Our fading memories

[Anadwen]

"If you will continue straining yourself, your wounds won't heal fast enough even with the effort Shinobu put into it." she warned him, giving him a cold look, much like the one her brother and his son gave everyone. "So rather stay where you are."

Someone entered, bringing a tray with food, and setting it before the mat. The boy, appearing little older than fifteen, stared at them in confusion, and disappeared as quickly as he came. Haru bent over to the food - a bowl of rice and fish and some water, along with a small bowl of salad - and turned over to Sozen, helping him sit up so he could eat.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen sighed and did as he was told. As much as he wanted to, he was in no condition to protest. Food soon arrived and Haru helped in sit up to eat. Sozen ate slowly and deliberately, as if his mind was elseware besides eating. Once Haru allowed him to stand he would begin training immediately. He had a lot of work to do.

[Anadwen]

Haru handed him the bowl of food and watched over him while he ate. He was being incredibly stubborn... "I should send Shinobu to watch over you in the meantime, or someone else that will make sure you won't do anything stupid."

Though, she couldn't leave him right now...

All of a sudden, the very air around felt heavy. She exerted as much spiritual pressure as it would be safe to do, reaching the point where people with lower levels of spiritual energy might even have trouble walking and standing. Someone would immediately rush in if that would happen...

And someone did. The same young boy, dressed in white and grey like warriors in training used to, rushed in. "Is anything wrong? Miss... Miss Haru?" he asked, holding onto the frame of the door to keep himself standing. She shook her head. The pressure immediately disappeared. "I simply needed someone to come quickly without me having to leave." she explained. He gave her a distressed look, and sat down into the corner.

"Take care after Sozen, and don't let him stand up or go anywhere till I return." she instructed him, and stood up to leave in her usual smooth manner.

The young boy gave Sozen a confused and distressed look. "Please, don't go anywhere. I don't want to have trouble from her." he pleased him. Haru may have been a very amicable person, but she was a Kido master, and nobody would want to be bound by a level 90 binding spell for the next week.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen did not even look at the boy as he spoke, but continued eating. It wasn't hard for Sozen to start feeling restless for he was a man of action. Lying around made him feel useless, which he hated. He needed to be doing something worthwhile and meaningful at all times, and sitting around waiting to heal was not one of them. It seemed awfully silly to leave a little boy to stop someone like Sozen, even while injured. Haru, however, was a force to be reckoned with. Sozen did not feel like messing with her right now.

[Anadwen]

In the meantime, Haru went to check on Seiki. The boy kept looking over Sozen, nervously twitching in the corner. It was horribly uncomfortable for him to look over the man...

Fortunately, the awkward silence was broken by Shinobu's entry. She silently walked in, and offered Sozen a hand. "Seiki sent me ask you a question, but I think you should speak to him in private." she explained briefly. "He's just a few rooms away."

It was unlikely that Takuya's son himself would request Sozen to come. It was more likely to be Shinobu's doing to get her cousin out of the room...

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen attempted to stand upon hearing that Seiki wished to speak with him, but he still couldn't pull it off. He allowed Shinobu to help up, since he was still incapable, and made his way to Seiki's room. He approached Seiki and knelt down next to him.

"You wished to speak with me," Sozen said.

[Anadwen]

So Shinobu brought Sozen along... She shouldn't have. No, she should have let him rest.

As he tilted his head aside to look at his cousin's face, a few strands of his silky hair sled down, though several still remained in his face. His eyes were cold and sharp as always, but his skin was even paler than usually. The cover, rolled down to about his ribs, and his hands, resting on it, gave almost full view on his state, except for the sword wound, which was hidden underneath. It took him a while till he spoke - though, even then it was surprising that he was actually capable of it.

"I simply wanted to make sure that you are fine." he explained simply. He wanted to assure himself that he didn't fail. That it was him who took the bigger deal of damage, and that Sozen was fine and escaped unscathed. It was not a complete failure - he did manage to protect him - but it was not a full success, either.

[Wicked Basket]

"Better than you," he said simply.

Though his face and tone of voice portrayed nothing, that was about as close to an attempt at humor as he got. They were both still alive. That was all that mattered.

[Anadwen]

"That's how it should be." Seiki replied. His eyes almost closed, the dark lashes shadowing the deep blue underneath. Yes, that's how it should be. He was unwilling to let someone suffer for him.

But he didn't fail. Sozen was alive... And he, too.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen couldn't take it anymore.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sozen told him. "I would have suffered an injury far less severe than what you have now."

