After her fox intervention and visit to the shrine pool, Niamh is heading back to the ancient tree on the shrine grounds. Nothing has changed since she was last here, even the branch that fell on her head still lies near the tree base. The shrine is quiet, the only sounds are the rustle of the leaves in the light breeze and the call of far-off birds. When the wind shifts just right, she can smell the flowers that adorn the tree too.
The girl pauses to enjoy the scent of the flowers first, then looks for a spot next to the trunk where there aren't any dangerous-looking branches that could fall on her. She hasn't known trees to be cranky but there's always a first time.
Well, it's hard to tell if a branch might fall or not! Perhaps it's just the way of this tree asking her to, er, leave. After about five minutes, Niamh finds a spot that looks like it might be reasonably safe.
"Alright, time to say hello," Niamh mutters, and steps up the hopefully safe spot and puts her palms against the cherry tree's trunk. Then she closes her eyes and focuses on transferring some of her energy to the tree to see if Lady Sakura responds.
The tree branches rustle a bit more, and wood creaks a bit ominously above her...
Gritting her teeth a bit, Niamh pushes a bit more. She doesn't want to end up completely dehydrated though, for fear the foxes will make fun of her. Still, old trees need a lot of encouragement..
More rustling, and a whole lot more creaking and groaning coming from tree above her. Then she feels the ground beneath her feet shudder.
Taking this as a sign of progress, Niamh takes a deep breath and pushes a bit more of herself into the trunk. Come on, it's Spring, she quietly urges.
More rumbling, and Nimah is starting to feel tired. Soon, there is a muttering behind her of an old-sounding voice with undertones of wind in the leaves. And ... of course it's in japanese.
This is new. Usually trees commune in.. tree-ish. She didn't have trouble understanding the trees at the Inn.. but Lady Sakura may have more experience actually talking to people. Just to be sure, Niamh looks back over her shoulder to see if the spirit is actually showing up like a dryad.
A very old-looking dryad at that. She looks really annoyed, too and is waggling a woody finger at her and saying something that sounds mad.
"Forgive me, Lady Sakura.." Niamh says, hoping the dryad understands her while she's connected to the tree at least. Otherwise she'll need to do her language trick on top of maintaining things. "Do you understand me?"
The tree-woman stares at her for a moment, then reaches over and pokes her in the middle of her forehead! "I do now," it remarks once its hand falls back down. "You are very pushy and rude, pestering an old spirit so. You are even worse than those whimsical foxes," she complains.
"There's no way I could be worse than them," Niamh blurts, then blushes. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Lady Sakura, but I've come from a forest on the other side of the world and was hoping you could introduce me to this forest. If that's.. possible? I'd be very grateful."
"Introduce you to the forest?" Sakura inquires. "That is an odd request to make. Few ever ask such strange things? Are you a shinto priestess?"
"I'm a druid, we don't have the same religion in my part of the world," Niamh explains. "And this is my actual hair color, I'm not just a dryad who thinks it is Autumn."
"Of course you aren't. You're a fairy," Sakura remarks and waves her bark-covered hand dismissively. "This is some prank, is it not? Are you in league with the foxes?"
"They're teaching me how to be less.. tempting.. to local yokai," Niamh explains. "Miyuki is going to teach me the chinkon ritual, because I need to purify some dog guardians because she won't because they hunted her and.. Well, in short, I need the help of the forest, because I don't have enough strength on my on to overcome the guardian spirits."
"And you wish to commune with the kirin to curry his favor?" Sakura inquires. "What will you offer the forest in return for its help?"
"Wait.. the kirin?" Niamh asks. "I need to talk to the forest-god. The kirin.. isn't even a tree is it?"
"No, but it is the forest god here," Sakura notes. "There was a time when he would pollinate me, but I was much younger back then."
"I could offer to bring some seeds back to my forest, I suppose," Niamh says. "But, you can contact it?" she asks.
"Yes, I can," Sakura answers and she peers at Niamh again. "What will you offer me for doing such?"
"First, is the kirin Daiki-sama or another?" Niamh asks.
"Where did you hear that name?" Sakura asks.
"Lord Noboru carried me through the forest once, and introduced me to Daiki-sama along the way," Niamh says. "I just wanted a ride through town."
