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 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2026 9:05 pm
Quote: In Tribute (9) : In the days leading up to the Star Festival, small stone shrines began to appear randomly throughout Destiny City–on rooftops, in alleyways, hidden down long forest paths. They’re small, altar-like platforms with a little bowl in the center and a single glowing stone inside. There’s something peaceful, refreshing, about the shrine, even if no one seems to know who is setting them. However, if the stone is removed, the glow vanishes–along with your sense of peace. This was not your offering to take. Immediately, you feel something breathing on the back of your neck but there’s nothing to be seen. Returning the stone returns the area to an uneasy stillness, but if you attempt to leave without returning the stone, a mounting pressure and anxiety will grow within you. You never make it far from the shrine before some unseen force overtakes you. It feels like a great force collides into your back, and unconsciousness is quick to follow. When you awaken, the shrine is gone. All that remains is pain and fear. If you are tempted to leave an offering of your own, however small, you will find yourself feeling as though you have received the protection of something greater than you can understand. This strange blanket of security will last for the remainder of the day. A shrine never stays in the same place for long but no one ever sees who is setting them up or taking them down.
It had been a lot to take in, even from the air.
But, then, the flight had ended, they had retrieved their belongings, and driven to her new home. It wasn't quite what she'd seen in American media, but it did look a bit like the photos her father had had of his home. Dinner had been something spicy and earthy, like her father used to make, made by her cousin/sister, called "jambalaya." It had been good, but they hadn't had time to head out to the storage facility. Her new parents had seen her furtively looking at the Tokyo Pokemon Center, and had, on a whim, elected to breeze through, saying that she didn't seem to have a lot of belongings, she should feel free to pick something, since it seemed to be one of the only stores she kept looking at.
After much searching around, and simply enjoying her first trip to the Kanto Pokemon Center in years, Reina had finally settled on an extremely soft Alolan Vulpix plushie, an Espeon t-shirt, and an Galarian Ponyta t-shirt, plus a very pretty poster of Galar's Glimwood Tangle; she had other things gotten from the Pokemon Center when she was younger, but those would still be in the storage unit. If nothing else, it had been awfully nice to come back, and awfully nice to have new clothing for casual purposes that actually fit her.
At this point, slowly, the realization that everything that had occurred since that afternoon had not been a dream was starting to really sink in.
Which also meant confronting the reality that, legally, she was no longer an only child.
Keisha had been introduced as her new elder sister--her onee-san--though the biological relationship was technically cousins. Reina had been fully prepared for the older girl to hate and resent her younger cousin; after all, that had been her experience with her cousins back in Japan. What she had not been expecting was for Keisha to be a kind and friendly person. Even more surprisingly, Keisha could just as clearly pass for being an actual sister to Reina, having similarly dark skin, light hair, and light eyes, although Keisha's coloration was much warmer and more saturated--almost like Keisha had been born in sunlight, and Reina in moonlight. The similarities weren't purely physical, either, as Keisha had turned out to be a musician, as well, although, like their now-mutual mother, Shams, Keisha primarily played the piano. And it had been Keisha who guided Reina to her new bedroom after dinner--a Western style bedroom with a very pretty bed with bedding verging on the princessy. If anything wasn't new, it was still very clearly well-cared for. No battered futon on the floor with a thin blanket and dying pillow. No rejected kotatsu to use as a makeshift desk, either, as she had a proper desk, beautiful and well-cared for, complemented with a gaming chair. And Keisha had seemed so hopeful that Reina would like it, that the younger girl had felt like she couldn't rain on the elder girl's Tanabata like that.
She'd fallen asleep and then woken up the next morning clutching the new Vulpix, terrified of losing this new bit of peace she'd managed to acquire. Fortunately, no one seemed to be in any hurry to ruin things for her.
