As Nancy led the way up the stairs, she was still slightly subdued, and occasionally cast slightly nervous glances at Nagi. Once she reached the top, and could slip into her assigned role of 'tour guide' she relaxed a little bit. Gesturing at a closed door slightly offset from the stairs, she said, "That's Omi-poppa's. Mine is next, at the end of the little hall. We share a bath. You'll have your own, Naoe-sensei, but I think the ofuro downstairs is a lot better!"
The door Nancy opened was on the left, offset from the one to her father's suite. Making a face, she glanced back apologetically. "I'm afraid it's dusty right now...it's cleaned every Saturday!" Mou! I would have to show someone a dirty house!
Immediately visible was what seemed to be the study Omi mentioned earlier. The furnishings were simple, but of good quality; a solid L-shaped desk with a comfortable office chair faced the door, and a plush reading chair, footstool, and table with a reading lamp fill the opposite corner, next to a second door. There was a framed print on the wall, of a modern abstract in blues and greens. The carpet was a pale blue, and the chairs upholstered in a darker blue.
It's the Blue Room, Nagi thought, amused. None of that showed on his face however, as he looked the room over and said politely, "It's very nice." He noted windows and doors automatically, calculating angles. "The bathroom is through the other door?"
"Oh no, Naoe-sensei! That's your bedroom. The bath runs along both," and she gestured at the short wall farthest from them, "but you can only get there from the other room." She started to cross to the other door, and suddenly jumped at least a foot into the air. "Aaaaiiiieeeekkk!"
At the girl's scream, Nagi lunged, pulling her away from the door and against the wall. Throwing up a heavy shield in a hair-ruffling rush of power, he gave her a cursory once-over, checking for injuries. "What is it?" he snapped, finding none visible--and no signs of danger anywhere in the hallway.
Nancy shrank away from Nagi, pressing back against the wall. Her eyes were as wide open as they could possibly be, and her mouth moved a few times before she admitted, cringing more than a little, "Um...it was...Trisk. My, my rat? Um. She's, I mean, she was in my shirt, but..."
A rat? Suddenly feeling incredibly stupid--and old, in the face of that kind of innocence--Nagi let her go and stepped back. "My apologies, Nancy," he said, taking refuge from his embarrassment in formality. "I thought you screamed because you were...hurt."
As soon as Nagi let go of her, Nancy bowed deeply to him, her face very red. "No, no, it's my fault! I should know better." She winced. "I did that to Omi-poppa once. I really should have learned. NOT to do that around anyone who does security work like Omi-poppa!" If possible, her face grew even redder. "Um, but, um...can I use your bath, really quick? I, I'd still like to get her OUT..."
"By all means." Nagi watched her run into the bathroom and shut the door--then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. What a fiasco... Security work? More like *insecurity* work. Not that Tsukiyono would ever tell her that. At least the girl was a fast learner, though.
When Nancy, still red-faced, came out of the bathroom, she saw that Nagi had moved in to the bedroom. "Um. . do you like it, Naoe-sensei?" Her rat was now perched on her shoulder, half-hidden behind a braid. "You don't mind Trisk, do you?"
The guest bedroom was not as blue. A painting--apparently by the same artist and in similar tones--hung above the headboard of the queen-size bed, but more green had been used to decorate. Looking around, Nagi was pleasantly surprised. He had been expecting something a bit more...sterile, for a guest bedroom.
"Not at all. And even if I did...this is your home, after all," he replied absently, looking over the dark-toned wood furniture, upholstered in greens and blues. There was an armoire, and a bookcase--at least he wouldn't have to live out of a suitcase for three months. "I'm not here to make you uncomfortable."
"Well, I know a lot of people don't like rats," Nancy said politely, without any empathy behind it. "But Trisk is really sweet, and never bites." She tried her best to glare at the creature, which chose that moment to run around her neck to the girl's other shoulder, and start trying to climb her braid. "She just . . moves a lot," Nancy finished, sounding resigned.
"I can put her back in the cage when we go downstairs if you'd rather," she said, shoving the bathroom door open more. "This is the last room up here, unless you want to see my room. I'm not supposed to take people into Omi-poppa's room."
Raising an eyebrow at that last statement, Nagi made a show of peering into the bathroom. Standard American fare, really--white appliances, with some pale aqua tiling. Sink, toilet, shower...nothing extraordinary. A small window with frosted glass. He made a mental note to put up a curtain.
"I wouldn't mind seeing your room, if that doesn't make you uncomfortable," he commented. He didn't expect he'd have to spend any time there, but...better to have the layout, just in case.
