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murinae.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2005-09-29 12:03 am
murinae.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2005-09-29 12:03 am
[September 29] [Spirited Away] Till Human Voices Wake Us
Title: Till Human Voices Wake Us
Day/Theme: September 29 - Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
Series: Spirited Away/ Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
Characters: Haku (Nigihayami Kohakunushi?)
Ratings: G
Till Human Voices Wake Us
Ever afterwards, when he thinks of her, it is always feet first.
It was the first part he ever saw naked, after all. Little wrinkled soles, crowned by pearl-like strings of toes, stepping, sliding, slipping into his world, kicking up sand and scattering the fishes into silver streaks. And it was the first part she laid bare in Aburaya, even before she was stripped of her name. After that, she would pad through the bathhouse on those soft feet, seemingly untroubled by the possibility of splinters or other sharp edges.
But oh, how he remembers those delicate arches flashing white at him, as she pushed the washrag against the wooden floors. He remembers the exact, exquisite parabola from the ball to the heel of each foot, and oh, how that beginning arc would belie other pleasing curves to come later, elsewhere, everywhere.
And he came to know all those curves and how they could arch. He came to know the sweet rush of her pulse through each sinuous bend ... came to know it better than even the currents and contours of his own, left behind river. Perhaps that was the problem, in the end.
Humans say that gods lose all power when their names are no longer spoken. He knows that this isn't true.
Humans say that gods disappear when their temples or shrines fall to dust. He knows this isn't so.
Humans say that, in the end, belief, faith and memory are the sources of a god's existence. They say that gods can die.
He can -- and has -- stopped believing in such things as human faith. He can and has stopped believing in such things as Aburaya, and witches, and gods ... and in the stories and words that bind them, each and all.
He can and has stopped believing in himself. On the bygone banks of his vanished river, no one comes to worship. There is not one left, mortal or immortal, that can call his name rightly.
Perhaps he is the first atheist god, neither believing nor believed in ...
Except ...
Even after it all, even after everything, he cannot stop believing in something as simple as the shape of her feet.
And so he must remain.
- owari
- - - - - - -
Erm. Ah. Actually, I can't believe I just did this ... eh Well, I decided to take the plunge and post this, three minutes into midnight, since I was about to lose my courage if I let it linger any longer.
I'm not sure what to make of this piece. It's rather different from what I normally write ... plus, I'm of the firm belief that most Miyasaki films defy attempts at hashing out a fanfic. This film especially; I've only seen two authors do it well, and I know I'm not anywhere near that caliber. But sometimes, no matter what you do, the ideas still come and this one refused to be denied. I wish I was more skilled at handling it though; it was so bright and sparkly before I tried to weigh it down with words.
Anyways, what I do know -- beyond a shadow of a doubt -- is that I owe much thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
northarrow and mareimbrium who both help me smooth the odd angles and corners in this fic. There were a whole lot more of them, believe it or not, before they helped out.
I couldn't have posted this without them. Even if they both made me take out the word "camber". ^_^
Thank you for reading, at any rate. Please let me know what you think (Even if it is to go "nerrrgh! You infidel! How dare you write Spirited Away fic!")
cheers,
muri
ps: Much apologies to TS Elliot fans. The line just got stuck! *sigh*
Day/Theme: September 29 - Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
Series: Spirited Away/ Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
Characters: Haku (Nigihayami Kohakunushi?)
Ratings: G
Till Human Voices Wake Us
Ever afterwards, when he thinks of her, it is always feet first.
It was the first part he ever saw naked, after all. Little wrinkled soles, crowned by pearl-like strings of toes, stepping, sliding, slipping into his world, kicking up sand and scattering the fishes into silver streaks. And it was the first part she laid bare in Aburaya, even before she was stripped of her name. After that, she would pad through the bathhouse on those soft feet, seemingly untroubled by the possibility of splinters or other sharp edges.
But oh, how he remembers those delicate arches flashing white at him, as she pushed the washrag against the wooden floors. He remembers the exact, exquisite parabola from the ball to the heel of each foot, and oh, how that beginning arc would belie other pleasing curves to come later, elsewhere, everywhere.
And he came to know all those curves and how they could arch. He came to know the sweet rush of her pulse through each sinuous bend ... came to know it better than even the currents and contours of his own, left behind river. Perhaps that was the problem, in the end.
Humans say that gods lose all power when their names are no longer spoken. He knows that this isn't true.
Humans say that gods disappear when their temples or shrines fall to dust. He knows this isn't so.
Humans say that, in the end, belief, faith and memory are the sources of a god's existence. They say that gods can die.
He can -- and has -- stopped believing in such things as human faith. He can and has stopped believing in such things as Aburaya, and witches, and gods ... and in the stories and words that bind them, each and all.
He can and has stopped believing in himself. On the bygone banks of his vanished river, no one comes to worship. There is not one left, mortal or immortal, that can call his name rightly.
Perhaps he is the first atheist god, neither believing nor believed in ...
Except ...
Even after it all, even after everything, he cannot stop believing in something as simple as the shape of her feet.
And so he must remain.
- owari
- - - - - - -
Erm. Ah. Actually, I can't believe I just did this ... eh Well, I decided to take the plunge and post this, three minutes into midnight, since I was about to lose my courage if I let it linger any longer.
I'm not sure what to make of this piece. It's rather different from what I normally write ... plus, I'm of the firm belief that most Miyasaki films defy attempts at hashing out a fanfic. This film especially; I've only seen two authors do it well, and I know I'm not anywhere near that caliber. But sometimes, no matter what you do, the ideas still come and this one refused to be denied. I wish I was more skilled at handling it though; it was so bright and sparkly before I tried to weigh it down with words.
Anyways, what I do know -- beyond a shadow of a doubt -- is that I owe much thanks to
northarrow and mareimbrium who both help me smooth the odd angles and corners in this fic. There were a whole lot more of them, believe it or not, before they helped out.I couldn't have posted this without them. Even if they both made me take out the word "camber". ^_^
Thank you for reading, at any rate. Please let me know what you think (Even if it is to go "nerrrgh! You infidel! How dare you write Spirited Away fic!")
cheers,
muri
ps: Much apologies to TS Elliot fans. The line just got stuck! *sigh*