Thwap!... Thwap!...

The sound continued to ring in the long hall at a constant rate, stopping for a few moments before it resumed. A lone figure stood before the long row of targets that had thick back stops behind them to take the impact of any stray arrows. As her right hand lifted the bow the foot on the same side slid forward and her left hand hooked leather covered fingers around the string. A slow intake of breath to steady herself as she imagined the arrow jutting out of the fresh target. The breath was let out and as the last of it left her lungs her thumb brushed against her cheek, pulling the bow taunt for a moment. The soft snap of the bow releasing was followed by other resounding smack as the arrow buried itself into the center of the target. This time, instead of reaching for a new arrow she took pause and looked toward the clock in the corner. She still had a while.

Practice had ended early, so she had offered to take care of the clean up while she waited for Hikaru to arrive. Of course, she had given the girl specific directs, so she wouldn't get lost. Anyway, it would be silly for everyone to clean everything up when she would be using it again. She glanced down the row of targets that still remained, half of them riddled with the arrows she had been firing after practice. Those would come last. Hitomi moved down to her knee, laying the bamboo bow on its wrap before she started packing up the unnecessary targets. After those were stored neatly away, the girl returned to the main area with a bucket of water and rag. Indeed this wasn't something anyone would expect to see Hitomi doing outside of the range, but she had obligations to her peers to do a through cleaning. She slid the collar of her kimono outward so her shoulders could move through. The loose fabric was then pushed down, revealing her Keiko-gi. After tucking the sleeves so they wouldn't get wet, Hitomi moved to her knees by the bucket. She went through the process of wetting the rag, wringing it out, then set to work. Both hands were placed on the folded rag before she lifted her rear into the rear and started a quick pace. Up and down the floor in straight passes, overlapping a bit. She was a bit obsessed with getting every spot, so by time Hikaru got there, she'd likely still be running up and down along the floor with the rag.

During her first visit to Hitomi's dorm room Hikaru hadn't really thought much about actually being taken up on any of the mentorship ideas that had been put forward.  Granted there hadn't been all that much to do in terms of maidly duties in the older girl's room.  What the first year had quickly discovered about her oneesama was that there was very little need for a maid to clean anything in her dwelling.  In fact Hitomi kept everything so utterly organized and clean it was almost as if there were another maid who came in before Hikaru showed up!  Of course she'd proven this wasn't the case by speaking nervously to the older girl and discovering that yes, it was just Hitomi's work.  Instead she'd just talked about school and homework while they were together, and eventually the idea of trying out kyudo came up.  Having suggested it earlier and genuinely being excited about it, Hikaru jumped on the opportunity and agreed to meet HItomi after club activities.

Having no actual clubs of her own Hikaru was easily able to find time to try and get together a proper outfit for practicing archery.  The problem was that she didn't really have the funds to purchase one of her own, so she'd had to talk to classmates and see if anyone had something.  Nobody she knew practiced archery though, at least apart from Hitomi.   Without many options for that she'd decided it was better to just come in her Miator uniform since that was formal enough to be respectful of the very traditional art which her oneesama practiced.  Thanks to the older girl she even had exact directions on how to get to the dojo!  This had ensured that Hikaru was standing in its doorway just in time to see Hitomi.. cleaning.  That was a shock!  A fancy lady who also cleaned like a maid would?  Truly this was a renaissance woman!  Hesitantly Hikaru removed her shoes and stepped inside, waiting with her hands folded in front of her in as ladylike a fashion as she could muster.

"Um.. Hitomi-oneesama?  Would you like me to help you with that?" she asked, hoping maybe she could take over and alleviate some of the demand on this wonderful young lady.

A lady doesn't sweat, Hitomi. What do you think you're doing?

The mentioned girl was indeed starting to gain a slight shine to her forehead as she worked, not that she cared, but that little voice was nagging her again. Would it ever leave her in peace? She was saved by her inner dialogue by a presence calling out to her. She glanced up, breathing a little heavier than normal, but she smiled and settled down into a traditional kneeling position. Hitomi then rose to her feet and brushed off her hands and the knees of her hakama. Finally noticing her state of dress, she slid her sleeves back over her bared arms.

"That's alright, Hikaru-san. I was just passing the time since we finished early. Welcome to the dojo."

Anyway, they had more important things to do. Like getting Hikaru changed into one of her older uniforms that she had brought along. She asked for the girl to follow her and turned on her heel to march off. It was a different stride than normal since no skirt impeded her movements, but she made sure Hikaru was keeping up, at least. Once they made it to the makeshift locker room, Hitomi pulled out a few articles of clothing and handed them over to her kohai.

"Go ahead and change into this over there," a hand motion toward the curtained off area. "If you need any help with anything, just say so, I'll be right here. Don't feel embarrassed if you do, it's a little complicated. I had to have help the first couple times too."

The only article she kept from the entire outfit was the obi, which she would tie personally, but she let it drape over her shoulder for now.

"It's an honor to come here and learn from you, Hitomi-oneesama," Hikaru responded as demurely as she could, trying her best to emulate the traditional kneeling posture as she removed her shoes.  The result was a bit more off balance and awkward than she'd hoped for, but she did the best that she could.

Once she was inside the dojo she reveled at just how clean the place was inside.  You would think that a number of girls coming here to practice their archery would track in dust, dirt and other things that would leave a dojo less than sparkly.  Not this one.  Probably a result of Hitomi's determined cleaning efforts which Hikaru had just caught the tail end of.  A renaissance woman who remained at her dojo even after everyone else had left in order to make sure that it was clean and prepared for the next students to use it!  How amazing!  In total awe of her hostess Hikaru followed, trying to step as lightly as possible in the hopes that this would track less extra grime in for Hitomi to have to clean up later.  The result was the younger girl tip-toeing her way through the dojo, nearly slipping a couple of times as she tread over the recently cleaned floor.  No way could she hope to be as classy as the fancy Hitomi who strode with greater purpose and determination than she normally showed.  Such a fancy multi-faceted lady!

