[center][h2][color=ed1c24][i]Kimiko Maita[/i][/color][/h2][/center]
Kimiko awoke with a start, an unpleasant dream shaking her from slumber and delivering her to the twilit bedroom she inhabited. The time on her clock showed that she had awakened meer minutes before her alarm would have sounded, but there was little reason to wait. She switched on her bedside light and picked up the pack of Tarot cards that awaited her. Shuffle, cut, and shuffle again. A silent prayer for guidance, and the card was drawn. “Seven of Wands,” she murmured, unimpressed with this offering. “Aggression, Defiance, and Conviction... not the card I wanted today.” 

Kimiko yawned and slipped out of bed, her hand silencing the alarm within a second of its first chirp. She withdrew her ceremonial haori and hakama from her closet and donned the traditional dress before turning her light off and exiting the room. “Father, it's time,” she called as she crossed the living room with another yawn. 

A small cup lay on the table, some liquid untouched at the bottom. Kimiko looked down at the cup and shook her head disapprovingly. It had been awhile since her father had last partaken of sake. Almost an entire year, to be precise, coinciding with the date of her mother's death. Last year's mourning had resulted in some fairly unpleasant moments. She doubted her father would be joining her this morning. 

The miko opened the front door to their humble home and traversed the short distance to the shrine, her sandals kicking at the morning dew on the lawn. Once at the shrine, Kimiko performed her daily routine: emptying the offering box, putting out blank slips of paper, and awaiting the dawn. Once the sun began to approach the horizon, Kimiko bowed towards its rising and began the ritual: a combination of tai chi and dance crafted to honor the sun during its awakening. Normally the ritual was a beautiful duet of father and daughter, but today, Kimiko performed her solitary part with precision.

A quick change into her school clothes, and Kimiko began her short journey to school. Of course, she stopped in at her one allowed vice: the Sacred Grounds. Perhaps it was due to the coffee shop’s proximity to the shrine or how its naming convinced some patrons to also toss a few yen into the offering box, or perhaps it was the excruciatingly painful pun in its name, but Kimiko's father never disallowed a stop for coffee. She entered and ordered her coffee as usual (black) with as few wasted words to her kouhai behind the counter and took a seat in the corner of the dining area, looking out the window. This too was a portion of her daily rituals, a cleansing of the mind as she breathed in the aromas and listened to the bustling city awake. 

The news of the day seemed to revolve around an unfortunate car accident, but instead of the typical embellishments, most who talked about this event spoke of the impossible. Gossip rarely was entirely factual, and although Kimiko trusted the veracity of the conversation about as much as she trusted her father with sake, the contents were consistent enough to pique her interest. Some sort of supernatural event was at the very least widely believed to have occurred. Maybe the shrine would see more business than usual today. 

Once the impatient barista was graciously relieved by her manager, Kimiko took the opportunity to head out herself, not bothering to keep up with her kouhai’s hurried pace. The blonde’s destination was the school, and she intended, as was customary for her, to be one of the first individuals present. Being allowed to participate in chorus was a long fight with her father that she had only narrowly won, but each time the group sang together was the highlight of Kimiko’s day. She was certain that today would be just like any other.