A preteen boy stands at the foot of a tree in a courtyard, peering anxiously up at an article of clothing caught in the branches.
"What's wrong?" He jumps at the sound of a voice. Katsue (Harpy) - a bit older and taller than the boy, but not by much - trots right up to him and squints up where he's looking. She has a louder, rougher way of talking than 'Harpy' does, and a lot more unnecessary movements, scuffing a foot like she can't stand still.
The boy stares at the ground, shoulders hunched, but comparatively still. "Ah... It's..."
"Is it stuck up there? Want me to get it?"
"That wouldn't be necessary..."
"You sure? It'd be weird to just leave it there, right? Are you gonna get it?"
"Th-that's..." His eyes flick up to her, then to the clothes, then back, an increasingly mortified expression on his face. Katsue grins at him and shoves up her sleeves.
"Don't worry, don't worry, this is no big deal for me!" She hops right up and scales the tree with ease, tugging the fabric free of the branch and dropping it to the ground, herself following suit after. She brushes the sand and twigs off of it and folds it in half, offering it out to him. "There, piece of cake!"
"Th-thank you, Katsue-san..."
"It's nothing. We're going to be family from now on, so Jirou-san can rely on me any time, okay?"
"Ah... Yes."
As he reaches out to carefully accept the offered item - a Japanese-style coat - she goes on, "By the way, how did your haori end up in the tree?" He freezes, looking down at the ground again. "Jirou-san doesn't wanna say?"
"... because I'm too weak-willed..." he mumbles.
She studies his face with a frown, and he shrinks back a little under the scrutiny. "You think so? Well, we're family now, like I said. There's no shame in it if I'm the one who helps you out." He says nothing, but a bit of the tension does leave the line of his shoulders. Katsue goes on, "There's a big tear in that haori now, though. Want me to fix it?"
"Eh? No, that's... It's fine."
"No way, Jirou-san's not gonna wear it like that, are you? I'm good at sewing, you'll see. It'll be just like new!"
"Katsue."
A woman's voice cuts through the courtyard, silencing Jirou's reply. A tall and striking figure with a clear resemblance to Jirou stands in a doorway, sleekly and elegantly dressed, and carrying a beautifully shaped mug of steaming tea. They both straighten up their posture as they look over and bow, greeting her simultaneously with "Haha-ue."
"Come here," she says, and Katsue goes to her.
"Yes?"
"Speak properly," the woman says.
Katsue had already started using more formal wording the moment she shows up, but a little guilty jump still goes through her shoulders. She swiftly drops her head in another bow, concentrating and altering not just what she says, but also her tone and inflection to be more like the way Harpy speaks now, though she's not as smooth at it - "My apologies, haha-ue."
"Stay as you are. What was this about sewing?"
"I noticed a tear in Jirou-san's haori, so I offered to fix it for him."
The woman pours her cup of tea out on Katsue's head.
Katsue doesn't move.
"You are here to fulfill a role, and you will do only what is appropriate to that role. Sewing is not a part of your duties. Do you understand?"
"Yes, haha-ue."
"Jirou. Bring it to me."
"-Yes, haha-ue." He hurries over, offering out the haori with both hands. Their mother takes it and folds it over one arm, turning to leave.
"Get yourself cleaned up," she says, without another glance behind her.
Katsue doesn't lift her head again until their mother has turned a corner, calling for a servant. The backs of Katsue's ears and streaks of her cheeks are scalded red, but she looks surprised at the expression on Jirou's face. Making an effort to keep to the more well-bred way of speaking, she asks, "What's the matter? Jirou-san looks upset."
"I'm sorry... Because of me, haha-ue was harsh on you..."
"No, not at all." Katsue smiles at him, practically glowing. "Haha-ue is right. I will also be a representative of the Fujiwara family from now on, so I have to be corrected when I behave unsuitably. Jirou-san is more experienced than I am in these matters, so I will be relying on your experience and guidance from now on as well."
"Katsue-san..."
"Ah, but unless it would also be unsuitable, it really is fine to call me 'nee-san,' or something like that."
