Terecito & Takuya's Spring Break Part One
The following story will make the most sense to the CoXers, but those who follow laridian's CoH Sims series ( Season One, Season Two) might be interested as well. Mainly because it involves a pre-CoH Sims Terecito.
This takes place roughly a couple of weeks ago in regards to our weekly in-game team-ups. Last hero-night, Heat Lightning took Terecito's usual place as leader of the team, because our storm defender has now gone off to school. The following story takes place just before that.
Note: I've tried to keep the Japanese at a minimum in the story for ease of reading, but there is a bit here and there. The main things that are important to know is that Takuya calls Terecito "Oniisan" which means "older brother", and Kanau calls Takuya "Oniichan", which also means "older brother" but is more familiar and diminutive. And Terecito calls Takuya "Hermano" which is Spanish for "brother".
Also, I apologize in advance for the length. ^^;;; It's long enough that I had to break it into two parts...
“I should take you home with me sometime. My father would like to cook for you, I think.”
”All the way to Japan? We could do that?”
”Yes, we could. Would you like to do that?”
”I think that'd be fun!”
Heat Lightning had helped Terecito to get a passport and all the details had been squared away for he and Takuya to go to Japan to visit the empath’s family. They had hoped to go earlier in the spring, in March or early April, but with the ongoing Rikti conflict, they hadn’t been able to. So now it was early May, but both young men were glad to get the chance to go at all, since soon the storm defender would be leaving to attend school. Terecito, very proud of his new passport, was excited about getting to see an entirely new place, a different country! And Takuya was looking forward to showing Terecito, whom he considered a brother, his home.
The trip over by plane consisted of long stretches - Paragon to Los Angles, LA to Tokyo, and then a much shorter hop across Japan from Tokyo to the western coast city of Niigata. From there, they took a commuter train to a small end-of-the-line station a bit outside of Takuya’s home village of Yahiko, nestled at the base of Mt. Yahiko and surrounded by forests.
A taxi brought them the rest of the way from the station to the house where Takuya had grown up.
It was mid afternoon, and they were both very tired from traveling and the time differences, as they pulled their luggage out of the taxi, but were glad to have finally arrived. “This is it,” Takuya told Terecito.
“Wow,” Terecito was a bit surprised, because when Takuya told him that he lived in a village, Ter had expected a place more… rustic? But so far all of the homes, including Takuya’s, looked like they were very nice. Not at all what he’d imagined a village would be like.
“Oniichan!” A happy shout came from the front porch of the house and they turned to see a teenager wearing a school uniform tearing down the steps and directly into a hug with Takuya.
Terecito knew this was probably Takuya’s younger brother Kanau, whom he’d told Ter about often. Kanau jabbered excitedly in Japanese, while Takuya answered him back happily, obviously very glad to see him again. But it made Ter feel a little awkward, since he didn’t know the language and wasn’t sure what to do with himself while the two were chatting.
Conscientious about such things, Takuya was quick to pull Terecito into the welcome, and introduced him to his brother.
“You are Oniichan’s hero friend!” Kanau exclaimed excitedly, with a grasp of English that would prove itself actually better than his older brother’s. “That is so cool! I want to hear everything about being a hero in Paragon!” Kanau’s dream was to be a hero too, and though he hadn’t manifested as a mutant like his brother and mother, he spent much of his time training with extreme dedication, in the hopes of mastering swordsmanship.
“Later please, Otouto,” Takuya requested. “Terecito-kun and I need to rest for a little while. Is anyone home?”
“Sorry! I know you must be tired!” Kanau picked up a suitcase and gestured them into the house, talking quickly as they went. “No one is home yet. Father is still at the school and Mother is working late in Niigata, like usual.” Kanau and Takuya’s father was a principal at the local school in Yahiko, and their mother was an editorial photographer who worked out of Niigata. Traveling for her job, and the twice daily ride on the commuter train meant she put in long hours away from home.
Arrangements were ready for them, however. The family had decided that Takuya would of course stay in his old bed, in the room that he’d always shared with Kanau, but Kanau would move temporarily elsewhere so that Terecito could stay in the room with Takuya.
As tired as they were, neither Terecito or Takuya gave much attention to the house as they passed through it, nor did they even look around the room that much, though Takuya did note that it looked almost the same as he’d left it when he went to Paragon. They just wanted to flop into bed and sleep.
“Do you need anything, Oniichan? Terecito-san?” Kanau knew that he needed to let them get some rest, but he was so excited to have them there that he didn’t want to waste a minute of their visit, so was reluctant to leave.
“Only to sleep,” Takuya told him fondly. “And the sooner we do that, the sooner we will be awake again.”
“I know, but…” Kanau realized he was sounding a little whiny, but couldn’t help it. He’d missed Takuya so much! And now his brother was a hero and Terecito was also here and was a hero, and Kanau just wanted to spend time with them and hear all about their adventures in Paragon!
“We will be here for a week, Ototou,” Takuya reminded gently.
Kanau knew he was right and reluctantly left so they could get some rest, but was definitely looking forward to talking to them both and especially to getting to know Terecito. A real hero! All the way from Paragon! It was a seriously big deal.
And actually, he was so enthusiastic and eager, that Terecito looked forward to getting to know Kanau too.
When Terecito woke a few hours later, he felt more rested and the low mattress pad he’d slept on - which Takuya had called a shikibuton - had been surprisingly comfortable. He noticed that Takuya’s was empty, meaning the empath was already up, so Ter got up, found their suitcases, and got dressed.
Now that he was awake, it finally started to hit him - he was in Japan! An entirely different country! It was really quite amazing to him, because aside from one day trip to Niagara Falls, Terecito had never been outside of Paragon in his entire life.
He was just straightening up the shikibuton - Terecito was determined to do his best to not be a bad guest - when Takuya returned. Wearing… well, Terecito wasn’t sure what it was, so he had to ask. “What’re you wearing?”
“It is a yakuta,” Takuya explained. “It is traditional summer casual clothing. I used to wear these all the time growing up, and you will probably see many people in the village wearing them too.”
“Oh neat,” Terecito thought it looked nifty and very Japanese. “Can I get one?”
“Of course, we will go to the shop and get one for you,” Takuya nodded, but was interrupted before he could say more by someone calling out in Japanese from downstairs. The empath defender smiled happily. “That is Father coming home! Come, we will meet him,” he gestured for Terecito to follow him.
Ter was a bit nervous about meeting Takuya’s parents. He didn’t have much experience that he could remember with families, not real ones, anyway. Sure, DoP was a family, especially with Heat Lightning’s paternal way of watching over everyone, and Amber appointing herself alternately Ter’s mother and big sister. And of course Terecito now thought of Takuya as a brother.
But this was a real family. He’d never had one of those. Terecito wanted them to like him, he didn’t want them to think he was a bad guest, and he hoped he wouldn’t feel left out, since they were Takuya’s family and not really his.
Naraku Kawazoe looked a lot younger than Terecito had expected, but he had the same soft-spoken and gentle mannerisms as his son. Takuya had told him that his father had been adopted as a very young child and had lived in Yahiko for most of his life, except for the years he spent in college, earning Education credentials.
Naraku didn’t speak much English, so Takuya introduced Terecito in Japanese.
Terecito had asked Takuya to teach him some basic phrases and had done his best to retain it all. It wasn’t easy! But he wanted so badly to make a good first impression. So he bowed the way Takuya often did and tried not to verbally stumble over the difficult word he’d learned. “Hajimemashite.” Which Takuya had explained was the equivalent of nice to meet you.
Naraku seemed pleased and returned the bow and the greeting. With Takuya translating, he also welcomed Terecito to his home, and said that the family was very glad to have him. He didn’t say it out loud, but he and his wife were very grateful to Terecito for being friends with their shy oldest son, who they’d worried wouldn’t do well in Paragon. So his return bow was one of gratitude as well as welcome.
Naraku’s friendly mannerisms made Terecito feel much more comfortable. While Naraku went upstairs to change out of his suit, Takuya happily showed Terecito around the house, so pleased to be back himself, and glad to sense that his friend was feeling more at ease and not as nervous.
