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Tweak says, "Put it on me..."

Kamiyama Mitsuko (foxylady) wrote in nosuchplace,
@ 2008-03-09 04:04:00

Entry tags:

adam alexie, adrienne conté, constance alexie, dylan uzoma, events: funeral, idehr raokas, jack harrell, logan nagamori, malcolm gray, mitsuko kamiyama, theora, zach kitano

Thursday: August 23, 2007
Who: Open to anyone who wants to go to the funeral
When: Evening
Where: Town Hall
What: Raidon Nagamori's Funeral

Giving to Mitsuko's rogue-like nature, most would not believe her to be a spiritual person. While it was true, she would most likely wade through the serpent-infested water when it was her time to cross Sanzu-no-kawa, the rites and rituals of her upbringing were ingrained deeply within her.

Her father would have shared these beliefs. He was raised in the same skulk as her. He would have wanted a proper funeral.

She had wore black. For the other funerals she had gone to, she'd worn white. The skulk of Midori was pretty old-school. But she had lost her white kimono ages ago. So she chosen her dark black kimono, with a black obi, decorated white small, white flowers. Her hair was pinned up in a bun. It was a very different look from her normal, skimpy fashionista wear.

Mitsuko looked around the assemblage. None of them knew her father, save for Logan. But she supposed that was fitting.... After all, she didn't know him.

Logan. He was... Pretty much an adult. She hadn't expected that when Theora had asked her to care for him. But there he was, seventeen years old. A man. But he was a man scarred, broken.

He was unable to speak. Struck mute by the horrors he had seen. So it was up to Mitsuko to lead the service.

Slowly, Mitsuko walked to the casket Idehr had made. She opened it, looking down at the white fox inside. Her hand trembling, she reached inside and touched a hand to Raidon's head. His fur was soft beneath her fingers. He was lying on a pile of clothes.

Carefully, Mitsuko pulled the hakama around her father's fox body, folding right side under the left.

She picked up the small bowl of water next to the casket. She dipped two fingers into it, placing it against Raidon's mouth, moistening it with the water.

Mitsuko reached into her kimono and pulled out a small bag. Opening it, she produced six coins. She placed them next to the body.

"For your trip, father," MItsuko whispered in Japanese.

She heard the snap of a lighter and looked to her side. Logan was beside her, lighting incense. He met her eyes briefly, but quickly lowered his head and continued his work.

Mitsuko went to the podium, where the Head Council made their announcements. She took a deep breath.

"I didn't know my father," she admitted. "My mother left him before I was born. But... I know he cared for me. That I remained in his thoughts always."

Mitsuko felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned to Logan. He held out a picture to her. She accepted it from him. It was a photo of Raidon Nagamori with a beautiful woman. They were getting married. The car they were running towards had a sign on it reading Congratulations Raidon and Ceridwen.

"He was married," Mitsuko said. "To a woman named Ceridwen. And then had a son, Logan." Mitsuko looked at the hurt expression on Logan's face. "And Logan loved them very much. They died trying to get him to safety. And they succeeded. They brought him to me." She looked at him very seriously. "And I promise I will not let them down."

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introvertedorc
2008-03-11 10:19 am UTC (link)

Idehr watched the small ceremony, holding himself straight in his suit that he hadn't worn since his own parents' funeral. He wanted to be there for Logan and to show his support to Raidon. He stopped believing in any almighty heavenly power a long time again and something like this only reinforced his opinion that there was no god looking out for him or any good people. So the woman leading things was Logan's sister... Ide hoped that she'd keep her word and protect Logan no matter what. He was also going to do so, of course, but Logan wasn't living with him.

Raidon's death would not be in vain regarding the orphans, either. In his spare time, Ide decided to stop by wherever they were to see if they were all right, and keep an eye on them. Maybe he could even have a surrogate little sister. Breaking out of his thoughts, Ide walked over to Logan's side, hoping that he wouldn't mind. He couldn't hug the boy or was physically able to bring himself to show a sign of comfort and affection, but he wanted his presence to say it all for him.

He bowed his head in respect and looked at his hands. This position also helped him hide the pained expression on his face from the memories pried free by this funeral. He thought of his parents, remembered their pale bodies, and the emotionless faces of the handful of people gathered at their service. Why hadn't they cared? Or why didn't they show it? Ide's fists clenched at the thought and his rage built quickly... but he couldn't let himself fall into the anger now. He inhaled and tried to cool his anger.

