Heihachi was taking tea on the veranda in amidst early birdsong and the faint click of a bamboo water feature, filling and unfilling, filling and unfilling. His tea steamed before him in hazy green swirls. He'd dined on a light breakfast of rice, fresh fish, wilted greens, and syrupy plum slices, and was now enjoying the cool morning before the summer heat set in. The atmosphere was only marred for him by the assistant butler he was finalising the day's plans with. The man stood at the periphery of his vision so as not to spoil the view, but Heihachi could feel a faint irritability stirring in him regardless.
"Put him in something respectable at least, he has to get out of the car."
"Yes, Mishima-sama." The butler inclined a little.
"Has he eaten?"
"I'm not entirely sure, Mishima-sama."
"Not sure?! Well, go ask him!"
"Young Master Kazama is out in the gardens at present."
"I don't want to hear that Kazama name. Call him Jin. What? In the gardens? I told him to be ready by nine!"
"I'm sure he will be ready in time, Mishima-sama. It seems Young Master Jin is quite taken with the estate. He is up earlier than most of the staff, and likes to wander outside."
"I want him clean and not dressed like some street urchin, Hayashi!" Heihachi eyed the horizon, there was a faint waver to it – the promise of heat. There was a heaviness in the air of unbroken thunderstorms. "If he's late because it pours with rain and he's outside, I'll-…"
"Excuse me, sir – I believe it shouldn't rain this morning. There's another typhoon due to break but not until early this evening."
"This evening? Urgh. Has the reservation I specified been made?"
"Yes, sir. This was for lunch though, at one thirty in the afternoon, is that correct?"
"Mm."
"The outfits measured today will take some time to make, shall I have Young Master Jin put in a suit for lunch? If it rains later, any water damage will be visibly minimal."
"Of course not!" Heihachi huffed. "It's so much more obvious when a suit isn't tailor-made for someone. Keep him in traditional wear."
"If I may, sir, he's not far off Young Master Mishima's build when-"
Heihachi glared at the butler. The butler bowed low and backed off the veranda.
Heihachi's tea had a bitter note to it now, like the leaves had been left in too long. His rice seemed a little bitter too, and the fish, and even the plums.
"Kazuya," Heihachi growled under his breath. Dead nearly sixteen years and still ruining his breakfast.
Jin was late. Heihachi's teeth ground together. The boy would show up half an hour early for a 6AM martial arts lesson but couldn't be at the foyer for a 9AM excursion. At two minutes passed nine, Heihachi shut his pocketwatch and roared,
"Where is he?!" through the house.
The assistant butler, Hayashi, came hurrying to him. He bowed low before Heihachi's temper.
"M-Mishima-sama, there is a problem! Please- Kuma has taken a disliking to the young master!"
Heihachi blinked, and real worry crossed his face for a moment. His dear Kuma would never hurt anyone without his order though. His bears had never liked Kazuya either. Heihachi's eyes narrowed at that thought.
"Lead the way," he said curtly.
Kuma and Jin were facing off in a corridor. It was narrow enough that Heihachi could see very little beyond the enormous bulk of Kuma's backside. Passed all the fur, he could just about glimpse his grandson flattened to the far wall, face white, staring at the bear. Kuma was growling, teeth bared.
"Kuma!" Heihachi barked, and clapped his hands.
The bear turned his head towards him, lip still lifted over a canine. Heihachi bared his own teeth at him and shouldered at the bear's rump. Kuma turned around quickly, making the wood on the walls bulge as he did. He sniffed at Heihachi and lowered his head. He butted against him, rubbing against Heihachi's thigh, making soft, rumbling grunts.
"Good boy." Heihachi set a hand on the bear's head. "Now, no eating Jin. He is a cub." Heihachi set a hand under the bear's jaw, and drew his head up from where he was nuzzling his leg, turning his face to him. "No - eating - the - cub," he spelled out, very clearly.
Kuma looked at him with large, intelligent eyes.
"Go and say hello to him. Go on."
Kuma turned reluctantly from him, moving around in the confined space with some difficulty.
"Approach him, Jin. Do not cower in fear or Kuma will see himself as above you."
Jin still looked white. He did as he was told though, taking one uncertain step towards the animal. Kuma stretched out his neck and sniffed at Jin's head. Heihachi could see the boy's hair blowing as the animal's breath stirred it.
"That'll do. Now, away with you, Kuma."
Heihachi reached over the bear and slid open a door on the left. The bear bumbled off through the exit, budging the door open wider as it did. Jin was white as a sheet, standing very still. Heihachi stepped up to him and took his chin in hand, turning his face this way and that to check for injury. Nothing beyond what dojo training left on the regular.
