#my go to tag shall be ethereal brilliance

[heyifinallyhaveablog]

Shubho Bijaya re! Onek onek bhaalobasha!

Bijoya Dashami and A Tradition I Love

Shubho Bijoya Dashami to one and all. Gurujonera pronaam niyo. Chhotoder (who are perhaps non-existent on Tumblr) onek ador janalam.

Tagging the Bangalis I know - @heyifinallyhaveablog @walburgablack @mayavanavihariniharini

Writing this, the name of the Mother Goddess 108 times, is something of a family tradition. All members in their “Brahmacharya” (student life) do it, even though I have resolved to do this to the end of my days, until I can no longer grip a pen. This is cathartic to me, and I consider a New Year starting from the day of Mahalaya. Poila Boishakh or the English New Year, somehow, does nothing for me. Mahalaya does. And this is my brand of therapy.

Perhaps you ladies could share some of special things or traditions or rituals you do during the puja, or on Dashami, Rhea Di, Arpi Di and Shubhra Di?

Goddess, this is such a poignant matter for me that I can’t even crack a joke about the horrid handwriting. *chuckles*

Shubho Bijoya everyone, Bengalis and non-Bengalis alike. The Mother Goddess blesses all.

[ayatosama]

the fueguchi files

chapter: three

pairing: ayahina

chapter word count: 1443

total word count: 4096

summary: Hinami Fueguchi is a celebrated detective working directly under Eto Yoshimura, one of the most prolific detectives of their generation. The only thing standing in her way from reaching her goal is her own human limitations. Enter Ayato Kirishima, a young cop looking to make detective. He’s placed under Hinami’s guidance in order to get his detective shield and ease Hinami’s work load. The two start off as polar opposites, sun and moon. But something begins to work between them, bringing Hinami closer to that one thing she can’t seem to reach. That one case that eludes her.

They arrived on the scene much later than Hinami would’ve liked. The body was already covered with a white sheet, if Hinami were being naive it would simply look like she was sleeping. Hinami had long since buried that naivety.

“Who found her?” Hinami asked. The street cop standing by the body looked up. He was young too. Maybe even Hinami’s age. His eyes were a deep brown, so deep they almost appeared black.

“Detective Fueguchi! What an honor to meet you!” He nearly dropped the pad of paper he was holding. Hinami heard Ayato scoff behind her. She wouldn’t say she was used to this, she was actually more accustomed to other cops treating her like a child who found the golden ticket. But she still felt a little weird either way, whether being praised or demeaned. She just wanted to be treated like every other detective.

“Uh...thank you...Officer...Sakamaki.” Hinami offered a tight smile. He beamed at her.

“You know my name!”

“It’s on your name tag idiot.” Ayato said. Hinami turned around and tried to give him a look that conveyed “watch your manners” but if Ayato picked up on the message he didn’t show.

“I apologize for Officer Kirishima’s blunt outburst, but we haven’t met officer, I was reading your tag.”

“Oh, but we have detective. Briefly. Well actually you came to our precinct and gave a lecture.” Hinami had done that quite often and she still had no recollection of this young man. But she smiled and gestured to the body on the ground;

“may we continue?”

“Oh! Oh yes, yes of course...uh body was found by the man who runs this shop. He came out early this morning to empty some trash and found her.”

Hinami nodded and turned to Ayato. “Survey the scene for me.” He looked at her for a split second too long and Hinami thought she saw nerves sitting there. But he brushed them away and stepped in front of her. He knelt and removed the sheet with automonical precision.

“The marking are very similar to our first victim, though the cuts look much deeper this time. He’s growing more confident.” Ayato notes. Hinami nods. She feels it in her gut that the two murders are connected. But that would mean a serial killer on their hands. Hinami knows she can handle a serial killer, they leave more bodies and more clues than just a lone murder. But that meant more innocent women being ripped from life.

“What else?”

“B...Bite marks on her inner thighs.” Ayato says and Hinami leans in closer, they’re shoulder to shoulder now. And despite the gruesome scene in front of her she notices he smells like cigarettes.

“These appear to have been made as she was bleeding out, hopefully the ME can give us an exact timeline.”

“Her necklace is missing whatever pendant was hanging on it.” Ayato points to the chain around her neck. The clasp was still there but whatever it held was taken along with her life. “This has to be the same guy.”