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thedaedalus
2008-03-12 12:20 am UTC (link)

Malcolm put a hand on Idehr's shoulder, trying to show his support for his friend. He knew this mourning did not entirely have to do with Raidon Nagamori. He hadn't known the man, save for a few moments. Malcolm knew Idehr's own life had been marred with loss. Such occasions just brought those feelings back to the surface. He had always tried to help Idehr, to let him know he wasn't alone. But a friend was not the same as family. Malcolm's heart had been broken when his father had died. He could only imagine what it would feel like to have both of your parents snatched away in such a quick and violent manner as Idehr had suffered.

Malcolm looked up to the front, taking a deep, trembling breath. How different Mitsuko was from the happy, carefree girl he had met only the day before. She had sparkled. In one day, she had lost the father she had never known and been giving the responsibility of a scarred brother. That was a lot of responsibility for a girl barely twenty. And the boy.... Logan... There was such hurt in his eyes. Hurt he was unable to verbalize. What had happened to that poor boy that had robbed him of his voice?

He wanted to do something. To help. But Malcolm could think of nothing he could do. He bowed his head, saddened by the whole situation.

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wishgranted
2008-03-11 02:03 pm UTC (link)

If there was a service for the passing of another, it was almost a rule written in stone that Nkemdilim would arrive to pay his respects to the dead. Though the man being laid to rest had not been one of their own from the haven, the djinn still found it to be of much importance to attend. He noticed the small crowd, however, and chose to think more on the somber loss of another life from this world after so many had already fallen than the amount of attendees. Sadly, those here in the haven had never met this man in their lives, and it was unlikely much mourning would be held in his honor from the people of Elysium. It was not that they did not care, Nkemdilim thought, but that they were not informed. What did they know of Raidon Nagamori's life? In truth, how much did Nkemdilim know? Without the bond of life, he knew other people would keep their distance from feeling emotions over Nagamori's passing. As a priest, Nkemdilim felt every last one of them.

The djinn sat in silence as he listened and watched the young two siblings, who had never met each other before, sharing their feelings and respect for the man they had both called father. Something beautiful rang through in the moment, perhaps a new bond of life would grow out of this man's loss. Two siblings, having never known of each other before, coming together and forming a family out of the ashes of their father. Nkemdilim closed his eyes and wished that more people could understand what they were truly seeing. Maybe even fewer numbers had shown up for the funeral because they believed they would be intruding upon the grief of the real family, that it would seem their appearance was shallow and false.

In their own way, commonly found more amongst the humans than the praeternaturals, not appearing at the funeral if they did not know the dead was a way of showing respect for the true family. Nkemdilim could understand this way of thinking, even as he could understand why anyone would not want to show at all. Opening his eyes, the reasons flooded into his mind and he calmed them away.

He wished they could have added Raidon Nagamori to their people, instead of laying him to rest in the ground of their haven.

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constantguard
2008-03-11 02:28 pm UTC (link)

Honestly, Constance didn't like funerals. The last one she'd been too had been her husband's, and damn if she hadn't lost all movement with both of her legs as she cried her eyes out for the first time in her entire life. Adam was better at these things. At least he had an actual look of sadness on his face as he sat a few seats ahead. Her face might as well look like stone, if not for the way the corner of her mouth curled downwards and the wrinkles showed more pronounced on her face. Neither was a solid indication of anything, though. Constance really didn't like funerals, but she was here.

Why was she here? She hadn't been there when he died, hadn't gone out with the rest of the scouting mission. Too old. Her bones ached at the damn thought of going out there. She hadn't known the guy either, so why was she here? First and foremost, it was her duty to be here. If Dylan and Theora were going to show up, it would just be in bad taste if Constance didn't make an appearance, too. In a way, she hated being the hardass that had to go along with some of the events that the Head Council had to attend. If she could have it her way, she probably wouldn't be here. She'd be working in her office.

People always thought she was a bitch. Constance liked to keep up this persona. It kept people from trying to mess with her, and she liked having that power over others. So, while she was going to show up, she wasn't going to look like her heart was breaking. Let them stare at her. They'll remember she was the fire and not the water, good for igniting a fire under people's asses and not for trying to soothe the ache out of the world.

But, in actuality, she really didn't like being here because it bothered her. Constance defied death, and to be looking it in the face scared her. She defied it for her family, to be there for them and to protect them, and yet here was this family before her broken by it. Constance could be their father, dead as a nail, and those kids could be her grandchildren left to fend for themselves. It frightened her more than she could explain, to think that would be her family if it weren't for the carmot in her veins. In this new world, she couldn't rely on her child and son-in-law to be able to protect them. They were only human.