Inside the locker room, Hikaru held out her arms to receive what appeared to be training clothes.  Hitomi had even thought to prepare some for her, knowing that Hikaru couldn't afford her own!  Indebted, the first year bowed to show her appreciation before disappearing behind the curtain.  At first she was just happy to know that her oneesama was incredibly thoughtful and had tried her best to have everything ready for Hikaru.  Then she started to wonder why these clothes had been in the older girl's locker in the first place.  It was possible that they were just extras the club kept for newcomers and Hitomi happened to have one in her possession.  Or.. were they Hitomi's own?  Thinking about it, she realized that it was definitely possible since HItomi had practiced archery for a long time.  Considering she must have outgrown some clothes at one point or another, these might have been her personal items!  Clothes that had graced the form of a fancy lady!  Trembling a little as she came to this realization Hikaru awkwardly worked with the garments to try and get herself dressed.  After several tries she got the gi on more or less... and then thought she should look more like HItomi if she was going to dress like this.  A proper fancy lady's look for fancy lady clothes?  This was why she let her hair out of its usual braid and side locks, letting it down for the first time in Hitomi's presence.  The strands of her dark hair were wavy as a result of having been in a braid for so long and there were sure to be kinks in it.  However she wanted badly to match her oneesama's look in order to properly respect the traiditions of Kyudo.

Then she held up the hakama, tried looking at it from multiple angles and couldn't figure out how it worked.  Hesitantly, she called through the curtain, "H-Hitomi-oneesama.. I.. um.. er..  I can't figure this out.. can you help me?"

A few glances over her shoulder had Hitomi grinning from ear to ear. Hikaru really was such a sweet girl. The innocence she embodied was far above anyone that she had really had contact with in her past. So many in her circles had hardened hearts covered by wine lacked words. Yet this girl.. She was an angel. That's all there was to it. She tried to keep her glances at a minimum so that Hikaru wouldn't notice, but she seemed preoccupied with looking around her surroundings. When the younger girl started slipping, Hitomi slowed her pace a little more and almost reached out, but Hikaru kept herself upright, so the archer kept pushing forward.

Once Hikaru had disappeared behind the curtain, Hitomi settled on an upturned, empty crate. Even though she did seem to have more of a masculine demeanor in this atmosphere, she still crossed her legs at the ankle, knees pressed closed together and the linked appendages were tucked off to the side of the crate so that one hand had to rest on the side of the box to keep her from losing her balance and toppling over. It always took a while to get the uniform on the first time and she remained sitting patiently, waiting for the ask of help. When it finally did come she rose and moved over to the curtain, murmuring softly, "I'm coming in."

She swept the curtain aside far enough for her to step inside then let it fall closed behind her. Hitomi stopped in her tracks for a moment as she looked over Hikaru, whom was standing before her in a haphazardly put on gi. What caught her off guard the most was the gorgeous fall of hair that contrasted so well against the white cotton material she wore. Without a word, afraid her tongue would get tied and she'd start stuttering or something just as embarrassing, Hitomi took the hakama from her and laid it off to the side. If the hakama was to be placed correctly then she'd have to fix the thin obi and straighten out the fabric at the girl's waistline. Hitomi steered the girl around until she was facing the mirror and took a stand behind her so she could peer over her shoulder.

"You did well for your first time, Hikaru. I couldn't even get the obi tied." As she spoke, Hitomi gently tugged on the fabric of the back of the gi, straightening the material under the belt. She then moved around front and tugged on the material a bit before fixing the collar. On around to the back one more she slid her arms around the girl's waist and slid out the knot of the gi to retie it in a tighter knot that would keep the hakama from bulging in the front. "There we go. It'll be more comfortable if you tie the knot as tight as you can and as small as you can. No one should ever see the knot through the hakama." Then she moved back before her, grabbing the hakama on the way. Lowering herself to one knee, Hitomi held out the material. "You can use my shoulder to balance yourself. Go ahead and step in."

After Hikaru followed her instructions, Hitomi rose slowly, pulling up the material over the gi as she went. With deft movements and a quick shift to put herself behind Hikaru so she could tie the belt like straps how she would around herself. Once she was finished she took a step back and looked up into the mirror then nodded. "I'm glad I still had this at the dorm. It suits you well." Actually, it fit her perfectly. The length of the arms and everything was just right.

None of the copious amount of time spent studying academic things or novels alike had prepared Hikaru for the challenge of attempting to wear traditional clothing of any sort.  She should have known better than to attempt to try it herself with any hope of haphazard success.  The more she stared at the hakama the more uncertain she became of the proper procedure to put them on.  It was an almost hypnotic effect they had on her, preventing the poor girl from doing anything beyond staring uncomfortably at them as if sheer willpower would solve her problem.  Back at the orphanage she had gotten to help host festival like activities for the younger kids as well as participate in some in the local community.  If she wasn't dressed plainly to make assorted odd duties like cooking easier, a nun had helped her get dressed in her yukata.  Even then the yukata she'd had was part of a set with a pre-tied bow on the obi, so just watching the nun work on dressing her hadn't helped at all.  Therefore the three magic words from the other side of the curtain brought a sigh of relief from the confused Hikaru.

