#Takae Nigai

[drewlyyours]

SHADOW AT THE WATER’S EDGE FANCAST

ND #23

Yumi Shimizu - Kimiko Glenn

Miwako Shimizu - Leah Lewis

Takae Nagai - Tsai Chin

Rentaro Aihara - Remy Hii

a ghost doesn’t need to be real to haunt you

MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR, DDI, SHA, CUR, CLK, TRN, DAN, CRE, ICE, CRY, VEN, HAU, WAC, TOT

[corvid-lullaby]

ほ ほ ほたる こい

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Before I realized it, Misaki had taken advantage of my diverted mind. She had gently pulled me down by the upper sleeve closest to her. By the time I was aware of this my head was already on her lap.

I groaned and rolled into my side to face the garden instead. Lazily, and with half a mind, my gaze skimmed over the fireflies that floated around the nearby water features. I couldn't help but close my eyes when her fingers began wandering through my hair.

They only shut for a moment. Once again a twisted and ghostly image of Nishiki's face made them snap right back open.

A haze…

That's all reality was anymore.

Nothing really grabbed my attention well enough to completely pull it from my now hyperactive mind. Nothing except for the song that Misaki started to sing then. It was far from anything fancy. A simple children's song, in fact. It was surprising considering this was far from the professionalism that someone of her occupation. This would have been a risk to blight her resume, essentially.

...I didn't care. It somehow made a different impression on me. It was simple, beautiful, and had a deep honesty to it. It was very different from the other music which felt done for the sake of professionalism. In fact, it was a children's song.

"Ho… ho… hotaru koi~"

(Ho, ho, fireflies come)

As I listened and as I was comforted by the gentle pets of her delicate fingers, I felt my mind begin to calm. A feat that not even drugs could accomplish. Why did she choose this song in particular? I was never sure. Maybe I seemed kin to a child to her at the time.

"Atchi-no mizu-wa nigai-zo~"

(Over there the water bitter)

My eyelids were finally beginning to grow heavy. I even found my mind at such ease that not a single thought drifted besides those that hung on her voice.

"Kotchi-no mizu-wa amai-zo~..."

(Over here the water is sweet)

...

ほたるこい (Hotaru Koi)

Children's Song

(Japanese)

ほ ほ ほたる こい

あっちの みずは にがいぞ

こっちの みずは あまいぞ

ほ ほ ほたる こい

ほ ほ やまみち こい

Ho ho hotaru koi

atchi-no mizu-wa nigai-zo

kotchi-no mizu-wa amai-zo

ho ho hotaru koi

ho ho yama-michi koi

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Over there the water bitter

Over here the water is sweet

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Ho, ho, come by the mountain road

ほたるの おとさん かねもちだ

どうりで おしりが ぴかぴかだ

ほ ほ ほたる こい

やまみち  こい

Hotaru-no otosan kanemochi-da

dori-de oshiri-ga pikapika-da

ho ho hotaru koi

yama-michi koi

The fathers of the fireflies are rich

It's natural, their glittering backs

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Ho, ho, come by the mountain road

ひるまは くさばの つゆの かげ

よるは ぽんぽん たかじょうちん

天じく あがり したれば

つんばくろに さらわれべ

Hiruma-wa kusaba-no tsuyu-no kage

yoru-wa pompom taka-jyochin

tenjiku agari shitare-ba

tsunbakuro-ni saraware-be

At daytime, behind leaves with dew

At night, high up like a lantern

If it goes up to heaven

It will be kidnapped by swallows

ほ( ほ ほたる こい

あっちの みずは にがいぞ

ほ ほ ほたる こい

こっちの みずは あまいぞ

Ho ho hotaru koi

atchi-no mizu-wa nigai-zo

ho ho hotaru koi

kotchi-no mizu-wa amai-zo

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Over there the water is bitter

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Over here the water is sweet

ほ ほ ほたる こい

ほ ほ やまみち こい

あんどの ひかりを ちょとみて こい

ほ ほ ほたる こい

ほ ほ やまみち こい

ほ ほ ほ ほ ほ ほ ほ

Ho ho hotaru koi

ho ho yama-michi koi

ando-no hikari-wo chotto-mite koi

Ho ho hotaru koi

ho ho yama-michi koi

ho ho ho ho ho ho ho

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Ho, ho, come by the mountain road

Take a glance at the light of the lantern

Ho, ho, fireflies come

Ho, ho, come by the mountain road

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho

[rokachan]

A visit to see Roka! The Doman arrives with a bunch of wild flowers to braid into her tail after brushing it.

Asylum was doing the small Keeper well, even if she’d only been there a couple of days. Still perfumed with floral soaps from a fresh bath, dampness clinging to fur, she had been settled upstairs in the library, tucked away in the little loft with a small mountain of pillows. She wore a pink kimono, little white flowers sprinkled generously over the sleeves and hem, a bare foot peeking from beneath. Despite the location, it wasn’t hard to find her. While she worked on grooming, she was humming. The song one she had started to sing in the Doman’s presence once before but never finished.

When Eiri cleared his throat, speaking her name from the top of the little staircase, the humming stopped in favour of happy chirps in greeting and a wide, eager smile of welcome. She patted the pillows that were scattered about her, inviting him to sit with her. As soon as he had she rumbled a squeaky purr, draping herself over his leg and into his lap, wiggling herself so that her tail curled in perfect range of petting. Few words were actually spoken. Soft greetings, each making sure the other was being well cared for, each expressing relief that they were. All the while fingers stroked her hair, petting the little catte gently. When words ran out, Eiri lingered, taking up the brush from where she had left it and pulling long strokes of the bristles over her fur.

The silence was comfortable, broken only when Roka chose to quietly sing for him.

“♪Ho ho hotaru koi♪

♪atchi~no mizu~wa nigai~zo ♪

♪kotchi~no mizu~wa amai~zo♪

♪ho ho hotaru koi♪

♪ho ho yama-michi koi♪

♪Hotaru~no otosan kanemochi`da♪

♪dori~de oshiri~ga pikapika~da♪

♪ho ho hotaru koi♪

♪yama~michi koi♪

♪Hiruma~wa kusaba~no tsuyu~no kage♪

♪yoru~wa pompom taka~jyochin♪

♪tenjiku agari shitare~ba♪

♪tsunbakuro~ni saraware~be♪”

She sang it through a few times, filling the silence simply out of want to do something he might enjoy, not worry that he might be uncomfortable. All the while he brushed and braided, little flowers adorning her fluff, and by the time he finished she looked like spring. She might not be able to see his lovely work, but she -felt- pretty for it, and it was rewarded with jubilant trills, and her demanding Zeph come see. And then? Then she asked to be taken for a walk. The entire time, being carried about the Asylum’s district in Shirogane, the little notqo’te making a point to keep her decorated tail on constant display. She heard footsteps? Oh, look, her tail swept out to sway gloriously and draw the eye. People talking while they passed? It wasn’t accidental at all that her tail was shoved in their faces when Zeph carried her past. She was making sure anyone and everyone could see Eiri’s work, and though she normally shied from attention, she basked in it for the moment.

She refused to be taken back to Asylum until she was barely able to stay awake, insisting they take just oooooone more lap around the ward. More times than Zeph would like to count. Once settled back in her room, another thank you was crooned to Eiri over the pearl, and promises coaxed that he would visit again soon. With all said and done, the small floof curled herself up, hugging her very pretty flower-tail, and settled for a few bells of sleep.

@ze-dominant-demon for mention