Circle Game 1: Beginning the End Game
A/N: Hello all, welcome back to my faithful readers. Your comments are all very reassuring and helpful and very much appreciated. I understand this story isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm glad there are those willing to sit by my side while I tell my tale.
And to those who have joined us. Welcome to this ever-expanding saga. It is absolutely recommended that you begin. With House room 1: spring is coming as that the beginning of this arc and all of the stories are intertwined. This is the fourth installment of this story arc: House Room 4: The Circle Game
I have been promising to bring this to an end for a while now, but there was someone who said, oh no you don't! This is MY story now and I'll let you finish it when I'm good and ready. You'll meet him later. And I think you'll understand why he would entertain no arguments from your humble author about wrapping this story up.
Summer has come, and its time for the Sohma family's Tanabata, or Star festival. This is a festival devoted to the celebration of the wedding of The Weaver Princess and the Cowheard, two celestial star crossed-lovers who only are allowed to be together for a short time every year. As usual, Aya and Mine have been charged with the planning of the family's festival but end up planning a special ceremony for another set of star-crossed lovers. But as there is one more uninvited guest who invites himself to the festivities, more chaos ensues. I hope you'll enjoy this ever expanding tale. And without further ado, I give you House Room 4: The Circle Game
Aya Prepares
Summer had arrived and the time for the family's Tanabata festival was approaching. Meant to commemorate the love between Orihime the Weaver Princess and Hikoboshi the Cow Herd, (personifications of the stars Vega and Altair) the Star festival was especially popular with young women, newlyweds, and star crossed lovers who wished for everlasting true love. It was a festival that reminded us of the power of love as even distant stars are brought together across bridges made of stars when the heavens align perfectly.
Mine and I had begun to cut hundreds of slips of paper for the Sohma family to write their wishes on and to fold thousands of origami ornaments. They would be burned at the end of the festival so that the family's wishes could be carried to the Lovers in hopes that they would intercede on their part. And while it was tedious, we couldn't help but hope that our wishes would come true. And one of our greatest wishes was that all of us would find everlasting happiness.
It had been an eventful spring. Mine and I made our engagement official. While we had already pledged our vows, we met with Kureno who was absolutely delighted to give us permission to marry. He reaffirmed his happiness that Mine would be joining our family and looked forward to our wedding.
Our happiness was mirrored in Tori and Mayu. Tori had finally heard from the university and was hired on as a lecturer for the School of Medicine for the fall term. All that remained was for Eichi to graduate so that he could finally step aside as the Sohma family's physician. When that happened, they would begin the preparations for their wedding. Even Chris and Gure seemed to be very happy, although the Dog seemed to be shuffling his feet obt going to see Kureno about his options for bringing Chris officially into the family. When asked why, he simply said the moment to ask hadn't come. He had become increasingly restless and often dragged Chris out dancing to burn off his energy.
The only black spot on our idyllic lives was Gure's attempted meeting with his parents. After sending them a beautifully written invitation to tea they sent back a typed refusal that stated that they would not see him as long as he was dating Chris. We were there for him however, and his chosen family surrounded him with the love that his parents would not give him. So we were especially motivated to make the festival special for our own star-crossed lovers.
Mine wants a date
We had been cutting and folding and crimping paper for days before I had had enough. True, the others had offered help, but only Gure really had any talent with crafts. But as his hands shook with nerves we finally shooed them off as they were more harm than help. Turning to Aya I said,
"I love you my dear, but if you don't take me out on a date tonight I will take a candle to this pile of paper. And the Lovers will just have to make do with blank notes rather than their customary wishes."
I looked at her with mock concern and said,
"No my dear, that won't do. We are meant to send our wishes to the Lovers, not our frustrations. But I see your point. We do need a break. So I'll grant your wish and take you out tonight."
So I was very happy when Tori called to invite us out to celebrate Eichi's graduation.
Tori is Resigned
Following his graduation, Eichi, my father and I met with Kureno to observe yet another ritual that was timeless as our New Year's celebration - the passing on of the title "THE" Dr. Sohma. While there were several Dr. Sohmas in my family, including my father, none of them held the prestige and authority of the doctor chosen to serve as the family's primary care giver. Always chosen from the ranks of the family by the reigning Dr. Sohma, this doctor had always looked after their health but also ensured the family's secrets were kept.
The ritual originally transferred much more than just a mere title. I still felt twinges of those chains that were forged around me the day that title passed on to me and felt the ghost of the heavy burden of my deadly responsibility. Fortunately, for Eichi's sake, he would only hold the title of Dr. Sohma, as the curse was severed enough to make that part of the ritual obsolete and the ties that bound him to the family were only philosophical in nature. But it was still a heavy burden to carry.
I looked at Eichi. He was so very young and excited and, to be honest, terribly nervous. But I felt relieved that he was taking my place. My father caught my eyes over Eichi's head and nodded. He clearly had felt the same relief when he had passed the torch to me.
As Eichi said the final oath swearing to provide for the family's health, we all relaxed. Kureno lapsed back into his day-to-day self and leaned back comfortably in his chair. I could see a slight moue of displeasure on my father's face but he said nothing. It was replaced with a resigned expression for he knew things had changed.
"So Eichi," Kureno asked, "now that all the pomp and circumstance is over, do you have plans to celebrate your success?"
"Gure said something about bringing me out to a club."
As he didn't want to be involved in the planning of the rest of the night my father rose, bowed to Kureno and said,
"If I may be excused, I have to water my bonsai. I will look in on the younger Sohmas tonight as I am sure Shigure will not be in any shape to do so."
Kureno smiled, saying,
"You are excused. He then turned to Eichi, and said,
"Well I don't want to keep you as you'll want to get ready. You are excused."
The two of us bowed and as I rose Kureno said,
"Eichi, you are excused. Hatori, if I could, may I have a few more minutes of your time?"
I sat back down and looked back at him, having a feeling I knew where this was going.
He then said, with a smile on his face.
"So do you have plan for the night?"
"I had planned to have a quiet night in with Mayu but am I going to join Gure and Eichi at the club?"
"Well, as always you have a choice but I think it would be good for you and Mayu to go out and have fun tonight. Fall will be be here sooner than you think and you'll both be busy. "
"That's true."
"And then there's the matter of Shigure."
"Shigure? Oh…."
It occurred to me that The Dog still was still in residence. And as he had invited Eichi out, he was going to be meddlesome. And a meddlesome Dog was a troublesome Dog.
"Alright, I'll play chaperone again."
"Think of it more as being the responsible brother."
Something else occurred to me at that moment.
"Would you like to come out with us? I'm sure it's been a while since you had a break. I'm sure the family can survive without you for a few hours."
He looked at me sadly and said,
"Ever since Akito's passing, a bit of light went out of me. I haven't felt much like going out of late."
He softly added,
"It's incredibly tiring being everyone's sunshine when the clouds threaten to smother you from within."
He brightened, and said,
"But the time is approaching when I will be able to take a break. And that's why I ask you to go out tonight. Enjoy a bit of light for me. Be the sunshine in others' lives for a while."
I had a feeling he meant more than just having fun with my friends that night, and at that moment I felt a great sense of happiness and wellbeing pass into me. I bowed and said good bye as I could tell that Kureno needed a bit of time to sit with the dark as his mask was slipping. Behind his serene face lay the eyes of a man in mourning.
A/N: And so we begin again! I hope as always you enjoy the tale. This story is actually finished and it is LONG (I'm actually working on the finale now) but I do hope that it is enjoyable. This is a good stopping point thematically so I will call it here. And as always, I remain, Acta!