Lost

[misono_soup]

"Genuemon?" Misono poked around on deck, looking for her family. She found him chatting animatedly with strangers in a language she didn't know. She looked down at the picnic basket in her hands. She'd snuck in to the kitchens and charmed the cooks into giving her a lunch for two...but she knew her family and she knew he wouldn't want to leave

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[faysounds]

"I used to watch palm reading, before it was considered witchery before witchery was considered evil. The gypsies would come in and everybody would gather to watch for as long as they stayed. Even though most grandmothers could palm read the mothers went to the gypsies instead. Sometimes some of the kids would try to sneak off with them when they left and everybody went into a panic over it."

Kazunari shook himself and laid down on the deck next to Misono. He curled on his side and propped his head on one arm. "The gypsies had a lot of stories," he added, half in apology for rambling. "Sometimes they made them up on the spot. They were good at that. They were good at entertaining." He paused. "They were also good at stealing."

[misono_soup]

Misono didn't know what gypsies were. But she liked the sound of them. "I like gypsies," she said cheerfully. "They shake things up and that's nice sometimes." Always being shaken up, that wasn't, but a little bit of panic and clamor over where littlest sister was or where little brother had sneaked away to, that was fun. "And I like stories. Japan has a lot of--well, that's not true. Japan has some stories, like Noh, and they tell them over and over and over. But otherwise there are the creation stories and the Gods and everybody today thinks they're just stories." She pulled a face. "Bean-washer ghosts exist!"

If Kazunari rambled, at all, ever, Misono would never have noticed. "I like stories. Do you? Did you like their stories? Can you make them up? I'm not good at that part." She rolled on to her side and beamed at Kazunari. "But I have stories from stuff I did. Not too much stealing. Just bride-stealing. That's always, always fun. Stealing is a good skill." It wasn't the nicest, but it was certainly useful.

[faysounds]

"I have stories, I guess, if memories are stories," Kazunari hummed. "But I don't know if they're good as stories. I can't make stories up, I don't think. I'd get all confused and start qualifying everything fake with things that really happened."

He rolled onto his back and looked up at the mostly cloudless sky. The sun wasn't really overhead anymore, but it wasn't really sinking. "I used to steal a lot, but I never kept anything. Sometimes I'd put everything I took in other places and watch the owners try to find it. It was good practice in tracking. Sometimes I'd just get what my favorite wanted and give it to them."

He'd known it was bad, but he hadn't cared at all then. He didn't really care now - they were just things. He hadn't stolen anything in a long time, anyway, and he had a much more important question.

"Why do your ghosts wash beans?"

[misono_soup]

Memories were not the same as made up stories--they were real, but sometimes they did make for good stories to tell other people. Misono was pretty sure that's really where the store of MomoTaro had come from. "That's what I do, when I try to make up stories," she said companionably. She rolled over and nudged her face against Kazunari's arm

[faysounds]

Kazunari blinked, startled to find Misono's face against his arm. He flushed dimly and caught his bottom lip between his teeth, keeping them from pulling up into a smile. It had been a long time since he'd let anyone - human or otherwise - so close. It was nice. But he didn't want Misono to think it was too nice. That would ruin the niceness.

"Humans are fun when they're trying to find something and it's not where it's supposed to be," he agreed. "I did it to the Caesar's crown once. He was late to his meetings because of it, and he was furious until he realized it was me. Then he was furious but couldn't help laughing so I spent the rest of the day helping him get away from state affairs to make up for it

[misono_soup]

"I don't know him or his crown but its nice that you could laugh together! That's almost the best part of having people!" It was her favorite part, next to being cossetted and snuggled. "And you have a nice laugh, you know." She liked that a lot, too

[faysounds]

"He didn't get to laugh much. Things were not going so well for the empire, then, so there wasn't a whole lot to laugh about. It was a small thing I could do. I don't remember if it got better after that. It didn't for the empire, but I don't remember if it was okay for him

[misono_soup]

"Oh. I know what that's like. Hidehito, when he became emperor, things got bad. It wasn't easy for him, even with me nearby to bolster him up sometimes." He hadn't been family, but she'd liked him and had spent part of his younger years with him. "It's good that you were there. Even if it didn't end well for him. It didn't for Hidehito."

Eh. That was the past. "That's over, though. We're going to a new life, so we shouldn't focus on it." The sky was so blue. It'd be really nice if the ship wasn't swaying. "Like the ghosts--in Japan, there are lots of ghosts and spirits and people who aren't human. There are eight million gods in Japan." She wrinkled her nose. "And things that turn alive after a hundred years of use."

