Fingers went to the bridge of his nose as if he was in pain. After sitting like that for a small time, brown opened and looked to the letter next to him on his bed.
Almost three months of corresponding and she wrote the same way. He figured by now her hesitation to tell or ask him things would've lessened even a SMALL degree.
But then, this was Kalie Himmen he was thinking of.
A hand picked up her letter and reread the latest. It surprised him to find such a short one, and so soon. He hadn't been able to reply to her last one yet, and days later, he got another one. It was kind of odd how they could write each other constantly - as far as four to time times a month got with the mail system - and still be able to find things to say. Of course...given that K seemed a rather private person, she hadn't said a whole lot about herself. Not anything in-depth anyway.
He betted he could go through all her letters and find more stuff said about friends, family, or life outside than what SHE actually thought and desired. One of the few he couldn't count was the one he got that helped for her birthday.
K was a complex puzzle he couldn't figure out by words. Another reason why his shock was apparent when she said she liked dancing. Not to mention had a life outside of school and work!
K pegged herself a bookworm before he even could! It was like some kind of warning she was giving that he didn't see. She was a hard worker, devoted to her studies, but she wasn't addicted. That's what he figured a bookworm was. With even the dozen or so letters he'd compiled in this short time, he knew she was no bookworm.
Shaking his head, knowing he could never get a conclusion about the girl, he slid off the the futon and took up residence at his desk.
K,
Wow...what a surprise...two whole letters in a week! Well, sort of, if you discount the mailing system and whatnot...
First off I'd just like to say...ARE YOU NUTS? Working on something like that...you need to get out more! Of COURSE I'll go with you to the dance. Disregarding Cam...I'd go just to keep you from keeping yourself from having fun! Sheesh - you're making me shake my head in pity at you right now! Kidding.
The only thing I intended on doing Halloween was go with the other musketeers and rob the kids. ...Kidding again. So yea, thanks for the invite, I've never been to college parties like that, though I've been to different parties in the past.
I'll be sure to pick out a costume. I love Halloween, though my family doesn't celebrate it. Gives me an excuse to play around and have fun. In fact, I've got something in mind and I think you'll like it. If you're a history major, you'll definitely appreciate my idea. But I won't say what it is - as I wouldn't be able to do it justice with words - and I won't hint at it. You'll have to wait until I get down there. One question I got...do they allow covered weapons? Dull I assume...but can you find out for me?
Money's not a problem...I'll work up enough for fee and food. What say we get something to eat after or before? I have a feeling I'll be starving either way.
If there's anything that turns up, I'm giving you the house number. Just ask for me or leave a message and it'll get to me. My family is pretty good with that, so don't worry. Just in case, you know...if something happens with Sam or whatever.
Write me back with the fees and times so I know more details. We've still got time. Or heck, just call and leave a message with them...it'd be faster.
Anyway, time to go put my outfit together. I won't ask what you're wearing, but my curiosity is peeked. I can't wait to see what kind of outfit you'll have one. Daring, or something a little more conservative? Hmm.
Counting the days...
Inaki
October 21, 2097
His phone number went underneath the date, knowing she'd find it there. He folded the letter in the envelope and put a stamp on it. He stared at it before his eyes went to the old-looking chest at the foot of his bed. The trunk that had all his more traditional clothing in it.
His lips pursed. He should mail the letter, but he also wanted to get started in his search for the articles he'd need. Also to brush up on putting everything on, as he was a little rusty. He heaved a sigh. The letter was more important and he had ten whole days - well nine now... - to make sure everything was where it should be. He slid from the chair and fixed the cushion before exiting the room.
He hopped the few stairs and deftly landed on the balls of his feet. He startled at finding his grandparents and Jayden sitting at the table with tea in their hands. He didn't know how he missed that, but he let it pass. He never ignored an opportunity to have a quiet sip with anyone in his family. Well...maybe Jayden...
"I'm going out for a bit." He held up the letter and went for the coat closet.
