Re: Going through Gemia - 119 4A

[Nara-pyon]

"You ... you have children?" Gerald asked, stunned.

Earendil smiled. "I know it seems odd to you, but yes. Lin is my wife, and we have two children. They are both adopted, but that's beside the point, I think."

He nodded towards the door that led to the hall of bedrooms. "Holly and Rose are in with our daughter, Miyuki, right now. Perhaps you would like to meet her - if you do agree to allow your daughter to come with us, the three of them will likely end up spending quite a bit of time together."

[Kara Winters]

Lin nodded at this, "Miyuki has been having a lot of fun getting to know them. It helps that they are closest in age to her, and probably a bit in personality..."

While Daenis was close to age to Miyuki, the two were quite different. What with Daenis trying to get a handle on this new life of hers. The two spent time together, but Lin did have to agree that Rose and Holly seemed like a better fit.

[Nara-pyon]

Gerald and Christine looked towards the door Earendil had indicated - visible really only because of how Cael had painted it to be different from the walls - and then looked at each other again.

"Go ahead," Daenis urged them from where she was enjoying a cookie on the other side of the table. She was smiling warmly at them. "We do not mind people visiting our sleeping rooms. Besides, then you can see how Holly - and possibly your daughter - will be living."

[Kara Winters]

"They're probably at the very end of the hallway," Lin added helpfully, "Miyuki is the one who adds the rooms, and she's always eager to provide someone with a room. She's probably pestering Holly for details on how she would like things arranged."

Lin knew that Holly's room was already made, Miyuki was so use to this that the kitsune could do it in her sleep. Miyuki really did enjoy helping people make their rooms a home. It helped that Holly knew how to sew things other than clothes. The last she heard, Holly was muttering about quilt designs.

[Nara-pyon]

Still Christine and Gerald looked hesitant, and Earendil chuckled softly.

"I think perhaps we should escort them," he suggested to Lin.

"I would feel much better if you did," Christine admitted sheepishly. She lowered her now-empty wineglass to the table. "I'm afraid we're not accustomed to simply wandering around peoples' ... homes."

She said the last word as if she still couldn't quite believe her eyes.

[Kara Winters]

"Fair enough," Lin agreed.

Now that she thought about it, all the places she had wandered around in as a child would be places she kind of called home. Even the palace, despite not living there very often. Getting up from the table, led the way by opening the screen door.

[Nara-pyon]

Christine and Gerald followed after Lin, and Earendil took up the rear - more for something to do than anything else. It wasn't as if he didn't trust them.

Rose was with Holly at the moment in Holly's new room, helping her think about what furniture she would need and how to arrange it. At the same time, she was also - secretly - planning her own room. She'd never had her own room before, nor had she had any say in how her room would be decorated or arranged. She was excited - even though she knew they still had to convince her parents to let her go.

[Kara Winters]

Lin led them down the hallway, pointing out the rooms of those who were present. Some of those doors were opened since everyone knew each other and some weren't even inside their rooms. If Lin had the experience, she would have likened it to a college dorm.

At the end of the hallway was Holly's room, and Holly was wondering if she could maybe move some of her furniture from home into it. Though, that would gain a lot of attention in her opinion, and she didn't want to gain a lot of attention.

"It's been a while since I've made a quilt," Holly told Miyuki, "But I think that would be a fun project to do, and I think Iorlas would like learning it too. Even though it's not clothes based, a lot of the skills needed can be found in quilting..."

[Nara-pyon]

"Especially with as many people as are living here," Rose added, a bit envious of her friend's skill. She would have no trouble helping people out here, but Rose herself would have little if anything to contribute.

She turned to Miyuki and asked curiously, "Where did all of your furniture come from? I mean, if you've had people joining your group as you've been traveling, surely you didn't start with everything that you have."

[Kara Winters]

"Uncle Dareon is good at carving wood, he has carved all the furniture over time," Miyuki explained, "The lack of furniture is actually why nearly everyone has futons. We didn't have furniture, but at the very least we could commission very quickly large stuffed futon mattresses for beds, which is a traditional sleeping arrangement from a country called Japan."

