[ As siblings born to the Kamisato Clan, Ayato and Ayaka are both well-aware of what's in store for them, the sort of life that awaits them, if they are to uphold the expectations and the will of their clan, their ancestors, their parents. And as such, they know that marriage is a political play, a tool with which to solidify power and to strengthen alliances - and thusly a way to strengthen Inazuma as a whole.
But knowing this, still, does not make it any less difficult for a younger sister see her older brother betrothed and then wed for the aforementioned reasons. But it doesn't show. Ayaka, the ever-adored, ever-gracious Shirasagi Himegimi, appears the very picture of grace and manners from the moment they set foot onto Watatsumi Island for the wedding ceremony, up until the moment they step into the gate of the Kamisato Estate. It's not until she, at last, is able to retreat to the privacy of her own quarters that she allows the storm in her heart to pull and contort her expression, to draw tears from her eyes.
Because it does not escape her for one moment that Ayato does this, partly, to give his younger sister a chance at a life free of the expectations set upon them by their status. It is a sacrifice he makes to forge a world in which Ayaka might hope to marry someone she actually loves.
It makes her heart ache on behalf of Sangonomiya, too. The Divine Priestess, who must be close to Ayaka's age, herself, now wed to a man whose family stood with the Shogunate. In a different life, it could very well be Ayaka being married off to a son of another clan this evening. But she is not.
And so she resolves to support her new sister-in-law in every manner that she can, to make this as easy for her as it can possibly be. Perhaps, if they are all fortunate, they may even grow to love one another. She and Ayato are themselves the blessed outcomes of a political marriage full of love, after all.
Not long after the wedding, Ayato returns to his demanding schedule. He leaves early and returns home late on most days, to the point that the best way to communicate with her own brother is by leaving him notes in various places where he's sure to see them. She is in the middle of leaving such a note at his desk when she finds Kokomi nearby, still awake. ]
Ah. So you're still awake, Lady Kokomi. Are you... waiting for Ayato to return?
[ She'll be waiting a while, but she suspects that Kokomi, brilliant as she is, learned this very quickly. ]
Edited (idk too many line breaks) 2022-04-11 23:49 (UTC)
[There is a lot that Kokomi misses from her life in Watatsumi Island, and these past few weeks have been a long and difficult adjustment even with the support of her new family and its household. Most of all, she misses her secret base. She has nowhere to hide and recharge, and she doesn't quite feel comfortable enough to request one or take the initiative to simply make one. It's on the ever-growing list of things to do, and it keeps falling in priority in favor of things that are less selfishly-motivated.
In the meantime, she's taken to hiding in Ayato's office when he's not in it. Here, she can recuperate largely undisturbed. Servants sometimes come in to straighten up or leave a note for the master of the house, but aside from a brief 'is there anything you need?' they've realized that she prefers to be left alone when she's curled up in there. It works out well enough as a short-term solution.
This is the first time that Ayaka has found her here in such a moment, however, and the question is a reasonable one. The two young women are still feeling each other out, and Ayaka is astute enough not to leave anything to assumptions. She, like her brother, has been nothing short of supportive of this drastic change she's put herself through.
She's not sure if they should be addressing each so formally, since they're family, but she's not sure how to broach the subject. And honestly, it's a significant enough step down from "Her Excellency" that it hardly feels formal at all.
(The realization that she left that title back in Watatsumi Island was a pleasant one, enough for five whole energy points.)]
Oh, no, I'm not. I just wanted to find a quiet place to read for awhile.
[She holds up the light novel she had her nose buried in prior to Ayaka's arrival as proof.]
I know it's selfish, but sometimes I like to take some time by myself to recharge a little.
[ Were Ayaka privy to Kokomi's need for a private space, she would have similarly offered Ayato's office— he is, after all, rarely in it. Without a doubt, it is also the place where he spends the most time when he is home (and awake), but in such a case, Ayaka doubts that her brother would mind if his wife remained in the room.
In any case, it is the younger Kamisato sibling present at the moment. Ayaka carefully leaves the handwritten note on the desk where none of the other unread notes can be obscured. She and the staff very much have an unspoken system for how this works, and her note is positioned in such a manner that suggests that her message is perhaps not as pressing as the others. Busy as they both are, they communicate even the most mundane things in this way - but it's better than not communicating at all.
With that done, she looks back up at Kokomi and glances at the cover of the book she is reading— but it isn't just any book, it's the latest volume of Princess Mina of the Fallen Nation, which Ayaka is yet to find the time to read. ]
Oh, is that the latest volume—
[ Icy blue eyes blink in a silent, sudden moment of realization, her words cut off as though she's just said something that she wasn't supposed to say. Shortly, she clears her throat and looks away, eyes fixed on the tatami mat flooring at their feet. ]
Please, p—pardon me, Lady Kokomi, that was quite improper of me. But please, do not worry about appearing selfish. I'm glad if you're able to take some time for yourself to enjoy your pastimes. Hopefully that means you're continuing to settle in well here...?
