Post-labor Catch-up [Any Attendant, but only one]

The Wandering Ghost. That is what the outside world called the pale skinned man dressed in old Japanese attire that appeared from time to time to those seeking help with the spirits or to help with illnesses that did not seem to have any cure. He was known as a spirit of luck, but also of disaster depending on how the stars lined up and at what time he appeared and where. To the world of humans, he was a mystery that many were scared to figure out and watched instead from a distance unless they needed something. To his own world he was quite the same.

Being one of the oldest if not the oldest resident of the Velvet world, the pointy eared attendant was a mystery to many of his siblings. Even the ones that tried to know him could not make heads or tails of his personality…and unfortunately for those who sought the truth, this attendant made no effort to aid them in solving the mystery that was him. He simply watched the stubborn try to figure him out with hidden amusement in his eyes. The game was always fun, but today, he had no one to play the game with.

Today he was once more alone, the quiet sways and whispers of the sunken area called home his only company in this silence; however, the attendant did not mind as he rested on the floor a spread of cards before him as his compendium rested easily by the elbow bent upon the wooden floor of the ship. As he lay there resting the cards before him began to whisper and shimmer before one card flipped itself over revealing itself to be the Temperance card. However, just as soon as the card had shown itself, it flipped back over and tucked itself back into the pile of cards as the spread rearranged itself on its own accord before stacking up nicely to rest near the closed book.

Oho…I am to get a visitor of the Temperance Arcana today? Akumu wondered as he closed his eyes for a moment to chill. When the door opened later and the clicks of shoes filled the room. Akumu’s eyes would open into little slits as he watched the woman, one of his siblings actually enter and walk about. She didn’t say nothing to him, so perhaps did not notice him as she went about her task. Not one to disturb another in the midst of anything, Akumu would remain in his spot on the floor as his eyes reclosed.

He would remain in this lightly dozing postion until he heard the other speak and so opened his eyes and address the reserved girl.

“Getting out is always nice to do," he would begin before continuing as his eyes closed again. "I had expected a guest, but what a surprise to find it was you all along. Welcome back home, Rin,” the attendant said in his usual calm and polite terms.

His voice stopped the other attendant and caused her to turn to face him. She was quiet, but Akumu did not need words to understand his siblings. He knew when they were confused and could tell when he was recognized or not. This particular sister…she was always to herself, so to be graced with her presence was always lovely after so many days of her simply playing invisible.

He didn’t expect joyful greetings or the like that he would get from some siblings. No. This simply was not this one's style. This one was far more calm and reserve and so in turn the male attendant remained calm and unmoving from his relaxed position. He would not disturb the silence between them until the other wished for said silence to be dispelled.

It took a moment , but eventually the female would speak. Her words simple ones as always.

“Mmm. The pleasure is all mine,” the old attendant responded back gently to his sibling before falling silent again to listen to the world around them. When the other brought up the lack of others in the room, the old attendant’s eyes would crack open, blue pools shinning from a shore of red.

“I have run into very few of our siblings as of late, but for the most part it has always just been myself, the fish, and on rare occasions one other. The world outside and the amount of users in it must be keeping most very busy,” Akumu easily reported to the other.

“What about on your end? Everything going well I assume?”

Akumu would remain on the floor, his positioning shifting only slightly so he could see his sibling better. The attendant was quite relaxed as he had nothing on his schedule that was pressing just quite yet. Sure he had some information digging to do, but…that would come later. For now, he wanted to speak with his sibling. A treat he rarely got to participate in.

“The spirits are the only ones that greet me, so I cannot say you are wrong when you say our siblings hide quite well if they are indeed here. I am not sure if it is the events outside of this room that has caused their silence or perhaps something internal. As far as I can tell the Velvet Room is stable enough,” Akumu told the other calmly as he remained relaxed on the floor as a few of the fish within the area drifted downward to hide behind the loose cloth of his clothing or nibble at his ear or hair. The attendant did not mind, the sensations as common as breathing as he remained quiet in his spot.

“Same as always. I see,” Akumu said nodding lightly at the other. His comfort level with this one was probably the highest out of all his siblings. Whether this was age or some other connection not yet revealed was unseen, but the old attendant could not deny the comfort her presence brought. Perhaps it was her maturity or leveled headiness that did it. It was hard to say and for the most part Akumu didn't question the calmness. He just accepted it as it was.

The attendant would stay quiet for a moment as he let the ocean sing its song before turning his attention to his sibling.

“What do you plan to do now that your path is clear of work?” he asked curious to learn more about his sibling, but just not quite sure how to ask the right questions to get there.

Despite how laid back Akumu seemed, it would be quite erroneous to make assumptions about his attitude. The laid back way was a cover to hide the many thoughts that ran through the old attendants’ head. He wondered, as he remained relaxed for a while longe in his position, could his sister sense the truth of the act? It was hard to say and something Akumu did not challenge her with at the moment as he eventually shifted and got to his feet, the items about him easily floating or poofing to their rightful places leaving only the old notebook of drawings to remain. This old book Akumu easily took in his arm before relaxing with it resting against his chest.

As he stood his attention would go to his sister as she spoke.

“Yes 'seems', but I wonder if this silence is not the calm before something even we cannot prepare for,” the old attendant said as he looked to the side and thought. There was so much going on outside of this room. Things that were changing the worlds inside and out…so would it be a matter of time before even this place was threatened? And what of things from the past rearing their heads to stir the pot?

The thoughts lingered a while longer before the attendant’s expression softened as he nodded at the other’s words.