"Ah, that fox. He is an odd one," Sakura says with a sage and understanding nod. "Yes, that is the forest lord."
"I was told by that fox that Daiki-sama is very dangerous," Niamh notes. "Is that so, or was the fox playing with me?"
"Extremely dangerous," Sakura agrees. "So while he was playing with you, he was being honest."
"Everything here seems to be dangerous or demanding," Niamh laments. She almost knocks her head against the trunk in frustration before stopping herself. "Now, what sort of favors would you wish for any aid you give me?" she asks politely.
"I don't suppose you will kill yourself to fertilize my roots?" Sakura inquires.
"That.. would make it rather difficult to accomplish my other tasks," Niamh says. "Is there something that perhaps does not require decomposition, suicide or murder? Maybe something gardening related?"
"Is everyone in your land so serious?" Sakura has to ask and ends up laughing softly, which sounds like leaves swaying. "I am not sure what I would ask for, to be honest. So, I will not ask for anything. It will be up to Daiki-sama to decide if he wishes to see you, though. I can only ask."
"I can never tell when people here are being serious or not," Niamh admits. "Thank you, Lady Sakura. I'll let you know when I'm ready to send the request. But is there anything gardening related I can do for you?"
Sakura taps her wooden cheek, which flakes a bit of bark off. "Churn the soil a bit around my roots," she requests. "It has become a bit compacted from all the visitors that have slept beneath my branches. Water does not seep so well any more."
"I'm good at that," Niamh says, relaxing a bit. "My other dryad friends call me their giant earthworm."
"Do not let the foxes hear that or you will never hear the end of their jokes," Sakura warns. "They do mean well ... but they approach life with whimsy."
"I was a rather slimy child," Niamh admits. "But I think I've learned not to give them too much to use against me. They come up with plenty of things on their own for that. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sakura. I'm am Niamh of the Sidhe." She then does a little bow, since she doesn't want to take her hands away from the trunk.
"Oh, I know they have; one already owns you, dear. His mark is upon you," Sakura notes with a bemused sort of smile. "If you wish to speak again, don't be so pushy. Just bring me some water for my roots. It's less jarring."
"I'll remember that," Niamh promises. It'd also be a lot easier on her to that way. She begins to draw her ectoplasm back, or as much as she can recover anyway.
She only manages to pull back about a third ... and while doing so Sakura's 'form' breaks down into dust and flower petals and swirls up and away into the branches of the tree. Soon, she's alone again.
After pulling away from the trunk, Niamh has to take a moment to make sure she isn't too dizzy. She needs watering now. After she's steady, she heads for where she left her personal stuff, figuring it is a good time to find her room before she falls over. "Daiki-sama," she thinks. "What will he want. My soul?" This hasn't turned out as well as she hoped.
Her stuff is thankfully right where she left it. On it is a small note written with what looks like a brush, it is at least in English, though, and notes her room is next to Miyuki's, and she can go there at her leisure.
Gathering up her bundle, Niamh heads in what she remembers to be the right direction to try and find the room. Hopefully she can manage that at least without messing up.
Success! After about five minutes, she manages to find the door next to Miyuki's room. It probably helps that someone hung a small note on it that reads 'Noboru's Pet'. Boy, they sure milk their jokes. Inside the room reveals ... not much. A simple tatami-mat is on the floor as a bed, and a low table with a pillow provides a writing space. The rest are simple paper-covered walls and hanging lamps.
Niamh blinks a few times, then realizes there's no futon mattress rolled up and hidden in a corner. "The anxiety will keep me awake," she decides, and sets her bundle down near the writing table. She takes out the wooden box with her ritual items in it and sets it on the table as she kneels onto the pillow. "All those rites and.. none of it is of any use here. I may as well be going up against the Unselee Court in my underwear," she mutters.
The room offers no opinions on that. It hasn't even seen her in her underwear yet.
Before she can really pile on the self-pity (and even for a teenaged girl she is pretty good at that) Niamh decides she needs to hydrate. She can already feel the headache coming on.. and hopes she's not showing any wrinkles. It hasn't happened yet, but she knows it will eventually if she expends too much of her spirit. She knows there's a bath, but there must also be a well somewhere. So she gets up, is heartened by not seeing spots before her eyes, and goes in search of water.