There was the little dining room off of the common living area first. Takuya told Terecito that the family preferred to take meals together, though it wasn’t always possible with his mother’s difficult hours.
Next was the kitchen, where they found the family cat - Nyachan - being very naughty and scratching where she shouldn’t.
To the front of the house, off the entry, was a small room that Terecito was surprised to discover contained, among other things, drums. There was a drum set, like a band might have, and there was also a single stand-alone drum. He remembered Takuya had told him that when he was young, he’d played drums in order to focus his mind and keep out all of the emotions and energies that he sensed as an empath.
Actually, Takuya had done a lot of taiko drumming, which involved beating out driving and complicated rhythms on rather large drums with a stick, but he did not have a taiko at home, because they were expensive. The taiko he’d played belonged to the school. He had always been very happy, however, with his tall hand drum and seeing it again was like seeing an old friend that he’d very much missed.
Terecito loved hearing Takuya beat on the drum. “Hermano! You never play when the team starts drumming,” he pointed out, referring to how their junior DoP team sometimes broke out into spontaneous drumming and dancing while relaxing between missions. “You always just sit and listen. Why don’t you join?”
“I like to listen, Oniisan,” Takuya smiled as he drummed. Truthfully, he was just too shy to drum around his teammates.
Kanau came into the room and was very pleased to see his older brother playing. Hearing Takuya’s steady rhythm really made it seem real that he was home again at last. Kanau drummed too, but he preferred the modern set and he didn’t feel he was nearly as talented as Takuya was.
When Takuya stopped, Kanau explained why he’d come looking for them. “Father is cooking tonight, but needs me to walk to the village to buy groceries. I wondered if you and Terecito-san would like to come.” Kanau really hoped so, because that meant spending time with the two older guys.
“Oh yes, that would be very good,” Takuya nodded and looked to Ter. “Oniisan can buy a yukata, and I would be happy to see the village again.”
It was a nice walk in the cool late spring evening, a couple of streets over to where the village center was. Takuya was happy to see the familiar sites of his home again, while Terecito was amazed at how quiet and natural everything seemed when compared to Paragon City.
There was a little store that - being the only shop in the village - sold a bit of everything. While Kanau looked for the groceries his father needed, Terecito and Takuya browsed the small selection of clothing, hunting for an appropriate yukata for the storm defender.
Terecito enjoyed trying on several different styles, with different patterns, searching for just the right one, while Takuya smiled and made suggestions, pleased that Terecito seemed to be enjoying himself.
At last Ter decided on one that he really liked, but he didn’t show it to Takuya yet. “You can see which one I picked when I wear it,” he explained, putting back the outfits he’d rejected.
Terecito was eager to see more of the village center, but they had to get the groceries home to Naraku. However, Takuya asked Terecito and Kanau to wait a moment, so that he could take a picture of them. He wanted to get a lot of pictures on this trip, because it was important of him to have pictures of his family with him while living in Paragon. But it was also very special to have Terecito here on this trip, and Takuya wanted to them both to have pictures to go with the memories.
They returned home and Naraku got started on dinner. Then a female voice called out in Japanese from the front entry. Takuya, eyes bright with happiness, and Terecito went to greet the empath’s mother, just arriving home from her long commute and workday.
Kairi Kawazoe looked tired, but obviously glad to see her oldest son. Again, just like her husband, she looked much younger than Terecito had expected and was dressed in a very stylish and business-like outfit.
She and Takuya spoke to one another in soft loving Japanese, Kairi obviously rather emotional over the reunion. It had been a very long time since she had seen Takuya, after all, and he was her baby. Her first born! She always worried over him, because he was so shy, and because she understood how difficult it was to be a emotional empath. Also a mutant, she had some slight ability herself, though she was not nearly as sensitive as Takuya was.
Dinner was an excellent chicken, vegetable and noodle stir-fry, the delicious smell of which reminded Terecito that he hadn’t eaten in a very long time! He wolfed his meal down while the others talked.
It was such a different feeling for Ter, to sit down at a table and eat dinner with a real family. They talked - in English when possible, for his benefit - about everyday things. What Kanau had done in school that day. Kairi’s current photography assignment. Of course, they tried to fill Takuya in on things he’d missed, and Terecito kind of got lost in the names of extended family members that were tossed around. But that was okay. He didn’t need to be an empath to feel the familial closeness around the table. And he liked the feeling.
Reminding himself yet again that he had to be a good guest, Terecito cleared his place. Takuya watched him fondly, knowing how eager the storm defender was to do his best to be liked and to not - as he’d said before they left Paragon - embarrass Takuya in front of his family. As if Takuya could ever be embarrassed by his best friend!
After dinner, it was time for a real catching-up/getting to know each other conversation. Sitting comfortably in the living area, Takuya told his parents some about working in Paragon with the heroes, and about how he and Terecito had become friends, and explained to them what a storm defender did and how they worked together on the team.
Both parents seemed very impressed. Kairi wanted to know more about storm defenders, apparently finding the idea that someone could control weather fascinating.
And Terecito didn’t mind answering her questions as best as he could. He was glad that she proved to be very easy to talk to, in the same comfortable way that Takuya was. She listened with attentive and genuine interest, and her grasp of English was very good, since she often interacted with international clients in her work.
And while they talked, Takuya translated for his father.
Though Kairi and Naraku were obviously very interested in the work that both Takuya and Terecito did in their hero supergroup, it naturally worried them as parents as well. Growing up, Takuya had been very sensitive and fragile, thanks to being constantly bombarded by the emotions of others and all different types of energy. He’d had difficulties just living normally from day to day. They knew that Takuya had a kind soul and that he wanted to help others as a defender, but because they loved him, they worried about how well he dealt with the violence and negativity, especially since they knew he worked in the dangerous war zone, and how he coped with just the sheer weight of all the emotions and energies that existed in a city as large as Paragon.
Naturally as they heard more about Takuya’s work as a defender, the conversation turned in the direction of their concerns and worries over him staying in Paragon.
As Takuya quietly sought to reassure them of his ability to handle it all, Terecito realized that this was turning into more of a private family conversation, and felt extremely uncomfortable sitting in the middle of it.
So he was relieved when Kanau came through and interrupted politely to ask if Terecito could come with him upstairs. He led the storm defender to the bedroom he and Takuya were sharing. “They will be fussing at him for awhile. Thought you might like to escape.”
“Thank you!” Terecito was very grateful.
“They worry about him all the time. So do I,” Kanau told him. “But I know he is capable of handling things, even in a big place like Paragon.” The teenager paused for a moment, then worriedly asked, “He is doing okay, yes?”
Terecito assured that Takuya was, and within no time the pair were sitting on the floor together, Kanau asking question after question while Terecito enthralled him with tales of some of the things he and Takuya had done in Paragon City.
He was in the middle of telling Kanau all about the Ghost Ship, when Takuya arrived to join them, after having reassured his parents as much as possible. It made him very happy to see his best friend and his younger brother getting along so well, and especially to see Terecito taking on the role of older brother with Kanau, in the same way he often did with Takuya.
Takuya was up very early the next morning, easily slipping back into his old routines now that he was home again, and taking great pleasure in old activities. But it was so amazingly different now! Before he’d left for Paragon, he hadn’t known how to block his mind from emotions and energies, so meditation had been a difficult exercise for him, a sort of desperate attempt to quiet things in his head. But now… now he was well practiced in controlling his mind, so meditation out in the yard, with the dew and freshness of the morning around him, felt wonderful and truly calming.
Terecito came to find him when he woke up, thinking that the little yard was very pretty. They talked a bit, Takuya asking the other defender if he was enjoying himself so far, even though they hadn’t even been there for a full day. He hoped so. He really wanted Terecito to look back on this trip with warm memories.
Terecito was enjoying it, simply because it was so different than what he was used to. Waking up to fresh air and a golden morning was amazing compared to waking up in the base and going out to breathe the heavy city air of Paragon. And he’d really enjoyed the feeling of family at dinner the evening before.
“Those are neat,” Terecito had noticed some little… plants?... trees?... on the porch behind Takuya. Looking around, he saw several of them placed prettily around the yard. “What are those? Them little plants?”
