Main Floor
Apr 27, 2024 23:31:29 GMT -6
Post by Riku Asuhara on Apr 27, 2024 23:31:29 GMT -6
"Wisteria Phantom": (continued)
They walked down the hall after the teen slipped their geta off, leaving the wet umbrella near the door. Their tabi covered feet thumped softly against the polished wood floor. The servant of the house led them down the long corridor to a side room where there was indeed a pot of steaming hot tea and a plate of tea cakes and sandwiches waiting. The room smelled of sweet jasmine and of cucumber and fruit and cream. The room was a typical Japanese tearoom with tokonoma, tiered dressers, a low tea table, cushions, and ink calligraphy and paintings. The tatami was a cream color and the shoji screens were paper with dark wood.
The teen walked into the room and the servant followed them in, walking over to the dresser. He pulled out a fresh new kimono that was red with white spider lilies, the signature pattern of the Konoba Clan.
The servant handed them to the young teen with a bright smile. “Please, take this. I will take the kimono you’re wearing and have it laundered. We can’t send you home in wet clothes, after all.” The servant seemed to sing at the end.
With hesitant hands, the teen took the spider lily kimono and smiled wearily. “Th-thank you. Where should I--?”
“There is an anteroom right through these doors,” the servant gestured to the shoji screen doors on the other side of the room. “Please change in there, I will be right back. I must inform the master that you have arrived.”
“Arrived?” The teen frowned and tilted their head at the servant.
The servant gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his hands together. “Ah, my apologies. Lord Konoba saw you down the road from his room on the third floor and had me wait for when you passed by.”
“Oh, I see,” they nodded with a smile. “I will change then while you tell him.” They bowed to the servant. “Thank you, sir.”
“Not at all,” he responded, making his way towards the door to the hallway. “I will be back shortly.” The shoji screen closed, a single brown eye peering through the slit in the door before it closed completely.
The teen looked to the anteroom door and walked over to it, sliding it open to see that it was a changing room. Folding screens were set up along with more dressers and cushioned ottomans and chaise lounges. As they walked through the room, they got the eerie feeling that they were being watched. A chill ran over their back and they gave a glance around the room. In just the single brief scan, they spotted a pinhole in the wood of one of the walls, so small it looked like a knot in the wood. It was situated right above the top of one of the dressers, making it eyeline with whoever would be changing clothes. The teen gave a sigh seemingly of relief and nonchalantly walked over to the dresser with the hole, setting down the spider lily kimono in front of the peephole.
Riku Asuhara heard a quiet “shit” from behind the wall. So quiet that he doubted anyone else would have heard it. But he did. He knew there was someone behind the wall. Whether it was the servant or the lord of the house, he was unsure, but he knew they were there. He knew Konoba would invite him in on this rainy night. He knew Konoba had been watching him in the weeks Riku had spent walking the same path down this same manor, following the same made-up schedule he had concocted for this very purpose. What Konoba didn’t know was that Riku and his family, the Asuhara Clan, had also been watching him for far longer. They watched as Konoba’s servant lured young teens in one after another. Some girls some boys, but all beautiful and fair. Luckily for Riku, he fell comfortably within Konoba’s preferences.
Riku stripped off his plum blossom kimono, lamenting its dampness silently as he folded it neatly. He took off his black slip next, folding it as well and setting it on top of the kimono. Underneath the black slip, Riku was anything but naked. He wore his skin tight, long sleeved shirt and pants with a halter-top kimono and black hakama that were loose enough to move around in but close fitting enough that they didn’t swoosh together when he moved. A black obi wrapped around his waist, keeping everything together. Stashed away in his kimono top was a black face mask for him to slip on when he needed to. It was a simplified version of his usual attire, one suited for hiding under disguises.
He turned and carefully slid the spider lily kimono over along with his own, careful not to make a single sound nor let any light penetrate the peephole. When his own kimono was covering the hole, he turned and dressed in the spider lily kimono, folding it neatly around his body and securing it closed with the white obi and red obijime cord. He smoothed his hair down and adjusted his socks when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
“Excuse me, young miss,” the servant’s voice came through the door. “Are you finished? The lord would like to speak with you.”
“Y-yes, sir,” Riku responded. He didn’t have to pitch his voice up much to make a believable-sounding feminine voice. His voice was never that deep to begin with, and he doubted that would change much by the time he became an adult.
By the time Riku made it to the door, the servant had already opened it and walked in, seeing Riku carrying his wet kimono and slip. The servant smiled tightly at him. Immediately, Riku knew that it was him who was looking through the peephole. Riku remained poker-faced, not giving away the slightest hint that he knew.
The servant rubbed his hands together once more. “Excellent! You look stunning in the colors of the Konoba Clan.”
Riku gave a sweet smile and tilted his head. “Thank you, sir~ It’s a lovely color.”
“Now then, I will take these off of you, and we will be off to the Lord’s chambers.” The servant’s tone gave away the slightest bit of urgency and tension.
