Three stones sat at the top of a small throne set on a shallow hill. Every day the sun beat down on them, the rain slowly whittled them away, and the wind blew across their surface. Every day this stayed the same for what felt like a millenia. The stones had no concept of time, no concept of space, and no concept of their existence. One day a storm blew in and began to howl violently with its wrath. The trees bowed and the very earth sank under the weight of its mighty rain. However, the stones all sat upon their throne, except for the smallest of the three. This stone rolled off the throne and to the mushy and muddy ground below before rolling away some feet due to the wind.
The other stones thought, "What a worthless stone that he couldn't even remain in place..."
Maigo had sat at his small table on the wall of the tea shop alone for some minutes. There were several others around that had been quiet and respectful, a single man sat writing on a scroll near the opposite corner of Maigo. Another man was reading away towards the center of the room. Two women were standing to make their way out of the establishment and a few others were scattered around to their individual tasks as Maigo sat at the center of the wall to the right of the entrance.
The tea shop wasn't small by any means but wasn't large. It was definitively a hole in the wall compared to the rest of the emporium and all of the other places that could be traversed. Wooden architecture and historical art painted the wall in an abstract way, family symbols, and traditional aesthetic made this one of Maigo's favorite places. He could sit here with his pot of tea, lean back with his eyes closed, and meditate away on what life was about and where he was going. His regrets and how he could combat them, whether to stave them away in his mind or whether he should grow the courage to face his regrets and fears directly without hesitation.
None of that mattered, as Maigo sat with one leg crossed on top of the other, facing outwards and letting his head rest against the wall. His normal attire and single katana at his right hip slacked towards the ground as he relaxed. The two women paid the old woman shop keeper and made their exit, passing by a group of three rowdy men who gawked at them as they exited, made some gestures, and grabbed at them. The noise broke Maigo's concentration and seemingly the concentration of most everyone else as they sat near the center of the room and began to make a ruckus among themselves. Maigo sighed and tried to ignore them for a minute as they carried on.
Their rambunctiousness carried on for less than a minute as they shouted towards the shopkeeper to bring them tea and food and whatever else crossed their mind. At one point shouting about having beautiful women playing harmonic music to soothe their troubled souls. It would be nice, and normally Maigo would love a scene like that but this tea shop was of a different kind, and deserved a different kind of respect. Maigo's head would rise forward and his eyes open, golden pupils focusing on three disheveled and seemingly drunken men that could hardly maintain themselves. They looked like ordinary citizens, no reason for any anger or concern but Maigo's quick temper got the best of them and any chance of diplomacy would go out the door as he would shout out to attempt to silence the room.
"Hey!" the words would echo slightly and Maigo would pause until he knew that he had their attention. "I think that you've outstayed your welcome, it's time to go..." his words would trail off calmly and his eyes would stare intently and coldly on the group of men.
The other stones thought, "What a worthless stone that he couldn't even remain in place..."
Maigo had sat at his small table on the wall of the tea shop alone for some minutes. There were several others around that had been quiet and respectful, a single man sat writing on a scroll near the opposite corner of Maigo. Another man was reading away towards the center of the room. Two women were standing to make their way out of the establishment and a few others were scattered around to their individual tasks as Maigo sat at the center of the wall to the right of the entrance.
The tea shop wasn't small by any means but wasn't large. It was definitively a hole in the wall compared to the rest of the emporium and all of the other places that could be traversed. Wooden architecture and historical art painted the wall in an abstract way, family symbols, and traditional aesthetic made this one of Maigo's favorite places. He could sit here with his pot of tea, lean back with his eyes closed, and meditate away on what life was about and where he was going. His regrets and how he could combat them, whether to stave them away in his mind or whether he should grow the courage to face his regrets and fears directly without hesitation.
None of that mattered, as Maigo sat with one leg crossed on top of the other, facing outwards and letting his head rest against the wall. His normal attire and single katana at his right hip slacked towards the ground as he relaxed. The two women paid the old woman shop keeper and made their exit, passing by a group of three rowdy men who gawked at them as they exited, made some gestures, and grabbed at them. The noise broke Maigo's concentration and seemingly the concentration of most everyone else as they sat near the center of the room and began to make a ruckus among themselves. Maigo sighed and tried to ignore them for a minute as they carried on.
Their rambunctiousness carried on for less than a minute as they shouted towards the shopkeeper to bring them tea and food and whatever else crossed their mind. At one point shouting about having beautiful women playing harmonic music to soothe their troubled souls. It would be nice, and normally Maigo would love a scene like that but this tea shop was of a different kind, and deserved a different kind of respect. Maigo's head would rise forward and his eyes open, golden pupils focusing on three disheveled and seemingly drunken men that could hardly maintain themselves. They looked like ordinary citizens, no reason for any anger or concern but Maigo's quick temper got the best of them and any chance of diplomacy would go out the door as he would shout out to attempt to silence the room.
"Hey!" the words would echo slightly and Maigo would pause until he knew that he had their attention. "I think that you've outstayed your welcome, it's time to go..." his words would trail off calmly and his eyes would stare intently and coldly on the group of men.