Title: Hao O Wasurenai Kara; Because Hao Is Unforgettable (2/?)
Author: Kagaya Chou
Archive: Ask me.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Hao x ?, Yoh x ...?!
Warnings: Not ... yet.
Disclaimer: Shaman King was created by Hiroyuki Takei and now licensed by Viz. Obviously not mine; this fic wouldn't be in fanfiction.net if this was.
Comments: May 16, 2004 - Anna couldn't seem to get through to Yoh... Can Manta help him think things through?
- - -
Anna gave Yoh a week. Oyamada Manta gave his best friend a month.
Yoh and Manta sat beneath the tree by Amidamaru's headstone, where they first met. Many spirits were in the graveyard, but all remained quiet since the lanky shaman and the runty human regularly visited to watch the sun set. No one ever came to bother the two and they never talked much either -- most of the time.
"Ne, Yoh-kun..." Manta hesitantly asked, after much thinly-veiled stares of concern, "How long... do you want your hair to grow?"
Yoh only kept his hair tied up when Anna was around, or when he was at school. Now, the sable brown curled around his neck and a little below slim shoulders, swaying past his cheeks with each gentle caress of the wind.
"Oh, I don't know..." He blew some straying strands off his face and grinned when they fell back into place. "It'll grow as long as it should."
Manta sighed. Everything had a life of its own, according to Yoh. It wouldn't surprise Manta if his friend thought hair had a separate will of its own too.
"Hair doesn't just stop growing..." The human wondered if it was possible, or perhaps just a shaman thing, another one of Yoh's idiosyncrasies, or even a passing daydream.
"Hm... Then I'll cut it if it gets too hard to manage," Yoh mused.
Manta nodded, then blinked. 'When would that be?' He paused. "Saa, Yoh-kun, that doesn't even answer the question."
Yoh chuckled.
As the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, the purples, pinks and oranges of the sky faded into a muted blue. The crescent moon smiled down at its silent spectators, its waning sliver a pale white hue.
While Yoh wasn't looking, Manta took the time to study his friend and think. After the Shaman Fights, Yoh seemed to have picked up a few new habits, like growing his hair longer and spending more time alone. He was also somewhat quieter, but these changes were not too disturbing. They were just things a best friend was prone to notice.
Hao thought it strange that humans and shamans could understand each other. Friends baffled him. Companions, especially human companions, were temporary burdens that only deserved death if they did not prove useful. Manta met Hao very briefly during the end of the Shaman Fights. Physically smaller and spiritually weaker than all the shamans around him, the human seemed nothing more to Hao than one of Yoh's more insignificant weaknesses.
Yoh simply treated Manta as an equal, thinking nothing of what anyone else said. For that, Manta was thankful, although he wished he knew what went on in the shaman's mind. There was no use or need for Manta to tag along when Yoh attended the Shaman Fights. Yoh went with family members, his fiancé, various fellow contestants, spirits and friends.
As for Manta... one of Yoh's opponents took Manta hostage during the preliminaries, and Yoh lost that match because he over-extended himself trying to save his friend. That was the only time Yoh ever pushed Manta's friendship away, and even then, it was because the shaman didn't want to further endanger the one human friend he had.
'Yoh-kun,' Manta thought, 'has a beautiful soul. It doesn't really matter what he looks like on the outside.'
Still watching the peaceful scenery, the shaman sighed in awe. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Manta replied without thought. It was always the same question. Yoh would never get tired of being with him on this hilltop no matter how many times they watch the setting sun together, even if... when Yoh became Shaman King.
At least he wasn't like his older brother. Hao used to be so obsessed with stars that, during the Shaman Fights, he called his team "The Star" and strut around with stars printed on his pants, stitched on his gloves, and embossed on his belt buckle. He even wore huge dangly earrings, which sported a golden star on each crimson hoop. Manta thought Hao was a pansy, but no, Hao said he was Shaman King: a god, a shining star. Right.
Hao was nuts.
Manta really had nothing against stars. Stars were not gay. A lot of the shamans he met considered stars important--even if Manta had a sneaking suspicion that one or two of his shaman friends preferred their own gender. Main point: 'stars are guiding lights without which people become lost to eternal darkness.' Manta didn't remember if he heard this from Tao Ren or Usui Horokeu. Possibly both. Best not think too hard about that.
