Hi folks! Just another trial romance fic to hone my skills as I perfect my other fics in other destinations!
Standard Disclaimers apply so that means:
'The respected characters are the respected properties of their respected creators... including me- thank the tons of civilians that are there!"
Within the album of memories lies that one special frame; a frame of what was then, of what could have been. Now, when that scene in that very frame comes again, would you take it as your own memory?
Snapshots
It was a usual autumn day, with a cool, calm breeze blowing the first fallen leaves of autumn. Though it was still warm with the last rays of summer, Tomoyo in her black coat; had her gloves on, her hands often feeling cold and clammy, a feeling she had since that day of realization and wondering years ago. The flow of time has been kind to her, molding her fine youthful body of her childhood into an exquisite beauty of 16, making the phrase "Sweet Sixteen" an understatement. Six years, had turned out to be an awfully long time, but it was time well spent on wise thinking and pondering.
She was at the park, heading towards the still standing strong figure of the King Penguin, still in its majestic blue color- lovingly cared by the townsfolk. Children were playing by and on it, in the sand sea the surrounded the slide and by the various devices used by playing children- see-saw, jungle gym and many others. She was now near a park bench, the goal of her journey sitting on it.
The one sitting on that said bench was a nun, in the blue vestments of the Order of Mary Magdalene, whose nunnery was on the outskirts of town. On her neck was a golden timepiece embossed with town's formal seal, evident that this person's role in the community was important- that being the town timekeeper- responsible for all the public clocks in town, and on her lap was one thing that Tomoyo could recognize, a camera- one of the new digital cameras that she had been saving with a fraction of her allowance for a week now, digital cameras, especially the brand new models are not exactly affordable.
"Sister Azalia…" she greeted the nun, bowing a bit to show respect for a servant of god.
"Ah… Tomoyo-san, nice meeting you once again." The nun replied, evident that she and the girl have known each other. "It's been a while…"
Tomoyo had made some new friends in those six years and one that needs mention is the town timekeeper, the Magdalene Order nun Azalia- 25 years of age. The two were basically on the same wavelength, meeting in that very same park four years ago, when they caught sight of each other thru the lenses of their cameras. Azalia's composition was almost an inverse of Tomoyo if it weren't for the camera.
"It's been a while too sister Azalia…" Tomoyo could only reply. "Can I?"
"Why of course, take a seat… rest your tired feet for a while."
Sitting on that park's benches was making nostalgia real for Tomoyo, in her vision that is. Images of the happy past played out like the scenes from the many movies that she had, whether it bought, borrowed or in her case notably, she made herself. It was fun looking at the past that way, she remembered the day Sakura posed for her while correcting the recently flipped- over king penguin- such a sight to behold.
But even those sights were starting to lose her interest, for as sudden as a spark, another set of memories flow in, that of herself alone in that same park, of her looking for something. There was one thing that was bothering her for all those years and her search for that particular something was part of it.
An answer.
As with every person, Tomoyo had some hidden desires as well, for behind that lovely, cheerful face that was often seen was a face of loneliness, sadness, heartfelt agony with a lot of waiting and a touch of jealousy on the side. To her, Sakura was a special friend, one that she can entrust even the dirtiest of secrets and do the same with her own. There was even a time that she and Sakura had spent on what she had called 'blissful time'- the details of which are only known to the two and a few friends- typical of slumber parties. But now, a permeable barrier was raised between them- permeable because she can still get close.
Why do I have to be jealous of them anyway? I know that Sakura's happy with him and I'm happy when she's happy. But… why? Why do I feel something bad? Why do I feel that there is…
"Are you alright?" the nun suddenly broke her train of thoughts. "You seemed to be drifting in your thoughts…"
"I'm okay, I just remembered something."
"You always remember something… I sometimes reminisce too you know." The nun could only reply, as she knew what the fellow photographer was thinking about- the past.
"I guess you are right on that…" was the reply.
----------
Later that night, Tomoyo could not sleep and was constantly turning in her bed- it was too much for her, making her sit on the edge of her bed near her nightstand. There are a lot of pictures in frames on that table- the memory of joy, apprehension and of people- people that she knew before or knew later on. She had met her fair share of people, related or not, it did not matter to her- they were just people.
She had only one thing on her mind at that moment, and she was looking for the right object to remember her that thing- the ambiguous reality that had dawned on her all those years ago. She finally found what she was looking for, a frame behind all the others, in it a picture that was taken years ago, a memory that was embedded in Tomoyo's thoughts until today. It was her of ten years, along with someone she knew at that time, one of dark bluish hair and eyeglasses. They were side by side, standing straight towards the lens of a sudden photographer with of all cameras, a Polaroid, their expressions that of those who were suddenly forced to stand still to be taken a picture.