[Ice-blue eyes meet violet ones, and for a moment Kokomi thinks that she and her sister-in-law are about to have a Moment before Ayaka over-corrects and cuts herself off. Which, honestly, Kokomi can hardly blame her for. She has repeatedly done the same to Ayaka and Thoma both in the few weeks she's been a part of this household. It's part of the reason her conversations with them are still so stiff and formal.
She hesitates, looking down at the book and back at Ayaka. And she decides that it's past time to actually take that first step.]
The latest volume of Princess Mina of the Fallen Nation? Yes, it is. I didn't know you were a fan of this series.
[She gives a small, shy smile. Her heart is pounding in her ears from nervousness, but she's trying not to let it show.]
I don't think you've been improper at all. If it's all right with you, I'd like for us to not be quite so formal with each other. We're sisters now, sort of, and... and I think it would be nice to get to know one another better.
[ Truth to tell, Ayaka has longed to ask her sister-in-law of the same. After all, she spends much of her day wearing the mantle of the Shirasagi Himegimi, and to have to do so for a new member of the family would have been taxing to say the least. That isn't to say that Ayaka will drop all formalities, but perhaps... Chatting about light novels and the like, that would be all right. Deep down, a part of her hopes that she can find a friend in Kokomi just as she had the Traveler - someone who can walk this seemingly lonely path of courteousness and the grace expected of the Kamisato Clan alongside her.
Still, it takes her a brief moment to truly understand what Kokomi has asked of her, as if the request hasn't quite sunk in. With a small, shy smile of her own, she nods with an affirmative hum. ]
Ah, I... I would like the same. Truthfully, I've been meaning to speak with you about this, but it seems you've beaten me to it. [ Her hand rises to conceal a quiet laugh upon her lips. ] Then, please, you can call me Ayaka from here on out.
[ A beat, then she adds, a bit sheepishly, ] And as for Princess Mina, I... Yes, I'm a fan. Although I haven't gotten a chance to get a copy of the book for myself, let alone read it. I hadn't even realized it had been released...
[In the burden of their respective obligations, Ayaka and Kokomi are sort of opposites. While the Shirasagi Himegimi feels isolated and lonely, the former Divine Priestess feels over-exposed and exhausted. But having to sacrifice part of themselves for the people they love so dearly is a common thread between them, and one that may be strong enough for them to grow close.
Kokomi has had many close advisors, but very few actual friends. It would be nice to make one, especially now that she’s so far away from her beloved island of Watatsumi.]
Then please, call me Kokomi.
[She closes the book, a subtle indication that Ayaka’s attention means more than the words on the page.]
I wasn’t aware either. I received this and a few other recent volumes of series I read as a sort of wedding gift from my pen pal.
[Yes, she and Yae Miko still correspond. And yes, they’re still using that cover story for any informal discussions between them.]
You’re more than welcome to borrow it, if you’d like. And once we’ve both read it, maybe we can talk about it?
[ At first, Ayaka seems caught with the idea of a pen pal. She's never had one before, and for that moment all she can think is how nice it would be, to have someone to regularly correspond with. Perhaps it would ease the loneliness, somewhat...
But perhaps, too, becoming closer with her new sister-in-law will help, too. ]
How thoughtful of them. Perhaps your pen pal has some kind of insider connection with the Yae Publishing House... I'm quite certain I didn't see that volume on display at the Irodori Festival, when Ayato, Thoma and I were shopping...
[ She's taken to leaning forward, scrutinizing its cover even as Kokomi closes the book. Surely, she would have noticed if the latest volume was out... It's not until Kokomi offers to lend her the book that she snaps back into awareness. Her eyes go wide once more, excitement clear and tangible on her face. ]
R—Really? Would that be alright with you? I'm sure that this must be some kind of special, pre-release edition... It must be handled with the utmost care.
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digitizedsouls2022-04-11 03:27 pm
YUP. you wanna go do karate in the garage?
But knowing this, still, does not make it any less difficult for a younger sister see her older brother betrothed and then wed for the aforementioned reasons. But it doesn't show. Ayaka, the ever-adored, ever-gracious Shirasagi Himegimi, appears the very picture of grace and manners from the moment they set foot onto Watatsumi Island for the wedding ceremony, up until the moment they step into the gate of the Kamisato Estate. It's not until she, at last, is able to retreat to the privacy of her own quarters that she allows the storm in her heart to pull and contort her expression, to draw tears from her eyes.
Because it does not escape her for one moment that Ayato does this, partly, to give his younger sister a chance at a life free of the expectations set upon them by their status. It is a sacrifice he makes to forge a world in which Ayaka might hope to marry someone she actually loves.
It makes her heart ache on behalf of Sangonomiya, too. The Divine Priestess, who must be close to Ayaka's age, herself, now wed to a man whose family stood with the Shogunate. In a different life, it could very well be Ayaka being married off to a son of another clan this evening. But she is not.
And so she resolves to support her new sister-in-law in every manner that she can, to make this as easy for her as it can possibly be. Perhaps, if they are all fortunate, they may even grow to love one another. She and Ayato are themselves the blessed outcomes of a political marriage full of love, after all.
