Sorry this is so late!!!
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.
-anonymous
Present
By Icka! M. Chif
Summer used to be my favourite time of the year.
Now I'm not so sure.
Just a few weeks ago, I revelled in the fact it was summer. The warm breezes, the sun shining above, the salty water of the beach... I loved it.
And now... it seems odd. The heat is stifling, and I feel as if I'm going to fade away. Melt away like a snowman when spring finally arrives.
The noisy air condition that I once disliked is now my best friend.
Does this mean that winter is now my favourite time of year?
Even as I'm perched here on the rooftop thinking, my hands are in front of me. Cupped inside of my palm is a small ice sculpture of a snowflake. I did it without thinking, a small reminder of what I really am.
At one time, I was afraid of anything supernatural. Youkai, ghosts, anything that goes bump in the night would send me absolutely screaming.
Now I am one of the things I feared. So are Kazuha-chan, Heiji-kun and Shin'ichi. And they're some of the nicest people I've ever known. What was once terrifying now has a familiar face.
So many changes in such a little time. The past is no longer what I knew it to be and the future is a white fog before me. The only thing that's clear now is the now. The Present.
I hold the ice up to the light and watch as the sun catches it, making it sparkle. It's pretty.
A soft foot fall behind me causes me to turn. It's Shin'ichi, looking a bit startled to have been caught. It looks amusing, especially since he looks like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I smile at him, and he smiles back, a touch nervous.
I never would have heard his approach before. Now my senses are almost supernatural, even though I still look like myself.
"How are you doing?" He asks, his hands clasped idly behind his back. It's not an idle question on his part, making small talk. He's been worried about me ever since the night in Osaka. When I discovered that the world I had known was a bit more... wild than I had thought. Myself included.
Shin'ichi has been afraid that I hate him. Now that I know to look past the glasses, it's easy for me to read him again. Like an old friend. Which he is. And more.
"I'm doing fine." I assure him. He nods, not convinced, but willing to accept my words. It'll take time for both of us to get used to this, but I'm not going to worry about it. One minute, one second, one heartbeat at a time.
"You're doing better at summoning ice." He comments, standing up on his toes so he can look out over the small fence to see the world below.
I smile back. "I've had a good teacher." there's just a tone of teasing in my voice, not much, but enough to make him stare at me for open mouthed for a second before he blushes pink and turns back to the view before us.
A memory drifts by of a former classmate of ours, Genji, who used to always freak out around Shin'ichi before he moved away. When pressed about it, Genji finally commented that he saw pink sakura blossoms whenever someone close to him was going to die. And he always saw Shin'ichi covered in sakura.
At the time, Shin'ichi laughed, but didn't say anything. At the time, I wondered. Now I understand.
"Why don't you relax?" I suggest. He's mentioned a few times that it requires concentration and energy to maintain his human appearance. And now that I know what he really looks, sometimes it feels almost strange seeing him as human. I occasionally find myself looking for fangs or pointed ears, which are never there.
He shakes his head. "Don't have that kind of energy to spare." He says ruefully. It usually takes more energy for him to build his appeared back to human than for him just to maintain it. I also get the feeling he's hiding something from me.
"Um... Ran?" Conan looked vaguely un-comfortable. Speaking of which...
"Yes?" I smile at him. It doesn't matter how old he is, he's still cute when he's embarrassed.
"There's a family gathering coming up in a few weeks." He says slowly, looking anywhere but at me. "Hattori and Kazuha are coming up, as well as a cousin of mine from Mom's side I haven't met but is supposed to be our age... There won't be many ningen, but I was wondering if you'd like to come as well."
I smile at him, he's so cute when he's nervous. "I'd love to come." I agree.
His whole face lights up, and for a second, it's like he's a small kid who just got the best present in the world. "Great! Oh, um... before I forget, Mom wanted me to give you something."
He leans over and picked up a rather large, flattish box that I'm amazed I didn't see him bring with him. "This is for you." He says seriously. Well, seriously except for the merriment dancing in his dark blue eyes. "Go ahead and open it now, 'Kaasan's gonna want to know your reaction when I tell her you're coming."
"Alright." I take the box from him, resting it on the ledge so I have a hand free to take off the lid. Shimmering pale blue material, almost iridescent, glimmers at me, the patter of silver and white snowflakes scattered across it. With trembling hands I reach out and touch it. The texture is soft to my finger tips, fine silk.
Hesitantly, I pull the kimono from the box. Underneath is a darker obi, and ties, socks and everything else to match, all done in the snow and ice motive.
"'Kaasan figured that if you're going to be in the company of youkai for the first time, you might as well look the part of a Yuki no Onna too." Conan explains, a slight smug smile on his face. "Welcome to the family, Ran."
All I can do is smile back in return.
Fin.
Genji Hikaru is the main character from the first novel ever written, 'The Tale of Genji' by Lady Murasaki Shikibu. He sees sakura blossoms whenever someone close to him is about to die. (including himself)
I first saw heard of the Tale of Genji in Kyoto, at The Costume Museum where they have re-constructed the castle and many of the cast in one quarter scale. It is absolutely gorgeous!!!
They have a webpage here: http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/
Also includes an over view of the story.
The next story is 'Last Night', the Kaito Kid.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.