Nimah manages to find a bucket of water with a wooden spoon-ladle in it. If it's safe to drink, though, she has no idea. It smells clean, at least?
"What are the chances that a bucket left out in the open is drinking water?" she wonders out loud. It could be for anything. "This time, I'm not going to assume. Even if it means asking the kitsune." She just has to find one of them. So she heads for the shrine gate to see if Noboru is lazing on it.
Of course he is lazing on it, with all for legs and all four tails dangling down. "Oh hey, it's the curious nymph," the kitsune comments, bemused.
"Where can I get some fresh water?" Niamh asks. "I need.. a substantial amount."
"Fooooooor?" Noboru leads, tong lolling out.
"Drinking," Niamh says, wobbling a bit. "I dehydrated myself."
"Mmmm, a dull and practical answer," Noboru remarks, sounding disappointed. "There is a pump-feed in the temple kitchen; you can find water there. Enter the main building, then turn left and go down into the cellar-area. It will be on the right."
"Are they any yokai in the cellar?" Niamh is sure to ask, just in case.
"Oh yes. Many terrible monsters waiting to suckle upon your toes," Noboru claims.
"I do have nice toes," Niamh counters, and then turns and starts towards the main building. "Left, down, on the right," she mutters. "Left, down, on the right.." She doesn't want to forget along the way, since her head is really starting to throb now.
Left, and soon she is at stairwell heading down. Down ... then she's walking down a corridor lit with wall-lanterns. A door to the right and she steps into a nicely kept kitchen, neatly stacked sishes, clean water basins and pots, an iron stove of some sort with venting to the outside somewhere, and true to his word ... a water-pump. It looks somewhat like the kind she has seen in her homeland. Namely there's a lever-bar and what sort of looks like a spigot.
Heading for the pump, Niamh tries working the lever to get things flowing.
Squeak, squeak! Wow, it could use some oiling ... but within a few pumps water shoots out of the spigot and into a bucket set before it.
Figuring it wouldn't be proper to drink directly from the bucket, Niamh looks around for a bowl or mug she can use.
Plenty of them, including little odd-square things that might be wooden glasses.
Taking one of the wooden cups, she starts pumping again to fill it, then gulps it down. It's probably going to take a dozen cups before she really feels normal again.
The water tastes clean and it's cold! There's some slight hint of alcohol, though, coming from the wooden cup. It's just a scent, though, no actual liquid.
"Must be for sake," Niamh guesses when she pauses between cups. Then she's pumping it full again. For some reason she didn't think Miyuki would drink alcohol.. but that was due to her thinking they were close to the same age. Niamh always waters down her wine when she can. After all, she trusts the water from the family well, no need to drink beer and wine for safety.
The scent fades the more water she drinks, and she doesn't feel dizzy from it, either. In fact, she's feeling a lot better. Poking around strange trees is sure draining work.
Niamh slows down, taking her time to sip and explore the kitchen. Who does the cooking, she wonders? She hasn't seen any other temple staff.
Maybe they use spirits to cook? There's no solid evidence of anyone else being in there. The room is immaculately clean, at least and the few cupboards there are stocked with various vegetables and lots of dried rice.
"I hope they don't expect me to cook rice," Niamh says to her cup, then goes to refill it. "I have no idea how it's done."
"Gurgle," the pump dutifully answers her query while she pumps more water into her cup.
After she finishes the last cup, she goes to wash it out a few more times and looks for a cleaning cloth while wondering how the cups are made. Wood-carving must be easier here than using ceramics.. or else the wooden ones last longer. "At least I shouldn't feel hungry soon, since the water was nice and cold," she notes, and thanks the pump.
"Drip," it answers. There's a few nicely folded cloths on a table that might be for cleaning; but hard to tell. As for how the cups are made, they appear to be made of five flat sections interlaced together and coated in some sort of resin or sap to help keep them cleaner.
For now, Niamh just leaves the cup out near the cloths, since she isn't certain if there's some special way of cleaning them, or if the person who does maintain the kitchen would be offended. Chances are, someone will just think she's a lazy foreigner though. But at least her head feels clear again, so she heads back out into the cellar hall and towards the stairs.
no monsters leap out and try to suck her toes! How disappointing. She makes it to the stairway and can head back up if she wants.
