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Keiko Sohma

"I have a role to play ... I'm sorry."

0 · 804 views · located in Japan

a character in “Fruits Basket: It's Our Turn”, as played by THESexyMaid_001

Description

Keiko Ruki Sohma

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āIs it not my job to be deceiving?āž



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āThe Basicsāž



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| Full name |
Keiko Ruki Sohma

| Gender |
Female


| Age |
17


| Role |
Rat



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āDeeper Descriptionāž



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| Eye Color |
Golden Yellow


| Hair Color |
Silvery White


| Height |
5'5"


| Weight |
118 lbs.


| Skin Tone |
Pale


| Physical Description |
Keiko is about normal height for her age, standing at 5'5" and weighting 118 pounds. She has pale skin, but beneath her eyes is a purplish hue. The only reason for this is, like all the previous Rat's before her, she gets very sick easily and often. Keiko has long silvery-white hair that runs down the length of her back and bangs that stop right before her eyes. Her eyes themselves, are a beautiful honey color that have been known to turn red. Keiko always has a smile on her face when she is around anyone, and I mean anyone. She is very polite and well behaved, something she had learned from her grandmother. She is often despised by the other members of the Zodiac for her 'perfection' and 'position' among the rest of them. All in all, Keiko is a very attractive young lady, like most the other Juunishi.



āInterestsāž



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| Special Skills |
āœ” Can Play Any Instrument
āœ” Extremely Smart
āœ” Can Eat A Ton


| Likes |
ā™„ Food
ā™„ Warm Weather
ā™„ Cats (Secret)
ā™„ Studying
ā™„ Music


| Dislikes |
āœ– Being cold
āœ– Head Being Cross With Her
āœ– Small Places
āœ– Thunder
āœ– Being Sick/Missing School



āWelcome to my Lifeāž



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| Personality |
Keiko, like the previous Rat's, is quick-witted, clever, charming, sharp and funny. She has excellent taste, is a good friend and is generous and loyal to others considered part of her 'pack'. Keiko is ever curious, seeks knowledge and welcomes challenges of any sort. Some are even intimidated by her presence and spunk, but she never turns down a person in need and will do anything to help. But around the other members of the Zodiac, Keiko tends to be apathetic, keeps her distance, and never makes eye contact. This is mainly in front of the Head of the Family, whom she wishes to never disappoint or anger. When she does, she spirals into depression until the 'kind' words of the Head bring her back up. When she is around the other Juunishi at school though, if they are willing to speak to her, she's darn well going to speak back.


| Theme Song |
Stand in the Rain - Superchick



āWho I Amāž



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| History |
Keiko grew up in a household where everything was perfect. She was forced to walk a thin line by her parents, but she didn't know that. Keiko felt as though she was the luckiest person in the world to have a beautiful house, a loving family and an unbreakable bond. She was always confused by the concept of sadness and hatred. Until she felt sadness first hand. When Keiko was 6, her mother and father wanted to have another child, make a sibling for Keiko to play and bond with. But when they went to the Head, the Head took it out on Keiko, accusing her of wanting someone else to bond with. Keiko took the beating, and worse, believed it was all her fault. It took several weeks for her to recover fully, and even longer mentally. Once Keiko started up school, she was having issues, not only at home, but in classes to. Her parents had forced her to start learning everything out there, all the musical instruments, all the words in the dictionary and more. It wasn't till about Keiko's last year of elementary school that they found out she was slightly dyslexic. Her parents blamed it all on her, which she believed, but pushed for her to over come it. Keiko still has troubles with it, but keeps it to herself and deals with it the best she can. Keiko had a grandmother whom she was very close to, but died when Keiko started middle school. It was a very hard time for her, but that was when she started being more like her grandmother, polite and caring. In both middle school and high school, Keiko was elected Class Rep., giving her even more work and less time to relax. During middle school, she formed a case of Insomnia, making it impossible to sleep or sleep only for short periods of time. This only made her physically weaker and she got sick more often. When you look at her from a glance, she looks like the strongest person in the world, but underneath it, even unknown to herself, Keiko is at her limits. Because Keiko is the Rat, she appears to have the closest bond with the Head. She loves this because she just may be the only member of the Juunishi that doesn't want the curse lifted. Because of what the first Rat did, she feels obligated to make the others hate her, as punishment for 'her' cruel and selfish act.


|Need To Know|
-Has an odd obsession of wings, birds and angels. Her room is full of angel statues.


|Thoughts on Other Characters|
Haruji
"I think he is a nice person and whatnot. I think it is great when a young man establishes simple home skills like cooking and cleaning. I'm sure he'll make an amazing husband for a luck woman one day ... at least I hope."

Yuuto
"I don't think I have ever really talked to him. He seems so ... angry. I'm sure anything I would do would upset him, so I don't want to get near him. I would hate making things worse for him."

Ichirou
"Ichirou is like the big brother I never had. I'm glad I found him when I did though. He was just a misguided person who needed a little nudge. Not bragging about what I did! At all! I think he is just an amazingly strong man for pulling through and creating success from his despair."

Pippa
"She seems sweet. We talk occasionally, and considering we attend the same school, we see each other more often. But she's always hanging around with this boy, Paris. I hope it doesn't get her in trouble. I wish I could keep a closer eye on her."

Aiko
"I admire him! He is so strong for someone so physically weak. I hate bugging him to often, but I can't help it. I'm the Rat so all I can ever hope to do is live up to the expectations as those before me and stay by his side."

Miuru
"She is so quiet, but it's fun to speak with her ... which is rare. But if she doesn't like me or feel comfortable around me, I understand. At least she is willing to acknowledge me, that's good enough for me."

Kaida
"She's really pretty and I like her hair. I mean, that's all I really know. I haven't taken my time to get to know her as well as I should. Ichirou would scold me for not knowing my family better."

Hiiro
"She is really pretty also! All the female Zodiacs are ... I could probably learn a beauty tip or two from her. I get a real motherly feeling from her for some reason, I like it though. I think if I had her around all the time I might actually sleep for once! Hahaha."



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So begins...

Keiko Sohma's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma
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Keiko Sohma

Keiko kept her chin up and her sight forward, mainly concentrating on not bumping into any males. If she grew careless, something might happen. So with an at ease look and a soft smile, she continued down the hall.

School had ended not to long ago, leaving Keiko to attend to a few things before she could make her way to the Sohma Estate. First, she would stop by the student council room, and then she would have to speak to one of her teachers who had requested to see her after school.

ā€œKeiko,ā€ a familiar voice shouted. It was that of Keikoā€™s friend Mai, the daughter of Keikoā€™s fatherā€™s closest co-worker. They had known each other since they were rather young. ā€œThere is a new store that opened in the mall today! Itā€™s supposed to have the prettiest dresses! Do you want to go?ā€ Keiko felt bad, but the mall seemed much to dangerous to her.

ā€œIā€™m sorry, Mai. But I have to study and practice more ā€¦ It sounds like fun though. Maybe tomorrow? I also want to visit a family member.ā€ Mai was obviously upset that Keiko would not join her, but she was used to it by now.

ā€œAlright, tomorrow. Donā€™t go making plans on me, you hear,ā€ Mai shouted as she ran off, not letting Keiko answer.

Keiko let out a small, polite sigh as she made her way to the student council room. The door was wide open. It looked rather busy in there, the President sitting in his usual spot, yelling at the new kids for something they had ā€¦ fudged up. Keiko lingered in the doorway until he noticed and waved her in.

ā€œPlease tell me youā€™re here to save us, Miss Keiko?ā€ Keiko smiled at the first year students.

ā€œYou shouldnā€™t be so hard on them Haru. Maybe they would understand you better if you led by example.ā€ Keiko let off her usual sweet smile which sent President Haru into a mad blush. He started muttering before holding out his hand. ā€œOf course. Here you are, the papers you requested. I started organizing them before the bell rang, so they might be a little jumbled.ā€

ā€œThatā€™s fine. Thank you very much for your help, Keiko. I wouldnā€™t be able to function without you.ā€ The two exchanged goodbyes as Keiko exited, making her way to the classroom her teacher was in.



ā€œHello Mrs. Nagasi, what can I do for you?ā€

ā€œAh, Keiko, Iā€™ve been waiting to speak with you for a while. Youā€™ve been so busy.ā€ Mrs. Nagasi paused for a second before continuing. ā€œHow is everything going for you? Is your ā€¦ problem getting in the way of anything? It looks like you havenā€™t been sleeping.ā€

All the teachers had been made aware of Keikoā€™s dyslexia, but Mrs. Nagasi made it her objective to check up on Keiko constantly. Keikoā€™s eyes dropped slightly, she hated being reminded of her issues, but Mrs. Nagasi was only being concerned.