“Aa, those are bonsai. They are trees,” Takuya explained. “They are a hobby of Father’s.” He told Terecito about how they were actually regular species of trees, that had been tended and pruned carefully in order to keep them miniature. “Some of these are old, Father has been raising them since he was a teenager, so the oldest are around…” he thought for a moment. “Twenty-five years.”
“Wow!” Terecito thought the bonsai were really cool, and he wondered exactly what Naraku did to keep them so tiny. But the mention of age brought up something else Terecito had been wanting to ask his friend. “Your folks seem a lot younger then I thought they’d be.”
Takuya nodded. “Hai… I mean, yes. They met at University in Niigata, and were still there and about my age when they had me. It was difficult for them to marry, work, finish school and have a child, but they have done very well.”
He went into the house to shower and change clothes, and while Terecito was still outside and admiring the yard, Kairi came out through the kitchen door, a couple of baskets in her hands, looking far more casual than she had the night before.
“It is my day off,” she laughed when Terecito looked surprised. “I cannot be bothered with looking perfect!”
“We have our first oranges of the year,” she continued gesturing at the two orange trees in the yard, just behind the kitchen. “They are maybe not so good yet, but it is still spring, and they will do fine for juice. Would you like to help me pick some, Terecito-kun?”
Terecito was glad to, and it was fun to spend a little time with Kairi, who was a bit more outgoing and talkative than her husband or Takuya, but in a kind sort of way that made Terecito feel comfortable. She told him that she’d asked Kanau to pick the oranges, but he’d forgotten before leaving for school that day, so she was glad to have an extra ‘son’ to help her out. That made Terecito feel happy and the morning seem that much nicer.
Naraku and Kanau were both at school during the day, and Kairi wanted to get caught up on work that she could do at home, so Takuya and Terecito decided to go hiking. It had been one of Takuya’s favorite activities growing up, and he was eager to see the forests he’d known so well again.
It was a good day for it, cool enough that they wouldn’t overheat, with a touch of mist in the air that promised rain. In fact, it started to sprinkle a bit as Takuya took Terecito to the Yahiko Forest trailhead, which was not far from the house. Neither of them minded. It felt good and invigorating.
“There is a maintained path,” Takuya pointed out as they entered the trail. He stepped off the boardwalk. “But I like to take the other. It is more natural and leads to the lake.”
Takuya loved being out in nature. It made him feel centered and peaceful. As for Terecito, hiking through the deep woods was a very different experience for him. There were natural places in Paragon, but they were dangerous and still had the close feel of the city to them. This forest did not. Here he could feel the pureness of the air and subtle atmospheric changes that were masked by pollution and noise in Paragon. It felt wonderful, like he was tingling, and awareness of his abilities was being turned on fresh and new.
They chatted as they hiked, talking about random this and that, as they often did when spending time together back home. However, there was a question Ter wanted to ask his friend, but was a little nervous about it, hoping Takuya wouldn’t be offended.
“Hermano… uhm… don’t take this the wrong way, okay? I’m asking because I’m just curious… well, how come you and your Mom don’t look the same as your Dad and Kanau?” Terecito had often wondered why Takuya didn’t look entirely Japanese, with his brunette hair and blue-green eyes, and he knew some of the other members of the team did too. Now that he’d discovered that Takuya had obviously gotten his looks from Kairi, he was even more curious.
Takuya smiled and laughed quietly, not offended in the least. “My great-grandfather on Mother’s side was British. He was stationed here in Japan after World War II, fell in love with my great-grandmother, and stayed here. Mother and I get our looks from him.”
Terecito thought that was pretty neat, but was a bit envious that his friend was aware of family history going back that far. Takuya was very lucky.
The mists around them were growing a bit heavier.
“The lake is up here,” Takuya pointed ahead of them. It was a place he’d come to often to fish when he was younger, and he had promised to show Terecito how.
That explained the heavier mist. Terecito followed Takuya along a gentle rise, thinking how different it was to be in a place like this, where really they didn’t have to worry about being attacked by street gangs or Devouring Earth creatures, where they could actually feel nature, hear the sounds of the rain falling and the crickets hidden among the trees. He liked it.
A few moments later, they emerged into a small clearing, beside a lake that was really little more than a pond. But thanks to the fresh clear water, they could actually see fish under the surface.
“Hello Lake-san,” Takuya greeted with a fond gentle smile. “I have missed you! It is very good to see you again!”
Terecito thought it was funny that Takuya was talking to a lake, but his friend was like that sometimes.
They got their gear in order and Takuya showed Terecito what to do - how to bait the hook and cast the line, and what to expect if he caught something.
Takuya enjoyed fishing, because it was a meditative activity. Fishing was interesting to Terecito, but truthfully it wasn’t entirely fun, for precisely the reason that Takuya did like it. It involved long periods of doing nothing, and inactivity made Ter restless. But when Takuya actually caught something - well, that was different! Then there was splashing and frantic reeling in and excitement to see just what kind of fish was going to come out of the water.
And even if it was a little boring, Terecito was exceedingly pleased that he actually caught something too. On his very first try at fishing!
And he was especially proud when Naraku cooked his fish up for dinner that evening. It was so good that he actually took his time eating it.
The week really passed too fast for both Takuya and Terecito’s liking. For Takuya, it felt so good to be home, and he was not looking forward to saying goodbye at the end of their stay. He appreciated the peace that came from being with his family. Terecito liked the family atmosphere as well. He’d been worried, but soon felt so comfortable with Takuya’s parents and his brother that Ter didn’t want to say good bye either. He got along great with Kanau especially.
He enjoyed exploring the forest with Takuya, and wished there were places like that to go in Paragon.
Plus it was fun to just play around, without having to think about missions and work and his future plans for going to school.
One of the things that Takuya wanted Terecito to see was the Yahiko Temple. The family thought it would be nice to all go together, so they planned the outing for a rare day when everyone was home. Takuya told Ter that this would be a good occasion for him to try out his new yukata.
“Whatdya think?” he asked Takuya as he emerged from the bath to show off the new outfit. “Does it look okay?” He hoped that his friend would think he’d picked out a good one.
Takuya liked it a lot and thought Terecito looked really good in it. “It looks wonderful, Oniisan,” he assured with a smile. It was neat to see his ‘big brother’ wearing something so traditionally Japanese.
“I picked this one cuz of the leaves on it, they look like they’re floating on the wind,” Terecito explained, looking down at the pattern of his yukata. “Kinda like when I kick up my hurricane and everything goes flying!” He grinned.
“I want to see you make a hurricane!” Kanau exclaimed as he joined them, wearing his own yukata. “Can you show me some of your powers, Terecito-san?”
“Sure!” Terecito nodded. “We can go down in the yard…”
“Ah, maybe it would be best if you did that later?” Takuya suggested, worried over what state the pair’s clothing might be in before they were through.
Since it was a special day, Naraku made them sushi to have for lunch before they left. Terecito, having the common preconceived notion that sushi was just raw fish, wanted to see how it was done, and watched raptly as Naraku worked, the older man doing his best to explain each step in his halting English.
Terecito didn’t have any qualms about trying it, though. After all, if he was willing to eat a bench brownie, a little raw fish wasn’t going to put him off.
And he was glad he tried it, because it was very good! Different, but he liked it a lot.
After lunch, Naraku led them all through the village, to the Temple. Walking together as a group, everyone chatting and in a good mood, Terecito felt like he really was part of the family.
The temple rested atop a large hill at the head of the village, nestled in the forest. Several flights of stairs led up to it.
Takuya playfully challenged Terecito to a race to get to the top, so the two young men took off quickly, while Naraku and Kairi paused to socialize with people they knew below.
Kanau happened to run into one of his schoolmates on the way up, and got a bit distracted thanks to a little late spring flirting.
The grounds at the top of the hill were lovely, and the view was quite amazing, overlooking the rolling forest-covered hills leading up into the mountains. Takuya led the way to the Temple.
Once there, he was happy to explain some local customs to the curious Terecito. Tossing a yen into a shrine and praying for a blessing was a hold-over from old Shinto traditions, which many people in Japan still practiced, often interchangeably with Buddhism.