So Niamh heads back to her room, and sits on the mat to practice containing her spirit some more. Even if she isn't able to accomplish anything else, this will at least be useful. But once she's started, she wonders where Miyuki is, since she only saw Noboru. Miyuki is the shrine liaison to the forest after all, so it would best to discuss Daiki-sama with her.
Well, Miyuki isn't in Niamh's room, and she hears no sounds from Miyuki's room ... so who knows where she is right now. Everything is quiet and surprisingly peaceful here. Silence is deafening and all that. That ends, though, when a silvery maned head peers around the door frame. "Are you getting settled in?" Noboru asks, "Would anything make my pet more comfortable?" That last bit comes with a foxy sort of grin.
"Many things would make me more comfortable," Niamh admits. "First of which is to drop this 'pet' joke. It has worn thin, hasn't it?"
Noboru's ears flick a little. "No?" he answers. "We kitsune live a long time, so we must draw out our amusements. Besides that, what would help?"
"Something soft to sleep on?" Niamh dares to ask. "And.. how well do you know Lord Daiki?"
"I figured you would sleep on me," Noboru jokes, "But I will see about a proper bed. As for the Forest Lord, reasonably well. He is far older than I, or even my parents. I have known him for the entirety of my existence from a little one-tail, to the greatness I am today."
"What do you think he would ask in exchange for a favor?" Niamh asks, and bites her lip.
"Oh, I couldn't begin to guess on that I am afraid. What can you offer to an ancient god?" Noboru points out, then saunters over and flops down against Niamh's side
"To carry seeds from his forest to the other side of the world?" Niamh suggests hopefully.
"I am not sure he would have any interest in that, but he might," Noboru admits with a shrug. "He isn't so nearly as agreeable and nice as I am."
"Of course he isn't," Niamh says softly and starts to cry. She doesn't sob though, at least. "I've got nothing to offer but good intentions and those don't count for anything here. I can't purify the guardians on my own so.. should I just give up?"
"You are far too serious," Noboru notes as he glances up and over. "A few minor challenges and you're ready to just give up, are you? Have you not ever heard the proverb that 'It isn't the destination, but the journey that matters.'? Have you considered you are being tested and pushed to prepare you for things?"
"What?" Niamh asks. "Why can't you.. just tell me.. I don't know how things are done here! If you offend a Sidhe they might turn you into a rabbit or a tree or a rock. Sometimes mice. Not a mouse, but.. your body weight in mice! I'm a stupid foreigner, you know. A barbarian. I.." She has to pause in her rant to take a breath and wipe at her eyes.
"You learn better by experience, not by just being told. People of your age already think they know everything and often learn by mistakes," Noboru notes. "Plus, this way your reactions were more honest. If you are already wishing to give up; then you have no hope against old guardian yokai like the inu."
"Rrrrrr!" Niamh growls in frustration. "That! That there! It doesn't help! You tell me I have no hope, that I'm too gullible or.. and then you.." She actually lunges at Noboru, trying to tickle him.
In a blur of fur, Nimah finds herself bound up in four very fluffy tails! "And violent, I see! Am I going to have to get toy a muzzle?" Noboru jokes as Niamh sort of ... dangles.
"Go ahead, it isn't like I can stop you from doing.. anything you want to me," Niamh says sullenly. "I want to trust you, but you.. Why did you paint my back?"
Noboru lowers Niamh down. "Are you calmed down now?" he asks. "As for why, I wanted to. Is there something wrong with that?" he asks. "It also allows me to always know where you are, and travel to you immediately if needed. It is a reflection of me, so in a way, a mirror walk."
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to, for those reasons?" Niamh asks, still not fully calmed down. "It made me feel helpless."
"Because I don't have to tell you everything," Noboru says, simply. "And because you need to learn that you cannot control everything and you need to go with the flow of life instead of trying to bend it to your will."
"I know I can't control everything," Niamh claims. "I can't control anything.. but it's my body, Noboru. One of the only things I can say is mine. How would you feel if.. I tied bells to your tails just because I wanted to hear you coming?"
"I'd laugh?" Noboru says. "A body is just trapping, it isn't you. You don't know who you are yet."