After breakfast, Keisha had suggested taking Reina to the storage facility to retrieve any and all belongings Reina wanted to take with her to her new home. The younger girl had been hesitant, as there had so far been no real discussion of getting Reina enrolled in the local school, but, upon being reassured by Shams that the schools in America were pretty much on break until the end of August, and that Shams was already filling out paperwork for Reina to start at "Meadowview High School" in the fall, her excuse of needing to prepare for school had evaporated. Leaving Reina no other real option than to say yes. She did want to go to the storage unit, but was apprehensive of going with her cousin. After all, her other cousins had been selfish, spoiled vandals and thieves; she didn't trust that her American cousin would be better.
Thus, they were now pulling up beside the storage unit in Shams' car, which Keisha was borrowing, unsure of what they'd find.Keesh had been nervously excited ever since her parents had announced that they had managed to secure her cousin's adoption. From what her parents had told her, Reina's parents had been a video game developer and a notable video game composer, and Reina herself had been raised a bit more Japanese than American, though specifically New Orleans American traditions wouldn't be wholly unfamiliar to her. From the photos her parents had taken on their phones, it looked like Reina could pass for Keesh's younger sister, which was an interesting coincidence, although the exact shades were noticeably different.
What she hadn't been fully prepared for was how cute her cousin was, even in clothing that looked suspiciously like hand-me-downs. How had Reina been living in Japan? From what Keesh had read online, most Japanese people didn't really interact much with people who weren't East Asian, and could be very prejudiced against such people, leaving the older girl to wonder if the younger girl had had a rough time in Japan as a kid. America wouldn't necessarily be kinder about her skin color, but...if nothing else...the Lyon family, being almost all Black, could shower the poor girl with all the love and affection she might not have gotten in Japan. If nothing else, there was an extended family and a community that would be only too happy to accept a new child into their midst, even if she was unfamiliar with life here.
Thus it was, on the day of everyone's return from Japan, Keesh had spent the day in the kitchen, industriously cooking jambalaya, toning down the spiciness just a bit for a less Southern palate. After dinner, she had personally offered to take Reina to her bedroom, and, after breakfast the next morning, upon being informed that Reina had had a storage unit rented in her name here in Destiny City, Keesh had offered to borrow her mother's car to take Reina to go retrieve some of the younger girl's belongings from storage while her mother worked on filling out paperwork for Reina's transfer to Meadowview High. What Keesh hadn't fully discussed with her cousin, but had discussed with her mother, was picking her Aunt Thuraya up for clothes shopping afterward, on the basis that Reina's closet could probably use a refresh, and Aunt Thuraya would be a great resource on that score. Thuraya herself had agreed, as she had less work in the summer, and could be free for a few hours around lunch time.
Now, they were parked outside Reina's storage unit...and, sitting at the corner of the door, very quietly, appeared to be a little stone shrine, a bit Japanese looking, with a glowing stone sitting in the center. What...? Was this another bit of Destiny City Star Fest weirdness? Well, it seemed peaceful enough, so it was probably best left alone. Maybe Reina, as probably a very normal teenager, wouldn't notice it. Yeah. Like Destiny City was a normal town to begin with. Better start to come up with excuses now, on the off-chance something was noticed.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 6:17 am
Reina unbuckled herself from the car, opened the door, and slid out, looking around. It was very...utilitarian...here. Except for a tiny shrine someone had set up at the corner of the door to what was apparently her unit. Walking around the car toward it, she knelt to get a better look at it. It was simple, little more than a smooth stone altar with a little bowl in the middle, holding naught but a glowing stone inside. Something about the sight soothed her wound up nerves, in the same way she found morning fog, or falling snow, or rain soothing, soothing, and a bit cleansing.
This was a new country. Even at the airport, she'd seen so many people who looked like her, and nothing like her, and nobody seemed to really give it that much thought. Well. Not as much as they had in Japan. America was already a bit stranger than she'd expected from her tou-chan's stories, but, here, in the middle of all the strangeness, sat this tiny shrine, feeling like something she'd expect of a roadside shrine in Japan. Reina had no idea how the stone was glowing (maybe it was electronic, powered by batteries, and the owner was going to come back for it soon?), but there was something about it that made her feel more relaxed and open-minded than she had for a very, very long time.