"Oh, I don't mind, Naoe-sensei. I didn't have to offer. . . you wouldn't have asked, right?" she grinned cheerfully at Nagi, apparently beginning to recover her normal high spirits. Carefully closing doors behind her, she led the way back to the hall and the door at the end. "I have two rooms of my own," she said proudly. "Omi-poppa made me an adult room when he redid the house!"
Indeed, the door she opened led into a 'study', and not a child's bedroom. The explosion of colour kept many people from noticing how neat it actually was. All four walls were a different colour, and the furniture against them was painted the same shade in different tones. The desk had a row of neatly organized schoolbooks, with a bookcase full of standard child's fare and a comfortable reading chair upholstered in sunny yellow.
Assaulted by the sudden burst of color, Nagi simply blinked. It was like stepping inside of a box of crayons. He took a couple steps in, absorbing the layout of the room. Color scheme aside, everything was laid out in an oddly-miniaturized adult way. Late evening shadows laid across the bookshelves, half-concealing the eclectic mix of titles: Pilgrim's Progress, Alice in Wonderland, historical fiction cheek-by-jowl with a series of Goosebumps novels...
He wondered how much of her eccentric reading habits had been influenced by her adoptive father's teachings. Either way, it made for an interesting analysis. "Did you pick the colors?" he asked in a feeble attempt to make some conversation.
The smile he got in return was simply brilliant. "Yes! I told Omi-poppa what I wanted, and he let me go and pick up paint chips, and just told me to make sure they mostly went together. None of my friends' dads would ever be so cool! Omi-poppa is the best," she said confidingly, like she was sharing a great secret.
"That door is to my bedroom," she said, jerking her chin at the rose pink-painted item in question. "You don't need to see in there, bedrooms are private," she said firmly. "Once you move in, I won't go into your rooms to clean them unless you want me to, either."
Nagi raised an eyebrow, knowing a Rule when he heard it. "All right, then." He'd just have to ask Tsukiyono about the layout later. "What else would you like to show me?"
"Well, you've seen most of the downstairs, I think," Nancy said slowly, frowning thoughtfully, then brightened. "But not the ofuro! I know you're probably used to them, but we're the only people I know who have one, and I think it's really neat!" She led the way back downstairs, still talking rapidly. "Omi-poppa likes to cook, so the kitchen is big. And that's where we eat." Here they reached the bottom, and she lowered her voice. "The stairs to the basement are there too, but we need to go quietly, or Omi-poppa will have us fetching and carrying from the freezers!"
Moving to open a door offset from the stairs, so that there wasn't a clear line of sight into the room beyond until you were in front of it, she bounced a little. "Here's the ofuro!"
Face to face with a full traditional Japanese bath, including large tubs for soaking, Nagi found himself unexpectedly pleased. Here was a luxury he had thought he would have to forgo for his time in America, and the idea that he wouldn't have to was more than welcome. While the ofuro was obviously frequently used, everything was still very clean, tile gleaming as if to welcome the next occupants.
"You're right. It is a very nice bath," Nagi said approvingly. He glanced down at her. "Are there any house rules for using it?"
Nancy looked a little puzzled. "Well, just make sure everything's tidy after you use it. Omi-poppa scrubs it properly once a week." Then she blinked. "Oh! If you want to use it alone, without either of us, just say so. Usually visitors want to?"
"Hm," Nagi said noncommittally. He wasn't all that bothered by the concept of family bathing, per se. But his life thus far had left a few scars that he wasn't sure an overprotective 'Omi-poppa' would want his daughter to see, and possibly ask questions about. "I'll ask your father about that." Using that term to refer to Tsukiyono was almost as jarring as Naoe-sensei. Yet another thing to get used to.
Nancy blinked at Nagi, and looked a little confused. "Okay," she said agreeably enough. "Do you want to see the backyard now, or downstairs? The only other rooms on this floor are the den and the kitchen, and you've seen lots of the den already." She grinned at him, unconsciously fidgeting towards the back door.
Watching her, Nagi obediently followed his cue. "Why don't you show me the backyard?" Stepping towards the door, he paused and looked at her with arched eyebrows. "Are pet rats allowed outside?"
Nancy giggled. "I can take them if I want. I just have to chase after them by myself if I do." Reaching up, she tried to catch Trisk, who was perched on top of her head sniffing dubiously at Nagi. The rat tried to escape, but Nancy's other hand was ready to snatch the creature off of her shoulder. She held the rat much like a kitten, and tsked at it. "You know you can't get away like that. Stupid tiny rodent brain!" she told it sternly. "I'll just put her away real quick!"
