Aendri
Inactive Member
ON:
Samurai House, Kyoto, Yamatai
Masami knelt abeyantte in one of the smaller side rooms of the revered Samurai House, waiting. It was a small, traditional room, with clean wooden floors and mats for those who needed them, though Masami did not at this point in her service. She had only taken her first full assignment a few days ago, when she'd received a message Daimyo that she was to return to the house for a time, to pick up a partner who had recently finished her training, assuming Masami found her acceptable. The newly trained Samurai had already been sent for, but had not yet arrived.
A quiet rasp came from the direction of the door, before it slid open just wide enough for the arrival to slip in, on her hands and knees of course. Hotaru closed the door, before silently kowtowing to the elder samurai.
Masami smiled inwardly at the trainee's entrance, though she kept her face composed, as was only proper, especially when dealing with someone so recently trained. "There is no need to be so formal with me, Heisho. I may be your superior, but I'm neither your lord, nor the daimyo."
Sitting up, Hotaru gave a short and simple reply, "Hai." She briefly glanced over who it was she would be working with, but quickly fixed her violet eyes elsewhere. Her actions, thus far, had seemed almost robotic, having been drilled into her after so very many hours of training every small detail on proper etiquette. Still, there was still that sense of nervousness about her, despite how serious her posture seemed.
Masami nodded once, and spoke again. "However. I've been told that I'm to speak with you and determine whether or not I am willing to work with you. Do you know who you'll be assigned to if I accept you as a partner?" Masami wasn't fazed in the least by Hotaru's by-the-book actions, having spent more then enough time acting the same herself after the training year.
"Hai. Ketsurui Rikou-sama," Hotaru answered, once again providing a to-the-point response. It was for this specific reason that she was so worried. While, yes, it was an honor, but she was so green that it made the opportunity all the more frightening. She could feel the pressure of duty already, even if she wasn't there yet, or let alone not having been chosen.
"Correct. She's very young, so our duty is to assist with her raising, as well as to guard her. Do you feel ready to do that?" Masami was hoping that Hotaru might settle down a bit more soon, but she was getting the feeling that this was going to be a trend.
Hotaru paused for a moment, as if double checking a scan or something of the sort of her own knowledge and training, before giving the same reply, "Hai."
Masami frowned slightly, shaking her head. "I'll be completely honest with you. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm willing to take you on assignment with me. This will require a bit of flexibility, and I'm not sure if you are up to the task at this point in your training."
"Hai." It seemed for a moment as though Hotaru would just stop there, so far not having been one for words, but she merely waited a bit before continuing: "I understand that I may not be able to fulfill all the expectations of me, but I will try my best to accomplish what you need of me and whatever may be needed by Ketsurui Rikou-sama." That nervousness, over the course of her reply, faded and became replaced with some determination.
Masami nodded slightly to herself. "The fact that your answer was more then one or two words is in your favor, at the least. You have to understand. If you're unable to loosen up enough to actually answer me that much, how I am to assume you'll handle speaking to our actual charge?"
"Ha-" Hotaru caught herself and mentally reprimanded herself.
"Gomenasai, Masami-sama. I understand that I have to work on not being so -- distant?" It felt as though a hand had gripped her heart suddenly, having a fault of hers pointed out. "I accept that being a sort of companion is part of what it means to be a samurai, and that it is a flaw in myself that I cannot do so in a more suitable fashion. But, I will work on it, if you will allow me to."
Masami nodded at Hotaru, letting herself smile at her prospective partner. "Recognizing your own fault is a good start. However, recognizing it is not enough in matters as important as the raising of Yui-sama's child. Unless you can at least be there, in part, for her from the start, I can not in good conscience accept you as a partner for the time being. It is nothing against you, just a matter of importance."
Hotaru sat silently as she thought through her response. "No matter how foolish or awkward I feel I am being, I would try to be a friend for Rikou-sama. Even if I've felt I've lost all dignity, I would continue to try. If this is not enough, then I am sorry that I could not live up to the expectations of me and to have wasted your time, Masami-sama."
Masami nodded, rising smoothly to her feet. "Well then. If that is the case..." She walked over to Hotaru, and lightly rested her hand on the younger neko's shoulder. "That being said, I accept you as my partner for the time being. What I needed from you was some form of assurance that you would try to serve her in that kind of manner. With your response, I feel much more confident that you will be able to fulfil your duties."
Hotaru nearly flinched at the hand, but, with the following statement, she couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Masami-sama," she replied, looking up at her superior. "I will not let you down." She felt so very cheesy for saying that.
Masami patted her again, before returning to where she'd been seated, and picking up her katana, fitting it back into it's place before turning back to Hotaru. "With that decided, I plan on returning to her service as soon as I can, and I would rather you come with now than later. Are you ready to leave the house now, or do you need some time to gather your things?"
"I only need to retrieve my sword and uniforms, Masami-sama," Hotaru answered.
Masami nodded, gesturing towards the door. "Then you have my permission to go and pack your things. We will meet back here once you are ready. And... one last thing. I have only just finished my formative year myself. You need not treat me as though I am much your superior, since I am only a small amount older."
"Oh." Hotaru couldn't stop that from slipping out of her mouth, promptly wincing. "Ah, gomenasai. I didn't mean it like that. It was just a surprise, is all." She felt as if she should just bite off her tongue before she said anything else that was stupid.