She dug around in her pockets for a random yen coin she'd found in her belongings that hadn't been exchanged for American currency, left it where she felt she probably should, clapped her hands, and dipped her head in a silent prayer.
Let me have a real home here, please let the Lyon family never abandon me or throw me out, she prayed in the confines of her head, startled by the strength of the desire in those thoughts. Please, just let me have this little bit of happiness.
A strange sense of protection draped and enfolded itself around her like a protective cloak on a stormy day, as if some higher power had finally listened, and was offering her something to hang onto. Reina stood up, feeling strangely light, and proceeded to fish out the key, so she could unlock the storage unit.
Keesh watched her cousin in bemusement as the girl, without asking questions, proceeded to leave an offering and make a little prayer. It was strange, but Reina seemed calmer, so the elder girl elected to not look too much into it. On a whim, she fished a coin of what she hoped was a similar value to the one her cousin had left, placed hers beside Reina's, and made a quick prayer of her own, though, not really believing in any traditional religion, she wasn't entirely who the prayer was being made to. Maybe the Galaxy Cauldron that her other cousins had mentioned reading about, and any souls that worked with the Galaxy Cauldron.
Please let Reina be happy and healthy and safe with us. Please let her find the home I don't think she had with her Japanese grandma. A sense of protection draped itself around her, and she smiled, feeling just as calm and safe as Reina looked.
Was this the source of Reina's relaxed state? If it was, then this little bit of Star Fest weirdness was, for a change, not a bad thing. That was nice. Like, really nice. If these shrines came along next year, she'd have to keep an eye out, and keep something in her pocket as an offering.
Stepping up behind her cousin, Keesh watched Reina unlock the storage unit, wondering what kinds of things were inside. After all, Reina hadn't brought a lot of stuff from Japan, and the majority of it seemed to be clothes that looked suspiciously like hand-me-downs. Which meant that an awful lot of Reina's personal possessions and an awful lot of her parents' personal possessions were likely inside. But it still didn't tell her what kinds of personal possessions filled the storage locker.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 8:21 am
Reina unlocked the door, and managed, on the second try, to figure out how to open the door, which slid mostly under its own power up and out of the way, revealing a mountain of boxes of varying shapes and sizes, all of them carefully marked "FRAGILE" in both Japanese and English, plus a small group of instrument cases, neatly set in a reachable location with nothing on top of them.
Reaching for one of the shamisen cases, she lifted it down, and undid the buckles. A glossy, polished electric futozao greeted her, with crystalline-looking tuning pegs, FiberSen skin, and patterns of stars and drifting flower petals painted on the sides by her father. The bachi was placed in its own pouch, edged in dyed tortoiseshell, and the strings were in a pouch of their own, for safekeeping. Her kaa-chan's electric shamisen, as she stored it between performances, as though waiting for the next concert, or recording session.
Snapping it shut, she opened another one to reveal a more traditional futozao of ebony, goatskin skin, edged in monochrome brocade and gleaming "ivory" tuning pegs (plastic made to look like ivory). It, too, was unstrung, with a bachi edged in tortoiseshell. Her kaa-chan's traditional tsugaru jamisen, though the skin would likely need replacing in a few years.
A third case produced her own shamisen, maple with an autumnal printed silk and plastic tuning pegs, unstrung, paired with a bachi just like her kaa-chan's bachis. Her kaa-chan's acoustic guitar for composing was easily the largest instrument case, and it, too, was unstrung, with its plectrum stored neatly inside.
There was a fifth one she didn't recognize, however, with a note inside, in her obaa-sama's hand. Reina froze as she read. No way. She wouldn't. She wouldn't even dream of it. But it was indeed what she had seen the one time she'd seen her obaa-sama's prized collection of antiques. Kouki--red sandalwood--with an autumnal brocade gleaming with golden threads, real ivory tuning pegs, and a traditional skin, replaced at regular intervals to prevent it from losing its sound. It, like all the others, was unstrung, its strings carefully packed away, along with a beautiful bachi not only edged in tortoiseshell, but entirely made of tortoiseshell. Unlike the newer ones, it had no mechanical device to adjust the buzzing, just the kamigoma under where the two thinner strings would rest. It was a priceless gem, over a hundred years old, carefully maintained by the Amenomori clan, brought out for only very special occasions.
