Have You Ever Seen The Rain

Ikigai · 09-11-2021, 08:09 PM

One by one the wolves of Ashen arrived. Ikigai was not present as they did so, but she could hear their claws upon the stone and wood. Tanuki was helping Ikigai into her traditional kimono and headdress. The white, silver and black fabric draped across the budding young woman's svelte frame. This was to be a concert. A festival. A welcoming of winter and a farewell to the warmer months. This was also her musical debut. She had been training so, so hard. A perfectionist, Ikigai refused to let anyone listen to her aside from Obaasan, but her grandmother was helping her to learn. This was very important to the young lady. She was finally ready to show her work to her family; her packmates.

With her kimono and headdress in place, Ikigai quietly pushed through the bamboo curtains that hung down at the back of the Azumaya. As she moved to take her place, Tanuki and Willa allowed some of the other curtains to drop. The dark clouds had let loose and a soft gentle rain would be signing accompaniment to the music of the pallid princess. She noted the sweet, calming incense that her grandmother had brought and was grateful for it. Another gift sat at the back beside her brother and the red streaked corners of Ikigai's metallic eyes lifted as she smiled upon him. It was a very kind gesture and she appreciated the support that her family and pack was giving. The princess smiled at each of her guests in turn; Mother and Father, sweet Ike, Oki, Obaasan, Uncle Plague, Panic. She was grateful for each of them.

The elegant young lady dipped in a low bow to her guests as she came to the front. Her clear, sweet tones filled the silence, just loud enough to be heard by all, but still gentle enough to not overpower the space or the atmosphere. "Thank you for joining me. This evening I will perform for you. Traditional music on both the Shamisen and the Koto, as well as a little surprise." The girl smile, her mercuric gaze glittering with a tiny bit of mischief. Without further ado, she took her place. Tanuki took his place back and to the side of her. The albino akita would slowly begin tapping sticks together to a standard Japanese beat. While he set the mood, Willa moved through the crowd. The little cat passed out steaming cups of Ikigai's own homemade green tea blend to each attendee. Only when each guest was settled and had their tea did Ikigai begin.

Ikigai took up the shamisen, a string instrument native to her ancestral origins. Taking a deep breath, the girl sat up on her haunches, spine straight. From the wide sleeves of her kimono came those oddly dexterous paws. With one delicate paw on the neck of the instrument, the other paw began to strum. The instrument sang beneath the practiced digits of the girl and her long hours of training showed. A little ways into the song, Ikigai took another deep breath. This time... she began to sing.

Yoru wa watashi no mawari de kuraku natte imasu, ara kaze ga tsumetaku fuku. Shikashi, bōkun no jumon wa watashi o shibarimashita soshite, watashi wa ikemasen, ikemasen. Kyodaina ki ga magatte iru karera no hadaka no eda wa yuki de omokatta. Soshite arashi wa kyūsoku ni kakō shite imasu, soredemo watashi wa ikemasen. Watashi no ue no kumo o koeta kumo, ika no haiki-mono igai no haiki-mono; shikashi, nani mo watashi o ugokasu koto wa dekimasen. Watashi wa ikanai, ikenai.

The girl sung in the language of her father and grandmother's homeland. Her words spoke of the darkness of winter and all that it brought with it. Her voice was as practiced as her fingers, sounding more like that of a woman than a girl half grown. Inside, Ikigai was nervous as hell, but externally, she seemed cool and collected. She hoped that everyone was enjoying her performance and was nervous that she might disappoint her parents and her grandmother.

Once the song ended, Ikigai went on to play another song on the shamisen, though this one wasn't accompanied by vocals. She wanted the instrument to shine. Again and again her paw flew over the strings, plucking and sliding. And then she was done. Iki placed the shamisen aside and bowed her head in thanks to her audience.

Tanuki took up tapping his sticks in rhythm again as Ikigai rose and moved to seat herself behind the long, stringed Koto. Again, she took a deep breath and began to play. The sound of the Koto was drastically different from the sound of the Shamisen. The Koto was dramatic and melancholic. Ikigai loved the sound of the Koto and she hoped that it showed. The girl closed her mercuric eyes, getting lost in the sound of the music. Around them all, the rain began to come down harder. Beneath the Azyumaya, they all stayed safe and dry. The world began to get dark and Willa, the white, antlered feline, began lighting lanterns that were evenly spaced around the perimeter of the space, casting the gathering in a soft, golden glow. Once more, Ikigai began to sing, her voice sweet and lilting.

Haiiro, kuro, chairode hazukashi-sō ni kōtingu sa rete imasu - samu-sa kara watashitachi o tōzakeru tame ni - kesa wa yosō shite inakatta: Taiyō to kage, natsunoyo no yō ni, natsu no yō ni karakai. Soshite, hinansho no motode wa arimasen Kita-iki no purattohōmu, rōjin, taiyō kare no ushiro de, kare no ōkan dake ga moete imasu. To midashi Minami-iki, kore made ni naku chikadzuite kuru josei purattofōmu no hashi,-kō no namida kanojo no middorifu, kyōkaku, kata, chikaku o yokogitte soshite, sono saiai no koto, kanzen-sei, kanojo no subete no kurayami ga ichido ni hikarimasu.

The Koto music continued for a short while after the girl's song, and then silence took over. Rising from behind the instrument, the kimono clad princess moved to the center of the stage and bowed low once more. The concert was over, but Ikigai's nervousness was still rattling around inside her like a bird in a cage. Would they like her singing? Would they like her music? Would they tell her if they didn't?

| "Tanuki" | "Ikigai" | "Willa" |

((Songs by Emily Brontë and Richard Meier))

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