A/N: 02/01/04
I was re-reading my old fics, fics done years ago, back when I was an entirely different person, and stumbled upon my old Black Rain word document. It struck me strongly as one of the fics I most wanted to finish, or at least get on with. I love Yumi and Shishio, I think their pairing is one with immense potential. And I realized that it was this fic, though not my lengthiest (or even my favourite), which received the most good feedback. i.e., people want to read this. this is a snippet teaser of the second chapter I did, along with the first, when i still thought i would one day complete the fic. right now, i feel like i just might...i just want to see how people respond to this. we'll see. if you think it's worth continuing, leave a note. thank you. ^_^
Black Rain by Charlene
Part Two: Here and Now [teaser]
Standard disclaimers apply
We all make gambles with our life, I suppose. And I guess that's what I did when I escaped with Shishio-sama in the carriage. A man burnt beyond recognition, a man about which I knew nothing, except that he was a wanted man, whom influential government officials were after.
I didn't know where we were going, even now. He was beside me, silent and motionless, even as his presence rang in my ears louder than the roar of the carriage wheels. I shut my eyes for a time, simply letting the monotonous motion of the carriage wash over me, not thinking, reproaching or worrying.
Suddenly, a prickly sensation passed over my being. I opened my eyes, recognizing it as the feeling of being watched. His amber gaze again, a hint of amusement and curiosity tinging their yellow depths. I spoke, very softly.
"Why did you take me?"
He paused, seeming to take in the question, and pondering the answer. I don't know what I felt, sitting there, waiting for his answer, an answer that would sharpen the edges of my future, make everything clear again. It was wrong yet almost funny, how a man I had known for only three days could have such god-like control over my life this way.
"The same might be asked of you."
Yes, indeed. Why had I followed him? I could easily have chosen not to, I could have chosen to remain a top-ranking geisha whose only ties were to her employer. Showered by gifts and wealth in abundance, my presence gracing only men of the highest caste, men who could destroy countless lives without lifting a finger.
I don't think he expected an answer, for I felt rather than saw his gaze leave me, to turn to the passing buildings and houses. It was just as well, for I didn't know the answer to his probe, and neither did I know the answer to my own.
But had I ever held any answers within? I had, after all, always been simply a life tossed around by other lives around me, a fallen leaf in a pond floating with the ripples, taking the path they led me to. Always a follower, never a leader.
The well-kept buildings around us gradually gave way to old, less sightly establishments. Then dilapidated huts and shacks within which citizens of the lowest castes resided. The outskirts of the city. Only when the carriage began to plunge into the dark foreboding depths of the forests, did I feel a pang of anxiety stab at me.
I couldn't help a nervous side glance at him. He simply sat, his arms crossed leisurely, his head tilted to one side in a completely relaxed position. I turned my gaze away and didn't speak again for the rest of the journey.
The carriage halted by a dauntingly high black gate with spired prongs, behind which stood a large Western-style mansion. I didn't know what to make of it-I'd never seen a place so grand in the middle of-nowhere. But then again, I'd never met a man charred from head to toe who'd not think twice about taking me in.
I glanced warily at him, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a cynical smirk. I quickly turned away, and graciously accepted the hand of the carriage driver who helped me out. I was led through the stately and yet strangely forbidding black gates, through the black night, the black wind wrapping about me in an icy, hardly comforting embrace.
It was a dream, yes, exactly like a dream. I couldn't feel, nor speak, nor see. All I could do was be still, as these scenes passed by me as naturally as living-as breathing itself. Yes, it was natural, all natural, just like the calm fog of peace that had settled over my mind.
I was led through unlit halls and rooms, corridors, until I came to a large door. "Your room, Yumi-sama." Startled, I spun around and realized that Shishio-sama had left my side and a petite maid had taken his place. Of course, I inwardly laughed. Of course he wouldn't bother to show me my room, what was I thinking?