Ahhh! "They do come back. They're not...the same. But there's something at the core that's the same. Like, my 'niichan Koetsu was an artist--he wrote beautiful words--and one day I heard a song and it wasn't the same but I knew that my 'niichan had come back and had written that song." Some part of

[faysounds]

"Really?" Kazunari asked. He sat up, eyes widening. Objects coming to life with use! Amazing! "They wind up alive? Like-a-person alive? Have you seen them? Do they talk?" How fun! He wanted to see one!

He smiled shyly and ducked his head to hide it, taking his whole body with the motion and winding up on his stomach. His arms propped his torso and his wings fluttered thoughtfully. "Maybe some day I'll see Marie, then. But I won't go looking, either." He nodded to himself firmly. Then he looked over at Misono. "Thank you. For today."

[misono_soup]

"They do come alive! But not like people, even if they do talk and move. They're not like animals, either. You can't talk to them or reason with them. Sandals just run around and chant about geta and teacups usually just smile at you and hum. I kind of like it when the daikon grater turns alive--they giggle and run away when you try to use them but will watch the soup so it doesn't burn." She smiled wistfully. "It's been a long time since then, since I've seen something gain a soul. Things aren't used for as long today and...I think they don't like electricity very much

[faysounds]

"I want to see one!" Kazunari declared. They sounded so much fun! And they could freak out humans without him even having to do anything. He could just watch from a window!

Only he didn't have any humans to watch anymore. And setting a pair of shoes loose on a ship could be super funny, but it could seriously delay their trip. Kazunari didn't think he wanted to be on a boat any longer than he absolutely had to be. (Really, if it came to it, he'd make the water push them along faster just to get off the thing.)

He settled on his elbows and smiled faintly. "I like that," he said. "The thread of fate. Maybe we have gold threads. I think those suit us better. They'd be sparkly." He looked over at Misono, leaning on one elbow and sticking out the pinky of his free hand. He hooked their pinkies. "I don't have a real gold thread, but this will last until I can find one. It might take a while. A long, long while."

He didn't think he'd be able to leave Misono alone now.

[misono_soup]

"It's been a while," Misono said, giggling under her breath. "But it's funny. Lately it's been a surprise to everybody--it's like people forgot it happens." It had been a while, it really had. "But I can keep my own things and when they go, I'll let you know! I don't have much with me, though. I left a lot behind to come with Genuemon." She tapped her lips. "I have a comb that'll go in about eighty years, I think. Unless electric lights are part of the problem. But I think I'd cancel that out." She'd have to wait and see. "But I'll let you know, for sure!

And she would, truly, because they were tied. "Gold threads," she agreed, hooking her little finger even more tightly with his. "Because we'll last longer than threads or ribbons." They'd last forever. "I'll wait until you find one, a real gold thread." She beamed at him. "Not a strand of gold, a thread that's been spun!" Because that would take longer. She giggled. "I said that because I want to keep you!"

[faysounds]

"80 years. Got it. You have to tell me when it happens. I want to see... whatever it is that animated combs do."

Kazunari flushed dimly even as he laughed. Only a handful of people had ever said anything about keeping him over the many years. None had said it like Misono. He left their fingers hooked and slid down to rest his head on his arm.

"A thread that's been spun from gold. That's something I can't do and there aren't anymore Rumpelstiltskin-types running around. None that I've met, at least. They might be able to do that for you. But now it's gonna take a long, long, long time."

[misono_soup]

"Totally will!" Misono promised. She wasn't sure what combs did, either. She hoped it was something exciting. "And I don't know who Rumple--whoever is but if you find him, you can ask about thread. Otherwise, we'll just be together!" And that was the best thing--being together. She watched Kazunari flush and settle down.

His wings were lovely in the sunlight, he seemed brighter in the light than just being in the sunlight could account for. She smiled at the warmth in her little finger, all gold and lovely. "I know we had plans, but I think we should take a tiny nap, first. There's time to do everything a little later, right?"

[faysounds]

Kazunari nodded and curled his legs a little towards his chest. The sun was warm around him. The air was fresh and quiet and the sounds of the sea were gentle against the boat. They weren't even rocking so badly anymore - or maybe he'd just gotten used to it, or maybe even being up and outside had helped to where it didn't matter.

He left his finger hooked into Misono's. His wings descended to the deck and he sighed softly.

"A nap sounds good. We have all the time in the trip and then some for everything else."

[misono_soup]

"And then some," Misono repeated. She closed her eyes felt her smile go soft. "I like the way you said that." She turned fully, curling up beside him. "Kazunari is my 'and then some' friend," she decided. Her friend of spun golden thread and time and sunlight and fun and magic and then some. She felt herself drifting off. They could do everything else in just a little while.