And her obaa-sama had had it added to Reina's belongings. The rest of the Amenomori would be furious. But they wouldn't have cared enough to find out where she'd gone. Plus, her obaa-sama had made sure to clarify in her will and to her lawyer that she was granting guardianship of this shamisen to Reina. The rest of the Amenomori could not sue for its return. So wrapped up in the wonder of it all was she that she almost forgot her cousin was with her.
Keesh had been watching her cousin looking through the five instrument cases almost reverently, and, from what she could see, standing back a little bit to give Reina her space, all four shamisen were exquisite examples, particularly the last one, though it also looked particularly old. Even the acoustic guitar looked like a fairly nice one, and well-cared for. Frankly, all five instruments looked well-cared for. That was really nice, that Reina had such nice instruments from her mother. It also occurred to Keesh that she had no idea if Reina herself played; if she didn't, having them would be a comfort, but if she did...
Reina hadn't gotten off the plane with any instruments. If Reina played, then Reina didn't just have her mother's keepsakes, Reina had the music inherent in any musician's fingers back. This would be enormous for the younger girl.
Softly, she murmured, "Those are beautiful instruments your mother left for you, Reina."
Reina practically jumped, and snapped the fifth case shut, shielding the contents from unwanted eyes before the strange peace of the little shrine reasserted itself. Keisha had been kind to her so far. Keisha's words were, even now, thoughtful, and betrayed no hint of a desire to steal or damage the precious instruments. Besides, Keisha was a pianist, like Shams, and would not know how to play these instruments, even if her goal was to steal. Reina relaxed.
"Yes, they are," she replied, selecting only her training shamisen and the acoustic guitar to transfer to the back of Shams' car. The other three were too nice, and were safer here. Reina then returned to the cardboard boxes, and opened one of the smaller ones, ripping the tape off the top.
Inside were console boxes, presumably still holding their contents. A quick check of the 3DS box confirmed that it did, indeed, still hold the 3DS, carefully packed in its carrying case and surrounded by styrofoam packing peanuts. The other boxes purported to be the other handheld devices, the GameBoy Advance, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, and Switch. They hadn't had a chance to pick up the Switch 2, and hadn't chosen to order a Steam Deck from the US. The home consoles would be spread across several other boxes, probably larger ones. It would take some looking to identify which boxes, and to choose which boxes to take with. The handheld box, however, could come with. At which point, Reina was startled with a new question.
It looked like Reina was starting to get into the meat of exploring the boxes, though Keesh felt a little sad for the three nicer-looking shamisens, that her cousin had clearly elected to leave them in storage. It made sense, to leave the nicer ones here, where they'd be safely locked away, though it also made a kind of sense if one assumed Reina was a musician herself, that Reina would choose to bring home the ones that looked the least fancy, and would be best to practice on.
All of that said, standing back and watching, Keesh did feel a little bit decorative, and like she was spying on something intensively personal by just standing around and watching. As she saw Reina seem to come to a decision, and pack away the contents of the box, which appeared to be at least one box containing a portable gaming console, Keesh came to her own decision, and stepped up beside her cousin.
"Reina, if you want, I can carry any boxes you want to take with us to the car while you look through the boxes and choose what you want to come with us today," she offered kindly. Plus, it would save time, and Keesh could play a little bit of Tetris with the boxes, to make sure nothing delicate got squished in the back of her mother's hatchback. Not to mention granting Reina a little bit of privacy while she sorted through things.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 9:28 pm
Reina blinked. It would help. It would help a lot. It would mean leaving her things unsupervised with a relative she was unsure she'd ever be able to trust, no thanks to her other cousins, but it would also leave her with time to figure out what she wanted to bring back with her, what she thought she could protect and risk leaving unsupervised. "Yes. That would help. Thank you," she replied.
