Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya
The mirror? It's all for Adi88. No deep symbolism, but I hope the cameo satisfies your mirror obsession nonetheless. (Wait, nevermind, I just randomly added a symbolic line. What can I say, it sounded good.)
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"Why do you dress like that?"
Kagura was standing in the doorway, head titled and eyes intent with curiosity. She continued, "You look like Haru-chan."
It wasn't teasing, like the girls at school. Just an honest question. So Rin treated her to an irritated scowl and returned to brushing her hair. "I don't need an audience to get dressed."
Kagura tapped her finger against her chin. "They did that in somewhere in Europe, for their kings and queens. Had an audience that watched them dress."
"We're not in Europe, and we're not royalty."
She sighed, "You're no fun, Isuzu." But she wasn't in a pushy mood, so she ran off to consult with her mother in the kitchen.
Rin turned back to the mirror. You look like Haru-chan.
It's not that it isn't true, she thought, shifting the black dress so it hung correctly on her narrow shoulders. But, damn. For all that she seemed oblivious to things concerning her, sometimes Kagura was very perceptive.
Who copied whom? Rin could not actually remember who first began the trend. It wasn't important—not as important as people like Kagura noticing how close she and Haru were. Not as important as the fact that they both felt most comfortable dressed like this.
Haru had done it to rebel against everyone's perceptions. She thought it was endearing, the way he subtly antagonized people and pretended to be oblivious. It was his method of payback for "the Ox is slow and stupid, being used by the Rat."
And for herself, she had done it because…
Her fingers fumbled on the clasp of her necklace. Stupid.
Rin had a family once that loved her. Happy, laughing parents with a bright, sweet little girl. They had been so close, so special… like every other family. And like every other little girl, she had worn cute little dresses and had pretty bows tied in her hair. All pink and ribbons and smiles, until she shattered it.
She did not want to remember how she lost what had never truly existed. She did not want to play pretend anymore.
She had not been a girly child for a long time. A tough, strong woman looked back at her from the mirror. Was that all an illusion too?
Rin desperately wanted to live up to that reflection.
…
Owari
…
-Windswift