“It has been quite a while since I have reflected on such an event,” he said in gentle tones. “Has it really only been a few hundred years since most were created and training began? It’s been so long sometimes think it was even longer than that. Perhaps I miss the sound at times and that is why the passage seems so long,” the old attendant said as his eyes narrowed with the small smile he gave the other.

She and he were there back then taking care of the new. Stressful and yet joyful that job was. It was hard to find another memory as fond as that. While it was true a few new recruits came through the room these days, most were out the door before he could truly know more than their name. A sad state of affairs, but one that was dealt with daily with grace and a strength. At least he was granted some time with a few when Fate allowed it and that was enough for him.

"An awkard case? How so?” Akumu asked as he easily approached his sister as she pulled out a notebook and began flipping through it. Curious as ever the old attendant glanced at the pages taking note of the carefully written words and even some sketches. The attendant frowned lightly a bit perplexed.

“I can understand how words may play into things, but what about the pictures? How do those help more than words?” he asked curious about his sister art as he looked at the book for a while longer before his blue eyes focused on her for answers. She didn’t have to answer, but the door was open if she wanted to.

When it came to the issue of what to do, the old attendant hummed lightly before speaking.

“I suppose that depends on how tired you are. If you are worn down, I suggest the nap; however…if you aren’t then, perhaps you and I can take a walk together, no?”

A small offer that whether or not declined, Akumu would end up doing on his own anyway. He heard whispers of things occurring out there and in turn wanted to find out what the sources were of said whispers....that and he needed to see what he was doing too to stay ahead of him in the dangerous game they played.

Alone was fine, but Akumu had to admit, he was willing to put investigations on a slight hold to spend a bit of time with a sibling he had not seen for a long time.

“Perhaps you are right. We can only go as far as our abilities will let us,” Akumu said to his sister. He understood where she came from and also understood that he would not be able to do much in the ways of swaying Fate. No. That was left in the hands of the guests that came to him. All he could do was aid humanity with hints and whatever information he could gather from the spirits he kept in check. To the last set of words, the old attendant nodded lightly.

“Yes. A few have come and gone, their destiny set despite any words I may have shared with them,” the attendant said as he looked away from his sister thinking of the guest he lost. Unlike his sister, he was heavily tied to his guest in a different fashion. He didn’t have the ability to block himself so easily from emotion or focus on one set thing. It was the way he was designed, but also the way the world had shifted him over the course of time. He was in no state like their fallen sibling, but still it was hard at times to simply sit by and watch Fate play Her hand. Such was the cruel nature of his positioning as attendant.

However, the gloomy air would end when the subject shifted. He would let out a soft chuckle to the words heard.

“I suppose no one can guess anymore and I gave up keeping up with numbers a long time ago. So the mystery is for the universe to keep,” Akumu said in light tones before looking up at the ceiling as an index finger went to his lips in thought. “Hmmm…the last I saw was a few months ago, but like many of our siblings the new wander off somewhere where even someone as old as us can no longer sense them.”

He gave his report on the peculiar case wondering just where it was they disappeared too. He could not imagine them simply vanishing into thin air, but then where else would they hide themselves? Hmph. What a strange case, but one the attendant pondered for only a few moments before letting it go and focusing on his sister’s response to his question.

“Perhaps it is time or maybe it is the world’s state. It depends on what was so unexpected and how out of place it was in your current field,” Akumu would say leaving the words open ended so the other could elaborate if she wanted. He would stay where he was as he saw her move towards the door near the back of the ship. As she paused to answer his questions regarding the pictures, the attendant would nod at the question. Yes. He had heard that phrase before.

“Ah. I see. How clever,” he would say impressed she could do such a thing and then use the skill to remember things later. It was true he could draw, but unlike his sister, he did not draw anything that resembled real life. No. His art was more on the fantastical end of the spectrum and held to the traditions of old oriental folklore. “Well, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I myself could not draw reality like you have done. I know for a fact that it would be quite a challenge,” the attendant said in respectful tones not hiding the truth of his own form of art from her.  

After that subject had passed, Akumu would suggest the walk to which he was quite happy his sister agreed to. He would get to spend more time with her and get to do some work of his own at the same time, so the agreement was sweet all the way around. She seemed like she was ready to go, but then mentioning her clothing, she decided that a change was in order.

“Take your time,” Akumu said agreeing to wait for her to do whatever it is she wanted to do. He didn’t understand why a clothes changing was in order, but then again his view of the world was highly different from her own, so maybe he was just missing something this age did. Regardless of that perplexing mystery, Akumu would gather the items he had and with an easy sweep of the hand he got them to vanish back to their right places. The only thing he kept nearby and hidden within his clothing was the book he drew and took his own notes in. Once he was more or less prepared, he would wait by the exit of the room for his sister not seeming to notice the rustling sounds that came from behind the closed door.

Akumu would wait in the spot he had taken up as his sister got changed. When she came out in her new look, the attendant was impressed by how well she would blend in with the normal world in comparison to him. A clever little trick that he had failed to pick up, but then again the old attendant was not the sort to change new things if the ways he worked by still were effective. In any case, when the other asked if he was ready to go, he would nod at her.

“Yes. Let's go,” he said his calmness and politeness never fading. When she mentioned locations and leaving the decision up to him as to where to go, the old attendant looked up at the old ceiling of the ship for a moment in thought before lowering his eyes back down to the other.

“The places listed also hold some interest to me. Let’s start at the Academy first. Come,” he said and then moved towards the door. As his sister opened it, he would thank her in soft tone before disappearing into the light that was cast by the door. He wondered as he exited his home just what sort of adventures would await him and his sister. He was eager to find out.

~ Exits with Rin. Thread End. ~