I've been wanting to write a story with this particular subject for quite some time, now - but now, I finally have a plot to go along with the idea! XD
I'm SUPER excited to start on this one! Like... you guys have no idea! I kind of have a huge obsession with wings and flying (which I'm sure some of you are beginning to notice, *laughs*), I seriously think I was a bird or something in a previous life. But, hey, this love/obsession is only fueling more ideas for more stories for all of you to enjoy! I've started a poll - and yes, this one will actually be followed through with, LOL - and I want you lovely readers to vote, on which two stories you want me to work on next! It will have each of the ten stories that are sampled in this little collection, as well as some of my hiatus stories that are already posted. Who knows? Maybe it'll motivate me to, y'know, actually sit down and work on the damn things! XD
Oh, and btw: the little line of text in parenthesis at the end of the story summary is an excerpt for a... poem, of sorts, that I wrote purely for the organization and plot of this story. Just a little Fun Fact. X3
OK, that's all for now! Enjoy the Teaser! :)
~Fallen
Teaser #10
Title: As the Mockingbird Cries
Pairing(s): Blindshipping (Atemu/Yuugi)
Genre: Angst, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Spiritual, Supernatural
Rating: K+ - T (Possible M)
Full Summary: Since birth, Yuugi has been sickly and weak - so much so, that most of his childhood was spent in a hospital room. All of his life, he had dreamt of his Day of Awakening, where a fragment of his soul would manifest from his body, in the form of wings to fly upon the skies with. But, when the one thing he wants most doesn't happen, it leaves the boy shattered and seemingly without a reason to fight the ailments that had confined him for the majority of his life. And things only get worse, when his "Wingless" status attracts nothing but trouble for him as he grows up. But, in a twist of Fate, Yuugi meets Atemu Muran, an exchange student from the country of Egypt. Within him, Yuugi discovers that there is more to freedom than flight. And that maybe - just maybe - he can find a new reason to fight.
"Hope! the mockingbird cries, Yes, an unsullied seedling of hope hath been planted in thy breast; Oh, dear, beautiful light, please guide this lost soul through the darkness; Give me strength to stand once more!"
Chapters: ?
Teaser Word Count: 2,552
~ As the Mockingbird Cries ~
Like Falling in Love
Dusk painted the building of Domino City High School in warm, muted tones of fire and blood. The sky, itself, looked as if a match had been put to it, setting the horizon ablaze with striking shades of crimson, orange, pale yellow, and even a bit of purple, as the twilight sky drew closer and closer. The air was warm and the clouds matched the serene atmosphere, looking like scarcely-toasted marshmallow puffs circling the great flames of the setting sun. It was an almost pinkish hue, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. It would have been even more so, had the occupants of the rooftop not known that these dazzling colors were caused by years of collected smog from pollution, staining their atmosphere in those unnaturally gorgeous hues.
The concrete squares, like large, patchwork tiles, were spaced symmetrically apart from one another, their otherwise bland, grayish hue turning to an almost earth-like color under the setting sun. The metal of a chain-link fence, surrounding the rooftop's perimeter, glinted and gleamed with an almost painful luminosity, reflecting the end-of-the-day colors back to their source, as well as into the pairs of gem-colored eyes that belonged to the two – and, at the moment, only – occupants that sat along the thin edge left between the building's highest surface, and the cold, hard ground that lay in wait a towering four stories below them.
A lukewarm breeze slid through the air, playfully tossing the jagged, gold bangs that framed Yuugi's forehead, snagging the ends of his sharp ebony-and-maroon spikes, and making the fabric of his navy school uniform give a miniscule ripple as it tried to fly along with the wind. The attire of Atem, seated right beside him, seemed to be doing the same thing. The only difference being, however, the soft, silky fluttering sound that emanated from his back. A sound caused by the two large, bronze-feathered wings that sprouted from there.
He watched for a moment, as the ruby-eyed male leaning forward ever-so-slightly, resting his hands on either side of his thighs, eyes becoming lidded in a sort of bliss, as the gentle wind massaged its way through the wispy fibers and follicles of each plume, surely stretching and kneading at every last, semi-hollowed bone, and tightly-corded strand of muscle that wrapped within the magnificent wings. His purple eyes traced down every sun-stained piece, admiring the beauty that made up Atemu's plumage. They were large, and Yuugi knew his full wingspan was easily twenty feet, altogether. The large, hawk-like feathers were partially folded, showing their bronze topsides, striped horizontally in a deep, brown-black. The underside, however, was a soft mix between gold-cream, and ivory.
