storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-07-09 03:37 pm
storypaint) wrote2009-07-09 03:37 pm
Entry tags:
Eggshell
Title: Eggshell
Fandom: xxxHOLiC
Length: 997 words
Prompt: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chibidl: CLAMP-verse, with the picture of a house as the prompt; reunions (wildcard) for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cliche_bingo
Pairing: Doumeki, Watanuki, OC gen
Other: Spoilers for recent chapters of xH/TRC. Useless canon speculation on end of series.
Excerpt: Before she could stop herself, she was stepping through the gate, walking down the path. The house was well-lit, but at the same time, she thought to herself that the owner was out. It had that feeling of unoccupancy.
She'd walked past the vacant lot on her way to school for years. It wasn't something she even thought about, anymore, though when she was younger she'd wondered about the remains of the gate there. The posts were tall, unusual, and even in their decay spoke of something mystical to her. She'd dared herself to brush a hand along the fence once, and nothing had happened (she'd felt oddly disappointed).
It was a Thursday afternoon, raining, and she'd spent a long afternoon at softball practice. She was thinking of nothing of getting home and removing her shoes, maybe a warm bath against the chill of early fall, but still she glanced at the vacant lot as she went by-- force of habit.
And it wasn't vacant. She stopped walking.
She blinked and looked again, and there it was-- a house, a shrine, a building with an odd Victorian feel to it and decorated with crescent moons.
Before she could stop herself, she was stepping through the gate, walking down the path. The house was well-lit, but at the same time, she thought to herself that the owner was out. It had that feeling of unoccupancy.
She strode slowly toward the door, which opened at her touch, a bell jingling suddenly in her ears. She stepped back, but no one came. The hallway was bright and clean. Perhaps the owner had just stepped out for a moment. She found herself holding her breath as she slipped off her shoes.
It was impossibly rude to just wander through someone's home while they weren't here, but she couldn't stop herself. There were butterflies everywhere, and crescent moons, all traced across paintings or antique-looking furniture. There was a divan in a large room with a butterfly carpet and heavy curtains along the walls, a small brazier resting next to it. The fire wasn't lit, but the smoke still hung in the air a little, burning her nose.
She bit her lip. She had the feeling that someone should be here, had been here for a long time. It was almost like a spirit hung in the room, a spirit of waiting.
She knew that feeling; she felt sometimes like she'd been waiting for something all her life. There was something, something up ahead, something behind her, maybe, that she'd forgotten. Her parents said it made her dreamy (and sometimes snappish). Longing had hung over her, even when she was happy (and generally she was).
"Hello?"
She spun on her heel to see a man standing in the doorway to the room. He was perhaps in his thirties, tall and thin, but the striking thing about him was the fact that he had one blue and one golden eye.
She began, "I didn't mean to intrude--"
The man stared at her, eyes wide. "Y-yuuko-san!?"
She blinked and fought a sudden urge to shrink beneath his piercing gaze. Somehow that wouldn't be right.
"No, I'm Inoue Chouko. I go to the school up the road," she returned. "I didn't mean to..."
He stared for a moment longer, mouth working but not speaking. Finally he smiled, and she relaxed along with him. The sudden calm of his face was catching.
"Butterfly," he said, seemingly to himself. "Inoue-san, it's all right. If you've found this place... you must have a wish."
Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement and she blinked her ruby eyes.
"Go through here," he said, pointing, "to the backyard. I'll make some tea and join you in a moment."
"All right," she managed. To her shock, she found someone sitting on the back porch, staring out at a cherry blossom tree. Even while it wasn't blooming, it was still still quite lovely.
This person was dressed in the robes of a priest. He didn't look up at her footsteps, but when she said nothing, hesitating, he turned.
He had golden eyes too, and they widened, just a little, to see her. She didn't move. After a moment, he didn't quite smile, but he nodded. She felt it was an invitation.
She sat down beside him and waited for the other man to return. The priest, or whoever he was, returned his gaze to the tree. She found herself staring as well, trying to see what was so fascinating to him, but before she could figure it out, the door slid open and the other man appeared with a tea tray.
"Did you bring--" the priest began. The man with mismatched eyes nodded irritably, cutting off his protests by handing him a bottle and a cup. His gaze was much more pleasant when it landed on Chouko, and he gave her a teacup and then sat down next to her with his own.
"My name is Watanuki Kimihiro," he said. "'Watanuki' is spelled with the characters for 'April first,' which is my birthday, as well."
He glanced over at her. She nodded, uncertain where he was going with this information. He looked almost disappointed for just a second, and then he sighed.
"You have a wish, Inoue-san?"
"Her?" the priest said, turning to meet Watanuki's eyes. Chouko had the idea that they were having a silent conversation over her head, in the way of people who had known each other for a very long time.
"I want to know what I'm waiting for," she burst out suddenly, turning her gaze from one to the other.
"Yes, her," Watanuki said. He blinked suddenly and turned away. It almost seemed as if he were going to cry.
The priest grunted. When she turned to look at him, he was holding a golden egg in his palm, his hand cupped softly around it. He stared at it for a moment longer.
"Your choice?" he said.
"Yes," Watanuki answered. "I promised her."
Slightly alarmed and still rather confused, Chouko looked from one to the other. After a moment, the priest sighed.
"Here," he said, holding out the egg and dropping it into her cupped palms, granting her wish.
Fandom: xxxHOLiC
Length: 997 words
Prompt: For
chibidl: CLAMP-verse, with the picture of a house as the prompt; reunions (wildcard) for cliche_bingoPairing: Doumeki, Watanuki, OC gen
Other: Spoilers for recent chapters of xH/TRC. Useless canon speculation on end of series.
