Name: Soundless Serenade
Author: Rain
Disclaimer: Shaman King and its characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei.
Characters: Marco, Meene (cameos of Luchist and Jeanne)
Note: To counterbalance the awful gift I made for Lu-chan. So, here's another gift for her!
Theme 01/ Clipped wings
She is the purest of all angels. Maybe it's because she's a woman, maybe it's because she's the youngest of them all – but no one would dare to deny that Meene is the purest of them all. In her actions, her thoughts, her feelings.
That's not to say she is pristine, untainted, untouched. Her past, her deeds, her ghosts weight her down like a heavy boulder. She knows all the dark shades of this short life. Like them all, shadows swirl in her weary olive irises.
Like them all, though she is purer, Meene's wings were clipped from the start.
Theme 02/ One of these days
Before her arrival, things were simpler. There were no plans, simply one objective, burning bright red with hot fury and despair: killing Hao. But then… Then She came. And now he can't help but look forward… And weird foreign words come on his lips. One of these days.
One of these days, they'll train together and he won't shout at her like he's mad because it's not true.
One of these days he'll compliment her on her dress without letting John come first, without sounding too ceremonial.
One of these days, he'll ask her out. Privately.
One of these days.
Theme 03/ Dawn
He woke in his body, aching and strained from the previous fights. For a while, opening his eyes seemed too much of an effort. Then, he heard a sound off his left.
Lazy cerulean eyes fluttered open, and in the blurry wasteland that was the world without his glasses, he recognized her sandy brown hair as she rolls to his side. Slowly, he sat up, finding himself on the shore of the Pache Island. The brunette at his side moaned as he took her in his arms.
There, holding her tight against him, he watched wordlessly as the sun rose.
Theme 04/ In a hurry
Bare feet tapped lightly on the ground as she ran across the hallway, her swift hands catching new items. A scarf, her keys, her heels – she was late, she was late.
She came to a screeching halt as she entered the bathroom, letting her stuff fall on the ground as she gripped her brush and ran it through her thick hair. One short instant, she hesitated in front of Jun's stuff – then hurriedly took the makeup and tried to apply it correctly.
Then, to her profound dismay, her phone rang – dang it. She was late to her date with Marco.
Theme 05/ Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink
Meene loved water. She was the best swimmer from her class; she could ski faster than most; she loved snow, and snow loved her.
But this wasn't snow. Wasn't even water, not as she knew it. This was salty and vicious and eek.
Who could have thought she'd be scared of the ocean? Well she didn't, or she wouldn't be on this boat, with six men that would take the first occasion to mock her, the 'woman'.
So there she was, more than midly anxious, worried that anyone would notice…
… And then a mysterious remedy appeared on her nightstand.
Theme 06/ Baby steps
His first steps were hesitant, like he didn't really think he'd find the ground to place his feet on, like he was scared he'd fall into the sky like a colorful balloon.
Soon enough, he was tumbling down into his father's open arms, and playing with the shiny insigne he wore while giggling loudly. His mother leaned in and brushed his short, pale strands before pecking his father, and playfully jerking away from the two boys as Marco tried to embrace her.
A new, curious sound escaped the child, and his steps were less hesitant as he ran behind Meene.
Theme 07/ You can do better
"You can do better," he reassures calmly as she aims at the target, and fails. She nods, aims again, fires, and finally sends Gabriel in the right direction.
"You can do better," she winks playfully as he tries to joke with her, that one night when John and his drinking buddies all passed out and they're alone.
"You can do better," he growls angrily at himself when he remembers how awful he acts in front of her, how he acts with her.
"You can do better," echoes in his head as she enters the arena and his world falls apart.
Theme 08/ No one has to know
She's scared out of her wits, and she trembles in his hold, and he can feel tears on his pale skin as he draws her even closer, as if he could protect her from harm with his bare hands.
The light is still dim, the day is still young. They don't have to talk, they don't have to fight – it's too late for such dumb things. Soon she'll have to sneak back out of his room, because no one can see them that way.
But that doesn't matter. That doesn't matter because this moment is theirs and no one else's.
Theme 09/ "You don't know me"
"Luchist. Don't you ever act as if you knew me. You don't know me. You don't know where I come from; you don't know what I lived through. You think you know, you think you're so much better than anyone else and you think you have a right to judge me because you know better than anyone the man I love. But that's a lie. You don't know anything," she has to stop to breathe, and also because tears glisten like diamonds at the corners of her eyes, "So don't you ever try to talk to me again, Fallen Angel."
Theme 10/ Stop, look and listen
Stop, look and listen. If you are like Jeanne, you will notice three things in that little, dark laundry of the ship. Three little notes that shouldn't be there. Three things that differ from the stiff atmosphere of the X-Laws buildings.
Stop, look and listen. Look at how two buttons of Marco's shirt were ripped off, which never happens. Look at how Meene's clothes have changed lightly, becoming brighter, happier. Listen how he hums uncharacteristically as he folds the clean garments.
Stop, look and listen. Then, and only then, will you understand the extent of this airy feeling called love.
Jeanne: Cute ~
Rain: So you like what I write now?
Jeanne: I like it when you forget me. Sorry Marco.
Rain: Ah.