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runicloreThe Phoenix Spreads His Wings
Author: Amber Michelle
Rating: K
Genre: gen
Warnings: n/a
AU/Canon: canon.
Pairing/Characters: Kouyuu, Yuri
Words: 1119
Summary: Kouyuu isn't as ready for his new position as he thought.
Prompt: memories
Notes: There's an entire story that should happen before this, but it got too complicated. :P Vague spoilers for v.13, but not really.
...............................................
Kouyuu thought at first he was ready for the new year. His probation period was over and the Prime Minister had hired him as an assistant, which was more than his opponents - or Reishin's - thought he deserved, no doubt. In spite of the increased work load created by the vacancies in Civil Administration, he wasn't working nearly as hard as he had in his father's office, nor were his hours as long unless they were preparing for a full court session.
Then Uncle Kurou sent his letter about the situation in the province, and Kouyuu was forced to make up his mind about that matter they talked over a year ago. He didn't think he would regret his response. He'd dwelled on it for months, on the matter of names more than clan ranking, on what Reishin wanted. How was it so difficult, when Kouyuu had worked by his side for six years and knew exactly how he would respond to everyone else in the world aside from himself?
Reishin's edict arrived the day before. Kouyuu sat at the table in his room and traced the calligraphy without actually reading it, following it down to the clan seal, embellished with its luminescent paint, and the seal of the governor and his aide below. Outside the sky was lightening from navy to pale gray.
His candle guttered, and the jumping shadows snapped Kouyuu out of his contemplation. He folded the letter in its envelope, tucked it behind his sash, and left the pavilion with a lamp. The mist hadn't burned off yet, so the walkways between the outbuildings and the main hall of the manor veiled in a thin, moist sheen of white just opaque enough to hide his landmarks if he didn't look carefully. He had to get to court early to do this inconspicuously, and with the way they kept moving departments around it would take at least an hour to get to the emperor's study.
"Kouyuu?"
He jumped and straightened from his examination of a mark on a pillar (was it pointing right or left? He should have made it clearer) and spun around. "Wha-- Yuri." Kouyuu let out his breath. "Is there something you need?"
"You're not ready to leave already, are you?" She looked like a ghost in her layers of white robes, with her hair still loose and flowing freely to catch the lamplight. "Not that way."
Kouyuu blinked. "I always dress like this."
"No." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the walkway. "Not anymore. You," she called to a servant across the courtyard. "Quickly, bring the Layered Plum robes to Kouyuu's chamber."
"Wait a minute--"
"You're in a hurry, aren't you?" Yuri said over her shoulder. "No complaints. It'll slow you down."
But I'd be out already if you--. They were already back at his room, so Kouyuu swallowed his protest and followed her back inside. Should've left earlier. Maybe he should have gone to the palace last night and slept in the bushes. "It's just morning court. I don't need anything fancy."
"You do with this," Yuri said, plucking the letter from his sash. "From now on, you have to look the part, Kouyuu. Image will be especially important for you. Now undress. Did he give you any instructions?"
In the drawer, he mumbled, yanking at his sash, pulling his outer robe off and tossing it onto the bed. He sat on the edge and watched her rifle through his papers until she found it, the other envelope resting by the lamp. The Kou crest was stamped on the front, unembellished.
"If you swear fealty to that brat again," she read, "there will be hell to pay." Yuri frowned, turned the letter over, and looked through the drawer again.
"That's it," he said.
"Typical," she muttered.
They were interrupted by a knock. Yuri relieved the servant of his bundle and shooed him away, nudging the door closed with her foot. Here, she said, pulling a thin white robe from the stack and throwing it to him. He stared at it for a minute before pulling it on and securing the belt. The ruffled sleeves kept getting in his way, falling over the knot or getting caught in the loops. No wonder Reishin always had someone on hand to help him dress.
"How am I supposed to write in this?" he asked, turning to Yuri and holding his arms up. "I'm going to get ink all over these."
"Watch the emperor." She held the dark crimson robe up by the shoulder seams, and he stuck his arms into the sleeves with a heavy sigh. "And stop complaining," she said. "Reishin managed it, your Ran friend managed it - you've just been stubborn all these years. Here, hold it closed."
Kouyuu shook the sleeves out of the way, glad she was here to do the rest. "Doesn't this belong to Lord Reishin?" The collar was a deep maroon, embroidered with golden plum blossoms and stylized leaves, and the sleeves were bordered the same way. He ran his finger over the stitching, and said more quietly, "I remember when he commissioned this."
Eight years ago. He remembered seeing Reishin wear this eight years ago, on the afternoon Kouyuu received his first assignment as an official after a month of running errands and doing petty chores for the nobles of the inner court. His father, Lord Kijin, Lord Shouka, and even Kei Yuuri were there to escort him to the archives after the ceremony, full of congratulations - except for Reishin, who smiled behind his fan when he thought Kouyuu wasn't looking. The scent of cherry blossoms lingered in the folds.
"That was the only time he wore it," Yuri said when he mentioned it. "He prefers the one you gave him for formal occasions."
"The one with the gold trim," he said after a pause, lifting his arms so she could wrap the last layer around his waist - a dark, reddish purple the color of plums, tied with a rose sash.
Yuri stepped back. "Better," she said, thinning her lips. "Much better than plain red would be, with your shade of hair. You'll have to wear it for the New Year's ceremony, but for now--"
"Wait, what? Isn't he going to--?" She shook her head. Kouyuu sat on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. "Great."
Yuri sat beside him and offered the letter with the clan seal. "You're next in line. It's your duty to perform these tasks when the clan head isn't able to." She leaned over and kissed his temple. "Get to it, Kouyuu. You have an edict to deliver to the emperor."