"Magomusuko...would you deliver a few for me as well?" He slipped out of his sandals and padded into the kitchen - shoes weren't allowed on the house interior. He took a string-tied bundle of envelopes and looked at them. "Take good care of them magomusuko...they're store bills."
He nodded and saluted. "Leave it to me obaasan!"
"I wouldn't if I were you obaasan..."
He stuck his tongue out at Jayden, who smirked over her cup in response, and went back for the sandals. "Ittekimasu!"
"Iterasshai."
After jogging to the sidewalk, he dropped the board and hopped on. A good, solid kick from the pavement got pretty good speed as he boarded for the downtown area.
The afternoon was so gorgeous! He looked to the early afternoon sky and smiled. He was always appreciative of fall weather - it wasn't as hot as summer! Hands stuck in his pocket as brown idly looked around. He pushed off when his speed slowed and resumed his stance. These were the best times to skateboard...when the day was early, the sky a cloudless blue, the wind non-existent to gentle, and the area was quiet. A serene look marked his face.
The love for his hometown rose, as it did in times like these. He disliked living in such a small area sometimes...but the neighborhoods were nice, the people amiable enough, and the lands spread out for privacy.
The times he appreciated living so closed off from bustling cities were these. Having been to Miami was almost overwhelming for the first time, especially driving to it alone. The size was many times that of Andytown, discounting the forestry. He was confused at the streets and the way it seemed to be daylight with all the lights and neon signs around.
Not that big cities scared him or that he was immune to them...he'd done traveling with his grandparents and parents on store business trips when he was younger. But out here, he could appreciate the size of a person's individual land as opposed to the tiny backyard K and Sam had with their house. It seemed no one owned a yard, let alone more than two trees in it. He found that amusing and kind of sad. There were trees dotting the entire yard for shade and wind protection. Not to mention the shrubs along part of the house and the flowers his mother tended.
He pushed off the ground again, feeling a little nostalgic. The clacking of wheels over the sidewalk met his ears as he edged into downtown. The sounds of cars met his senses as well.
It could be considered his house was located in the more country of this small town. A lot of the residents had a good size of land, even if their houses were small. Even the downtown area had trees scattered around, patches of lawn in areas.
It was sad that the closest mailbox was there. He had to go the few miles into denser areas just to mail a letter. But...nothing to be done, and he could use the exercise on occasion...
A foot shot out and halted him. The other remained put as he dropped K's letter in and untied the bundle of bills. He pocketed the string and slid the remainder in, closing the lid with a squeak. The same foot wedged between the space of board and sidewalk and his body tensed. In a calculated, knowing move, he jumped into the air and feet twisted his board the opposite way he came. After an easy land of both feet on board, he pushed off the ground.
He missed doing tricks like that. It was fun to feel that little bit of adrenaline and unknowing if the trick would make him wipe out and embarrass himself. Not that making himself look like a fool was anything big...he could laugh at himself when he did something stupid. He was also confident enough in his boarding abilities - having done it since he was a kid - to know his tricks would work.
The ride back was the same as the ride there. With over a decade of practice and knowing his balance was sure, both arms lazily stretched over his head.
"Konnichi wa Yamoi-chan!"
Arms dropped as brown shot to the upcoming neighboring house. A friendly smile appeared as a hand waved. "Konnichi wa Kajiura-san!" He let the momentum slow as he came upon the house. "Ogenki desu ka."
A man the age of his grandfather nodded and waved back. "Hai, ogenki desu. What brings you out on a beautiful day like this?"
He stopped at the edge of a waist-high, rather thick, concrete yard marker and rested his palms on it. His feet spread to either side of the board as he rocked side to side. It was nice to see how much the residential area managed to keep a lot of Japanese style, even if house interior wasn't as traditional as it was hundred of years ago. It was exact as his family's land. Dozens of houses around here had the same concrete fences that marked right up to the sidewalks.