It wasn't enough.

Her eyes watched the proceedings like stone, but the fear and storm of emotions swam beneath the calm surface of the waves. Constance went much deeper than just her appearances. What others saw was just what she wanted them to see.

She straightened her back in the chair, sighing raggedly at the ache. It might have looked more like a stiff back from sitting too long and her annoyance at why she had to sit here. But that was fine by her.

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constantguard
2008-03-11 02:49 pm UTC (link)

Adam's eyes gazed forward sadly, drooping almost in a way that a lost puppy's eyes would widen and blacken with sadness at not having a home to go at night or a person to love him or her. Adam understood a number of things by now, and yet not. Death was one of them. He knew death meant the other person would never rise again, never move again. Never laugh, never smile, never dance ever again. Adam didn't understand why. People died, he always knew this, but death was more complicated than anything his mind could fully grasp.

When people died, to Adam, they were gone from the world forever. Where had they gone? Why weren't they in their bodies any longer? The first time he had witnessed death, he shifted into his elemental form just to dive into the earth and look for the man after others had told him that was where he rested now, in the ground. Adam hadn't found him, though, and it upset him. He just couldn't understand. After he heard stories of people rising to the clouds, he wished he could find an Air Elemental to rise into the clouds and tell him if they were there and, if they were, to tell them that Adam missed them.

Adam lowered his head and looked down, a sniffle coming out of him as a tear fell down his cheek. He never learned to hide emotions, had never been told that showing them was bad, so he didn't try to wipe away the tear or quiet the sniffle.

Another one fell, and another, and Adam looked up at the young woman, Mitsuko, talking to the crowd. She was very brave. He listened to her, wondering if all humans were this brave with death. To him, they seemed to be. Adam wiped away the streaks on his face and decided to be brave, too.

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jacktoshow
2008-03-11 06:31 pm UTC (link)

It seemed strange that Jack Harrell would attend funerals when he hadn't been going to anything remotely social lately. It wasn't that Jack was just obsessed with mulling over death; far from it. He didn't like to think of his parents, or his sister, or his girlfriend, or of his countless friends, acquaintances, and enemies that had undoubtedly been killed in the havoc that had overtaken the rest of the known world. He'd prefer never to think of that again - what little he knew paled in comparison to what he could imagine, after all.

Nevertheless, here he was at the funeral, wearing black as was his culture's custom and looking straight forward. He didn't know many people here - had met them, of course, but didn't know them - but he doubted he needed to. As self-centered as Jack could be, he wasn't about to ignore someone else's pain, even if they weren't human. The woman conducting the ceremony seemed serious but vulnerable, and Jack's lip quirked to the side as he watched. The ceremony was foreign to him, but he could understand the gist. There wasn't much about grief and honor that wasn't universal.

Perhaps that was why Jack was here. However unpleasant and saddening the event was, it gave him an opportunity to truly fit in with the community of Elysium. It didn't matter who could do what, or what someone's powers were, or who was friends with who - they all were united in one emotion, and it was important to support one another in it.

And so he sat. He listened in to languages that he didn't understand. And he hoped that the woman who was looking so purposefully at the teenager would be comforted.

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foxylady
2008-03-12 12:29 am UTC (link)

Mitsuko didn't know what else to say to the crowd. None of them had known Raidon Nagamori. They were only here to comfort her and Logan. Hell, even Mitsuko hadn't known Raidon. She was mourning not his death, but the chance to ever get to know her father. The funeral.... It was for Logan, the one who had known Raidon, who had been raised by him and had suffered true loss.

But he didn't seem to want them. He didn't look to the assembled crowd of mourners. Instead, he kept a hand on the casket and stared down at it. Mitsuko put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze in hope of comforting him.

She looked out to the crowd, tears clouding her eyes. She blinked them away, hoping she would catch sight of Loki. She didn't have many friends in Elysium. There were people she knew. People who could become friends. But no one.... No one she could confide her feelings to. Except for Loki. She loved him. She trusted him enough to express how destroyed she was over this whole situation. But he wasn't here.

She cursed herself silently, wishing she had written a longer note, explained to him why she needed to see him. Had he gone on one of his unannounced walkabouts? God, she felt so alone. So lost... This feelings were foreign to her and she did not like them one bit.

But she needed to be strong. Logan needed her. Someone was actually dependent on her now! Mitsuko was terrified and utterly lost.