As Takuya prepared to toss his yen coin in, he prayed that Terecito was enjoying himself on this trip and that the two of them would stay friends for a long time.
Of course, Terecito wanted to try it too. He wasn’t sure what to believe about things like religion and spirituality, though he knew both were pretty important to Takuya, but wishing wasn’t something that was religious, and there were a few things that Terecito hoped for out of life. That he do well going to school, that he not disappoint the people who cared about him, that the people he cared about in return would be safe and happy…
He didn’t know if wishing by tossing a coin into a shrine was any better than wishing the regular way, but Terecito felt pretty good about it. Plus, it was what Takuya, and presumably his family, did, and Ter wanted to be a part of the family, so he did it too.
“Would you like to go into the Temple with me?” Takuya asked. “Or we could…”
He was interrupted by someone nearby, calling out in Japanese. Terecito didn’t understand the words, except that he did catch Takuya’s surname, but the very tone of voice used told him that whatever had been said was rather nasty.
The surprised hurt expression on Takuya’s face confirmed that he’d just been insulted. Terecito frowned hard, not liking that at all! “What? What did he say?”
Takuya smiled wanly. “It is nothing, Oniisan.”
“Yeah it is too!” Ter knew that Takuya was a very tolerant and gentle person, and that he would likely just let the incident pass, but Terecito was upset and annoyed. How dare someone just randomly insult his hermano? And in his own hometown! Takuya hadn’t been doing anything that anyone could be insulting about, and Ter couldn’t imagine that Takuya would have ever done anything in the past! “What did he say about you?”
“It does not matter,” Takuya said with a patient sigh.
Ter frowned even harder, because he didn’t like the thought of anyone being mean to Takuya, but if the empath wasn’t going to get upset about it, then he supposed he shouldn’t either. Though… half serious and half trying to lighten the mood, he leaned in and gave Takuya a playfully wicked expression. “I could just whip up a little lightning storm…”
Takuya appreciated the spirit of the suggestion, he really did. But he did not want to stir up trouble, and the people around here were not familiar with storm powers. It could potentially cause more problems than it was worth. “Oh no, please do not, Oniisan,” Takuya requested plaintively.
Terecito felt rather frustrated, but he didn’t want to upset Takuya. “Alright, Hermano.”
“Let me show you the Zen garden…” Takuya gestured away from the Temple, to a sandy area outside, but was interrupted again, by the same man, calling out his name and what was obviously another insult.
Terecito wasn’t going to stand for a second verbal assault against his best friend. Before Takuya could say anything or stop him, the storm defender marched over to the offender and pushed himself close. “Hey, what is your problem, huh? Are you insulting my friend?”
The man actually knew very little English, so he had no idea what Terecito was saying, but any person could get the gist of it just fine. However, he was apparently not repentant in the least. He just listened with an expression of mild interest, that seemed to say he was finding the weird blonde foreigner rather funny.
“Takuya’s the nicest person in the world, so don’t you say nasty things about him, or I’ll… I’ll make you sorry! Got that?”
“Ah, ototoi koi, baka,” the man said, waving a hand dismissively before turning away and leaving.
Terecito glared after him to make sure he left and that he wouldn’t be sticking around just to yell more insults. In the meantime, Takuya sighed heavily, but smiled fondly at his friend. Really, it was very nice of Terecito to stick up for him, even if Takuya didn’t exactly approve of the action. The storm defender had a good heart.
But, he couldn’t say the encounter hadn’t rattled him a bit, feeling the local’s hostility toward him and Terecito’s defensive protectiveness. Takuya wanted to just sit for a moment and recenter himself. So, he stepped into the Temple, where he knew he would find peace and quiet. Terecito followed him a moment later, looking a little sheepish. Okay, he wasn’t sorry he had laid into the guy, he’d deserved it, but he was sorry that it had bothered Takuya.
“Tak, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t let… oh wow!” Terecito blinked in surprise at the Buddha statue, surrounded by offerings of flowers and food. It was really pretty, he thought, and it did look very peaceful and serene. No wonder Takuya had come in here.
“That looks like you, when you sit and meditate,” Terecito came and sat beside his friend, who looked gently amused. “You know, a little raincloud over his head could only have done that jerk good.”
“Oniisan, thank you for defending me,” Takuya said quietly and honestly, because he really was touched by his friend’s gesture.
“C’mon, you know I always would,” Terecito pointed out. “But, what was the guy’s problem, anyway? Do you know him?”
“Yes. His name is Ryouichi. We were in school together,” Takuya explained. “You see, when I was very young, I felt something bad inside one of the little girls I was playing with… much like how I can now feel when someone on the team is hurt or wounded. Back then, I did not know I could do such a thing, I just knew whatever it was felt bad, and I told her about it. It scared her, of course, and she and the other kids chased me off. A couple days later, her appendix ruptured and she had to be rushed to the hospital in Niigata. Thankfully, she recovered. But after that, the rumor spread that I was the one who had made her sick, and a lot of the children I grew up with always believed that.”
“That’s awful.” Terecito hated hearing that anyone could think something like that about someone as kind as Takuya. “You don’t do things like that. You’re an empath, you just felt that there was something wrong.”
“They were just children, Oniisan. They did not understand,” Takuya replied simply, gazing at the Buddha.
After a moment of recentering, Takuya roused himself and smiled at Terecito. “Come, I would like to play in the Zen garden, ne?”
The garden was an area of white sand, with another of those neat bonsai tree thingys in the middle of it. Takuya explained to Terecito how raking the sand into various patterns was a meditative activity meant to focus one’s mind.
While he was doing that, Terecito noticed Kairi sitting nearby and shyly went over to join her in watching Takuya work in the garden.
“Are you enjoying the Temple, Terecito-kun?” she asked.
“I was, but…” Terecito told her about the incident with Ryouichi, even though it made him feel a little uncomfortable to do so, like he was complaining or something. And he supposed he was, but he just didn’t like it and though he sort of admired Takuya for being able to let it go, it still bothered him.
“Aa,” Kairi nodded affirmatively. “Yes, I remember when that happened. Takuya was six years old, and I had to explain to many people in the village that he was a mutant, and that he had not done anything to make that little girl sick. Unfortunately, people remember things like that for a long time.” She smiled at Ter. “Thank you for standing up for him, Terecito-kun, because I know he would not do so for himself.”
“Well, sure I’m gonna stand up for him. He’s my friend and… you know… my brother,” he replied, timidly, hoping she wouldn’t be offended that he was claiming her son as his brother.
“Oh,” she responded with a knowing tone. Over the course of many emails to the family, Takuya had described his friendship with Terecito and had explained that he considered the storm defender a brother, so she knew of the close bond between them. And she was grateful for it, because that meant Takuya wasn’t alone in Paragon City. “If he is your brother, than does that make you my son?”
“Uh…” Terecito stammered with embarrassment. “Well… uhm…”
“The answer to that is yes, Terecito-kun,” Kairi assured him fondly. “I know you have been a very good friend to Takuya-chan, and I am very grateful for that. We are so glad that you came with him to visit us, we see you as family, and I hope that you will consider us family as well.” She smiled warmly. “It is a good thing to have another son.”
“Yes… yes, thank you…” Terecito was touched by her kind words, by her intimation that she was his mother, and by the assurance that she considered him family. He felt warm and happy and so grateful inside, that he couldn’t even talk for a bit.
After spending a little more time at the Temple, the whole family headed down into the village. Kairi and Naraku wanted to stop at the store and head for home, but the three boys planned to go eat and poke around the village some more.
First, Takuya wanted to take Terecito to the onsen - the hot spring - for a bit of relaxing. In the little bathhouse, they showered off, and then headed outside to the steamy warmth of the hot spring itself.
It felt good against the slight coolness of the spring air, and both young men enjoyed a few minutes to just relax. Terecito was happy, feeling loved thanks to what Kairi had said, and his feelings bled into Takuya, who picked up on it empathically, and thus shared the good feeling.
“It’s great here,” Terecito decided. “It’s pretty, I like not having to worry about running into trouble all the time, and your family is awesome. I guess maybe not everything is perfect,” he said, remembering the man at the Temple’s meanness, “but you’re lucky to have grown up here.”