ā€œIā€™ve been doing much better, maā€™am. And Iā€™ve been sleeping very well. I thank you for your concern, but Iā€™ve been doing better with the support of my teachers and family,ā€ Keiko lied. In truth, it was the same as always. It was difficult for her to read much of anything and the last time she slept was three days ago for about thirty minutes. She had gone longer without sleep, but she had been running a fever. The medicine she took helped her sleep temporarily.

Keikoā€™s smile showed no fault, so her teacher had to believe the girl was doing alright.

If I told her, she would just worry herself. She doesnā€™t need unnecessary stress, so I wonā€™t hand it to her, Keiko thought.

ā€œIā€™ll be on my way now, maā€™am. Thank you for worrying, but Iā€™m fine.ā€ With a final smile and wave, Keiko walked into the nearly empty hall and started to the front entrance. Many people waved and greeted her on her way down, some even had quick conversations with her. Keiko couldnā€™t bring herself to tell them she was in a hurry, so she would listen and hope things would end as soon as possible.

Finally making it to the front doors, Keiko changed her shoes and started jogging to the Sohma Estate. She hadnā€™t even made it a quarter of the way before she had to stop to catch her breath. The school and the Estate were so close it was pitiful she was out of breath this early. Keiko leaned against a wall and took deep breaths. She wished her body wasnā€™t so weak.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yuuto Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Haruji Sohma Character Portrait: Hiiro Sohma
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The small local cafĆ© of La CafĆ©othĆØque situated itself smack-middle in one of the many streets the surrounding area provided, boutiques, general stores and another cafĆ© or two also littering the avenue. It was Spring time, the flower baskets that hung outside the cafĆ©'s doors bursting with life and colour. As it was the afternoon the sun shone it's brightest, naturally warming up the little cafĆ© inside, the customers basked in the sunshine provided. It was the calm before the storm, the last trickle of a customer or two before the school kids got out. Almost instinctively the cafĆ© soon cleared, bar a patriot or two, giving Haurji Sohma a good chance to finish early for the day.
"H-e-y, Ji-kun, you sure you need to go n-o-w... ?"
After serving his last customer of the day with a latte and a slice of coffee cake, Haruji was quick in cleaning up after himself, wiping down the counters of the kitchen for the head baker, Eizaborou, to use in the next shift. However the co-owner of the cafƩ had yet to arrive, Eizaborou probably running to the cafƩ at this point after a morning deep in paper work and paying no mind to the time. Usually Haruji would stay until whatever hour he was required to, however today was different. This change in pace piqued the curiosity of the other co-owner of the joint, Bachigo, who always liked to gossip a bit too much. Bachigo was good natured however very touchy feeling, something her husband Eizaborou scolds her for, especially knowing how uncomfortable Haruji tends to get when Bachigo threatens him with a hug. Without him there to moderate his busy-bodied wife, however, Haruji knew he was going to have a hard time shaking her off his scent.
The twenty-year-old finished cleaning up, folding up his apron with the usual cheerful smile he has plastered across his face, obviously ignoring Bachigo's question, as much as it pained him. Bachigo picked up on this immediately, taking a couple of steps closer to the boy, a sly grin on her lips.
"Ji-kun, you may be a good housewife, but you know you can't keep secrets from Ba-sama!"
Haruji, despite the potential trouble he was in, with Bachigo inching closer to him, ready to attack, could not help but chuckle at her last comment.
"Ba-san, you don't know the half of it..." Haruji thought himself, still trying to avoid Bachigo in the short while left he had before Eizaborou came to save the day. All he needed to do was to avoid the meddling thirty-odd-year-old, who was itching to ruffle his hair or squeeze his cheeks, something she did often to every other employee except Haruji... Unless she got her way right that moment. Haruji continued to get ready to leave, putting his large brown duffle coat on his shoulders, searching through his bag to make sure everything was there. Bachigo, never a fan of being ignored, pouted, feigning a sad and sulky face at the rejection from one of her younger employees.
"Oh, Ji-kun, you're breaking my heart! Come here, listen to the silence in my chest!"
Bachigo motioned towards Haruji at the speed of a devil, causing Haruji to try and escape at the same speed, whacking into the large counter that was in the middle of the kitchen. Slightly injured in his flight Haruji kept on running, heading for the door, nearly bumping into Eizaburou who, instead, bumped into Bachigo who was chasing Haruji out the door.
"Ji-kun, come here, I just wanted a hug!" Bachigo laughed, the large frame of her husband in the door protecting Haruji from her assault, Eizaburou looking around to see the out-of-breath Haruji behind him, giving the boy a sympathetic look.
"Sorry I took so long, Haruji-kun, you can go now... And sorry about Ba-chan."
Haruji gave a relieved smile at the sight of his saviour, giving a grateful nod to the respected baker and a "Thank you Eizaborou-san!" before running out of the cafƩ, the disappointing Bachigo watching her prey go.
"You always ruin the fun!" Bachigo pouted, followed by a wide smile and a kiss on the cheek to her husband. In the end, all the fun was in jest, and although Bachigo enjoyed messing around with young Haruji, she much preferred her husband...
... Although the kid never told her where he was going!

Out in the safety of the sparsely populated street, Haruji rubbed the side of his hip and stomach area, feeling the sting of hitting against a marble countertop. However the injury was nothing Haruji couldn't endure and after a while he grew accustomed to the pain. Bachigo always meant the best but she sure was rough; hopefully Eizaborou would lecture her, calming her down for at least a day or two. At that moment, though, the cafĆ© could wait; Haruji had to head home, or rather, home of the day. It has already been three days since he returned home to his father and although he worried about himā€¦ Haruji found it difficult to return. Of course he would probably return home in a day or so, but for now he would enjoy himself in the good company of others.
That day Haruji was heading out to Yuutoā€™s place, where last he checked Hiiro was staying also. He hoped they were alright; after all, Yuuto was used to living by himself and Hiiro seemed to be having a difficult time at the moment. Although they were his seniors, Haruji could not help but think of them as if they were the same age as him, although he did come across as a bit childish at times. Not that he minded; if having fun around others was childish, he didnā€™t mind a bit!
After all, Haruji enjoyed it too much, going to other peopleā€™s home and sniffing around their houses, talking to themā€¦ although he was always careful in Yuutoā€™s, what with all the computer and glass parts, it was like a house of fragility! Haruji thought of all this as he bumbled along the road, wearing a heavy coat, a long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of khakis, looking quite warm in the mild Spring weather. It did not hinder the sprightly youth much, as he turned off the main-streets, heading into the residential areas, specifically Yuutoā€™s abode.
Haruji had grown so used to going over to otherā€™s houses that he knew where most of them lived, having no trouble finding Yuutoā€™s home. Using a spare key that was hidden underneath a pot of flowers outside the door, Haruji opened the front door, unsure on whether or not anyone was there.
The Family Head was meant to see a few people that day, rumour had it, however Haruji was unsure whether Hiiro or Yuuto went to the meet yet, if they were planning at all.

ā€Hello?ā€] Haruji called, still standing in the front door, spotting the shoes in the doorway, the evidence that no one had left the house so far. Accustomed to entering otherā€™s houses, Haruji began to take his shoes off at the door, leaving his bag alongside it, wandering in the house in search of others. What he found was Hiiro shaking Yuuto from his slumber, shouting at him about rice of some sorts.
ā€Hiiro, what are you doing to Yuudyr?ā€ Haruji laughed, glad to see his cousins once more, still quite lively, or Hiiro at least. He always seemed glad to see others, actually, giving a large smile to the both of them before wandering farther into the room.
ā€Hm?... When did Yuudyr grow legs like those?ā€
Haruji stood alongside Hiiro over Yuuto with a curious gaze; although it was a common sight to see Yuuto having his afternoon sleep, Haruji could not help but wonder when the furry pair of trousers were added into the mix.



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ā€œ1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10!ā€
The couchā€™s high-pitched voice echoed above the heads of the students in front of her, following them from behind, the assistant coach leading them from the front. It was a medium-sized group of twenty or so girls, all jogging in an orderly three by seven formation, all members of the track & field club of the local all-girl junior high-school. Each time the coach reached the number ten, the running girls would give an enthusiastic shout, almost as though they were participating in army drills. The team quite well in marathons and competitions, passersby who kept up with the local sports clubs smiling and waving at the girls that past, who kept their focus on the jog ahead. They could be heard from quite a bit away, their shouts echoing down the streets around them, causing people on the road, even a bit ahead of them, to turn around, curious of the noise. As the high-school students began to leave school, heading home or somewhere else, the noise mystified them, causing them to stand in place for a second or two, to see where the noise was coming from. Most of them stopped, bar a view disinterested students, who kept looking forward ahead of them, not bothered by the shouting at all. Eventually the team came down the street, and what little school students that wandered that particularly desolate avenue stood out of their way, watching the girls go past. The club members did not pay attention to any of them except for one school girl, also coincidentally a junior high student, who paid no heed to their jogging. Recognising the face, the team captain, Akida Hase, beamed at the rather tall young girl, waving in her direction.

