Post by Yoshihiro Minamoto on Dec 24, 2012 2:02:51 GMT -8
December, 1441 - Akita, Japan; Royal Palace
The morning sun began to rise above the clouds after a long night filled with snowfall. For the first time all month, the day looked as if it would be clear. The stormy weather seemed to be passing, at least for the time being. Blue birds gone, the Daurian Redstars began to chirp about outside people's houses. The snow from the storm had covered nearly all of the ground, and the trees leaned because of the weight on their branches.
Yoshihiro opened his eyes wearily, as the song of the Redstars filled his ears. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, taking a look around his room. Next to his cot on the tatami mat lay his bonsai tree that his father had given him for his birthday. Above his bed, attached to the wall, was a shelf that held a pot of water for the tree. To Yoshihiro's right, beyond the Bonsai, was a window, frosted by the winter weather. In front of Yoshihiro's cot was a small table, on top of which sat three books related to Yoshihiro's schooling. To the left of the room, between the cot and the desk, was the shoji, leading to the rest of the house. And to the right of the desk was Yoshihiro's most precious possession: the daisho his father had given him only a few months ago.
The whole room was a tan color, with the bamboo tatami mats showing a worn green. However, the room had become darkened by the winter weather, appearing more gloomy than usual. On this day, though, the rising sun that peaked above the clouds managed to shine a little light on the room, brightening it for the first time in days. Suddenly, Yoshihiro jumped up from his previously weary state, and ran to the window in his room. He brushed his hand over the window to remove the fog, and opened his eyes wide as he looked outside. Birds! Yoshihiro's face lit up with joy as the birds flew by the window in the outside garden, chasing each other above the snow. As Yoshihiro admired the revealing nature, the shoji slid open behind him.
"Yoshihiro!" his father exclaimed. "Ohayoo Gozaimasu (Good Morning)!"
"Father," Yoshihiro replied excitedly. "Look out the window! Birds!"
Yoshihiro bowed after exclaiming his appreciation of nature, and his father walked over to the window.
"Hai, it seems the sun has granted us with light on this day. The birds are taking advantage of it!" Yoshihiro's father laughed, and Yoshihiro followed in suit. After staring out the window for a few moments, Yoshihiro's father turned and patted Yoshihiro on the shoulder.
"Alright, get ready son. You have school now!"
Yoshihiro's father exited the room as the young child gave a sigh, feeling ill at the mention of school. A Young maiden entered at the same time with a pair of clothes for Yoshihiro, whom bowed in appreciation. Yoshihiro adorned the blue kimono with white stars, and exited his room to meet with his father in the dining hall. Father and son began to enjoy a breakfast of rice and dumplings, before both headed off into the snowy landscape on their journey to Yoshihiro's school house.
Yoshihiro quickly packed his bag, and he was off with his father. They exited their abode and entered a magnificent garden, though its true glory had been covered by the whiteness of the snow. They turned left, and crossed over a small stream onto the snow-covered path toward the ツツジ科, or "School of Azalea". As they walked, admiring the birds and animals that had come out for the day, Yoshihiro's father recognized someone ahead on the path.
"Yoroko!" he called. The man turned, and a great grin appeared on his face, Yoshihiro stood confused as his father ran to meet with the man who apparently knew his father. Distracted by the interruption in their travel, Yoshihiro began to look around him. Large trees, covered in snow, were at his left, while large buildings, training schools, were at his right. Interested in the birds fluttering about, Yoshihiro ran into the trees, laughing as he tried to keep up with the animals.
As Yoshihiro climbed through the snow around the trees, he thought he hard a strange noise. Stopping, he looked around for the source of what he thought was laughter. seeing nothing, Yoshihiro dismissed it and continued running along. However, the noise became louder, and Yoshihiro stopped once more. Looking around again, Yoshihiro saw the faint out line of a person sitting in the snow not too far off from where he was. Curious, Yoshihiro ran, to the best of his ability, toward the person. As he neared, the figure became more clear, and eventually the previous outline was gone, in place of a little girl.
Walking quietly so as not to disturb the girl, Yoshihiro watched earnestly as the girl spelled hiragana characters in the snow. The girl looked to be about the same age as Yoshihiro, with long, flowing black hair, adorned with a flower. She wore a pink kimono decorated with a yellow moon, and had on dark red Zori. For a moment, Yoshihiro seemed to be captured by the beauty of the young girl. Snapping to attention, though, Yoshihiro noticed the girl had misspelled one of the characters. Wanting the chance to meet this young woman, Yoshihiro abandoned silence and ran to where the girl was sitting. Crashing through the snow, Yoshihiro landed in front of the girl, knelt down in the snow, and fixed the character to the correct strokes. Taken aback by his random appearance, the girl nearly jumped out of her dress, and began to run away.