“Yes,” Takuya agreed contentedly. “It is a good place to be.”
To Part Two
This takes place roughly a couple of weeks ago in regards to our weekly in-game team-ups. Last hero-night, Heat Lightning took Terecito's usual place as leader of the team, because our storm defender has now gone off to school. The following story takes place just before that.
Note: I've tried to keep the Japanese at a minimum in the story for ease of reading, but there is a bit here and there. The main things that are important to know is that Takuya calls Terecito "Oniisan" which means "older brother", and Kanau calls Takuya "Oniichan", which also means "older brother" but is more familiar and diminutive. And Terecito calls Takuya "Hermano" which is Spanish for "brother".
Also, I apologize in advance for the length. ^^;;; It's long enough that I had to break it into two parts...
“I should take you home with me sometime. My father would like to cook for you, I think.”
”All the way to Japan? We could do that?”
”Yes, we could. Would you like to do that?”
”I think that'd be fun!”
Heat Lightning had helped Terecito to get a passport and all the details had been squared away for he and Takuya to go to Japan to visit the empath’s family. They had hoped to go earlier in the spring, in March or early April, but with the ongoing Rikti conflict, they hadn’t been able to. So now it was early May, but both young men were glad to get the chance to go at all, since soon the storm defender would be leaving to attend school. Terecito, very proud of his new passport, was excited about getting to see an entirely new place, a different country! And Takuya was looking forward to showing Terecito, whom he considered a brother, his home.
The trip over by plane consisted of long stretches - Paragon to Los Angles, LA to Tokyo, and then a much shorter hop across Japan from Tokyo to the western coast city of Niigata. From there, they took a commuter train to a small end-of-the-line station a bit outside of Takuya’s home village of Yahiko, nestled at the base of Mt. Yahiko and surrounded by forests.
A taxi brought them the rest of the way from the station to the house where Takuya had grown up.
It was mid afternoon, and they were both very tired from traveling and the time differences, as they pulled their luggage out of the taxi, but were glad to have finally arrived. “This is it,” Takuya told Terecito.
“Wow,” Terecito was a bit surprised, because when Takuya told him that he lived in a village, Ter had expected a place more… rustic? But so far all of the homes, including Takuya’s, looked like they were very nice. Not at all what he’d imagined a village would be like.
“Oniichan!” A happy shout came from the front porch of the house and they turned to see a teenager wearing a school uniform tearing down the steps and directly into a hug with Takuya.
Terecito knew this was probably Takuya’s younger brother Kanau, whom he’d told Ter about often. Kanau jabbered excitedly in Japanese, while Takuya answered him back happily, obviously very glad to see him again. But it made Ter feel a little awkward, since he didn’t know the language and wasn’t sure what to do with himself while the two were chatting.
Conscientious about such things, Takuya was quick to pull Terecito into the welcome, and introduced him to his brother.
“You are Oniichan’s hero friend!” Kanau exclaimed excitedly, with a grasp of English that would prove itself actually better than his older brother’s. “That is so cool! I want to hear everything about being a hero in Paragon!” Kanau’s dream was to be a hero too, and though he hadn’t manifested as a mutant like his brother and mother, he spent much of his time training with extreme dedication, in the hopes of mastering swordsmanship.
“Later please, Otouto,” Takuya requested. “Terecito-kun and I need to rest for a little while. Is anyone home?”
“Sorry! I know you must be tired!” Kanau picked up a suitcase and gestured them into the house, talking quickly as they went. “No one is home yet. Father is still at the school and Mother is working late in Niigata, like usual.” Kanau and Takuya’s father was a principal at the local school in Yahiko, and their mother was an editorial photographer who worked out of Niigata. Traveling for her job, and the twice daily ride on the commuter train meant she put in long hours away from home.
Arrangements were ready for them, however. The family had decided that Takuya would of course stay in his old bed, in the room that he’d always shared with Kanau, but Kanau would move temporarily elsewhere so that Terecito could stay in the room with Takuya.
As tired as they were, neither Terecito or Takuya gave much attention to the house as they passed through it, nor did they even look around the room that much, though Takuya did note that it looked almost the same as he’d left it when he went to Paragon. They just wanted to flop into bed and sleep.
“Do you need anything, Oniichan? Terecito-san?” Kanau knew that he needed to let them get some rest, but he was so excited to have them there that he didn’t want to waste a minute of their visit, so was reluctant to leave.
“Only to sleep,” Takuya told him fondly. “And the sooner we do that, the sooner we will be awake again.”
“I know, but…” Kanau realized he was sounding a little whiny, but couldn’t help it. He’d missed Takuya so much! And now his brother was a hero and Terecito was also here and was a hero, and Kanau just wanted to spend time with them and hear all about their adventures in Paragon!
“We will be here for a week, Ototou,” Takuya reminded gently.
Kanau knew he was right and reluctantly left so they could get some rest, but was definitely looking forward to talking to them both and especially to getting to know Terecito. A real hero! All the way from Paragon! It was a seriously big deal.
And actually, he was so enthusiastic and eager, that Terecito looked forward to getting to know Kanau too.
When Terecito woke a few hours later, he felt more rested and the low mattress pad he’d slept on - which Takuya had called a shikibuton - had been surprisingly comfortable. He noticed that Takuya’s was empty, meaning the empath was already up, so Ter got up, found their suitcases, and got dressed.
Now that he was awake, it finally started to hit him - he was in Japan! An entirely different country! It was really quite amazing to him, because aside from one day trip to Niagara Falls, Terecito had never been outside of Paragon in his entire life.
He was just straightening up the shikibuton - Terecito was determined to do his best to not be a bad guest - when Takuya returned. Wearing… well, Terecito wasn’t sure what it was, so he had to ask. “What’re you wearing?”
“It is a yakuta,” Takuya explained. “It is traditional summer casual clothing. I used to wear these all the time growing up, and you will probably see many people in the village wearing them too.”
“Oh neat,” Terecito thought it looked nifty and very Japanese. “Can I get one?”
“Of course, we will go to the shop and get one for you,” Takuya nodded, but was interrupted before he could say more by someone calling out in Japanese from downstairs. The empath defender smiled happily. “That is Father coming home! Come, we will meet him,” he gestured for Terecito to follow him.
Ter was a bit nervous about meeting Takuya’s parents. He didn’t have much experience that he could remember with families, not real ones, anyway. Sure, DoP was a family, especially with Heat Lightning’s paternal way of watching over everyone, and Amber appointing herself alternately Ter’s mother and big sister. And of course Terecito now thought of Takuya as a brother.
But this was a real family. He’d never had one of those. Terecito wanted them to like him, he didn’t want them to think he was a bad guest, and he hoped he wouldn’t feel left out, since they were Takuya’s family and not really his.
Naraku Kawazoe looked a lot younger than Terecito had expected, but he had the same soft-spoken and gentle mannerisms as his son. Takuya had told him that his father had been adopted as a very young child and had lived in Yahiko for most of his life, except for the years he spent in college, earning Education credentials.
Naraku didn’t speak much English, so Takuya introduced Terecito in Japanese.
Terecito had asked Takuya to teach him some basic phrases and had done his best to retain it all. It wasn’t easy! But he wanted so badly to make a good first impression. So he bowed the way Takuya often did and tried not to verbally stumble over the difficult word he’d learned. “Hajimemashite.” Which Takuya had explained was the equivalent of nice to meet you.
Naraku seemed pleased and returned the bow and the greeting. With Takuya translating, he also welcomed Terecito to his home, and said that the family was very glad to have him. He didn’t say it out loud, but he and his wife were very grateful to Terecito for being friends with their shy oldest son, who they’d worried wouldn’t do well in Paragon. So his return bow was one of gratitude as well as welcome.
Naraku’s friendly mannerisms made Terecito feel much more comfortable. While Naraku went upstairs to change out of his suit, Takuya happily showed Terecito around the house, so pleased to be back himself, and glad to sense that his friend was feeling more at ease and not as nervous.
There was the little dining room off of the common living area first. Takuya told Terecito that the family preferred to take meals together, though it wasn’t always possible with his mother’s difficult hours.