Not long after the wedding, Ayato returns to his demanding schedule. He leaves early and returns home late on most days, to the point that the best way to communicate with her own brother is by leaving him notes in various places where he's sure to see them. She is in the middle of leaving such a note at his desk when she finds Kokomi nearby, still awake. ]
Ah. So you're still awake, Lady Kokomi. Are you... waiting for Ayato to return?
[ She'll be waiting a while, but she suspects that Kokomi, brilliant as she is, learned this very quickly. ]
no subject
In the meantime, she's taken to hiding in Ayato's office when he's not in it. Here, she can recuperate largely undisturbed. Servants sometimes come in to straighten up or leave a note for the master of the house, but aside from a brief 'is there anything you need?' they've realized that she prefers to be left alone when she's curled up in there. It works out well enough as a short-term solution.
This is the first time that Ayaka has found her here in such a moment, however, and the question is a reasonable one. The two young women are still feeling each other out, and Ayaka is astute enough not to leave anything to assumptions. She, like her brother, has been nothing short of supportive of this drastic change she's put herself through.
She's not sure if they should be addressing each so formally, since they're family, but she's not sure how to broach the subject. And honestly, it's a significant enough step down from "Her Excellency" that it hardly feels formal at all.
(The realization that she left that title back in Watatsumi Island was a pleasant one, enough for five whole energy points.)]
Oh, no, I'm not. I just wanted to find a quiet place to read for awhile.
[She holds up the light novel she had her nose buried in prior to Ayaka's arrival as proof.]
I know it's selfish, but sometimes I like to take some time by myself to recharge a little.
no subject
In any case, it is the younger Kamisato sibling present at the moment. Ayaka carefully leaves the handwritten note on the desk where none of the other unread notes can be obscured. She and the staff very much have an unspoken system for how this works, and her note is positioned in such a manner that suggests that her message is perhaps not as pressing as the others. Busy as they both are, they communicate even the most mundane things in this way - but it's better than not communicating at all.
With that done, she looks back up at Kokomi and glances at the cover of the book she is reading— but it isn't just any book, it's the latest volume of Princess Mina of the Fallen Nation, which Ayaka is yet to find the time to read. ]
Oh, is that the latest volume—
[ Icy blue eyes blink in a silent, sudden moment of realization, her words cut off as though she's just said something that she wasn't supposed to say. Shortly, she clears her throat and looks away, eyes fixed on the tatami mat flooring at their feet. ]
Please, p—pardon me, Lady Kokomi, that was quite improper of me. But please, do not worry about appearing selfish. I'm glad if you're able to take some time for yourself to enjoy your pastimes. Hopefully that means you're continuing to settle in well here...?
no subject
She hesitates, looking down at the book and back at Ayaka. And she decides that it's past time to actually take that first step.]
The latest volume of Princess Mina of the Fallen Nation? Yes, it is. I didn't know you were a fan of this series.
[She gives a small, shy smile. Her heart is pounding in her ears from nervousness, but she's trying not to let it show.]
I don't think you've been improper at all. If it's all right with you, I'd like for us to not be quite so formal with each other. We're sisters now, sort of, and... and I think it would be nice to get to know one another better.
no subject
Still, it takes her a brief moment to truly understand what Kokomi has asked of her, as if the request hasn't quite sunk in. With a small, shy smile of her own, she nods with an affirmative hum. ]
Ah, I... I would like the same. Truthfully, I've been meaning to speak with you about this, but it seems you've beaten me to it. [ Her hand rises to conceal a quiet laugh upon her lips. ] Then, please, you can call me Ayaka from here on out.
[ A beat, then she adds, a bit sheepishly, ] And as for Princess Mina, I... Yes, I'm a fan. Although I haven't gotten a chance to get a copy of the book for myself, let alone read it. I hadn't even realized it had been released...
no subject
Kokomi has had many close advisors, but very few actual friends. It would be nice to make one, especially now that she’s so far away from her beloved island of Watatsumi.]
Then please, call me Kokomi.
[She closes the book, a subtle indication that Ayaka’s attention means more than the words on the page.]
I wasn’t aware either. I received this and a few other recent volumes of series I read as a sort of wedding gift from my pen pal.
[Yes, she and Yae Miko still correspond. And yes, they’re still using that cover story for any informal discussions between them.]
You’re more than welcome to borrow it, if you’d like. And once we’ve both read it, maybe we can talk about it?
no subject
But perhaps, too, becoming closer with her new sister-in-law will help, too. ]
How thoughtful of them. Perhaps your pen pal has some kind of insider connection with the Yae Publishing House... I'm quite certain I didn't see that volume on display at the Irodori Festival, when Ayato, Thoma and I were shopping...
[ She's taken to leaning forward, scrutinizing its cover even as Kokomi closes the book. Surely, she would have noticed if the latest volume was out... It's not until Kokomi offers to lend her the book that she snaps back into awareness. Her eyes go wide once more, excitement clear and tangible on her face. ]
R—Really? Would that be alright with you? I'm sure that this must be some kind of special, pre-release edition... It must be handled with the utmost care.