A fancy lady would of course know the proper way to dress in traditional clothes.  Hitomi did not disappoint in that regard - she assessed the situation first before setting the hakama aside and steering Hikaru to face a mirror.  Face to face with her reflection Hikaru could tell that this entire exchange was having quite the effect on her poor easily addled self.  With such a well rounded and lovely lady standing over her shoulder,  gently working with the gi's obi, Hikaru felt as if she were truly blessed in ways which words could not describe.  She never got over just how pretty the older girl was, that combination of long gorgeous hair, gentle expression and touch presenting the very image of a proper girl.  Her own attempts to emulate Hitomi were put to shame by how messy her recently released hair was in comparison.  Wavy, kinked and probably knotted from her braid compared to the sleek long locks of Hitomi-oneesama.  Wearing only the gi and being in close proximity to Hitomi also had the effect of bringing warmth to Hikaru's cheeks as a slight blush appeared there.  It was actually.. really, really nice.  Her heart beat a little faster from the older girl's presence, though she didn't understand why that could be.


"I'm sorry to trouble you so much, Hitomi-oneesama.  Some day I'll be a fancy enough lady to put on clothes like this without help from anyone.  Maybe I could even help you sometime.. um.. if you wanted anyway," Hikaru responded apologetically as she followed instructions and stepped gingerly into the hakama, "So small knot, tight knot.  I'll remember that next time..  the last time I wore anything traditional was during a summer festival.. and the nuns had to help me after I tried to get dressed and ended up.. um... tripping over my.. er.. over my yukata.  After dropping my obi..."

Laughing nervously at that, she got herself to smile instead of being too anxious looking.  Hitomi-oneesama seemed to prefer it when she was smiling, and she wanted really badly to ensure that the older girl was happy herself.  Therefore being happy herself would really help out her mentor!  When the hakama were on she stared in the mirror and gaped at how nice she actually looked in the ensemble.  Who knew?  Just as she was spinning a little to get a full look at the whole ensemble, Hitomi's words were processed in Hikaru's mind.  The spin stopped dead in its tracks halfway through and she stared up in surprise at Hitomi.  Their eyes locked, Hikaru trying to scrounge up words that would be appropriate for the moment as her suspicion that these clothes were Hitomi's was validated.

Instead what came out was a flustered, awkward mess.  Hikaru first bowed gratefully, "Th-thank you, Hitomi-oneesama!  I.. um.. I'll take grood.. I mean.. good c-c-care of these.. they're a fancy ladies and fancy ladies' clothes have to be really nicely cared for..." Her eyes went wide as saucers as she added, "Wait, not that I'm saying you can only be a fancy lady!  Er.. um.. y-you're so amazing you can be anything you want to be!  I might think you're fancy and graceful and kind.. but um.. wait.. that's not something to apologize for.." Hikaru closed her eyes and bowed again, "Please excuse me.. I'm just very excited about kyudo!"  Way to go, Hikaru.  Instead of politely thanking Hitomi she was an anxious mess, embarrassed herself in front of the girl and also couldn't stop thinking about how these were Hitomi-oneesama's clothes!  Had she not been so distracted by her own failings she might have had a nose bleed.

"You are nothing of the sort, Hikaru. All I can ask is that you be yourself, okay? A fancy lady isn't all its cracked up to be sometimes. I'd rather you be Hikaru than force yourself to be something you're not." Hitomi placed both hands on the girl's shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze before placing a gentle kiss against the back of her skull. She even closed her eyes as the scent of Hikaru's shampoo washed over her and sent her heart racing a little faster. Then as if just realizing what she had done, the girl put a little space between them, releasing her hold on her shoulders so she could continue to help the girl dress.

"It.. takes a bit of help to put on a yukata, so I may take you up on that offer someday." She smiled from her kneeling position, though she was still embarrassed of her previous actions. "It's very easy to have something like that happen the first time. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're lucky you just tripped. I bloodied my nose the first time I wore one. Trying to tie an obi and run through the house, doesn't work. I didn't have any hands to catch myself when I toppled over. I got in a lot of trouble for ruining a new set of clothes with blood." Hitomi chuckled softly and gave a slight shrug. "Children will be children I suppose and we're all human, so perfection isn't an option even as adults. As long as we try our hardest, yes?"

Hitomi then stepped back from Hikaru so she could look over herself in the mirror, but soon after, the girl was staring her down instead. She lifted her eyebrows a bit in confusion, even tilted her head a bit. Then it dawned on her that Hikaru possibly looked up to her a bit, so wearing her own clothes could be a bit overwhelming. As it was, she wouldn't interrupt the girl as much as she wanted to. It was considered rude even if at this point it might have kept Hikaru from sticking her foot in her mouth, metaphorically that is.

Finally she rested both hands on Hikaru's shoulders, trying to get her to look up at her once more. She stayed still like this until that action happened then she smiled lightly. "As I said before, Hikaru. Just be yourself." Her hands rose and she pressed her palms against Hikaru's cheeks, her smile grew until her teeth were showing between unpainted petals.

"These are yours now. Not mine. Take care of them how you would any other traditional clothing. They are meant to be worn, so don't be so hasty to keep them perfect. They are an archer's clothing and nothing more."

Her thumbs traced delicately over Hikaru's cheeks before she stepped back, releasing her as she did so. Turning on her heel, she glanced over her shoulder, still smirking. It just couldn't be helped in this adorable girl's presence.

"Let's go get you started on some fundamentals, alright?"

Close proximity to Hitomi had a much stronger effect on the younger student than she would have imagined was possible.  Far from simply being a response to Hitomi's refined presence, she realized to some degree it was also a response to the other girl's warmth.  Not exactly a bodily warmth but rather the kind of warm personality and kind heart that the older girl was blessed with.  Getting lost on school grounds constantly, running into odd people who got really excited and hearing that ghosts were haunting the woods had all make her very anxious at given times.  Conversely being close to Hitomi had a very calming effect on her, like how a gentle touch from the elder girl had managed to ease her tension when they'd first met.  A gentle touch on the shoulders with a kind squeeze quelled Hikaru's anxiety somewhat; the kiss on the head shot it right back up.  Not necessarily from the gesture itself but concern over her choice of shampoo for an odd reason.  She'd used some new rose-scented stuff a classmate had recommended, but she wasn't sure that it suited her.  Would Hitomi-oneesama approve of it?  Surely a person like her would be a keen judge of what was and wasn't suitable for a particular girl. 

