“The youth are rambunctious, are they not?” The shadow shook his head, a silent laugh showing in the smile lines that appeared on his face. He was in a rather good mood tonight, and it showed. Maybe not to the newcomer since she didn’t know him well enough, but to anyone who knew him. There was no threat of deadly melancholy, not in the moment on this New Year’s Eve. “It does make me feel a tad old to say that, but the truth is the truth. I have long since graduated from the wild parties and ambitious thrill-seeking that trying to hold a gallon of liquor holds for young people.” The shadow actually laughed this time, his voice melodic and pleasant. “Then again, I was never that wild even in youth.”
The wind whipped past the two at that moment, sending a chilling breeze through their traditional-wear and causing the ends to flutter. Gackt reached down to readjust his obi out of no real necessity, the wind was hardly strong enough to do much. As he did, he evaluated the girl evenly. She was a picture of calm, and her emotions weren’t any different. Her upbringing didn’t surprise him terribly, and immediately he felt a sort of similarity that they could share in on. “A calmer, more scenic atmosphere in Japan. Would it be terribly rude to inquire as to where this might have been?
“Interesting, I see that we celebrate in awfully similar ways.” The shadow retreated a few steps until he came to an area beyond the boulder that was coated in shadows. He disappeared for a split second before appearing again. It was as though he’d flickered through space, and now had a small basket in his hands. “Typically on nights when there are celebrations being held, I partake in a few cups of rice wine alone. On other days, tea.” The shadow lifted up the bottle by the neck out of the basket to show the woman. “Tonight, I had planned for rice wine.” The shadow placed the bottle back in the basket and set the basket on the floor by his feet. Then he bowed deeply, back straight with perfect posture, with a hand held over his heart. It was a sort of mix of european olden-times greetings, and his Japanese manners. “My name is Gackt, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The shadow glanced at the basket, then looked back at the woman with a thoughtful expression.
“Would you perhaps be willing to accompany me tonight? A toast to the year to come, some simple conversation? Ah, and if I might know your name, I would be even more honored.”
She nodded at his statement, sighing softly to herself. “That they are. It’s gotten worse over the years.” The woman did know that her musing was true, for a good portion at least. She did see the progress of the youth as she grew older in age, but not in appearance. Noticing his smile upon his handsome features, he was certainly at least a little amused, or was it that he was happy? She might not know for sure quite yet, but she would go over it in her mind as to better understand his mood. “Certainly does. I never really went to wild parties, as there weren’t any from the time I come from. They never fascinated me before. The idea of getting drunk just to get drunk is a silly idea to me.” Looking him up and down again, the way he talked hinted he was at least a bit older or experienced than some of the silly youth that was partying out on the main area of the grounds.
Feeling the wind rush and brush around her, the locks of her lengthy raven black hair shifted with the current. The little beads that hung off her traditional hair pins jingled with the movement as her clothing barely shifted. Hideyo brushed back her hair behind her shoulders and felt no need to readjust her robes. His mention of Japan brought some fond memories she had of when she was in the forests of her home. “It isn’t. I’m not entirely sure if you’ve been there, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Mount Warusawa. That would be my home. It is quite peaceful and a place without noisy people.” She had a hint of a smile upon her features, gaining a bit of a nostalgic feeling when remembering her cave back on the mountain.
Raising an eyebrow, the woman was intrigued to hear she spent some special nights like the man she met. “We do?” Noticing how he disappeared, she started to wonder what exactly he was. Once he was back in view, her eyes spotted the basket he held in his hands. “Well, tea does calm one, and some kinds can be used for more rare occasions than others. But, on nights like these, rice wine does seem far more appropriate than tea.” The arachnid wasn’t too surprised by the man’s bow, taking note of how he did so. There was a mixture of in customs, if she remembered correctly. She bowed in return, sticking to a far more traditional way as she never really bothered with using the western ways of bowing to people, or greeting them really. “As it is also mine, to make your acquaintance, Gackt.” It was surely an unusual name to her, but she decided to go with the one she was presented with.
Taking the offering into account, she hummed softly before making her decision. “If you would wish to have my company, then I shall. Perhaps there might be some mention of times from back home.” Her name was a great question. She rarely told her first name to people, but for this case, she could make an exception for a man of her homeland. Walking a little bit closer as to make sure the space wasn’t great and awkward, she spoke again. “My name is Hideyo Yamauchi. You can address me with either Ms. Yamauchi or Hideyo. Either works just fine with me.”
