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31_days2005-10-13 02:42 am
shinypebble.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2005-10-13 02:42 am
[October 12] [Maria-sama ga miteru] Here Comes the Sun
Title: Here Comes the Sun
Day/Theme: October 12 / Into the valley of dying stars
Series: Maria-sama ga miteru
Character/Pairing: Yoshino & Rei
Rating: PG
Author's Note: I wanted to experiment with the setting so I put the characters in feudal Japan; still shoujo ai of course.
A shooting star slowly made its way across the sky above, drawing a faint path in the night. Apart from the flickering of the torches in the faint wind and the occasional high-pitched chirping of crickets, the main road through Tsumago seemed completely silent. Shimazu Yoshino stood in front of the window for a few minutes, not daring to move; as if praying for something new to happen. Giving up, she sighed and closed the thin wooden shutters and turned to face Hasekura Rei.
"When are we leaving?" she wondered out loud, making sure to be within earshot of the only other person in the small wooden house.
Rei looked up momentarily from her goban. She looked surprised, and apparently lost in thought. "Sorry. What did you say?"
Yoshino straightened herself up and raised her voice slightly, looking exasperated as she spoke. "I asked you when we were leaving. Lord Kashiwagi's party could have ridden to Edo five times and back by now!"
"I…I think…come here for a moment," Rei answered in reply as she beckoned towards Yoshino to sit not across the goban, but on an embroidered cushion by her side. "I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"Tsumago is a post town. We could earn a living here even if our lord does not return for us. I know how to work with swor-"
"What makes you think he won't come back?" Yoshino asked, confused.
"I…told them we would be returning ahead. No one knows we're here."
Yoshino stared incredulously at Rei for a few moments. "Why would you do something like that?"
"Blame Confucius," Rei answered in a low voice, a hint of sarcasm playing on her lips. "You see, there's a certain Lord from a neighboring territory that seems to be succeeding in changing our Lord Kashiwagi's mind. He seeks my hand in marriage. I suppose there are political reasons behind this, but I'm being selfish."
"We've spoken about this before. You are among the most skilled retainers of our lord, and he recognizes your ability. Why would he change his mind now?"
"Maybe Fukuzawa asked him? We all know how smitten our master can get whenever that boy visits," Rei said, as she idly traced a finger across the incisions on the wooden goban.
Yoshino picked up a stone and playfully flung it at Rei, who swatted it away with her palm. "You can't get married."
"Why? Not as if I want to, to begin with."
"Because I say you can't!" Yoshino said, awkwardly grasping Rei's left arm. Her eyes glimmered with intensity as she gazed straight towards Rei's eyes.
Rei shook her arm slightly, to no avail. Yoshino had latched on too tightly. "What do you suppose we should do, cousin?" She raised an eyebrow at the smaller girl, who promptly noticed their rather strange position and blushed before letting go, as if she had touched a pot of boiling water.
"We should stay," Yoshino quickly answered.
"But I thought you said we should leave?"
"Marriage is harder to break."
Rei nodded slightly, and leaned backwards on the futon. "We are not merchants, and I believe we should spare our family the shame of becoming one. Why…if ever we were found out…"
"We can pose as ronin?" Yoshino asked as she lay down beside Rei.
"As if you would be willing to be my servant," Rei replied, smirking.
Yoshino suddenly shot up, looking excited. "I can be your betrothed! No one would recognize the difference. You'd just be another handsome samurai to people," she laughed as she placed a hand on Rei's chest.
"That would be unheard of! I refuse to do so!" Rei shifted to one side while still facing Yoshino, letting the other girl's hand slide off in the process.
Yoshino broke into a pitiful little smile. "Let me put it this way: have you ever heard the story of the little bird and the falling sky?"
"No, tell me?"
"Alright then, make sure you listen to me," Yoshino beamed excitedly. "There was once a small bird who heard from the forest kami that the sky was going to fall. It went around telling all the other animals that it would, but most of those that heard her just laughed at the little bird. There were some that did of course, and they left in search of another forest where the sky would not fall."
"And then?" Rei yawned softly and stretched her arms.
"I asked you to listen!" the younger girl pouted, but continued her story regardless. "The bird eventually took to lying down on its back with its little feet up, facing the sky."
"What was it trying to do?"
"The other animals asked the same thing, thinking that the bird had lost its mind. The bird simply told them in response that at least she was trying, because the forest was her home. The end," Yoshino sighed. "Do you get the point?"
"That we're absolutely crazy?"
Yoshino grinned. "Silly girl; it meant that we shouldn't give up! You should stop thinking about other people for once."
Rei shook her head. "You are crazy. Alright then, we hide until our lord gives up trying to marry me off. I do hope you've learned to cook by now."
_____
notes:
Valley:
*Tsumago is in Kiso Valley, it served as a highway town of sorts during the feudal era for people going to and from Edo
Star:
1.An artistic performer or athlete whose leading role or superior performance is acknowledged.