"Well I know I'm not a toy," Niamh claims. "This is the only body I have or will ever have. It's just.. Do you really see me as a toy, or a pet, or prey, Noboru?"
"I see you as insecure and overly serious," Noboru notes as he glances over. "You do need to relax or your life will be shorter than a human's already is. As for that being the only body you will ever have, that isn't guaranteed."
"I don't see how I'm supposed to feel more secure," Niamh admits, and sniffles. "I just want a moment to.. gather myself. It's been a hundred days of misery, and then a day of terror.. I just want to feel safe, for at least one night. Nobody trying to eat me, or use me or dismiss my concerns. So given all that, of course I'm going to be overly serious, because things are trying to eat me or possess me."
"Quit trying to control your surroundings and just go with it," Noboru repeats. "Quit worrying about things you have to do, or want to do, or what might happen. Live in the moment. Enjoy the moment."
"I'm not trying to control things, Noboru, I'm just scared," Niamh says. "I don't won't to go up against the Koma-inu but they scare me, and I can't just protect myself or they'll go after my parents next. I'm still scared. I don't know how to enjoy myself like that. I was almost sacrificed once when I was younger, and I probably wasn't as scared then as I am now."
"What are you scared of?" Noboru asks. "No one can harm you here. Your parents, for now, are safe. The spirits at that old shrine are bound, they cannot directly affect anyone. They influence you because you are not entirely human, and you are young and insecure."
"I'm scared because I'm scared," Niamh says. "I'm scared because I can't protect myself. And that I'm in over my head with you, too. I'm scared because nothing is familiar. Even the forest.. The one place I've always felt the most secure is too dangerous for me to set foot in now. That's.. I don't know how to even put it."
"Quit dwelling on what might possibly happen. They are not happening tonight and while you are here," Noboru reminds. "You are safe. Well, as safe as anyone around kitsune can be," he adds and grins toothily. Two tails flick up and tickle at Niamh's ears, of all things. "Quit being so ... deer-like."
"What can I enjoy then?" Niamh asks. "I can't lounge atop a gate. I suppose turning the soil around Lady Sakura's roots will be relaxing, assuming you have gardening tools here. Unless you want to take me to the forest? There must be a fairy glen at least."
"I cannot take you today, I must be on watch here. Tomorrow, though, may be possible," Noboru comments, and Niamh's ears itch a little after he draws his tails back. "And yes, we have tools here; we have to tend to the grounds often."
"Does anyone other than your family work here?" Niamh thinks to ask, after seeing the kitchen.
"Oh sure, there are some humans that work here too," Noboru answers. "They are off tending to requests from villagers right now, but will be back in the evening.
"Do you tease them?" Niamh asks, arching an eyebrow.
"Sometimes," Noboru says.
"Do I get to paint my portrait on you or Miyuki?" the girl pushes.
"Unlikely," Noboru admits with a grin. "You don't have the skill."
"So?" Niamh asks. "What about enjoying the moment?"
"So? You don't have the ability to do it," Noboru comments. "You do, however, have doe-ears."
Eyes going wide, Niamh reaches up to feel her ears.
They are now fuzzy, long, and they can twitch. "Problem?" Noboru asks.
"I can paint in oils," Niamh claims, still clutching her ears. "This water color stuff should be even easier." She also shifts herself a bit, as if checking to see if she's got a tail to match.
No tail. "Do you want a tail?" Noboru asks as he watches Niamh hold her now-twitching and squirming ears.
"No, thank you," Niamh says. "It would be a waste if I can't go running through the woods."
"Pity. You creatures look odd without tails," Noboru claims and waves his four around in front of her.
"More than one looks odd to me," Niamh claims. "You should weave them all together into one bigger, proper tail."
"That would be quite silly," Noboru comments and rises to stretch. "And I have things I need to do. And oh, try not to think about how Kirin have some deer features, and now you do too, mmm?" He flashes a grin, then heads right out to let her think on that.
"When Daiki-sama sees how well I paint, he won't even notice the ears," Niamh calls after the retreating fox. Now she really is determined to try water-colors. She can use her own ectoplasm to paint with them.. probably. She's sure Miyuki will let her try it on her..