The sun was shining, a soft breeze moving the tops of the trees, and the giggles of playful ghosts floated through the air. Well, if you could hear them, the ghosts were there. Hoshirei sat in the garden of her clan compound watching little ghosts frolic and play. Watching the young ghosts, despite their apparent childhood, was comforting as they played alongside the ghosts of dogs and cats. The ghost of her father sat by her. He had been a constant in her life as she grew up. As much as his presence was a great, there were many times where she just wished he had been there in the flesh. Like her, he was a ghost walker, and his tips and hints were priceless as she came into her abilities.
When she was younger, she would always ask him why he wasn't there, what happened to him. He, of course, could never tell her full on how he died, a commonality she discovered among the dead. He had, however, been able to tell her that it was after he had a meeting with the daimyo in effort to diffuse growing tensions. He had been growing a little more distant as of late and she could feel that his time of lingering was drawing to a close, something would happen soon to finish out his task or unfinished business. Whenever her ancestor brought it up, she would just tell him that she was happy to have time for whatever time he had left.
Her mother, on the other hand, was getting increasingly more annoying, hovering and yet becoming more standoffish. The woman had never married again, perhaps out of guilt, but that made no sense, as she had no problem sleeping with others or being in relationships. Her father thought that perhaps it was because he was still around in some form, not that he cared what she did, he had been dead for years after all. Perhaps after he went on, her mother could move on as well.
Hoshirei bid farewell to her father and the young ghosts in the garden before walking inside to her room. Something caught her attention, niggling in her mind like a new ghost she had yet to meet but was nearby. Slowly, she made her way toward the feeling all the while palming a kunai. In her dining room, the feeling was the strongest and she peered around to see if she could notice anything off. Nothing wasn't was it seemed, which only dialed down her paranoia a little bit.
A step further into the room had her noticing a storage scroll on the low table at the center of the room. It sat next to their everyday tea set, as if someone had set the pot out, waiting on someone to arrive for tea. There was no steam coming from the pot and there was only one, half-empty cup on the table. Her mother had not said she was entertaining that day, and, otherwise, she would have invited Hoshirei for tea.
Puzzled as she was over the tea, the niggling feeling got stronger and she looked up toward the door to the kitchen. The ghostly form of her mother walked out, pointed at the scroll and said, "That's from me," before dissipating completely. She quickly snatched up the scroll, shoved it into her belt, and dashed into the kitchen. Nothing was there, so she went further, exiting the house and coming to the small area near the trash and compost. When she saw her mother's body, Hoshirei silently sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. After a small moment of grief, she pulled out a body storage scroll and sealed her mother in it.
She reverently carried the scroll into the empty house and set it on the kitchen table. Almost woodenly, Hoshirei made her way to the dining room to clean up the tea set. When she got a whiff of the tea, her muscles tensed further. Jaw clenched, she went to poor the tea, save the sample in the cup, down the drain. She then put the sample in a vial and set it with the body containment scroll. In a fit of anger, she threw the cup hard against the floor and watched the pieces fly all over the kitchen.
The young woman felt a familiar presence enter the kitchen and saw her father standing there. "Are you alright? I heard you scream," he said in his softly hollow tone. She hadn't even realized that she screamed and told him as much.
"She killed herself, father. Ant then she has the gall to show up as a ghost just to tell me she left me something in a containment scroll!" Hoshirei nearly growled.
"Perhaps you should open it, Rei. If it was important enough to come back even for that brief message, then you need to see what it is."
She nodded and gently stepped into the dining room once more. She set the scroll back down on the table and activated the seal. A normal letter scroll popped out alongside a green wrapped katana with golden accents. She set the katana aside and looked to the letter before her.
"She killed you. She killed you and then moved us away from the ones who ordered it. Do you remember who gave you the order to go to the daimyo? Or is that one of the things that was blocked upon your demise?"