Reina proceeded to open most of the boxes, peering inside each one to identify the contents. The box of games for Nintendo and PlayStation could come with, as could the PlayStations 4 and 5; the other home consoles could wait until she was certain it would be safe. It also occurred to her that she should try to log into FFXIV. It had been so long. Her prescription was probably cancelled, so she probably wouldn't be able to play anything past Heavensward. Would her gaming friends still remember her? Would they want to play with her? They didn't know the color of her skin, only that she was a native Japanese speaker playing on a Japanese server. As KiriShika-chan, she'd been one of the first people to help out any "sprouts" she saw running around. Those "sprouts" had to be much further into the game by now. Would they remember her?
She'd have to log on later and find out.
She also managed to locate her clothing; it was slightly tight on her, since she'd still had a bit of growing left to go in the last couple years, but being able to even sometimes walk around in clothes that were truly hers would be nice. Her jewelry was carefully packed away, too, rings, necklaces, earrings, ear cuffs, bracelets, and kanzashi, and those boxes were likewise transferred to the car. On a whim, she also selected a box containing her mother's concert outfits, a mix of flashy costumes and more traditional kimono. Reina couldn't say why she decided to take them with, beyond a nebulous sense of wondering how they'd look on her. They probably wouldn't really fit, as Reina and her kaa-chan had been built somewhat differently, as Reina was a little taller and a bit curvier than her kaa-chan had been. If nothing else, it was nice to have these little echoes of her mother come with her.
The last boxes she selected were those filled with posters, figurines, and plushies, including her beloved Fat Cat. He was more worn than she had realized, and yet, he was the one thing she carried with her into the front seat, burying her face in his softness after she closed and locked the storage unit door, while her cousin shut the car's trunk door. For the first time in a while, Reina felt like she might be able to face the harder things she still needed to accomplish to reestablish her sense of...what, she could not really articulate. Home? Security? Identity? Normalcy? "Normalcy" probably came closest to hitting the mark, but it didn't feel right. Maybe it would feel right later. But, holding Fat Cat, still enveloped in the serenity of the little shrine, she felt that it was probably achievable.
Keesh watched Reina packing the boxes of clothing into the trunk, and suspicions got a bit firmer in her mind. Those garments were decidedly different in style from what her cousin seemed to have for casual clothing. She didn't have the vocabulary to describe them, but they were likely more fashionable. They also looked to be in better repair, and the older girl had to wonder...how long had these clothes been packed away? Reina was 15, so, depending on when she'd hit puberty, Reina might have grown since last wearing those clothes. She might have been mostly grown, but she might still be growing right now. Not very much, but it wasn't impossible.
So there was a non-zero chance those clothes wouldn't fit right anymore. Keesh had no idea if that was a fixable problem, but, since Keesh also hadn't seen clothes that looked quite like that, it was just as likely that it was a style that could only be gotten from Japanese designers, who might not have outlets even in New York City. The best person to ask would be Aunt Thuraya. Aunt Thuraya would know what was going on, and it alterations were possible; heck, she might even be able to do the alterations herself.
And Aunt Thuraya was their next stop. Which Reina still didn't know about.
As she closed up the car and hopped into the driver's seat, she was still trying to figure out how to bring it up, and, after buckling herself in, just decided to go for it.
"Reina, I was going to have us go shopping with my--our--Aunt Thuraya this afternoon--clothes shopping--after getting lunch with her. Are you okay with us going clothes shopping together, or should we just head home, and we can schedule it another time? I thought I'd ask if she could help with any alterations to the clothing you've already got, since some of it looks a little outgrown," she said, fudging her concerns over Reina's treatment at the hands of the younger girl's maternal family.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2026 10:38 am
Reina looked to Keisha in surprise and a twinge of apprehension. Keisha hadn't mentioned this. More relatives? Ones that might only be hers by adoption? They might have even less reason to open up to Reina. Reina wanted to say no, she didn't want this, she wasn't ready for more strangers. But the sense of safety still filled her. This was Keisha. Who had only so far been kind to her, and treated her like a person worthy of dignity and respect. Keisha had shown no inclination to want to hurt her.