The elder man stopped a few feet away with a broom in hand. "Kajiura-san thought I should get outside and get engawa swept since it's so nice out." The elder looked a little put out.
He smiled. "Just don't let obaasan or ojiisan hear you say that. I don't want to be doing any chores right now."
"Eehh? What makes you think YOU get to slack off chores when I can't?"
His smile widened. "Because I've been invited to a Halloween party from a pen pal and I want to get my costume taken out and set aside."
"But you have a week for that." There was a knowing grin on the old man's face. "You were always a mild slacker unless it was something you really looked forward to."
Brown good-naturedly glared, but he smirked. Kajiura-san always had no qualms about picking on him for his lazy ways. Nicely of course.
It was nice to have a big family living with you in one house, and then a friendship with the surrounding neighbors to top it off. His family was well-known for being a good supply of traditional Japanese goods. Whenever the weather was nice enough, his family would sit on the porch and gather those around to chat or visit. Sometimes - if it was near holidays - they would hold a few small get-togethers for those who held Buddhism close.
"This party isn't around here is it? I haven't heard anything about one."
His head shook. "Iie. It's in a different city. The one I went when me and the others went to the concert months back."
"Ah...know someone down there do you?" The man winked and again he glared, though this was more embarrassed.
"No you jijii...it's strictly a friend."
A hand waved almost patronizingly. "Hai, hai. Wakarimasu... Well then...guess I should get back to it. Before the evening comes upon us."
He smiled as the man took a few paces back to the house. "Ja ne Kajiura-san."
"Ja ne Yamoi-chan!"
His mood lifted from peaceful nostalgic, to heartwarming. It felt like he had an even bigger family than those in his household whenever he conversed with his neighbors like that. It made him feel good to know people around him cared enough about his life to ask questions and pry a little bit.
Opening the front door found the three wandering around in the kitchen where he left them and he nodded in greeting when they looked at him. "Tadaima."
"Okaeri."
His sandals and board were promptly put away, as he didn't want any lip from his family about leaving his stuff out, and he headed into his room. It was time to start on his so-called 'costume'.
Hands clicked the locks off his chest and he opened it with a small creak. His lips pursed as he mentally told himself to get some oil put on the hinges so they wouldn't squeak again. His grandparents wouldn't like that, as they gave him this trunk to put these clothes in for safekeeping.
His eyes lit up as the landed on a swath of blood red. Eagerly, hands dug in and carefully pulled the thick, worn garment from its resting place and unfolded it. It was a haori, part of the outfit he had ever since seiji no hi. It was a gift from the entire family, and it was expensive. It was rather baggy, so he knew he could still fit into it no problem.
He draped the haori on his bed and went for the hakama. He gently shook a few, barely noticeable wrinkles from it and rested the hakama underneath the haori. He grinned and stared. He hadn't laid eyes on these in a while. They were his best clothes and for that reason, not worn very often. He frowned. If that was the case...perhaps he SHOULDN'T wear them. It was the first thing he could think of when he wrote K and it had been a good idea. What better place to wear these type of clothes and have them appreciated than a Halloween party? Other than Andytown, he would never wear them.
But now, staring at them, he wondered if having his best outfit called a costume was a good thing. It was very dear to him and meant a lot; it would put shame to the memories embedded in the threads.
He kneeled and gingerly touched the extension to a sleeve. The fabric was thick cotton, almost like wool. There was a white juban that went with it, and he had fundoshi to wear...
His lips pursed. He wouldn't...for more reasons than this outfit's honor. This was a dance he was going to, which meant hot temperatures and lots of movement. He would get this all sweaty and then it would have to be cleaned. His family might not know he would wear this, as he intended on changing at K's to surprise her, and he didn't want his okaasan or obaasan getting annoyed for his decision.
Hands went and folded the hakama and haori exactly as they were, careful not to get wrinkles in them. No - he decided against this grand outfit. He wouldn't change the general idea, but the outfit could be fixed to something else. The chest was full of traditional hakama, kimono, and haori he could wear.