2. One who is highly celebrated in a field or profession - like Rei, who cuts apples and vegetables well with her sword.
Day/Theme: October 12 / Into the valley of dying stars
Series: Maria-sama ga miteru
Character/Pairing: Yoshino & Rei
Rating: PG
Author's Note: I wanted to experiment with the setting so I put the characters in feudal Japan; still shoujo ai of course.
A shooting star slowly made its way across the sky above, drawing a faint path in the night. Apart from the flickering of the torches in the faint wind and the occasional high-pitched chirping of crickets, the main road through Tsumago seemed completely silent. Shimazu Yoshino stood in front of the window for a few minutes, not daring to move; as if praying for something new to happen. Giving up, she sighed and closed the thin wooden shutters and turned to face Hasekura Rei.
"When are we leaving?" she wondered out loud, making sure to be within earshot of the only other person in the small wooden house.
Rei looked up momentarily from her goban. She looked surprised, and apparently lost in thought. "Sorry. What did you say?"
Yoshino straightened herself up and raised her voice slightly, looking exasperated as she spoke. "I asked you when we were leaving. Lord Kashiwagi's party could have ridden to Edo five times and back by now!"
"I…I think…come here for a moment," Rei answered in reply as she beckoned towards Yoshino to sit not across the goban, but on an embroidered cushion by her side. "I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"Tsumago is a post town. We could earn a living here even if our lord does not return for us. I know how to work with swor-"
"What makes you think he won't come back?" Yoshino asked, confused.
"I…told them we would be returning ahead. No one knows we're here."
Yoshino stared incredulously at Rei for a few moments. "Why would you do something like that?"
"Blame Confucius," Rei answered in a low voice, a hint of sarcasm playing on her lips. "You see, there's a certain Lord from a neighboring territory that seems to be succeeding in changing our Lord Kashiwagi's mind. He seeks my hand in marriage. I suppose there are political reasons behind this, but I'm being selfish."
"We've spoken about this before. You are among the most skilled retainers of our lord, and he recognizes your ability. Why would he change his mind now?"
"Maybe Fukuzawa asked him? We all know how smitten our master can get whenever that boy visits," Rei said, as she idly traced a finger across the incisions on the wooden goban.
Yoshino picked up a stone and playfully flung it at Rei, who swatted it away with her palm. "You can't get married."
"Why? Not as if I want to, to begin with."
"Because I say you can't!" Yoshino said, awkwardly grasping Rei's left arm. Her eyes glimmered with intensity as she gazed straight towards Rei's eyes.
Rei shook her arm slightly, to no avail. Yoshino had latched on too tightly. "What do you suppose we should do, cousin?" She raised an eyebrow at the smaller girl, who promptly noticed their rather strange position and blushed before letting go, as if she had touched a pot of boiling water.
"We should stay," Yoshino quickly answered.
"But I thought you said we should leave?"
"Marriage is harder to break."
Rei nodded slightly, and leaned backwards on the futon. "We are not merchants, and I believe we should spare our family the shame of becoming one. Why…if ever we were found out…"
"We can pose as ronin?" Yoshino asked as she lay down beside Rei.
"As if you would be willing to be my servant," Rei replied, smirking.
Yoshino suddenly shot up, looking excited. "I can be your betrothed! No one would recognize the difference. You'd just be another handsome samurai to people," she laughed as she placed a hand on Rei's chest.
"That would be unheard of! I refuse to do so!" Rei shifted to one side while still facing Yoshino, letting the other girl's hand slide off in the process.
Yoshino broke into a pitiful little smile. "Let me put it this way: have you ever heard the story of the little bird and the falling sky?"
"No, tell me?"
"Alright then, make sure you listen to me," Yoshino beamed excitedly. "There was once a small bird who heard from the forest kami that the sky was going to fall. It went around telling all the other animals that it would, but most of those that heard her just laughed at the little bird. There were some that did of course, and they left in search of another forest where the sky would not fall."
"And then?" Rei yawned softly and stretched her arms.
"I asked you to listen!" the younger girl pouted, but continued her story regardless. "The bird eventually took to lying down on its back with its little feet up, facing the sky."
"What was it trying to do?"
"The other animals asked the same thing, thinking that the bird had lost its mind. The bird simply told them in response that at least she was trying, because the forest was her home. The end," Yoshino sighed. "Do you get the point?"
"That we're absolutely crazy?"
Yoshino grinned. "Silly girl; it meant that we shouldn't give up! You should stop thinking about other people for once."
Rei shook her head. "You are crazy. Alright then, we hide until our lord gives up trying to marry me off. I do hope you've learned to cook by now."
_____
notes:
Valley:
*Tsumago is in Kiso Valley, it served as a highway town of sorts during the feudal era for people going to and from Edo
Star:
1.An artistic performer or athlete whose leading role or superior performance is acknowledged.
2. One who is highly celebrated in a field or profession - like Rei, who cuts apples and vegetables well with her sword.