As nerve-wracking as it was to agonize over such things Hikaru also noticed how nice it felt to be held like that.  Though not a full embrace it was really calming and reassuring at a time where a million different things could have caused her problems.  She too let herself get lost in the moment for just a bit as she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the older girl's presence and company. It felt... nice.  Just as she settled on the word in her mind the older girl stepped back and shared the story about her own troubles with learning to wear a yukata.  At first it was terrible to think of the graceful Hitomi getting a bloody nose from a fall, but Hikaru thought maybe it was all okay.  If the older girl could laugh about it now then it must not have been that bad in retrospect.  It must take a lot of courage to share the kind of story that made you look silly, so Hikaru smiled a little to show her appreciation.  Then she did something she hadn't done since their first meeting - she let herself giggle.

"That must have been very difficult for you, Hitomi-oneesama.  As hard as I try I can't imagine you falling like that.. but I'm glad you were okay.  It'd be really hard to be here today if you weren't here to help... um... if you weren't with me like this.. um.. I mean!  It'd be bad if something happened to you!" Hikaru reacted, then bit her lower lip as she stopped herself from panicking too much in the moment.  It was really hard to do so but she managed to add, "Yes.  As long as we try our hardest and we're happy, that's what matters.  Um... I didn't just trip that time though.. I had a black eye for about a week, and a lot of kids teased me because of it.. I guess it just showed how tough I was though.."  A nervous laugh followed this, and soon she was stuck on the fact that her new clothes had once been Hitomi's.


Close proximity occurred again as the fancy lady spoke, placing her hands on Hikaru's shoulders.  Slowly that warmth, that reassurance that things were okay if it were in the company of HItomi-oneesama, got her comfortable enough to look up.  As soon as she did her anxiety was eased by the radiant smile of the older girl, who moved her hands from Hikaru's shoulders to her cheeks.  Despite her anxiety Hikaru was soon smiling happily in response to Hitomi's.  Just being herself would take some work since she wanted to live up to the example her oneesama was giving.  It was worth trying though, since she really liked Hitomi's company and the girl really seemed to be trying to help her grow.  Even though she'd been told to keep these new clothes nice like any other traditional clothing, she wasn't sure what that meant.  Not owning any of her own traditional things she could only guess how you were supposed to take care of them.  Though they were hers now they had still once been Hitomi's!  As the older girl headed out to proceed with their archery lesson, Hikaru hesitated just long enough to lift the collar a little and see if there was any lingering scent of Hitomi's shampoo.  It was really silly since these probably hadn't been worn by Hitomi in a long while, but she was getting curious what the older student used.  Probably something with an understated floral scent that was beautiful in its simplicity.  Nodding at the thought she scurried off to fall in step and proceed with what she'd actually come here to do.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she exclaimed, blushing still over the gentle touch on her cheeks earlier.  Then she laughed a little, "I know it's probably strange to hear but being here makes me really happy and excited.. I heard about there being clubs and I didn't get to be in any before coming here, so it's really neat.  Of course it's better because you're here with me.. um.. " Hikaru hesitated, then bowed, "Please teach me, Hitomi-oneesama-sensei... I mean.. Hitomi-sensei.."



"Let's go get you started on some fundamentals, alright?"

"Really, it wasn't very difficult at all. I a-" Hitomi became tongue tied for a moment as she realized she hadn't been thinking about her speech before it was released. Hikaru seemed to have a way to get her to open up and just say what was on her mind. She put it off to the fact that Hikaru would never turn her own words against her in some way or fashion. But still, her kohai didn't need to know she was still face planting from time to time. Actually, at least once a week. If it was a good week. "I ah, was actually a very clumsy child."

Not a lie. Just not all the details, right? She felt a slight twinge in her chest as if she were doing something wrong, but couldn't quite understand why it was there. She told the truth! Why did she feel like it was lying to not state the whole truth.. Like she owed it to Hikaru to tell her everything. That was madness, they hadn't even met that long ago. Ah well, the girl would likely find out soon anyway. Why rush it? Then Hikaru had to go off and say something so adorable. It twisted her heart a bit more as she felt a blush creep up over her cheeks. "I'm glad I was okay too.. I would have missed out on spending time with a lovely girl." There it was, in order to keep the attention off of her glowing cheeks, Hitomi threw out a word that had Hikaru stuttering the first time they met.

Then it was Hitomi's turn to be surprised. She could never image a little Hikaru with a black eye. It just didn't seem right. Even though it had happened years ago, she felt the urge to wrap the girl up in a tight hug and do anything to wash away her pain. Such odd urges were starting to confuse the teen, but that didn't make her want them any less. "I'm glad you're alright too, Hikaru. I wouldn't want any of this to change. I cherish the time I spend with you."


As Hitomi turned from Hikaru, she quickly focused on her steps. How each foot was placed, where it was placed. Really, she didn't need to think about it quite this hard, but it was better to over-focus than to fall victim to her own wandering mind and prove she was still clumsy to this day. Once out onto the open archery range, Hitomi placed her hands on her hips and stopped. She stared down the range toward the left over targets that had a few arrows riddled in them from her earlier practice of walking and shooting. She waited for Hikaru to step up next to her then smiled. "Hikaru. You can call me Hitomi if you like. Clubs are a good part of the school. A lot of them can be exciting and there are many to choose from. There aren't many girls that come in knowing exactly what they want to do. You have the freedom to float around and find something that you really like. I would suggest doing that. I know I won't be there, but you should find yourself a club that really speaks to you. I'll be here if you have any free time and want to learn more." She grinned and gently pet over the girl's hair before she bent down to retrieve the bow she had left off to the side earlier.

