Meeting of Families

[Eidolon]

She accepted the rebuke without complaint. Her head ducked in acknowledgement.

The card she placed on the counter, after glancing at the name so she might introduce him properly upon her brother’s arrival. Though he offered it to her, she would defer it to Kota; the debt could be his, she would have no use for it. In truth the declaration made her uncomfortable, and though she knew it was a foolish thought, she felt as though her soul had overspilled its sin. He declined anything more, and stood by the window with his attention turned away. Eido finally took the opportunity to look him over, but otherwise she was simply quiet about her tasks. The phone buzzed with a returned message, but she did not read it, just slipped it back into her pocket. Kota would come.

Meanwhile the tea steeped and she arranged the tray. Her sleeves had been tugged back while she worked in the kitchen, not all the way, but enough that Gus had noticed the fresh scratches. The edges of the tattoo peeked, the design obscured, but she pulled the fabric down now. It was unlikely Kiyohito would remark upon it, but she would rather it not be noticed at all.

When she was done she took the tray to the low coffee table, and set out the service. None of the pieces matched, for china was not the sort of thing they packed for travels. The fragrance of herbs was soothing; a blend of green tea she purchased from the market. Eido took the place closest to the door, intending a mark of respect. Kota was not likely to care; he fell easily into Western practices. Normally Eido would not be concerned with it either, but that traditional card made her feel inclined towards the safety of ritual and the ways it would make her beneath notice.

She did not look up to see if Kiyohito would join her, or wait instead for her brother’s arrival. If he did she would pour for him without a word. Yakuza had little to do with women, and he already knew she could not help him in his search; he was likely to dismiss her now. Neither did she look up when the door finally opened. Kota must have been close by, to have arrived so quickly.

“This is Koraii-san. He has a favour to ask,” she said, opting for the polite respect and formality of his surname. She heard her brother’s solid footsteps pass the threshold. The scuff of him removing his shoes, a little belated, as he spoke his booming welcomes – in Japanese, of course.

“Welcome, Koraii-san.”

There was something in the sound of his feet that drew her attention up like an arrow. Kota was rarely so careless, mostly because he knew she did not like it. He had not bent to remove his shoes, just pushed with his heels until they lay discarded. She soon saw why. Blood soaked one arm, which he held gingerly at the wrist with the other. Mostly it seemed dry – she could smell it now, that sharp familiar tang. It did not drip.

Eido met his eye, frowning, but he only grinned at her, and moved to claim a perch on the arm of the sofa. He was a tall man, broad at the shoulder. Balanced like that, he looked like a roosting eagleowl. Eido’s gaze fell again, but only in frustration, since they could not talk freely. Her brother’s attentions remained with their guest. “I am Kota. In what way can I help you?”

“Excuse me,” she murmured, rising nimble to her feet, to retrieve the first aid kit.

[[just fyi, since I won’t tag it every time. Kota will speak in Japanese. Eido will only use english]]