When Tatsuya stepped off the boat in Moon, there were a few things he expected to see. His mother, angry, possibly with his usual bodyguard lurking around in the background looking sheepish. Maybe an escort of some type. Maybe a lot of people, to try and make him feel ashamed for taking so long.
He did not expect to be greeted by Misora, and only Misora.
"Tatsuya! There you are!" Misora bounded up to him to immediately engulf him in a hug, which he returned carefully, with mind to Louise sleeping in his inner pocket. "I knew today would be the day."
He belatedly realized he'd forgotten to send a message informing anyone he was actually on his way. "...how?"
"Lucky guess?" She shrugged. "I was sure you'd have to show up soon. You're cutting it awfully close."
Terrific. Apparently the whole world knew about the deadline his mother had set. "Is she angry?"
Misora gave a half-shrug. "She won't admit it, but I think she'll just be relieved that you're safe, at least. Especially since, uhhh..."
He was really her only option for an heir at this point, wasn't he. It was a good thing he'd been prepped most of his life for such a thing. "...Yeah."
He didn't ask when the wedding was, knowing she was looking forward to it just about as much as he was, which was not at all. Misora had no more desire to settle down enough to have a child than he did to actually run the clan. Let alone three children. Dratted family traditions.
Given the mortality rate for ninja, which many of them became, however...
He was silent as Misora led him toward the section of the city their families lived in, her filling him in on the details of living arrangements and other necessary things. The Shoukyou clan was situated very near the river that split the city in two, with dwellings on both the northern and southern sides. The main family compound, which was more the center of a block of buildings all belonging to the Shoukyou clan and allies, was the few near the center and mostly situated to the south. Their distant cousins lived in that area to begin with, and they had simply moved in to the same area for simplicity.
There was some tension, but surprisingly little. Apparently in this at least, they could let history be. The differences which had made the Mist portion of the clan split off centuries ago were long forgotten.
It was interesting to note, however, that anti-bloodline sentiment was still strongly rooted in the part of the clan that had remained in Moon and their allies, something they were quite open about even.
It would only be a slight adjustment to living above-ground. Really, he'd lived in a number of other situations. By this point, it was nothing new.
They reached the Shoukyou complex, and Tatsuya had to admit it looked impressive. It was obvious the set of buildings there all belonged to the same family. Which meant they didn't have to hide, and were potentially quite powerful.
...That would be nice. Of course, they might also have underground or hidden areas for certain operations too, but it looked like most of it was aboveground.
"This one." She indicated a large, elegant building with the Shoukyou crest of an orange arrow and sword crossed emblazoned on the side. He made to go inside, but paused when she didn't follow him. She gave him a look that plainly meant he was on his own.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, and knocked.
The door swung open barely five seconds later, meaning they had definitely been watching from the window. Even more of an indication was the fact it was his mother who answered the door.
"Come," she said briskly, and headed for a hallway. He blinked, and followed quickly.
The inside was decorated warmly, but with modern amenities that spoke of the usual clan practicality. There were a few other people milling around the entrance hall, most of whom sneaked covert glances at him as he passed.
Down hallways and corridors they walked, in a route Tatsuya was sure was circuitous at least a few times, and wasn't there a more direct route? But finally, what seemed like an hour later, they reached a door and stopped.
"This is your room," she said, turning to face him.
"...All right," he said slowly as she briefly appeared to scan the area for others.
"Tatsuya, I owe you an apology."
He blinked. "...You...owe me...?"
"I have not had you trained in everything you ought to have been. I have skipped perhaps the most important part of your training." She paused and took a deep breath, as if it was difficult for her to say. "Leadership. I had assumed, originally, that it was not something that could be taught, and that you naturally possessed the qualities necessary. But since we have moved here, I have been forced to correct...many assumptions. And with that, I have seen that you prefer to be alone, not to lead, and I mistakenly thought that because you preferred not to follow you were a leader. So I will have to teach you how to do that."
He stared at her, mildly stunned. He had never heard his mother express that she was wrong, ever, saying it was not something a leader did. Clearly, she had had her views on the subject as a whole radically changed.
"Is this..." He hesitated. "Is this due to the fact you've had to compromise with our cousins over some things?"