"Are you right or left handed? Also, you'll need this." Hitomi picked up a bundle of leather that didn't look like much until it was in Hikaru's hand, then it could be seen that three fingers could be covered with the tubes of leather. Either way the girl picked, Hitomi would nod slightly and begin to pull the bow back with the said hand. She slid her foot forward and turned her body as the bow swung up into place. Just as her bracing arm pointed straight down the lane, her finger tips touched against the line of her jaw. All the while that she moved she spoke. "Firing an arrow from a bow should be like flowing water. You move with purpose, but not hurry." Indeed each movement from picking up the bow to pulling the string back was one fluid movement for Hitomi. "If you keep yourself in motion, you're less likely to lock your elbows, or tire out muscles."

She kept her stance with the bow pulled back to it's pinnacle then slowly lowered it. "Please, don't ever pull back and string and just let go. There is enough force behind a bow string that if you were to let it go without an arrow to take away the momentum, it would likely shatter the bow in your hand and could hurt you badly. So please be careful, okay?" Now that the warning was out of the way, Hitomi smiled lightly and motioned Hikaru to come closer.

"Put those on your dominant hand, it'll protect your fingers from the string. These three." She wiggled all the fingers but her pinky and thumb before taking that last few steps that would close the distance between them as Hikaru focused on putting on the glove. She then looped her arms around Hikaru's waist. "Put your hands right where mine are on the bow. I'll move mine as need be." Hitomi tucked herself against Hikaru's back so it would be easier to help her pull the bow back the correct way the first time so she didn't start any bad habits early. Once Hikaru's hands were placed in the correct areas, Hitomi took a small step back and used her own feet to place pressure against the sides of the girl's feet to get them to slide outward a bit more. Her hip also needed turned more toward the target. The older girl released one hand from the bow to gently grasp Hikaru's hip and adjust it more toward the targets. Then she closed the space between them once more. "Ready?

There was something odd about how the older girl talked about her own problems with clumsiness in childhood.  At first Hikaru thought it was just odd that someone like this could ever have lacked the grace which she showed now.  It almost felt as if Hitomi-oneesama should have been born with all the qualities that made her a fancy lady in the younger girl's eyes.  Then she realized that what was odd wasn't the revelation that this was not the case, but rather how the normally collected and calm young lady had to search for words to describe it.  Hikaru pondered at that observation for a moment in order to attempt to figure out what might've caused such hesitation.  Most likely it was just an embarrassing thing from her past that was hard to put into words and thus had taken a bit to find words that let her come out of the admission not looking worse for it.  More than anything this kind of openness was encouraging to Hikaru - her oneesama was willing to share such moments of vulnerability with her!  Imagining a younger Hitomi-oneesama falling often, she too wanted to embrace the other girl, hug her and let her know that everything was okay.  Then she remembered that she was the smaller, younger one and how easily embarrassed she was herself.

There was that word again - lovely.  Not being used to describe a properly lovely, fancy person who had skills which transcended definition or expectations, but a simple girl who didn't have much to say for herself.  She could never imagine that adjective being an appropriate fit for herself.  It didn't seem right to her, not in the least.  As much as she might have wanted to remind Hitomi of this fact she knew that the older girl would never hear it.  That time where Hikaru had gotten chewed out for being down on herself came to mind.  A mental image of a chibi Hitomi shaking a finger at her with a stern expression chided the younger student for thinking so little of herself.  Instead of voicing an objection Hikaru felt her heart beat a little faster and her cheeks redden yet again.  All the same she was very happy to hear that the older girl valued the time they spent together so highly.  Especially because Hikaru treasured it quite a bit herself, though she wasn't quite sure how to put that emotion into words.

"I'm l-left handed Hitomi-oneesama," Hikaru managed to respond before listening to the older girl explain some of the fundamental parts of archery.

There was an awful lot of information to take in, so she tried her best to process all of it as it came at her.  At the same time she was trying to process her odd feelings that her time with Hitomi was different than just doing something with friends.  When she was participating in activities with classmates or hanging out with friends she felt happy, but more or less just the same as always.  Not that there was anything wrong with that!  Time spent in the company of this older girl she had only known a short time already felt different than that.  Hitomi was someone who she greatly admired for her grace, poise, kindness, beauty and a million other little things she had already noticed about the girl.  But it felt more significant than that.  Like she wanted to hold hands with Hitomi sometimes but she didn't really know why.  Sometimes she thought a hug might be nice but that would be a little odd for a younger student to initiate.  Being around her made Hikaru feel warm inside, not just in her cheeks.  And what was that about the bow possibly shattering if you did things wrong?  

Trying her hardest to pay closer attention to what Hitomi was saying about archery techniques, Hikaru followed her directions on how to put the glove on.  It was a little tricky but she managed to do it okay.  Of course just as she was about to hold it up to show Hitomi she found that a pair of arms were already around her waist.  Was Hitomi hugging her from behind?  Hikaru closed her eyes, trying to remember what else she'd just been told about how she should ideally go about firing an arrow.  Instead she felt that warmth again as she suddenly hoped the older girl was hugging her and maybe even resting her chin on Hikaru's shoulder.  Shaking herself awake a little she found that Hitomi was just guiding her movements for kyudo; of course she was!  Wasn't that what Hikaru had come here for?  Nodding slowly she followed Hitomi's movements and found herself staring down a target.  Taking a deep breath she tried to envision herself hitting the target on the first try - that's the sort of thing they told you to do when you were nervous about something.   Yet she found herself trembling a little because Hitomi was so close to her.   Why was her heart beating faster?  Why couldn't she concentrate on archery?  Was Hitomi's hair as silky as it looked?  Only two of those questions were relevant.  Eventually she took another deep breath, reminding herself of how gentle and calm her oneesama was; that was how she ought to be herself.  Nodding once more she drew the string back and released the string.. it didn't work they way it was supposed to, of that Hikaru was pretty sure.

