Hello and welcome to the first installment of the Thornverse aka, stories inspired by my friend's, Thorn, fanart and headcanons. This series is called Seasons of Kanzaki Yukiko and is inspired by her "Yukiko for every seasons" fanart which you can check out on her tumblr. (o0o0thorn0o0o) Since it's her birthday, I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to post this.
Also, a big thanks to her for helping me out with the title and summary.
One by one, the snowflakes descended onto a surface that had lost its green long ago. It was a fate not shared by them all however, for a single, lonely little dot found itself in the gloved palm of a beautiful girl, becoming the only white on this dark purple area.
Yukiko gazed up at the cloudy sky. In doing so, she allowed a few snowflakes to drop gently on her face, kissing her nose and cheeks, but she hardly felt bothered. Rather, she wondered about how she would appear from up high, no doubt as a single pink dot among the pure white snow. 'Like a rose,'
The thought prompted her to open the notebook resting in her lap. Moments later, her pencil was breezing through the page, leaving a long sentence in its wake.
"A rose stood tall and proud over a land now conquered by the cold; yet she still kept her head up high." She wrote. "Winter was a cruel enemy, but she, unwilling to be trampled, remained steadfast in her struggle. It was the classic survival of the fittest, and she vowed to survive."
Yukiko reread the last sentence again, humming in uncertainty. "Something feels off." She told herself. Was the line perhaps too dramatic? Too cliché? The girl didn't know, but that's alright; she'll just reread it later with a fresh mind and decide what to do.
The tip of her pencil landed gently on the next line. Very soon, the blank space was filled with another paragraph, this time describing the large tree standing before her. Its leaves were concealed by the thick snow, but it was the branches that prompted the gears in her brain to work.
Long had the leaves been concealed by the snow, and the tree wore her new dress quite stunningly; though I do wonder if a tragedy lies behind her magnificence.
Tell me, do you miss the vibrant green your old attire? Is that white elegance a heavy weight crushing your shoulders? Yet you continue to hold it up with your slender arms, fighting back. This was a battle you would not lose. Truly, your reliance is commendable.
Another frown adorned her features, showcasing displeasure. "Hmm, no; it started good, then..." She hummed again and reread the passage to identify the problem. "What's with me and battle metaphors, lately?"
Well, it did make sense; the freezing cold wasn't nature's best friend after all. However, Yukiko sensed her writing may be a tad depressing. She glanced around the empty park, trying to find some inspiration for a more uplifting piece. Her brown gaze finally landed on the frozen lake. Yukiko wasn't sure what to draw from it until she recalled Hayami once figure skating for them. She had been impressed by her classmate's performance; so breathtaking and even magical.
A wide grin was what became of her lips. Yukiko quickly began writing her new piece, one that was about an ice fairy who enjoyed figure skating under the moonlight. 'And she has a sparkly dress,' she added enthusiastically.
It was unfortunate that Yukiko couldn't remain at the park forever. Much as she would've loved to stay until at least her notebook became full, she had to return home sooner or later.
"I'm home," She called, closing the door behind her. No one responded. Her parents of course, were still at work and will arrive late at night. As for her brother, Yukiko guessed he was hanging out with his friends.
So she had the whole house to herself then? That's nice. Yukiko hanged her pink coat and made her way into the living room, where she spent the next half hour or so revising her works.
"Winter was a cruel enemy, but she, unwilling to be trampled, remained steadfast in her struggle to survive." She erased the last two words and instead wrote, "for survival,"
She hummed, uncertain of the change. The previous one now sounded better to her ears. 'Is it really?' She asked herself. After some thinking, Yukiko decide to leave it for tomorrow and move on to her pride and Joy.
A Snow Fairy's Evening; a simple title that perfectly reflected the novelette. She made a mental note to show it to Hayami later, 'I hope she likes it,'
"I'm home," She heard her brother announce.
"Welcome back," She greeted as she kept reading her masterpiece.
"Hey, Yuki," Ryuuto joined her in the living room . "I saw your coat, where you out somewhere?"
"Mm hm," she nodded. "I was at the park."
"And how was it?" He asked, sitting next to her.
"Great," She smiled and held up her notebook. "I wrote three full pages."
The young man chuckled lightly. "Huh, really?"
"Hm?"
"Knowing you, I Kinda was expecting more than that."
Yukiko giggled and turned back to her notebook, "Okay, maybe three and a half."
