Kirameku Ha started eating his lunch at his engawa by the time he heard the wooden chimes clinging to make music. Footsteps into his home gained his attention. Two people were visiting him today. Picking up a small bell, he rang it to let his visitors know that he was outside facing the courtyard. He continued eating until his visitors made themselves known. They were women well-known to the retiree.
One of the women was Anju, the widow of the swordsman, Mitsuzuka, and Meioshi's urn maker for her funeral services. She was smiling brightly at him as she often does. Anju somehow always made him want to smile. She just had a heartwarming cheeriness that was tough to beat once you got to know her, and she was surprisingly goofy by nature. Laughter was a quality of life that she valued. No matter how old she may get, Kirameku Ha remembered how pretty and active she used to be in her younger years. He often joked with her about Mitsuzuka's interest in her, claiming her active lifestyle was what caught the swordsman's sexual and romantic interest. It was a shame that she didn't remarry, but Anju was proud to be Mitsuzuka's wife and had no shame in being his widow. She honors him as though he were still alive. If anything, through working with Meioshi, she learned to simply enjoy courting men her age who weren't interested in remarrying but wanted to enjoy a more fulfilling social life. Anju's pottery and sculpture classes were very popular amongst older citizens who just wanted to participate in a hobby of some kind, and, judging from the clamor of men who often speak with her after classes were over, his busy friend still got it. Courtship for the elderly was taboo in regular society, especially for older women. Once a woman outlived her use in producing children, she sadly became forgotten and was subjected to being labeled some demeaning things. He returned her smile with a soft smile and nodded. Kirameku Ha would never call Anju an old hag like a lot of villagers and youngsters seem to do. He knew her too well and had feelings for a fellow elderly woman himself. He liked Anju's kimono, though. It was a nice mixture of orange and purple stripes with leaves along the left side changing from green against the orange stripes to yellow against the purple stripes. He wasn't sure why he liked it, but the colors were just captivating.
Now, the other visitor was a younger woman named Chiyumi. She was arguably the tallest woman in Heiwa, and she was often admired for her large bust and long legs, but she was also well-known for being one of the most beautiful and classiest women to come from Meioshi's old school, Yanagisawa School. Chiyumi was Meioshi's mentor directly underneath the mother-instructor, or simply mother, and had no problems disciplining young Meioshi or her classmates when necessary. Like Anju, Chiyumi was a widow but to a fairly abusive husband. She ran to Meioshi's estate for safety often when she couldn't take it. The two were very close in school, so it only seemed natural that the girl would run to a friend. When her husband passed away, she chose to only honor him through her fondest memory of him. She never responds to the question of what or who killed him. She will court other men from time to time, but she doesn't usually stay in relationships for very long. She refrains from explaining why.
It was unfortunate that the school had closed down during Meioshi and Chiyumi's teenage years, but it was for the best since it was now simply a geisha house. Though nothing was wrong with it being a geisha house, Kirameku Ha found that he missed a lot of the events that Yanagisawa School used to host because they had something for everyone to do. A lot of the girls, and even some young men, were successful in life after graduation. Meioshi was a prime example seeing as though she became a doctor. The truth was Kirameku Ha felt that had the school not been shut down the way that it had Chiyumi and some of the other girls and boys might have fared better in relationships, but it was hard to tell if anything would've changed had the school survived when it came to things like that. However, judging from Chiyumi's solemn face, his attention was required. Chiyumi was one of Meioshi's closest friends and supporters. If she was this serious, it probably had something to do with her.
"Hello, old friend," Anju greeted first, laughing a bit. "That's a good lunch you're eating."
"Fresh duck with orange sauce and ginger coupled with steamed edamame," Chiyumi said, tucking a lock of her brown hair behind her ear and placing her hands elegantly on her lap. "An excellent combination. Hello, Lord Kirameku Ha."
"You promised to call me uncle," Kirameku Ha said with a pout even though his facial expression maintained its regal seriousness.
Chiyumi smiled softly, brown eyes brightening up at her face, and said, "Sorry. Hello, uncle. Where's little sister?"
"She left some time ago," Kirameku Ha replied. "Said something about needing to locate a map. It didn't seem urgent, but she must have found something of interest if she hadn't returned home immediately. Her number of appointment requests is beginning to pile up with the upcoming autumn season. Young Kijiro is not with you?"
"He wants to visit little sister's museum after school to design his room. He likes exploring forests, so he wants his bedroom and the bath to look more like that style of landscaping," Chiyumi replied, keeping her soft smile at the mention of her newly adopted son. She looked forward to raising him and making sure he was still able to spend time with Ohta and the girls until he was comfortable with making new friends. She then said, "Meioshi must have taken him exploring quite frequently. He loves his bugs! If I let him, he'd live in her museum with Kyoko. Surprisingly, he's developed an innate talent for cooking. He can make otherwise complicated dishes with impressive ease after proper instruction, and he knows how his dish will taste differently in fine detail. I was surprised he didn't want to live with a chef."