The girl was back in under two minutes, and eagerly opened the door for Nagi, letting him go first. "We practice out here, when it's not pouring rain."
Nagi surveyed the large yard, then walked out into it, getting a feel for the dimensions. Large, leafy elms and cottonwoods bordered the property, screening the back yard from their neighbors. The yard itself was planted with nothing but struggling grass, pounded flat by feet, and a few hardy bushes tucked away in the corners--remnants of a previous owner, from the look of them. It was an adequate space for a beginner; Nagi eyed the moderate-sized tool shed in one corner, then turned his back on it and closed his eyes.
Opening his power, he reached outward, letting the space imprint itself upon him as thoroughly as if he had run his fingers over every square inch. Every fallen branch and hidden rock revealed themselves, from a long-forgotten toy under a shrub to an oddly patterned arrangement of rocks to one side.
It took barely a minute, but as he opened his eyes, he knew he could walk the yard blindfolded and never stumble. He looked over at Nancy, wondering how much of his power she had picked up on. "So. What kind of things do you practice?"
Nancy was frowning at him intently, and it took her a moment to answer. "Why--?" she started, and then corrected herself instantly. "I practice my Aikido here, Naoe-sensei. And my gymnastics, if it doesn't need equipment; that I do at the studio. Omi-poppa and I sometimes play out here, and see what I can do, with my Talent, because it's private." She darted a quick look at a spot of ground by the shed and shivered.
"May I ask a question, Naoe-sensei?" she asked politely, frowning again.
That fear is a problem. One that would have to be fixed quickly, before it solidified into a phobia. Letting none of this show on his face, Nagi nodded. "Of course."
"What were you just doing?" she immediately demanded to know. "You touched a lot of stuff, but you didn't move any of it." She's clearly baffled. "And you did something before, too, when I was stupid and screeched. . but you weren't touching anything!"
How best to explain this? He had known the question would come, but the approach he needed to take...well, that was trickier. Deciding to go to the basics, Nagi said quietly, "What is telekinesis, Nancy?"
Nancy automatically clasped her hands behind her back and straightened slightly, as she first parroted by rote, "Telekinesis is an esper, or psychic, power, a talent of the mind, which permits the movement of objects without the use of concrete physical means." Taking a breath, she continued a bit slower. "It's about. . being able to 'find' things, the particular thing I 'want', and then I 'want' it to be somewhere else." She looked uncertainly at Nagi.
"That second part is the important part," Nagi told her. "How do you find the thing you want? You can feel it with your mind, right?"
Nancy nodded twice, rapidly, eyes bright with curiosity. "Yessir."
"You can use that for more than just moving things. The world is more than just seeing things with your eyes, for people like us," Nagi said. "Close your eyes. Without peeking, reach out for me, like you were going to try to move me. But don't do anything. Just find your center, and then feel where I am, the same as you would with your fingers."
"Okay," Nancy said a bit hesitantly. Biting her lip, she seemed to think briefly. This is sort of like what Omi-poppa wanted me to do at the zoo...I couldn't find Naoe-sensei by looking for his Talent until he used it, because it wasn't there, but if I do the same thing... Out of habit, Nancy tried to make sure she was doing what she thought she was doing.
Closing her eyes, she gave herself a hard spin with one foot, pivoting enough times, without paying attention, that she honestly wasn't sure what direction she was facing. The sun was warmer on her from the right, but Naoe-sensei could be a bunch of places...slowly, she made a mental 'idea' of him, like she would anything she wanted to pick up, and started fumbling around her. She had to go slowly, and her head was starting to hurt, when she thought she had it. Careful not to actually try to pick Nagi up, she gave a little 'tug', just to make sure he felt solid.
Feeling the tug of the girl's mind, Nagi nodded. "Good. Now tell me how far away I am, without opening your eyes. If you don't know meters or feet well enough, use your own arm for a measurement."
"Um..." Nancy almost opened her eyes automatically, but managed not to. She knew he was behind her, but more to the right, but he had said not to! I don't know how long my arms are! she argued, but silently. Sighing, she started trying to figure it out. Senseis told you to do something, they weren't interested in hearing why you couldn't...
Wait! She could! Sort of, anyway. Holding out her right arm, she made sure she wasn't going to 'let go' of Naoe-sensei, then she did the same thing to 'find' the end of her fingers. That was easier, because she could 'feel' all the way down her arm. Thinking about how much she'd have to 'try', to move something that far away, she thought about 'trying' to move Naoe-sensei.