Next was the kitchen, where they found the family cat - Nyachan - being very naughty and scratching where she shouldn’t.
To the front of the house, off the entry, was a small room that Terecito was surprised to discover contained, among other things, drums. There was a drum set, like a band might have, and there was also a single stand-alone drum. He remembered Takuya had told him that when he was young, he’d played drums in order to focus his mind and keep out all of the emotions and energies that he sensed as an empath.
Actually, Takuya had done a lot of taiko drumming, which involved beating out driving and complicated rhythms on rather large drums with a stick, but he did not have a taiko at home, because they were expensive. The taiko he’d played belonged to the school. He had always been very happy, however, with his tall hand drum and seeing it again was like seeing an old friend that he’d very much missed.
Terecito loved hearing Takuya beat on the drum. “Hermano! You never play when the team starts drumming,” he pointed out, referring to how their junior DoP team sometimes broke out into spontaneous drumming and dancing while relaxing between missions. “You always just sit and listen. Why don’t you join?”
“I like to listen, Oniisan,” Takuya smiled as he drummed. Truthfully, he was just too shy to drum around his teammates.
Kanau came into the room and was very pleased to see his older brother playing. Hearing Takuya’s steady rhythm really made it seem real that he was home again at last. Kanau drummed too, but he preferred the modern set and he didn’t feel he was nearly as talented as Takuya was.
When Takuya stopped, Kanau explained why he’d come looking for them. “Father is cooking tonight, but needs me to walk to the village to buy groceries. I wondered if you and Terecito-san would like to come.” Kanau really hoped so, because that meant spending time with the two older guys.
“Oh yes, that would be very good,” Takuya nodded and looked to Ter. “Oniisan can buy a yukata, and I would be happy to see the village again.”
It was a nice walk in the cool late spring evening, a couple of streets over to where the village center was. Takuya was happy to see the familiar sites of his home again, while Terecito was amazed at how quiet and natural everything seemed when compared to Paragon City.
There was a little store that - being the only shop in the village - sold a bit of everything. While Kanau looked for the groceries his father needed, Terecito and Takuya browsed the small selection of clothing, hunting for an appropriate yukata for the storm defender.
Terecito enjoyed trying on several different styles, with different patterns, searching for just the right one, while Takuya smiled and made suggestions, pleased that Terecito seemed to be enjoying himself.
At last Ter decided on one that he really liked, but he didn’t show it to Takuya yet. “You can see which one I picked when I wear it,” he explained, putting back the outfits he’d rejected.
Terecito was eager to see more of the village center, but they had to get the groceries home to Naraku. However, Takuya asked Terecito and Kanau to wait a moment, so that he could take a picture of them. He wanted to get a lot of pictures on this trip, because it was important of him to have pictures of his family with him while living in Paragon. But it was also very special to have Terecito here on this trip, and Takuya wanted to them both to have pictures to go with the memories.
They returned home and Naraku got started on dinner. Then a female voice called out in Japanese from the front entry. Takuya, eyes bright with happiness, and Terecito went to greet the empath’s mother, just arriving home from her long commute and workday.
Kairi Kawazoe looked tired, but obviously glad to see her oldest son. Again, just like her husband, she looked much younger than Terecito had expected and was dressed in a very stylish and business-like outfit.
She and Takuya spoke to one another in soft loving Japanese, Kairi obviously rather emotional over the reunion. It had been a very long time since she had seen Takuya, after all, and he was her baby. Her first born! She always worried over him, because he was so shy, and because she understood how difficult it was to be a emotional empath. Also a mutant, she had some slight ability herself, though she was not nearly as sensitive as Takuya was.
Dinner was an excellent chicken, vegetable and noodle stir-fry, the delicious smell of which reminded Terecito that he hadn’t eaten in a very long time! He wolfed his meal down while the others talked.
It was such a different feeling for Ter, to sit down at a table and eat dinner with a real family. They talked - in English when possible, for his benefit - about everyday things. What Kanau had done in school that day. Kairi’s current photography assignment. Of course, they tried to fill Takuya in on things he’d missed, and Terecito kind of got lost in the names of extended family members that were tossed around. But that was okay. He didn’t need to be an empath to feel the familial closeness around the table. And he liked the feeling.
Reminding himself yet again that he had to be a good guest, Terecito cleared his place. Takuya watched him fondly, knowing how eager the storm defender was to do his best to be liked and to not - as he’d said before they left Paragon - embarrass Takuya in front of his family. As if Takuya could ever be embarrassed by his best friend!
After dinner, it was time for a real catching-up/getting to know each other conversation. Sitting comfortably in the living area, Takuya told his parents some about working in Paragon with the heroes, and about how he and Terecito had become friends, and explained to them what a storm defender did and how they worked together on the team.
Both parents seemed very impressed. Kairi wanted to know more about storm defenders, apparently finding the idea that someone could control weather fascinating.
And Terecito didn’t mind answering her questions as best as he could. He was glad that she proved to be very easy to talk to, in the same comfortable way that Takuya was. She listened with attentive and genuine interest, and her grasp of English was very good, since she often interacted with international clients in her work.
And while they talked, Takuya translated for his father.
Though Kairi and Naraku were obviously very interested in the work that both Takuya and Terecito did in their hero supergroup, it naturally worried them as parents as well. Growing up, Takuya had been very sensitive and fragile, thanks to being constantly bombarded by the emotions of others and all different types of energy. He’d had difficulties just living normally from day to day. They knew that Takuya had a kind soul and that he wanted to help others as a defender, but because they loved him, they worried about how well he dealt with the violence and negativity, especially since they knew he worked in the dangerous war zone, and how he coped with just the sheer weight of all the emotions and energies that existed in a city as large as Paragon.
Naturally as they heard more about Takuya’s work as a defender, the conversation turned in the direction of their concerns and worries over him staying in Paragon.
As Takuya quietly sought to reassure them of his ability to handle it all, Terecito realized that this was turning into more of a private family conversation, and felt extremely uncomfortable sitting in the middle of it.
So he was relieved when Kanau came through and interrupted politely to ask if Terecito could come with him upstairs. He led the storm defender to the bedroom he and Takuya were sharing. “They will be fussing at him for awhile. Thought you might like to escape.”
“Thank you!” Terecito was very grateful.
“They worry about him all the time. So do I,” Kanau told him. “But I know he is capable of handling things, even in a big place like Paragon.” The teenager paused for a moment, then worriedly asked, “He is doing okay, yes?”
Terecito assured that Takuya was, and within no time the pair were sitting on the floor together, Kanau asking question after question while Terecito enthralled him with tales of some of the things he and Takuya had done in Paragon City.
He was in the middle of telling Kanau all about the Ghost Ship, when Takuya arrived to join them, after having reassured his parents as much as possible. It made him very happy to see his best friend and his younger brother getting along so well, and especially to see Terecito taking on the role of older brother with Kanau, in the same way he often did with Takuya.
Takuya was up very early the next morning, easily slipping back into his old routines now that he was home again, and taking great pleasure in old activities. But it was so amazingly different now! Before he’d left for Paragon, he hadn’t known how to block his mind from emotions and energies, so meditation had been a difficult exercise for him, a sort of desperate attempt to quiet things in his head. But now… now he was well practiced in controlling his mind, so meditation out in the yard, with the dew and freshness of the morning around him, felt wonderful and truly calming.
Terecito came to find him when he woke up, thinking that the little yard was very pretty. They talked a bit, Takuya asking the other defender if he was enjoying himself so far, even though they hadn’t even been there for a full day. He hoped so. He really wanted Terecito to look back on this trip with warm memories.
Terecito was enjoying it, simply because it was so different than what he was used to. Waking up to fresh air and a golden morning was amazing compared to waking up in the base and going out to breathe the heavy city air of Paragon. And he’d really enjoyed the feeling of family at dinner the evening before.
“Those are neat,” Terecito had noticed some little… plants?... trees?... on the porch behind Takuya. Looking around, he saw several of them placed prettily around the yard. “What are those? Them little plants?”