Kneeling in front of the chest, the outfit resting by his feet, hands started pulling out pieces of clothing and setting them aside. If he was going to deck out as he wanted to, he would choose what didn't have such sentimental value...also light in fabric. He wouldn't skimp on anything just because it would be uncomfortable. There were also summer style clothes in here somewhere.
He nearly emptied his entire chest, a feat considering the thing was a good size, and sat on his heels to observe everything. Most of what he had was white hakama and colored kimono. There were dyed and pattern ones, and he wanted something flashier. Not only did he want to win that contest, as he could put twenty-five dollars to use rather easily, but he wanted to impress someone who didn't know his heritage.
The style of his outfits was Meiji period, save for the red one. That was even older. They were probably most of what people saw in movies, but never thought existed in this time.
He smirked and picked up a kimono to examine. Perhaps not in three-fourths of the country, there were cities like this that held true to their heritage. Maybe even Japan did the same as his family did with these clothes. He didn't know of his home country, as he hadn't visited it yet. He would have to some day.
The hakama were simple to pick out. Though most were white, some had stripe patterns at the bottom to match the kimono and haori. He finally settled on a dark blue stripe and white pair, and set that on his bed. As soon as he got done, he had to make sure he still remembered how to put this all on correctly!
There were a few tops he had that matched the chosen hakama, and it was a chore to pick what he wanted. He finally settled on a dark blue kimono with two parallel, inch-sized, yellow lines tastefully scattered about. That went above the hakama as he kneeled in front of the chest for the rest of his 'accessories'.
There were zouri, tabi, geta, jikatabi, fundoshi, sensu, and cardboards for the hakama properly folded and placed along the bottom. He picked out a single juban, not wanting anymore than that. Though he could wear as many as he pleased, this would be stretching it temperature-wise. He grabbed a pair of zouri and tabi, and snatched a fundoshi and cardboard before going to put everything back.
That done, he set everything on the bed and surveyed it. Finally, he headed to the bedroom door and stuck his head out. "Oi...Jayden?" Silence met his call. In fact, it was silent period. His eyes narrowed. Perhaps his grandparents went outside for a while...maybe they ALL left.
He shrugged and shut the door. That was fine with him. He wasn't worried much about his nudity with his sister, but it didn't help to be burst in on when he was going to change.
He heaved a breath and started stripping his clothes. As he reached for the fundoshi and stared at it, he wondered if he would be able to put it on like he'd been taught. He grinned. Normal boxers were fine, but this would be airier and he was going to need as much of that as he could. Plus he wanted to be completely authentic. And if that meant putting on something that was so going to chaff certain areas before the night was out...so be it. All for the spirit of the holiday!
It didn't take long for his hands to remember what to do and soon he was safely covered and tied the strings. He went for the juban next and firmly tied that. He grabbed the kimono and situated it as best as possible before going for the hakama.
It took a few tries to remember how his grandfather and great grandfather tied their knots before he got it down. To be sure he recalled that later, he unknotted and reknotted it. It was a pain to try and tie the strings exactly as they should be, but to dink with the cardboard that went against his lower back was a little harder with reach.
After situating the kimono and juban so there was a good slit down his chest for air, he went for the tabi and zouri. When he slipped into the sandals, he took a second to look at himself and absorb what he just did. It looked pretty good...
A smirk appeared as he went for Jayden's mirror. Brows disappeared into his bangs as he looked in astonished appreciation. He looked like he stepped two hundred-some years into the future! A proud grin appeared as he twisted to check the back and sides. Damn he looked good! It was such a difference from the modern-style clothes he wore.
There was a sudden urge to go through Jayden's identical chest for a furisode, but he didn't know of any way to tie an obi and didn't have the patience to learn. He would just have to not match with K on this.