-anonymous
Present
By Icka! M. Chif
Summer used to be my favourite time of the year.
Now I'm not so sure.
Just a few weeks ago, I revelled in the fact it was summer. The warm breezes, the sun shining above, the salty water of the beach... I loved it.
And now... it seems odd. The heat is stifling, and I feel as if I'm going to fade away. Melt away like a snowman when spring finally arrives.
The noisy air condition that I once disliked is now my best friend.
Does this mean that winter is now my favourite time of year?
Even as I'm perched here on the rooftop thinking, my hands are in front of me. Cupped inside of my palm is a small ice sculpture of a snowflake. I did it without thinking, a small reminder of what I really am.
At one time, I was afraid of anything supernatural. Youkai, ghosts, anything that goes bump in the night would send me absolutely screaming.
Now I am one of the things I feared. So are Kazuha-chan, Heiji-kun and Shin'ichi. And they're some of the nicest people I've ever known. What was once terrifying now has a familiar face.
So many changes in such a little time. The past is no longer what I knew it to be and the future is a white fog before me. The only thing that's clear now is the now. The Present.
I hold the ice up to the light and watch as the sun catches it, making it sparkle. It's pretty.
A soft foot fall behind me causes me to turn. It's Shin'ichi, looking a bit startled to have been caught. It looks amusing, especially since he looks like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I smile at him, and he smiles back, a touch nervous.
I never would have heard his approach before. Now my senses are almost supernatural, even though I still look like myself.
"How are you doing?" He asks, his hands clasped idly behind his back. It's not an idle question on his part, making small talk. He's been worried about me ever since the night in Osaka. When I discovered that the world I had known was a bit more... wild than I had thought. Myself included.
Shin'ichi has been afraid that I hate him. Now that I know to look past the glasses, it's easy for me to read him again. Like an old friend. Which he is. And more.
"I'm doing fine." I assure him. He nods, not convinced, but willing to accept my words. It'll take time for both of us to get used to this, but I'm not going to worry about it. One minute, one second, one heartbeat at a time.
"You're doing better at summoning ice." He comments, standing up on his toes so he can look out over the small fence to see the world below.
I smile back. "I've had a good teacher." there's just a tone of teasing in my voice, not much, but enough to make him stare at me for open mouthed for a second before he blushes pink and turns back to the view before us.
A memory drifts by of a former classmate of ours, Genji, who used to always freak out around Shin'ichi before he moved away. When pressed about it, Genji finally commented that he saw pink sakura blossoms whenever someone close to him was going to die. And he always saw Shin'ichi covered in sakura.
At the time, Shin'ichi laughed, but didn't say anything. At the time, I wondered. Now I understand.
"Why don't you relax?" I suggest. He's mentioned a few times that it requires concentration and energy to maintain his human appearance. And now that I know what he really looks, sometimes it feels almost strange seeing him as human. I occasionally find myself looking for fangs or pointed ears, which are never there.
He shakes his head. "Don't have that kind of energy to spare." He says ruefully. It usually takes more energy for him to build his appeared back to human than for him just to maintain it. I also get the feeling he's hiding something from me.
"Um... Ran?" Conan looked vaguely un-comfortable. Speaking of which...
"Yes?" I smile at him. It doesn't matter how old he is, he's still cute when he's embarrassed.
"There's a family gathering coming up in a few weeks." He says slowly, looking anywhere but at me. "Hattori and Kazuha are coming up, as well as a cousin of mine from Mom's side I haven't met but is supposed to be our age... There won't be many ningen, but I was wondering if you'd like to come as well."
I smile at him, he's so cute when he's nervous. "I'd love to come." I agree.
His whole face lights up, and for a second, it's like he's a small kid who just got the best present in the world. "Great! Oh, um... before I forget, Mom wanted me to give you something."
He leans over and picked up a rather large, flattish box that I'm amazed I didn't see him bring with him. "This is for you." He says seriously. Well, seriously except for the merriment dancing in his dark blue eyes. "Go ahead and open it now, 'Kaasan's gonna want to know your reaction when I tell her you're coming."
"Alright." I take the box from him, resting it on the ledge so I have a hand free to take off the lid. Shimmering pale blue material, almost iridescent, glimmers at me, the patter of silver and white snowflakes scattered across it. With trembling hands I reach out and touch it. The texture is soft to my finger tips, fine silk.
Hesitantly, I pull the kimono from the box. Underneath is a darker obi, and ties, socks and everything else to match, all done in the snow and ice motive.
"'Kaasan figured that if you're going to be in the company of youkai for the first time, you might as well look the part of a Yuki no Onna too." Conan explains, a slight smug smile on his face. "Welcome to the family, Ran."
All I can do is smile back in return.
Fin.
Genji Hikaru is the main character from the first novel ever written, 'The Tale of Genji' by Lady Murasaki Shikibu. He sees sakura blossoms whenever someone close to him is about to die. (including himself)
I first saw heard of the Tale of Genji in Kyoto, at The Costume Museum where they have re-constructed the castle and many of the cast in one quarter scale. It is absolutely gorgeous!!!
They have a webpage here: http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/
Also includes an over view of the story.
The next story is 'Last Night', the Kaito Kid.