“Aa, those are bonsai. They are trees,” Takuya explained. “They are a hobby of Father’s.” He told Terecito about how they were actually regular species of trees, that had been tended and pruned carefully in order to keep them miniature. “Some of these are old, Father has been raising them since he was a teenager, so the oldest are around…” he thought for a moment. “Twenty-five years.”
“Wow!” Terecito thought the bonsai were really cool, and he wondered exactly what Naraku did to keep them so tiny. But the mention of age brought up something else Terecito had been wanting to ask his friend. “Your folks seem a lot younger then I thought they’d be.”
Takuya nodded. “Hai… I mean, yes. They met at University in Niigata, and were still there and about my age when they had me. It was difficult for them to marry, work, finish school and have a child, but they have done very well.”
He went into the house to shower and change clothes, and while Terecito was still outside and admiring the yard, Kairi came out through the kitchen door, a couple of baskets in her hands, looking far more casual than she had the night before.
“It is my day off,” she laughed when Terecito looked surprised. “I cannot be bothered with looking perfect!”
“We have our first oranges of the year,” she continued gesturing at the two orange trees in the yard, just behind the kitchen. “They are maybe not so good yet, but it is still spring, and they will do fine for juice. Would you like to help me pick some, Terecito-kun?”
Terecito was glad to, and it was fun to spend a little time with Kairi, who was a bit more outgoing and talkative than her husband or Takuya, but in a kind sort of way that made Terecito feel comfortable. She told him that she’d asked Kanau to pick the oranges, but he’d forgotten before leaving for school that day, so she was glad to have an extra ‘son’ to help her out. That made Terecito feel happy and the morning seem that much nicer.
Naraku and Kanau were both at school during the day, and Kairi wanted to get caught up on work that she could do at home, so Takuya and Terecito decided to go hiking. It had been one of Takuya’s favorite activities growing up, and he was eager to see the forests he’d known so well again.
It was a good day for it, cool enough that they wouldn’t overheat, with a touch of mist in the air that promised rain. In fact, it started to sprinkle a bit as Takuya took Terecito to the Yahiko Forest trailhead, which was not far from the house. Neither of them minded. It felt good and invigorating.
“There is a maintained path,” Takuya pointed out as they entered the trail. He stepped off the boardwalk. “But I like to take the other. It is more natural and leads to the lake.”
Takuya loved being out in nature. It made him feel centered and peaceful. As for Terecito, hiking through the deep woods was a very different experience for him. There were natural places in Paragon, but they were dangerous and still had the close feel of the city to them. This forest did not. Here he could feel the pureness of the air and subtle atmospheric changes that were masked by pollution and noise in Paragon. It felt wonderful, like he was tingling, and awareness of his abilities was being turned on fresh and new.
They chatted as they hiked, talking about random this and that, as they often did when spending time together back home. However, there was a question Ter wanted to ask his friend, but was a little nervous about it, hoping Takuya wouldn’t be offended.
“Hermano… uhm… don’t take this the wrong way, okay? I’m asking because I’m just curious… well, how come you and your Mom don’t look the same as your Dad and Kanau?” Terecito had often wondered why Takuya didn’t look entirely Japanese, with his brunette hair and blue-green eyes, and he knew some of the other members of the team did too. Now that he’d discovered that Takuya had obviously gotten his looks from Kairi, he was even more curious.
Takuya smiled and laughed quietly, not offended in the least. “My great-grandfather on Mother’s side was British. He was stationed here in Japan after World War II, fell in love with my great-grandmother, and stayed here. Mother and I get our looks from him.”
Terecito thought that was pretty neat, but was a bit envious that his friend was aware of family history going back that far. Takuya was very lucky.
The mists around them were growing a bit heavier.
“The lake is up here,” Takuya pointed ahead of them. It was a place he’d come to often to fish when he was younger, and he had promised to show Terecito how.
That explained the heavier mist. Terecito followed Takuya along a gentle rise, thinking how different it was to be in a place like this, where really they didn’t have to worry about being attacked by street gangs or Devouring Earth creatures, where they could actually feel nature, hear the sounds of the rain falling and the crickets hidden among the trees. He liked it.
A few moments later, they emerged into a small clearing, beside a lake that was really little more than a pond. But thanks to the fresh clear water, they could actually see fish under the surface.
“Hello Lake-san,” Takuya greeted with a fond gentle smile. “I have missed you! It is very good to see you again!”
Terecito thought it was funny that Takuya was talking to a lake, but his friend was like that sometimes.
They got their gear in order and Takuya showed Terecito what to do - how to bait the hook and cast the line, and what to expect if he caught something.
Takuya enjoyed fishing, because it was a meditative activity. Fishing was interesting to Terecito, but truthfully it wasn’t entirely fun, for precisely the reason that Takuya did like it. It involved long periods of doing nothing, and inactivity made Ter restless. But when Takuya actually caught something - well, that was different! Then there was splashing and frantic reeling in and excitement to see just what kind of fish was going to come out of the water.
And even if it was a little boring, Terecito was exceedingly pleased that he actually caught something too. On his very first try at fishing!
And he was especially proud when Naraku cooked his fish up for dinner that evening. It was so good that he actually took his time eating it.
The week really passed too fast for both Takuya and Terecito’s liking. For Takuya, it felt so good to be home, and he was not looking forward to saying goodbye at the end of their stay. He appreciated the peace that came from being with his family. Terecito liked the family atmosphere as well. He’d been worried, but soon felt so comfortable with Takuya’s parents and his brother that Ter didn’t want to say good bye either. He got along great with Kanau especially.
He enjoyed exploring the forest with Takuya, and wished there were places like that to go in Paragon.
Plus it was fun to just play around, without having to think about missions and work and his future plans for going to school.
One of the things that Takuya wanted Terecito to see was the Yahiko Temple. The family thought it would be nice to all go together, so they planned the outing for a rare day when everyone was home. Takuya told Ter that this would be a good occasion for him to try out his new yukata.
“Whatdya think?” he asked Takuya as he emerged from the bath to show off the new outfit. “Does it look okay?” He hoped that his friend would think he’d picked out a good one.
Takuya liked it a lot and thought Terecito looked really good in it. “It looks wonderful, Oniisan,” he assured with a smile. It was neat to see his ‘big brother’ wearing something so traditionally Japanese.
“I picked this one cuz of the leaves on it, they look like they’re floating on the wind,” Terecito explained, looking down at the pattern of his yukata. “Kinda like when I kick up my hurricane and everything goes flying!” He grinned.
“I want to see you make a hurricane!” Kanau exclaimed as he joined them, wearing his own yukata. “Can you show me some of your powers, Terecito-san?”
“Sure!” Terecito nodded. “We can go down in the yard…”
“Ah, maybe it would be best if you did that later?” Takuya suggested, worried over what state the pair’s clothing might be in before they were through.
Since it was a special day, Naraku made them sushi to have for lunch before they left. Terecito, having the common preconceived notion that sushi was just raw fish, wanted to see how it was done, and watched raptly as Naraku worked, the older man doing his best to explain each step in his halting English.
Terecito didn’t have any qualms about trying it, though. After all, if he was willing to eat a bench brownie, a little raw fish wasn’t going to put him off.
And he was glad he tried it, because it was very good! Different, but he liked it a lot.
After lunch, Naraku led them all through the village, to the Temple. Walking together as a group, everyone chatting and in a good mood, Terecito felt like he really was part of the family.
The temple rested atop a large hill at the head of the village, nestled in the forest. Several flights of stairs led up to it.
Takuya playfully challenged Terecito to a race to get to the top, so the two young men took off quickly, while Naraku and Kairi paused to socialize with people they knew below.
Kanau happened to run into one of his schoolmates on the way up, and got a bit distracted thanks to a little late spring flirting.
The grounds at the top of the hill were lovely, and the view was quite amazing, overlooking the rolling forest-covered hills leading up into the mountains. Takuya led the way to the Temple.
Once there, he was happy to explain some local customs to the curious Terecito. Tossing a yen into a shrine and praying for a blessing was a hold-over from old Shinto traditions, which many people in Japan still practiced, often interchangeably with Buddhism.
As Takuya prepared to toss his yen coin in, he prayed that Terecito was enjoying himself on this trip and that the two of them would stay friends for a long time.