"Hm, no harm done. Is that the first time you met Kuma?"
Jin looked up at him and nodded fractionally. Heihachi let him go.
"Well, introductions all over. There shouldn't be any problems in future. He knows you're part of my family now."
The boy still looked so shaken. He needed to toughen up. Heihachi's eyes narrowed. Jin seemed to notice that, and he straightened and swallowed. A little colour returned to his cheeks.
"Thank you for introducing me, Ojiisama. It was… very exciting to see a bear up close."
"Don't encroach on his space so much. Kuma likes to do his own thing. Unless it comes to me -bwahaha – he can't get enough affection from his old man."
Jin was looking at him curiously just then, he quickly moved his expression to one more neutral.
"I will make sure I am more careful where I walk."
"Good boy. I don't want this excuse again when it comes to being late. You are to be places on time, understood?"
"Yes, Ojiisama." Jin bowed.
"Finish getting ready and be in the car in ten minutes."
Shortly, Jin was sitting in another of Lee's kimonos. This one was a steely iron blue, with navy geometric print. Looking at it brought Heihachi back sharp memories of his son petitioning him for something brighter. It had been bought in a high-end fabric shop, with cottons rolled in their yards, and unfurled for selection. Kazuya had been standing to one side, arms folded, scowling and glaring out the window. Lee had been at his elbow, eyes large and pleading.
"Otousama, I need something elegant and impressive, not dowdy and dull! You always say impression is half the battle when it comes to a business deal!"
"How many business deals are made by fifteen-year-old boys? You can have a showy wardrobe when you start pulling your weight and working for the Zaibatsu."
"But, Otousama, this is basically grey! I'll look like I've died in a corner and grown covered in cobwebs!"
"To go with your cobweb hair," Kazuya put in. Then the two were squaring up, with a dim autumnal afternoon light coming through the blinds to pick out the fight in their features.
Heihachi shook his head. It was nothing. A memory from a lifetime ago. Small and of no consequence. He hadn't thought of that moment at all since the day it had happened. He glanced at Jin. The boy was bringing out all sorts of uncomfortable sentimentality in him.
Jin's fingers were curled tight on his knees and his head was lowered.
"Head up!" Heihachi barked.
Jin jumped and lifted his head quickly.
Heihachi nodded. "That's it. Keep that chin proud. I don't want to see you skulking today."
The kimono hung off Jin some. Lee had been training for years by the time it had been fitted for him. Whilst Jin had some sinew on him, his physique was far from what Heihachi expected for someone his age. Slow to grow into his body. He'd fit Kazuya's clothes perfectly from his early teens.
Heihachi turned and looked out the window. They were seated in the spacious interior of a black limousine, with windows darkened and the air-conditioning roaring. It was going to be a hot day, and he could already see Jin fidgeting in the heavy clothing. That wouldn't do at all.
"Do you know when the Heian period was?"
Jin looked up. He had a perpetual look of surprise on his face whenever Heihachi addressed him.
"No, Sen-… Ojiisama."
Heihachi tutted faintly. "From the end of the eighth century through to the twelfth. During this time, a young noble was granted his own family status by the emperor in honour of his service and loyalty. The name he took for his clan was Mishima. This is your history. The Mishima Clan is over twelve hundred years old. The estate you live on has been a part our lands for centuries. And while other clans have risen and fallen, the Mishima have been growing slowly and steadily, until today, where our family hold more economic sway in this world than most nations. The zaibatsu is the new fortress, and money the new emperor. You belong to the most powerful clan in the world. When you walk, when you breathe, when you look at someone, you translate the power of the Mishima into the world. There must be no idle glances, no posture without intention, no words without forethought. Because with the power to convey centuries of history comes also the ability to reflect weakness back onto the ancestors who have placed you where you are today. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Jin kept looking up at him with his dark, searching eyes. His chest was rising and falling fast. Heihachi studied him. The boy was easy enough to read in the dojo, but, like this, he was like an undercooked clam, all tightly closed.
"Do you mean-…" Jin spoke hesitantly. "…-That Mishima ancestors are watching me, so I must not dishonour them?"
Heihachi tutted. Dismay immediately sprung into Jin's features. Heihachi found himself mellowing the harsh response he'd been about to mete out. "Well, not exactly. Do not dishonour your ancestors, but more importantly, act appropriately and with pride. You come from an ancient and powerful family, and your manner needs to reflect that. No more of these hesitations and looking like a frightened stray cat. I want to see pride in how you conduct yourself."