"I do not remember, Rei. I get the sense that they are no danger to you, nor Konoha. I feel like your mother was right. I needed to know who killed me before I could move on. Take care of yourself, Rei. Carry my sword with honor," he said as he faded from sight.
"I will. I will honor you and your final wish, father. After all, you were here the longest. Rest well, Isaki Noshiro."
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Topic Ended; WC: 1110; MFT
When she was younger, she would always ask him why he wasn't there, what happened to him. He, of course, could never tell her full on how he died, a commonality she discovered among the dead. He had, however, been able to tell her that it was after he had a meeting with the daimyo in effort to diffuse growing tensions. He had been growing a little more distant as of late and she could feel that his time of lingering was drawing to a close, something would happen soon to finish out his task or unfinished business. Whenever her ancestor brought it up, she would just tell him that she was happy to have time for whatever time he had left.
Her mother, on the other hand, was getting increasingly more annoying, hovering and yet becoming more standoffish. The woman had never married again, perhaps out of guilt, but that made no sense, as she had no problem sleeping with others or being in relationships. Her father thought that perhaps it was because he was still around in some form, not that he cared what she did, he had been dead for years after all. Perhaps after he went on, her mother could move on as well.
Hoshirei bid farewell to her father and the young ghosts in the garden before walking inside to her room. Something caught her attention, niggling in her mind like a new ghost she had yet to meet but was nearby. Slowly, she made her way toward the feeling all the while palming a kunai. In her dining room, the feeling was the strongest and she peered around to see if she could notice anything off. Nothing wasn't was it seemed, which only dialed down her paranoia a little bit.
A step further into the room had her noticing a storage scroll on the low table at the center of the room. It sat next to their everyday tea set, as if someone had set the pot out, waiting on someone to arrive for tea. There was no steam coming from the pot and there was only one, half-empty cup on the table. Her mother had not said she was entertaining that day, and, otherwise, she would have invited Hoshirei for tea.
Puzzled as she was over the tea, the niggling feeling got stronger and she looked up toward the door to the kitchen. The ghostly form of her mother walked out, pointed at the scroll and said, "That's from me," before dissipating completely. She quickly snatched up the scroll, shoved it into her belt, and dashed into the kitchen. Nothing was there, so she went further, exiting the house and coming to the small area near the trash and compost. When she saw her mother's body, Hoshirei silently sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. After a small moment of grief, she pulled out a body storage scroll and sealed her mother in it.
She reverently carried the scroll into the empty house and set it on the kitchen table. Almost woodenly, Hoshirei made her way to the dining room to clean up the tea set. When she got a whiff of the tea, her muscles tensed further. Jaw clenched, she went to poor the tea, save the sample in the cup, down the drain. She then put the sample in a vial and set it with the body containment scroll. In a fit of anger, she threw the cup hard against the floor and watched the pieces fly all over the kitchen.
The young woman felt a familiar presence enter the kitchen and saw her father standing there. "Are you alright? I heard you scream," he said in his softly hollow tone. She hadn't even realized that she screamed and told him as much.
"She killed herself, father. Ant then she has the gall to show up as a ghost just to tell me she left me something in a containment scroll!" Hoshirei nearly growled.
"Perhaps you should open it, Rei. If it was important enough to come back even for that brief message, then you need to see what it is."
She nodded and gently stepped into the dining room once more. She set the scroll back down on the table and activated the seal. A normal letter scroll popped out alongside a green wrapped katana with golden accents. She set the katana aside and looked to the letter before her.
"She killed you. She killed you and then moved us away from the ones who ordered it. Do you remember who gave you the order to go to the daimyo? Or is that one of the things that was blocked upon your demise?"
"I do not remember, Rei. I get the sense that they are no danger to you, nor Konoha. I feel like your mother was right. I needed to know who killed me before I could move on. Take care of yourself, Rei. Carry my sword with honor," he said as he faded from sight.
"I will. I will honor you and your final wish, father. After all, you were here the longest. Rest well, Isaki Noshiro."
_______________________________________________________
Topic Ended; WC: 1110; MFT