"Yes." She inclined her head. "Our cousins here have led a somewhat different life than we have, with different challenges, and they are more well-adapted to it. We will have to change in order to survive here."
He was silent for a moment. "...I'm fairly sure Hoshikata is dead. The twins are...you've seen them by now. I'm the only one of our group who made it to Moon permanently, as far as I can tell."
She inclined her head wordlessly. "I had come to the same conclusion when I heard you had returned alone."
Undoubtedly one of his distant cousins, heir to the Moon branch before they arrived, would have taken the reins. The fact that his mother was talking about leadership at all meant they were the ones in charge, though. The compromises she had made had probably been to that end.
He wasn't at all sure that was a good idea.
"I...don't have a lot else to do. I don't think I want to travel for its own sake anymore." Lightning Country had nothing but bad memories to offer now, and he hadn't had much luck anywhere else either. "So. I guess. I don't mind learning how to take over. As long as I don't let my fighting skills decline."
A humourless smile. "Moon has more combatants than it seems, but to start with you can spar with your cousins."
After this long, were they even related all that closely anymore? No matter. Cousins were cousins. "...That'll do. Oh, one more thing."
He reached into his inner pocket and drew out Louise, who roused herself slowly in his palm, rearing her head.
"My travel companion, Louise," he said, to silence. "...She can talk, I swear."
"Pleased to meet you. You smell like him." The snake's tongue flicked the air a few times. "Yes. Definitely."
His mother appeared to be trying not to laugh, but that had to be wrong. He had never really seen her laugh. "...Pleased to meet you too. I should have known none of my children could ever be anything resembling normal."
Her eyes briefly flicked to the void mark on his cheek, then away.
"You should get settled," she continued. "I'll give you a day and a half to do that. The day after tomorrow, we start your new training."
Tatsuya nodded absently. This was...better than he'd be expecting. Perhaps the blow-up would come later.
Perhaps it wouldn't come at all. Maybe his mother's new leaf involved being genuinely grateful for the child she still had. But he'd be foolish to disregard her orders anyway, not to mention her uncommon generosity in letting him settle before throwing him into the deep end.
"All right," he said. "...Thank you."
He could turn over a new leaf too. He stepped into his room, casting a cautious, genuine smile back at his mother, who seemed to return one of her own.
A new country would be a good new start.
[Retired]
He did not expect to be greeted by Misora, and only Misora.
Shirogane Misora
Harp Note
Harp Note
"Tatsuya! There you are!" Misora bounded up to him to immediately engulf him in a hug, which he returned carefully, with mind to Louise sleeping in his inner pocket. "I knew today would be the day."
He belatedly realized he'd forgotten to send a message informing anyone he was actually on his way. "...how?"
"Lucky guess?" She shrugged. "I was sure you'd have to show up soon. You're cutting it awfully close."
Terrific. Apparently the whole world knew about the deadline his mother had set. "Is she angry?"
Misora gave a half-shrug. "She won't admit it, but I think she'll just be relieved that you're safe, at least. Especially since, uhhh..."
He was really her only option for an heir at this point, wasn't he. It was a good thing he'd been prepped most of his life for such a thing. "...Yeah."
He didn't ask when the wedding was, knowing she was looking forward to it just about as much as he was, which was not at all. Misora had no more desire to settle down enough to have a child than he did to actually run the clan. Let alone three children. Dratted family traditions.
Given the mortality rate for ninja, which many of them became, however...
He was silent as Misora led him toward the section of the city their families lived in, her filling him in on the details of living arrangements and other necessary things. The Shoukyou clan was situated very near the river that split the city in two, with dwellings on both the northern and southern sides. The main family compound, which was more the center of a block of buildings all belonging to the Shoukyou clan and allies, was the few near the center and mostly situated to the south. Their distant cousins lived in that area to begin with, and they had simply moved in to the same area for simplicity.
There was some tension, but surprisingly little. Apparently in this at least, they could let history be. The differences which had made the Mist portion of the clan split off centuries ago were long forgotten.
It was interesting to note, however, that anti-bloodline sentiment was still strongly rooted in the part of the clan that had remained in Moon and their allies, something they were quite open about even.
It would only be a slight adjustment to living above-ground. Really, he'd lived in a number of other situations. By this point, it was nothing new.