Though he grabbed every correct piece of cloth, he hadn't finished accessorizing yet. He left the bedroom and headed for the bathroom. A hand moved and pulled the tie out of his ever-present, near shoulder blade-length braid and started undoing the strands. The other grabbed a brush and maneuvered his hair into a high ponytail on the crown of his skull and tied it. His bangs got a quick run-through before he surveyed himself.
Nice. He looked even better than before. But, to REALLY play the part of the samurai...
He shut the lights off with a grin and headed for the basement. He knew he wouldn't be allowed to bring sharp weapons, even sheathed. As he headed down the small flight of stairs to the lower level, and then the basement, he weighed the decision to carry something like that all night.
A hand shot out and flicked on a light switch as zouri slapped down the stairs. Sai would be held against or near the back, carefully stuffed in the hakama ties...and he couldn't deal with that for hours on end.
He stopped in front of the weapon wracks and tapped a finger against a cheek. His other pulled a katana from its resting place and held it up. These were the dull, practice weapons...the sharp ones either rested in cases for protection, or in the outside dojo for use.
The katana slid through the ties and he performed a few twists with it. The weapon didn't shift, as the ties were tight enough, but the excess movement he created with it was annoying. He slid the katana out and gently set it on the wood rack again. He eyed the wakizashi before picking it up. It was smaller, but would give the cool, badass effect he wanted. It replaced the katana and he moved the same way before nodding in satisfaction. It would do.
The blade was about the length of his forearm and it looked a little wimpy, but was better than nothing. He hurried from the basement to check out his final appearance, barely managing to get the lights before he left.
The bedroom mirror once again doubled his image and he beamed. 'Sugee!' He twisted again and jogged outside. He had to show off to someone!
It didn't take long. The whole trip since he left to deliver K's message must've taken him longer than he thought, because his mother was in the yard tending to her flowers. His grandmother and Jayden were in a shaded porch swing, and his great grandfather was standing at a barbeque, poking at something he assumed was for dinner.
"Oi...minna! Hora!" He shut the patio screen door and threw his arms out. "Don't I look cool?" He gained everyone's eyes and they smiled at different degrees.
"What's with the traditional wear ototo-chan? There's no holiday for a while..."
"Magomusuko...anata wa ii mirimasu."
"Hai, hai. There a reason for it though himagomusuko?"
He grinned at the compliments and shook his head. A hand went to idly toy with his high ponytail when it swished around. "I decided to wear this to a party I'm going to and thought I should show everyone." He gave a shallow bow and opened the screen. "Arigatou." Nice to know his family hadn't laughed for what he decided to do. He jogged up the stairs and changed into normal clothes before folding everything carefully and locating a travel bag big enough to fit it all in.
He couldn't wait...this was going to be awesome! He knew he was going to knock K for a loop when he came out of a room changed and dressed like a samurai.
He heaved a sigh. Damn it...TEN DAYS!
This was going to kill him...
**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner...so if these are not 100% correct...please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page to learn from, a dictionary, and a few months experience to work with.**
Translations: Ogenki desu ka-Are you well/in good spirits/etc (General question of health) Hai, ogenki desu-Yes, I'm well/fine/etc
Wakarimasu-I know (Can be substituted for hai) Ja ne-See you (later) Tadaima-I'm home/I'm back Okaeri-Welcome back/home
Seiji no hi-Coming of age at 20 Haori-(Sometimes formal) outer coat Tabi-split-toed socks Sugee-Wow/Awesome/Cool/etc
Hakama-Baggy pants with ties at the top and slits down the hips Fundoshi-Cloth underwear Sensu-Japanese fans that fold open/closed
Zouri-Straw sandals (Look a lot like flip flops in design) Wakazashi-Short sword (Think Sango's sword) Jikatabi-Outdoor tabi
Juban-Worn as underwear underneath the kimono (I'm taking this as not just technical underwear) Geta-Wood sandals Hora-Look (at me)
Magomusuko...anata wa ii mirimasu-Grandson...you look nice Furisode-Most formal kimono for unmarried women only