Yuugi blinked, reserved, before looking blindly back to the steady sunset with a sigh. And, it was just his luck, to see a group of five people – probably around his age, but then again, the distance between him and the little flock made it hard to tell – loft up into the sky, and join the wind in its careless dance. He saw flashes of falcon-brown, dove-gray, cardinal-red, jay-blue, and a myriad mixture of macaw-like colors on the wings of these people. Even from so far away, he could easily make out the beautiful feathers from the less-than-stellar dusk skies. His hand clenched into a fist over the concrete, and his eyes glared at nothing in particular, while his legs dangled over empty space. A brief flash of memory popped into the teen's mind, but he payed little attention.
He had no fear of falling, because he knew Atem would be there to catch him before he hit the ground. And, if he didn't... well, maybe Yuugi would finally sprout those wings everyone his age and up – besides him, that is – seemed to have.
The Egyptian beside him blinked, fiery irises turning in his direction, though his body did not move. Yuugi could feel the slightly-taller male studying him for a moment, taking in the slump of his shoulders, and slouched posture in his spine. Then, there was a spark of realization, and he looked away, unsure on how to soothe his companion with this particular... situation.
The situation being, that every single person, from the age of ten and onwards, seemed to be sporting a pair of fully-feathered wings. While Yuugi, aged seventeen, had yet to sprout even a single puff of down.
Internally, the thought made Yuugi cringe and howl with frustration. He excelled in his studies. He knew the name of every last feather on the body, each string of muscle, and every single bone fragment. He knew how to tell one's health or physical maturity, and he could practically read someone's life story from a single strand of fluff! He knew all the medical terminologies, the illnesses, and handicaps, the disabilities with wings he had studied in spare time, trying to find some reason as to why, under Ra's sun, he couldn't seem to just grow his own!
He was a gifted, hard-working student, with an observant, creative mind. But when it came to the most basic of physical tests – sprouting a pair of fucking wings – he was a complete and utter failure! He had slaved and toiled since day one, working hard to prepare his small body for that joyous day known as the Awakening, where his soul would send a shard of itself from his body, and with it, bless him with that beautiful gift known as flight. And it would take practice, he knew, especially with how weak he had been as a child, but the youth had been relentless, vowing that one day, he'd finally be more than a pitiful, sickly fledgling.
And then, the day of his tenth birthday arrived, and then the eleventh passed by. Followed by the twelfth, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and so on, until this point. Every day later, he grew more and more discouraged. For Yuugi was not granted those beautiful things he had looked forward to and worked for and craved his entire life. No-one had ever been more born to fly than Yuugi had been. And yet... all of his bed-ridden childhood, either by bullies or by illness, all of his days spent in hospital rooms and on examination tables or in quarantined rooms in his own home, where not even the woman who had birthed his frail body could touch him... All of those countless, lonely days, he had looked forward to the time where he could be just like the other kids.
Strong, happy, free.
He bit his lip, eyes shielded by his lightning-bolt bangs, as the urge to cry made his throat burn. He swallowed, firmly but quietly, and wet his lips before daring to break the silence.
"Atem...?" he murmured, catching said boy's attention, as he glanced over to the smaller, paler child, "What... What's it like?"
He could sense the confusion in the air, before the other teenager even had a chance to reply with a puzzled, "What's what like?"
Yuugi took a shallow breath, peering over at his tan friend with one eye, peeking through the sheets of his golden fringe. There was almost a shy quality to his voice when he spoke. "Flying," he said meekly, before giving a small shrug. "I mean, at this point," the adolescent mumbled, "it's not entirely likely that I'll ever get my own, so..." His voice tapered off, eyes looking away from him again, to stare at the folded hands in his lap.
There was a saddened glint to the other's eyes at his friend's words, and his voice was almost... hesitant. Yes, Yuugi had been the one to bring up the subject... but Atemu couldn't help but feel as if he were only rubbing the fact that the boy was a Wingless in his face, by flaunting about with his fancy feathers, feeling the wind as it caressed his being, and the surge of pure power and adrenaline and freedom that flying brought to him. "Well, uh..." the Egyptian murmured, looking back to the setting sun, which was just beginning to brush against the line of the horizon. "Flying is... different, for everyone, really. It just... depends on what you'd want to know, I think..."
"Everything," Yuugi chimed in, trying to keep that instinctive irritation at bay at the indirect reminder of his physical hindrance, "Anything. Whatever you can tell me." He breathed deeply. "I want to know... everything I'm missing out on. What it feels like, how it sounds, smells, and tastes..." He saw another look of befuddlement cross Atem's features at that last sentence, silently asking Yuugi to elaborate. He sighed, shoulders huffing with the movement. "I've found that... people send so much time, with their heads up in the clouds... that they've forgotten about... everything they leave behind on the ground." There was a slight ache in his chest, a shard of the loneliness from his past rearing its head. "Everything has a unique sense to it. Like how you can smell the weight of water in the air before it rains. Or how the storm sounds, or how the lightning and thunder in the air makes your skin feel all tingly..." His fingers twitched, the movement just barely catching Atemu's eyes, as they studied the wingless mystery before him. "Or... how the taste of antiseptic that sticks to your tongue, when you breathe in at a hospital..." He swallowed, resisting the urge to shake his head, as if it would fling the memories away. "I just want... I, I need to know what it's like. Just so I can understand... why it's meant to be such a big part of my life, but isn't."