They reached the Shoukyou complex, and Tatsuya had to admit it looked impressive. It was obvious the set of buildings there all belonged to the same family. Which meant they didn't have to hide, and were potentially quite powerful.
...That would be nice. Of course, they might also have underground or hidden areas for certain operations too, but it looked like most of it was aboveground.
"This one." She indicated a large, elegant building with the Shoukyou crest of an orange arrow and sword crossed emblazoned on the side. He made to go inside, but paused when she didn't follow him. She gave him a look that plainly meant he was on his own.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, and knocked.
The door swung open barely five seconds later, meaning they had definitely been watching from the window. Even more of an indication was the fact it was his mother who answered the door.
"Come," she said briskly, and headed for a hallway. He blinked, and followed quickly.
The inside was decorated warmly, but with modern amenities that spoke of the usual clan practicality. There were a few other people milling around the entrance hall, most of whom sneaked covert glances at him as he passed.
Down hallways and corridors they walked, in a route Tatsuya was sure was circuitous at least a few times, and wasn't there a more direct route? But finally, what seemed like an hour later, they reached a door and stopped.
"This is your room," she said, turning to face him.
"...All right," he said slowly as she briefly appeared to scan the area for others.
"Tatsuya, I owe you an apology."
He blinked. "...You...owe me...?"
"I have not had you trained in everything you ought to have been. I have skipped perhaps the most important part of your training." She paused and took a deep breath, as if it was difficult for her to say. "Leadership. I had assumed, originally, that it was not something that could be taught, and that you naturally possessed the qualities necessary. But since we have moved here, I have been forced to correct...many assumptions. And with that, I have seen that you prefer to be alone, not to lead, and I mistakenly thought that because you preferred not to follow you were a leader. So I will have to teach you how to do that."
He stared at her, mildly stunned. He had never heard his mother express that she was wrong, ever, saying it was not something a leader did. Clearly, she had had her views on the subject as a whole radically changed.
"Is this..." He hesitated. "Is this due to the fact you've had to compromise with our cousins over some things?"
"Yes." She inclined her head. "Our cousins here have led a somewhat different life than we have, with different challenges, and they are more well-adapted to it. We will have to change in order to survive here."
He was silent for a moment. "...I'm fairly sure Hoshikata is dead. The twins are...you've seen them by now. I'm the only one of our group who made it to Moon permanently, as far as I can tell."
She inclined her head wordlessly. "I had come to the same conclusion when I heard you had returned alone."
Undoubtedly one of his distant cousins, heir to the Moon branch before they arrived, would have taken the reins. The fact that his mother was talking about leadership at all meant they were the ones in charge, though. The compromises she had made had probably been to that end.
He wasn't at all sure that was a good idea.
"I...don't have a lot else to do. I don't think I want to travel for its own sake anymore." Lightning Country had nothing but bad memories to offer now, and he hadn't had much luck anywhere else either. "So. I guess. I don't mind learning how to take over. As long as I don't let my fighting skills decline."
A humourless smile. "Moon has more combatants than it seems, but to start with you can spar with your cousins."
After this long, were they even related all that closely anymore? No matter. Cousins were cousins. "...That'll do. Oh, one more thing."
He reached into his inner pocket and drew out Louise, who roused herself slowly in his palm, rearing her head.
"My travel companion, Louise," he said, to silence. "...She can talk, I swear."
"Pleased to meet you. You smell like him." The snake's tongue flicked the air a few times. "Yes. Definitely."
His mother appeared to be trying not to laugh, but that had to be wrong. He had never really seen her laugh. "...Pleased to meet you too. I should have known none of my children could ever be anything resembling normal."
Her eyes briefly flicked to the void mark on his cheek, then away.
"You should get settled," she continued. "I'll give you a day and a half to do that. The day after tomorrow, we start your new training."
Tatsuya nodded absently. This was...better than he'd be expecting. Perhaps the blow-up would come later.
Perhaps it wouldn't come at all. Maybe his mother's new leaf involved being genuinely grateful for the child she still had. But he'd be foolish to disregard her orders anyway, not to mention her uncommon generosity in letting him settle before throwing him into the deep end.
"All right," he said. "...Thank you."
He could turn over a new leaf too. He stepped into his room, casting a cautious, genuine smile back at his mother, who seemed to return one of her own.
A new country would be a good new start.
[Retired]