NiceArt week Day 4 - Soulmates drabble
Other half
Words: 2035
Rating: T.
Pairing: NiceArt
Summary: Written for the NiceArt week day 4, soulmates. In the beginning they were one. They shared the same soul. Sometimes they meet; sometimes they don't, leaving behind small rippling effects or tornados.
In the beginning they were one.
They shared the same soul, the same origin.
They were born of dying stars and planets, of clever little particles.
They were lively energy, connected to a sea of souls; then ashes and dust made alive.
But unlike the myth, they didn't have two faces or eight limbs.
They weren't a fuzzy, shiny, little ball of light either.
They shared a single body, they were one.
Sometimes they are born as twins, mirror-images from each-other. They are entangled, not knowing where one ends, and where the other begins, sharing everything; usually playing pranks with acquaintances, teachers and friends. The who I am game often comes up, tested even with love interests. Other times the twins are separated at birth, and they learn about the other's existence much later in their life, already having adult children and feeling a strange emptiness, which the other fills, who knows their twin inside-out.
Sometimes they are the supporting characters of the story: the maid who helps her noble mistress with her secret wedding, who shares fond glances with the apprentice baker on the corner of the street, the one who bravely encourages him to take up the sword to protect their city from intruders.
Other times they are ambitious schemers of a long forgotten empire obtaining the titles of shadow kings and queens, ruling in anything but name; or bitter enemies passionately hating their opponent.
There are times when they are born as man and a woman, but in the next time their gender is reversed. In various incarnations they are both males, other times they are both females, but that doesn't really change their intense feelings (friendship to death, deep love or hate) for each other.
In one life Art always visits a majestic oak tree when he feels down, taking comfort of its soothing presence. He doesn't suspect that Nice' soul resides inside the tree.
In their next rebirth Nice is a talented and crafty master-thief and conman, chased by an annoyingly persistent goody-shoes, eccentric law-enforcer.
Sometimes they are strangers passing by on the streets, not knowing about each other.
Once they are born as a bountiful turquoise planet and its faithful lavender-colored moon.
In the 1920's Art is a petite girl with dark hair and eyes, who dreams about being a ballet dancer, and escaping her abusive father. When Art dances she becomes one with the music, captivating her audience. But shortly after obtaining a scholarship to a famous dance school, her life shatters. Her drunken father maims her face, creating a permanent wide smile on it with his trusty Swiss blade. The only possibility for a ruined, ugly creature like her is being hidden away or joining a circus. She chooses the latter, and finds a home among the other freaks. On the stage as the enigmatic masked dancer, or painted full of white, as the tragicomic Pierot-clown, she moves with the rhythm gracefully, fools around, twirls, and makes acrobatic moves. Entertainment remains as a sole reason for her life.
Nice is a young up-coming journalist, coming from a good family. His motto is carpe-diem, and he likes to enjoy life to the fullest. He loves dancing, jazz music, manual-labor, the feel of the raindrops on his skin, good vines, big walks, philosophical talks, and has a Stradivari violin secretly stashed under his bed. He is tasked to explore the world of circus, and he is determined to make it to the head-lines. His investigation leads him to Art's circus. The more he sees the troupe; he is more enraptured by the performance of the mysterious masked girl. He wants to get to know her, the real her. He dreams of kissing the back of her hand, hearing her voice, memorizing the shape of her true face, nose, lips, and the color of her eyes. He will woo her; buy her a dozen roses (red, pink and white); kiss her under the stars, play his violin for her. But in this cruel life neither of their wishes comes true. Nice never gets to know her, less sees her again, and Art never learns if she could be loved for herself by a big dreamer, despite of her disfigurement. A fire blazes through the city, destroying everything in its way (people, animals, buildings). The members of the circus are also among the victims. Nice is inconsolable, he comes to detest fires and circuses. He has dalliances and affairs, but he never marries.
In a distant world the future, bandage-wearing young genius is born as the highly-educated and good-natured, illegitimate grandson of the emperor; suddenly thrust as the heir to the throne. With many enemies and few supporters at the court the outcome isn't too surprising; they try to assassinate him. On the spring festival the fireworks malfunction, resulting in an explosion. Many are wounded, and the crown prince is believed to be dead. Against all odds, he survives without a scratch, but the price is high. Nobody is capable to perceive him, as if he became an invisible ghost.
Rumors reach him talking about a desert witch, a djinn, famous for lifting curses and granting wishes to people in trouble, who are found worthy. He doesn't expect an old-wrinkled woman with bended back; or a burly man with curly goatee, golden-armbands, shirtless, lower-half ghost like; or an elderly man with long beard and a top-hat; or a seductress wearing nothing short than a bikini. He expects the unexpected, so encountering a pretty girl, few years younger than him, in non-descript, simple clothing in a modest tent seemed fitting. The moment their respective gazes meet (hazel against a strange, almost labradorite-like blue), he feels at home for the first time in his life.
Then with a soft voice she greets him: "Welcome traveler! What brings you to my humble home?" Before he could form an answer, she looks him up from head to toe, and detects his problem. "Ah, I see now. You have reborn as a dragon, forged by fire. You can't control your new talents yet! Your condition is basically stemming from yourself. The price of lifting your curse is high, unless you lower it. You seem to be an interesting fellow, so how about working for me?"