She blushed a little and craned her head back to gaze up at the older girl, "Was that okay, Hitomi?  It's my first time and all..."

Then she added, "I'm not sure what clubs I should join or what I'm interested in.. I just like to help people out.. and I especially like spending time with you too, Hitomi.. um.. I mean there's a girl in my year that thinks I'm involved in music even though I'm not.  I don't really know why.. anyway I really treasure spending time with a lovely fancy renaissance lady like you.. um.. er.. I mean.."

She looked down and then sheepishly asked, "Should I try again?"

Despite the fact that she was supposed to be teaching her kohai the ins and outs of kyudo, Hitomi found herself being distracted by the scent of Hikaru's hair, the little nervous twitches and shakes her body made as she held her close. Really, she had no reason to be this close to show her out it was done. Hitomi, herself had be taught by demonstration along with the other students at the shrine. It could be the same way here, but.. Hitomi liked it better this way. It was nice to have a reason to give the girl a hug without having to explain the sudden outburst of affection. Especially since she had no idea how she would play something like that off. Hikaru would probably think her crazy, or even worse, creepy. Hitomi turned her head a bit, as if looking down the range to the target, but really she was just nuzzling her nose against the back of Hikaru's skull. She closed her eyes as she basked in the rose scent instead of letting the unrealistic ideas in her head force her anxiety to rise. The older teen then lowered her arms to circle around Hikaru's waist and pressed one hand flat against her stomach. "Keep your abdomen tight when you draw back- Hikaru! NO!"

Despite the rise in tone it was easy to tell, from an outsider's prospective that no ire was held in the sudden cry, but pure panic. Both of Hitomi's arms were flying into frantic action, jerking upward to catch the bow in one hand and the released string in the other. She winced as the thin string snapped against the middle links of her fingers, instantly welting the skin and drawing blood. Other than that slight jerk she didn't show the pain that was now throbbing through her hand. The instant the bow was stilled it was dropped to the ground and she spun Hikaru around to face her. Her eyebrows were drawn together as if she were angry but fear held control of the rest of her features.

"Did you not listen?! Releasing a bow with no arrow can shatter.." Then she realized her voice was crackling as fear clenched her chest tighter. Even though the crisis had been adverted, the feeling remained. Hikaru could have been seriously hurt, even so.. Hitomi had never felt fear course through her so quickly, it left her confused and in a half panicked state. It was true that she had taught many girls at the shrine in her hometown as well as after her arrival on the Hill and many had been too excited and done something similar to Hikaru's mistake. Thankfully most weren't using Hitomi's person bow, so the fiberglass curve could take the hard flex, but others had been using something similar to her own and fractured the bamboo, nothing serious though. But, Hikaru had pulled the full force of the string back and released. It was likely the bow would have just splinted into pieces and only scratched them, but freak accidents were known to happen.

A single tear slid down her cheek as she wrapped her arms back around Hikaru and drew her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry.. Hikaru. I shouldn't have raised my voice.. It's just.. It's.. Y-you could have been seriously hurt. You scared me." She lifted her head from where it had fallen against Hikaru's shoulder and pressed her cheek against the girl's temple instead, pulling her even closer as she did so. "Please, listen to me, this is a dangerous sport and.. and I couldn't take it if something happened to you. Please be more careful."

Indeed, she seemed to be realizing ever so slowly how much this girl was beginning to mean to her. Perhaps that was a bit of the fear that was still rattling her mind. How could someone come into another's life and flip what she thought about companionship around completely? The amount of control Hikaru's actions could have on her, was terrifying. Hitomi tried to take a deep breath, but it was shaky at best. The action did allow her to think a little more clearly though and with that thought process, she realized just how bad her fingers were hurting. She glanced over Hikaru's shoulder to look down at the hand that was gripping her gi and tried not to react to the spot of blood that was probably dampening the shorter girl's back by now. How could she handle this situation without freaking Hikaru out even more? Think Hitomi, think!

Suddenly all of that weird admission went by the wayside as the older girl became panicked about something.  In mid-release Hitomi's hands jumped into action, seizing the bow and string to prevent it from firing.  From embarrassment to shock, Hikaru's eyes went wide in terror herself out of concern for doing something that had apparently been bad.  Very bad.  Things had been going so wonderfully well  to this point that the sheer surprise of the moment had hit her like a roundhouse kick to the gut.  All her anxiety was heightened as Hitomi first just seemed really worried and then started speaking in a way that Hikaru hadn't heard in quite a while.  Trying to figure out what she'd done wrong, her eyes analyzed the expression of her oneesama and shockingly found them angry.  That tone of voice first caused Hikaru's body to stiffen as if bracing for impact, then started shaking in fear.  She'd done something terrible and made her oneesama angry!  What could she do to make it better?  Was there anything she could do?  Would Hitomi decide to cast her off, the useless pupil that she was for all things ladylike?  Maybe she would.  Archery was one of the most important things in the older girl's life and Hikaru had lost track of her instructions and made a mockery of it.