"He does, young Chiyumi," Anju said softly, placing a gentle hand on the girl's knee. "Did you forget what school you came from that quickly?"
Chiyumi blushed brightly before looking down and smiling. She shook her head to refocus her attention on the situation at hand and said, "I'll be calling for help in Kijiro's room later, uncle. Meioshi is of greater concern. Has she received her family's marking yet?"
Kirameku Ha was quiet for a moment before answering, "Yes. She has performed her punishment after receiving it as well."
"Then, that means she has formally returned to the Bushido. Her name legally can be readded to the registry," Chiyumi said. "She is a doctor under the code, after all. It's how she formed her oath. The Henka no kōshin festival is approaching soon as well. Her family heritage and her medical responsibilities towards the emperor will be questioned if she doesn't honor them. Has she considered attendance this year?"
"This, I do not know, young Chiyumi," Kirameku Ha answered honestly. "The oath maker would have to discuss with her the significance of her return to the Bushido. It's more than just a festival to attend. She potentially could be called out to war fronts to heal soldiers due to her practice, or even become a law keeper since she acted as one in Shinju o Tateru before her untimely disappearance. The same could be said of her eligibility to marry. She is a descendant of a maritime soldier. Her bride price will be decent. Should she perform her practice sessions and the ceremony for her family flawlessly before the emperor, this could undeniably do more for her status. I do not believe she wants any of that these days. Her focus is elsewhere. You know this."
"But it's been four years," Chiyumi said, eyes filled with both remorse and understanding. "She can't run from this forever."
"When she returned to the world of the living, she was on the run from so much more than we will ever understand. When she trained under young Shishou, she was in search of peace. Her return to the Bushido is not a pass for everyone to try to run her their way. It was to accept her reality. She needs time to accept what happened those years ago. She may cope with things fully and she may not at all, but she cannot be rushed to overcome grief. She never forced anyone else to do it. Why force her now?" Kirameku Ha asked with a calm demeanor.
"She worries that Meioshi is still blaming herself," Anju said, no longer smiling. "She was haunted so menacingly upon her return. Supposing she never copes and performs the seppuku again? Do we fail as her support system when suicide is always waiting for her? When that tanto is eager for her blood?"
"Our failure will be far more imminent if we force her to smile in the face of death," Kirameku Ha replied. "But I will inform her of the festival. If she refuses to go, then her registry will be withheld until she is ready to challenge her guilt. What hell has shown her through its eyes is something we cannot deal with as she can."
"Calligraphy. On paper, it is an art form that only the soul can create through ink and brush; in the sand, through the Zen rake and tool; elsewhere, by the blade or tool of the heart's choosing. Some see this art form as a bowl holding fresh water. The purer the water, the purer one's soul. Every vertical, horizontal, and angular line formed in calligraphy is linked to the continuity of your purity. The human hand and kanji script are the conflicting entities the soul must be the mediate. The human hand finds beauty in human imperfection. It creates curves, stripes, dots, and diagonal lines to denounce straightness, pathways, and clarity. The script, however, finds beauty in freedom. It connects the hand's rebellious strokes to create letters and words. When hand and script agree, they become one and your soul aids them in the cojoining of their spirits. Intimate, private, and seemingly spontaneous in its expression, calligraphy requires much time and effort to master but this art form activates the power of the soul through freeing one's emotions and enhancing hidden abilities within one's personality. To further your skill in this art, you must develop your creative talents and become a student of self-realization. Self-realization disciplines the script's freedom and the hand's emotions. You must never lose an opportunity to free your soul. For there is beauty to behold when the heart chooses your tool and the soul finds a balance between hand and script."
Among lavender, sand, and stone, her Zen tool drew out many things. Anger, disappointment, protection, hope, and sign. Each word drawn is then erased for another word to take its place. Plop. Splash. Water moved as she drew her final word. Confused. At that, she stopped and sighed before opening her eyes. The word touched her soul and became clear to her. There was so much she didn't understand, it seemed. So much uncertainty, so many questions, and yet... she couldn't form the right question to ask aloud. Placing the Zen tool back in its sacred home, she removed the rake from its shelf and began forming patterns around the spiritual stones in the sand. What could she do to mend her confusion? What could she do to make things right? She shouldn't be flooded with so much confusion. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she let her soul do the talking and thought of nothing as she drew beautiful patterns in the sand. When she felt she was done, she opened her eyes again and swallowed at her artwork. She drew a shield. Her solution was protection.
"Looks like I have some work to do. Apologies in advance, Lord Sesshomaru, but I've to watch over Homugi. You will not be able to join me on this path. You have to march on your own..."