Perfect. The more anxious he was, the easier this would be.
Moved
They walked down the hall after the teen slipped their geta off, leaving the wet umbrella near the door. Their tabi covered feet thumped softly against the polished wood floor. The servant of the house led them down the long corridor to a side room where there was indeed a pot of steaming hot tea and a plate of tea cakes and sandwiches waiting. The room smelled of sweet jasmine and of cucumber and fruit and cream. The room was a typical Japanese tearoom with tokonoma, tiered dressers, a low tea table, cushions, and ink calligraphy and paintings. The tatami was a cream color and the shoji screens were paper with dark wood.
The teen walked into the room and the servant followed them in, walking over to the dresser. He pulled out a fresh new kimono that was red with white spider lilies, the signature pattern of the Konoba Clan.
The servant handed them to the young teen with a bright smile. “Please, take this. I will take the kimono you’re wearing and have it laundered. We can’t send you home in wet clothes, after all.” The servant seemed to sing at the end.
With hesitant hands, the teen took the spider lily kimono and smiled wearily. “Th-thank you. Where should I--?”
“There is an anteroom right through these doors,” the servant gestured to the shoji screen doors on the other side of the room. “Please change in there, I will be right back. I must inform the master that you have arrived.”
“Arrived?” The teen frowned and tilted their head at the servant.
The servant gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his hands together. “Ah, my apologies. Lord Konoba saw you down the road from his room on the third floor and had me wait for when you passed by.”
“Oh, I see,” they nodded with a smile. “I will change then while you tell him.” They bowed to the servant. “Thank you, sir.”
“Not at all,” he responded, making his way towards the door to the hallway. “I will be back shortly.” The shoji screen closed, a single brown eye peering through the slit in the door before it closed completely.
The teen looked to the anteroom door and walked over to it, sliding it open to see that it was a changing room. Folding screens were set up along with more dressers and cushioned ottomans and chaise lounges. As they walked through the room, they got the eerie feeling that they were being watched. A chill ran over their back and they gave a glance around the room. In just the single brief scan, they spotted a pinhole in the wood of one of the walls, so small it looked like a knot in the wood. It was situated right above the top of one of the dressers, making it eyeline with whoever would be changing clothes. The teen gave a sigh seemingly of relief and nonchalantly walked over to the dresser with the hole, setting down the spider lily kimono in front of the peephole.
Riku Asuhara heard a quiet “shit” from behind the wall. So quiet that he doubted anyone else would have heard it. But he did. He knew there was someone behind the wall. Whether it was the servant or the lord of the house, he was unsure, but he knew they were there. He knew Konoba would invite him in on this rainy night. He knew Konoba had been watching him in the weeks Riku had spent walking the same path down this same manor, following the same made-up schedule he had concocted for this very purpose. What Konoba didn’t know was that Riku and his family, the Asuhara Clan, had also been watching him for far longer. They watched as Konoba’s servant lured young teens in one after another. Some girls some boys, but all beautiful and fair. Luckily for Riku, he fell comfortably within Konoba’s preferences.
Riku stripped off his plum blossom kimono, lamenting its dampness silently as he folded it neatly. He took off his black slip next, folding it as well and setting it on top of the kimono. Underneath the black slip, Riku was anything but naked. He wore his skin tight, long sleeved shirt and pants with a halter-top kimono and black hakama that were loose enough to move around in but close fitting enough that they didn’t swoosh together when he moved. A black obi wrapped around his waist, keeping everything together. Stashed away in his kimono top was a black face mask for him to slip on when he needed to. It was a simplified version of his usual attire, one suited for hiding under disguises.
He turned and carefully slid the spider lily kimono over along with his own, careful not to make a single sound nor let any light penetrate the peephole. When his own kimono was covering the hole, he turned and dressed in the spider lily kimono, folding it neatly around his body and securing it closed with the white obi and red obijime cord. He smoothed his hair down and adjusted his socks when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
“Excuse me, young miss,” the servant’s voice came through the door. “Are you finished? The lord would like to speak with you.”
“Y-yes, sir,” Riku responded. He didn’t have to pitch his voice up much to make a believable-sounding feminine voice. His voice was never that deep to begin with, and he doubted that would change much by the time he became an adult.
By the time Riku made it to the door, the servant had already opened it and walked in, seeing Riku carrying his wet kimono and slip. The servant smiled tightly at him. Immediately, Riku knew that it was him who was looking through the peephole. Riku remained poker-faced, not giving away the slightest hint that he knew.
The servant rubbed his hands together once more. “Excellent! You look stunning in the colors of the Konoba Clan.”
Riku gave a sweet smile and tilted his head. “Thank you, sir~ It’s a lovely color.”
“Now then, I will take these off of you, and we will be off to the Lord’s chambers.” The servant’s tone gave away the slightest bit of urgency and tension.
Perfect. The more anxious he was, the easier this would be.
Moved