Holly was amused because she noticed how Eastern the design of the inside of the tent was, despite the fact the furniture was very Western.

"And the sliding doors and paper walls?" Holly asked.
"Completely inspired by my Uncle Triton's living arrangements, and I figured it was the easiest way to add doors if needed," Miyuki admitted.

[Nara-pyon]

"It's all very ingenious," Rose murmured in admiration, looking around again.

She looked up as Earendil knocked at the door frame and poked his head inside. "Visitors," he smiled, ushering Rose's parents into the room.

It was hard to say who looked more shocked upon seeing Miyuki and her many tails: Gerald or Christine; yet once again, it was Christine who recovered first.

"You must be Miyuki," she said, nodding at the kitsune.

[Kara Winters]

Miyuki gave a light bow and smiled warmly, "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you."

She noticed they were quite shocked, but really it could be any number of things. The way the rooms were laid out, the fact she was a fox person, or maybe even something they saw on the way here. There were so many things that seemed to surprised people.

"Gerald, Christine," Holly smiled, "I'm glad you came to visit. Miyuki was just showing me my room."

[Nara-pyon]

Gerald looked around and grunted, "Not much to look at, is it?"

"Hush, Papa," Rose frowned. "It was only just made, of course it's not finished yet! Holly and Miyuki were just discussing what they were going to put in it. And Holly will have the chance to decorate it the way she likes!"

She wanted to add that she would also have that ability if they let her go with as well, but she didn't want to push things like she had the night before.

[Kara Winters]

Miyuki wasn't at all put off by it, and sort of understood the feeling. After all, since they were all traveling and living under one roof, one's room became one's own personal home.

"I just finished making this room last night," Miyuki explained, "I'm not sure if anyone else's doors were open on the way down, but if you'd like, I can show you my room. It might give an idea of what can be done with enough time."

[Nara-pyon]

"You might want to show Mailon and Daenis' room, or Mirania and Lamruil's tree as well," Earendil suggested, his eyes sparkling, "so that they can see just how customized a room can be."

It never tired him, showing off his daughter's skills. Sure, the tree had been more Lancaeriel than Miyuki, but Miyuki had done Mailon and Daenis' snowy room for them. And most of the rest of the tent, for that matter.

[Kara Winters]

Miyuki chuckled at this, "Good point, once we start heading north again, it would be nice to know we could probably make the room warmer."

She paused and thought about it for a moment.

"I never bothered to temperature control the rest of the tent, which is probably just as well. We come from all over, our idea of the ideal temperature would vary too much."

However she thought that maybe doing it for individual rooms, not just ones who required extreme temperatures might be preferable. Who knew who was going to move into which room. True... Miyuki could take down the rooms once they were no longer needed, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if she'd want to.

"Temperature control?" Holly asked, she was clearly amused.

Probably because it sounded so Gaian. Miyuki confirmed this by adding.

"When I began making ideas for improving the tent, I pretty much took ideas from my childhood," Miyuki explained, "I had, when I was really little, visited my grandparents on the clan grounds. Ah.. that was like this tent, only it was a compound spread across a large area of land."

[Nara-pyon]

"Miyuki, you might find it easier to explain this to Gerald and Christine by simply showing them what you mean," Earendil chuckled softly, looking at the expressions on the humans' faces. "But on that note, I'm going to leave them with you and go back to having some snacks with your mother."

He turned to leave, then added, "Though I might send Kyrie here, if I see her. She's the one Gerald and Christine will probably really need to talk to."

Then, with one last pointed look, he headed back down the hallway.

Gerald and Christine exchanged a glance, then looked at Miyuki. "Kyrie?" Christine asked softly.

[Kara Winters]

Lin followed Earendil back to the kitchen, trusting that Miyuki would do well. It also just seemed to be hard to put Miyuki off at times, which helped.

"Kyrie is our guide through the countries on this continent," Miyuki explained softly.

There was seriousness to the kitsune that was rarely seen, but this topic was more serious than most she had to deal with.

