The doorway creaked as young Daiki pushed it open, as if it were screaming in protest at having been opened after so long. The dang smell of mildew, dust and blood drifted into the boy’s nose, smells he was keenly aware of given his home village. Perhaps his father had intended it to smell like home, or perhaps it was yet another test.
The plain, adobe house blended in with the many surrounding it, all exactly the same in facade but carrying small identifying details to distinguish it from its neighbours. A small wind chime, a clan insignia - all little things that made a house a home.
This one however, had been no one's home in quite some time it seemed.
“Don't go in there young man. Ghosts will get you.” Daiki turned to look at an elderly woman, watering a pile of cactus, possibly her garden, looking at him through rheumy eyes.
Giving the lady a formal bow, Daiki would speak, sounding far older than his actual age. “Forgive me, Name-san. My family have just purchased this property and we are making it our residence.”
The old woman let out a cough. “Finally sold it huh? Despite the brutal murder that happened in there. Fine - go on in, but dont say I didnt warn you!” The old woman cackled as she turned and hobbled away back into her house.
Daiki looked back at the house, his face impassive as always. Well, things just got a lot more interesting indeed. But before he could start cleaning inside the house, he knew that his… nanny would be perturbed if he turned up and the outside of the house was a mess. Now, armed with a broom and a dustpan, Daiki marched up to the old house and began to clean. The front porch was covered in cobwebs, and the windows were coated with layers of dust, but Daiki scrubbed and swept until the porch was sparkling and the windows were clear. As he worked, he noticed that the house was actually quite beautiful. The adobe walls were a warm, golden color, and the wooden shutters were painted a muted brown. Intricate carvings seemed to come out of the shutters, forgotten images that had been covered with sand and dirt for an age.
The boy, now covered with sand and dirt himself, turned his attention to the house proper. After the initial smell had wafted out, he went around opening the windows to let a measure of air in. It was still incredibly hot… but this was Suna. The inside of the house was dark and musty, and Daiki couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He could hear creaking and moaning noises coming from the walls, but far from being scared this just made the place far more interesting to the strange little boy.
He began dusting and sweeping the floors, and soon he had cleared away enough cobwebs and debris to reveal the beautiful patterned tiles that covered the floor. He even found an old broom in one of the closets, and used it to sweep away the dirt and dust that had accumulated over the years.
As he worked, Daiki began to feel a strange sense of peace in the house. The creaking and moaning noises had stopped, and he could almost swear that he could hear a faint humming coming from one of the rooms. He followed the sound and found himself in a small, cozy kitchen. The kitchen was, extremely surprisingly, clean with pots and pans neatly lined up on the shelves and a vase of fresh flowers on the table. Daiki couldn't believe his eyes. It seemed like someone had been living in the house after all.
“Good. It seems you know how to work. That will bode well for our relationship.”
Daiki, surprised that his new ‘helper’, Kurrope, had already arrived and fixed up the kitchen. The man was in his late 60’s, thin, and had grey, piercing eyes. He would have been quite scary to anyone who didnt know him well… and he was even more frightening to those who did.
'I'm sorry for not noticing that you had already been here, Kurrope-san,' Daiki stated. 'I must be more alert.'
The old man snorted. “No harm done. I've been watching you for a while now, and I must say, you've done a fine job cleaning up.”
“Thank you Kurrope-san, but there is much more to do. There also seems to be rumours about a murder, and a ghost that needs some investigation.” Daiki’s voice was unemotional, but it was clear that he was uncharacteristically excited.
Kurrope scowled, his grey widow’s peak peaking even more. “Another time… for now, you have to help me unpack. Yamigake-sama’s orders were quite clear.”
“Yes, Kurrope-san”.
The plain, adobe house blended in with the many surrounding it, all exactly the same in facade but carrying small identifying details to distinguish it from its neighbours. A small wind chime, a clan insignia - all little things that made a house a home.
This one however, had been no one's home in quite some time it seemed.
“Don't go in there young man. Ghosts will get you.” Daiki turned to look at an elderly woman, watering a pile of cactus, possibly her garden, looking at him through rheumy eyes.
Giving the lady a formal bow, Daiki would speak, sounding far older than his actual age. “Forgive me, Name-san. My family have just purchased this property and we are making it our residence.”
The old woman let out a cough. “Finally sold it huh? Despite the brutal murder that happened in there. Fine - go on in, but dont say I didnt warn you!” The old woman cackled as she turned and hobbled away back into her house.
Daiki looked back at the house, his face impassive as always. Well, things just got a lot more interesting indeed. But before he could start cleaning inside the house, he knew that his… nanny would be perturbed if he turned up and the outside of the house was a mess. Now, armed with a broom and a dustpan, Daiki marched up to the old house and began to clean. The front porch was covered in cobwebs, and the windows were coated with layers of dust, but Daiki scrubbed and swept until the porch was sparkling and the windows were clear. As he worked, he noticed that the house was actually quite beautiful. The adobe walls were a warm, golden color, and the wooden shutters were painted a muted brown. Intricate carvings seemed to come out of the shutters, forgotten images that had been covered with sand and dirt for an age.
The boy, now covered with sand and dirt himself, turned his attention to the house proper. After the initial smell had wafted out, he went around opening the windows to let a measure of air in. It was still incredibly hot… but this was Suna. The inside of the house was dark and musty, and Daiki couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He could hear creaking and moaning noises coming from the walls, but far from being scared this just made the place far more interesting to the strange little boy.
He began dusting and sweeping the floors, and soon he had cleared away enough cobwebs and debris to reveal the beautiful patterned tiles that covered the floor. He even found an old broom in one of the closets, and used it to sweep away the dirt and dust that had accumulated over the years.
As he worked, Daiki began to feel a strange sense of peace in the house. The creaking and moaning noises had stopped, and he could almost swear that he could hear a faint humming coming from one of the rooms. He followed the sound and found himself in a small, cozy kitchen. The kitchen was, extremely surprisingly, clean with pots and pans neatly lined up on the shelves and a vase of fresh flowers on the table. Daiki couldn't believe his eyes. It seemed like someone had been living in the house after all.
“Good. It seems you know how to work. That will bode well for our relationship.”
Daiki, surprised that his new ‘helper’, Kurrope, had already arrived and fixed up the kitchen. The man was in his late 60’s, thin, and had grey, piercing eyes. He would have been quite scary to anyone who didnt know him well… and he was even more frightening to those who did.
'I'm sorry for not noticing that you had already been here, Kurrope-san,' Daiki stated. 'I must be more alert.'
The old man snorted. “No harm done. I've been watching you for a while now, and I must say, you've done a fine job cleaning up.”
“Thank you Kurrope-san, but there is much more to do. There also seems to be rumours about a murder, and a ghost that needs some investigation.” Daiki’s voice was unemotional, but it was clear that he was uncharacteristically excited.
Kurrope scowled, his grey widow’s peak peaking even more. “Another time… for now, you have to help me unpack. Yamigake-sama’s orders were quite clear.”
“Yes, Kurrope-san”.