ā€œMiuru-kouhai!ā€ Hase called, drawing the attention of the other club members who also knew the girl, following Haseā€™s lead and waving at the girl also. They soon began to outpace Miuru Sohma, who was just walking at a normal pace, and thus not much else could be said between the team members. As the coaches nodded in Miuruā€™s direction, followed by shout directed at the girls, telling them to pay attention ahead of them. However, some still looked behind at Miuru, waving at her in a friendly manner.
ā€œHey, Sohma-kouhai!ā€ one girl called, her face lost in the jogging crowd that was starting to get ahead of Miuru at this stage ā€œDonā€™t just laze around tomorrow, run with us!ā€
Miuru said nothing in retaliation or even in her defense, the girl obviously poking fun at another track & field member. Eventually the group was quite a bit ahead of her, off to continue their practice. All the while Miuruā€™s expression did not change throughout that encounter, looking blankly into the space in front of her, almost as though she did not actually pay attention to what happened, or perhaps did not care. She simply carried on walk the path, with the intent of going home early for the first time in a while, missing the practice due to the fact that she had business with her father. Miuru was unsure whether she missed not having practice or not, regardless, it did not matter; she would always attend the next day.
However her bright green eyes followed the running group, seeing them just a bit farther in the distance before they turned the corner, leaving the road clear and open once more. Once the team left the street Miuru was able to look ahead of herself a bit down the road. Besides a couple of stray students, the only interesting thing left to see was a girl panting at the side of the road, looking as though she was a straggler of the earlier running group. Miuru knew better; she was not a member of the club. As she drew closer, the fourteen-year-old girl was able to depict who it was with more clarity; instead of being a member of the track & field club, it was Keiko Sohma, looking as though she ran a marathon. She was a bit older than Miuru, however only a little bit taller, another cursed member of the Sohma clan.

ā€ā€¦Keiko-san.ā€ Miuru greeted, standing alongside Keiko, her voice quite dull and her face brimming with emptiness, nothing much to her person.
With a nod in Keikoā€™s direction, Miuru carried on, never thinking of stopping and conversing with her cousin. Not out of rudeness, more so it never crossed her mind. It was not as though she was in a hurry, as she walked at a normal pace, not quite far ahead of Keiko by much.



Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ichirou Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Keiko Sohma

A troop of middle school girls passed by Keiko, jogging with ease. They were truly luck to have such well built bodies.

ā€œā€¦Keiko-san.ā€ Keiko jumped at the voice next to her and immediately bowed as an apology.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to block the path." Keiko said quickly, keeping her eyes to the ground. When there was no reply, Keiko finally looked up to see Miuru Sohma, the resident Dog of the curse. "Ah, Miuru! It's so nice to see you are going to school!" Keiko moved next to Miuru with her usual smile, thinking of what else to say to her younger cousin. "Not saying that I didn't think you were in school ... I mean, I'm glad you are working hard! Are you headed somewhere in particular?" Keiko smiled more to herself than anything as she grasped the small angel hanging from her necklace. "I'm on my way to see Aiko. It's been more than a week and I thought I should go and see him today."

Keiko continued to walk with Miuru until she had to go her own way. "Bye, Miuru! Stop by my house sometime, alright?" With that, Keiko walked in the direction of Aiko's house. As she got closer, Keiko realized how nervous she really was. She was always like that around him. Keiko didn't want to say or do something wrong. But visiting Aiko had to be done, no ... visiting him was a privilege. Being in the presence of the most powerful person in her life was an honor bestowed on a lowly rat.

Keiko's cell phone rang as she approached the front doors. It was Ichirou.

Hey Keiko! The forecast is clear for tonight. Do you want to go stargazing?

I'll reply later, she told herself, placing her phone back in her bag.

Keiko entered house she was all to used too. A pair of house slippers waited for her and a small stand next to the door was willing to take her bag. After she switched to the slippers, Keiko made her way to the room Aiko usually was in when they visited. She cracked open the door and saw him, then entered and bowed deeply.

"Hello, Aiko," Keiko stood up straight and smiled. "It's very nice to see you again."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yuuto Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Haruji Sohma Character Portrait: Hiiro Sohma
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Harujiā€™s attention was still held by Yuutoā€™s curious trousers, despite his cousinā€™s response, only barely registering the question Yuuto had asked him.
ā€Work? Oh, yeah, it, uh, it was great!ā€
Haruji gave a small smile and a laugh, not quite used to someone asking how his work day went. He didnā€™t really see it as interesting, only bringing work up if he brought some food homeā€¦ to which, he eventually forgot, in his flight from Bachigo. A twinge of regret was felt in his gut, however; the soft melancholy of forgetting to take cakes and sweets home. The only thing that would cheer him up would be poking Yuutoā€™s leg, in inspection of the trouserā€™s material.
ā€Oh, itā€™s of good quality!ā€ Haruji noted, the sight of fur reminding him of his first-year cultural festival in high-school, where he had the unfortunate task of sewing cheap clumps of manufactured fur to create some sort of creature costume for a horror houseā€¦ It kind of reminded him of being a high-school kid, even right down to a doting mother, as Haruji watched Hiiro collect his things from the hall in and put it in the kitchen.
He wondered if Yuuto minded if the duo were raiding his house, however he looked quite comfortable on the sofa, which warranted an extra poke to the leg from Haruji in a jesting manner. Haruji was quite startled, thus, when his poke was returned from Hiiro, who informed him of the rice.

ā€What, Iā€™m even being fed?ā€ Haruji asked, quite touched, his face distorting into quite a dorky smile of glee. It was rare that he got the chance to sample otherā€™s food, especially Hiiroā€™s, which were quite good in their own respect, even if it was just rice.
Haruji followed her into the kitchen, quite the happy bunny, catching Hiiroā€™s last comment, referring to her child. Well, child in the womb; it was still hers, regardless. Being reminded of Hiiroā€™s situation, Haruji was also reminded of the family met that was to be had that day; he wondered if Hiiro was planning to tell the Family Head about her pregnancyā€¦ however, she did seem to enjoy simply getting them rice, Haruji did not want to spoil the atmosphere with complicated topics. It was enough for everyone to be happy, in his opinion anyway.

Upon Hiiroā€™s request, Haruji grabbed the chopsticks from a kitchen cupboard, setting them absently on the kitchen table before returning back into the living room to Yuuto.
ā€Yuudyr, if you are planning to go back to sleep, Iā€™m going to eat your share!ā€ Haruji called from the living room door, returning back into the kitchen in fear that his own share would grow coldā€¦




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Miuru carried along walking, whether or not she was surprised that Keiko was unknown. However the younger girl looked up, upon Keiko walking beside her and talking, despite the lack of conversation on the other end. Miuru remained looking disinterested, although her eyes settled on the talking Keiko, absorbing what was being said.
Keiko smiled a lot whilst talking, despite the lack of response from her cousin, something Miuru had picked up about Keiko. She came across as polite and nice, willing to talk to Miuru, something the dog zodiac appreciated, in some manner of form. Said appreciation was never said or expressed, however, as Miuru remained silent as Keiko carried on talking to her, until they had to part, her cousin noting her visit to the current Family Head, Aiko, before leaving Miuruā€™s company.
ā€... Good luck Keiko.ā€ Miuru said, despite the fact that by the time she had said it Keiko was already out of hearing range for Miuruā€™s soft tone of voice. She couldnā€™t help but wonder what was occurring; there was always a bit of curiosity from everyone, upon hearing a cursed family member is about to visit Aiko. Maybe it was something to keep the gossipers busy, but Miuru found it was worthy to note; not many visited Aiko simply for a visit.

Alas, suspicion would not carry her home and Keiko, already left towards the Family Head house. Miuru did not have to walk farther, living quite close-by due to her fatherā€™s responsibilities. The house she resided in was not quite grand, however it was a well-kept home, with delicately tidied front gardens of bright tulips and rose bushes, all handled with care. It looked like a normal household from outside; a bit modern, if there was any complaints. But it was home nonetheless, and Miuruā€™s destination, as she walked down the small garden path to the door, producing a pair of keys from her coat pocket and entering the house.
Inside it was quiet, besides the hum of a dishwasher and a chirp or two from a bird outside, audible inside due to an open window somewhere. The silence was almost immediately broken, as a slow sound of feet could be heard from upstairs, as if they were uncertain whether or not someone had entered their domain.

