Although I didn't choose this life I keep living it, day by lonely
day. That's all I can do really. It wouldn't do to give in already, as I've
made it this far.
My name is Kaoru Kamiya, and I have never seen another person. I have mental images of people and things, but that's about it. My elder brother, Sanoske Kamiya is twenty-four years old. I myself am five years younger – making me nineteen.
It is my own fault I'm blind. And no, before you ask if I'm one of those people who blame themselves for everything—I'm not. I opened my eyes immediately after leaving my mother's womb. The bright lights of the E. R. seared my newly developed optical nerves, destroying them. Although I have no sight, my useless eyes retained their colored irises. A very uncommon occurrence.
My mother died shortly after. She didn't have enough time to bestow a name on me. It was my five-year-old brother that decided on my name. When I was younger, I asked him every night before I fell asleep, why he named my 'Kaoru', but always called me 'Little Missy' or 'Jou-chan'.
STORY: Sano's POV
When I was four, Mother took me to the zoo for the first time. The animal that caught my attention was cat-like thing with a mask and striped tail. The sign by the cage read: RACCOON, and below was the Japanese translation: TANUKI. The trainer came out to feed it while I stood there fascinated. I asked what the raccoon's name was. The man replied, "Her name is Kaoru. She's a sweet heart. Would you like to feed her?" "Yeah sure!" After gaining permission from mother I climbed into the cage. The foreign creature looked so soft I felt compelled to touch its fur. So I took the offered fish the trainer handed me and slowly approached Kaoru.
She came near me for the food and allowed me to touch her ears. It wasn't until I tried to pull her tail that she snapped at me. I immediately backed off. "Don't worry," said the man, "Kaoru's nothing but a hairball. Albeit a crafty, tricky, resourceful hairball. But a hairball nonetheless." He smiled gently and lifted Kaoru in his arms; "I rescued this lucky lady in America. Yeah, she has brought tremendous luck to this zoo ever since we (him and Kaoru) came here." "Wow" was all I could say to the man holding Kaoru, the Raccoon.
END STORY: Back to Kaoru's POV
I loved being named after such an intelligent creature. From how Sano describes them (raccoons), raccoons are nocturnal animals and are related to pandas. It has quick hands and faster reflexes. It wears a black mask and has a stripped tail.
Since Sano and I were young, we have lived in an orphanage in Kyoto. It was fairly large and had clean rooms and lots of toys and books available. It wasn't until Sano turned twenty that we were able to move out on our own and rent an apartment. Sano had gotten a job as a bar tender. He was actually quite good at it too. He never went to collage because he had to help me and work for extra cash. The orphanage – by law- had to send Sano and me to school at least until we graduated from high school. I was sent to a separate school from my brother; one for blind people.
I learned to read Braille and do simple math. I had no high expectations but my brother did. He motivated me to do my best in the "Blind School" as people called it. So not wanting to disappoint the brother I couldn't see, I made A's in school and everything else. The "everything else" being fighting. Sano insisted I learn to defend myself – his reasoning that I was vulnerable to attack.
So I concentrated my efforts on martial arts. Mostly my brother taught me but also another teenager by the name of Aoshi Shinomori. He taught me meditation. How to hear my opponents move and where they are coming from, how fast they are moving, and what weapon they are using. Since my hearing was superior to that of people with all five fully functioning senses, it made things much easier.
In addition to intensified hearing my sense of touch was also more acute then that of normal standards. It helped to memorize things. Like my brother's face. After touching it I have a good picture of what he looks like.
My name is Kaoru Kamiya, and I have never seen another person. I have mental images of people and things, but that's about it. My elder brother, Sanoske Kamiya is twenty-four years old. I myself am five years younger – making me nineteen.
It is my own fault I'm blind. And no, before you ask if I'm one of those people who blame themselves for everything—I'm not. I opened my eyes immediately after leaving my mother's womb. The bright lights of the E. R. seared my newly developed optical nerves, destroying them. Although I have no sight, my useless eyes retained their colored irises. A very uncommon occurrence.
My mother died shortly after. She didn't have enough time to bestow a name on me. It was my five-year-old brother that decided on my name. When I was younger, I asked him every night before I fell asleep, why he named my 'Kaoru', but always called me 'Little Missy' or 'Jou-chan'.
STORY: Sano's POV
When I was four, Mother took me to the zoo for the first time. The animal that caught my attention was cat-like thing with a mask and striped tail. The sign by the cage read: RACCOON, and below was the Japanese translation: TANUKI. The trainer came out to feed it while I stood there fascinated. I asked what the raccoon's name was. The man replied, "Her name is Kaoru. She's a sweet heart. Would you like to feed her?" "Yeah sure!" After gaining permission from mother I climbed into the cage. The foreign creature looked so soft I felt compelled to touch its fur. So I took the offered fish the trainer handed me and slowly approached Kaoru.
She came near me for the food and allowed me to touch her ears. It wasn't until I tried to pull her tail that she snapped at me. I immediately backed off. "Don't worry," said the man, "Kaoru's nothing but a hairball. Albeit a crafty, tricky, resourceful hairball. But a hairball nonetheless." He smiled gently and lifted Kaoru in his arms; "I rescued this lucky lady in America. Yeah, she has brought tremendous luck to this zoo ever since we (him and Kaoru) came here." "Wow" was all I could say to the man holding Kaoru, the Raccoon.
END STORY: Back to Kaoru's POV
I loved being named after such an intelligent creature. From how Sano describes them (raccoons), raccoons are nocturnal animals and are related to pandas. It has quick hands and faster reflexes. It wears a black mask and has a stripped tail.
Since Sano and I were young, we have lived in an orphanage in Kyoto. It was fairly large and had clean rooms and lots of toys and books available. It wasn't until Sano turned twenty that we were able to move out on our own and rent an apartment. Sano had gotten a job as a bar tender. He was actually quite good at it too. He never went to collage because he had to help me and work for extra cash. The orphanage – by law- had to send Sano and me to school at least until we graduated from high school. I was sent to a separate school from my brother; one for blind people.
I learned to read Braille and do simple math. I had no high expectations but my brother did. He motivated me to do my best in the "Blind School" as people called it. So not wanting to disappoint the brother I couldn't see, I made A's in school and everything else. The "everything else" being fighting. Sano insisted I learn to defend myself – his reasoning that I was vulnerable to attack.
So I concentrated my efforts on martial arts. Mostly my brother taught me but also another teenager by the name of Aoshi Shinomori. He taught me meditation. How to hear my opponents move and where they are coming from, how fast they are moving, and what weapon they are using. Since my hearing was superior to that of people with all five fully functioning senses, it made things much easier.
In addition to intensified hearing my sense of touch was also more acute then that of normal standards. It helped to memorize things. Like my brother's face. After touching it I have a good picture of what he looks like.