Disclaimer: Yep, the usual. Obviously, I don't own Gravitation and these
stories are for fun, not for profit. I'm borrowing characters from Maki
Murakami. I appreciate all criticism, so please read, enjoy, and review. To
those who do review: THANK YOU!! I love feedback.
Commitment
Part 6: Kiake
Morning breakfast conversation was strained at best. Eiri was fairly certain that no one had escaped the sounds of Tatsuha and Ryuichi having sex in the garden last night. It was sometimes surprising how well sounds carried outdoors. Eiri had a theory that singers, in general, were incapable of being quiet.
Hatsue practically exuded an aura of cold toward the Uesugi men and their lovers. She acted like she'd been spurned. If she had had any hope of luring Eiri to herself, as he suspected she had, then Eiri supposed she had been spurned. He refused to accept any blame over it, though. Did the girl not watch the news? Together, he and Shu had made public statements for the major tv and radio networks. Separately, they had conducted interviews, in which they had publically declared their relationship. Photos of them as a couple had been plastered over the mass media. It took a great deal of determination to blind oneself to all of that.
Aunt and Uncle Ouchi seemed like a quiet pair in the first place. His aunt discussed the catering plans for later today with Mika. His uncle simply ate quietly. Ryuichi and Shu talked about NG and recording-related stuff and wolfed down breakfast. Eiri and Tatsuha smoked over breakfast and Naito- san glared at them, but seemed especially disapproving of Tatsuha. Eiri could care less what the man thought. If Tatsuha was disturbed by the other monk, he didn't give any sign of it.
After breakfast, he went back to his room and pulled out his monk robes. Part of him didn't want to see them, and part of him told him his father would want him to wear them. He was actually getting tired of wearing unrelieved black. He was tired of seeing Shu in black, too. Color suited him better. The younger man had taken it upon himself to observe the custom, along with his lover. Today would mark the end of mourning. He was holding his kimono, staring at it when Shu came in behind him, wrapping small arms around his waist and pressing his cheek into Eiri's back.
"Are you going to wear the robes?" He asked. Eiri thought Shu had some idea of what they meant, or what they represented to him; the differences between old world and new or his own past and present all clashing within him.
"I suppose so," he answered resignedly. He took a deep breath and laid the robes on the dresser. Shu released him. "Shuichi," Eiri kneeled down and snapped open his suitcase, pulling out a new, crisply folded kimono. It was made of black silk and decorated with the Uesugi crests. Underneath it was the white under-robe. He held it out to Shuichi. "Would you wear this?"
Eiri almost held his breath, waiting for him to answer. It meant a great deal to Eiri. It was part of Eiri's life— the Uesugi name and traditions. He wanted to show Shuichi that he was a part of this, too. No matter how well he wrote, Eiri's spoken words often tangled. By giving Shu this symbolic piece of clothing, he was trying to tell his fiance, without words, that he was included. He didn't know any better way of expressing himself about this. He had ordered this made on the same day he bought the ring. Although Eiri had thought about waiting to give the kimono to Shu, this was an irresistably good opportunity to show him off to everyone; to display his attachment to the singer and vice-versa.
He knew immediately that Shu understood the gesture. The singer's eyes stretched wide. "Eiri? You . . . you got this for me? We're not officially married yet. Is it okay for me to . . ."
"I don't care what anyone else thinks. You belong with me." Eiri looked him in the eyes, to convey his seriousness.
Shu sniffled and sank to his knees beside him with tearfully happy eyes. He offered Eiri a crooked grin. "I'm not used to wearing a kimono."
"I'll help you with it. Get undressed." Shu didn't argue.
---
The kiake ceremony was conducted much like the funeral, or the wake, but it wasn't as depressing. The atmosphere today was almost celebratory. The deceased person's spiritual journey was over. He had passed into eternity and was gauranteed not wander as a ghost once his loved ones saw this ceremony through to its end. Bereavement, in theory, would be complete.