ā€I am home.ā€ Miuru declared as loud as she could manage, taking off her shoes and her coat before ending the hall. Upon hearing her voice the slow steps broke into a fast pace, someone racing down the stairs upon hearing Miuruā€™s return.
ā€œMiuru!ā€ the older gentlemen announced with a warm smile, almost as though he was happy to see her face. He seemed a bit sweaty, after running around to get down the stairs to her, however the middle-age man seemed quite friendly. There was no reason for him not to be; after all, it was her father, Meitarou, the same father who requested her to return home early that day.
ā€Father!ā€ Miuru mimicked her father, however with less enthusiasm and no warm smile returned, stepping further into the hall to enter further into the house.
However her father reached out to stop her, his hand hesitating over her shoulder at the last second. Miuru stopped in her tracks and looked her father in the face; it was evident that he was need of some sort of assistance, as hastily as said aid could be provided.
ā€œMiuru, have you seen myā€¦ my note anywhere?ā€ Meitarou asked kindly, despite the fact that he was getting stressed out by their absence. It was indeed a rare occurrence that he would leave his notes to be lost somewhere, especially these days, however he could have meant any notes; notes about patients, notes about an interesting documentary he watched on television, a note he wrote for the weekly groceryā€¦ Miuru shook her head, suspecting, whatever her father was referring to, she, most likely, did not see them around.
Meitarou let out an anxious sigh, rubbing his head in though, his daughter his last resort of sorting out the clue. His wife was little help,as he resigned to the garden for the day and would bitterly reject ever seeing any note lying around. His last hope was Miuru, which was quickly dashedā€¦

ā€... Have you retraced your steps, father?... Where have you been last?ā€
It was a simple question but an efficient one; enough to oil the cogs of Meitarouā€™s memory. He sat himself down on the bottom step, rubbing his chin in thought, mentally going through his day once more.
ā€œWellā€¦ I woke up? Got breakfast, yada yada, did some paperworkā€¦ I went out for a bit, checked up on some patientsā€¦ Then, later, I texted you to come home?ā€
It was obvious the man was missing a chunk of the day, but Miuru discarded this oversight and focused on the information her father provided.
ā€... your last patientā€¦ā€
ā€œHm?ā€
Meitarou did not quite get what his daughter was getting at, at first, however it eventually made sense what she was referring to.
ā€œMaybe I left it with the last patientā€¦ ?ā€
Meitarou got to his feet, a wide grin crossing his mouth.
ā€œI left it with the last patient!ā€

There was no confirmation to that, however it was a start. Miuru, satisfied with the work she had done so far, began once more to attempt a retreat to the kitchen. Once more, however, her father stopped her, pulling gently on the collar of her shirt.
ā€œWait! Miuru! Could you do me a big favour?ā€
It was quite obvious at this point what he was referring to. He was likely too busy, once more, in paperwork to go out once more to retrieve these notes. Without any further questions, Miuru returned to the door, putting her shoes on once more.

ā€Whoā€¦ was it?ā€ Miuru asked, getting up onto her feet once her shoes were on, and grabbing her coat off the hook.
ā€œHm, itā€¦ it was Aiko-san, yes.ā€ Meitarou mused, his voice tinged with a uncertainty, however his eyes gleaming, remembering the amount of work he had left on his desk upstairs. It was quite obviously Aiko, anyway; the rest of Meitarouā€™s patients were senile elderly people who he visits simply to check if they are doing already out of a bit of charity on his part.
However Miuru didn't seem at all phased at the proposition, putting her coat on and opening the door, leaving the house only minutes after she returned. As she began to walk down the garden path once more, Meitarou went to the door, calling after her.
ā€œDonā€™t look in it!ā€ he hissed, not wanting to shout after her outside ā€œIt is all confidential! Just come straight back home with it!ā€
Whether or not Miuru quite registered her fatherā€™s order was uncertain; it was unlikely she would ever look into a possession of her fatherā€™s, however; it held little interest to her, besides doing an errand for her father.

Thus Miuru retraced her own steps, returning back to the residential street but instead turning towards the path Keiko took, towards the Family Headā€™s house. She was unsure what she would find there; if one member was visiting, it was likely someone else would join them. Miuru wasn't planning to start long, regardless, as she made way to the house.

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Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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#, as written by Zalgo
Aiko had stood waiting for quite a few minutes. His legs were starting to feel the time he spent just waiting there for them. Today is different from the last time she visited. She is taking longer than usual. He had some time to himself to ponder as to what could be holding Keiko up.

Almost as if in response to his speculations she arrived, setting aside her bag and donning her indoor footwear. When she bowed he bowed as well, not as deep as her though. He was the head of the family, someone with no equal. As such he would bow lower than no one. "Hello, Aiko," Keiko stood up straight and smiled. "It's very nice to see you again." She greeted him with warmth and what possibly seemed like genuine happiness. None the less he was still skeptical of her. Defiance always begins with the smallest of deviations.


"Hello Keiko. Good of you to finally come." He spoke, his words devoid of any sign of emotion. Inside his head he believed he appeared and sounded friendly. In reality his voice was cold and foreboding while his face hid his true feelings towards this ordeal terribly, simply locked in a reluctant frown. When he talked it was as though each word he would say was a stone he was throwing at his intended audience. No matter how encouraging and friendly he tried to make his words they would always sound like they were designed to hurt and break the people they are given to.

"You took longer than usual. Something hold you up at school? Perhaps on the way here?" He asked, trying to better understand why she took a few more minutes to reach his manor than usual. Seeing how his current relationship with the family was basically one man trying to keep above neck level in a pool of snakes, each trying to come out on top while the bottom grew deeper and the undertow stronger with every passing moment, he needed to keep a laser keen focus on everything everyone says and does. No matter who's business it was, the moment it involved anyone within the Sohma family it was his business. He really didn't like other people making their problems his business.


And then he heard the doorbell ring. He turned from Keiko towards the door, wondering just who it could be. The list of people it could likely be far exceeded the list of people he wanted to see. He went over, his shoes gliding across the wood panel floor without a single noise, not even from the wood which he stood on. Standing in front of the door he peered through the peak hole to see the guest. It was a stranger, a tall girl dressed in rather plain clothes wearing glasses. He did not know who this girl even was. Who could possibly be visiting? And why? The possibilities flew through his head rapidly.
"You didn't tell me you were bringing guests." He spoke low to Keiko as to not alert the spectacled girl outside.

Without much further delay he opened the door slightly, peering through the thin aperture at this new arrival. He stood directly behind the door just in case this was a home invasion and this young unassuming girl was some psychotic killer out to murder them both and steal all his belongings. He figured if he could shut and lock the door fast enough he might stand a fighting chance of surviving the encounter. "Hello. What business do you come to these estates on?" He asked the stranger as politely as he could sound. There was a slight twinge of fear in his voice, his uncertainty just barely poking through his gravitas.
He desperately hoped the strange figure's business here was trivial, like she accidentally threw her flying disc out onto his property and was coming up to formally ask his permission so she would not step on his grounds uninvited.

Now that I think about it, I'd love it if the rest of my family would ask my permission before doing anything on my property. That would make things so much easier for me.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Keiko Sohma

"Hello Keiko. Good of you to finally come." His face and tone were the same, but as far as Keiko had remembered, it had always been like for him. "You took longer than usual. Something hold you up at school? Perhaps on the way here?"

ā€œI did have to speak with a teacher and the President ā€¦ Iā€™m sorry. I thought it could get it done faster than I did.ā€

Then the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong

ā€œYou didn't tell me you were bringing guests.ā€ Aiko said in a low voice for only Keiko to hear.

ā€œI didnā€™t know I was either.ā€ Keiko said confused. Then she remembered something. ā€œOh! Youā€™ll never guess who I ran into on the way here. I saw,ā€ Keiko would have continued, but then the term ā€˜Speak of the Devilā€™ came into play. ā€œMiuru!ā€

ā€œHello. What business do you come to these estates on?ā€ Keiko simply stood behind Aiko, blending into the background. If Aiko was speaking, she had no place to interrupt. Did he not know who Miuru was? Keiko was sure he had to have a feeling that she was one of the Zodiac. Now that Keiko recalled it, wasnā€™t Miuruā€™s father the family doctor?

Had the two really gone this long without meeting in person? Sure, neither were the most sociable ā€¦ but that seemed crazy. Then again, Aiko and his father were in Keikoā€™s earliest memories. Of course Akio was just a baby.

And her parents wanted her to be a part of the family. She had heard many of the maids in the Estate claim that her parents only did so for the position it gave them. They were now a part of the ā€˜eliteā€™. Keiko thought it was gibberish. Her parents loved her and who she was; even without the curse they would have loved her. Maybe they were a little ā€¦ precise on what they wanted her to do, but itā€™s not like Keiko had any plans herself. Like her parents wanted, she would become a Sohma lawyer and stay in the Estate. It made things easier for everyone. Keiko didnā€™t mind studying as much as they asked, it was to help her. And she adored all the instruments she was able to own and play.

