D5LM, Small Blessings (Expecting)

[Otomo Gusai]

"It's possible," Gusai answers, and he pays attention to her writing. "Does the order of your motions matter?" he asks. "Like in knots?" Like Ayumu said.

[Jiyo Sora]

"I... hadn't really thought about it, but probably. Especially once you learn enough characters to write in sentences, you're going to want some efficiency."

[Otomo Gusai]

Gusai grunts in understanding and attempts to copy the characters again.

It is slightly better this time.

Slightly.

[Jiyo Sora]

"See? You're improving! Do you know if 'Gusai' has any specific meanings associated with it?"

[Otomo Gusai]

"I've been called a bad man before," Gusai replies. "Honestly, I can't imagine why."

He winks, single-eyed as he is.

[Jiyo Sora]

She rolled her eyes.

"No wonder Dad seems to like you."

Then she got to work tracing possible variants of "Gusai" in the snow, leaving the wax for him to work with.

[Otomo Gusai]

"There've been a lot of fathers that didn't," Gusai opines as he tries to copy the marks.

The copy work does not go well. At all.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Hm? Why would that be? Okay, keep practicing those... I'm going to go see if Mom has a spare primer lying around."

[Otomo Gusai]

Gusai's eye swivels toward her, and he sighs.

Put your foot right in it, why don't you? he thinks.

"I've enjoyed their daughters' company more than they'd like" he says, flatly.

And he returns to the copy-work.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, that. Yeah, gotta be careful, people are touchy about that... especially if you end up giving them grandkids they weren't planning on!"

And then she was off and running.

[Otomo Gusai]

Gusai cannot help but chuckle.

She's right, after all, even if he hasn't left any children behind him.

That he knows of.

Yet.

[Jiyo Sora]

She returned a short time later with a couple of scrolls.

"All right, now, these are only going to do you any good if there's someone who can read them around, at least at first. This one's just a set of basic characters- no grammar or anything, just a list of words. The second is a collection of stories using them, which you can use to practice reading once you get the hang of the other one..."

[Otomo Gusai]

Gusai nods.

"Is this a gift," he asks, "or a loan?"

His copy-work has...progressed.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, this is very much a gift. These are mine, and I sure don't need them anymore. Just pass them along to someone who needs them when the time comes..."

[Otomo Gusai]

"And you'd not give them to Soryu--or to the coming twins?" Gusai asks.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, Soryu has his own."

She chuckled.

"Mom makes them during the pregnancy. She says it's just to keep in practice, but I think she tailors the characters she chooses a bit differently. 'Yuki and I didn't get identical primers."

[Otomo Gusai]

"And you'd give up a memento of your mother," Gusai asks, "to a stranger, no less?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Mom would rather I taught someone how to read than hang onto a thing. Besides."

She grinned.

"That's just the EASY one."

[Otomo Gusai]

"Then I thank you, Jiyo Phi," Gusai says gravely. "It is appreciated."

[Jiyo Sora]

"If it does you any good, that'll be thanks enough! Besides, you taught me that nifty knot, so fair's fair!"