"The dangerous talk of today evolves to be the common sense of tomorrow." --Zhi philosopher, c. 530 AE
April 21, 1112 AE
Shiromori Castle, Ayumora, Shiromori
"...and then she starts chasing me around, begging me for a kiss, and I just keep running until I collapse. I figure I've lost her, but what do I know? She jumps on me and starts smothering me! I try to push her off, but she's stronger than she looks, so now my mouth is full of girly spit and it's gross and I hate it!"Kawa paused, waiting for his sister to agree--disagree--laugh at him--whatever. But she didn't do anything. She hadn't done anything in... well, a while. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure why he still tried.
And yet, for whatever reason, he did. "Well? Don't you have anything to say about that?"
Maru shrugged--at least it was a movement. "So what? She likes you and she's a little forward. There's nothing wrong with that."Did that even qualify as a reaction? It hadn't seemed like her heart had been in it at all. Desperate, Kawa tried a different angle. "Father says not to take forward girls seriously."
As soon as the last word had breached his lips, he had to marvel at his own brilliance; both their father and forwardness were sensitive topics for Maru. How had he not managed to think of this before?
"In that case, I think you should marry her," she advised him, her expression a mask of half-amusement despite the neutrality of her voice--well, at least she was trying now. "That way, even if something happens to me, or he decides that he hates me enough to throw away the chance to become an emperor by passing me over for succession, he's still stuck with a forward girl on the throne. That would be sure to piss him off, wouldn't it?"Kawa shuddered; he wasn't sure if she was joking, but he didn't think it worth the risk. "But I don't want to marry her!"
"Well, the way most people would see it, you have to now, or else that makes her a splay-legged slut for ever kissing a man other than her husband." She paused for a moment, taking the extension of her belt between her fingers and twirling it about. "Kawa, why do you think it is that if a man fools around with women before he's married, then he's just getting it out of his system, but if a woman does the same with men, then she's a filthy whore? It seems a little unfair, don't you think? I mean, when you get down to it, who declared it was any different? I doubt it was the Goddess--she's a woman herself, you know."
Kawa had to admit that he'd never considered that. Perhaps there was still a lot he didn't know--about sex, about the world, about anything really.All he knew was that he did not want to grow up to be like his father.
"I don't know why that is," he agreed, hoping that at the very least, she would realize that she had an ally. "I suppose that's another way to piss father off--whichever one of us gets the throne, things like that are going to start changing."
NEXT CHAPTER:
Short post is short :(
ReplyDeleteNext post... also short :(
Part III is pretty much just a wind-up, a sort of interlude between the introduction to this world and the action that will be taking place later on, since that will involve people who haven't even been born yet. Completely inefficient storytelling, I know :P
Poor Maru. At least she still has spirit!:D And bless little Kawa for sticking with her!
ReplyDeleteBravo, little Kawa! You stick by your sister!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, in regards to things changing, I have to wonder if the little girl kissing Kawa is an indication that things are already changing. I mean, if a child, especially a girl child, who's been indoctrinated into this system has the courage to break away ... well, that makes me wonder what the adults are getting up to when they think no one's looking.
And might I say, the costuming/hair and makeup job you've done on Maru is quite brilliant. You can see it in the pictures, just how subdued and shut-in she's become.
Phoenix: There's a little of the old Maru shining through here... not much, but she is there :)
ReplyDeleteKawa is growing up to be a fine young man.
Morgaine: Interesting point. It is true that most young girls would have never dared, and this particular girl has had a rather conservative upbringing (she's Kuchimatsu's younger sister, though that didn't really matter much in the context of the chapter, so it wasn't mentioned). It would make sense for her to be a rebel at heart--her father died when she was quite young, and her mother and brother are too busy for her, so she might have a little bit of resentment for them and the servants they stick her with. Kissing Kawa might have been an action of revenge.
But I'm totally going off on a tangent, since we haven't even met this character yet :P
Thanks. It's a little painful to see Maru dressed like that, and with her hair all tied back, but it goes with how she's feeling right now :(
It is good to see a little bit of Maru's spirit come out here. I think she feels hopelessness and yet can still encourage her brother to strive for change. There is a little rebellion in each of them.
ReplyDeleteThat pretty much sums up Maru's feelings exactly.
ReplyDeleteDespite Kohashi, there is definitely some rebellion in this gene pool :D
Short is good. I like the lighting in this, Maru in shadow, muted, but not.
ReplyDeleteAnd DUH! about my last comment, of course, the letters are being held from her, forgive me, my age.
Nice show of sibling bonding here, love Maru's blunt honesty, nicely done~
Thanks Drew :)
ReplyDeleteHeh... I didn't even notice the lighting until you pointed it out :P
Heh, Kawa tells his tale of romantic woe and cooties. It must be terrible to be a child in that family. Mom ran away. Sister chronically depressed. Father a loony toon.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, that poor kid. He's the only sane one there :(
ReplyDelete