Besides, happy as Reina was to have her own clothes back, they didn't quite fit right anymore, and she had no idea if her favorite brands had outlets in America. If this "Aunt Thuraya" knew how to help Reina on the clothing front...
She squeezed Fat Cat as she tried to come to an uncomfortable decision.
"We can go shopping with Aunt Thuraya," she said slowly and cautiously. After all, Reina couldn't continue to live in a mix of outgrown and hand-me-down clothes. Sooner or later, she'd need more things like what the Lyons had purchased for her at the Kanto Pokemon Center, or her Japanese school uniform, things that actually genuinely fit her properly, and were in good condition. Some form of help was better than none.
Keesh could tell that Reina was unsure about meeting Aunt Thuraya, which...it kinda fit with her growing feeling that Reina hadn't been treated well at all by the Japanese side of the family. Even her parents had admitted at breakfast to not being really sure what had been going on in Japan, but, based on the emails from Reina's mother, things had been bad enough that it warranted the American side of the family seeking custody. Which, in and of itself, was kinda a bad sign.
She just nodded, and asked, "What kind of food do you want? I can ask Aunt Thuraya to meet us wherever we go for food. And please don't tell me 'whatever you think is fine,'" she added gently. "I understand if you don't trust me very much yet, but I want you to know that, to me, at least, what you want matters a whole awful lot. I'm starting college at the end of the summer, so I don't know how available I'll be with schoolwork," and with being a Page of Earth, she added to herself, "but I went to the same school you're starting, so if you have any questions or concerns at all, I want you to know, I'm here for you, okay?"
Reina had been about to say "Whatever you think is fine," so was caught a bit off guard by being told not to say that. Could she trust Keisha? Not yet. Maybe not for a while. She wasn't even sure about ever, either, but it was probably safe to say that Reina also had trust issues.
She squeezed Fat Cat again as she considered. She wasn't really all that hungry, okay, well, maybe a little, and she was unsure if they had what she'd spent the last couple years craving....
"Do you know if there's any place that sells tapiru--tea with tapioca--in Destiny City?" she asked hesitantly.
Keesh blinked. "Tea with tapioca--do you mean boba tea? There's a lot of them. Most of them only carry the tea, but if you want something else, too, we can find one of the ones that also serve food, or find one in a food court somewhere, if you'd like." Keesh had only periodically gotten boba tea with her cousins, and most often in the summertime, when it was hot and miserable, and something cold and sweet and unusual sounded appealing.
She was unsure how Aunt Thuraya felt, but Aunt Thuraya was pretty open-minded about a lot of things. True, she did have to abide by the halal diet, but her aunt also wasn't a super strict adherent. Frankly, if Uncle Faruq ever walked away from his super conservative family, Aunt Thuraya would probably start trying to throw fashion and dietary restrictions out the window. Aunt Thuraya had married Uncle Faruq for the person he was inside, not for his religion, or his deeply unpleasant family who apparently super strongly objected to his marriage.
Considering that, Aunt Thuraya would probably be thrilled to get something atypical that she could just carry around with them if they started shopping before they finished up at the restaurant. They were still parked, though the engine was running, so she pulled out her phone, and dialed Aunt Thuraya, putting the phone on speakerphone before depositing it in the drink holder so she could start driving once they had an answer as to where to go.
Reina considered. She wasn't super hungry...but a snack to go with the "boba tea" wouldn't be a bad idea. She had no idea what kind of food they would have at a boba tea stand, but it might not be too too different from what she remembered getting in Tokyo. "Food would be nice," she replied. Boba tea was popular in the United States. That was lucky. No idea what the flavors available would be, but having tapiru again would be so nice. Would they have lychee as a flavor? She hoped so. Or a melon flavor. Either would be nice in this heat.
She pondered these things while Keisha chatted with Aunt Thuraya, confirming a location that served food and boba tea, and agreeing to meet there to figure out next steps. They were soon driving toward the promised boba, with Reina clinging to Fat Cat.
In the meantime, behind them, the little shrine vanished, but the feelings of protection and security, as if from a higher power, filled both girls for the remainder of the day.
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