Numbly, I dismissed the shy mouse and reached to slide the door open. Dreamily, I took in the large Western-style bed with its four grand posts and soft satin curtains, and the bulky antique furniture adorning the room which offered no semblance of the essence which made a room what it was.
Then, I dimly realized that he had given me a room of my own, a room in a separate wing from his. A complicated maze of corridors and winding staircases away from his.
And I smiled, perhaps the first real smile I had allowed myself to show on this strange unreal night.
I noticed there were no sakura trees here. Grandmother always made sure there were at least a couple of sakura trees grown next to, or around the establishment. I don't know why, nor was I curious to find out, but I had gotten used to them and now missed them when they were gone.
Especially this one, right next to my balcony, which shed pink petals regularly-always without fail. And these petals would settle by my feet and I would look down upon them and see just how much beauty they brought into the drab old balcony. I would silently thank the wind for bringing these little blessings with their refreshing coolness, but these quiet times with the sakura tree and me were gone.
There were no birds either, I had been awake for hours now, listening for the morning chirp of a sparrow, or the big ugly call of a crow. None had come and I knew now there were no birds. Nor was there the sakura tree.
I shifted on the mattress. Had it really been hours? Maybe it had just been minutes, and I had let my mind drift so deliciously, and indulged so carelessly in these small insignificant memories, that I had lost my sense of time and thought hours had gone by, when simply short minutes had passed.
No, it was morning. It had been hours since I came, not many to be sure, but hours just the same. Hours hours...how many? Enough to make me late for something I ought not to be late for? Or too few, so that I should bury my head back into the lumpy uncomfortable Western pillow and force slumber into a head that sorely needed, yet stubbornly refused it?
No, I should get up. It didn't matter what the time was, it was always better to be early than late and besides, it would be good if I could learn to find my way around more quickly. I rolled ungracefully out of the huge noisy Western mattress and went away to wash and dress.
When I looked outside I realized that it was actually early, much too early for me to be awake. The sun was still in the midst of rising and the sky was cast with its brilliance. But sunrises, like all things, never last as long as you want them to, I reflected silently.
Nevertheless, I padded out of my room quietly. A very slow quiet sense of anti-climax came to surround me as I realized that it was apparent nobody was home. Where had Shishio-sama gone? Had he left me here, alone but for the maids, in this huge foreign place? Suddenly I felt acutely that I should not have come.
The deep echoing sense of a place devoid of people grew around me, and I found myself beginning to wander the corridors more eagerly, look around each corner more furtively. So, when I suddenly heard the soft but unmistakable metallic 'ching' of a sword, relief washed over me even through my startlement. I hurried in the direction of the sounds and, as they grew in volume, so did a huge dark oak door which was carved with oriental patterns grow closer.
I was so utterly eager in my search for a single living being in this maze of a place, that I had in my excitement completely forgotten my manners and good breeding. Shoving the door open, my gaze met that of the boy-Soujirou, who had once appeared with Shishio-sama during a visit to me.
He seemed astonished at having been interrupted, but by no means, unwelcoming. "Yumi-san!" There was a katana of excellent make in his right hand, and a terribly battered floor beneath his slippered feet. I found it strange that the floor should look so ancient and overused when the rest of everything was so splendidly new.
Recalling my manners, I quickly bowed slightly. "Soujirou-san. Please forgive my interruption. I was..." I paused. "Looking for Shishio-sama." His gentle blue eyes were comforting for all their blueness, and yet there was something unnerving about the way none of his features altered in the least during conversation, or anything else for that matter.
"Oh, not a problem at all. And you can call me Soujirou." He smiled pleasantly, an action which warmed me to my heart, for all the coldness and indifference I had been treated with the past few days. "I imagine you must be hungry, Yumi-san. Here, I'll take you to the dining room for your breakfast." I quickly declined politely, imagining myself a trouble to him, but he persisted, and kept his weapon away carefully.