Jin was hanging off his every word, nodding earnestly. It was so strange to see. There was none of Lee's cunning or fear, and none of Kazuya's reticence and simmering hatred. Jin only absorbed his words soundlessly, and immediately tried to sit taller in his seat, and hold his head up prouder. He even uncurled his fists and rested his palms more lightly on his knees. It gave Heihachi an odd pang in his chest, and a confused mix of feelings, none of which he could name. He found himself again wanting to set Jin more at ease.
He turned his attention to the forests beyond the window that were thinning to signs of habitation as they drove. He asked in a more mild voice,
"Did you get to eat some breakfast before we left?"
"Yes, Ojiisama. I found a lot outside."
Heihachi glanced at him. "Outside? How do you mean?"
"In the orchard the plums and peaches were ready, so I had a few, and I had some mushrooms too."
Heihachi was a little taken aback. "Mushrooms?"
"Yes, down by the riverbank, a little southeast of the dojo, and two meadows northwest of the orchard. There are some shiitake mushrooms growing there under the chestnut trees."
"And you just… ate them?"
"Yes, they were very nice. I'll collect some to bring in, and you can have some too."
Well, at least the boy wasn't having any trouble adjusting to ownership and entitlement if he was going around plucking whatever he pleased to eat, but this was still a most extraordinary development to Heihachi.
"You do know you can go to the kitchen for food, or order it to be brought to you?"
"I can?" Jin looked thoughtful. "I will bring mushrooms to the kitchen, then they can be served to everyone."
"Jin…"
Jin glanced at him. Heihachi felt a pull of hopelessness looking at his absent expression.
"Nevermind. Do as you please. Take mushrooms to the kitchen if you will."
Jin seemed to settle more comfortably in his seat then, and looked out the window. Heihachi shook his head faintly.
The tailor shop the limousine pulled up at was a refined affair. It boasted a spot in the heart of Tokyo, but tucked away, off the beaten track, away from where it might be discovered by those with shallower pockets. A high wicker fence delineated its grounds and obscured its boutique façade from passers-by. A gate was opened and beyond was a paved single path, with neatly raked squares of smooth pebbles to either side.
Heihachi glanced at Jin. His attention was predictably all over the place, but Heihachi was glad to see that, even though his gaze wandered, he still held himself well. The door was opened and half a dozen staff filed out to greet them, bowing and giving customary greetings. They were shown indoors to where walls of wooden shelves were honeycombed with bolts of cloth.
"What can we do for you today, Mishima-sama?" a tailor said to him.
The man had hair perfectly combed to one side, a polite smattering of a moustache, and a high arch to his eyebrows. His eyes were straying over Jin. Heihachi knew that look. It was the look of one who notices an imposter to the upper classes. Dressing Jin well didn't mean he could convey an aristocratic air.
"This is my grandson, Kazama Jin." Heihachi said, emphasising the word with a testiness. The tailor's gaze snapped back to him, dipping his head when his slight on Jin had been noticed. Heihachi continued on regardless. "He has no wardrobe to speak of. I'll need an array of suits for all occasions, and traditional wear as well. We'll also need shirts and sleepwear."
Jin was at a shelf, fingers reaching to touch the soft fibre of fabric.
"Jin!" Heihachi said, a little sharply. The boy jumped and hurried back to his side.
"We're honoured by your patronage, Mishima-sama," The tailor said. "We will begin with measurements, and then can move to colours, cuts, and styles."
Jin did not like being measured. He kept shying away from the tape, or being surprised when another tailor appeared to measure something else. He made no complaint though, and contained a faint distress to his eyes and the slight curl of his fingers. When he was finally released, he came and stood behind Heihachi, as if his bulk would protect him from the ranks of attentive measuring tapes. Heihachi had a sudden spark of a recollection – a five-year-old Kazuya hiding in the shadow of his hakama, unwilling to meet the business guests in attendance at the estate. He looked behind him now and saw Jin's face looking up at him, wary and harassed.
"Now all that's left is to choose the materials," Heihachi said.
He waved a hand and half a dozen tailors vanished and reappeared with several bolts of cloth between them. Heihachi pointed at three and the rest were marched away. Then more were brought out and the same happened again. Heihachi stepped to one side, so that Jin was left without his shield.
"Take a look at the materials I've selected so far, do you like them?"
Jin looked at the bolts mentioned. He glanced at Heihachi, then back at the cloth, and said nothing.
"What? You don't like them?"
Jin looked at him again. "Can I touch it?"
"Of course. You're going to wear it, aren't you?"
Jin moved forward. He touched each of the fabrics.
"This one is scratchy, I don't like it." Then he froze and looked at Heihachi. Heihachi frowned, but motioned for the bolt to be taken away. Jin stopped and felt a second one. "Can I see the pattern, please?"
A sky blue cloth was unfurled with white curling waves roaming across it. Jin turned to his grandfather and beamed.
"I like this one."