But there was something hidden in that scene, one that the girl saw- or rather felt, making her left hand caress her right- the memory of it still fresh- that autumn day.
"Even though I am not here, rest assured, there are some things here that can make me go back..."
What did you mean by that?
"True that my duty is over, but that does not stop me from finding a new way in life..."
'Um… just say that you two are ready, so that I can take a shot.'
"Get close…"
Hiiragizawa-kun?
"We're ready…"
A small smile plays across her lips with the only sound in the room accompanying it- a set of heartbeats- her heartbeats.
Why? Why does that memory stay fresh on my mind?
----------
Being sugar- sweet sixteen was not helping Tomoyo's thoughts at school lunchtime either. It had been noticed by her circle that autumn was the season of Tomoyo's melancholy, and there had been once a circulating joke on the part of one male friend that he said that he would write a something about "The Melancholy of Tomoyo Daidouji", which earned him another lump from his constant girlfriend since childhood. Those two were Chiharu and Yamazaki-kun alright- same as always, since then, until now- though Chiharu now had to contend with living with a fiction writer. That's right, living together like they were husband and… umm… what I meant like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, without the weapons of course, just tongues and exchange of 'ideas'.
A couple more friends also tried to ease her depressive mood, one by asking her various questions- especially about people and the other by trying to set her up with as many suitable guys in school as possible- like she were her mother- who was trying the same thing on her as well, though with guys from other places besides school. Naoko's curiosity and Rika's somewhat sweet and mature look on life had not vanished- even though Rika had suffered a great loss months ago.
The only constant was that of her best friend, second cousin and confidant Sakura. Her "everything will be alright" speeches were a constant source of encouragement- though it did little to lighten her spirits. The only other things Sakura did to cheer her up was to let her film her freely and show her a good comic store. The comic store event only occurred once, and for once during her times of melancholy, she could thank Sakura- well basically you can blame Sakura for making her an avid reader of shoujo manga and turning her into a famous mangaka- under the pen 'Snapshot'. Besides having a periodic role as a manga artist, she was also pulled in some jobs by her voice- again you can blame Sakura for turning the lead voice of the choir into a famous seiyuu- of shoujo shows of course.
By now she was finished with her lunch and was reading her favorite manga from a certain Miss Hibiki- essentially, she was lost in the fantasy provided by the scenes and dialogue. And that fantasy began to play out in her mind, putting herself in the middle of it all. But each time she tried to come up with the female lead's partner, she was suddenly lost in thought, unable to form any variety in her images, the partner, she had always imagined, had dark blue hair and glasses. This time though, she had imagined too much- for she suddenly blurted out an angry line from the manga she was reading.
"After all this time, 'I'm sorry' is all you can say?!! You left me without a formal goodbye and now you are here apologizing?!! You have to do better than that, Mister Eriol Hiiragizawa!"
All of those inside the classroom looked at her sudden random outburst- among them Sakura, who was slightly giggling- Tomoyo was oblivious that she had replaced the manga's male lead with the full name of another person instead. It just goes to show that even the refined lady has a breaking point.
"Who's Eriol?" a random classmate beside Sakura asked.
"I bet that it's her ex…" another butted in her reply.
"Uh… he's just an old friend… one that we haven't seen in a long while. I wonder… I know!" Sakura replied to them and got an idea. "But I wonder… is his number still alive?"
----------
Being a seiyuu, Tomoyo had to go to a recording session, which occurred every other day after classes- a time slot which she had managed to get by being the lead voice- well after forcing the producer anyway. Being the valuable person that she is, this heiress- slash- seiyuu- slash- mangaka's protection detail has been only 1- I mean one person; her confidant, second cousin, adviser, classmate and friend in one- the source of her current stand, Sakura- well two if she did bring her boyfriend as well.
"I heard that one of your manga creations is being placed into mainstream animation…" Sakura commented on news that she had read on one of the many subscriptions that she had.
"Well actually, it is being made as we speak- and I get to voice the lead- my own creation."
"Isn't that great? You get to voice your own character…"
"I know…" Tomoyo could only replied, tone low like she was sulking or something.
"Tomoyo, can I ask you something?"
"Huh? What is it?"
"Is there something bothering you?"
"Why ask me that?" the dark- violet- haired girl asked, puzzled. "You see? I'm as worry- free as a cloud…"
"Hmm… I asked that because… you don't act like one…"
Tomoyo was stunned.
"First of all, you stare at the window too often…"
Tomoyo was hit by a plastic "kerolin" basin on the head.
"Then you start buying shoujo romance manga every week…"
A wooden stool piles on top.
"Then you get all moody during the fall…"
A 100 kilo weight follows.
