Porcelain Doll, Iron Will
The talent scout interviewing 11 year old Masako Hara thought she reminded him of a porcelain doll. But dolls are fragile, and he does not think this child is easily broken.
Word Count: 678
Notes: While I wanted to try using the Japanese Honorifics used in the manga, I decided to stay with the English titles of Miss and Sir, because I did not want to accidentally mess something up.
"Explain the first time you saw a spirit, Miss Hara."
The petite girl sat in a chair across from the man questioning her. Her silky dark hair fell to the waist of her white dress with blue at the hem.
"I was six years old, sir. My grandfather visited me to tell my mother how disappointed he was that she had sold the family home. When he had passed away, I was not born yet."
"How old are you now, Miss Hara?"
"I am eleven, sir."
"Miss Hara, listen to me," the man said, who was a talent scout. He slid a clipboard with many sheets of paper clipped to it. "Do you see this list? It is all the 'mediums' I've interviewed today who have seen their dead family members. It is fairly normal."
The little girl jutted out her chin, her eyes large and serious. "I have spoken to other spirits as well."
The talent scout sat back. Over the child's head, he could see her parents standing by the door. The father was watchful, the mother wary. Not of him, the talent scout realized, but of the girl's special abilities. Perhaps the child had frightened her in the past, with crazy tales of the dead speaking to her, or through her.
His gaze dropped to his other list, which had a handful of names on it. They were his hopefuls, but one was too old for television. Another was too young. There were three girls that showed strong talent as mediums. They were about the same age as Miss Hara, but they were so…plain looking.
The child in front of him was anything but plain. She reminded him of a porcelain doll his daughter had owned when she was young. However, the doll had been fragile. The talent scout had glued the toy back together many times.
He had a feeling that on the inside, Miss Hara was not easily broken. If she was, he did not think she would be having this interview. She was here because she was tired of being teased by her peers and scoffed at by her elders because of her talents. She wanted to stand out, and that was important to the talent scout's line of work.
"All right," the talent scout said. "I'll have some studies and tests done on you, by people like yourself. There is a television show in the works that will feature a medium. If what you say is true, you will be first in line." He leaned in closer to her. "You will be famous; everyone will know your face."
The girl smiled slightly, which she politely covered with her small hand.
Raising his voice for the parents, he continued, "You will be able to travel, learn with the best men and women mediums of the world. Money will not be a problem."
The talent scout stood up, circling the girl's chair. "I'm envisioning only traditional kimonos – it says, 'I'm proud of my heritage'. Also, we'll cut the hair, to brighten your face a bit more."
At the last sentence, the girl's face fell slightly. No matter to him. She would learn that you listen to your manager – or move aside for the next in line.
On the car ride home, Masako tried not to listen to her parents bicker, but the words still came through.
She's going to become spoiled, her mother said.
Spoiled meant flawed, blemished, ugly. Masako did not see how that could happen.
She won't have any real friends –
Do I have any real friends now? Masako wondered.
Her talents will not mean a thing, that man only saw her as a pretty doll to dress up –
Masako found herself clenching her fists. Since when did her mother care about her talents? Her mother had wanted doctors to fix her, like she was broken.
I'll cut my hair because I decided to, Masako thought, not because someone else did.
She would get this show because she wanted it.
She raised her chin, like in the office. I might be a pretty doll on the outside, she decided, but inside, I'm made of iron.
Unbreakable.