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year 13: scolding tea.
"What's wrong?" He jumps at the sound of a voice. Katsue (Harpy) - a bit older and taller than the boy, but not by much - trots right up to him and squints up where he's looking. She has a louder, rougher way of talking than 'Harpy' does, and a lot more unnecessary movements, scuffing a foot like she can't stand still.
The boy stares at the ground, shoulders hunched, but comparatively still. "Ah... It's..."
"Is it stuck up there? Want me to get it?"
"That wouldn't be necessary..."
"You sure? It'd be weird to just leave it there, right? Are you gonna get it?"
"Th-that's..." His eyes flick up to her, then to the clothes, then back, an increasingly mortified expression on his face. Katsue grins at him and shoves up her sleeves.
"Don't worry, don't worry, this is no big deal for me!" She hops right up and scales the tree with ease, tugging the fabric free of the branch and dropping it to the ground, herself following suit after. She brushes the sand and twigs off of it and folds it in half, offering it out to him. "There, piece of cake!"
"Th-thank you, Katsue-san..."
"It's nothing. We're going to be family from now on, so Jirou-san can rely on me any time, okay?"
"Ah... Yes."
As he reaches out to carefully accept the offered item - a Japanese-style coat - she goes on, "By the way, how did your haori end up in the tree?" He freezes, looking down at the ground again. "Jirou-san doesn't wanna say?"
"... because I'm too weak-willed..." he mumbles.
She studies his face with a frown, and he shrinks back a little under the scrutiny. "You think so? Well, we're family now, like I said. There's no shame in it if I'm the one who helps you out." He says nothing, but a bit of the tension does leave the line of his shoulders. Katsue goes on, "There's a big tear in that haori now, though. Want me to fix it?"
"Eh? No, that's... It's fine."
"No way, Jirou-san's not gonna wear it like that, are you? I'm good at sewing, you'll see. It'll be just like new!"
"Katsue."
A woman's voice cuts through the courtyard, silencing Jirou's reply. A tall and striking figure with a clear resemblance to Jirou stands in a doorway, sleekly and elegantly dressed, and carrying a beautifully shaped mug of steaming tea. They both straighten up their posture as they look over and bow, greeting her simultaneously with "Haha-ue."
"Come here," she says, and Katsue goes to her.
"Yes?"
"Speak properly," the woman says.
Katsue had already started using more formal wording the moment she shows up, but a little guilty jump still goes through her shoulders. She swiftly drops her head in another bow, concentrating and altering not just what she says, but also her tone and inflection to be more like the way Harpy speaks now, though she's not as smooth at it - "My apologies, haha-ue."
"Stay as you are. What was this about sewing?"
"I noticed a tear in Jirou-san's haori, so I offered to fix it for him."
The woman pours her cup of tea out on Katsue's head.
Katsue doesn't move.
"You are here to fulfill a role, and you will do only what is appropriate to that role. Sewing is not a part of your duties. Do you understand?"
"Yes, haha-ue."
"Jirou. Bring it to me."
"-Yes, haha-ue." He hurries over, offering out the haori with both hands. Their mother takes it and folds it over one arm, turning to leave.
"Get yourself cleaned up," she says, without another glance behind her.
Katsue doesn't lift her head again until their mother has turned a corner, calling for a servant. The backs of Katsue's ears and streaks of her cheeks are scalded red, but she looks surprised at the expression on Jirou's face. Making an effort to keep to the more well-bred way of speaking, she asks, "What's the matter? Jirou-san looks upset."
"I'm sorry... Because of me, haha-ue was harsh on you..."
"No, not at all." Katsue smiles at him, practically glowing. "Haha-ue is right. I will also be a representative of the Fujiwara family from now on, so I have to be corrected when I behave unsuitably. Jirou-san is more experienced than I am in these matters, so I will be relying on your experience and guidance from now on as well."
"Katsue-san..."
"Ah, but unless it would also be unsuitable, it really is fine to call me 'nee-san,' or something like that."
"Ka- Katsue-onee-san..."