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cursedwithfur
2008-03-13 12:44 am UTC (link)

Adrienne listened to Mitsuko's words and she couldn't help the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She wiped at them with her left hand and squeezed Zach's hand with her right. She looked over at Zach and cast him a slight smile. The funeral was making her think of her mother and how Adrienne had lost her only a few months ago. The Were's eyes glanced over toward Mitsuko and Adrienne wondered what the kitsune was thinking and feeling at that moment. It must have been hard to have to bury her father without even getting the chance to talk to him at all. And now she had to take care of a younger brother that she didn't even know...

Her head leaned to rest on Zach's shoulder and she sniffled softly. Adrienne wasn't sure if she could have come to this service alone. Surely she would have broken down in greater tears than she was crying now. But Zach kept her strong and she was glad to have him with her. She hoped that her presence at the funeral gave Mitsuko some strength since Adrienne knew that the support of friends during times such as these was very important.

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coalintodiamond
2008-03-13 02:27 am UTC (link)

Zach squeezed Adrienne's hand back, his thoughts drifting off to think about his brother. He only came to the funeral because Adrienne expressed desire to come for the service. On his own, he probably wouldn't have chosen to go for his own personal reasons and not because he didn't care. Moving on from his brother's death was important to him, but this funeral reminded him of what he'd lost along the way.

Mitsuko was still, in ways, a stranger to him, but Adrienne befriended her and a part of him felt for Mitsuko's loss very strongly. His brother had passed away so early in the midst of the virus's spread. Losing a family member was like losing a part of yourself; it tore out pieces of you to die with them. Even if she didn't know her father, or had never known him, it didn't erase the silent bond. Now, she also had a younger brother to watch over and they were complete strangers. How could it be easy for either of them? He already knew the answer. It wasn't going to be easy.

Zach felt an urge to talk to the boy standing up there with Mitsuko, Logan. They seemed to be around the same age, and Zach wasn't an imposing person. Maybe they had things in common, more than what the surface spoke of. If his parents were anything to go by, they certainly had one thing they could bond over — being different. Both of them were of mixed families. And although Zach had no ears on his head, his touch had also been dangerous for a long time. He hadn't been safe until he was eighteen-years-old, just this year. It was hard for him to imagine, but it was true. He'd been harassed, stranded, and even attacked because of his abilities. He wondered if Logan had faced that, too, with his ears. He most likely did, if they had ever been revealed.

He pushed back thoughts of his brother and focused on the service, on the lost boy who was only as old as him. Zach wondered silently if maybe he could help Logan find himself again. His hand squeezed Adrienne's again as he looked forward.

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elunesgrace
2008-03-14 02:05 am UTC (link)

Theora watched in silence as Mitsuko presided over the funeral service. Had the kitsune not informed them about the specific funeral rites Theora would have performed a traditional Elven ceremony, one that honoured Raidon's life and sacrifice. But Mitsuko had taken care of the preparations and it pleased the priestess to see that Mitsuko had chosen to honour her father. Theora's face was calm throughout the ceremony, though that did not mean she was not experiencing any sadness. It was there in her heart, but it was an emotion that she could not allow to overcome her for doing so could bring about her own death.

She saw death for what it was - the antithesis of life, but also a necessary and unchangeable end. All that possessed life would one day die, even those that had prolonged life spans could not escape Death's sickle. What she saw before her was not an unmoving kitsune, but a man who had lived a great life. One who sacrificed his own well-being for his child and for the orphaned children.

A soft smile crossed Theora's lips as Mitsuko spoke. The kitsune was not alone now. She had another she had to care for and the determination was more than apparent in her eyes. There was nothing greater than the bond of blood - through thick or thin that was something that could not be changed. There was love there even though they hadn't known each other their entire lives. Theora knew Mitsuko would honour her words, and the priestess too vowed silently to be there for the pair should they ever need any sort of guidance.

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END

foxylady
2008-05-06 05:11 pm UTC (link)

The funeral was over and the guests had left, Mitsuko saying good-bye to all of them. Logan remained beside Raidon's casket the entire time, not acknowledging that anyone else had been there.

Mitsuko went back to stand with Logan. She put her hands on his shoulders and drew him back away. Several elves from the temple were preparing to light the casket.

"It's going to be all right," Mitsuko assured Logan. She looked down at her younger brother, her eyes filled with woe. "I know we don't know each other well... But I'm gonna take care of you. We're going to be all right."

The casket went up in flame and Mitsuko took in a deep, shuddering breath. "We're going to be all right."

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