Ill News [Private One-Shot]

[Shiruko Makoto]

Makoto really didn't want to read his letter.

Really didn't want to.

For a while, he didn't. He tucked it in with his things in his hotel room and tried to forget about it. This lasted for a while--nearly a week--before he conceded to himself that 'not urgent' wasn't the same as 'can safely be ignored forever.' So, when the others (specifically, Tatsuya) had charge of watching over Miki, he went back to his room and pulled the letter out.

It was stamped with their clan crest of the crossed sword and arrow, but otherwise not outwardly addressed. That crest was unique enough it didn't have to be. For a moment, he thought he might have accidentally received Tatsuya's mail, but when he broke the seal on the letter it answered to his touch and sure enough, it was his.

Makoto, my youngest son,

I will not bother with frivolities. The mission you are on is for the Shrine at least in part, so it does not behoove us to trade information with letters on such a thing. Even with our seals, there is no such thing as a secure letter. There are matters to address, some of which concern you directly and others of which you are best placed to handle. I will address one of the former first.

Firstly, in negotiations with our cousins, they have convinced us that their tradition of each member of the main family having a retainer selected for them would be wise to adopt. You have in the past worked with Flare, and she has completed her training some time ago, so we have chosen her for you. She has already agreed.

Secondly, while you are in Sand, we believe it would be wise of you to attempt to speak to the Kazekage. If this is not feasible for whatever reason, then please inform me why on return message. Otherwise do so. You do not have to form a solid channel between our village and theirs; simply indicating that should things come to a head between Sand and most other governments in that region, Moon would back them. This is an official position that your brothers have picked up on that was not told to you initially, but being as that is important information I am conveying it to you. Most likely they do not wish you to contradict our official neutrality policy, but they apparently have some intelligence none of us are privy to that would make them consider breaking it. What this means practically speaking is that we cannot send official assistance to you, and sending your retainer would not work either as it would seem flimsy. However, you and Kiyomizu-san at least can be relied upon to uphold the country's desires.

Thirdly, and a message to which you will not take well: given certain developments, we believe it would be wise for you to find someone to marry. Your single-handed focus on your work is admirable in some ways, but you also have a duty to uphold to your clan. Should something happen to your cousin and your brother before either has children, you would be next in line. We have never seen you in company of someone in a romantic sense, but that is not required for a stable marriage in our family. If necessary, we will arrange something for you, but it is important that you have children.

If you do have someone in mind, perhaps a foreigner, then keep in mind they would have to be tested for bloodline history. If that is a concern, then they are likely not permissible. However, I doubt that this is the case, even though our cousin has argued quite strenuously that you must. I believe she must have formed certain expectations with her own children.

The final part of this is not directly for you, and ought to be conveyed to our cousin with you. While we recognize that he will need to remain on this mission with you, he also is next in line to inherit leadership of the clan, and must before that time learn something more of the situation of our country--something which so far he has resisted doing. You may instruct him yourself, if you wish, but it is not required of you. Simply let him know he will be required to learn such things when your group returns.

Stay safe.

It was signed simply, with his mother's signature. Makoto processed a few of the more alarming passages again, sifting for hidden meaning as well as the disturbing overt things, before flopping back onto his hotel room's bed.

So. My parents--or my mother at least--want me to get married.

It wasn't as if this was entirely unexpected. He was from a noble clan, after all. But he had thought he was further down the succession than that; reading between the lines, one of his brothers intended to abdicate if he was ever put in a position too. Probably Saito. Which meant it would definitely fall to him, meaning he was third in line rather than fourth, since apparently his cousin's younger siblings did not qualify anymore...

That seems a rather callous way for a mother to sign a letter to her youngest child. Do you think she is perhaps angry at you?

Makoto snorted aloud. No, that's downright warm for her. Children in our clan are raised communally; the word 'mother' doesn't mean that much to me--I thought you knew.

It is simply disquieting the way your family does some things. Some of them do slip my mind, on occasion.

Riiight.

The retainer part was...not really an issue. Though he did wonder where Tatsuya's was; presumably he had one? Was it not considered a good idea to send them along? Regardless, he was more glad than he was willing to admit out loud that it was someone he already knew, and in fact had recruited himself. He could work with Fumiko--or Flare, as he now ought to truly be calling her.

The second was less thorny than his mother seemed to think it would be, reading that part again. He was fairly sure Sousuke would not object to meeting with him again; he seemed the most informal of leaders possible, though competent, and they had met and parted on good terms twice before. He could not make an honest excuse to weasel out of that one, nor did he really want to. It would, at the least be something to do, and potentially give him something else to do as well.

The third part...he wasn't thinking about that.

Talking to Tatsuya was also still not something he relished. Even with the toning-down of his aura, he was not of a personality type that Makoto was particularly fond. But, if his cousin was to be clan leader someday, it would be disastrous if he knew absolutely nothing about Moon country's ridiculous faction setup.

But he wasn't best equipped to give any more than a primer on that. Among other things, he wasn't a particularly good teacher.

But finding someone to marry...

He rolled over onto his side and stared at the letter again dismally. There wasn't a chance he could skip that part and, if ever it became necessary, just find a surrogate or something either; his family rather severely frowned on children out of marriage. Despite the fact that the married couples did not tend to raise the children.

I suppose I could let them find someone for me...? Ugh. But that runs the risk of finding someone who wouldn't understand I just am not like that. Someone who would expect things from me I can't really give them.

He didn't even like the idea of sex. It just wasn't appealing to him. The idea of a romantic relationship was also quite unappealing; living with someone and doing romantic things with them just felt like something so ridiculously far outside what he wanted out of his life. It would be hammering pieces from the wrong puzzle into place.

But he didn't really have a choice.

....Makoto? I thought you have said before there is always a way out.

Not from this. Not one he wanted to take, certainly. Or could even imagine taking.

He sat up abruptly and tossed the letter onto the nightstand. He'd reply to it later. For now, he needed to clear his head.

Because the only way he could think of out of getting married would mean abandoning his family, and there was no way in hell he was doing that.

[Topic Entered/Exited 1 Hour]