“Officer Sakamaki, please have the coroner take her to the ME’s office.” Hinami stands and sighs. It’s only been one day and two women are already dead. “We’ll head over right away, this takes precedence over anything else they are working on.”

“Yes detective!” He says and actually salutes her.

—

“Doctor Kimi, how are you today?” Hinami says as they enter the laboratory where several examined bodies lay. It smelled of bleach and sadness at lost lives. Doctor Kimi was a family friend of Hinami’s. She was the wife of her older brother’s friend Nishiki. Hinami respected her a lot, and often looked up to her brilliance the same way she did with Eto. So many intelligent women have shown Hinami anything was possible if she tried hard enough.

“Now, now Hina no need to be so formal.” Kimi says as she uncovers the body of their first victim. All cleaned up Hinami notes the juxtaposition of her pale skin and the raw wounds left by the killer, innocence and lost of it coalescing on one body so seamlessly. “And who have you brought with you?” The tone of her voice suggests something more than just a question about a coworker. Immediately Hinami blushes.

“Officer Kirishima. But you can call me Ayato.”

“Pleasure Ayato.” Kimi says. “Now, I’ve heard another body has appeared? You think it’s the same man?”

“Well, yes. But first what are your findings?” Hinami motions for Ayato to start taking notes. Kimi gestures them closer to the body.

“Cause of death is extinguinsation, this cut here” she points at the laceration on her throat, “was the killing blow. Some of the stab wounds were done before she bled out, though most are post mortem.” Kimi explains as she drags her gloved fingers over the gashing wounds. “The sexual assault was done before her throat was slashed. Giving her profession I’d wager he was too rough with her and when she protested she angered him resulting in this...savage display.”

“How awful.” Ayato says looking up from his notes. Hinami once again sees something softer in his countenance, hiding beneath his feigned bravado. For a reason unbeknownst to her she feels her heartbeat speed up.

“When the other body shows up, will you let us know if your findings match this one.”

“Of course Hina, I’ll call you as soon as I have any details.”

“Thank you Kimi.”

As they leave the office Hinami feels her phone vibrate. She prays it’s not Eto with another report of a dead body. It was Eto but it was actually a reminder of the ball she was hosting to raise money for battered women. Hinami had totally forgotten about that.

“What?” Ayato asks noticing her fixation on her phone, “another body?”

“No..no nothing like that. Eto is hosting a ball at her house for a fundraiser and I forgot I had to go.” She sighs, all she really wanted to do was go home and go to sleep. But she made a promise to show up.

“Would you like some company?” Ayato asks. Hinami is actually taken a back that he would ask. They've only known each other for a day. A really rough and bloody day at that. She wouldn’t consider them friends or anything. But…

“yeah, I’d like that.”

—

Hinami’s apartment was as neat as Ayato would expect from her. A wide open living room space that bled into the kitchen, walls lined with bookshelves. A half burnt candle sat on the coffee table in the living room. In fact the coffee table was the only thing in her whole place that was remotely messy. A book half read sat next to an old coffee mug and notebook after notebook on cases Ayato assumed she had solved.

A big bay window sat behind the couch letting in the honey colors of sunset. Ayato spotted a photo frame of Hinami probably six years old standing next to what he assumed was her parents.

“Ayato, you ready?” Hinami said. He set the photo down and turned to see Hinami in the hallway pushing an earring into her ear. She was wearing a simple babydoll style dress that was a pale pink with a slight shimmer. It hugged her body, something Ayato was now realizing was actually perfect, but didn’t cling too tight. Ayato thought she was pretty when they first met earlier that day. But he was so caught up in the idea of this renowned detective and the crime scenes he didn’t think too much on it.

But seeing her in that dress, her skin catching the sunlight that filtered in he realized she was ethereal.

“Is there something wrong with my outfit?” She asks looking down.

“No..no I uh...well you just look really nice.” He scratched at the back of his neck hoping to seem casual in his compliment. Her cheeks flushed the same pink as her dress.

“Thank you.”

“I feel underdressed…” He said laughing a bit. They had swung by his apartment so he could trade his casual jacket for something a little more dressed up. He was already wearing nice pants and a deep maroon button up shirt so it didn’t take much to make himself appear more formal.

“You look just fine.” She said smiling. “Shall we?” She asks and points to the door.

“After you Detective Fueguchi.”

“Call me Hinami tonight. Tonight I am not your superior...we’re...friends.”

“Okay, Hinami.” Ayato realized he liked the way her name tasted on his tongue. Like honey.