"Wait!" Yoshihiro exclaimed. "I was just fixing your spelling!"
The girl stopped. Her frightened look soon subsided, and changed to one of curiosity. She slowly walked back to where she was previously sitting, and knelt down in front of Yoshihiro.
"Hi. I'm Yoshihiro Minamoto!" Yoshihiro expressed to the unknown girl.
She sat silent as Yoshihiro stared into her eyes. A smile began to creep on Yoshihiro's face, though the girl remained silent and stern. Not discouraged, Yoshihiro began to draw more characters in the snow. The girl, feeling slightly more at ease, began to join him, continuing the drawings.
"I am... Akira Yamata." The girl finally spoke, her voice as soft as an angel's. Yoshihiro looked up from the ground and smiled, and, though it took a few moments, Akira did the same. The children began to draw various pictures in the snow of animals, houses and even people. As the children became enveloped in their activity, a small bird fluttered by their heads.
The children laughed, and both began to chase after the bird. They ran around trees, over logs, and through bush, trying to catch the nimble flier. Yoshihiro looked over at Akira, and a warm feeling swept over him as Akira smiled. Distracted by her presence, Yoshihiro ran straight into a tree, knocking a pile of snow on top of him. Akira let out a small scream, and ran over to him. Digging through the snow frantically, Akira removed it from on top of Yoshihiro, only to find him laughing underneath.
Akira, a relieved look on her face, began to laugh as well. All the while, their commotion had caused Yoshihiro's father and Yoroko to enter the wooded area.
"There you are!" Yoshihiro's father exclaimed as he went over to pick Yoshihiro up from the ground."
"Ah, it looks like our children were getting into some trouble ha-ha!" Yoroko laughed as he took his daughter by the hand.
"Well, we should be going. Yoshihiro here has to get to school!"
"Of course. It was good talking to you. Ja mata ne!" Yoroko bowed to Yoshihiro's father before taking his daughter off down the path.
"Ja mata," replied Yoshihiro's father.
Yoshihiro and Akira both gave one last smile as they looked at each other, before Yoshihiro's father pulled him along, back on their journey toward the school.
"Come on, son. We'll talk with Yoroko later!"
Yoshihiro and his father continued walking, as small snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
"Akira," Yoshihiro thought. "Akira."
Yoshihiro opened his eyes wearily, as the song of the Redstars filled his ears. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, taking a look around his room. Next to his cot on the tatami mat lay his bonsai tree that his father had given him for his birthday. Above his bed, attached to the wall, was a shelf that held a pot of water for the tree. To Yoshihiro's right, beyond the Bonsai, was a window, frosted by the winter weather. In front of Yoshihiro's cot was a small table, on top of which sat three books related to Yoshihiro's schooling. To the left of the room, between the cot and the desk, was the shoji, leading to the rest of the house. And to the right of the desk was Yoshihiro's most precious possession: the daisho his father had given him only a few months ago.
The whole room was a tan color, with the bamboo tatami mats showing a worn green. However, the room had become darkened by the winter weather, appearing more gloomy than usual. On this day, though, the rising sun that peaked above the clouds managed to shine a little light on the room, brightening it for the first time in days. Suddenly, Yoshihiro jumped up from his previously weary state, and ran to the window in his room. He brushed his hand over the window to remove the fog, and opened his eyes wide as he looked outside. Birds! Yoshihiro's face lit up with joy as the birds flew by the window in the outside garden, chasing each other above the snow. As Yoshihiro admired the revealing nature, the shoji slid open behind him.
"Yoshihiro!" his father exclaimed. "Ohayoo Gozaimasu (Good Morning)!"
"Father," Yoshihiro replied excitedly. "Look out the window! Birds!"
Yoshihiro bowed after exclaiming his appreciation of nature, and his father walked over to the window.
"Hai, it seems the sun has granted us with light on this day. The birds are taking advantage of it!" Yoshihiro's father laughed, and Yoshihiro followed in suit. After staring out the window for a few moments, Yoshihiro's father turned and patted Yoshihiro on the shoulder.
"Alright, get ready son. You have school now!"