Of course, Terecito wanted to try it too. He wasn’t sure what to believe about things like religion and spirituality, though he knew both were pretty important to Takuya, but wishing wasn’t something that was religious, and there were a few things that Terecito hoped for out of life. That he do well going to school, that he not disappoint the people who cared about him, that the people he cared about in return would be safe and happy…
He didn’t know if wishing by tossing a coin into a shrine was any better than wishing the regular way, but Terecito felt pretty good about it. Plus, it was what Takuya, and presumably his family, did, and Ter wanted to be a part of the family, so he did it too.
“Would you like to go into the Temple with me?” Takuya asked. “Or we could…”
He was interrupted by someone nearby, calling out in Japanese. Terecito didn’t understand the words, except that he did catch Takuya’s surname, but the very tone of voice used told him that whatever had been said was rather nasty.
The surprised hurt expression on Takuya’s face confirmed that he’d just been insulted. Terecito frowned hard, not liking that at all! “What? What did he say?”
Takuya smiled wanly. “It is nothing, Oniisan.”
“Yeah it is too!” Ter knew that Takuya was a very tolerant and gentle person, and that he would likely just let the incident pass, but Terecito was upset and annoyed. How dare someone just randomly insult his hermano? And in his own hometown! Takuya hadn’t been doing anything that anyone could be insulting about, and Ter couldn’t imagine that Takuya would have ever done anything in the past! “What did he say about you?”
“It does not matter,” Takuya said with a patient sigh.
Ter frowned even harder, because he didn’t like the thought of anyone being mean to Takuya, but if the empath wasn’t going to get upset about it, then he supposed he shouldn’t either. Though… half serious and half trying to lighten the mood, he leaned in and gave Takuya a playfully wicked expression. “I could just whip up a little lightning storm…”
Takuya appreciated the spirit of the suggestion, he really did. But he did not want to stir up trouble, and the people around here were not familiar with storm powers. It could potentially cause more problems than it was worth. “Oh no, please do not, Oniisan,” Takuya requested plaintively.
Terecito felt rather frustrated, but he didn’t want to upset Takuya. “Alright, Hermano.”
“Let me show you the Zen garden…” Takuya gestured away from the Temple, to a sandy area outside, but was interrupted again, by the same man, calling out his name and what was obviously another insult.
Terecito wasn’t going to stand for a second verbal assault against his best friend. Before Takuya could say anything or stop him, the storm defender marched over to the offender and pushed himself close. “Hey, what is your problem, huh? Are you insulting my friend?”
The man actually knew very little English, so he had no idea what Terecito was saying, but any person could get the gist of it just fine. However, he was apparently not repentant in the least. He just listened with an expression of mild interest, that seemed to say he was finding the weird blonde foreigner rather funny.
“Takuya’s the nicest person in the world, so don’t you say nasty things about him, or I’ll… I’ll make you sorry! Got that?”
“Ah, ototoi koi, baka,” the man said, waving a hand dismissively before turning away and leaving.
Terecito glared after him to make sure he left and that he wouldn’t be sticking around just to yell more insults. In the meantime, Takuya sighed heavily, but smiled fondly at his friend. Really, it was very nice of Terecito to stick up for him, even if Takuya didn’t exactly approve of the action. The storm defender had a good heart.
But, he couldn’t say the encounter hadn’t rattled him a bit, feeling the local’s hostility toward him and Terecito’s defensive protectiveness. Takuya wanted to just sit for a moment and recenter himself. So, he stepped into the Temple, where he knew he would find peace and quiet. Terecito followed him a moment later, looking a little sheepish. Okay, he wasn’t sorry he had laid into the guy, he’d deserved it, but he was sorry that it had bothered Takuya.
“Tak, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t let… oh wow!” Terecito blinked in surprise at the Buddha statue, surrounded by offerings of flowers and food. It was really pretty, he thought, and it did look very peaceful and serene. No wonder Takuya had come in here.
“That looks like you, when you sit and meditate,” Terecito came and sat beside his friend, who looked gently amused. “You know, a little raincloud over his head could only have done that jerk good.”
“Oniisan, thank you for defending me,” Takuya said quietly and honestly, because he really was touched by his friend’s gesture.
“C’mon, you know I always would,” Terecito pointed out. “But, what was the guy’s problem, anyway? Do you know him?”
“Yes. His name is Ryouichi. We were in school together,” Takuya explained. “You see, when I was very young, I felt something bad inside one of the little girls I was playing with… much like how I can now feel when someone on the team is hurt or wounded. Back then, I did not know I could do such a thing, I just knew whatever it was felt bad, and I told her about it. It scared her, of course, and she and the other kids chased me off. A couple days later, her appendix ruptured and she had to be rushed to the hospital in Niigata. Thankfully, she recovered. But after that, the rumor spread that I was the one who had made her sick, and a lot of the children I grew up with always believed that.”
“That’s awful.” Terecito hated hearing that anyone could think something like that about someone as kind as Takuya. “You don’t do things like that. You’re an empath, you just felt that there was something wrong.”
“They were just children, Oniisan. They did not understand,” Takuya replied simply, gazing at the Buddha.
After a moment of recentering, Takuya roused himself and smiled at Terecito. “Come, I would like to play in the Zen garden, ne?”
The garden was an area of white sand, with another of those neat bonsai tree thingys in the middle of it. Takuya explained to Terecito how raking the sand into various patterns was a meditative activity meant to focus one’s mind.
While he was doing that, Terecito noticed Kairi sitting nearby and shyly went over to join her in watching Takuya work in the garden.
“Are you enjoying the Temple, Terecito-kun?” she asked.
“I was, but…” Terecito told her about the incident with Ryouichi, even though it made him feel a little uncomfortable to do so, like he was complaining or something. And he supposed he was, but he just didn’t like it and though he sort of admired Takuya for being able to let it go, it still bothered him.
“Aa,” Kairi nodded affirmatively. “Yes, I remember when that happened. Takuya was six years old, and I had to explain to many people in the village that he was a mutant, and that he had not done anything to make that little girl sick. Unfortunately, people remember things like that for a long time.” She smiled at Ter. “Thank you for standing up for him, Terecito-kun, because I know he would not do so for himself.”
“Well, sure I’m gonna stand up for him. He’s my friend and… you know… my brother,” he replied, timidly, hoping she wouldn’t be offended that he was claiming her son as his brother.
“Oh,” she responded with a knowing tone. Over the course of many emails to the family, Takuya had described his friendship with Terecito and had explained that he considered the storm defender a brother, so she knew of the close bond between them. And she was grateful for it, because that meant Takuya wasn’t alone in Paragon City. “If he is your brother, than does that make you my son?”
“Uh…” Terecito stammered with embarrassment. “Well… uhm…”
“The answer to that is yes, Terecito-kun,” Kairi assured him fondly. “I know you have been a very good friend to Takuya-chan, and I am very grateful for that. We are so glad that you came with him to visit us, we see you as family, and I hope that you will consider us family as well.” She smiled warmly. “It is a good thing to have another son.”
“Yes… yes, thank you…” Terecito was touched by her kind words, by her intimation that she was his mother, and by the assurance that she considered him family. He felt warm and happy and so grateful inside, that he couldn’t even talk for a bit.
After spending a little more time at the Temple, the whole family headed down into the village. Kairi and Naraku wanted to stop at the store and head for home, but the three boys planned to go eat and poke around the village some more.
First, Takuya wanted to take Terecito to the onsen - the hot spring - for a bit of relaxing. In the little bathhouse, they showered off, and then headed outside to the steamy warmth of the hot spring itself.
It felt good against the slight coolness of the spring air, and both young men enjoyed a few minutes to just relax. Terecito was happy, feeling loved thanks to what Kairi had said, and his feelings bled into Takuya, who picked up on it empathically, and thus shared the good feeling.
“It’s great here,” Terecito decided. “It’s pretty, I like not having to worry about running into trouble all the time, and your family is awesome. I guess maybe not everything is perfect,” he said, remembering the man at the Temple’s meanness, “but you’re lucky to have grown up here.”
“Yes,” Takuya agreed contentedly. “It is a good place to be.”
To Part Two