenly and inexplicably reminded of Yuki's eyes that afternoon, when he'd spoken of Akito. Naname's usually clear eyes were suddenly clouded. In fact she looked positevely perplexed. But with a slight shrug of her shoulders, she banished the thought.
"What about you Honda-san?" Naname asked. "How did you become involved with the Souma family?"
"About a year ago my mother died." Tohru explained. "I've been living with Yuki-kun, Shigeru-san and Kyo-kun ever since. They've all been incredibly kind to me." She clasped her hands together. "Sometimes I think I don't deserve this kindness. After all I'm not talented at anything. But I've been very very happy!"
Naname watched her smiling. "I hope you will always been happy, Honda-san."
"Er?" Tohru was surprised. Naname laughed a little and turned back to the dishwashing. Tohru turned slightly, perking an ear. ".hm? What's that?"
Naname peeled back the kitchen curtains, and they stared out into the front garden where Kyo and Shouji could be seen practicing martial arts. Shouji has laid his katana aside.
"Sugoi!" Tohry exclaimed. Naname nodded then laughed. She said; "Kyo-sama is better than I expected. He lacks foresight but makes up for it with energy."
"Do you know a lot about martial arts, Naname-san?" Tohru asked, remembering the time she had tried to read that book - the Spirit of a Warrior or something and had come up frightfully confused.
Naname shook her head. "No, but I've come to understand a little by listening to Shouji. He has always been with me, you know." She let go of the curtains and they fell back into place. "Ever since I was young."
She went back to her washing. Tohru watched her. Okaasan, Tohru thought, I seem to have found a new friend. I want to know Naname-san better.
------------------------------------------------
As usual, Tohru was the first person in the house to get up as usual. Padding silently to the kitchen, she turned on the fire, preparing to fry a few eggs for breakfast.
"Now let's see." she said as she opened the fridge. "What should we have. it looks as though we've run out of orange juice."
"Ah, Good morning Honda-san."
She turned quickly, smiling. "Yuki-kun! Good morning!"
"You're always up so early." Yuki said sleepily. He wasn't much of an early person. Come to think of it.
"Yuki-kun," Tohru said. "You're up awfully early this morning."
"I couldn't sleep properly." Yuki said. He scratched his head absently. "I had funny dreams. There was somebody crying or something."
Tohru gasped. "Was it frightening?"
"Err. no." Yuki said. He rubbed at his eyes. "What are we having for breakfast?"
--------------------------------------------------
Naname actually ended up being the last person to get up. She emerged dressed in light blue dress just as Kyo, Yuki and Tohru were about to leave for school. Tohru noticed that her eyes were strangely unfocused and her smile drooped around the edges.
"Naname," Tohru asked. "Are you quite all right?"
"Oh yes." Naname said queerly, embellishing every syllable. Her lovely gray eyes focused rather - painfully - into Tohru's. She smiled. "I guess I didn't sleep very well."
Shigure popped up suddenly over her shoulder. "Well you know what they say about that!"
And while Kyo, Yuki and Naname sweatdropped; Tohru asked; "What?"
And another few minutes were passed in an uproar as Shigure attempted an explanation and the two other Souma's raced to stop him. Eventually with a cheerful backhand wave, they disappeared out the door.
Naname watched Tohru's figure grow smaller and smaller, like that of the two young men by her side. Slowly she slid the door closed. When she turned back to Shigure, her eyes had become more focused.
She asked; "Have you enquired about it yet?" Shouji had come up the hallway with a soft foot.
Shigure said; "Yes. I rang last night. Akito-sama would like to see you tommorow."
Naname nodded. She said softly; "I see. Thank you."
Shigure said suddenly; "I wonder, do you remember-" He stopped suddenly. He was staring over Naname's head into Shouji's eyes which had become unnaturally still. Then he smiled suddenly, all cheer. "Never mind! Ah, we'll just have to make do with lunch now that Tohru-kun is away! Oh and wait in longing for her return.!"
--------------------------------------------------
"Himitsu?" Momiji asked, his high voice questioning. "What's that?"
He listened with surprising solemnity as Yuki made his explanations.
"Oh, that's horrible!" He said when he had finished. "That's so terrible! How did they become that way?"
Yuki shook his head. "I don't know. It's just what I've overheard. Shigure might but." He broke off here and shrugged.
Hatsuharu broke off the tip of the leaf he was holding. He said without looking at the others; "It's a bit like Hatori, ne?"
Yuki looked at him, surprised at the comparison. "I suppose."
"You do realize," Hatsuharu was saying. "That she'd have to present herself at the Main House soon. It would be rude otherwise."
Kyo raised his head. He looked disturbed. Tohru's eyes went from him to Yuki, and to her distress she drew an absolute blank there. He was still looking at Hatsuharu.
"Yes," Yuki said. "I was thinking of that." He shrugged a bit and Tohru could tell he was fighting a battle to look calm. Just then a male student walked by, calling out to him and pointing at his watch. Yuki looked down. "Ah, it's time for my meeting. I'll see you in class, later."
More than one pair of eyes followed his progress down the schoolyard, a slim straight figure. Tohru pursed her lips.
"Well," Momiji was saying. "We'll get going too. Ja, Tohru!"
"Bye Momiji." She said sweetly, and waved as Hatsuharu let him away. Then picking up her books she walked the remaining distance with Kyo.
"Oi," Kyo said suddenly. "Are you okay with all this?"
"Eh?" Tohru asked, surprised. "With what?"
