Hello, my lovelies! We are back with the second chapter of this piece of fluffy goodness. Enjoy!
Summer. Ren: Age 14, Nora: Age 13.
Dry pages turning
Written words are rare snapshots
Freeze time forever
Jaune glanced up in response to a low growl from his roommate's bed. "Unhelpful criticism?" he asked.
"Yes!" Ren replied, his voice holding a rare edge of aggravation. "Half of them say that the poems should be longer, that they should rhyme, that they should have a different style. They're haikus! They're supposed to be a certain way!" A week had passed since he started the workshop classes, and he was already convinced that they were worthless.
Jaune made a sympathetic noise in his throat. "I know what you mean. Look at what this one person's saying about my poem."
"The one about the forest?" Ren asked. "I liked that one."
"You're basically the only one who did." Jaune handed one of his papers over. "See how I refer to the trees at night as 'shadow spires?'"
"Yes." Ren squinted at the note written next to the line in red pen. "'Spires are on buildings. Trees aren't buildings'?" He groaned, rolling his eyes. "It's called a metaphor!"
"Thank you!" Jaune threw his hands in the air. "I'm starting to wonder if these workshops are going to be completely useless. Have you looked at half of the stuff we need to critique for next week?"
Ren rifled through his folder. "This one holds some promise." He held out a packet.
Jaune looked at it. "'The Man with Two Souls.' Oh, that's by that one quiet girl. Yeah, she seems okay. I think she actually gave me some helpful notes, if I could find them…"
A knock on the door interrupted them. "Ren! Ren! Is your workshop over? Let's go! I brought Pyrrha with me!"
"The door's open, Nora," Ren called.
Immediately Nora bounded into the room. "Hey, Ren! That's a lot of papers." She picked one up and stuck out her tongue. "These people don't know anything. Your haikus are great!"
"I do need to accept criticism," he muttered, though he couldn't help but smile at her confidence. "That's part of a workshop."
"Nah. You only need my opinion." Nora put the paper down. "So, I was thinking we could go up to Books n' Brews. They got some new manga."
Before Ren could answer, a face peeked through the door. "I'm sorry. Is it okay if I come in?"
"Of course," Ren said, looking up at the girl as she stepped in. She was very tall, with green eyes, red hair, and a very kind smile. "You must be Pyrrha. Nora's written about you."
Pyrrha chuckled. "Probably not as much as she's told me about you." She glanced toward Jaune and nodded. "Hello."
Jaune waved. "Hey there! I'm Jaune."
"So, how about the coffee shop?" Nora continued. "Jaune, you can come with!"
Ren tried to remember how much his favorite tea used to cost. "I think I can spare enough for a small tea…"
"Get a large, and some pastries. I'm buying," Nora said. "Think of it as payback for the candy last week. Come on, please?" She stared at Ren with her bright turquoise eyes.
Of course, Ren was utterly incapable of resisting. "Okay. Let me just put these papers away first."
A few minutes later, the four were walking through the park toward town. Nora did most of the talking, wondering what baked goods would be available and ranting about the drivers that had almost hit her and Pyrrha on the way to the park. "Seriously, this town is tiny, but these old people drive like they're in the city or something!"
Pyrrha rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "They didn't come quite that close to hitting us."
Ren looked fondly at the outside of Books n' Brews, a local coffee house/used book store that opened when he was still a toddler. His parents used to always bring him there to look at the cheap used books. They also had a special brand of spicy chai tea that he hadn't been able to find in Vale. Nora used to tag along when he went, eagerly stuffing her face with the sweetest pastry available that day.
The scent of brewing coffee and used books hit him immediately, causing him to sigh wistfully. "There's a coffee shop in Vale," he murmured. "But it's way too big."
The four walked up to the counter. Nora peered at the pastries through the glass. "After you left, this lady started making homemade baklava for the shop. It's really good."
Ren peered at the triangular, honey-soaked pastries through the glass. "I'll try one, and a small chai tea please," he told the lady behind the counter. Even though Nora had said he could get a large, he didn't want to make her pay too much.
Nora, of course, got hot chocolate and a slice of pink-frosted strawberry cake. Jaune just got a cream soda while Pyrrha ordered a coffee. The four sat down at one of the tables near the book shelves. Ren looked around, shoulders relaxing as he soaked in the familiar atmosphere.