Watching sunsets every single time they occur has absolutely nothing to do with a star fixation! Except that... the sun is the closest star to earth.
Manta frantically tried to calm himself down, and make sense of his scrambled up thoughts.
'Why would the sun be important to Yoh-kun? Well, the sun gives off such things that create and sustain life. At sunset, its warmth goes away, leaving icy darkness behind. But Yoh-kun isn't the lost, despairing type, because... he figures the sun always shine somewhere, setting to rise again. When its light isn't with him, it just means that it's on the other side of the world guiding other people through their lives...'
"Manta?" The warm, familiar sound of Yoh's voice actually startled him and Manta looked up.
Grinning timidly, he replied, "What is it, Yoh-kun?" He felt nervous when he found those languid, droopy eyes on him, remembering a rare time when he saw them blanch in anger, like quicksilver.
At present, Yoh's expression was completely relaxed and an easy smile graced his lips. Yoh knew Manta was tense about something, but chose not to address it. He trusted Manta, and did not like to pry. Yoh knew his best friend could speak his mind if he wanted to, and if Manta wouldn't talk, pushing would only cause them more stress.
And part of Yoh didn't want to know why Manta was so uptight lately. Part of him knew why. "Isn't it about time you head for cram school?"
"Ah?" At the mention of cram school, Manta checked his watch, then quickly stood. "Yeah, Thanks, Yoh-kun! We really should get going, shouldn't we?"
"Nah," the shaman shook his head. "I'll stay here for a while. Go on."
Yoh's words made his best friend gape. Usually, Manta went off to cram school alone, but Yoh would use that time to visit the local supermarket before going home to make dinner.
Anna had him very well house-trained. Besides, Yoh had a strong sense of duty, especially towards his fiancé, and would do almost anything to keep her happy and give her an easy life. This included but was not limited to training hard, becoming Shaman King and... being home on time to cook for her.
When Manta asked him why he was changing his schedule, Yoh said, "I want to watch the stars come out." He gave Manta the trademark Asakura smile, which said the Great Spirits' where it should be, and all's right with the world.
"Okay, then... I'll see you later."
Yoh nodded. "Sure."
It had been a while since he'd asked Manta over for dinner. Neither seemed surprised.
Author: Kagaya Chou
Archive: Ask me.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Hao x ?, Yoh x ...?!
Warnings: Not ... yet.
Disclaimer: Shaman King was created by Hiroyuki Takei and now licensed by Viz. Obviously not mine; this fic wouldn't be in fanfiction.net if this was.
Comments: May 16, 2004 - Anna couldn't seem to get through to Yoh... Can Manta help him think things through?
- - -
Anna gave Yoh a week. Oyamada Manta gave his best friend a month.
Yoh and Manta sat beneath the tree by Amidamaru's headstone, where they first met. Many spirits were in the graveyard, but all remained quiet since the lanky shaman and the runty human regularly visited to watch the sun set. No one ever came to bother the two and they never talked much either -- most of the time.
"Ne, Yoh-kun..." Manta hesitantly asked, after much thinly-veiled stares of concern, "How long... do you want your hair to grow?"
Yoh only kept his hair tied up when Anna was around, or when he was at school. Now, the sable brown curled around his neck and a little below slim shoulders, swaying past his cheeks with each gentle caress of the wind.
"Oh, I don't know..." He blew some straying strands off his face and grinned when they fell back into place. "It'll grow as long as it should."
Manta sighed. Everything had a life of its own, according to Yoh. It wouldn't surprise Manta if his friend thought hair had a separate will of its own too.
"Hair doesn't just stop growing..." The human wondered if it was possible, or perhaps just a shaman thing, another one of Yoh's idiosyncrasies, or even a passing daydream.
"Hm... Then I'll cut it if it gets too hard to manage," Yoh mused.
Manta nodded, then blinked. 'When would that be?' He paused. "Saa, Yoh-kun, that doesn't even answer the question."
Yoh chuckled.
As the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, the purples, pinks and oranges of the sky faded into a muted blue. The crescent moon smiled down at its silent spectators, its waning sliver a pale white hue.
While Yoh wasn't looking, Manta took the time to study his friend and think. After the Shaman Fights, Yoh seemed to have picked up a few new habits, like growing his hair longer and spending more time alone. He was also somewhat quieter, but these changes were not too disturbing. They were just things a best friend was prone to notice.
