Miyuki Household

[Desert Coyote]

Entering the small apartment was like stepping into a dojo. The door opened into a small anti chamber which housed the kitchen, laundry, and the door to a tiny bathroom. Two large paper screens could be pulled from the wall to turn the anti chamber into a hallway, either way however the focus always came back to the paper door against the far wall. Sliding it aside the main room of the house came into full view.

Where the anti chamber was small and homely, what would pass as the living room was large and well spaced. Their where no beds or chairs only a large mat which covered the floor and was so well padded the neighbors below had never said a single word about the noise. This room seemed to hold a life of its own able to mimic the mood of the apartment’s two occupants with nothing more then the raising or lowering of the blinds. Against the wall it shared with the kitchen hung Decorative weapons collected over a lifetime, there was also a small shrine with a single Cloud forehead protector prominently displayed. The far wall was covered in floor to ceiling windows which gave the impression of flying to any who stepped into this sacred dojo. When the sun was rising its golden rays would flood the room and spill over the headband on the far wall giving it an unearthly glow.

A spiral staircase in an alcove against the wall lead up to the low cost single room apartments upstairs. The end of the hallway had been walled in so that four rooms and one of the communal bathrooms where excusable only from the stairway in the dojo. The bath was located above where the kitchen had been below and four bedrooms rested snuggly above the dojo against the outside wall. Each bedroom had the same boxy dimensions, a window and closet included, but the inhabitants had decorated in incredibly different ways.

The first room from the stairwell was almost always closed off, but when the door was open it looked to be an almost barren scene. A futon rested against the wall and A few practical swords and daggers could just barely be seen hidden around the room, yet ready to be grabbed should the need arise.

The Second and third rooms where completely empty though each had a futon and fresh sheets hidden away in the empty closets.

The final room was filled almost to over flowing. The futon was down, though the sheets upon it where tossed and strewn over it as if without a thought or care. The closet was half open and a small dresser could be seen within, sitting on the dresser was the first real sign of individuality. Several dolls sat upon the dresser and quietly stared into the room. Each one made to resemble a special person in the occupant’s life. First her father, then her mother, then Jun herself, even her recent academy teacher smiled down at her from the shelf. That’s where Jun stood.

At 12 years old Jun was short for her age, only standing at a whopping 3’9”. She wore her pajamas again though she had woken up several hours ago and practiced with her mom before she had gone off to work. Now Jun stood alone in the empty house wondering what the next set of dolls would look like. Her short white hair had been left down and as she had been staring it had fallen into her rose red eyes, with a swipe of her hand she shoved her snow white locks away and slowly picked up her graduation present. The wakazashi had been the same one her mother had used when she became a Nin. Years of good care had left it sharp, lethal, but like Jun it was also pretty to look at. Sighing she turned to the window and wondered when she would get placed on a team.

[Desert Coyote]

The buzzer for the apartment sounded loud in the silence of the empty home. Slowly Jun moved from her room down the hall. The stairs presented a bit more of a problem, though she managed to work her way to the door and open the letter which had appeared in the in box. Pulling it out she opened it quickly and scanned down the page. Slowly her lips split into a happy smile and ran back up to her room.

A quick change of clothes and a wash later and Jun was running out the door. She had been chosen. Glee spread through her like molten lava. She couldn’t believe she had been placed on a team. Finally she would be a full ninja; finally she could be going on missions and beating up the baddies. Pure joy and interest were moving her faster then anything else could have and she would quickly wind up at the training ground.

((Next post in training for team six))