It wasnā€™t like they made her stay in no matter what other than to go to school. They trusted her enough to live in her own place inside the Estate. Keiko never had to ask to hang out with her friends or family. Mainly because she never really felt like she wanted to. Hanging out was in her comfort zone, but going places she had never been before along with the possibility of bumping into someone was definitely a no for her.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yuuto Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Haruji Sohma Character Portrait: Hiiro Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Haruji seemed quite content, simply by sitting at the table with others and eating the rice, as he looked quite innocent, his only worry seeming to be rice falling out of his chopsticks grasp and falling on his lap. He was glad he did not mention the family meeting; after all, the three were having such a lovely time together, without thinking about worries. However Haruji was acting too naĆÆvely, if he thought that if he avoided the topic it would go away by itself.
As Yuuto questioned them upon their summer vacation, Haruji did not comment, either because he was enjoying the rice too much or he had nothing in particular to say about his summer. After all, he did just work and nothing much else; heā€™d rather not bore them with his cafĆ© antics, and as such Haruji continued eating, listening to Hiiroā€™s own response to Yuutoā€™s question.
However the question gone-and-past instigated something in Hiiroā€™s memory, as she suddenly got up, realising that the family meeting was that day. Hiiro began to fly into a panic, as Yuuto and himself watched her worry about the event up until the point that she decided to leave, in better preparation.

ā€Ah, Hiiro, wait!...ā€
However, Harujiā€™s words were a bit too late, as Hiiro already left, leaving Yuuto and himself alone in the house. Soon after Hiiroā€™s departure Yuuta followed in a panicked state, Haruji already figuring out before then even that the goat zodiac family member was not found of the Family Head.
ā€Yuudyr, itā€™ll be alright!ā€ Haruji began to console, however Yuuto did not seem to notice, as his panic eventually led him to transform into his goat form. He even answered a phone-call he was receiving in this form, impressive to Haruji, yet still causing concern. Haruji was never quite good with dealing with conflict, even through supporting others, and felt unsure how to react, other than smile and offer a small kind word every once in a while. He was not even sure who Yuuto was talking to however, once the phone-call ended, he left the house saying nothing, still in his goat form.

ā€Yuudyr, wait, you are still-!ā€
Haruji began scrambling from the kitchen into the front hall when Yuuto left. Opening the front door and looking down the street, Yuuto had not gone very far.
Haruji rushed backed into the kitchen, guilty about leaving the dishes uncleaned or even organised on the table, putting his shoes and coat on and, with his bag on his back, Haruji left the house, quickly locking it before rushing down the street after the rogue goat.
ā€œW-wait, Yuudyr!ā€ Haruji said, rushing after Yuuto, trying to keep his voice to a minimum tone, wanting to keep the streets as desolate as possible. However Haruji, not the athletic sort, had to make do chasing after his cousin at a distance, only catching up to Yuuto at the door of Hiiroā€™s place.

ā€Yuudyr, y-... youā€™re a goat-!ā€ Haruji panted behind Yuuto, who was currently pausing outside Hiiroā€™s door after knocking upon it with his head. Haruji looked around to see if any passerby would come anytime soon, leaning over his stomach to stop the stitches he was experiencing...



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Miuru strolled casually up the street, arriving upon the Family Headā€™s abode in no time. It was a miniscule travel between her own home to the house in front of her, less than three minutes at least, in estimation. However, Miuru was guilty to the fact that she never quite ever approached or entered the home of the one who apparently ran her own clan, that could dictate her fate, only knowing its location by others in the past.
It was usually her father that dealt with interactions with the family, leaving Miuru out of the loop, bar her interactions with some of the other cursed members, as limited as they were to begin with. In honesty, Miuru was a bit taken aback by her fatherā€™s request, concluding that he must be quite desperate if he needed her to attend a house he, as some believe to be purposefully, hide her away from.
It was one of the reasons Miuru left quite swiftly; also she understood that the man would tear out his hair if he could not find something important. Whatever was in this notebook of his ould be considered such valuable information that Meitarou could not return himself, in fear questions would be asked, rather he would send his child, making the ordeal a trivial errandā€¦ Or that was what Miuru surmised. Her father was quite easy to figure out, on the other hand.

Miuru ate these foods of thought as she rang the doorbell of the strange home in politeness, waiting for a reply or some sorts. The reply came in the form of an eye peering out from a crack in the door, their face and identity obscured by the door itself.
"Hello. What business do you come to these estates on?" a voice questioned her, quite formal in tone, above anything else. She began to wonder how much her father ever talked about her to those within the Family Headā€™s home, if there was anyone besides the current Family Head living there at all.
ā€I am Miuru Sohmaā€¦ My fatherā€¦ Meitarou-sanā€¦ left something hereā€¦ sent here to get itā€¦ā€
Miuru availed to speak as clearly as she possibly could in her introduction, unsure yet to whom she spoke to. However, in the background, Miuru could swear she heard her name being called, which led Miuruā€™s eyes to wander beyond the hidden strangerā€™s face to try and look behind them. She could not see anything however but a slit-view of the house internally, making it impossible to figure out if someone, indeed, call her nameā€¦

ā€... Keiko?ā€ Miuru inquired vaguely, remembering her cousinā€™s comment upon visiting the Family Head Aiko, which lead Miuru to believe the one questioning her was Aiko himself, unless she was utterly mistaken overall.
ā€... Sohma-san.ā€ Miuru recognised Aiko by this title, calling him by his surname rather than his familiar first name; it made little sense why she was calling out these names however, to herself, her mind had figured out the puzzle and verbally expressed it. Unless she was wrong, and the gate-keeper protecting the door was not Aiko indeed, nor was who she believed called her name in the background Keiko at all. Nonetheless, it was worth a try guessing who was who in the odd scenario.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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#, as written by Zalgo
ā€I am Miuru Sohmaā€¦ My fatherā€¦ Meitarou-sanā€¦ left something hereā€¦ sent here to get itā€¦ā€

Her voice was soft like the whisper of a mouse. It was his doctor's daughter, come to pick up an item left behind by her father. He had never seen her before but he had heard more than enough about her from her father. Her father had described her in glowing details, definitely creating high expectations from the start. He knew better than to expect much and he was right. The only particularly noteworthy details that stood out to him were her demure appearance and glasses.


Her father had always served as his doctor for as long as he could remember. For the earlier half of his life Aiko had seen as much of her father as he did his own. In his own way he owed her father a lot. From the oxygen tanks which kept him breathing for so many years right down to the inhaler he keeps just in case pollutants irritate his airway without her father he would not be alive today. Of course, then his father got sick and her father failed at his duties as both a doctor and a parent. It was natural for him to harbor some anger at her father for what happened the day his father died. He felt let down by his doctors inability to save him but what his father had said to him before put the entire incident in a different light.

His father didn't die just because his doctor failed him, he died because the curse had come to collect it's dues. After all, this curse afflicted him and his father as much as it did the rest of his family. He would not turn into an animal at any point but his share of the curse was just as debilitating, perhaps more so than the rest. His father's death was less sudden tragedy and more a grim inevitability, as is his own. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't run from the fact that death was the real head of this family. his role is just to serve his purpose for as long as it has planned for him to do so.
He was the master of this curse and it's slave all the same.

As such, he did not blame her father when his father's final hour had finally past. His doctors duty was a Sisyphean task, failure being almost entirely assured. He kept him on as his doctor because he knew his doctor would strive even harder to redeem himself from his disgraceful defeat. If he couldn't be assured of his dedication and loyalty before he certainly could now.
If his doctor ever planned to kill him it would be far too obvious who did it. It would be foolish for her father to even try.


Aiko turned to Keiko, his body still in the way of the door. "You need to keep me better informed." He commanded her in a low, hushed tone so he wouldn't be heard by Miuru. He figured he could use Miuru's unexpected visit as incentive for Keiko to start informing him of everything that was going on. An extra pair of eyes and ears with which to spy on his fellow family members with was valuable indeed and by extension, so was Keiko.

Aiko opened the large wooden door to his home, holding it open as he gestured for Miuru to step inside.
"It is good to finally meet you Miuru, Please step inside. Your father has spoken quite highly of you. I've actually been looking forward to speaking with you for some time. I trust you are not too busy to speak with me while we go retrieve this undisclosed item you were speaking of?" He welcomed Miuru inside, offering an opportunity to converse with him while they looked for what she was sent here for.

He wasn't lying to her particularly when he said he was looking forward to speaking with her. He had actually been hoping to learn more about her for some time given that they have not met yet. It would be a good time to analyze her, figure out just what to do with her and where she would fit in the family order. His voice was less cold bordering on hostile and more cold seasoned with formality now since both of the people he was in the company of were rather well behaved at the moment.
He was sure his day wouldn't end with just these two so he savored the comfortably quiet people's company while it lasted.

Will she help or will she hinder? He planned to answer that question soon.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yuuto Sohma Character Portrait: Ichirou Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Keiko Sohma

Aiko stood in front of the door for a moment before turning to Keiko. "You need to keep me better informed." He commanded her in a low, hushed tone. Keiko dropped her shoulders and nodded. Her heart was beating heavily as though she had let him down ... again.

