【 九 】 ａｎｄ ｗｈｉｓｐｅｒｉｎｇ ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ ｏｆ ｈｏｍｅ

[politerudeness]

[ How have you been lately, Maaayfieeeeeeld?... Okay, with that out of the way- if you're looking for Japan, recently he could be found at the following places; ]

A. [ In the park! Japan can be found with the cute little black and white cat that Hong Kong gave him as a present! One who still didn't get a name. You may stumble upon him when he's

Comments

[mothersandsuns]

[ Ammy was just going for a walk in the park; she didn't expect to find a cat! She whines apologetically. She knows she's supposed to feed it fish, but she doesn't have any. ]

1/2

[politerudeness]

[ frantically running up to! ] K-kitty-kun--

[politerudeness]

Ah.

[ staaaares at. ]

[mothersandsuns]

[ tilts her head up to look thoughtfully at Japan. Hey, she knows you, doesn't she?

Ammy lifts a paw curiously, reaching for Japan. Come closer? ]

[politerudeness]

[ He feels as though he knows you too, sort of. He is Japan, after all. Today, the spiritual belief among the Japanese isn't as strong as it used to be, but it still definitely exists, stronger in some places and weaker in others. And since Japan is his people, and his people are him, he reflects of that. (He probably also faintly remembers her from this game he once played...)

Anyway- this means that, although not very clearly, he can vaguely see the familiar-looking red markings on her- the ones the original goddess Amaterasu has always been drawn and painted with- and even though the cat turns away from her and walks over towards his owner slowly, Japan himself isn't hostile (and since the wolf herself doesn't seem to be, either) and carefully, a bit slowly, he approaches. ]

[mothersandsuns]

[ Amaterasu looks intently up at Japan as he steps closer. She can't quite pinpoint why, but he smells like...not home exactly, not the Celestial Plain, but another place that became like home to her. He smells like Nippon in a way that other people here don't.

She feels...a little homesick.

So she trots over the remaining distance between them and jumps up to lick Japan's hand. ]

[politerudeness]

Ah- [ And he allows her. So affectionate... he thinks out loud for a moment. ] These marks... hmm... they cannot be simply my imagination, can they?

[mothersandsuns]

[ So he can see them! Amaterasu barks cheerfully up at him. And then...well, she got the Celestial Brush back, didn't she?

She turns to face a tree, bare from the winter and the cold, and concentrates. A moment later, it abruptly springs into bright bloom.

Nope! Not your imagination! ]

[politerudeness]

[ for a moment Japan just stares at the tree in surprise, and maybe even shock, then back at Amaterasu. ]

Ah... this certainly is not a mere wolf. No, not at all. I wonder, what do you think, Kitty-kun? [ he glances as the cat, not really expecting a proper answer, though the cat does respond with something like a suspicious glance at the wolf. Japan shakes his head with a faint smile. ]

It truly takes a while for you to adjust to others... ah, well, I suppose there is nothing to be done about that. [ he turns back to Amaterasu and extends his hand. If she allows him, he will pet her, very gently and very carefully. ]

[mothersandsuns]

[ Soon enough, the blossoms will wilt again in the cold, fall to the ground, and be covered in snow. It's the natural way of things, and it doesn't bother Amaterasu. She was, after all, just showing off.

She looks slightly disappointed that the cat doesn't appear impressed, but hey, Japan is, at least! She turns around, evading his petting for a moment, and lifts her head with a regal little huff. Then, finally, she steps closer and calmly consents to the petting--almost cat-like herself in that regard, but not really, because now her tongue is lolling out happily and she's panting. ]

[politerudeness]

[ And of course it doesn't bother Japan either- he casts the tree a brief glance, before returning to the wolf. Her reaction earns a faint smile out of him, and while it doesn't last particularly long it's there. He moves from her head to the back, as gently as carefully as before. ]