2nd Bath

[whataprettyname]

Who: Chihiro Ogino and YOU!
When: August 22nd
Where: The Garden Library, Kuja's Library, and the shrine
What: Chihiro goes looking for something to read, and thinks on what she finds
Rating: PG-13 for romance talk? Other than that, probably nothing.

The Library
[Chihiro is pacing the floor, a book in hand and held up so close to her face it's amazing that she hasn't walked into or tripped over something yet. A quick glance at the title will confirm that it is one of the most common volumes to be found in this section of the library - a volume of love poetry. It's possible to hear Chihiro reading aloud very quietly as she paces around.]

"...golden horse, you yoked to your shining care your wind-winged sparrows..."

...huh?

[Later, as she goes exploring the library for something a little more interesting and a bit less confusing to read, she comes across one of the bears guarding the shelves. Doing an immediate double-take and ducking back behind the shelf she'd just come out of, Chihiro presses both hands over her mouth and tries not to breathe too loudly.

As long as she holds her breath, it shouldn't be able to see her...]

Kuja's Library
[Now, this is slightly more like it. Chihiro sits wedged between a couple of shelves in the library portion, reading aloud with slightly more certainty without the concepts of Roman love poetry to go over her head.

And what little can be seen of her expression over the top of the book is probably enough to see that she's getting a lot further into this, although not necessarily enjoying it.

"Cast away thy trappings of royalty, and I shall swaddle thou in a gown of pure love! Never again will I part from thee! Pray, my love, make me thy canary to...keep forever in the cage of thy bosom?"

[She lowers the book slightly, frowning, and stands up to search for the place to put it back on the shelf.] Why does everyone in love always talk like that...?

 

Gensokyo Shrine
[All in all, after having become acquainted with the literature apparently commonplace in the gardens, it's a distracted and slightly brooding Chihiro that goes about the business of tending to the shrine. Sweeping and polishing and sweeping some more, and finally rounding it off with a bit of praying at the shrine.]

Comments

@Gensokyo Shrine

[agelessobsession]

[Youmu herself is heading down to the shrine after a hard day's work of mapmaking, but lo, there's a new girl there...! And she's certainly never seen this girl before, not here nor from her home.]

[She approaches slowly, not wanting to surprise her, keeping her white ghost half low.]

Excuse me?

Re: @Gensokyo Shrine

[whataprettyname]

Hm? [Chihiro looks up from her sweeping, before snapping to attention at the sight of an unfamiliar face. A visitor, perhaps? Reimu had invited her to stay, yes, but in the general hustle and bustle of the place, Chihiro hadn't really gotten around to meeting any of the others that called the place.] Um, hello. W-Welcome to Gensokyo Shrine. I don't know where Hakurei-sama is, but I can go and look for her if you need me to.

[agelessobsession]

Hakurei-sama...

[She looks a bit put-off by that.]

You know Reimu? What did she do, push you into doing all her cleaning duties?I swear, she's only good for anything when it's beating up little fairies...

[whataprettyname]

Huh?

[Then, hastily, Chihiro shakes her head, waving her hands for emphasis so that the broom is nearly in danger of concussing someone.] No, she didn't do anything like that! I asked if I could help around here. I like it - it's like what I used to do back home. It's okay, really!

Gensokyo Shrine

[nekomikoreimu]

[When Chihiro is almost done praying, Reimu walks out from inside the shrine, holding a tray of tea and some cookies. She sits nearby and starts to pour herself some. She then waves at Chihiro when finished.]

Re: Gensokyo Shrine

[whataprettyname]

[Chihiro musters up a smile and waves back. Then she stands, dusting herself off.]

Hello, Hakurei-sama. How is everything?

Gensokyo Shrine

[nekomikoreimu]

Pretty good actually. Here, have some tea.

[Reimu tapped the spot next to her, then started to pour a second cup of tea.]

Re: Gensokyo Shrine

[whataprettyname]

[Chihiro obediently trots over, sets the broom against the bench beside her, takes a seat, and finally picks up a cup.]

I've already met some of the people who live here today. They're very interesting. You definitely have a lot of friends, Hakurei-sama.

Library

[seraphista]

[Lately Sapphire has taken to spending time in the library, trying to find any new information, and it did take her a few days to realize the bear was a guard and not just a wild animal. She spots Chihiro and comes up behind her, and speaks in a quiet voice to avoid spooking the other girl.]

Don't worry, I'm quite certain that bear is trained well.

Re: Gensokyo Shrine

[whataprettyname]

[Chihiro still gives a little "squeak" of a girl startled but still trying not to breathe in. All the same, she looks suspiciosly at Sapphire, looks back at the bear...and then darts another shelf away before taking in a breath in a long inhale.

Then she peeks around the shelf to hiss back:]

It's a bear! You're not supposed to train bears!

