A/N: No I'm not dead.
Unfortunately, due to events that were sort of within my control (failing a university exam) my laptop is now restricted by my parents, hence the absence of updates on any of my stories recently. I am still writing. It's on paper right now, though, and I have been trying to find time to type the whole thing up to upload it on the website in between doing reassessment. I hope this goes some way to explaining what has happened... even if you still want to kill me. ^.^;;
Cameras are strange things.
(There are some people who believe that souls can be captured by an image.)
They can capture the heat of the moment, certainly, suspend time in midair forever, render corruptible flesh immortal for as long as ink and paper lasts - and of course, they're so terribly useful for mothers to embarrass their children. Sometimes you see happy couples on beach promenades, one with arm outstretched to the point of view, taking the photo themselves, or those with timers and tripods and a thousand fancy pieces of equipment, but it never really quite works out to capture the perfect moment, does it?
A picture can say a thousand words.
It's what the camera doesn't say - the photographer - that matters the most.
"Smile."
The boy continues to stare up at the lens.
Ryuuken sighs. "Uryuu, come on. It isn't that hard..."
- and then she sweeps in to save the day, warm arms pulling her son into an embrace as he suddenly brightens up.
Her husband scowls. "You aren't supposed to be out of bed just yet. The treatment still needs another two weeks before - "
She laughs. "Oh, come on, Ryuuken. Am I not even allowed to see my own son?"
"Not while you're still meant to be resting - "
"Mama?"
Sakana plants a gentle kiss on Uryuu's forehead, causing Ryuuken to sigh again.
"Fine."
"Uryuu, sweetie, look this way - "
The photograph keeps them safe, in a way. Preserved. Long after she has died of cancer that wouldn't go away, long after his son has left to dance with the dead, long after his own father, too, has moved on from this mortal coil.
Isshin, too will learn, someday, he thinks - but by then, it'll be too late for any of them...
a piece of my soul given for safekeeping