<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The grass was pleasantly warm under Akiko’s feet as she stood in front of the iwakura and pool, watching the light of the flame dancing within the stones.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>Why can’t everyone else see it now?</em> she wondered. Everyone had seen the flames during the festival, but, apparently, only she, Kazumi, and Shiraishi could see them now. Was it just a matter of being officially affiliated with the shrine? But then shouldn’t the ujiko count? Or some sort of supernatural experience?</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Akiko? Are you ready?â€ Shiraishi was calling her from the entrance to the house.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes. Just coming.â€ She bowed to the stones and pool to take her leave, and walked over to the house. “You know,â€ she remarked as she entered the house, “this robe is really <em>very</em> comfortable.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You still can’t wear it all the time,â€ Shiraishi said.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, I know,â€ Akiko replied, “but it wants to be worn.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It has a mind?â€ Shiraishi sounded a little scared.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What? Oh, no, no. Just a metaphor. Probably.â€ Akiko quickly tried to work out exactly what she meant, which wasn’t as easy as she’d expected. “It doesn’t feel like formal robes, where you feel constrained while wearing them. It’s just really comfortable. Almost… no, that’s not quite right. I was going to say “liberatingâ€, but…â€ She stopped, shaking her head. “It doesn’t feel entirely normal, either.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Maybe that’s just the lack of undies?â€ Kazumi suggested. Akiko pulled a face at her, but then turned serious.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“No, it’s not that. I keep forgetting that I’m not wearing anything underneath; that never happens with normal clothes.â€ Her words replayed in her mind, and she suddenly blushed. It sounded like she did it all the time. Kazumi was grinning, probably for the same reason. “You know what I mean, Kazumi. When we go to the forest, for example.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Mm-hm. I know what you mean.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“In any case,â€ Shiraishi started, obviously keen to change the subject, “we need to get you out of it now. We can think about what to do with it after that. It does sound as though just putting it in a box isn’t going to be right, though.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“So, let’s get started.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The three of them went into the main room, now empty, and stood in front of the kamidana. Noriko had leant them a kimono practice torso to drape the robe on when Akiko took it off, and it stood off to one side, a folding screen around it, one leaf open.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">First, Shiraishi read the purification norito and swept the ohnusa over them. Akiko let her vision switch to looking at the kegare, but the room was clear. There was multicoloured light pulsing from within the box holding the goshintai on the kamidana, and ripples of white light flowed within the feathers of the robe. There was no sign of anything from the box holding the mask.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi moved to kneel in front of the kamidana, and began reciting the norito.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>Kakemakumo kashikoki…</em></p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She thanked the kami for the gift of the robe, and promised to treat it properly, with reverence, and use it for the right purposes. When she had finished, they all bowed, clapped, and bowed again, before Akiko stood up, taking a couple of steps forward to the torso. Shiraishi moved to stand beside the screen, while Kazumi was on her other side, holding a hakui, the white kimono from her vestments.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Bowing her head once more, Akiko reached up inside the robe and released the hook. The cloak almost flowed off her back, and Akiko easily placed it round the shoulders of the torso, as it settled to hand naturally around it, the feathers still shining. She took a step back, and Kazumi was already there with the hakui; Akiko slipped her arms into it and Kazumi settled it on her shoulders. As Shiraishi closed the last leaf of the screen, hiding the robe, Akiko tied the belt around her waist.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">They all bowed to the kami once more, to close the ceremony.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, it will do for now,â€ Shiraishi said after a moment, looking at the screen. “But we really need to sort out a proper place for it.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Maybe when we rebuild the shrine?â€ Akiko suggested, and Shiraishi nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes, I think it will have to be. I hope that’s soon, though.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And we need to find out what we are supposed to do with it,â€ Kazumi chimed in. “Do you think I could wear it, or is it just for Akiko?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I don’t know,â€ Shiraishi admitted. “We’ll have to ask Tamao.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And I need to get changed,â€ Akiko said, feeling herself going red.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Just put the hakama on,â€ Kazumi suggested, but Akiko didn’t dignify the suggestion with any more than a glare. Kazumi just grinned at her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You should be getting changed as well, young lady,â€ Shiraishi said.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What? Why?â€ Kazumi protested.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You need to go home, and you probably don’t want to walk back in your vestments.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What? Why can’t I stay here? That’s not fair,â€ Kazumi was almost pouting now.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You were staying here until the kegare was cleared,â€ Shiraishi reminded her. “Well, it’s cleared now. Time to go home.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Maybe I should stay until we’ve checked that everywhere is clear?â€ Kazumi suggested, although she didn’t sound too hopeful.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I think we can be pretty confident already. Right, Akiko?â€ The priest looked to her for confirmation, and Akiko nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes,â€ she said. “I suppose it would be best for me to check again tomorrow, but I’m sure the festival purified the whole area.â€ Kazumi frowned, and looked like she was about to protest again.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Kazumi, go home,â€ Shiraishi said, insistently. She paused a moment. “You do have a home to go to, right?â€ The question sounded genuine, and Kazumi appeared surprised.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What? Of course… I just like it better here.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Don’t let your mother hear you say that,â€ Shiraishi warned, smiling despite herself.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I’m sure she likes having the place to herself,â€ Kazumi replied with a shrug. She still wasn’t making any move to go.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Kazumi, you need to go home.â€ Shiraishi’s voice was a bit more gentle this time, and Kazumi sighed.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, OK. Can I come back to help with the morning ceremonies tomorrow?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course, if you’re up in time.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course I will be,â€ Kazumi retorted, sounding slightly offended. She looked around, and audibly sighed. “Well, I’d better get changed then.â€ Akiko turned to leave the room, and Kazumi followed her out.</p>