Etsuko lore
It was a regular Monday morning like any morning, coffee brewing, the sizzling of bell peppers that gave a nurturing sweet aroma in the air. A squeak like yawn was heard from the bathroom before a young man stepped out, dressed in a tee that was merchandise he acquired from the official merchandise store online of an anime he enjoyed. He was tall, skinny, his hair parting to his left as it shimmered in a mix of blonde to a baby blue. As the man reached into the drawer of his office desk, his phone rang, the number very unforgettable to him for six and a half years. It was his slightly older, much shorter, sister that he took care of when she was ill physically or mentally.
"Yes, Etsuko? Wait, excuse me, you have something concerning your right eye? I take it that Alicia is away at a conference?" Aleksandr Tanaka Shinagawa was four minutes younger than his identical twin sister, Etsuko, who was Aleks' brother, Hibiki before the transition the now neko kitsune woman had. Etsuko always loved Aleksandr the most as her family never truly accepted her except her twin brother. Aleks, or Tanaka as Etsuko always called him, was very protective of the woman, quite unbearable at times to his sister.
The coffee had grown cold as Tanaka sipped the mug fast, his breakfast lay to his posterior before grabbing the plate, his ears and tails wagging to a song in a commercial. He shuffled to clean his plate over the sink before he looked to his watch, counting with each tick to remember when he ate. The man counted after every meal as it was something he would find reliable to remember how long he ate when he would work at the reception desk of a doctor's office. His eyes were much lighter than Etsuko's, almost the color of his scleras, heer eyes were a dark silver, it was the only distinct feature that could help identify the two when they were children.
After thirteen minutes, Aleks, Etsuko only ever called him that when she would poke fun alongside him, arrived at Etsuko's apartment with a casual knock. The door was opened softly by Etsuko as she peeked through the door with curiosity until she covered her right eye as to not show her brother concern for the eye. "Tanaka, there's some weird shit going on with this eye. Since when do Shinagawa eyes glow gold?" The Shinagawa family never had glowing gold eyes, the family's eyes were always a form of white, gray, or silver. Her hand moved away as she put a kitsune mask on her face to hide the glow, to feel more relaxed. Tanaka held onto Etsuko as the eye glowed under the mask in a dull sense. Once Etsuko pulled away from the sibling, she pulled the mask to her side, the eye glowing with a slight hypnotic aura. A few minutes later, her voice stuttered before realizing a story their mother told a few times.
The story was considered as a Shinagawa legacy as Miles, the patriarch of the family, described to his children before Mayvionia, the matriarch of the family, had spoken of the legacy as a story when they were little. As told by Mayvionia, the golden eye of sunlight as it was portrayed, was how an Shinagawa had been the next carrier of Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu. The carrier showed Amaterasu what life had felt to each ancestor, passing between every other generation of the family. The last Shinagawa to inherit the golden eye was Miles' aunt, one that Etsuko looked up to as she lived life as best as she could. The story always expressed that Amaterasu could communicate with the carrier somehow either through thoughts or speaking using the carrier.
Etsuko facepalmed as she explained to Tanaka the story that was remembered from her mind. Then a voice fluttered in her head gracefully, almost as if it were to ask for a dance. As the voice continued to speak, Tanaka noticed that the right eye flickered with each word being spoken to Etsuko in her mind. Once, the flickering stopped, Etsuko looked to Tanaka with a sigh that loomed throughout the room almost as if to suffocate with negative emotions. "So the legacy that dad and mom mentioned is true, makes sense now that I remember great aunt Catherine always wearing sunglasses. I think I have some aviators somewhere, hope I remember if they have prescription lenses." Aleksandr gave a concerned look to his sister as he felt that she was acting to not break in front of him. "Tanaka, I'll…be okay, I think. It seems I will be learning more about life as much as Amaterasu will if she has not yet to the fullest."
As the woman stood, her mind wandered until she spoke in a Slavic accent to her brother. "Aleks, weird to call you that in a serious tone, if I am a carrier, that means great aunt Catherine has died. Remember how she told us to follow our passions? You are still following to be a doctor even though you became a receptionist. You do qualify to be a nurse after you graduated from nursing school." Tanaka chuckled as a tail booped his sister's nose gently. "Says the professional singer in the family who never experiences life to her fullest."
The two siblings bickered before Tanaka lifted Etsuko on his shoulder, a way to poke fun at her height until the woman climbed down and put a pair of aviators on. Rarely did the woman take her glasses off, anyone seeing her without them being worn, found her beautiful, elegant, even though she wasn't elegant at all, just formal to most. "I look like a dork because I'm in casual clothes. I love days off because I can wear whatever without concern such as these leggings and a hoodie." "You are not a dork, more like a goofball with a side of razzle dazzle." "I should not have grit my teeth from hearing razzle dazzle, Aleks."
Once the bickering halted, Tanaka's watch beeped, signifying that he could eat. He always was one to forget to eat thus having his watch remind him to eat. As the beeping concluded on annoying the two, Etsuko had begun to focus on cleaning the apartment, the woman enjoyed to clean when the opportunity presented itself. Dust particles spread in the air while ears wiggled to a rather old song being played on Etsuko's playlist.
Both siblings were understanding that life will change between the two as now Etsuko became Amaterasu's carrier. The thoughts that Etsuko embraced were life changing, fascinating, bold. What would life be now with her wife and her family when she explains to everyone about the journey that lay before her?
The questions repeated over and over like a broken record player, the thoughts becoming clearer each second until Etsuko inhaled then sighed. Her ears lowered briefly until she understood that the life changing journey could hopefully involve Tanaka and Alicia. Her straight faced expression turned to a smile as Etsuko asked Tanaka to be by her side while she discovered life to its fullest. "Sis, of course I will be here with you. I have not stopped taking care of you and I will not stop taking care of you. Alicia takes care of you too, sometimes you may not realize that but she does love you very much."
Etsuko's mind calmed as she listened to the words Tanaka shared, her thoughts less terrifying. "Aleks, you're still a dork but you were always more mature compared to I. Didn't you have to work today? Hope it was a day off instead of you calling in." "Etsuko, I had the day off, you are fine, no need to worry, alright? You should relax more, you always worry, and then think it is your fault when it truthfully is not your fault."
A soothing voice was heard as Etsuko began to sing, singing calmed her when emotions started to create problems for her mindset. Tanaka sat next to her, listening with a splendid expression. Her singing felt soothing to the neko kitsune man in the same light when he worried about her. Vocals felt soft yet enchanting to both as Etsuko poured emotion into the song she had been attempting to practice daily. Etsuko began to continue cleaning all the while she sang, her mood changing from a depressing manor, to her positive thinking self, thanking Tanaka as he left to bring the two dinner. She had asked if he could stay and spend time together with her as she would have preferred to not be alone. Tanaka wholeheartedly accepted the offer and knew the two would enjoy the rest of the day together.