"Then you begin to make shoujo romance manga as well…"
This time a 500 kilo weight.
"Then you suddenly blurt out Hiiragizawa-kun's name a while ago…"
One ton weight piling.
"And then…"
"Okay! Okay!" Tomoyo suddenly and almost yelled before the ten tons were dropped. "You win… I do feel a bit worried. Someone is bothering me"
"Someone?" Sakura then asked, a small smile forming. "I will not tell who, but could you describe that person for me?"
"Well… he's different when I'm with him… caring, optimistic, always trying to crack up a joke- though he fails, and he's really nice…"
"Eriol?"
Then the producer's assistant walks in and spots the two.
"Ah! Miss Daidouji, have you been waiting long? The director is already waiting. And allow your friend to get into the studio as well; we need all the extras we need for the next scene…"
"And that would be?" Sakura curiously asked.
"Someone's bag gets stolen…" Tomoyo replied with a somewhat renewed vigor.
"Ah… Miss Daidouji, we have also found the perfect person to play the role of Kazuki…" the assistant added. "He just came in from a sister company in London…"
"London?" the two asked, but Tomoyo in a more surprised manner.
"He'll come in later during the scene; he's kinda tied up at the moment- he says that it is appropriate to act the spoken scene as well."
"I see… come on then Sakura, we don't want to keep them waiting."
----------
And so the recoding session begins- it was a public scene, so there were more people than usual in the recording booth- usually it can normally hold ten people easy- there were about twenty so it was a bit crowded- so much the better for the public sound effect. It was going according to script, and then it was time for the thief in the scene to 'steal' Maika's bag- Maika was the character being voiced by Tomoyo.
"Ahh! My bag!" Tomoyo screamed as if her bag was stolen. "Someone's stolen my bag! Help! Thief! Police!"
"Heh… I can finally make it… aww!" the person voicing the thief did what he told to, voice like one, except for one thing- he suddenly tripped and fell while doing an expression at the exact same time the thief in the clip bumped into someone.
Then, a somewhat familiar voice to both Sakura and Tomoyo came in moments later, when the scene turned to somebody heading towards Maika with her bag in hand.
"Is this yours?"
Not only did the voice sounded familiar, but also near to them as well- in fact, behind them is a more exact word. This made the two turn around and look- Tomoyo was really surprised, just as surprised as Maika in the scene.
"Er… Er…" she began to stutter, but quickly regained her composure. "Kazuki? Kazuki Akai, is that you?"
The Kazuki in the scene nodded just as his seiyuu also did, which earned the both of them loud slaps- both in the scene and in the studio.
"Six years! Six years!" Tomoyo began to blurt out- amazingly, it was still in the script and in character too. "Not one single letter or phone call! How dare you do that to me and suddenly show up like this?!!"
"But I'm sorry… Maika…"
"After all this time, 'I'm sorry' is all you can say?!! You left me without a formal goodbye and now you are here apologizing?!! You have to do better than that, Mister Kazuki Akai!"
"Cut!!!" the director suddenly called from the control room. "Nice job people, that was so good that we need no retakes… but Miss Daidouji, you shouldn't have slapped him hard, or slapped him for that matter."
"It's okay… she's qualified to do that to me…" "Kazuki" replied and then thought. "After what I did…"
Moments later…
"I see that you knew Mister Hiiragizawa…" the producer's assistant commented. "The people at the branch were surprised that someone Japanese came in… by the way, when did you two first meet?"
"Um… let's say from way, way, back…" Sakura answered suddenly, pushing both Tomoyo and Eriol out of the way.
----------
Later that night, Tomoyo was again turning around in her bed, and in a more agitated manner- who wouldn't if Sakura began to tell stories- Tomoyo- based and about her melancholy and such.
"Why would Sakura tell all about those things? It's embarrassing…" Tomoyo could only grumble. "And why was he even here for the first place?"
"I was really wondering why you always take snapshots of Sakura?" Eriol asked one autumn day. "I can understand if it's your hobby… but sometimes, you go too much."
A camera flash suddenly comes out- Tomoyo was holding a camera.
Oops…
"Was that deliberate?" the boy asked.
Oh dear, that was the first shot of the roll… I guess it can't be helped...
"Oh really?" he looked with somewhat serious eyes.
He suddenly grabs the camera, places the girl beside him, points the lens towards them and clicks on, capturing the both of them on the frame.
"Now that's the second frame…"
Now that's deliberate…
"It was…" she then thought and stood up.
Half an hour later, we find her in Penguin Park, managing to take her bike and pedal herself there. She heads toward a familiar park bench and find a familiar face- Sister Azalia.
"Quite late for a walk, aren't we?"