Yoshihiro's father exited the room as the young child gave a sigh, feeling ill at the mention of school. A Young maiden entered at the same time with a pair of clothes for Yoshihiro, whom bowed in appreciation. Yoshihiro adorned the blue kimono with white stars, and exited his room to meet with his father in the dining hall. Father and son began to enjoy a breakfast of rice and dumplings, before both headed off into the snowy landscape on their journey to Yoshihiro's school house.
Yoshihiro quickly packed his bag, and he was off with his father. They exited their abode and entered a magnificent garden, though its true glory had been covered by the whiteness of the snow. They turned left, and crossed over a small stream onto the snow-covered path toward the ツツジ科, or "School of Azalea". As they walked, admiring the birds and animals that had come out for the day, Yoshihiro's father recognized someone ahead on the path.
"Yoroko!" he called. The man turned, and a great grin appeared on his face, Yoshihiro stood confused as his father ran to meet with the man who apparently knew his father. Distracted by the interruption in their travel, Yoshihiro began to look around him. Large trees, covered in snow, were at his left, while large buildings, training schools, were at his right. Interested in the birds fluttering about, Yoshihiro ran into the trees, laughing as he tried to keep up with the animals.
As Yoshihiro climbed through the snow around the trees, he thought he hard a strange noise. Stopping, he looked around for the source of what he thought was laughter. seeing nothing, Yoshihiro dismissed it and continued running along. However, the noise became louder, and Yoshihiro stopped once more. Looking around again, Yoshihiro saw the faint out line of a person sitting in the snow not too far off from where he was. Curious, Yoshihiro ran, to the best of his ability, toward the person. As he neared, the figure became more clear, and eventually the previous outline was gone, in place of a little girl.
Walking quietly so as not to disturb the girl, Yoshihiro watched earnestly as the girl spelled hiragana characters in the snow. The girl looked to be about the same age as Yoshihiro, with long, flowing black hair, adorned with a flower. She wore a pink kimono decorated with a yellow moon, and had on dark red Zori. For a moment, Yoshihiro seemed to be captured by the beauty of the young girl. Snapping to attention, though, Yoshihiro noticed the girl had misspelled one of the characters. Wanting the chance to meet this young woman, Yoshihiro abandoned silence and ran to where the girl was sitting. Crashing through the snow, Yoshihiro landed in front of the girl, knelt down in the snow, and fixed the character to the correct strokes. Taken aback by his random appearance, the girl nearly jumped out of her dress, and began to run away.
"Wait!" Yoshihiro exclaimed. "I was just fixing your spelling!"
The girl stopped. Her frightened look soon subsided, and changed to one of curiosity. She slowly walked back to where she was previously sitting, and knelt down in front of Yoshihiro.
"Hi. I'm Yoshihiro Minamoto!" Yoshihiro expressed to the unknown girl.
She sat silent as Yoshihiro stared into her eyes. A smile began to creep on Yoshihiro's face, though the girl remained silent and stern. Not discouraged, Yoshihiro began to draw more characters in the snow. The girl, feeling slightly more at ease, began to join him, continuing the drawings.
"I am... Akira Yamata." The girl finally spoke, her voice as soft as an angel's. Yoshihiro looked up from the ground and smiled, and, though it took a few moments, Akira did the same. The children began to draw various pictures in the snow of animals, houses and even people. As the children became enveloped in their activity, a small bird fluttered by their heads.
The children laughed, and both began to chase after the bird. They ran around trees, over logs, and through bush, trying to catch the nimble flier. Yoshihiro looked over at Akira, and a warm feeling swept over him as Akira smiled. Distracted by her presence, Yoshihiro ran straight into a tree, knocking a pile of snow on top of him. Akira let out a small scream, and ran over to him. Digging through the snow frantically, Akira removed it from on top of Yoshihiro, only to find him laughing underneath.
Akira, a relieved look on her face, began to laugh as well. All the while, their commotion had caused Yoshihiro's father and Yoroko to enter the wooded area.
"There you are!" Yoshihiro's father exclaimed as he went over to pick Yoshihiro up from the ground."
"Ah, it looks like our children were getting into some trouble ha-ha!" Yoroko laughed as he took his daughter by the hand.
"Well, we should be going. Yoshihiro here has to get to school!"
"Of course. It was good talking to you. Ja mata ne!" Yoroko bowed to Yoshihiro's father before taking his daughter off down the path.
"Ja mata," replied Yoshihiro's father.
Yoshihiro and Akira both gave one last smile as they looked at each other, before Yoshihiro's father pulled him along, back on their journey toward the school.
"Come on, son. We'll talk with Yoroko later!"
Yoshihiro and his father continued walking, as small snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
"Akira," Yoshihiro thought. "Akira."