[Mushverse: open to Shinkengers, particularly seeking Kaoru~]

[nonsamurai]

The Princess is still staying at the house, I'm not entirely sure why, but it's left me feeling decidedly unwelcome.

Not anything she's done, of course. If my (admittedly not entirely appropriate) dreams are anything to go on, I doubt she's capable of making anyone feel like that.

Okay, I know that dreams are just dreams, and she's been in mine an excessive amount lately, considering I've just met her, hardly spoken to her, and have spent approximately 95% of her time here outside in the gardens.

It's not her, though. And it's not her kuroko either, they're just as respectful and kind as the group I'm getting used to, though her's are a lot more straight laced, so to speak, and absolutely refuse to let me help out with things they're doing the way our kuroko do.

...Our kuroko, as if I am anywhere near a samurai, or even a proper member of the household. I'm more and more aware every day that I'm still just kind of a long-term guest in the house. Accepted as family, sort of, but I can tell nearly everyone thinks of me as a civilian, which I guess is exactly what I am.

But I don't want to be a burden, and I definitely don't like getting serious glares from that Tanba guy every time I come around a corner, so the gardens it is.

Comments

[samuraisister]

"Takeshi-chan!" I call cheerfully as I come around the side of the house. I'm about to go train, so I'm in my white and blue, carrying a training sword.

[nonsamurai]

I look up when someone calls my name. I know who it is before I see her, from the tone of voice and the -chan, she's the only one who calls me that.

"Good morning, Kotoha." I raise one hand to wave, but I'm sure my smile falters at her attire.

"How are you?"

[samuraisister]

Oh, he has such a nice smile. But it sort of disappears...

"I'm fine, Takeshi-chan," I say cheerfully as I jog up to him. I called him 'Take-chan' once, and only once. Gen-chan gave me such a look. "Are you all right?"

[nonsamurai]

She's awfully sweet. I can't imagine her years younger, fighting along side my brother and the others. What was I doing when I was that age? Not saving the world, certainly. "I'm fine. Just doing some gardening." I show her my soil covered hands in proof and smile again. Even immersed in deep thoughts and doubts, I can't ever stop smiling. Umemori family trait.

[samuraisister]

"You have such a knack for it," I exclaim. Gardening again! "The flowers have come on really nicely. Do you think you want to be into gardens as a career? Or do you have to go into sushi too?"

[nonsamurai]

I laugh at her excitement and shake my head. "Thank you very much, Kotoha-chan."

I blink a few times at her suggestions, looking down at my soiled hands with a little shrug. "I hadn't thought about it. A career, I mean. I guess I'm of an age where that's expected, huh?"

[samuraisister]

I nod excitedly. "Yes, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing, Takeshi-chan! And if you decide you want to change it, I'm sure you can."

I think. I'm not really sure how this works.

[nonsamurai]

I grin at that too, but it's a little weaker, a little more lopsided.

"I... don't think that's how careers work, Kotoha-chan."

[samuraisister]

I laugh. "I don't really know," I confess. "It's different for samurai. But you're so good with plants, Takeshi-chan. I'm sure you could make a great career out of growing things."

[nonsamurai]

"Yeah, I kinda figured." Always the silent divide. I'd just never figured I'd be so far removed from my brother in that way.

"I don't know, I guess it's something to think about. I just kind of do it for fun, though. Or out of habit."

[samuraihime]

The days are long, and there is so much oversight I can do of Jii's management of the household before I am very obviously pushing the limits of his patience. I do not wish to engender any ill will with my son or his staff, so it seems I must find something more to do with my time.

With little else to do, I take an idle tour of the compound grounds, paying attention to the landscaping and general aesthetics. It's not something I have a specific interest in, however, it does serve to be calming when the need arises.

What I had not been expecting - although upon further review, I really should not be surprised - is to come across Umemori-kun tending to the garden himself.

He doesn't seem to have noticed me, so I step quietly behind him and smile. "The gardens are beautiful, aren't they?"

[nonsamurai]

I'm a little lost in thought when I realize a split second before she speaks that I'm not alone anymore.

