Thank you for your comments Mayorie and Lady Sto-Helit!! ^^
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Momiji rubbed his eyes sleepily, and gazed out his window at the full moon. It was either very late or very early. He pulled the covers around his body as he sat up, and tried to remember the reason for wanting to wake up at this time. Sou . . .
Momiji smiled to himself and hummed a little tune as he stood up and rearranged his kimono. He paused, then reached underneath his pillow and pulled out a cloth bag. He opened the window and slid out to the cold ground below.
He had to be careful no one saw him. Momiji stayed in the shadow of the house, then moved to the wall surrounding the Souma houses. IN a couple minutes he had made his way to Hatori's house, where he climbed up the few steps to his front door, and sat down.
Momiji reached into the bag he had brought with him, and fished around in it for a couple second before pulling out a handful of smooth round stones. He looked at them, then reached in for another handful, looked at those stones, chose one, and placed the rest back in the bag. Rummaging through the bag again, he found a wrinkled piece of paper.
He placed the stone on top of the paper, and looked at his gift to Hatori for a couple minutes, then looked out at the night sky, the familiar landscape of the Souma residence. Momiji listened to the low sound of cars humming by on the other side of the walls. He smiled once more, pleased with himself, and his assurance that this gift would make Hatori happy.
Momiji stretched and yawned, getting up to leave for bed. Suddenly he froze. A door had slammed somewhere, and Momiji searched for where the sound had come from. A tall shadow passed between two houses near the Inner House, and disappeared.
Curious but apprehensive, Momiji moved off the steps towards the houses. Peeking around the corner of one of them, he saw a tall figure with flowing hair loping towards bridge spanning the Souma koi pond. Hesitating one more time, Momiji followed.
As Momiji disappeared around the house, a tiny light flickered in Hatori's. It silhouetted the figure of a man sitting against the frame of the door, holding a lighter up to his lips. The light faded down to a firefly speck, and Hatori slid open the door, letting a curl of smoke escape. He looked at the gift Momiji had left, and slid the door all the way open, and moved out onto the steps, leaving the blanket he had been wearing as a makeshift shirt inside. He picked up the paper and stone with his free hand and studied them.
The stone was colored dark green, and had been drawn on with a marker, making the stone look like a curled up seahorse. Shigure always spent his time painting sets of Jyuunishi stones, and must have given Momiji a set.
The paper was a crude drawing of Momiji smiling and holding out his hands. The stone had been carefully placed in Momiji's hands.
Hatori smiled back at the drawing. Momiji was the only Jyuunishi so full of life and exuberance, the only one that could cheer up almost anyone.
Absently, he sat holding the seahorse in one hand and the cigarette in the other, looking out at the night.
Momiji rubbed his eyes sleepily, and gazed out his window at the full moon. It was either very late or very early. He pulled the covers around his body as he sat up, and tried to remember the reason for wanting to wake up at this time. Sou . . .
Momiji smiled to himself and hummed a little tune as he stood up and rearranged his kimono. He paused, then reached underneath his pillow and pulled out a cloth bag. He opened the window and slid out to the cold ground below.
He had to be careful no one saw him. Momiji stayed in the shadow of the house, then moved to the wall surrounding the Souma houses. IN a couple minutes he had made his way to Hatori's house, where he climbed up the few steps to his front door, and sat down.
Momiji reached into the bag he had brought with him, and fished around in it for a couple second before pulling out a handful of smooth round stones. He looked at them, then reached in for another handful, looked at those stones, chose one, and placed the rest back in the bag. Rummaging through the bag again, he found a wrinkled piece of paper.
He placed the stone on top of the paper, and looked at his gift to Hatori for a couple minutes, then looked out at the night sky, the familiar landscape of the Souma residence. Momiji listened to the low sound of cars humming by on the other side of the walls. He smiled once more, pleased with himself, and his assurance that this gift would make Hatori happy.
Momiji stretched and yawned, getting up to leave for bed. Suddenly he froze. A door had slammed somewhere, and Momiji searched for where the sound had come from. A tall shadow passed between two houses near the Inner House, and disappeared.
Curious but apprehensive, Momiji moved off the steps towards the houses. Peeking around the corner of one of them, he saw a tall figure with flowing hair loping towards bridge spanning the Souma koi pond. Hesitating one more time, Momiji followed.
As Momiji disappeared around the house, a tiny light flickered in Hatori's. It silhouetted the figure of a man sitting against the frame of the door, holding a lighter up to his lips. The light faded down to a firefly speck, and Hatori slid open the door, letting a curl of smoke escape. He looked at the gift Momiji had left, and slid the door all the way open, and moved out onto the steps, leaving the blanket he had been wearing as a makeshift shirt inside. He picked up the paper and stone with his free hand and studied them.
The stone was colored dark green, and had been drawn on with a marker, making the stone look like a curled up seahorse. Shigure always spent his time painting sets of Jyuunishi stones, and must have given Momiji a set.
The paper was a crude drawing of Momiji smiling and holding out his hands. The stone had been carefully placed in Momiji's hands.
Hatori smiled back at the drawing. Momiji was the only Jyuunishi so full of life and exuberance, the only one that could cheer up almost anyone.
Absently, he sat holding the seahorse in one hand and the cigarette in the other, looking out at the night.