"She Thinks of Them: A Day in the Life of Tohru Honda"
She wakes up in the morning.
She rolls over, seeing the picture of her mother, Kyoko, ever smiling. Ever guiding…
She smiles. She says hello to her mom. She thinks it's going to be a good day.
Because she thinks of her.
---
She walks downstairs and sees Shigure.
She smiles. She says hello to the pervert.
And yet, she remembers that this is his house -- that he helps the high schoolers through, even if his dreams of Tohru might be less than honorable.
So she thinks of him.
---
A long walk to school is soon joined by Yuki.
Prince Yuki… The boy everyone wants.
The boy whose heart no one can touch, because of his secret.
… and his abuse.
He fights Kyo, but, more, he fights for his own place in the family.
Tohru can't help admire that.
So she thinks of him.
---
A day in class is never complete without Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani.
One a Vibe, the other a gang tough, the three made a bond of "invincible love" -- one that, though the two felt they abandoned Tohru after her mother died, that they will always be there for her…
There for her in good times and in bad.
The love is complete -- and it will never die.
So she thinks of them.
---
She sees a lone figure on the roof after school.
Did Kyo get in another fight with Yuki?
Was he teased again in school by Arisa?Or is it just that he's still fighting to be a part of the Sohma family?
Or is it the greatest thing of all: That she accepts him as the cursed cat, in all forms, and truly loves him. Why else would he make a leek soup when she's sick and he hates leeks so much?
That possibility makes her smile.
… because she thinks of him.
---
And then, at her night job, there's Momiji…
The little sprite --always full of life and a smile, just like Tohru…
And yet, still with the rejection from his mother that the curse brings.
So he will continue to hang on, one day at a time, until the day of acceptance comes.
And Tohru thinks of him too…
---
A late visit from Hatori brings some concern…
Has she been working herself too hard?
Has she come down with another fever?
Or has the time come?
Hatori is under so much pressure from Akito to erase Tohru's memory and wipe her away from the Sohmas.
But, though stern, he perseveres in aiding the Sohmas.
And so she thinks of him.
---
Finally, in a last fleeting thought, she even thinks of the dark Akito.
Though steeped in abuse, she knows that even he has a light side.
If only he could see it…
If only he could really know how much she and the Sohmas will miss him when he dies.
So, for that, she thinks of him
---
And, as she falls to sleep with one final wish to her mother…
She thinks of everyone…
Who has helped her…
Who has guided her…
And whom she loves.
She thinks of them all.
I wrote this quickly. It's not much. But it is a gift, in a way…
I had the chance to meet Laura Bailey again at a convention last weekend, and continue to be just blown away by how sweet she really is.
(Of course, that's probably why she so enjoys playing against type in shows like Shin-Chan, but still…)
So I dedicate this to Laura -- whose sweetness probably made her the perfect Tohru.