"Princess!" My voice isn't at the most manly of registers just then, so I clear my throat to try and regulate that before I continue. "Good morning. How have you been?"

Her question pulls a genuine smile from me, this I can talk about and maybe not feel like a total idiot or... simpleton or... civilian or whatever I am compared to her.

"They really are. Nothing like the gardens I kept in America. There's some similarities but there a lot of what I did was purely functional, herbs and vegetables and stuff. There's beauty in that, but not the same kind."

[samuraihime]

He nearly squeaks in surprise, and I have to hold back a chuckle at his reaction. "Umemori-kun," I acknowledge him in turn. "I am as well as can be expected." No need to bore him with the details of my currently less-than-exciting life. "And yourself?"

I look around, taking careful notice of the flora around us. "There is a school of thought that would insist that this sort of garden is functional as well, in its own way." I step past him, just a bit, and kneel down to pull a flower gently into my hand. "But there are ways to make even herbs and vegetables be aesthetically pleasing, are there not?"

[nonsamurai]

"That's good to hear." I think. Oh well, she seems happy enough. I shrug one shoulder and give her a conspiratorial smirk. "I'm doing alright as long as Tanba-san isn't glaring at me."

I chuckle at her outlook on the gardens and nod in agreement. "That's right. Spiritually, I guess, would be the way to put it? Just sitting and enjoying nature can be soothing." She kneels right next to me and my eyes flit down to make sure she's not getting her nice clothes too dirty. "Some herbs have gorgeous flowers, some vegetables do too, that's true."

I rest back on my heels for a moment and breathe in the collected smell of the garden. "We had one plot, at school, and the entire garden was just different plants that could be brewed into tea. Not actual tea, but different kinds of mint and things. There was one, called bee balm? We don't have that here, but I'd like to see if I could find seeds and cultivate it." I pause, and look over at her. "I think Takeru-san would really like it."

[samuraihime]

He makes a comment about Tanba and I find myself nodding in understanding. Tanba means well, something that I am very much aware of, but he doesn't quite understand when it's proper to take a step back and let a situation play on without his involvement. I can only imagine that Umemori-kun's presence in the household is driving him to less-than-hospitable measures.

I bite back an apology on his behalf and turn my attention back to the garden instead. "Bee balm?" I ask curiously. I cannot help but admit that the thought of a collection of tea specific to the Shiba gardens appeals to me. "Interesting. I can't speak for my son, of course, but I think having a tea garden would be lovely."

[nonsamurai]

I don't even notice her hesitation, I'm too caught up in the garden around me and the memory of the gardens back...

Not home. This is home, damn it, whether Tanba or anyone else thinks otherwise.

Back in America, then, and let that be all it is.

"That's what they call it. It has other names, but that's the one that stuck for me, because the honey bees loved it so much." I smile at her and then duck my head, trying to divert attention from what I'm sure is the beginnings of a blush. "I guess I'm supposed to ask before I make any drastic changes, but Jii-san seemed okay with everything I've done so far."

[samuraihime]

He looks far for a moment, as if he isn't quite here. If I must guess, I would say it looks like he's caught in a memory of some sort. I wonder if it is of his old garden, then, or of something else.

I smile as I stand, brushing loose dirt and grass from my knees before I straighten fully. "I am sure Jii is more than grateful for any help you can give him around the compound."

And if he is not, then I shall see what strings I can pull to make it so he is.

[nonsamurai]

That sounds like a compliment, but it's kind and delivered easily enough that I manage not to blush too much when I look up at her. "You think so?"

I laugh and roll to my feet, brushing off my own knees and then stretching, arms crossed behind my head.

"I'll ask, then. If any of it takes properly, I'll make sure you know when we harvest."

[samuraihime]

"I would enjoy that," I say pleasantly, continuing my smile.

It feels good to smile like this. Despite the lack of battle recently, it feels like I have not been smiling as much as I could be. Perhaps returning to the estate was a more beneficial idea than I had first thought.

Still, I was looking for something to occupy my time, and it seems like this conversation has reached its natural end. Either I need to continue it, perhaps on another subject, or go about my way.