Ryuuto laughed and wrapped one arm around his sister. "That's nice; mind if I read them?"
Yukiko nodded. "But you'll have to wait until I finish reviewing them."
"Mm, okay," He said before kissing the crown of her head, "I'm thinking of making hot chocolate, you want some?"
Of course, Ryuuto already knew the answer, a joyous yes, would come in the form of wide and sparkly brown eyes. It was such an endearing sight, and he could help but laugh and pat her cheek affectionately.
"So that's a yes, then?"
"Of course!" She beamed. "Do you need any help?"
"No, no;" he stood up. "You stay warm and keep writing."
She pouted. "Please? Let me help you."
"Can't I spoil my sister a little?"
"Can't I help my big brother out?"
Ryuuto smiled warmly and helped her up. "Okay, Yuki,"
Yukiko snuggled closer to her brother's side, not for warmth as the blanket offered her plenty; but some affection would be a nice addition. Two mugs sat on the coffee table before them; both streaming hot. The sight of that dark brown liquid they contained only made the waiting game difficult for her, but Yukiko, being a master of all games in general, persisted. After all, no one wants to burn their tongue.
"It's great." He smiled and handed her back the notebook. "I love it; it's really sweet."
"Thanks," She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder, "I hope Hayami-san likes it, too."
"She will," Ryuuto reassured her. "It's wonderfully written and I'm sure she'll be flattered you think of her as snow fairy."
Her smile widened. "You should've seen her; she was so amazing on the ice ring."
"Yeah, I can tell from the story."
"It really felt like she was glowing." Yukiko continued, "That's why I added magical stars each time the snow fairy would twirl."
Ryuuto laughed. "Say, are you interested in figure skating now?"
"Maybe a little," Yukiko replied shyly. "I wonder what's it like."
"Maybe you can ask Hayami-san to teach you." He kissed her head again. "Just be careful not to get hurt, okay?"
"I will,"
"You should let mom read this, too." Ryuuto grabbed his mug before adding, "She'll love it."
Yukiko nodded and reached for her mug as well. "Okay,"
Once again, she snuggled against her brother's side, who in turn, rubbed his hand against her shoulder lovingly. The relaxing atmosphere made the girl a bit drowsy though, but Yukiko didn't want to sleep just yet. Rather, she wanted to enjoy her brother's companionship for as long as possible.
"Do you mind if I sleep on you?" She asked in a tired, but playful tone.
Ryuuto laughed softly. "Finish your hot chocolate first."
So she did, and now had her head in her brother's lap, while his fingers ran through her hair. A pleased smile adorned her features, but Yukiko still didn't want to close her eyes just yet. No, let her enjoy every second of this precious moment a bit more- seconds counted by the longest hand of the clock above them. 'Sixty seconds,' She watched the minute hand move. 'The shortest hand patiently awaited it's time to move. How infuriating that he was destined to be the last one to move. Why must his life be dictated by his older sisters?'
That's it!
"Whoa!" Ryuuto exclaimed as Yukiko suddenly got up. "Easy there!"
"Sorry, Onii-san," she reached for her notebook and offered him an apologetic smile. "I just got new idea, and I have to write now."
Without waiting for a response from the boy, Yukiko immediately began writing, all while Ryuuto observed her with a warm smile. It amazed him how much passion and love his younger sister had for writing. Ryuuto could never imagine himself possessing such talent, he can barely bring himself to do writing assignments, even if it were one page. He would always turn Yukiko for help, and that's why he was so proud of her.
"Mind if I take a read when you're done."
"Of course not," she told him with her usual sweet smile. "Also, what do you think of the title, The Solace in Siblings?"
"Nice,"
"Not too dramatic?"
He shrugged. "I'll have to read the whole thing to know."
"Hmm, alright, hold on; I'm almost done."
"Huh?" He blinked. "Already?"
"Yes?"
The boy regarded her with disbelief before letting out a wholehearted laugh. Truly, a talented young girl; Ryuuto had every right to be proud of her.
"Sis, you're amazing."
"Thank you,"
So, winter is actually Thorn's favorite season, hence why she made three pieces for it, and hence why this will be a three-chapter story. The inspiration for this chapter is a fanart of Yukiko alone in her winter clothes.
Finally, this is in no way related to Story of the Wildflower, as it takes place in a different universe (Again, the Thornverse)