Since this ceremony came with plenty of warning, massive amounts of people poured into the house and temple to observe it. The main temple was crowded with black-shrouded bodies. Tatsuha read the sutra while everyone took a turn going up to the altar with its featured funerary urn holding their fathers' ashes. The altar was otherwise decorated with flowers and fruit. Family first, including Shu this time, then Ryu, and then other reletives and visitors rang the altar bell and offered incense. Prayer beads clicked in many hands as Tatsuha read the sutras. Once everyone had taken a turn coming up, Tatsuha finished his reading. All the people bowed toward the altar and filed out.
The temperature had strangely stayed high again today-- about ten degrees warmer than normal March temperatures. [1] Many people were milling around outside, enjoying the early spring-like weather. The buffet was full of treats and sweet foods. Family and visitors chatted pleasantly and related good stories about the life of the old Uesugi patriarch.
Eiri caught a few people hushing or halting conversation when he or Shu passed. He just smiled, uncaringly. They could gossip all they wanted. A few people asked him who Shuichi was. He heard one person guessing that Shu was an Uesugi bastard— why else would he have joined the immediate family in the ceremony? Eiri sadistically made a point of setting the woman straight.
Eiri had fun watching Shuichi try to keep his sleeves out of his food. He needed a lot more practice. On a couple of occasions, Shu had tripped and almost flashed some of the guests. His blushing was so cute.
"Eiri-san, it's good to see you so well." Tohma said, approaching him. He was dressed in black: from his trademark black hat, down his tailored black pinstriped suit, to his stylish black shoes. Black made anyone look overly pale, in Eiri's opinion. With Tohma's pale skin, eyes, and hair, black made him look ghostly.
"Hello, Tohma. How are things with you and Sakano?"
Tohma smiled as insincerely as he usually did, but his eyes had a happy sparkle. "Very well, thank you," he replied. "How is Mika?" He sounded honestly concerned.
Eiri glanced toward his sister. She seemed animated today, standing in a group of female reletives, smoking. She looked stable and ordinary. "She still won't talk to you?"
Tohma looked down. "Ah, I didn't want to upset her." Meaning he hadn't tried to confront her again.
Eiri shrugged. "She's okay." He was fairly confident that was true.
Tohma nodded thoughtfully. "The house sold yesterday," he said, trying desparately to keep up conversation. "You should be receiving the papers, soon, since you're taking care of things for Mika-san." Eiri didn't have anything in particular to talk about with his now-ex-brother-in-law. Tohma accepted the silence as his due for hurting Mika. Finally, he laid one manicured hand on Eiri's sleeve saying, "Congratulations. If I hadn't said so before, I'm glad you and Shindou-san are happy. Good bye, Eiri-san." Tohma dropped his hand and left.
Eiri couldn't help but wonder if part of the reason Mika gave up on her husband had to do with Tohma giving up on Eiri. It gave him uncomfortable thoughts to consider.
Kunda Hatsue left in a huff shortly after the memorial. Eiri thought Shu's new kimono might have had something to do with that. The woman had turned positvely purple when she'd seen them together after breakfast. The party went on into early evening but many guests left in the afternoon, including Aunt and Uncle Ouchi. They claimed they needed to get sarted on their long drive. Eiri wondered how much sleep they had managed to get last night. They looked a little drawn. Naito-san planned to stay a couple more days, probably to snoop around the temple and monitor Tatsuha.
At sunset, family stood around the new tombstone in the graveyard behind the temple. He and Tatsuha laid the funerary urn to rest inside of the gravestone, next to their mother's. Then, they all walked around, taking down the mourning banners, removing the white paper from the family shrine, and putting aside all the remnants and reminders that there had been a death here forty-nine days ago. For Eiri's part, it was all done with a tremendous feeling of relief. With this part of his life in the past, he could think about the yui-no [2] on Sunday, and beyond that . . .
