Gentle Old Eyes

28

"Zeno dear could you turn Hinoe a bit more towards me?" Mother says in a calm tone. Behind her father hide's a small smile behind his tea cup.

Zeuxis yawns, and Hinoe lets out a small delighted laugh when Zeno shifts her position on his lap. Mother glances every so often back up from the paper. Zeno is focused on how her hand moves the brush eloquently. The black ink creating something on paper Zeno can't see from this position.

Zeuxis finally breaks the stiff sitting position and whines a little. The 5-year-old quickly starts a barrage of questions.

"Mother why are you painting us? When can we leave? Is it finished yet? Do I have to stay in this position any longer?" Hinoe grins at the questions while mother sighs.

"Zeuxis," Father's voice is scolding, saying the 5-year-olds name so suddenly Zeuxis snaps right back into the proper position. "You must be patient."

At this Zeuxis let's out a huff and mutters, "But this has already taken hours" under his breath and Zeno lets out a small giggle. Which of course father hears and looks back at them with raised eye brows.

Mother is sticking her tongue out now, probably adding last small details to the painting of her children. Her brush stops and she doesn't dip it again in the ink well, instead putting it down. She grins and gestures at them to come closer.

Both Hinoe and Zeuxis immediately burst towards their mother. Eager to leave the positions they held for so long. Zeno gets up more slowly but you could still see the eagerness in his limbs and expression.

Hinoe lets out a small laugh and starts talking, talk that isn't completely understandable but Zeno still catches a few words. Zeuxis is staring at the painting, brown eyes wide in awe.

Zeno turns his own eyes to the painting. And it really is beautiful.

Delicate brush strokes make the picture look softer. The happy wide grin on Hinoe make the picture cheerier. The excited expression Zeuxis has looks ready to pop out of the painting and have a life of his own.

And Zeno can see his mother's love in the way she painted Zeno's fond expression with a small smile and affectionate eyes. Zeno smiles just a bit wider as he examines the rest of the painting.

"Thank you, mother this is wonderful." Zeno says to mother and Hinano huffs. Says something about the how long lasting the ink is but Zeno is still so caught up staring at his painted siblings he can barely hear.

His mother truly is an amazing woman.

That was the dream Zeno had last night. It was extremely bittersweet to him to see it but Zeno now realizes why the dream showed up. It was some kind of omen.

Zeno muses as Ubuyashiki Akira, Kareki's mother and Kariya's wife lays out a paper and brush. He watches Akari, Kareki's wife start grinding the ink for her mother-in-law. Zeno senses this is going to end with Zeno somehow included in the yearly family paintings

Kareki lets out a delicate laughter. Kiriga glances towards his father from where he is seated between Zeno and Kareki.

Zeno feels his eyebrow twitch. Just how did Kareki weasel him into these yearly family portraits again? "This is yearly proof that you don't age! Just in case you need someone to believe you quick when they don't!"

Maybe Zeno could somehow still get out of this. Akira glances up sharply and Zeno knows she has started painting. Now Zeno can't possibly try to weasel out. It was far too late for that.

After she paints this picture someone, most likely a hashira or a kakushi is going to paint the women. The men included normally just the oyakata and the heir but now Zeno is also stuffed in.

Except, Kareki is probably somehow going to get him into painting the women. Zeno grits his teeth and counts. There is at least 4 older women, additionally Kareki's sisters, Kareki had so many sisters Zeno had lost count of them.

And Kiriga's one little sister.

Kareki had decided to not have any children after Fumiko was born. So, the 3-year-old was the current youngest member of the family.

Zeno sighs and thinks as time passes. The sound of Kiriga sifting his feet, the brush on paper and more ink getting grinded sporadically. The sounds from outside can be heard if you listen closely. Trees rustling, the water sloshing in the small stream going out from the pond and the occasional bird signing and wing flapping.

And before he knew it, Akari huffed out a small done.

Kiriga springs up, just like Zeuxis and Hinoe, and rushes towards Akira where he can see the finished piece. The 37-year-old grandmother lets out a huff of laughter and her 23-year-old daughter-in-law giggles.

Zeno helps Kareki stand up and leads him slowly to sit between his wife and mother. Zeno then stares at the painting from behind Kareki.

It is just like the real thing, Kareki on the right, Zeno on the left and Kiriga in smack middle. Their expressions are a little elevated. More cheery smiles than what their actual expressions were.

This is a tradition. Tradition of family coming together and sharing. Celebrating the new year and life.

Really, even if it wasn't invented yet, this holiday cheer carries over.