Work Text:
"You gotta give it to 'em, they're creative little fucks." Mokou put her hands in her pockets and watched as Keine tacked up the completed calligraphy projects her older students had completed.
Keine had allowed her students to choose the words they wrote. While some students chose words like 'Dream' and 'Star' some had chosen words like 'Butt' and 'Stupid'.
She pinned up the last paper and took a step back, making sure all of them were even. The small hallway of the school building was always filled with artwork and writing projects her students completed. Keine loved showing off the work her students did.
Mokou would come in after school hours and help Keine with cleaning up or organizing the supplies. Now she was helping hang up the calligraphy projects. Though most of her help consisted of commenting on what the students wrote and offering her own critiques.
Keine smiled. "Yeah. They are pretty creative. But I wouldn't call them 'little fucks.'"
Rolling her eyes, Mokou bit back a scoff. "Either that or little shits. You know me Kei, I don't do kids."
Keine just laughed while she gathered her tacks and led Mokou back to the storage closet. Mokou followed her in and looked around on the shelves finding the calligraphy supplies that the students had used earlier in the day. Taking the kit off the shelf Mokou hummed, running her finger over the bamboo mat everything was wrapped in.
Keine peered over Mokou's shoulder, noticing what she had picked up. "Oh? Did you want to do some calligraphy tonight?"
Her question snapped Mokou out of the daze she had found herself in and Mokou shrugged. "I dunno. I was just remembering something." For a brief moment she closed her eyes, remembering the lessons she had a lifetime ago as a child back in the Fujiwara Clan's mansion. The tutor was extremely strict, wanting Mokou to be the best she could in every aspect so that she did not bring dishonor to her clan. As if an art piece with a pretty word on it would do anything but catch a passing glance.
Keine grabbed another kit and a cup of brushes and an ink block. "Well I think it'll be fun! We can start by writing our names."
"Keine, your name is long as fuck." Mokou replied, though she didn't refuse. Instead she took both their kits and walked out of the closet, waiting for Keine to join her.
Her blunt comment made Keine laugh again, which coaxed a smile from Mokou. The two of them walked out of the schoolhouse and towards Keine's own home, which was in the center of the Human Village. People waved at Keine and she always returned their greetings with a polite bow. Mokou gave her own half hearted bows as well, but she knew that Keine was the one people noticed and cared for.
Not that she minded. Mokou was a loner by nature, enjoying her time alone. But spending the evenings with Keine was always something she looked forward to, they would cook together after Keine took her customary nap, then spend the rest of the night talking before falling asleep.
When they arrived at Keine's house, she opened the door and let Mokou in before they found a place to set the calligraphy kits down. Mokou pulled Keine into a half shoulder hug and kissed her temple. "I'll cook tonight. Take your nap then we can eat and do some calligraphy."
Keine returned Mokou's kiss and nodded. "Thanks. I thought it would be fun if we wrote each other's names. I'll teach you the kanji."
With a crooked smirk, Mokou pinched Keine's side before pushing her forward. "Sounds like a plan, I'll hold you up to it."
Keine stuck her tongue out at Mokou before sliding her bedroom door closed. The childish expression made Mokou chortle, she was certain she was the only person on earth to ever see Keine Kamishirasawa stick her tongue out at someone.
Knowing that made Mokou feel warm inside, and not just because she was the embodiment of a phoenix.
They had eaten their dinner and Keine was now washing the dishes, placing the now wet dishes on the drying rack before wiping her hands and grabbing the calligraphy kits and brushes.
Mokou watched as Keine sat in the proper seiza style, her back ramrod straight. It made her smirk, seeing that Keine was now in her 'teacher' mode. Despite the fact she was wearing a simple yukata and had her hair loosely braided.
After getting everything situated, Keine then wrote her name in kanji on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to Mokou, who did the same.
"We can write in hiragana. I don't know why we aren't…"
Keine hummed then shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to write in a more… classic style. So Kanji. You do know how to write in kanji right?"
Mokou sputtered. Almost offended that Keine would insinuate she didn't know how. But she then spotted a smirk on Keine's lips, and felt her face flush. "Of course I do. I was raised on it."
"So you won't have any issues writing out my 'long as fuck' name?"
Grinding the ink stone and moving her hair out of the way so none of the white strands would get caught in it, Mokou shook her head. "Nah, I'm a pro. Watch."
Keine raised and eyebrow and got up, moving to sit beside Mokou so she could watch. Suddenly Mokou felt somewhat pressured. Keine's vibe had shifted into the one she had at work. An elegant persona she wore when around children. It was strangely attractive.
Mokou coughed and dipped her brush, then began the first strokes. She wrote in the style she was taught, but her hand was shakey. Probably due to the fact it had been almost 1,300 years since she had written like this.
"Ah, the Kaisho style… very classic. Makes sense, you were raised in the Heian period." Keine leaned over just a bit so that her shoulder was gently pressed up against Mokou's, which was another distraction. But somehow Mokou finished writing, noticing that there was something strange in the kanji for Keine's name.
"Hakutaku. Your last name has Hakutaku in it. That… that can't be a coincidence can it?" Mokou wondered out loud, with made Keine sigh.
"It means Upper White Swamp but yes, the characters also sound out Hakutaku. A strange twist of fate right? Though you did mess up a bit… you forgot the last stroke for 'haku'."
She pointed at the box-shaped Kanji, to the area where the last stroke should have gone. Mokou blushed again and finished the character, then looked at Keine. "Fixed, anything else teach?"
Keine laughed, "Want me to grade you?"
All Mokou did was nod before a small shine appeared in Keine's eye. She then leaned over and wrapped an arm around Mokou's shoulder. "Well. Your line weight is inconsistent and your strokes are shakey, plus there's some pooling ink in the junctions between strokes. You either put too much ink on the brush or held the brush in one spot for too long."
Dumbfounded, Mokou looked down at her calligraphy. Then back at Keine, then back at her calligraphy. "Man now I know why your brats cry all the time."
Keine gasped and hugged Mokou, then pulled back and shook her head. "Nonono! I didn't mean to be harsh! Sorry if I came off that way. Though you did ask."
Mokou just returned the hug and smiled. "Nah, I'm messing with you. Though I gotta say, if I had you as a teacher I probably woulda been much happier. Now show me how you write my name."
They released one another and Keine returned to her side of the table, with Mokou following her. They mimicked their earlier position, just with Mokou being the observer.
She watched as Keine picked up the brush and ink, then wrote out Mokou's full name in a much different style than Mokou expected. Instead of the textbook style that Mokou had seen in the schoolhouse, Keine wrote in a very loose, almost cursive-like hand.
Keine's then finished the last stroke of the last kanji, and she looked towards Mokou after placing her brush down.
"How do you like it?" She asked, scooting over a bit so Mokou could sit next to her.
"It's… It's pretty cool. I like it." Mokou said, looking over the piece once more before turning her attention onto the writer. Keine beamed, a gorgeous smile spread over her lips. Teacher mode had completely turned off, and she was back to normal.
The tight feeling in her chest made Mokou know that the calligraphy was more than just cool. It was one of the best gifts she'd ever received, and it bore her name that she hated. But it was written by Keine. Her lover of over ten years and best friend.
"Actually. I think I'm going to cherish it forever." Mokou croaked out, realizing that she was on the verge of tears.
Keine nuzzled close to Mokou and kissed her jaw. "I'll teach you how to write in this style… but not now. I'm glad you like it. I love what you did too."
"Even if it looks like shit?"
"It doesn't look like shit."
And Mokou knew Keine meant it.