***
[1] It's about 65 F = 18 C, (stated last chapter) and normal March temperature would be 55 F = 13 C.
[2] reminder: traditional dinner where fiancees' families dine and drink together.
***
Commitment
Part 6: Kiake
Morning breakfast conversation was strained at best. Eiri was fairly certain that no one had escaped the sounds of Tatsuha and Ryuichi having sex in the garden last night. It was sometimes surprising how well sounds carried outdoors. Eiri had a theory that singers, in general, were incapable of being quiet.
Hatsue practically exuded an aura of cold toward the Uesugi men and their lovers. She acted like she'd been spurned. If she had had any hope of luring Eiri to herself, as he suspected she had, then Eiri supposed she had been spurned. He refused to accept any blame over it, though. Did the girl not watch the news? Together, he and Shu had made public statements for the major tv and radio networks. Separately, they had conducted interviews, in which they had publically declared their relationship. Photos of them as a couple had been plastered over the mass media. It took a great deal of determination to blind oneself to all of that.
Aunt and Uncle Ouchi seemed like a quiet pair in the first place. His aunt discussed the catering plans for later today with Mika. His uncle simply ate quietly. Ryuichi and Shu talked about NG and recording-related stuff and wolfed down breakfast. Eiri and Tatsuha smoked over breakfast and Naito- san glared at them, but seemed especially disapproving of Tatsuha. Eiri could care less what the man thought. If Tatsuha was disturbed by the other monk, he didn't give any sign of it.
After breakfast, he went back to his room and pulled out his monk robes. Part of him didn't want to see them, and part of him told him his father would want him to wear them. He was actually getting tired of wearing unrelieved black. He was tired of seeing Shu in black, too. Color suited him better. The younger man had taken it upon himself to observe the custom, along with his lover. Today would mark the end of mourning. He was holding his kimono, staring at it when Shu came in behind him, wrapping small arms around his waist and pressing his cheek into Eiri's back.
"Are you going to wear the robes?" He asked. Eiri thought Shu had some idea of what they meant, or what they represented to him; the differences between old world and new or his own past and present all clashing within him.
"I suppose so," he answered resignedly. He took a deep breath and laid the robes on the dresser. Shu released him. "Shuichi," Eiri kneeled down and snapped open his suitcase, pulling out a new, crisply folded kimono. It was made of black silk and decorated with the Uesugi crests. Underneath it was the white under-robe. He held it out to Shuichi. "Would you wear this?"
Eiri almost held his breath, waiting for him to answer. It meant a great deal to Eiri. It was part of Eiri's life— the Uesugi name and traditions. He wanted to show Shuichi that he was a part of this, too. No matter how well he wrote, Eiri's spoken words often tangled. By giving Shu this symbolic piece of clothing, he was trying to tell his fiance, without words, that he was included. He didn't know any better way of expressing himself about this. He had ordered this made on the same day he bought the ring. Although Eiri had thought about waiting to give the kimono to Shu, this was an irresistably good opportunity to show him off to everyone; to display his attachment to the singer and vice-versa.
He knew immediately that Shu understood the gesture. The singer's eyes stretched wide. "Eiri? You . . . you got this for me? We're not officially married yet. Is it okay for me to . . ."
"I don't care what anyone else thinks. You belong with me." Eiri looked him in the eyes, to convey his seriousness.
Shu sniffled and sank to his knees beside him with tearfully happy eyes. He offered Eiri a crooked grin. "I'm not used to wearing a kimono."
"I'll help you with it. Get undressed." Shu didn't argue.
---
The kiake ceremony was conducted much like the funeral, or the wake, but it wasn't as depressing. The atmosphere today was almost celebratory. The deceased person's spiritual journey was over. He had passed into eternity and was gauranteed not wander as a ghost once his loved ones saw this ceremony through to its end. Bereavement, in theory, would be complete.