..to be continued
I was re-reading my old fics, fics done years ago, back when I was an entirely different person, and stumbled upon my old Black Rain word document. It struck me strongly as one of the fics I most wanted to finish, or at least get on with. I love Yumi and Shishio, I think their pairing is one with immense potential. And I realized that it was this fic, though not my lengthiest (or even my favourite), which received the most good feedback. i.e., people want to read this. this is a snippet teaser of the second chapter I did, along with the first, when i still thought i would one day complete the fic. right now, i feel like i just might...i just want to see how people respond to this. we'll see. if you think it's worth continuing, leave a note. thank you. ^_^
Black Rain by Charlene
Part Two: Here and Now [teaser]
Standard disclaimers apply
We all make gambles with our life, I suppose. And I guess that's what I did when I escaped with Shishio-sama in the carriage. A man burnt beyond recognition, a man about which I knew nothing, except that he was a wanted man, whom influential government officials were after.
I didn't know where we were going, even now. He was beside me, silent and motionless, even as his presence rang in my ears louder than the roar of the carriage wheels. I shut my eyes for a time, simply letting the monotonous motion of the carriage wash over me, not thinking, reproaching or worrying.
Suddenly, a prickly sensation passed over my being. I opened my eyes, recognizing it as the feeling of being watched. His amber gaze again, a hint of amusement and curiosity tinging their yellow depths. I spoke, very softly.
"Why did you take me?"
He paused, seeming to take in the question, and pondering the answer. I don't know what I felt, sitting there, waiting for his answer, an answer that would sharpen the edges of my future, make everything clear again. It was wrong yet almost funny, how a man I had known for only three days could have such god-like control over my life this way.
"The same might be asked of you."
Yes, indeed. Why had I followed him? I could easily have chosen not to, I could have chosen to remain a top-ranking geisha whose only ties were to her employer. Showered by gifts and wealth in abundance, my presence gracing only men of the highest caste, men who could destroy countless lives without lifting a finger.
I don't think he expected an answer, for I felt rather than saw his gaze leave me, to turn to the passing buildings and houses. It was just as well, for I didn't know the answer to his probe, and neither did I know the answer to my own.
But had I ever held any answers within? I had, after all, always been simply a life tossed around by other lives around me, a fallen leaf in a pond floating with the ripples, taking the path they led me to. Always a follower, never a leader.
The well-kept buildings around us gradually gave way to old, less sightly establishments. Then dilapidated huts and shacks within which citizens of the lowest castes resided. The outskirts of the city. Only when the carriage began to plunge into the dark foreboding depths of the forests, did I feel a pang of anxiety stab at me.
I couldn't help a nervous side glance at him. He simply sat, his arms crossed leisurely, his head tilted to one side in a completely relaxed position. I turned my gaze away and didn't speak again for the rest of the journey.
The carriage halted by a dauntingly high black gate with spired prongs, behind which stood a large Western-style mansion. I didn't know what to make of it-I'd never seen a place so grand in the middle of-nowhere. But then again, I'd never met a man charred from head to toe who'd not think twice about taking me in.
I glanced warily at him, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a cynical smirk. I quickly turned away, and graciously accepted the hand of the carriage driver who helped me out. I was led through the stately and yet strangely forbidding black gates, through the black night, the black wind wrapping about me in an icy, hardly comforting embrace.
It was a dream, yes, exactly like a dream. I couldn't feel, nor speak, nor see. All I could do was be still, as these scenes passed by me as naturally as living-as breathing itself. Yes, it was natural, all natural, just like the calm fog of peace that had settled over my mind.
I was led through unlit halls and rooms, corridors, until I came to a large door. "Your room, Yumi-sama." Startled, I spun around and realized that Shishio-sama had left my side and a petite maid had taken his place. Of course, I inwardly laughed. Of course he wouldn't bother to show me my room, what was I thinking?
