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+--- Thread: The Heartwood 紫 (/showthread.php?tid=65716)
紫 - Kaede - April 18, 2025
her days settle into routine, as much as can be had in the company of samurai.
@Clover is a constant fixture at her side.
the lady feeds him morsels along with her language. it will not do for him to be ignorant in such a realm.
knowing he is able to speak sets them both free.
in the blesswood, lady kaede moves across the earth, stopping to collect a leaf here or pull moss from its mooring. she does not call herself a physician nor herbalist. she is both and yet something more. something else.
the primrose stare falls to her fox. "say something to me. i want to see what you have learned."
@Clover is a constant fixture at her side.
the lady feeds him morsels along with her language. it will not do for him to be ignorant in such a realm.
knowing he is able to speak sets them both free.
in the blesswood, lady kaede moves across the earth, stopping to collect a leaf here or pull moss from its mooring. she does not call herself a physician nor herbalist. she is both and yet something more. something else.
the primrose stare falls to her fox. "say something to me. i want to see what you have learned."
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 18, 2025
Clover did not mind outings with her, and he often followed along with a sack fastened from a rough triangle of fresh animal hide. Too old and it became rigid, but for a few days, it remained pliable, enough for Clover to gather each of the three corners in his muzzle and carry what had been wrapped inside.
He would let her place plants and leaves there, and then bring them along.
A moment of respite, the fox let go of his prize, which landed with a thud and unfurled as if it was still alive. Slow, almost breathing. He licked his muzzle and yawned, jaws tight from clenching.
Ears fell onto her, followed closely by eyes, ever-wide and observant.
When she spoke now, usually, the fox could understand enough to make sense of anything said. He had never formally been taught what he knew of his other language—it also came from wolves who chose to shelter him. But no wolf of that pack would teach him. Very few even spoke at him. Not like Kaede. She was silent, but often broke her silence to teach. To let him understand. And he was grateful.
He tried to remain stoic like her, to keep his emotions invisible to others, but a smoky grey tail behind him flicked eagerly, and a hint of a smile pulled at his black lips. Only for a moment, however, before he worked out a response. Thought visibly took his smile, and his tail no longer flicked from excitement, but concentration.
”I… some words have learned. It will.. enough be.. soon.”
Upon finishing, the smile returned, and the excited swishing of his tail. He was sure he’d said it wrong. The words were one thing, putting them together was another. And he was much less confident in the latter.
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 18, 2025
her kouri has learned his role quickly.
his smile is quick. he is eager. kaede knows she must teach him not to show himself with such readiness. masa-sama followed blood and the trail of a sword. there is no way to know what the coming days will bring. like the rest of them, clover must prepare to be cold.
but here it is only he and she, the two of them.
kaede drops this moss into the pouch carried by the fox.
though she does not smile, it is in her eyes. "it is good you have learned quickly, yotsuba." it is what she calls him now, from time to time. a clover, as explained, is a symbol of luck to kaede. yotsuba — four-leaves — this name reflects the clever status of her fox more accurately to the samurai.
he is not to be underestimated.
into her own sagemono does kaede place the collected leaves. she looks at clover again.
"do not let the others know how much you understand."
she does not trust them. and she does not expect to be trusted. a kouri is also a spy where needed.
his smile is quick. he is eager. kaede knows she must teach him not to show himself with such readiness. masa-sama followed blood and the trail of a sword. there is no way to know what the coming days will bring. like the rest of them, clover must prepare to be cold.
but here it is only he and she, the two of them.
kaede drops this moss into the pouch carried by the fox.
though she does not smile, it is in her eyes. "it is good you have learned quickly, yotsuba." it is what she calls him now, from time to time. a clover, as explained, is a symbol of luck to kaede. yotsuba — four-leaves — this name reflects the clever status of her fox more accurately to the samurai.
he is not to be underestimated.
into her own sagemono does kaede place the collected leaves. she looks at clover again.
"do not let the others know how much you understand."
she does not trust them. and she does not expect to be trusted. a kouri is also a spy where needed.
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 19, 2025
He knew her well enough now to read her. With no means of verbal communication for some time, he had no other choice than to study her expressions, responses, and though her lips did not curl like his own, he knew well that she was pleased.