No. She couldn't let her negative thoughts influence his mood. Keiko knew she needed to keep smiling.

"Anything you wish, Aiko," Keiko said in such a hushed tone as he had.

"It is good to finally meet you Miuru, please step inside. Your father has spoken quite highly of you. I've actually been looking forward to speaking with you for some time. I trust you are not too busy to speak with me while we go retrieve this undisclosed item you were speaking of?" Keiko stayed glued to her spot. Aiko may have waned to speak with Miuru privately, so she wouldn't follow unless she was told. Her eyes locked with the ground and she stayed to the side. Keiko could feel her eyes hollow and her smile disappear. Not that she was sad, but it was habit when she was in the presence of Aiko and another zodiac member. Though she expected most of the others to hate her, they grew fond of her.

Keiko was thankful for that much, but something about Aiko made her want him to think she was there for only him. She had been told about the previous Rats'. She had heard the maid's of the Estate say that none of them were as idiotically loyal as her. Her love for the Head wasn't idiotic ... was it? No. It was just as it should be. She was a servant and he a master.

Ichirou Sohma

"Oh hey man! I'm a little bit hoofy right now and Hirro's givin' me hell right now but come over when ever, hopefully I'll be human by the time you get here man!" Ichirou raised his brow until it clicked. Yuuto, the resident Ram of the zodiac had just magically poofed into his given creature. He did sound rather stressed out about something.

Before Ichirou could even answer, Yuuto had hung up in a hurry. Not that it bugged Ichirou in the slightest. It just got him curious as to what had gotten Yuuto worked up so much.

"Guess I'll find out later," Ichirou said with a shrug as he moved to the doorway. There was a lot going on around the Sohma household moment ... it made Ichirou wonder if everything was okay with everyone. It had been a while since they had all gotten together.

It was a rather lovely day, so Ichirou decided to respect mother earth and walk instead of drive. The Sohma Estate wasn't that much far all. And if he wasn't mistaken, Yuuto's house wasn't to far off that path. Ichirou had needed to take a breather anyways.

"Just don't try to convince yourself something that isn't true," Ichirou said as his mind began to wander and his feet travel to their destination.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yuuto Sohma Character Portrait: Ichirou Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Haruji Sohma Character Portrait: Hiiro Sohma
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Haruji stood there, looking at the goatish Yuuto with concern, still looking about them, hoping no one would notice a goat loitering their streets. Thus, when the front door swung open, Haruji was taken aback, stepping back in surprise before looking at the sight in front of him. Hiiro had, indeed, gotten ready, looking quite nice for the meeting to come, her green kimono a lovely shadeā€¦ Then again, Haruji was a bit biased, after all, green was his favourite colourā€¦

He got a bit distracted with this fact, his concentration snapping back upon seeing Hiiroā€™s disapproving face. What was wrong?... Was it because there was a goat and a young kid floating outside her house, making quite a bit of noise? Haruji never thought of looking fancy for the Family Head, and was taken aback once more upon Hiiroā€™s request that they return home to get prepared. Before he could respond, Hiiro returned once more into her place, leaving Haruji and Yuuto outside, Haruji himself looking quite stunned. He lifted the sleeve of his coat up to his face, sniffing it.

ā€Do I smell?ā€ Haruji asked aloud, looking down at Yuuto, who had already turned around to return to his house, huffing and puffing about Ichirou and the Family Head. Although Haruji was quite happy, at the proposition of meeting another cousin of his, it was a strange time to feel optimistic, as the Family Head meeting was stressing them all out.
Yuuto began walking away, still in goat form, towards his house, apparently not seeing Harujiā€™s presence at all, however this did not deter Harujiā€™s interactions with his goatly cousin at all.
ā€Iā€™ll see you there, Yuuto!ā€ Haruji called, going the opposite way. Desperate times called for desperate measures; he would have to return home and at least grab a tie and sort out his hair and maybe grab an ironed shirtā€¦ it was still the afternoon, which meant minimal danger, although one had to be careful; it was dangerous entering the house at any time.


The house in question being Harujiā€™s own home, not any of the residents of his family, no. It was quicker to climb into the first-floor of the two-storey house, into his room, the window always open for his return. It would take a while to return to his loving grandparents and after he explained the whole situation it would late in the evening. They cared, yet they spoke too much and, after all, all Haruji wanted was a tie.

To get into his bedroom, Haruji climbed up the drainage pipe that ran along the side of the house, swinging into the window with the ease of a professional. He knew for certain his father had a tie or two in his room, which was the place Haruji planned to take the tie from. His own bedroom in the house was quite sparse; one bed, an empty desk, a small wardrobe; there wasnā€™t much to come home to. Even his fatherā€™s room, a room someone actually lived it, was equally as empty, everything in its place and neatly kept. Haruji threaded carefully, sure no one was in the house yet still cautious.

It took him little time at all to find a tie, a lovely dark, rich colour of green. He almost laughed, thinking how it would compliment Hiiroā€™s kimono, yet it felt out of place to laugh in that room. Instead he put the tie on with no problem, smoothing the creases in his white shirt with his hand; he was still in his work uniform, which was plain in itself, put it would do. Haruji also took his coat off, making him less messy-looking than before; he would carry it with him instead, not trusting leaving it in the house.

Once he made sure his hair was fixed, his shoes quickly polished and his shirt tucked into spare black trousers he found in his own wardrobe, Haruji was forced to leave the house from the front door, fearing of getting dirty on his descent down the pipe. The kid didnā€™t take his time once outside the house, walking quickly away as fast as he could until he could not longer see the house on the horizon behind him. He survived the infiltration that day; which was lucky, since he did not wish to spoil the day with any unsavoury interactionsā€¦ even though he knew he would, eventually, return that week to do as such. However it was not the time to think about the future, when the present already had to be addressed.
As he was closer to the Sohma estate than Hiiro or Yuutoā€™s living places, Haruji decided to head there instead, believing he would meet them there. He did not rush down the avenues towards the house, his beige-brown duffle-coat folded and held at his side, looking quite formal indeed with his shirt and tie. Hopefully it would meet Hiiroā€™s expectations.

As Haruji continued to flatten the mess of hair he had with his hand, Haruji paid little attention to what lay in front of him, eventually bumping into someone in front of him, nearly falling over. Attempting to preserve his pristinely black trousers, Haruji caught his balance just in time knowing, since he did not transform into a rabbit, whoever he ran into was male.
ā€Iā€™m so sorry!ā€ Haruji cried, bowing down as low as he could without kneeling on the concrete side-walk, not taking the time to even look up to whom he was speaking to ā€I wasnā€™t looking where I was going, and Iā€™m in a bit of a rush and-ā€

Haruji kept his bowing position, continuing his apology, yet to realise that he had bumped into his cousin Ichirou who was also on his way to the Sohma estate...





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If Miuru was surprised by Aikoā€™s warm-enough welcome into his abode, she did not express it, nor did she express any gratitude of sorts for said warm welcome; she simply took a step in when offered, with a soft ā€Thank youā€ as she went along.

She took a moment or two, once inside to respond to the latter half of Aikoā€™s greeting, slightly distracted by the sight of Keiko in the house also; although the silver-haired senior had made it evident that she was visiting, it was another to meet her there; it was a new experienced, visiting the house with little escort of external forces. It almost seemed that Keiko was moreso a deer rather than a rat, a deer caught in the headlights, frozen on the spot and looking down at the floor in a suspicious manner. Miuru raised a quizzical eyebrow at this behaviour, yet did not carry on with her curiosity within the conversation.

Instead she turned her gaze once more on Aiko, not quick with an answer, acting like a sponge, intaking the atmosphere she had taken a step into. It was heavy, yet it was not uncomfortable being there; besides, she wasnā€™t there for frivolous matters that the atmosphere would obstruct her goal. Ignoring the compliments that were simply relayed from her father to which, in her eyes, were unreliable, Miuru decided to finally get to the point of her visit.

ā€... I do not mind speaking with you whilst searching for the item. My time is not bound, Sohma-san... ā€œ Miuru stated as clearly as Miuru could, remembering to always address the Family Head with respect, despite the fact that her father would prefer she went home as quick as she could. Miuru knew little of the Family Head, yet her father had already drilled her, in fear, before, to always show respect. Perhaps it irked her a twitch, showing respect to a stranger, however said irritation was quickly soothed by the fact that, since she knew little of Aiko, outside of rumours, she had little cause to not show him respect, especially since he did care for the family as their Family Head in many ways, explained to her before that incident.
At the thought of respect towards the Family Head, Miuru turned her stare to Keiko once more, who remained frozen in the spot she stood in.

ā€Keikoā€¦ fancy seeing you thereā€¦ā€
Her statement was quite confusing, especially since Miuru did, indeed, know of Keikoā€™s visit to Aiko, however in her monotone voice the small joke probably lost, if you could call it a joke at all. It was meant to ā€œlightenā€ the mood, which was difficult, in such a dead-pan and serious tone.