[seraphista]

Ah, please wait!

[She follows after Chihiro, still keeping her voice quiet.]

Yes, it is dangerous to try to train bears, but I assure you, this one is simply a guard.

[whataprettyname]

Doesn't that mean someone trained it to be a guard? [The child is clearly not reassured, or even convinced.] And what's it guarding? It's just a library! Libraries aren't supposed to have bears in them!

Library

[fionna_time]

Fionna was doing something rare: going to the library. Usually she tended to avoid the place in favor of something more active, but at Amamiya's suggestion she was in the library, looking foe something she might like.

"Where are the adventure books?" She said aloud, then spotted Chihiro. "Oh, hey! What are you up to?"

Re: Library

[whataprettyname]

Oh, hi, Fionna.

I'm just reading. [Or, just finishing reading - she closes the book with a decisive "snap" and looks around for the shelf she'd taken it off of. She can't see it - must have wandered out of sight of it at some point in the last fifteen minutes.]

I've only found poems so far...

Re: Library

[fionna_time]

[Fionna looked over at the books]. So you like poetry, or can you just not find something you want?

[She picked up a random book on the shelf].

O soft and dainty maiden, from afar
I watch you, as amidst the flowers you move,
And pluck them, singing.

More golden than all gold your tresses are:
Never was harp-note like your voice, my love,
Your voice sweet-ringing.

[She blushed slightly]. Oh. That was...kinda pretty.

Re: Library

[whataprettyname]

Poetry's okay. But these aren't anything like any poems I've ever read before.

[...huh. What an odd reaction to a poem. Chihiro leans in slightly, tilting her head to stare up into Fionna's face past the book.]

...what about you, Fionna? Do you like poems?

Shrine!

[undefines]

[Oh, has the shrine picked up yet another housemate? Nue wishes Reimu and Sanae would stop inviting people to stay without asking her opinion first, but she guesses she can't stop them. And at least this one doesn't seem as awkward to have around as the shrine's more...ghostly residents.]

[This girl looks young. Nue wonders if she would be easy to scare. Maybe it would be okay to try, just this once... After all, it's all in good fun, right?]

[She stays out of sight while Chihiro works and lets out an eerie wail.]

Re: Shrine!

[whataprettyname]

Wagh!

[Terribly easy, if the way Chihiro jumps three inches into the air, knocking her head on the top of the prayer tree as she does so is any indication. She immediately straightens up, snapping to attention.] I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you! I'll leave now and come back later!

[undefines]

[Nue can't help it. She laughs from where she is lurking in her hiding place. She doesn't want to push her luck too much if this girl is so easily startled, but maybe just one more ghastly moan... With that delivered, she emerges and floats in her direction, but not before attaching one of her Seeds of Unknown Form to herself. That should ensure Chihiro will see... Well, whatever she expects to see after hearing that sound.]

Oh, you're not interrupting anything. But you should be careful. There are youkai lurking around this shrine.

[s m i l e]

Shrine

[shanghaiworld]

[From the distance, comes a girl who is easily identified as foreign to a Japanese person, but still looks like a normal human, if just a bit paler than one might see.

Her march forward comes to a stop when she see's someone that isn't Reimu sweeping.]

Re: Shrine

[whataprettyname]

[Chihiro's mental bar in terms of "foreigner" has already been set fairly high, largely thanks to Fionna. And the word "snickerdoodle". She's adapting, although having the shrine to come back to is nice.

Sweep, sweep, sweep the path, Chihiro hums softly to herself as she works her way from the gates to where Alice is standing. She doesn't actually appear to have noticed her quite yet.]

[shanghaiworld]

[Pleasantries... do not come.]

While this isn't my property, I feel it is fitting that I ask... who are you and what are you doing?

Kuja's library

[histrionic]

[Kuja appears silently, pleased to find a visitor in her library. Not that no one ever visits, but it is good to see--people here should have a greater appreciation for the arts.

Kuja doesn't bother to recite the lines immediately following those Chihiro has just read, instead selecting her favorite part.]

A mindless puppet, never to laugh, never to cry? I wish to live my life under the sky. At times I shall laugh, at other times cry. For no life is more insincere than that lived as a masquerade.

Re: Kuja's library

[whataprettyname]

Eep!

[She'd thought she was alone in here - or, at least, that she hadn't been reading loud enough to be found. She should have known better, and gives herself a silent mental kick before looking back up at Kuja with a slight frown.]

Is that from this play, too?

[histrionic]

[She smiles. Reading Lord Avon is another way to get into her good graces.]

It is indeed. I Want to be Your Canary is one of the better known plays of Lord Avon, one of my world's greatest playwrights.

[Kuja moves a hand in a sweeping gesture.]

There are books from many worlds here, called into being by the residents of the Gardens, past and present, at my request.