Numbly, I dismissed the shy mouse and reached to slide the door open. Dreamily, I took in the large Western-style bed with its four grand posts and soft satin curtains, and the bulky antique furniture adorning the room which offered no semblance of the essence which made a room what it was.
Then, I dimly realized that he had given me a room of my own, a room in a separate wing from his. A complicated maze of corridors and winding staircases away from his.
And I smiled, perhaps the first real smile I had allowed myself to show on this strange unreal night.
I noticed there were no sakura trees here. Grandmother always made sure there were at least a couple of sakura trees grown next to, or around the establishment. I don't know why, nor was I curious to find out, but I had gotten used to them and now missed them when they were gone.
Especially this one, right next to my balcony, which shed pink petals regularly-always without fail. And these petals would settle by my feet and I would look down upon them and see just how much beauty they brought into the drab old balcony. I would silently thank the wind for bringing these little blessings with their refreshing coolness, but these quiet times with the sakura tree and me were gone.
There were no birds either, I had been awake for hours now, listening for the morning chirp of a sparrow, or the big ugly call of a crow. None had come and I knew now there were no birds. Nor was there the sakura tree.
I shifted on the mattress. Had it really been hours? Maybe it had just been minutes, and I had let my mind drift so deliciously, and indulged so carelessly in these small insignificant memories, that I had lost my sense of time and thought hours had gone by, when simply short minutes had passed.
No, it was morning. It had been hours since I came, not many to be sure, but hours just the same. Hours hours...how many? Enough to make me late for something I ought not to be late for? Or too few, so that I should bury my head back into the lumpy uncomfortable Western pillow and force slumber into a head that sorely needed, yet stubbornly refused it?
No, I should get up. It didn't matter what the time was, it was always better to be early than late and besides, it would be good if I could learn to find my way around more quickly. I rolled ungracefully out of the huge noisy Western mattress and went away to wash and dress.
When I looked outside I realized that it was actually early, much too early for me to be awake. The sun was still in the midst of rising and the sky was cast with its brilliance. But sunrises, like all things, never last as long as you want them to, I reflected silently.
Nevertheless, I padded out of my room quietly. A very slow quiet sense of anti-climax came to surround me as I realized that it was apparent nobody was home. Where had Shishio-sama gone? Had he left me here, alone but for the maids, in this huge foreign place? Suddenly I felt acutely that I should not have come.
The deep echoing sense of a place devoid of people grew around me, and I found myself beginning to wander the corridors more eagerly, look around each corner more furtively. So, when I suddenly heard the soft but unmistakable metallic 'ching' of a sword, relief washed over me even through my startlement. I hurried in the direction of the sounds and, as they grew in volume, so did a huge dark oak door which was carved with oriental patterns grow closer.
I was so utterly eager in my search for a single living being in this maze of a place, that I had in my excitement completely forgotten my manners and good breeding. Shoving the door open, my gaze met that of the boy-Soujirou, who had once appeared with Shishio-sama during a visit to me.
He seemed astonished at having been interrupted, but by no means, unwelcoming. "Yumi-san!" There was a katana of excellent make in his right hand, and a terribly battered floor beneath his slippered feet. I found it strange that the floor should look so ancient and overused when the rest of everything was so splendidly new.
Recalling my manners, I quickly bowed slightly. "Soujirou-san. Please forgive my interruption. I was..." I paused. "Looking for Shishio-sama." His gentle blue eyes were comforting for all their blueness, and yet there was something unnerving about the way none of his features altered in the least during conversation, or anything else for that matter.
"Oh, not a problem at all. And you can call me Soujirou." He smiled pleasantly, an action which warmed me to my heart, for all the coldness and indifference I had been treated with the past few days. "I imagine you must be hungry, Yumi-san. Here, I'll take you to the dining room for your breakfast." I quickly declined politely, imagining myself a trouble to him, but he persisted, and kept his weapon away carefully.
..to be continued