"It's really nice to finally meet you," Pyrrha commented. "After seeing your work and hearing so much from Nora, I was really looking forward to the summer."
Ren blinked, giving Nora a questioning look. "You showed her the haikus?" A sinking feeling appeared in his chest. Has anyone else seen them? The haikus he had written for Nora had been personal. The thought of a bunch of strangers reading them caused his throat to tighten.
Nora paused mid-sip, a worried expression coming to her face. "She asked about them…and they're really good, so…" She put down her mug. "Should I not have?"
Ren pushed down his anxiety as he looked at Nora's nervous eyes. "It's fine. Just…don't show anyone else."
"No one else has seen them, I promise!" Nora quickly assured him.
"I'm sorry," Pyrrha murmured. "I thought it was okay when she showed me. I really do like them, though. And the art is amazing. You should really consider making a book of them."
Ren stared at his tea. "Thank you, but I'm not sure if I can. Even bringing some of my more impersonal ones to workshops is difficult." He smiled hesitantly. "Honestly, I mostly used the workshop as an excuse to come back here."
This prompted Nora to scoot over and hug his arm. "Ren, you're the best!"
After they finished eating, the four spread out around the shelves. Ren and Nora gravitated toward the manga section while Pyrrha and Jaune both reached for the X-Ray and Vav comics.
"Wait, you're an X-Ray and Vav fan?" Jaune asked.
"Of course!" Pyrrha replied. "I'm on issue five right now."
Within minutes, the two were sitting against a nearby wall, poring over the comics.
Nora, meanwhile, was looking at the manga. "Ugh, so many of these have like a million books. How can I follow a story that's that long?"
"Life is a long story," Ren remarked. "Maybe they're trying to make that clear."
Nora giggled. "You even talk like a poet now!"
"Now?" Ren asked wondering exactly what Nora meant. "I haven't changed that much, have I?"
"Of course not!" Nora assured him. "You're still definitely Ren."
Ren smiled. "That's a relief."
Nora closed the manga she'd been looking at. "Have I changed at all?" she asked, a hint of curiosity creeping into her voice.
"Hm," Ren murmured. "Well, I think you definitely got shorter."
"Jerk!" Nora punched his arm.
"Ow!" Ren took a step back while laughing. "Okay, you also got stronger!"
"Oh, I didn't actually hurt you, did I?" Nora immediately tried to roll up his sleeve. "Did I leave a bruise?"
"Nora, I'm fine." Ren ruffled her hair. "I think a real punch from you would've knocked me over."
Nora grinned. "True. I did have to beat up a lot of bullies back in the day."
"It's nice that one of us could," Ren sighed, thinking back to how often Nora had needed to stand up on his behalf when they were growing up. He honestly wondered how she never got tired of it.
Nora watched his expression, a frown coming to her face. "Are there bullies in Vale? Is that why you've been sad?"
Ren blinked. "I haven't been-"
"I'm not that forgetful, Ren," Nora interjected. "You said when you first got here that you've been sad. Is that why?"
"No," Ren muttered. "It's just…" He breathed a sigh. "I don't want you worrying about me."
"Well, now I'm gonna worry if you don't tell me!" Nora put her hands on her hips. "Come on, Ren. Tell! We're best friends, right? You know I won't make fun of you."
"I know that." Ren looked carefully at her before nodding. "Okay." He led her to a more secluded area by the shelves. Once there, he hesitated. He'd never been good with words, unless they were written down. He really didn't know where to begin.
"Take your time," Nora said, correctly reading Ren's nervous expression. "I won't say anything till you're done." She mimed zipping her lips to emphasize the point.
This caused Ren to chuckle a little despite himself. "You always understood me, Nora. Even when I was quiet." He looked at the ground. "I haven't found anyone like that since I moved away. I haven't really found…anyone in Vale."
Nora watched him silently, wanting to ask questions but resisting the urge.
Ren looked down at her. "That's really it. Besides calling you and writing letters, I really don't talk to anyone other than my parents. It feels like…no one wants to listen, or they just want to talk over me." He leaned against the shelf. "I mean, you talk a lot, but you always talk to me. Everyone else just talks over me or at me. They don't actually care what I think." He glanced at her. "That's all."