She tried to be strong while her mind raced for a solution that would make amends for her mistake, even if she wasn't sure that was even possible.  Even if she was trembling she couldn't let herself break down too much; that would make Hitomi feel sorry for her or even pity her, which wasn't something HIkaru wanted.  No way did she want the older girl to worry about her that much, it'd be a burden.  Instead she looked up to see a tear fall down Hitomi's cheek as the younger girl was pulled into a tight hug.  Wait, what?  It wasn't a big mistake?  That concern was back and Hikaru had no idea how to feel about it.  Ultimately her body decided for her and she was hugging the older girl just as tightly, tears rolling down her own cheeks.  Even if she was going to burden Hitomi by revealing her own emotions Hikaru couldn't help herself.  She'd scared the older girl, someone who meant an awful lot to her.  More than a mentor or big sister figure.  What was she?  Why was she so important so quickly?  Whatever the case, she was showing her own feelings in that moment, something she tended to be guarded against more often than not.

"Hitomi.. I'm really, really sorry, I got really.. distracted..um.. but... er.. there's no excuse for being so disrespectful to archery.  I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry," Hikaru replied, whispering into the older girl's ear as she shook a bit from her own crying.  Being so close to Hitomi did allow her to notice the oddly dark spot on her shoulder where the older girl had gripped her.  What was that?  It hadn't looked stained when she put it on but there it was.. her eyes drifted over to Hitomi's hand as she sniffled, and suddenly the world stopped.  Hitomi was bleeding.  Probably as a result of her own stupidity with the bow.  

Before she knew it Hikaru had let go of Hitomi and reached down to her foot.  If she'd made a mistake that had hurt Hitomi the least she could do was to help make it better.   Hitomi was upset and Hikaru wanted at least to see her happy again; if she were disowned afterward it would be okay if the older girl weren't upset anymore.  From her foot she removed a white sock - it wasn't the cleanest thing but it would have to do in the situation.  After turning it inside out to prevent dust from getting into the cuts, Hikaru gently took Hitomi's hand and wrapped the sock around it to try and stop the bleeding.  All the while the tears kept rolling down her cheeks - could be the last act she had in the company of Hitomi, so she had to make it count.. yet that thought saddened her a lot.  Still she pressed just enough to slow the bleeding, trying to help the older girl without realizing fully what she was doing.

"You hurt yourself and it's my fault.. I'm so, so sorry Hitomi-oneesama.  I hope this helps.." she spoke quietly, not daring to look Hitomi in the eyes as she tried to administer first aid.  Then she added even more quietly, "Please don't send me away..." 

Hitomi closed her eyes against the flood of tears that were threatening. Everyone was safe. There was no need to cry now. She was just.. terrified down to her toes. She needed to get her emotions in check and take control of this situation. Her nose tucked in against the girl's hair, taking a calming breath. It steadied her far more than she had expected and even gave a slight twist to her abdomen so a few butterflies lifted from their slumber and stirred the lining of her stomach. Hitomi then shifted her head so her lips were close to the curve of Hikaru's ear. "I don't care about archery, as long as your okay. I don't even care." Had she thought more about what she was saying she might have noticed the depth of meaning those words rang within her.

When Hikaru pulled away from her, Hitomi almost had a mini panic attack thinking she had taken a step too far in her worry, but then she noticed the blood that was dripping from her fingertips. The girl swayed a bit as she looked at it with slightly larger eyes, then it was covered and she looked back up at Hikaru, her expression remaining the same. "Uhm.. There is a first aid kit in the cabinet." Her clean hand reached out and gently brushed away a few of the stray tears traveling down Hikaru's face. "Please stop crying, Hikaru. I'll be fine." She quickly fixed her expression into a more relaxed one, not wanting to make the girl doubt her words. Really, it couldn't be that bad, right?

She motioned toward the closet in the corner, never looking back at her hand. Blood turned her stomach and if she focused on it, she was prone to pass out. It wasn't likely that Hikaru would be able to catch her and not get hurt in some fashion. She needed to sit. But first, she needed to get her kohai to calm down. "It isn't your fault. I should have made sure that you had heard everything I said before I put my bow in your hands. It was my responsibility to teach you." A shaky smile quirked up one side of her lips. "I warned you I might not be the best teacher." Before Hikaru could take off for the cabinet, Hitomi reached out and pulled her close once more. "I will never send you away, my Imōto. Don't even entertain that thought. Now go on, get the kit. I'll keep pressure on it." If she didn't get the girl off doing something she'd likely start crying again. How could Hikaru think she would send her away? Was she really that scary when she got upset? She'd need to work on that. She couldn't go scaring her adorable maid every time her emotions got the best of her. Maybe writing things down would let her get some sort of expression out so that it didn't explode every time something bad happened. A lady was always calm and collected. Maybe that was why her mother classic literature. It made sense.

As soon as Hikaru went to get the kit, she crumpled into a seated position. Her head was working far too hard to try to keep her mind off her hand, which was currently curled tightly around the white material. When she finally took a closer look at it she quickly snapped her gaze upward to look at Hikaru's bare foot. "You.. gave me your.. sock." She gave a slight shake of her head at the resourcefulness of the younger girl and smiled lightly. Hitomi thought of lifting the material to look at how badly the string had sliced into her fingers, but just the thought made her stomach roll, so she kept her fist clenched and looked up toward the ceiling. Which wasn't much better since she flopped backward. Now her hand was throbbing. Well there went their first practice.. Then the teen grinned. At least they wouldn't ever forget it.

Hikaru had no idea why she'd let herself blurt out words that hinted at one of her deeper insecurities.  With all the other things that Hitomi had to be concerned with, the last thing the younger girl wanted to do was give her more to worry about.  Yet as she cried out her best apologies for falling short of her duties, she couldn't help herself.  All of her past experience had taught her that despite loving support from nuns and fellow orphans, small failures could be enough to prevent her from being wanted.  If there was even the remotest chance that Hitomi might not care for her presence after such a big mistake then she wanted to try and convince her to rethink that opinion.  Archery was really important to the older girl from everything Hitomi had told her, so it made Hikaru very worried when she'd made the mistake.  Yet she found herself reassured that the teen's main concern was not archery at all but rather Hikaru's safety.  This was enough of a surprise to cause the smaller girl's tears to stop falling rather suddenly.  She tilted her head quizzically as she attempted to figure out what that meant - at least Hitomi seemed sincere.