In one lifetime Art is a snarky barista with amazing coffee-making skills and Nice is a shy medical student, hopelessly in love with her. Nice doesn't have a clue that Art finds her cute, and also likes her secretly. It takes Nice lots of planning and courage to ask Art out. She folds hundred origami papers (cranes, flowers, cute animals). She pours all her feelings into them, creating short messages/little thoughtful things hidden inside for Art to see. Encouraging words after a tiring day; a piece of candy, or small chocolate she sees Art often snacking on; movie recommendations; a catching lyric, which reminds him of Art. Slowly, but surely they begin to exchange messages with the help of the origamis.
This is a love confession piece by piece. There is also a confession face-to-face, with small blushes, "What took you so long?" mutterings and soft, exploring, and then passionate kisses. After that they have a daily ritual. Every day Nice comes by to the café after her classes are over. She sits on her usual place, a secluded little oasis in the corner with homey plants. Nice always orders Art's special, the famous love coffee (an espresso flavored with honey and a hint of cream, sprinkled with little shavings of almonds), while stealing her beloved barista's kisses. She waits for Art's shift to end, and then they walk home hand by hand.
In another life they are soldiers on opposing sides of the battlefield, who figure out the others thinking process, and develop respect for each other. After the end of war Art learns of Nice's passing, and he weeps for a loss of a good friend.
A reincarnation later Nice is an over imaginative young girl, with curly red hair and aquamarine eyes, with a penchant to attract supernatural trouble. The first time she spots Art, he is covered by snow, blending in with his surroundings. Nice knows her town's forest like the back of her hand, so finding a silver haired, unconscious boy in tattered clothes, frozen half-to death is a puzzle waiting to be solved. On second glance he almost seems like a silver elf in a forest. Amidst the winter scenery he is someone from fairy-tales made flesh and alive. She searches for a pulse, and finds weak staccato beating. Nice doesn't know who the boy is or what happened to him. But she knows one thing instinctively, after holding the boy's hand she doesn't want to let it go. "You are not alone" she gently promises to him, and in return she feels Art squeezing back weakly. It's time to call for help.
In the time they are called Art and Nice, they are irreplaceable to other: Best friends, enemies and lovers. It doesn't really matter if they have special powers or not, because their bond have been forged long before that.
To celebrate Nice' moving to Art's place the Hamatora gang is having a surprise twister and ice-cream party. Murasaki and Shizuku decide for the triple chocolate ice-cream. Honey and Three buy the caramel latte one. Birthday gets the lovebirds strawberry ice-cream with explosive candies. Ratio contributes with cheesecake and green tea ice-cream. Hajime wants hamburger-flavored ice-cream, but Koneko and Master go for something simpler, so it's lemon sorbet with a hint of lavender. Theo thinks the vanilla-punch-chocolate trio is the best, and Rei purchases the mochi flavor.
Birthday is making the mixtape; choosing up-beat songs, ballads, and some funky pop and disco music, even some metal (Because why not?). Ratio buys the drinks. Rei and Theo bring the twister. The one responsible for the food (onigiris, sandwiches, burgers, pancakes and parfaits) is the responsible and caring Murasaki.
It happens like this:
"Shouldn't we get some real food too?" asks Murasaki skeptically.
"Yes, you are of course, right!" says Ratio deep-in thought.
"Please, take care of us Murasaki!" replies a chorus of multitude voices.
But Shizuku, Koneko and Master are also helping out in the kitchen.
Honey and Three are secretly decorating the flat, while Hajime's job is distracting Nice and Art, and keeping them away, while preparations are made.
It is 4 pm sharp, when Nice and Art return, and they are suddenly greeted with a shower of confetti and the enthusiastically shouting of their friends ("Surprise! Congratulations of moving together! It was long due, guys! The PDA was killing us!").
The party is a great success. There are cheers and toasting; entangled bodies in interesting and funny situations; a dance competition, jokes and laughing.
It's past midnight, when their guests leave in high-spirits. Nice and Art are trapped inside their own little world, slow-dancing to an invisible song.
It morphs into another dance; gentle touches turn into passionate love-making.
After their climax, they are in bed wrapped around each other; Art's head resting on the Sonic Minimum holder's chest, and Nice' hands softly carding through the lilac haired man's hair.
Art lying in Nice' arms, in the shadows of their shared apartment with his mouth slightly upturned at the corners and shiny, happy eyes never looked more beautiful to Nice. There is a stupid lopsided smile on the bandage-wearing young adult's face.
"I love you." he whispers.
"Then I am the happiest person alive!" the former superintendent answers.
In response Nice pouts and tickles him. "How mean! Next time I won't leave you the last spoon of the chocolate ice-cream!"
"I love you too." Art says to him between laughs and kisses. (They share to same thought. For you I would go to the end of the Universe!)
They are many things, many things not, and new different roles are awaiting them in the future. But one thing is for sure, nobody impacts or touches their lives as much as the other does. They are soulmates after all.
THE END
Notes: The scenarios are my original takes on of their past lives, inspired by Nell Gavin's Threads.