Excerpt: Before she could stop herself, she was stepping through the gate, walking down the path. The house was well-lit, but at the same time, she thought to herself that the owner was out. It had that feeling of unoccupancy.
She'd walked past the vacant lot on her way to school for years. It wasn't something she even thought about, anymore, though when she was younger she'd wondered about the remains of the gate there. The posts were tall, unusual, and even in their decay spoke of something mystical to her. She'd dared herself to brush a hand along the fence once, and nothing had happened (she'd felt oddly disappointed).
It was a Thursday afternoon, raining, and she'd spent a long afternoon at softball practice. She was thinking of nothing of getting home and removing her shoes, maybe a warm bath against the chill of early fall, but still she glanced at the vacant lot as she went by-- force of habit.
And it wasn't vacant. She stopped walking.
She blinked and looked again, and there it was-- a house, a shrine, a building with an odd Victorian feel to it and decorated with crescent moons.
Before she could stop herself, she was stepping through the gate, walking down the path. The house was well-lit, but at the same time, she thought to herself that the owner was out. It had that feeling of unoccupancy.
She strode slowly toward the door, which opened at her touch, a bell jingling suddenly in her ears. She stepped back, but no one came. The hallway was bright and clean. Perhaps the owner had just stepped out for a moment. She found herself holding her breath as she slipped off her shoes.
It was impossibly rude to just wander through someone's home while they weren't here, but she couldn't stop herself. There were butterflies everywhere, and crescent moons, all traced across paintings or antique-looking furniture. There was a divan in a large room with a butterfly carpet and heavy curtains along the walls, a small brazier resting next to it. The fire wasn't lit, but the smoke still hung in the air a little, burning her nose.
She bit her lip. She had the feeling that someone should be here, had been here for a long time. It was almost like a spirit hung in the room, a spirit of waiting.
She knew that feeling; she felt sometimes like she'd been waiting for something all her life. There was something, something up ahead, something behind her, maybe, that she'd forgotten. Her parents said it made her dreamy (and sometimes snappish). Longing had hung over her, even when she was happy (and generally she was).
"Hello?"
She spun on her heel to see a man standing in the doorway to the room. He was perhaps in his thirties, tall and thin, but the striking thing about him was the fact that he had one blue and one golden eye.
She began, "I didn't mean to intrude--"
The man stared at her, eyes wide. "Y-yuuko-san!?"
She blinked and fought a sudden urge to shrink beneath his piercing gaze. Somehow that wouldn't be right.
"No, I'm Inoue Chouko. I go to the school up the road," she returned. "I didn't mean to..."
He stared for a moment longer, mouth working but not speaking. Finally he smiled, and she relaxed along with him. The sudden calm of his face was catching.
"Butterfly," he said, seemingly to himself. "Inoue-san, it's all right. If you've found this place... you must have a wish."
Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement and she blinked her ruby eyes.
"Go through here," he said, pointing, "to the backyard. I'll make some tea and join you in a moment."
"All right," she managed. To her shock, she found someone sitting on the back porch, staring out at a cherry blossom tree. Even while it wasn't blooming, it was still still quite lovely.
This person was dressed in the robes of a priest. He didn't look up at her footsteps, but when she said nothing, hesitating, he turned.
He had golden eyes too, and they widened, just a little, to see her. She didn't move. After a moment, he didn't quite smile, but he nodded. She felt it was an invitation.
She sat down beside him and waited for the other man to return. The priest, or whoever he was, returned his gaze to the tree. She found herself staring as well, trying to see what was so fascinating to him, but before she could figure it out, the door slid open and the other man appeared with a tea tray.
"Did you bring--" the priest began. The man with mismatched eyes nodded irritably, cutting off his protests by handing him a bottle and a cup. His gaze was much more pleasant when it landed on Chouko, and he gave her a teacup and then sat down next to her with his own.
"My name is Watanuki Kimihiro," he said. "'Watanuki' is spelled with the characters for 'April first,' which is my birthday, as well."
He glanced over at her. She nodded, uncertain where he was going with this information. He looked almost disappointed for just a second, and then he sighed.
"You have a wish, Inoue-san?"
"Her?" the priest said, turning to meet Watanuki's eyes. Chouko had the idea that they were having a silent conversation over her head, in the way of people who had known each other for a very long time.
"I want to know what I'm waiting for," she burst out suddenly, turning her gaze from one to the other.
"Yes, her," Watanuki said. He blinked suddenly and turned away. It almost seemed as if he were going to cry.
The priest grunted. When she turned to look at him, he was holding a golden egg in his palm, his hand cupped softly around it. He stared at it for a moment longer.
"Your choice?" he said.
"Yes," Watanuki answered. "I promised her."
Slightly alarmed and still rather confused, Chouko looked from one to the other. After a moment, the priest sighed.
"Here," he said, holding out the egg and dropping it into her cupped palms, granting her wish.
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Poor Yuuko.
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...Great fic btw! <3
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Thanks very much~!
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Nicely written, like other people have said, I couldn't look away from it. It's hard to get that sort of pacing, but you did it right.
Also nice reference with "Chouko". Butterfly's Child indeed. :)
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Thank you very much for the compliment on my pacing. ♥ That's one of the hardest things to get working properly sometimes.
Also~ I'm thrilled you caught the reference. I've sometimes wondered if that might not be Yuuko's real first name, given her fondness for butterflies. Yes, they also mean change, which is her thing, but I wouldn't put it past her to hide her name in plain sight.
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