She had been just about to rush off after the first aid kit when the older girl pulled her into another hug.  Without having explained her outburst, Hikaru was surprised to hear exactly the words she'd been hoping to hear.  Rather short, those words.  Every syllable made her feel as if she were wanted and had a place where she belonged by Hitomi's side.  Of course her tears continued to fall but they were now out of joy rather than sadness.  If she could have gone on hugging the taller girl the rest of the afternoon she would have done just that.  Just so that Hitomi knew how much those words meant to her.  As it was the older girl's hand was bleeding and a simple sock wasn't going to be of enough quality to fix the injury.  With a smile hesitantly returning to her lips Hikaru gingerly made her way over to the cabinet Hitomi had identified, determined to prove herself worthy of that affection.  

"Sorry, I had to improvise.. I didn't want to see you keep bleeding, Hitomi.." she responded to the older girl's words, then turned to look at Hitomi.  Who had fallen backward after sitting down!

Eyes wide in panic yet again Hikaru let her instincts take over so that the panic didn't completely take over her mind.  This was no time to be frozen in place!  Nearly slipping a few times from her rush to get over to Hitomi, Hikaru worried with each step over the girl's health.  What was wrong?  Had she done something to upset Hitomi's fancy sensibilities?  Had the injury been worse than it looked?  With how much blood Hikaru had seen it woudn't be a surprise!  Time was of the essence then.  Soon Hikaru was kneeling beside her oneesama, first aid kit resting beside her as she tried her hardest to remember the first aid lessons she'd had at the orphanage.  There older students had been required to learn just in case a disaster hit and younger children needed medical assistance.  Somehow Hitomi was smiling though.  Trying her hardest to keep things calm Hikaru put on a smile of her own that was fraught with anxiety and concern. She pulled out the supplies to clean and mend the injuries, all while worrying about HItomi's well being.

"Hitomi.. um.. let me make you more comfortable as I clean that for you," she offered, then gently moved the girl's head to rest on her lap.  In the process she found that Hitomi's hair was indeed just as silky as it looked from a distance; she hoped that someday she could get her own hair to be that nice.

For now she gently removed the sock from around HItomi's injured hand and discarded it.  With surprising precision she cleaned up the cuts using pads in the first aid kit to ensure each injury was sanitary.  After tossing those aside with the sock, Hikaru pulled out some bandages and began to wrap them around each injured finger.  Panic was temporarily replaced by a look of serene concentration on the girl's face as each was very gently applied to her oneesama's digits.  Almost like a kind nurse tending to a loved one.  When it was finally done she sighed and looked into the girl's eyes as concern returned to the younger girl's expression.

"Hitomi.. um.. are.. are you okay?  I did the best I could to treat the injuries," she asked, then gulped and added, "I.. I hope it was okay to.. um.. er.. put your head in my lap like that..."

"Oh, it's alright. It just surprised me. You're very quick witted.." Her voice died off as she looked at the sock that was starting to turn red. She blanched and quickly turned her head away as she let out a groan. Thankfully she hadn't eaten anything between school and club activities or it likely would have ended up on the floor she just cleaned. That would have been a bother. As it was, she still had her head turned away from the wounded hand and her eyes were resting closed. Not that that would stop her from smiling. She had to keep up a strong front for Hikaru. This was nothing. After all, she had become well practiced at getting to the nurse with a terrible bloody nose without passing out. A little blood wouldn't bother her. Her free hand clenched into a fist as she nodded a bit in determination. It probably looked a bit silly, but it steadied the girl enough that when Hikaru lifted her head she didn't completely freak out.

"A-ah.." However, the deed was already done and her head was comfortably pillowed on Hikaru's lap. She turned her head, resting her cheek against Hikaru's thigh and stared off to the side, trying to reign in the heat that was flooding her cheeks. "Hi-" Her voice was coming out far too softly, so she cleared her throat quietly then started again. "Hikaru?" Hitomi shifted her head so she was looking up to the girl, waiting for her response before continuing. "I like it when you call me by just my first name. When it's just us, will you keep using it?" Her cheeks grew more warm as she realized what had just said. Hitomi had just been trying to keep her mind off of the pain that started when she relaxed her hand as Hikaru took the sock from her and began cleaning the wounds. At that point, Hitomi would close an eye and hiss out a breath as she murmured 'ow' a couple of times. After the cleaning, her hand would relax more, allowing the bandages to be put on without much fuss. In fact, her entire body was starting to relax. Just watching Hikaru put her at ease enough so that she almost reached out to toy with the strands that were hanging around the girl's face. Her hand lifted off where it had settled on her stomach, hovered there for a second then settled back down. She smiled lightly and closed her eyes as she wiggled the bandaged fingers and laid them on her belly with the other hand.

When she opened her eyes she found Hikaru staring down at her and she froze in that gaze for an instant then offered a sweet smile. "I'm fine, Hikaru. I just.. don't deal well with blood. And this is quite comfortable. I don't mind at all." She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers a bit, testing the movements. "You did a good job wrapping me up too. Thank you, Hikaru." Hitomi didn't seem like she was going to be moving at any point soon and her eyelids were looking a bit heavy. Perhaps she wasn't getting enough sleep at night? Who knew at this point. Not like Hitomi would come out and talk about such trivial things as lack of sleep. "..Hm. Would you mind if I laid here for a little while longer?"