Nora hugged him gently, resting her head on his arm. "I was lonely when you left too," she admitted. "Then I met Pyrrha, and started to feel better. You're still my best friend, though! Don't worry about that!"
"I'm not," Ren replied, resting his head on top of hers.
"Maybe you'll meet someone nice in Vale," Nora suggested. "Once you start high school, everything starts over. That's what I heard, anyway." She nodded toward the comic display. "And you and Jaune seem to like each other."
"He doesn't live in Vale, though," Ren said.
"It's still something," Nora replied. "And people care about what you think! They just need to learn how to listen to you."
"The people in the workshops certainly don't," Ren sighed. "I'm too afraid to bring in my more personal pieces."
"Are they all sad, like the ones you showed me?" Nora asked.
"Yeah," Ren sighed. "It's hard to be inspired in that city, so I just use my own feelings to create images. And since I've been mostly sad… I don't want people to look at me and think I'm whining about everything."
"Ooh!" Nora gasped, suddenly coming up with an idea. "I know! Let's get you to write some happy haikus! Since you're home, it should be easy."
Ren looked at her thoughtfully. "That could work… I haven't really had the chance to write any new ones."
"It's settled, then!" Nora clapped her hands together. "Hm, where should we go?" She tapped her chin, then her eyes lit up. "The creek! Remember how we used to play ninjas and pirates there?"
"How could I forget?"
"Let's go there!" Nora ran over to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Hey, we were thinking of going to the creek to get Ren inspired. You guys wanna come?"
Jaune blinked, looking up from his comic. "Uh, I'm good to stay here. How about you, Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha nodded. "I'd like to look at a few more books. You two have fun."
Ren and Nora walked out of the shop. Ren glanced down at Nora, frowning suspiciously when he saw the smirk on her face. "Nora, what is it?"
"They seem to be getting along, huh?" Nora muttered, rubbing her hands together. "I wonder if-"
"Nora, they literally just met today," Ren groaned. "Don't start playing matchmaker."
Nora pouted. "Aw, you're no fun. I bet we can get them together by the end of the summer."
"Nora, no…"
"Nora, yes!"
The creek was a bit different from how Ren remembered it, which made sense considering factors like weather and time. Still, the sound of water rushing over pebbles and trickling under the bridge was the same, as were the trees surrounding the area. "Be careful of the poison ivy," he muttered dryly, thinking back to their childhood.
Nora rolled her eyes. "Okay, Dad." She took off her shoes and socks, placing them on a rock. "Come on! The water looks great!"
Ren shook his head. "You go ahead. I'll see if I can get anything written."
Nora booped his nose. "Show me whatever you write, okay?" she chirped before running into the water. She giggled as the coolness lapped at her ankles.
The sound of the babbling water, combined with the musical sound of Nora's laughter, caused Ren's pen to practically move on its own. He alternated between watching his best friend and looking at the words on the page. When he was finished, he looked at the final result with a frown.
Turquoise orbs reflect the sun
Laughter as magical as water
A smile shimmers like ripples
It wasn't even a haiku. Ren sighed, flipping to the next page to try again. This time, he decided to focus only on the water.
By the time Nora got back, he had a new one finished.
"I see a poem!" Nora chirped. "Show me, show me!"
Ren's brows were furrowed. "Okay, but it doesn't feel right." He handed over the paper bearing his newest haiku.
Sparkles in the stream
The trees cast moving shadows
Pebbles weather down
Nora tapped her chin. "Hm. I like it, but you're right." She read it over a few times. "What if you switch the first and last lines?
Ren rewrote the poem at the bottom of the page and read it aloud.
Pebbles weather down
The trees cast moving shadows
Sparkles in the stream
He sighed. "It still doesn't sound right."
Nora looked at it. "Hearing it both ways, the sparkles line seems kinda…weak compared to the other two. Know what I mean? Maybe rewrite that one?"
Ren crossed out the last line. He stared at the poem for a few seconds, chewing on the end of his pen as he looked around for something to inspire the last line. The sun was starting to go down, and he'd have to go to dinner soon. Still, he wanted to finish this poem before he went back.
Then, Nora pointed. "Look, a firefly! I haven't seen any yet."