....................................................
Author: Amber Michelle
Rating: K
Genre: gen
Warnings: n/a
AU/Canon: canon.
Pairing/Characters: Kouyuu, Yuri
Words: 1119
Summary: Kouyuu isn't as ready for his new position as he thought.
Prompt: memories
Notes: There's an entire story that should happen before this, but it got too complicated. :P Vague spoilers for v.13, but not really.
...............................................
Kouyuu thought at first he was ready for the new year. His probation period was over and the Prime Minister had hired him as an assistant, which was more than his opponents - or Reishin's - thought he deserved, no doubt. In spite of the increased work load created by the vacancies in Civil Administration, he wasn't working nearly as hard as he had in his father's office, nor were his hours as long unless they were preparing for a full court session.
Then Uncle Kurou sent his letter about the situation in the province, and Kouyuu was forced to make up his mind about that matter they talked over a year ago. He didn't think he would regret his response. He'd dwelled on it for months, on the matter of names more than clan ranking, on what Reishin wanted. How was it so difficult, when Kouyuu had worked by his side for six years and knew exactly how he would respond to everyone else in the world aside from himself?
Reishin's edict arrived the day before. Kouyuu sat at the table in his room and traced the calligraphy without actually reading it, following it down to the clan seal, embellished with its luminescent paint, and the seal of the governor and his aide below. Outside the sky was lightening from navy to pale gray.
His candle guttered, and the jumping shadows snapped Kouyuu out of his contemplation. He folded the letter in its envelope, tucked it behind his sash, and left the pavilion with a lamp. The mist hadn't burned off yet, so the walkways between the outbuildings and the main hall of the manor veiled in a thin, moist sheen of white just opaque enough to hide his landmarks if he didn't look carefully. He had to get to court early to do this inconspicuously, and with the way they kept moving departments around it would take at least an hour to get to the emperor's study.
"Kouyuu?"
He jumped and straightened from his examination of a mark on a pillar (was it pointing right or left? He should have made it clearer) and spun around. "Wha-- Yuri." Kouyuu let out his breath. "Is there something you need?"
"You're not ready to leave already, are you?" She looked like a ghost in her layers of white robes, with her hair still loose and flowing freely to catch the lamplight. "Not that way."
Kouyuu blinked. "I always dress like this."
"No." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the walkway. "Not anymore. You," she called to a servant across the courtyard. "Quickly, bring the Layered Plum robes to Kouyuu's chamber."
"Wait a minute--"
"You're in a hurry, aren't you?" Yuri said over her shoulder. "No complaints. It'll slow you down."
But I'd be out already if you--. They were already back at his room, so Kouyuu swallowed his protest and followed her back inside. Should've left earlier. Maybe he should have gone to the palace last night and slept in the bushes. "It's just morning court. I don't need anything fancy."
"You do with this," Yuri said, plucking the letter from his sash. "From now on, you have to look the part, Kouyuu. Image will be especially important for you. Now undress. Did he give you any instructions?"
In the drawer, he mumbled, yanking at his sash, pulling his outer robe off and tossing it onto the bed. He sat on the edge and watched her rifle through his papers until she found it, the other envelope resting by the lamp. The Kou crest was stamped on the front, unembellished.
"If you swear fealty to that brat again," she read, "there will be hell to pay." Yuri frowned, turned the letter over, and looked through the drawer again.
"That's it," he said.
"Typical," she muttered.
They were interrupted by a knock. Yuri relieved the servant of his bundle and shooed him away, nudging the door closed with her foot. Here, she said, pulling a thin white robe from the stack and throwing it to him. He stared at it for a minute before pulling it on and securing the belt. The ruffled sleeves kept getting in his way, falling over the knot or getting caught in the loops. No wonder Reishin always had someone on hand to help him dress.
"How am I supposed to write in this?" he asked, turning to Yuri and holding his arms up. "I'm going to get ink all over these."
"Watch the emperor." She held the dark crimson robe up by the shoulder seams, and he stuck his arms into the sleeves with a heavy sigh. "And stop complaining," she said. "Reishin managed it, your Ran friend managed it - you've just been stubborn all these years. Here, hold it closed."
Kouyuu shook the sleeves out of the way, glad she was here to do the rest. "Doesn't this belong to Lord Reishin?" The collar was a deep maroon, embroidered with golden plum blossoms and stylized leaves, and the sleeves were bordered the same way. He ran his finger over the stitching, and said more quietly, "I remember when he commissioned this."
Eight years ago. He remembered seeing Reishin wear this eight years ago, on the afternoon Kouyuu received his first assignment as an official after a month of running errands and doing petty chores for the nobles of the inner court. His father, Lord Kijin, Lord Shouka, and even Kei Yuuri were there to escort him to the archives after the ceremony, full of congratulations - except for Reishin, who smiled behind his fan when he thought Kouyuu wasn't looking. The scent of cherry blossoms lingered in the folds.
"That was the only time he wore it," Yuri said when he mentioned it. "He prefers the one you gave him for formal occasions."
"The one with the gold trim," he said after a pause, lifting his arms so she could wrap the last layer around his waist - a dark, reddish purple the color of plums, tied with a rose sash.
Yuri stepped back. "Better," she said, thinning her lips. "Much better than plain red would be, with your shade of hair. You'll have to wear it for the New Year's ceremony, but for now--"
"Wait, what? Isn't he going to--?" She shook her head. Kouyuu sat on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. "Great."
Yuri sat beside him and offered the letter with the clan seal. "You're next in line. It's your duty to perform these tasks when the clan head isn't able to." She leaned over and kissed his temple. "Get to it, Kouyuu. You have an edict to deliver to the emperor."
....................................................