Title: Constancy
Author: ariadne-chan
Rating: G
Theme: #7: Colors/Colored item/Favorite colors.
—
i. first cut: hiharaxhino
Meeting on the street; an unscripted affair, it seemed commonplace, benign. She was walking along the bright square with her violin case on hand, her hair unbound about her shoulders. He had crept up alongside her and placed a flower—one brilliant, scarlet zinnia—behind her ear.
Let's practice together, Kaho-chan!
She was smiling; it was going to be a beautiful day.
—
ii. second cut: yunokixhino
Yunoki Azuma knows lust (and he has felt it too, those dark talons insinuating themselves into the chambers of the heart in a way that manifests only as sickness). What he feels now is nothing so trivial or hot-blooded; if it were so he could resist it, for Kahoko is nothing if not patient herself.
But there is something about jazz and Kahoko, the intimacy brought on by her unbound hair. Unconsciously, he leans closer, keeps his eyes fixed on the unwavering beacon of her face. He wants to forget about his family for just one night, to take her to his garden with him, to educate her about the difference between a Karesansui and a Tsukiyama way of gardening; the evolution of something edgy, fumbling, and frantic into that slow glance they are sharing, understanding and alcohol, the long line of her spine beckoning to him from the low-slung back of her dark dress.
He catches her eye and gestures for her to follow him as he excused himself from his guests. Her absence would not be missed. She follows him obediently as he walks past seemingly endless, elaborately hand-painted Fusuma doors; neither of them thinks that words were much of a necessity. They make their way through short walkways paved with stones, past roofed arbors and paths of irregularly laid stepping stones to the inner Yunoki garden. Azuma lets out a soft sigh as he relieves the serenity of the place which were, admittedly, in dark contrast to his raging emotions. Full moon maples nurtured by his hands, the delicate finger-like leaves showing slight serrations along the edges. The colors varies from shades of bright green and red, almost at its brilliant orange autumn foliage glory, in the midst of bright peonies and irises. She flings her hair back from her face, and, without invitation, walks to the edge of the pool, to the scarlet zinnias. His brothers had scoffed at him for cultivating such hideous-looking plants; flowers so dull and unattractive that the Aztec name for them meant 'eyesore.' The flowers held another meaning to him unfortunately, like absent friends, lasting affection, constancy, goodness, even daily remembrance. Besides, unlike roses and lobelias and geraniums, the zinnias were a little bit uncommonplace.
"You shouldn't stop playing the flute, Yunoki-senpai, even if your grandmother told you to."
Kahoko is a crutch in times like these; he leans into her unyielding presence and is comforted, somehow, by her permanence.
—
/abysmal profundity: thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think of my short stories. i really, really appreciate it.
/maripas: i've missed you! happy to see you around. ^-^
/empatheticsympatheticpathetic: whew, had to copy paste. teehee. you write beautifully, yourself. and your reviews never fail to make me smile. they're so poetic.
/fieryhazel: i've actually considered going for that kind of perspective, but then it struck me that len should be the one to feel that way and instead ended up with the drabble. did you get to write your idea down? i'd love to see it. ^-^
/azngurl113219: cheers to one-shots!
/ishikawa aya-hime: glad to know you think of my words as some form of acceptable art. you just made me cry, y'know.
/athena katorea knightstar: i'm actually working on my stories as have no plans to drop 'em. you'd see some progress if you take the time to check them out. ;p it's thanks to people like you that i force to get my lazy bum up, ugh. stay tuned! ^-^
/ate andie and yunie: still. i hearts you guys.
/infatuation-x and the two anonymous reviewers: arigato! hontou.