Kyo gave a careless shrug. "With Naname and Shouji and all, another person in the house. It's not bothering you?"
Tohru almost jumped of her skin. "It's not my house! I have no right to say what I like or dislike, it's ever so kind of you to ask-"
Kyo cut through that; "So it's all right?"
Tohru softened. She smiled. "I like Naname-san very much. And Shouji-san too." A thought occurred to her. "Ano, Kyo-kun, it's not bothering you is it?"
"Huh? Nah." He stared forward. "I only wanted to make sure." another shrug here. "If it's okay with you then." here he disappeared into the classroom.
-------------------------------------------------
In the half-darkness of the afternoon, Naname sat in Tohru's room with the curtains drawn. She whispered softly; "Shouji, my hands are cold."
He grasped them softly. "Are you feeling ill, Naname-san? Perhaps we should postpone the visit?"
She shook her head. "No, that won't be possible. After all, they tell tales of his temper." She shrugged here. "It would be too rude if we didn't go to pay our respects as soon as we got here. Shigure-san has been so kind."
Shouji said; "I wonder."
Naname looked up here. "Yes?"
He shrugged, and dropped her hands. "Nothing. Have you got your medication?"
She nodded. She peered at herself in the mirror, her long dark hair falling freely about her pale face. She had meant to do it in an elaborate knot, to match the kimono but it hurt her head now, as it was so heavy. She passed a hand over her eyes and gazed longingly at the light blue casual dress she had been wearing all day.
But Shouji was already opening the sliding door, and she could hear the voices outside.
Shigure was saying; "Ha-chan! I'm surprised that you came personally!"
Naname could not hear Souma Hatori's modulated reply. She rose in a wisp of silk, emerging from the room to kneel before Hatori's strict figure. Her knees had long ceased to hurt her - it had grown numb.
"I'm honoured to meet you." She said clearly. She valued the strength in her voice. It was, essentially, the only physical strength she had.
Hatori looked down. All that was evident was a slender figure - girlish, childish - with extraordinarily long dark hair pooling around the bare feet. Beside her was another figure, a young man with thick shoulders and a fierce aura.
"Please follow me." Hatori found himself saying. They thanked him and rose. Hatori found himself faced with grey eyes like melted steel which scanned his face once - inquisitively rather than submissively - before the chin lowered.
They climbed into the car. As they did so, Naname slipped a little but Shouji caught her. Shigure said; "Perhaps you should examine her Ha-chan. Naname you don't look well-"
"No!" Naname said, too quickly and too loudly. Seeing them turn to look at her, she supplied quickly; "I'm only a little tired."
Before any of the others could comment, Shouji caught her by the waist and pulled her carefully, but swiftly into the car. Hatori raised his eyebrow at Shigure over the top of the car, but to his surprise Shigure refused to meet his eyes.
"Well Ja then!" Shigure said brightly, waving as the car pulled away. As the car disappeared in the distance, he saw Tohru, Yuki and Kyo's forms appear out of the forest.
"What happened, Shigure-san?" Tohru asked wonderingly. "Isn't that Hatori- san's car?"
"Ah well yes." Shigure was forced to admit. "He's come to take Naname and Shouji to the Main House. To pay respects, that sort of thing."
Tohru nodded slowly. She looked sideways at Yuki, who wordlessly pushed his way into the house. Sighing softly, she clasped her hands. I am worried about Yuki-kun. I want to know how to help him. I thought I had but the past seems to be overshadowing us more than ever.
"Oi, Tohru!" Kyo.
"Er, yes?!"
"Why are you still standing there?"
----------------------------------------------------
It was a decadent, misused beauty. Naname always had thoughts like this when she saw traiditonal Japanese gardens but somehow here in the Souma grounds, she felt it more than ever. Everything was too ordered, too tranquil.
It's as though the soul of the garden is gone, she thought morosely. I wonder when I began thinking like this? Everyone else appreciates the harmony of koi pools. But this House. this place, is unharmonious.
And that conviction was strong even though she'd never ever before set foot within the Souma Main House, and now there was only birds chirping cheerfully, no sigh of any omnious prescence.
"This way," Hatori was saying. They walked through a set of sliding doors and down a long hallway made of wood. The sides of the hallway were softly grey, and coming to the end, they turned and Hatori pulled open a set of exquisite paper doors.
"Akito-sama, they are here." He said softly.
Naname looked. The room was as ordered and patterned as the rest of the house, not lighted very well but still simple, ordinary. It was just a room, yet for some reason a thick sweat broke out on her skin suddenly. The room was empty, but through the paper doors leading to the veranda she could see a dark shape sitting.
Naname bid the thumping of her heart to stop. It was innane, she thought, when she had never been here before. Yet they tell tales of his temper.
Her soft feet made no sound as she padded through the room, but Shouji made sure he made ample sound behind her. Naname pulled slowly open the sliding door to the veranda and fell to her knees on the threshold.
"Greetings Akito-sama, Head of the Souma House," she said formally. "I, the lowly Himitsu Naname am honored to meet you."
Beside her Shouji made similar salutations.
Akito stirred a little. Very slowly, he turned. And Naname was, for some unexpected reason, driven into nausea by the unexpected appearance of a tiny white bird on his finger.
------------------------------------------------------
Well 'tis all for now. Thanks again my reviewers:
Clow Angel: My first reviewer! Thank you! And yes, do keep reading please. Hopeless: Yes, well I do hope so.
And please again, review everybody.