Heihachi found himself returning the smile. He'd be lying if he hadn't had an inkling that the pattern might resonate with Jin.
"You like blue?"
"No," Jin said, apparently forgetting his formalities now that Heihachi had touched on an interest. "I like the sea. And the waves here look just like they do when they break over rocks. The sea is calming to watch, the way it goes in and out. I would like to wear something with the sea on so that I can look at it and feel calm with the sea."
Heihachi raised an eyebrow. That was possibly the longest string of sentences he'd gotten out of Jin yet. "What colours do you like then?"
"Red. Yellow. Colours like fire."
"Hm! Something with a bit of a statement, I wouldn't have guessed! Well, I can't have you wearing a red suit, but when I like to have a little flare…" He turned over the large lapel of his pinstripe business jacket to reveal a flourish of gold gilding on the other side. Jin blinked and came close. "How about a black suit, with under-lapels and an interior in red?"
Jin looked up him and smiled.
Heihachi was fast finding that, when given the opportunity, Jin actually had a lot of opinions, and a flamboyant taste that could almost rival his own. Between the two of them, they were tiring out the entire shop floor, who flew back and forth with patterns and materials of rich colours and calibre. Whilst Jin might not know his brocades from his twill, he seemed to know at a touch if a fabric had impurities in it, even if he never elaborated on "scratchy". And he had strong opinions on how loud a pattern ought to be that impressed Heihachi and brought wearied expressions to the staff. The particularities Jin exhibited pleased Heihachi no end: already Jin looked of Mishima quality. It set Heihachi in a good mood, which in turn seemed to brighten his always-timid grandson.
At a quarter to noon, Heihachi had to take a few calls – one confirming the menu choices at the restaurant, and another from his secretary fixing the times he'd be visiting an under-the-radar laboratory in the depths of the Zaibatsu. When he was done, he sought out his grandson. He found him in a narrow back aisle stacked floor-to-ceiling with bolts of cloth, toing the ground and looking like he'd forgotten everything Heihachi had said about presence and the illustrious Mishima history. Heihachi's face started to grow red as his temper simmered. Before the boy though was the tailor who'd first given Jin that unfavourable once over when they entered – the fellow with the pepper-dash moustache.
"Any problems here?" Heihachi asked. Jin didn't look up. The tailor gave Heihachi a simpering smile.
"Young Master Kazama here was just asking after some ah- materials that we don't stock here. I was just informing him that this is a bespoke tailors, but I'm sure he'll catch on soon enough." The man gave a mild look to Jin, then bowed slightly to him and deeply to Heihachi.
Heihachi stood for a moment in complete silence. He looked at Jin.
"What did you ask for?"
His grandson looked wretched. He lifted his gaze though and met his eyes steadily.
"I… asked if I could have a gi that… uh… was black… and had fire on it."
"Fire on it…"
"Like… a design… but I should have asked you first, Ojiisama, since it is your dojo."
"A black gi like your old man, eh?"
Jin's face brightened and a light entered his eyes. Heihachi could see the tailor starting to wilt like an unattended houseplant.
"Well?" Heihachi rounded on the tailor. "If you don't have a black gi in stock, you better do something about it! Jin, describe what design you want, be as detailed as you can."
The boy seemed to soak up confidence from him, and that posture Heihachi liked returned to him. He was enthusiastic too. He didn't seem to bear the tailor any ill will and Heihachi couldn't see a trace of smugness there. He wondered if Jin even knew the man had a problem with his clearly humble upbringing.
The gi Jin outlined sounded outrageous – far more noticeable than a tiger printed on the back of a top. Jin was going to attract the attention of every person in the room if he walked into any competitive setting in the thing.
"Sure you can handle the heat an outfit like that will bring?" Heihachi asked him.
Jin fixed him with that intent look he sometimes got – filled with a daring stubbornness.
"I can handle it. I'll train so that I can handle anything."
Heihachi believed him. It was hard not to believe Jin. He didn't seem to have a dishonest bone in his body. He did everything with a sincerity and an intensity, just like Kazuya. Heihachi looked away. He turned back when he heard Jin speaking to the tailor.
"Thank you very much for your help. I'm really looking forward to my gi."
Even the tailor's aloof disposition seemed to crumble before that. He gave Jin a small smile – it even looked genuine, unlike the ones Heihachi got from him. Heihachi wondered at that. Even though the boy had no charisma to speak of, he seemed to have a way of winning people over. Perhaps that could be put to some good use. He looked down as Jin approached and bowed to him.
"Does the fire have any special meaning? Like the waves you mentioned before?" Heihachi asked.
Jin thought for a moment, then looked up at him with his serious, steady eyes.
"Flames are very cool."