Nonetheless, Miuru entered further into the house towards Keiko, giving a respectful nod to the Family Head on her way, her green irises slowly surveilling the room, wondering where her father had dropped his precious notebook.

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Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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ā€... I do not mind speaking with you whilst searching for the item. My time is not bound, Sohma-san... ā€œ

He was quite pleased with how the girl was behaving so far.
With any luck I can learn more about her and have no other obstacles in this already miserable day. His thoughts dwelled on all the happenings of his day, shaded by his already sour emotions while he watched Miuru silently explore the foyer with her eyes alone. "Excellent. Perhaps I can serve as your guide through the house for the time being while we search for said item and discuss various topics. Naturally as it is your first time here you must be unfamiliar with the setting, no doubt a hindrance to finding this possession belonging to your father." He offered his assistance as any good host would, showing fine manners to his guests despite his feelings towards them.

His feet glided along the floor silently as though he were walking along air, bringing him over towards the doorway on his left leading into the adjoining hallway. Before he was to take her along for the tour he realized others would be arriving soon, deciding there what he'd have Keiko do seeing as she was just standing there. "Keiko, if it is of no trouble to yourself would you please welcome the other members inside and tell them I'll be joining them shortly?" He asked of her, knowing well enough the answer before she even needed to speak. The mask of politeness he wore around others existed only to hide his real one, one which if discovered he knew would make trying to compel the other members to heed his words a far greater task.

He reacquired Miuru within his line of sight and in a most deliberate yet subtle motion he gestured for her to follow him into the house for a tour of his abode. "Do follow myself for the time being. It would be a shame for you to get lost here." he suggested to her, trying to sound and seem welcoming when at best he could accomplish mildly creepy.

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Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Keiko Sohma

ā€œKeikoā€¦ fancy seeing you thereā€¦ā€ Keiko bowed to Miuru and smiled.

ā€œItā€™s nice to see you again as well, Miuru.ā€

Aiko continued his conversation with Miuru and Keiko went back to her apathetic state, simply waiting further lead.

"Keiko, if it is of no trouble to yourself would you please welcome the other members inside and tell them I'll be joining them shortly?"

ā€œOf course, Aiko. It is absolutely no trouble at all!ā€ Keiko bowed again, this time to Aiko and turned for her leave. She felt as though it would be better for her to wait in the front entrance and she could guide everyone from there. It made things a lot easier and they could all converse freely as she stayed posted at her station.

She was still in her school uniform, which somewhat made her feel even worse. She was sure everyone else would be nicely dressed to meet Aiko, but she hadnā€™t even bothered to take time to change. It seemed as though Aiko was used to seeing her in her uniform, but the formal part of her nagged at how indecent and rude it was for her to wear such common clothes in the presence of such a higher up.

Out of habit, Keiko kept her hands folded neatly in front of her and her eyes to the floor. She would only see the others feet when they arrived, but that was all she needed. At the moment, she was the doorman, all she had to do was say hello, show them to the room and inform them of Aikoā€™s momentary absence. It wasnā€™t a special day, not that Keiko was aware of, so not that many people should have been showing up. Most the Zodiac would have been getting off of work and going home. Who could have had business with him didnā€™t even cross her mind. Keiko wasnā€™t very in the loop, everything she knew about them really came from Ichirou. She occasionally saw Miuru on the way home from school, and Pippa did go to the same school as her, but other than that, Keiko was at home, studying or in the park with Ichirou. She couldnā€™t even recall the last time she had seen or even talked to anyone else in her family.

Most of her life had been revolved around Aiko. Then there was what time she dedicated to Ichirou. She shared a loving bond with 14 people and she willingly got to know two of them.

ā€œAnother reason to add to the ā€˜Why They Should Hate Meā€™ list ā€¦ā€

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Keiko Sohma

Keiko had been feeling as though no one would show, but it was probably just the silence that was making everything dragged on. At that, she began to slightly hum the piece she had been working on for piano. Not long after, she began to tap her side to keep time. Knock knock, it threw her off completely, but she should have known better than to dwell on her thoughts instead of stay sharp.

The smaller silver-haired girl slid the front entry way door open and bowed.

ā€œI apologize, but Aiko is on business right at this moment. But he should be done shortly, if you would like to follow me to the room he has requested everyone remain in until he returns.ā€ Her usual apathetic state was interrupted by the confusion she felt, for when she looked up, there was a very unfamiliar face before her. ā€œHello there. I think you might have the wrong residence. Would you like me to help point you in the correct direction?ā€ It seemed to instant as she changed to the Keiko everyone who wasnā€™t a Sohma knew. The Keiko that smiled instead of the one that seemed to stare into the distance with a blank expression.

Keiko noticed his eyed and let out a small laugh. ā€œWhat curious eyes you have, sir. They are quite the oddity. I find them very mystifying if you donā€™t mind me saying.ā€

She assumed that he must have been a tourist or just moved to town; otherwise he wouldnā€™t have wandered into the Estate. Keiko was sure that last thing any newcomer would want is to be yelled at for wandering into the wrong place. But there was a slight twitch in the pit of Keikoā€™s stomach. Maybe she had seen him around before?

ā€œMy name is Keiko, by the way. Keiko Sohma.ā€

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Character Portrait: Ichirou Sohma Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Miuru Sohma Character Portrait: Haruji Sohma Character Portrait: Aiko Sohma
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Haruji was uncertain whether he felt flustered due to the fact that he bumped into someone, or simply relieved that it was a man and not a woman; nevertheless, he kept his head down whilst apologising, his eyes slightly closed, his face red out of humiliation.
ā€œNo worry about it, kid,ā€
Haruji opened his eyes, recognising the voice, and saw the face of Ichirou Sohma up close to his, the Rabbit Zodiac member was given such a fright to warrant staggering back a step or two. Not that Ichirou was scary in the least, of course, no; however Haruji did not expect it to be the person he just so rudely bumped into. As Ichirou began to get to his feet, Haruji began to regain his composure, unsure what to do other than make sure he looked presentable.

ā€œHaru!ā€ Ichirou began, the fall not spoiling his mood in the slightest, it seemed.
ā€œIchirou-kun!ā€ Haruji sputtered, his face a mixture of happiness and surprise, however whatever he wished to say was cut off by his cousin squeezing his face, as if he was a doting grandfather greeting his grandson. Haruji didnā€™t complain, however; it could have been a lot worse, and it was good to see Ichirou, especially since he survived the accident with no qualms. He seemed rather fine, in fact, and as lively as ever, towering above Haruji, despite the fact that both were in their early twenties.

ā€œWhat are you doing zoning out here! Thatā€™s dangerous for a soft little guy like you.ā€ Ichirou began, after the face-pinching. However Ichirou did ask a good question; what was Haruji thinking, zoning out there? In his rush he neglected his surroundings and, thus, endangered not only himself but the Sohma name.
ā€Sorry Ichirou-kun; I guess I was in a hurry, and kinda didnā€™t pay attention at all, hehā€¦ā€ Haruji responded, giving a sheepish grin whilst flattening out his messy-hair. However it seemed like Ichirou was in a world of his own, slipping into a contemplative state that made Haruji take a step closer to his cousin, with a quizzical expression. Sometimes, of the odd occasions Haruji did actually meet up with Ichirou, he often seemed to be doing such, especially in the park; as if he was in a deep state of thinking.

ā€Ichirou-kun?ā€ Haruji asked, waving a hand in front of Ichirouā€™s face, receiving the response of ā€ā€œMaybe Iā€™m just being narrow minded,ā€ in return. Haruji was unsure what to think of this, so instead of words, Haruji gave Ichirou an uncertain smile; bright and big, yet slightly confused on what Ichirou had stated. Ichirou gave a gingerly smile of his own, realising that, whatever he said did not quite fit the conversation and hustled on to change the topic.

ā€œSo are you heading to the Sohma Estate? I was hoping to get some fresh air and hang out with Yuuto, but I have a feeling something is going to happen.ā€
At the mention of the Sohma Estate, Harujiā€™s face lit up, as if he just remembered what he was rushing for in the first place, however his expression somewhat dimmed at the proposition of ā€˜something happeningā€™. Haruji was never a fan of conflict, nor was he an expert by any means; he was usually the one in the background, meekly trying to find a middle-ground, even if both oppositions denied that there was any.

ā€œYeah, Iā€™m heading to the estate just now! Although, last time I checked on Yuuto he was a bit, uh, busy, so he might be a bit late butā€¦ but you donā€™t think something will happen, right?ā€
Harujiā€™s expression darkened ever so slightly once more, into a small frown, as if he never considered the dangers of wandering into the estate and the issues that could be brought up. Hiiro was pregnant, with lone motherhood a potential future. Yuuto disdained the Family Head to the point of pure hatred. Haruji was a bit oblivious and, if not a bit, ignorant to never realise the dangers of waltzing in with an innocent mindset. His small frown almost developed into a rare large one, however Ichirouā€™s continued dialogue distracted Haruji a bit more.