This time the answer only took her about two minutes. "Um...you're more than two arms away, and less than three?" She sounded fairly sure about that, less sure that he was, "more less than three, than more than two, though. . I think?"
"That works," Nagi said dryly. "You can go ahead and open your eyes now." Waiting until he felt Nancy's power fall away, he continued. "Now what do you think you can do with that?"
Nancy opened her eyes, and turned around. Her jaw dropped slightly. "You're really there!"
"Of course." He gave her a penetrating look, trying to imbue his voice with all the assurance of experience. "Right where you 'felt' me."
Slowly, she started to smile. . and didn't stop until she was beaming and bouncing lightly on her toes. "Wow! It worked, it really did!" Then she remembered that she had a question to answer. "Well, I can find things I can't see, if I know what I'm looking for. ." Her heels thudded down, and she frowned, thinking hard. "But, you didn't know what was in the yard. And you were finding out what was there, right?" She looked up, and hit Nagi with a look so intent it was almost a glare, only without malice. "How do you do that? How do you look for something when your head doesn't know what it looks like?"
"Haven't you ever reached for something without looking at it?" Nagi replied, amused by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. "How do your fingers know what they're picking up?"
Still frowning, but now looking blank, Nancy looked down at her fingers, and bit back her first response. I don't know, my head tells them to! Um... But she couldn't come up with anything else. Sounding unhappy, she said, "I don't know, Naoe-sensei. My head tells them to, but I don't know how."
"Hm." The answer seemed pretty obvious to him, but he was no telepath, to be able to peer inside her head and figure out what was blocking it. "Well, that'll be part of our lessons. Think about it for a couple days, and maybe you'll have figured out the answer by the time I ask you again." Nagi kept his face and voice completely neutral. With any luck, that enthusiasm would translate into a determination to figure out the answer on her own.
Nancy was still frowning at her fingers. "Yes, Naoe-sensei," she said obediently.
After a few minutes, it became obvious Nancy was too distracted to move. Nagi decided to give her a little push. "Is there anything else you think I should see?"
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Snatching her hands behind her back like she was hiding something, Nancy then winced and let them fall by her side. "Um, well, there's...wait." Suddenly the little girl looked crestfallen. "You already know about the labyrinth! You 'looked' at it!"
"The labyrinth?" Frowning, Nagi tried to figure out what she meant. "You mean the rocks?" The only labyrinths he was familiar with were the ones in Greek mythology.
"Oh, you didn't see it," Nancy exclaimed, sounding pleased. "Come look!" She almost skipped over to the rocks, looking back several times to make sure that Nagi was following. "It's a classical seven-circuit labyrinth," she announced proudly once they'd arrived. "I wanted a Chartres as first, but Omi-poppa said I had to draw the lines." A bit sheepishly, she shrugged. "Seven-circuit is just fine, really it is!"
Nagi stared down at the rock patterns in confusion. "What is it for?"
Nancy grinned up at him. "Meditation! It's really nice. When I first started, I didn't think it did anything, but now I do it twice a day." Taking the first few steps, she then turned enough to face him, still moving.
"See, in only has one path in to the center. And you turn around and take the same path out. So you don't have to think about where you're going." Apparently quite true, as she hadn't so much as kicked a rock yet. "So if my thoughts are all tangled up, or I'm all snarly inside, I walk the labyrinth. On the way IN, everything gets smoothed out." Turning, she ran the path back out as fast as she could manage the turns.
"When I come back out, they're all wound up neat, like a skein of yarn!" Laughing, she admitted, "It doesn't always last very long before I go back to being snarly, but it's still nice."
"Interesting...that's a kind of meditation I've never heard of before." Nagi paced the perimeter of the labyrinth's layout, absorbing the pattern. A more Western variety of meditation, it seemed; but if it worked, he certainly wasn't going to knock it. Especially if that meant that Nancy was used to meditative states and movement. That could only make his job easier.
"How long does it usually take you?"
"Mmmmm," Nancy said, and stared at the labyrinth. "I dunno? If I'm walking to walk, maybe ten, fifteen minutes?" She shrugged, and turned back towards the house. "Something particular takes longer. I sat in the middle for an hour, once, but that was something really big." Changing the subject, she said "And I'd better go set the table now, if Omi-poppa's making something quick we might get to eat soon!" This was clearly a very cheering prospect, and something she was going to be focused on until she had something in her stomach.
"All right, then." Truth be told, his stomach was giving notice as well; plane food just didn't cut it when it came to a telekinetic metabolism. He followed her back indoors, and leaned against the doorway arch to watch as she pattered into the kitchen.