Since this ceremony came with plenty of warning, massive amounts of people poured into the house and temple to observe it. The main temple was crowded with black-shrouded bodies. Tatsuha read the sutra while everyone took a turn going up to the altar with its featured funerary urn holding their fathers' ashes. The altar was otherwise decorated with flowers and fruit. Family first, including Shu this time, then Ryu, and then other reletives and visitors rang the altar bell and offered incense. Prayer beads clicked in many hands as Tatsuha read the sutras. Once everyone had taken a turn coming up, Tatsuha finished his reading. All the people bowed toward the altar and filed out.
The temperature had strangely stayed high again today-- about ten degrees warmer than normal March temperatures. [1] Many people were milling around outside, enjoying the early spring-like weather. The buffet was full of treats and sweet foods. Family and visitors chatted pleasantly and related good stories about the life of the old Uesugi patriarch.
Eiri caught a few people hushing or halting conversation when he or Shu passed. He just smiled, uncaringly. They could gossip all they wanted. A few people asked him who Shuichi was. He heard one person guessing that Shu was an Uesugi bastard— why else would he have joined the immediate family in the ceremony? Eiri sadistically made a point of setting the woman straight.
Eiri had fun watching Shuichi try to keep his sleeves out of his food. He needed a lot more practice. On a couple of occasions, Shu had tripped and almost flashed some of the guests. His blushing was so cute.
"Eiri-san, it's good to see you so well." Tohma said, approaching him. He was dressed in black: from his trademark black hat, down his tailored black pinstriped suit, to his stylish black shoes. Black made anyone look overly pale, in Eiri's opinion. With Tohma's pale skin, eyes, and hair, black made him look ghostly.
"Hello, Tohma. How are things with you and Sakano?"
Tohma smiled as insincerely as he usually did, but his eyes had a happy sparkle. "Very well, thank you," he replied. "How is Mika?" He sounded honestly concerned.
Eiri glanced toward his sister. She seemed animated today, standing in a group of female reletives, smoking. She looked stable and ordinary. "She still won't talk to you?"
Tohma looked down. "Ah, I didn't want to upset her." Meaning he hadn't tried to confront her again.
Eiri shrugged. "She's okay." He was fairly confident that was true.
Tohma nodded thoughtfully. "The house sold yesterday," he said, trying desparately to keep up conversation. "You should be receiving the papers, soon, since you're taking care of things for Mika-san." Eiri didn't have anything in particular to talk about with his now-ex-brother-in-law. Tohma accepted the silence as his due for hurting Mika. Finally, he laid one manicured hand on Eiri's sleeve saying, "Congratulations. If I hadn't said so before, I'm glad you and Shindou-san are happy. Good bye, Eiri-san." Tohma dropped his hand and left.
Eiri couldn't help but wonder if part of the reason Mika gave up on her husband had to do with Tohma giving up on Eiri. It gave him uncomfortable thoughts to consider.
Kunda Hatsue left in a huff shortly after the memorial. Eiri thought Shu's new kimono might have had something to do with that. The woman had turned positvely purple when she'd seen them together after breakfast. The party went on into early evening but many guests left in the afternoon, including Aunt and Uncle Ouchi. They claimed they needed to get sarted on their long drive. Eiri wondered how much sleep they had managed to get last night. They looked a little drawn. Naito-san planned to stay a couple more days, probably to snoop around the temple and monitor Tatsuha.
At sunset, family stood around the new tombstone in the graveyard behind the temple. He and Tatsuha laid the funerary urn to rest inside of the gravestone, next to their mother's. Then, they all walked around, taking down the mourning banners, removing the white paper from the family shrine, and putting aside all the remnants and reminders that there had been a death here forty-nine days ago. For Eiri's part, it was all done with a tremendous feeling of relief. With this part of his life in the past, he could think about the yui-no [2] on Sunday, and beyond that . . .
***
[1] It's about 65 F = 18 C, (stated last chapter) and normal March temperature would be 55 F = 13 C.
[2] reminder: traditional dinner where fiancees' families dine and drink together.
***