Hao thought it strange that humans and shamans could understand each other. Friends baffled him. Companions, especially human companions, were temporary burdens that only deserved death if they did not prove useful. Manta met Hao very briefly during the end of the Shaman Fights. Physically smaller and spiritually weaker than all the shamans around him, the human seemed nothing more to Hao than one of Yoh's more insignificant weaknesses.
Yoh simply treated Manta as an equal, thinking nothing of what anyone else said. For that, Manta was thankful, although he wished he knew what went on in the shaman's mind. There was no use or need for Manta to tag along when Yoh attended the Shaman Fights. Yoh went with family members, his fiancé, various fellow contestants, spirits and friends.
As for Manta... one of Yoh's opponents took Manta hostage during the preliminaries, and Yoh lost that match because he over-extended himself trying to save his friend. That was the only time Yoh ever pushed Manta's friendship away, and even then, it was because the shaman didn't want to further endanger the one human friend he had.
'Yoh-kun,' Manta thought, 'has a beautiful soul. It doesn't really matter what he looks like on the outside.'
Still watching the peaceful scenery, the shaman sighed in awe. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Manta replied without thought. It was always the same question. Yoh would never get tired of being with him on this hilltop no matter how many times they watch the setting sun together, even if... when Yoh became Shaman King.
At least he wasn't like his older brother. Hao used to be so obsessed with stars that, during the Shaman Fights, he called his team "The Star" and strut around with stars printed on his pants, stitched on his gloves, and embossed on his belt buckle. He even wore huge dangly earrings, which sported a golden star on each crimson hoop. Manta thought Hao was a pansy, but no, Hao said he was Shaman King: a god, a shining star. Right.
Hao was nuts.
Manta really had nothing against stars. Stars were not gay. A lot of the shamans he met considered stars important--even if Manta had a sneaking suspicion that one or two of his shaman friends preferred their own gender. Main point: 'stars are guiding lights without which people become lost to eternal darkness.' Manta didn't remember if he heard this from Tao Ren or Usui Horokeu. Possibly both. Best not think too hard about that.
Watching sunsets every single time they occur has absolutely nothing to do with a star fixation! Except that... the sun is the closest star to earth.
Manta frantically tried to calm himself down, and make sense of his scrambled up thoughts.
'Why would the sun be important to Yoh-kun? Well, the sun gives off such things that create and sustain life. At sunset, its warmth goes away, leaving icy darkness behind. But Yoh-kun isn't the lost, despairing type, because... he figures the sun always shine somewhere, setting to rise again. When its light isn't with him, it just means that it's on the other side of the world guiding other people through their lives...'
"Manta?" The warm, familiar sound of Yoh's voice actually startled him and Manta looked up.
Grinning timidly, he replied, "What is it, Yoh-kun?" He felt nervous when he found those languid, droopy eyes on him, remembering a rare time when he saw them blanch in anger, like quicksilver.
At present, Yoh's expression was completely relaxed and an easy smile graced his lips. Yoh knew Manta was tense about something, but chose not to address it. He trusted Manta, and did not like to pry. Yoh knew his best friend could speak his mind if he wanted to, and if Manta wouldn't talk, pushing would only cause them more stress.
And part of Yoh didn't want to know why Manta was so uptight lately. Part of him knew why. "Isn't it about time you head for cram school?"
"Ah?" At the mention of cram school, Manta checked his watch, then quickly stood. "Yeah, Thanks, Yoh-kun! We really should get going, shouldn't we?"
"Nah," the shaman shook his head. "I'll stay here for a while. Go on."
Yoh's words made his best friend gape. Usually, Manta went off to cram school alone, but Yoh would use that time to visit the local supermarket before going home to make dinner.
Anna had him very well house-trained. Besides, Yoh had a strong sense of duty, especially towards his fiancé, and would do almost anything to keep her happy and give her an easy life. This included but was not limited to training hard, becoming Shaman King and... being home on time to cook for her.
When Manta asked him why he was changing his schedule, Yoh said, "I want to watch the stars come out." He gave Manta the trademark Asakura smile, which said the Great Spirits' where it should be, and all's right with the world.
"Okay, then... I'll see you later."
Yoh nodded. "Sure."
It had been a while since he'd asked Manta over for dinner. Neither seemed surprised.