ā€œI just hope itā€™s a blessing and not another curse.ā€
The optimism in the statement, although laced with a bit of pessimism, lightened Haruji a bit more. The Family Meetings shouldnā€™t always be feared; sometimes it was good to meet up with everyone again. Whether Ichirou meant it like that or not, it brought a big smile to Haruji, as he seemed to perk up in less than a second. Before Haruji could interject, however, Ichirou carried on.
ā€œWe should have a bonfire or something Haru! We can have everyone come! That way we can get to know each other more! What do you think?!ā€
Harujiā€™s face was similar to a childā€™s when confronted with sweets at a candystore; the notion of a bonfire brought on the notion of barbeque, and barbeques meant cooking, which meant good food to him.
ā€Ichirou-kun, that is the best idea ever!ā€ Haruji exclaimed and, in excitement, began to run down the path of Ichirou, stopping after a step or two ā€Come on! We have to tell the others!ā€

It was difficult to negotiate with someone whose eyes seemed to sparkle right in front of you, and was also almost skipping down the road ahead of you. It was difficult not to think of Haruji as a young high-schooler interacting with his much older cousin; his own flimsy expressions and behaviour was quite childish. Despite Harujiā€™s innocent demeanour, however, he himself quite understood his actions, almost accepting that the world seemed a bit brighter by acting bright...




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Miuru, herself, felt a bit suspicious of the Family Head Aiko Sohma; from what she had heard, he was suppose to beā€¦ well, not polite and welcoming into his abode, that was for sure. Keikoā€™s behaviour was quite suspicious also, yet Miuru had yet to comment on it. For all she knew, this was the norm, and said normality was nothing that her opinion should oppose upon. Unless they started blood sacrifices in the middle of the lounge together, Miuru did not concern herself with how they held themselves; at least they let her in to begin with. After all, it was her own fatherā€™s silliness that caused her presence, which was equally as suspicious; she wondered how longed he planned for this meeting, or if at all; maybe he was losing his mind, and she did not even know about it. Whatever the case was, Miuruā€™s current cause was to find the notebook and survive whatever meeting was occurring; it could have been worse, honestly, to Miuru.

"Excellent. Perhaps I can serve as your guide through the house for the time being while we search for said item and discuss various topics. Naturally as it is your first time here you must be unfamiliar with the setting, no doubt a hindrance to finding this possession belonging to your father."
He did speak an awful lot, despite the fact that Miuru spoke so little. Whatever, he was going to provide her a guide, if not through someone else; she could nosey around a bit for the lost item, at leastā€¦ The only bit that concerned her was the ā€˜discuss various topicsā€™ sections. Miuru was not so lost in her own psyche not to establish the solid fact that she was flawed in conversation skills. However the Family Head seemed ever so eager to speak, if not even a bit, and Miuru found little ground to refuse a little chat at least.

ā€Thank you for cooperationā€¦ā€ Miuru noted, pushing the bridge of her spectacles up her glasses, her behaviour formal, rigid and her ordinary, in regards to Miuruā€™s interactions. The Dog Zodiac member obientant tailed along the Family Head as he began to motion further in the foyer, Keiko still curiously in her spot, deserving another blank stare from Miuru. It did not seem she was joining them on the tour either, as Aiko requested her to ā€œwelcome the other members insideā€ before turning once more into the house, permitting Miuru with words and indications that she was welcomed there in a sense. His welcoming, although warm in one aspect, seemed quite awkward, in the least, as if Aiko was rowing against the tide.

Miuru didnā€™t seem to care much, however, about this, and it meant little whether he was smiling or frowning, laughing or shouting at her; if he was willing to let her get inside to retrieve the item, that was enough for her. Not even Aikoā€™s note of ā€œgetting lostā€ in the house stir any remarks on Miuruā€™s empty face, as she simply lay her eyes on the smaller cousin of hers, her face hard to read beyond ā€˜indifferentā€™.
ā€Iā€¦ I shall not stray.ā€ Miuru confirmed with a nod, following Aiko into the house, her eyes scanning the area around her ā€Iā€¦ simply wish to findā€¦ notebookā€¦ā€

It seemed like that was the only description Miuru had for her fatherā€™s lost item; ā€˜notebookā€™. She had a feeling that she would know it once coming across it, and hoped that no one had been going through it. Miuru had yet to figure out what was concealed within this secret notebook and, although Miuru had no solid ideas, she was beginning to slowly realise what may lay within it. It was either a registry of medicines and dosages given to patients orā€¦ no, he was not stupid enough to bring it outside of his house, Miuru hoped. This made her eyes seem all the more livelier in comparison to her face, searching as though there was something to be hid...

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Character Portrait: Keiko Sohma Character Portrait: Atsuhiko Sohma
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#, as written by ShyFox



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Atsu rubbed the back of his head nervously, first rattle out of the box and he runs into a girl. Not his most ideal situation.. but from what he gathered she was a Sohma like him, so there were no worries if they bumped into each other or something.

"Uuuuh nice to meet you Keiko my name is.... Atsuhiko... Sohma.", he said with cracks and breaks in his voice just out of sure nervousness.

He wasn't sure how she would react, she clearly believed that he was someone that had wandered onto the Sohma house and was just lost. Granted he felt completely lost but he was sure that he was in the right spot. When she commented on his eyes like a curious child he kind of side glanced with a slight blush crossing his cheeks. He wasn't actually aggravated or upset about the question, he had dealt with questions about his eyes his entire life, but that didn't change the fact that it embarrassed him sometimes.

"Yeah... I know they're weird... listen. I was told I have to come here.... and then they would tell me where I should go from that. I'd really like to talk to whoever is in charge, and get that over with... ." he said with allot of nervousness and uncertainty.

He knew that the person he would more than likely be sent to was the head of the Sohma house, and from what he had heard that wasn't necessarily a good thing. The head or the 'God' was typically cruel to everyone in the Sohma family, bitter, ill and a complete control freak. But the head always certainly hates the Cat in the family. And the fact that Atsu was just now showing up... meant that he had years of cruelty to catch up on. But some how, Atsu wasn't really afraid of what might happen.... he was afraid of how he might react, and what the rest of the family would think of him if he acted badly. If there was one thing he didn't like it was someone that thought they could control Atsu by being a tyrant, and if this head of the family tried to get onto him telling him how he was the worthless, ignorant, useless Cat. Well he knew that his temper would fly, and he might not be able to control what comes out of his mouth. He didn't grow up knowing the story of the zodiac, or living by its stupid rules, so anything that the cat is supposed to be.... he didn't believe one bit.

As he looked down at this girl, he bent down slightly again picking up his suitcases. He didn't know what animal she was, or even if she was a member of the zodiac. He just assumed she was if she was in the main house. She was kind of cute in a small mousy way and he wondered how she got her hair to be the color it was. But to prevent himself from looking like a dumb ass he kept his mouth shut and the comment to himself.

"Ummm can I come in now?" he asked looking around what he could see in the foyer of the home.

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Keiko Sohma

ā€œā€¦ listen. I was told I have to come here ā€¦ and then they would tell me where I should go from that. I'd really like to talk to whoever is in charge, and get that over with ā€¦ā€

Atsuhiko Sohma ā€¦ and he was sent here to talk to Aiko? He must be one of the Zodiac, Keiko thought. Now that she thought of it, he was looking at her like he was trying to figure something out about her. Keiko bowed to him, in order to apologize for thinking him an outsider.

ā€œIā€™m sorry for both my rude behaviour, oblivious actions and the momentary absence of Aiko. He should be back soon.ā€

"Ummm can I come in now?" Keiko nodded and moved aside so he could enter. She wanted to ask which Zodiac he was, but she wasnā€™t sure if he really was. Keiko did feel something about him, the same something she felt around the other Zodiac members. But this one was slightly different.

ā€œThis question may or may not apply to you, but you will understand what I mean if you have the ability to answer it. If I may ask, which are you? I am Keiko Sohma, the Rat.ā€ Keiko slid the door closed and bowed again in introduction. She began to show him to the designated room for waiting. ā€œI am sorry if I have met you before, but Iā€™m pretty sure I havenā€™t. That or I donā€™t remember. Iā€™m not in what you would call tip top shape.ā€ Keiko laughed lightly, suddenly stopping. She looked away and motioned at the door. ā€œI have to wait for the others to arrive, will you excuse meā€¦ā€

Her apathetic appearance emerged once again as she made her way to the foyer once more. Keiko wasnā€™t one hundred percent sure what she was thinking. It was a natural habit for her to be welcoming to a new face. She hadnā€™t even realized she had walked out in the middle of a conversation. Thank the heavens she didnā€™t realize. Keiko was always the type to scold herself uncontrollably for such rude behavior.