Her words, of which he knew most of, seemed to confirm that.
To her, he was yotsuba. One of the first words he’d learned from her. He brought a clover to her, placed a paw atop, and spoke “Clover,” then moved the same paw to his chest. She taught him the word then. He liked the sound.
The expression affixed to his face faded once more, his tail slowly stilled.
Understanding more now, the fox had loosely picked up conversations happening nearby—how the others generally felt towards him. It was saddening. He meant no harm. He wanted to tell them that now that he could. Roughly.
”Me. They..do not like. Why?”
Maybe if he knew, he could change it. One seemed to fear him rather than dislike, but Clover was much smaller. A wolf had no reason to fear a fox.
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 20, 2025
it is a question kaede can both answer and cannot.
she draws into herself, forms a tight cocoon of tension which cowls her shoulders for a short time
"they believe you are kitsune. that you can throw your face and change your skin. that you are not what you say you are, yotsuba."
she blinks her primrose eyes.
"clover."
"there are stories of this. monsters who become women. men who become foxes. they say you take the breath of children and can pass between worlds."
as she speaks, the lady studies her kouri. a smile in her eyes again, mouth calm.
"but you do not know these things. do you, yotsuba?"
she draws into herself, forms a tight cocoon of tension which cowls her shoulders for a short time
"they believe you are kitsune. that you can throw your face and change your skin. that you are not what you say you are, yotsuba."
she blinks her primrose eyes.
"clover."
"there are stories of this. monsters who become women. men who become foxes. they say you take the breath of children and can pass between worlds."
as she speaks, the lady studies her kouri. a smile in her eyes again, mouth calm.
"but you do not know these things. do you, yotsuba?"
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 20, 2025
The fox listened, ears flicking with the words he recognized, but there were quite a few he did not. New words, or words spoken too fast to be recognizable.
Kitsune.. he’d heard it before. Monster..
But he wasn’t. He was no monster, no thief—not anymore.
Blue eyes searched the ground before his paws. Decidedly, he did not like what she described. Or what he thought she described.
He was just a fox, a monster to mice, maybe. Not to wolves.
He only shook his head no, lifting his muzzle up toward her once more. He knew nothing of this. But he did know it did not describe him.
”Can.. make.. better?”
He searched for words, a droning voice crack carrying between each slow syllable.
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 20, 2025
"it is not your responsibility."
no. a fox was unable the change the prejudice among wolves.
sending them among their teeth as a naive missionary was not something her thought would tolerate.
"be silent. be elegant. they will judge you no matter what you do."
she does not offer a bracing touch, but the intense flicker of her eyes says more than her paw might.
"you serve lady ichimonji kaede. we will not be following samurai forever."
she deserved more.
and by that end, so did clover. for now he must suffer the slings and arrows of their hatred, but only for now. only for this short while.
no. a fox was unable the change the prejudice among wolves.
sending them among their teeth as a naive missionary was not something her thought would tolerate.
"be silent. be elegant. they will judge you no matter what you do."
she does not offer a bracing touch, but the intense flicker of her eyes says more than her paw might.
"you serve lady ichimonji kaede. we will not be following samurai forever."
she deserved more.
and by that end, so did clover. for now he must suffer the slings and arrows of their hatred, but only for now. only for this short while.
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 20, 2025
Silent he knew. The other he did not, but could wager a guess.
Her gaze stilled his nerves, if only for a moment. And her reassurance that they would not travel near the others for long was good news. Truthfully, though he had not wanted to tell her, he feared he would find himself between the jaws of one of those wolves in the night.
It was irrational, maybe, but the fox outlived his family by trusting his instinct. He would choose to keep doing that, and he believed Kaede would understand.
He trusted her, too. Her gentle gaze was far from that of the usual wolf. Understandable, friendly. But the arrangement was..odd. Mutually beneficial, sure—but why had she chosen a fox?
”What is.. Kouri?”
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 20, 2025
"it means that you attend me. that you are never parted from my side unless i have said you must stay or go."
clover had her protection.
to kill a kitsune would bring a fouler luck on such a murderer that he would beg for death. if yotsuba is lying to her about his nature, kaede does not fear for her own soul.
she knows better than to harm him or let him be harmed.
