Post by Peishin Louh on Jan 2, 2009 11:10:22 GMT
Not really a fanfiction. It started as a response in "Itsuru's Shinigami 101" and when I took a breather from writing I realised I'd gone way off-topic. But I liked it, so I'm putting it here.
It was late evening and the sky was clear, the air crisp and cold. Peishin sat watching the moon, her silver face smiling down on the rooftops of Soul Society, and wondered what God loved her enough to make the stars her gift.
He sighed, his breath fogging in the air.
He'd heard of Itsuru's altercation with Yakuru. Of course he had, even in an organisation as large as the Court Guard rumour and gossip spread faster than flu. For a few moments he wondered if he should go visit the boy in the infirmary and give him a pep talk. No point, he decided.
After his initial anger, and hearing of the confrontation between the two students, Peishin had recalled his complaint to the detention squad. High spirits on all sides, he had explained to them, and, though they regarded him with suspicion, they agreed to let the offence slide.
Dismissing his thoughts, Peishin glanced around him. He was in one of the gardens, lying on the grass, a gourd of sake lying unopened next to him. At first he'd come to relax with a drink but it quickly became apparent to him that the moon relaxed him all on its own. Her radiance warmed his soul despite the air temperature.
He heard footsteps approach, felt someone standing not far from him.
A soft voice spoke. "Mind if I join you?"
He grunted his assent, and a slim, bony girl sat next to him. The girl chugged from a bottle of her own and offered it to him, the neck held in one of her curious mechanical hands. He took it without comment, having seen them many times before.
"What do we toast?" he asked her instead.
"Your new student."
He nodded and drank, handing her the gourd. Though they had been friends a long time Peishin found his eyes clinging to her tonight. The moon made a silver waterfall of her hair, which she wore loose tonight instead of in her usual three-ponytail style. She wore a thick, flower-decorated kimono, but she shivered still.
"You're freezing," he told her quietly.
She shrugged, smiling at his concern. "I'm fine."
"No," he reached up to clasp her shoulder and pulled her down to him. She laid her head on his chest and cuddled up to his side, his arms around her. This went against their agreement, in a way, but he didn't particularly care.
After a while she spoke, her voice small and light.
"How are his lessons going?"
"Not bad," he answered. "We've still got a lot of stuff to cover, but he is only a first year, after all. He learned the first way of binding quickly, which is a good indication that he has the skill and ability."
"Louh-kun..."
"Mmm?"
"Why do you train him? I don't mean to be selfish," she added, "but these past two weeks you haven't come to see me at all."
Peishin was silent for a moment, wondering how much he should tell her. She was his closest friend, but would it be right for him to tell her personal things about Itsuru? Of course not, he knew, but even so he hesitated.
"He has the ability," he said, eventually. "Now he needs the confidence."
"And you're giving him confidence?"
Smiling, Peishin told her about Itsuru's fight with Yakuru. She laughed loudly, "I'd heard about that, but I didn't realise it was the same boy you're heping. Well well, Louh-kun, it seems you have depths hidden even to me."
"I'm not as predictable as you thought, you mean?"
"Same thing," she teased.
"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you, little lizard," she swatted him for using that nickname. "I don't see Itsuru needing many more lessons, so I won't be missing from your party games for much longer."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Alright."
She was shivering again, he realised. Though he didn't mind the cold he could feel its effects. His fingers were stiff, the skin tight around his bones, and his hair was wet with condensation. Not a good combination, he realised.
"Hey, Gecko," he nudged the girl. "Come on, it's time we were going. Let's get inside and warm up. We'll even play a game before I kick you out."
The moon continued to smile as Kanisawa's caustic reply drifted into the still air.
It was late evening and the sky was clear, the air crisp and cold. Peishin sat watching the moon, her silver face smiling down on the rooftops of Soul Society, and wondered what God loved her enough to make the stars her gift.
He sighed, his breath fogging in the air.
He'd heard of Itsuru's altercation with Yakuru. Of course he had, even in an organisation as large as the Court Guard rumour and gossip spread faster than flu. For a few moments he wondered if he should go visit the boy in the infirmary and give him a pep talk. No point, he decided.
After his initial anger, and hearing of the confrontation between the two students, Peishin had recalled his complaint to the detention squad. High spirits on all sides, he had explained to them, and, though they regarded him with suspicion, they agreed to let the offence slide.
Dismissing his thoughts, Peishin glanced around him. He was in one of the gardens, lying on the grass, a gourd of sake lying unopened next to him. At first he'd come to relax with a drink but it quickly became apparent to him that the moon relaxed him all on its own. Her radiance warmed his soul despite the air temperature.
He heard footsteps approach, felt someone standing not far from him.
A soft voice spoke. "Mind if I join you?"
He grunted his assent, and a slim, bony girl sat next to him. The girl chugged from a bottle of her own and offered it to him, the neck held in one of her curious mechanical hands. He took it without comment, having seen them many times before.
"What do we toast?" he asked her instead.
"Your new student."
He nodded and drank, handing her the gourd. Though they had been friends a long time Peishin found his eyes clinging to her tonight. The moon made a silver waterfall of her hair, which she wore loose tonight instead of in her usual three-ponytail style. She wore a thick, flower-decorated kimono, but she shivered still.
"You're freezing," he told her quietly.
She shrugged, smiling at his concern. "I'm fine."
"No," he reached up to clasp her shoulder and pulled her down to him. She laid her head on his chest and cuddled up to his side, his arms around her. This went against their agreement, in a way, but he didn't particularly care.
After a while she spoke, her voice small and light.
"How are his lessons going?"
"Not bad," he answered. "We've still got a lot of stuff to cover, but he is only a first year, after all. He learned the first way of binding quickly, which is a good indication that he has the skill and ability."
"Louh-kun..."
"Mmm?"
"Why do you train him? I don't mean to be selfish," she added, "but these past two weeks you haven't come to see me at all."
Peishin was silent for a moment, wondering how much he should tell her. She was his closest friend, but would it be right for him to tell her personal things about Itsuru? Of course not, he knew, but even so he hesitated.
"He has the ability," he said, eventually. "Now he needs the confidence."
"And you're giving him confidence?"
Smiling, Peishin told her about Itsuru's fight with Yakuru. She laughed loudly, "I'd heard about that, but I didn't realise it was the same boy you're heping. Well well, Louh-kun, it seems you have depths hidden even to me."
"I'm not as predictable as you thought, you mean?"
"Same thing," she teased.
"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you, little lizard," she swatted him for using that nickname. "I don't see Itsuru needing many more lessons, so I won't be missing from your party games for much longer."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Alright."
She was shivering again, he realised. Though he didn't mind the cold he could feel its effects. His fingers were stiff, the skin tight around his bones, and his hair was wet with condensation. Not a good combination, he realised.
"Hey, Gecko," he nudged the girl. "Come on, it's time we were going. Let's get inside and warm up. We'll even play a game before I kick you out."
The moon continued to smile as Kanisawa's caustic reply drifted into the still air.