[Anadwen]

"It's my duty." This time, he fully closed his eyes. "It's not a matter of choice. I... Do not regret deciding to do so." His voice became little more than a whisper, and disappeared completely at the end of his last statement. He put his left hand to his mouth as he turned his head away.

Trying to hide the fact that he coughed out blood, he clenched his fist, and remained silent. Speaking was not a good idea. He was still feeling weak...

[Wicked Basket]

"So your duty is to deprive me of my duty to protect the heir of the Adachi house," Sozen asked. "Your duty is to become the next Head of the Adachi Household, but you seem to be intent on getting yourself killed to avoid that duty."

[Anadwen]

"It was... The only thing to do... I could not let you get killed." He would have done the same for his sisters. He couldn't allow anyone to die on his hands anymore. Not once...

His heart was still beating. There was more needed to deprive him off that will to live than taking a sword through the liver and lungs.

[Wicked Basket]

"You say that as if I have something to live for," Sozen replied before managing to stand back up.

Without another word Sozen returned to his own room. Why did Seiki always have to be the hero? He is going to get himself killed one, Sozen was sure of it. Seiki seriously needed to learn how valuable he was to this family and to stop trying to throw his life away for whoever he felt like. Seiki could fight the next spirit as powerful as that one alone if he was so intent on getting killed. It would undoubtedly oblige him.

[Anadwen]

Shinobu gave Sozen a sad look as he left. Off course he had something to live for... They all had. Though, she remained sitting by Seiki's side. He did not have to do it, that was true. But it was a different kind of sense of duty and honor... She understood it. It wasn't that alien to her.

Her hands picked up Seiki's left hand, and as it unclenched, she noticed the blood inside. "I'll go search for Haru." she muttered. This didn't seem good, at least not to her.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen sat on his mat and drew his blade. It was a little difficult to pull off with only one hand, but he managed. He simply sat and stared at the weapon, as well as the reflection of himself that was in the blade. Some people say that everything happens for reason, that everyone has a purpose on this earth. If that were true, then what was the reason for Sozen's family to be killed? Why was he the only survivor? What was his purpose?

Sozen sighed heavily and set the sword down in front of him on the mat. So many questions, yet no answers.

[Anadwen]

A few days have passed. It was little in the eyes of those never sting and forever youthful such as them. Very little has changed - the house itself still had the heavy air of concern and unspoken worries lingering in the corridors.

The family rarely ate all together. It was more usual for Seiki, Shinobu and Isako to share a small table, sometimes with some of their cousins, than for one of the larger halls to be occupied and them dining together with Takuya and Risa. It was like that today, too.

Shinobu and Isako exchanged a tense glance as Seiki joined them, sitting down opposite Shinobu. His hakama hid most of the bandages, and his haori and scarf covered even the part it would normally reveal. Even his white gloves were back - well, at least the left one. It was apparent that he disliked showing any sign of physical weakness from the very way he moved - carefully and slowly, but with his usual confidence. Even as he sat down, he kept his head high and back so straight one could use it as a ruler.

There were four places. Three of those were filled.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen entered the dining hall last. He too had regained his normal appearance, including acquiring a new mask. He sat down in silence and waited for something to happen.

[Anadwen]

Shinobu bowed her head in a greeting to Sozen. She was the only one that seemed to notice his presence - Isako was toying with a wisp of her hair, and Seiki was simply gazing somewhere into the distance.

"Let us eat." she spoke silently, reaching after one of the bowls that were laid out across the center of the table. Her sister immediately grabbed another, stuffing herself with pieces of rice and fish as if it was a rice. Seiki was the last to grab a bowl, and it took him a long, long while to even as little as pick up the utensils.

Though, as his hand drew near the bowl to use the sticks to pick the fish up, they all of a sudden fell out. The soft clink of them hitting the edge of the bowl and dropping onto the table was enough to make Shinobu raise her head, but he already picked them up again by then.

It was difficult to keep hold of them and actually pick up the food. The tendons in his hand weren't fully regrown yet, and he dropped the chopsticks twice more before managing to pick up a piece of fish. He got it into his mouth, but the pair of sticks was dropped immediately after. This simply wasn't working...

He lost all taste for food.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen wordlessly began eating. Unlike Seiki, he had no trouble because his right arm was fully functioning. He had the feeling that this was going to be a very silent meal, but he didn't mind much.