"it means also that when i marry you are to become a noble."
a fair gift, the lady thinks.
she wonders if clover will think it so.
clover had her protection.
to kill a kitsune would bring a fouler luck on such a murderer that he would beg for death. if yotsuba is lying to her about his nature, kaede does not fear for her own soul.
she knows better than to harm him or let him be harmed.
"it means also that when i marry you are to become a noble."
a fair gift, the lady thinks.
she wonders if clover will think it so.
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 20, 2025
A fair enough trade for an easy enough life, he felt. It did not explain the fox part, but he was beginning to think it was implied with the title.
He had never heard of it. But then again, he had never heard her language until meeting her.
”What is marry and noble?”
He repeated the unfamiliar terms back to her. He hoped his questions did not bother her.
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 20, 2025
"you have seen the way they look at me."
kaede is unreadable even before her fox.
"but i am not for their hands. i am higher in rank. i seek a man of the same, and when i find him, i will submit to the bond between man and woman."
it is harder to explain than she realizes, the lady thinks.
"i am noble. i am — higher. set apart. you will also be this. i will not marry a man who cannot provide me riches or a soft place for my head."
kaede's guard slips, just for a moment.
"men want children. men want a silent, biddable wife. the payment for this is to ensure i have all i want."
transaction for the sake of a womb.
kaede is unreadable even before her fox.
"but i am not for their hands. i am higher in rank. i seek a man of the same, and when i find him, i will submit to the bond between man and woman."
it is harder to explain than she realizes, the lady thinks.
"i am noble. i am — higher. set apart. you will also be this. i will not marry a man who cannot provide me riches or a soft place for my head."
kaede's guard slips, just for a moment.
"men want children. men want a silent, biddable wife. the payment for this is to ensure i have all i want."
transaction for the sake of a womb.
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 21, 2025
This too was heard only in parts, but the fox understood now.
He felt he was unworthy of a wolf’s portion. For all that had been said regarding his kind by the others, some wasn’t entirely fabricated. But survival was no fault of Clover’s. Not a monster, not a thief, but not above either if it promised safety
He had no need for that sort of safety now, though. He couldn’t possibly ask Kaede for more than she’d given him.
”You find. Yes,” he affirmed, cementing with a nod. She was pretty. Wolves were pretty, but she was especially so.
”I can be soft, for your head.” he offered after, maybe taking her too literally. He did not mind behaving as a pillow. His tail flicked excitedly behind, and he hoped his suggestion could allow him to be of more use.
RE: 紫 - Kaede - April 21, 2025
at last she lets a smile.
it is a small one. it is unpracticed. it sits awkwardly on a face that is too used to being solemn.
it is vulnerable, wiped of paint or pretense.
"yes. come here, yotsuba," and she opens her arms to him.
he has been the only one close, the only one whose warmth has mingled with her own. when they pause on journeying, it is they alone. set apart.
her own perception of kitsune tells kaede that she should not allow clover so close to her heart, that she should think of him only as intelligent pet.
but he is not a pet. he has become a companion, because they both exist inside parentheses, footnotes to another's life.
it is only clover who sees the single tear.
it is a small one. it is unpracticed. it sits awkwardly on a face that is too used to being solemn.
it is vulnerable, wiped of paint or pretense.
"yes. come here, yotsuba," and she opens her arms to him.
he has been the only one close, the only one whose warmth has mingled with her own. when they pause on journeying, it is they alone. set apart.
her own perception of kitsune tells kaede that she should not allow clover so close to her heart, that she should think of him only as intelligent pet.
but he is not a pet. he has become a companion, because they both exist inside parentheses, footnotes to another's life.
it is only clover who sees the single tear.
RE: 紫 - Clover - April 22, 2025
The fox was surprised to see her expression lift. It was unusual, but not uncanny.
He obeyed, of course, moving towards her upon request. She was the only wolf he trusted at such a small distance. The rest might trick him, but she wouldn’t.
Her deep purple gaze was contrasted by a brief bright flash, the sun catching a bubble of water. Had the sky not been blue, he might have attributed it to rain.
But down it fell, slipping down the shortened fur of her face. Had he said something?
”You are hurt?” he asked. It was not meant to mock her.