Disclaimor: I do not own Mars by Fuyumi Soryo, nor do I own "The Glass Managaree" by Tennessee Williams. Contains a few spoilers up to number 8
The Glass Promise
They where in Kira's second favorite class, the study of language. For the past two weeks they had been studying US literature, breaking down the meaning of words, the symbolism in books and phrases, as well as the occasional sonnet written by Shakespeare. Poor Rei found himself constantly bored by all of it, but for Kira's sake he stayed in it. She couldn't bear the idea of him not appreciating the ways of words, which to her where the second easiest way for the soul to express itself. As normal, he gazed at the bored with half appreciation, his eyes halfway drooping as the teacher's steady hand wrote the next author they would study on the black chalkboard; Tennessee Williams. Sometimes he wondered if it was a silent challenge that made his girlfriend love English so, perhaps it was the remembrance of Mr. Yoshiko that she put so much obsession into the subject. Lost in his thoughts, he managed to catch on that they where doing a play now.
Packets of the book where now being passed out, random chatter of the other students continued in the moments of downtime needed to receive the play, and write their names on it. He took advantage of this to let Kira know of the plans that Hurumi had made for them, a double date at a local coffee house, and how the short haired girl had insisted on the popularity of doing things like this. The trend had finally reached the borders of Japan, and now every teen was following suit. She nodded a quick agreement, smiling happily. It gave her contentment to be with friends, after being alone for so long. Her head turned back to the bored as the teacher began.
"Tenesee Williams. American writer of the 1900s, United States. Heavily relied on symbolism to portray his points, every stage direction and every phrasing of words relates to his views and the point he tried to get across. Everyone, open up to page two, and start reading. I expect you to have up to scene four read by tomorrow. The class groaned, but got to work. Rei grumbled something about Kira having too high aspirations of him, but began. From the first words he was obsessed.
He was still reading it in lunch, much to his love's joy and puzzlement; she said nothing and continued her sketch that was due for one of her art classes, one out of the three she was in. He broke the silence, to ask her what the Merchant Marines where, and she explained it was like the US's army, except it was a Navy one paid to get into. She knew it wasn't the best description, but it would fit for him. A few people passed by, giving questioning looks to the reading Rei, but found it not too out of the ordinary to ask him what was up with him. He observed the four charectors… one was Amanda, a woman incredibly similar to a grownup version of Shiori, except a Shiori with a kinder, larger heart, but still just as superficial and an idiot. The woman was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a group that tended to have women incredibly worried about social class and money. Amanda was the mother of Laura and Tom. Her husband left her at a very early stage in the marriage. Laura was a painfully shy girl, delicate, fragile, almost made out of glass. Glass was an appropriate analogy for her, for the young woman had a collection of glass figurines that she kept, her most favorite being the glass unicorn. Laura was the innocent clone of Kira.
He was fascinated by Tom, an introverted writer who kept the family of his mother and sister without very much complaint, and took very little credit for knowing that he was their main supporter. He loved his sister with an almost incestuous love, his comfort and concern for her almost obsessive. Tom reminded him painfully of his own brother, Sei, Sei who had killed himself for the simple questioning of his father being his own or not. He had fallen so trap to the ideals of a society, and found himself unable to cope with the idea of family being ripped away from him. He had destroyed Sei in a way, by giving the letters to him, but it didn't matter now.
That was a while ago, and he knew he couldn't blame himself for it any longer. Jim, the last caller, and perhaps the sanest of the group, was like himself. Outgoing, but dark around the edges, a potential suitor and boyfriend for the desperate Laura, whom had not much else left to do with her life besides find a husband. She had ruined all possibility of having a job, and her mother constantly worried about her state. Jim and Laura got along splendidly, only with one problem. Jim already had a fiancée. Jim had given the nickname of Blue Roses to Laura, a symbol of Laura's difference from everyone else, everyone who was simple red or yellow or white roses. All the other roses might have been equally beautiful, but only blue roses where ever stunning or different. They talked of her favored glass unicorn, the unicorn that stood with all the other normal horses, the only one among his kind. It came down to the horn being broken off the poor figurine, making it normal, but utterly changed. Jim could not be with his Laura, because he would have to break off the thing he loved most about her; her difference, if he wanted to marry her.
He stared at his gentle love made from glass, smiling softly. She was like Laura indeed… forged from glass, his delicate Blue Rose, but she was so much stronger then glass at the same time. Her ability to adapt simply amazed him, pleased him, he didn't realize before why she was like the way she was. A rape victim, a survivor, and had lost everyone, including him at one point. He took out a sheet of paper, and began to write.
The next day came, English class again. He had asked the teacher if he could read an essay in front of the class, free writing. His voice began with a bit of a shake, but then fell into the rhythm of words. "After reading the Glass Menagerie, I began to realize something. Laura, a painfully tragic character who was so made from transparent weakness, her strength was incredible. She took inside her everything she saw, not complaining. No mention is made if she wants to, or not." His words where uncharacteristically eloquent, he had clearly practiced this. "Sometimes, there can't be logic in something, sometimes, things just happen, and there's no changing it. People are either born ugly, or born beautiful, and their choices make them who they are. Some of us are made from glass, and some of us are made from concrete, with no chipping or changing of us… glass is fragile, but so incredibly beautiful and transparent.
"I, like Jim, have found my Laura… my blue rose in the middle of all the common red roses, I found her in the tears in her eyes she always held, the resilient stubborn strength in her words and actions, and the beauty of her soul in her heart." He paused, looking at the embarrassed joy in Kira's eyes. She was smiling, and his voice caught in his throat for a few split seconds. "I want to make my promise to her… a promise in glass, because we're both like glass. We can both be broken so easily, so I make this promise in glass. Kira Aso, I promise you that I will always love you, I promise you that I understand your joy, I understand your pain, and I promise you that I will bring you everything you need. I promise you in glass, that I will try to make all the tears that loom in your eyes tears of love and tears of joy." He paused for a second, fishing out a small black box from his pocket. All of the class was watching him now, in complete utter shock. His eyes found hers again, smiling broader.
"But, Kira Aso, I also make you a promise in diamond. Diamond is glass' superior, diamond is as strong as you are, it holds your beauty, and your pain, because I love it all. My promise in diamond, is that I will be the best husband a man has ever been too a woman, I promise you that I'll fill my glass promise with more strength then anyone ever could, I promise you in diamond that I love you. I love you, Kira Aso." With that, he walked to her desk, bending to one knee. "Will you marry me?"
The class held in breathless anticipation for her response. Her eyes filled with tears again, and she uttered a hardly audible, but filled with conviction, "Yes."