After another glimpse of Umemori-kun's happy face, I can't help but search for another topic to discuss.

"What else do you do here to occupy your time, Umemori-kun?" I venture carefully, hoping not to offend. "Or do you mainly spend your time in the gardens?"

[nonsamurai]

I'm half expecting her to excuse herself and leave. She's so much like Takeru-san, and when a conversation comes to a natural closing point, he generally leaves once his point has been made. Unless he needs to change the topic, in which case he initiates the change, but I've only ever seen him do that with the other samurai. Not me, for example.

But there she goes, inquiring about me no less. I smirk a little sheepishly and duck my head.

"Well, that's a bit of a complicated question, Princess, if you'll excuse me saying so. I spend a lot of time outside here, working with the plants, because I'm not exactly necessary anywhere else." I shrug one shoulder. "I'm not really necessary out here, either, don't take that to mean that the kuroko aren't living up to their duties. They certainly are. To a man. Or a woman, I suppose. They won't even let me help with the simple things, like shopping."

[samuraihime]

My smile falters a bit as he speaks. Yes, perhaps he isn't allowed much free reign around the household, and that's to be expected.

"I believe I told you once, Umemori-kun," I say slowly, looking away so as to not intimidate him too terribly. "That your life is now your own to decide. Have you yet to find a direction for the life that is now yours?"

[nonsamurai]

I made her stop smiling, and I feel bad about that. Of course, she's already told me that I need to try and think about myself, what I'm going to do with my life as an adult.

She doesn't really think I belong here any more than niichan does.

I guess I probably don't. I'm no samurai. I can't use their fancy kanji magic, Mojikara or whatever it's called, even though my handwriting is probably miles better than my brother's.

"I guess I haven't. I'm not sure if I'm ready. I don't want to leave, the only family I have is here, but... I don't really belong here, do I?" I shoot her a slightly self-deprecating little grin. "It's time for me to start thinking about a career, isn't it? I can't hide in the Shiba gardens for the rest of my life."

[samuraihime]

The corner of my mouth quirks downward, just a bit more, and my hand starts reaching towards my sleeve and the fan I keep there. For a brief moment I wonder how many times I will be tempted to hit Umemori-kun in order to make a simple point.

"If this is where you want to belong, Umemori-kun," I say, a touch more strictly than I intended. "Then it is something you will need to work for. There is nothing wrong with that, but you must be aware of what your goals are, and what needs done in order to accomplish them."

[nonsamurai]

I need to stop saying exactly what crosses my mind every moment, not when I'm talking to the Princess, anyway. She sees right through any feebleness in my arguments and gets right to the point as sharp as a sword.

Still, if I'm going to get myself into it, I might as well keep going. "All due respect, Princess, I think you underestimate my brother's force of will. He doesn't mind having me here as a civilian, but he refuses to entertain the thought of seeing me trained and fighting alongside you all. And I have a hard time thinking about defying him so openly." I grin, awkwardly. "But I love him. I want to stay here. I understand that I have to find my place, but it's hard to imagine ever integrating fully."

[samuraihime]

He talks of training, of fighting. And of his brother being protective and not allowing him to do these things.

Well, I believe I have already covered that aspect of the argument, at least.

"You wish to train, then? To fight?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "Is that your chosen goal? Or are you simply attempting to emulate your brother's success?" It is not an accusatory question, but still a pointed one. I just wish to assess his reasoning behind this decision.

[nonsamurai]

I hook my thumbs in my belt loops and rock back on my heels, chuckling softly. "You seem pretty concerned about me, Princess. I appreciate it, I do. But I honestly don't know what my goal is yet. I want to stay here and be with my brother, but I don't feel like I'm welcome for the long term if I don't contribute something, but at the same time I'm not allowed to contribute anything."

[samuraihime]

My smile is long since gone, my mood fairly sour.

"My apologies, Umemori-kun," I say formally. "It is apparent that this course of questioning was unwelcome. I shall take my leave. Enjoy your time in the garden."

With a small nod, I turn and walk back towards the house, and my room. Perhaps there will be some new paperwork for me to busy myself with by now.