Atemu scooted just a little bit closer to his friend, as if the strength in his presence would help perk up Yuugi's mood. And it did work, a little, the smaller admitted to himself. He was half tempted to grab Atemu's hand, now only a foot away, and hold it close.
"Like I said," the boy rumbled again in that deep, purring baritone of his, "It's different for everyone. Some picture it as scary, at first. Others feel stronger, more powerful, and some... well, some people turn into jackasses who have a hankering for picking on those who either can't or won't fight back." Yuugi concealed a flinch by shifting, trying not to take note of the subtle throbbing in his right leg, at the mention of a certain bully he had the displeasure of being acquainted with. All because of his... disability.
Yuugi swung his dangling legs slowly, feeling strangely grounded by the feeling of impact when the heels of his sneakers his the side of the building. "What... What's it like for you?" he asked, voice hardly more than a whisper. His eyes drifted off into space again, and he tried to pretend that he didn't sense the surprise in his friend's gaze as he looked at him.
There was a pause, before Yuugi saw Atem turn his ruby eyes to the horizon in thought, a long sigh dragging from his lungs. Yuugi knew the other was scared of offending or upsetting him, but in all honesty, he would have jumped straight from the rooftop, just to hear the other speak of it. His heart yearned for flight, but it seemed he would have to make due with just... imagining. At least, for now.
"It... Frankly, it's probably one of the greatest feelings in existence," he mumbled, eyes becoming almost drowsy-looking in bliss, "Imagine, even with the weight of the world pressing down on your shoulders, you can still find it in you to jump into open space without fear, and escaping it. At least for a little bit."
Yuugi found himself closing his eyes, trying to picture what Atemu was describing.
"The world, the people in it, every last problem becomes meaningless as it all shrinks beneath you. Like a figurine you can pick up in your hands. The wind whispers and screams in your ears all at the same time, telling you 'just a little higher', the sky sings, and when you manage to break into the clouds, its like a cool blanket, that still manages to warm you up when you go through them. The air gets thin until each breath feels like a weight is pressing on your chest, and even though the slightest mistake can send you falling to your death, you've never felt more alive." A smile curled at both of their lips, though one was more somber than the other. "Even on the darkest days, you can go above the cloud cover, and find the sun, even if you're about to pass out because you can't get enough oxygen, it's worth it... The world is like a movie scene, and you have a front-row seat to watch it roll by."
Yuugi's eyes fluttered open, and he felt an empty, yet fulfilled sensation pour into his skin. Though he couldn't fully grasp just what Atem was describing, he could try. And Gods help whoever tried to stop him. Then, Atemu turned to him, and amethyst met garnet. "What do you think it would be like for you, Aibou?" the Egyptian asked, and then it was Yuugi's turn to gaze at the vanishing sunset, tinting his irises a vibrant orchid, "How would it feel? Or sound? Or... taste?" That last comment was a playful tease, laced with a chuckle.
Yuugi lightly elbowed the other in the side, making him huff, before wetting his lips. His eyes were tracking the sun, no matter how much it made them ache, as it sank farther and farther behind the cityscape. "I think... it would sound like a song, that only you could hear," he began, subconsciously leaning towards Atem's form at he spoke. His tone was whimsical, with a touch of longing hiding beneath it. "It'd feel like the chill of winter, but the burn of a hot summer day. Like drinking starlight and sunshine, and life itself. It'd be like a drug – you can never get enough, and you'd always be craving for that next hit of wind to pick you up and take you away from reality. Or like getting a hug when you're alone. Someone making you laugh when you feel like you'll never smile ever again. You're in complete control. You could fly into the Afterlife and greet the Gods, and then be back before sundown that same day."
Yuugi felt Atem's shoulder meet with his own, as the other closed the space between them. He could feel the heat of the other's skin through his uniform jacket, sending a relaxed buzz across the smaller's system, calming his soul like a lullaby.
"I think it would be like falling in love."
He could both hear and see the smile that formed on Atemu's face as Yuugi leaned his head onto that shoulder. Before long, Yuugi felt his friend rest his cheek lightly against his spiky mound of hair. He shivered as a cool breeze brushed over their bodies, then heard the shifting of feathers, as one of Atem's beautiful, bronze-striped wings spread out to encase the pair in their warm, insulated embrace. There was another sigh from the Egyptian, and Yuugi felt the side of a smile against his scalp.
"I think that sounds wonderful, Aibou..."