Miyuki motioned for them to follow so she could show them the other rooms, "I know we make it sound like traveling is no big deal, and it is the norm for many of us, but there's no denying that it can be dangerous at times. Kyrie was asked to be our guide, she has been through all these countries, and knows the safest way for us to travel without being in danger. As such, she's the person you'd need to talk to if you're worried about safety in traveling."

[Nara-pyon]

Rose stayed with Holly while her parents followed Miyuki down the hallway once more.

"What kind of dangers have you been through already?" Gerald asked, equally serious. "I couldn't help but notice your father's face - was that from traveling?"

It was hard to miss Earendil's scars. They did cover half of his face, after all, and the pattern of lines looked almost like war paint - or might, if it were paint and not scars.

[Kara Winters]

"That was more from helping..." Miyuki admitted, "We had offered our help to a country that had been taken over by a tyrant and my father had been captured during a watch."

Though she had imagined the same would have happened if they were traveling through as well, not that Kyrie would have let them (probably).

"He... the tyrant was a bit crazy, and crude," the kitsune wrinkled her nose at the memory, "But with him gone the country can now grow into it's own. I do hope all the men forced away from their families have been able to return home now."

She opened the door to her room and lit up the lights. Miyuki had messed around the lights for her room. Taking more cues from Eastern Gaia, she had (with the help of her Uncle Dareon) made paper lanterns which housed the lights. It made the light that glowed bright from the orbs, less harsh.

"This is my room..."

Miyuki still had a futon, which had a fluffy purple quilted blanket on top. She preferred this sort of bed, as she could meditate on it. There was a folding paper screen in front of the bed, that was folded back for now. It provided extra privacy in case anyone needed to come into her room during the night. All of this in a corner of the room.

In the middle of her room was a small low table with pillows set around it instead of chairs. It was where Miyuki took meals in the rare case she wasn't eating with everyone else. It was rare, though it wasn't uncommon for her to take tea alone when she needed peace.

There was a drawer set with some old childhood toys on top, and a smaller cabinet where Miyuki kept tea accessories. In another corner of the room a proper scribe's desk complete with a proper chair. The desk had it's own shelving for Miyuki to store away her papers, scrolls, fountain pens, quills and even writing brushes. She had both ink wells and ink sticks.

[Nara-pyon]

For all they had already seen, Gerald and Christine were very impressed with Miyuki's bedroom. It was complete, homey, looked inviting and comfortable, and showed Miyuki's personality without anyone needing to say anything.

"This is incredible," Christine breathed at last, her tone filled with awe.

[Kara Winters]

"Thank you," Miyuki smiled, "We've been traveling for a few years already so I've had a lot of time to collect things. My Uncle Dareon does woodwork, all of the furniture pieces are from him. Aunt Iorlas made the blanket, and everything else are things I've collected since I was little."

Since she had been on the road since she was a baby. So her childhood toys had stayed with her.

[Nara-pyon]

Both of them kept looking around, taking everything in at their own pace, until Christine finally asked, "How different are the other rooms?"

There had been at least one other room recommended for them to see, but she couldn't remember the names of the people it belonged to, or what was different about it. She had to admit, though, after seeing Miyuki's room, that she was curious.

[Kara Winters]

"They can be quite different, I think ada suggested to show you Malion and Daenis' room," Miyuki replied.

As she motioned for the two to follow her again, she explained.

"From the very beginning the encouragement has been for everyone to make their rooms their own, since we would be traveling for many years. When you live with a lot of different people under one roof, it's nice to have a place to call your own, even if it's just a room."

They all got along just fine, but they all also wanted to just have time to themselves away from others.

[Nara-pyon]

"So privacy is not an issue," Gerald said cautiously, and though it was a statement, it was also clearly a question.

It was something that would be important if they were even going to consider allowing Rose to go with the group. And he had to be honest with himself: that was the entire reason he and his wife had come today, to see if they might actually let Rose travel with them. He would be the first to admit that he was already feeling quite a bit better about letting her go ... at least, about the travel part of it.

The rest, well, that would take quite a bit more convincing.

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