Samurai House, Kyoto, Yamatai
Masami knelt abeyantte in one of the smaller side rooms of the revered Samurai House, waiting. It was a small, traditional room, with clean wooden floors and mats for those who needed them, though Masami did not at this point in her service. She had only taken her first full assignment a few days ago, when she'd received a message Daimyo that she was to return to the house for a time, to pick up a partner who had recently finished her training, assuming Masami found her acceptable. The newly trained Samurai had already been sent for, but had not yet arrived.
A quiet rasp came from the direction of the door, before it slid open just wide enough for the arrival to slip in, on her hands and knees of course. Hotaru closed the door, before silently kowtowing to the elder samurai.
Masami smiled inwardly at the trainee's entrance, though she kept her face composed, as was only proper, especially when dealing with someone so recently trained. "There is no need to be so formal with me, Heisho. I may be your superior, but I'm neither your lord, nor the daimyo."
Sitting up, Hotaru gave a short and simple reply, "Hai." She briefly glanced over who it was she would be working with, but quickly fixed her violet eyes elsewhere. Her actions, thus far, had seemed almost robotic, having been drilled into her after so very many hours of training every small detail on proper etiquette. Still, there was still that sense of nervousness about her, despite how serious her posture seemed.
Masami nodded once, and spoke again. "However. I've been told that I'm to speak with you and determine whether or not I am willing to work with you. Do you know who you'll be assigned to if I accept you as a partner?" Masami wasn't fazed in the least by Hotaru's by-the-book actions, having spent more then enough time acting the same herself after the training year.
"Hai. Ketsurui Rikou-sama," Hotaru answered, once again providing a to-the-point response. It was for this specific reason that she was so worried. While, yes, it was an honor, but she was so green that it made the opportunity all the more frightening. She could feel the pressure of duty already, even if she wasn't there yet, or let alone not having been chosen.
"Correct. She's very young, so our duty is to assist with her raising, as well as to guard her. Do you feel ready to do that?" Masami was hoping that Hotaru might settle down a bit more soon, but she was getting the feeling that this was going to be a trend.
Hotaru paused for a moment, as if double checking a scan or something of the sort of her own knowledge and training, before giving the same reply, "Hai."
Masami frowned slightly, shaking her head. "I'll be completely honest with you. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm willing to take you on assignment with me. This will require a bit of flexibility, and I'm not sure if you are up to the task at this point in your training."
"Hai." It seemed for a moment as though Hotaru would just stop there, so far not having been one for words, but she merely waited a bit before continuing: "I understand that I may not be able to fulfill all the expectations of me, but I will try my best to accomplish what you need of me and whatever may be needed by Ketsurui Rikou-sama." That nervousness, over the course of her reply, faded and became replaced with some determination.
Masami nodded slightly to herself. "The fact that your answer was more then one or two words is in your favor, at the least. You have to understand. If you're unable to loosen up enough to actually answer me that much, how I am to assume you'll handle speaking to our actual charge?"
"Ha-" Hotaru caught herself and mentally reprimanded herself.
"Gomenasai, Masami-sama. I understand that I have to work on not being so -- distant?" It felt as though a hand had gripped her heart suddenly, having a fault of hers pointed out. "I accept that being a sort of companion is part of what it means to be a samurai, and that it is a flaw in myself that I cannot do so in a more suitable fashion. But, I will work on it, if you will allow me to."
Masami nodded at Hotaru, letting herself smile at her prospective partner. "Recognizing your own fault is a good start. However, recognizing it is not enough in matters as important as the raising of Yui-sama's child. Unless you can at least be there, in part, for her from the start, I can not in good conscience accept you as a partner for the time being. It is nothing against you, just a matter of importance."
Hotaru sat silently as she thought through her response. "No matter how foolish or awkward I feel I am being, I would try to be a friend for Rikou-sama. Even if I've felt I've lost all dignity, I would continue to try. If this is not enough, then I am sorry that I could not live up to the expectations of me and to have wasted your time, Masami-sama."
Masami nodded, rising smoothly to her feet. "Well then. If that is the case..." She walked over to Hotaru, and lightly rested her hand on the younger neko's shoulder. "That being said, I accept you as my partner for the time being. What I needed from you was some form of assurance that you would try to serve her in that kind of manner. With your response, I feel much more confident that you will be able to fulfil your duties."
Hotaru nearly flinched at the hand, but, with the following statement, she couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Masami-sama," she replied, looking up at her superior. "I will not let you down." She felt so very cheesy for saying that.
Masami patted her again, before returning to where she'd been seated, and picking up her katana, fitting it back into it's place before turning back to Hotaru. "With that decided, I plan on returning to her service as soon as I can, and I would rather you come with now than later. Are you ready to leave the house now, or do you need some time to gather your things?"
"I only need to retrieve my sword and uniforms, Masami-sama," Hotaru answered.
Masami nodded, gesturing towards the door. "Then you have my permission to go and pack your things. We will meet back here once you are ready. And... one last thing. I have only just finished my formative year myself. You need not treat me as though I am much your superior, since I am only a small amount older."
"Oh." Hotaru couldn't stop that from slipping out of her mouth, promptly wincing. "Ah, gomenasai. I didn't mean it like that. It was just a surprise, is all." She felt as if she should just bite off her tongue before she said anything else that was stupid.