Ren followed her gaze. It was true. There was a single firefly in the grass, its yellow light creating a gentle halo around its otherwise-dark form. As the two watched, the tiny insect flew away, passing close to the creek, creating a rippling yellow dot on the water.
Inspired, Ren wrote down a line, looked at it, nodded, and rewrote the poem. "How's this?"
Pebbles weather down
The trees cast moving shadows
Firefly reflections
Nora looked at the poem and nodded. "That's way better than sparkles. Gives a more specific image."
Ren smiled. "Why aren't there people like you in my workshop?"
"You have Jaune, right?"
"Jaune mostly just says he likes my stuff and doesn't really suggest anything. The others try making the poems their own. You actually helped me come up with something better than what I originally wrote, that works for my writing style." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Nora."
Nora's cheeks flushed. "Glad to help. Hey, maybe I'm a secret poet too!"
"Maybe," Ren laughed. He glanced at his phone and stood up. "Well, it's almost time for dinner. I hope Jaune didn't get too caught up in those comics."
"I'm sure he'll be on time." Nora put her shoes and socks on. She was looking at the creek when a sudden light came to her eye.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "I know that look. What are you scheming, Nora?"
Nora smirked, shaking her head. "Nope! It's a surprise. You'll have to wait."
"You can't even give me a hint?" Ren asked, now honestly curious. Nora was hardly ever able to keep a secret. The fact that she was even trying spoke volumes.
"Nope!" Nora replied, popping the p at the end.
Ren considered for a moment, then tried pouting. "Please?"
Nora burst out laughing. "Omigosh, Ren! Your face looks hilarious!"
Ren blushed, folding his arms. "Well, you're usually the one pouting at me! I was just trying to imitate you…"
"Hey, I never look that goofy!"
"I could definitely argue with that," Ren muttered, allowing a smirk to come to his face.
"Oh yeah? Why don't you say that to my face?" Nora shook her fist, prompting a snickering Ren to bolt off in the direction of the cabins. "Get back here! I will noogie you to death for insulting me!"
Ren's face hurt a little from how much he had been smiling and laughing throughout the day. Clutching his notebook with his two new poems to his chest, he felt that he could definitely get used to the feeling.
….
Winter. Ren: Age 8 and a half. Nora: Age 8
Herbs warming my soul
Drowsy weight on my shoulder
Lazy contentment
"Ren, I found one!" Nora whispered, her hands behind her back. It was a late afternoon in Books n' Brews, and Ren's parents had treated them to some snacks as a reward for getting good grades on their most recent quiz.
"One what, Nora?" Ren looked up from his tea, glancing in the direction of his parents, who were browsing some of the newer books that had been donated.
"An adult manga," she breathed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She beckoned for Ren to follow.
When they got behind a shelf, Nora giggled, pulling the book out from behind her back. "Look! There's a big 18 on the corner, meaning only adults can read it." She sidled up next to Ren. "Let's open it!"
Ren glanced around, convinced that his mother would somehow materialize out of the wall if they did this. "I think you should put it back…" he muttered.
"Oh, don't be a scaredy-cat." Nora opened the manga and looked at it. "Huh. Nothing here." She started flipping through the pages.
Ren kept his gaze averted, determined to have no part in this.
"Oh, ew!" Nora squeaked.
Unable to resist, Ren turned to look at the page. His stomach twisted. "Are those a person's ribs?" he gasped.
"Being pulled out of his chest?!" Nora closed the manga and dropped it on the ground, staring at it as if it would jump up and bite her. "Adults are sick!"
Ren could only nod in agreement, eyes wide. "Want to read something else?"
"Yes!"
When Ren's parents found them, they were sitting against the wall near the children's books. Their mugs were empty and had been set to the side. Nora was snuggled against Ren, listening as he read quietly aloud from a book with a red dragon on the cover.
It was over an hour before they finally went home.
A lot of my own experiences with writing workshops were bleeding through at the beginning. It can be rough when you write in a style that isn't the norm for your class. I, for example, only got a handful of helpful criticism when I submitted my fantasy works during college, since colleges generally only like "literary fiction," and not "genre fiction" such as fantasy, sci-fi, or romance. I figured that Ren would face similar problems with his haikus.
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, including weekly updates on this fic, please consider pledging to my P/atreon, which is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!
