Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 028: Children
Title: Voices
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Ibu Rumiko. Ibu Reiko
Prompt: 028: Children
Word Count: 465
Rating: G
Summary: Children are cruel, and Shinji’s is a lonely world.
Author's Notes:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Shinji remembered his childhood, he remembered it as a lonely one.
He had two younger sisters, the first born when Shinji was five, the second when he was eight. There was too much difference in years, too much difference in gender. Both of his sisters were very…feminine from a very early age. Rumiko was attached to dolls from the moment she was able to grasp one, and Reiko screamed if she wasn’t dressed in something that was pink or had frills.
Shinji despised dolls, pink, and lace.
He was the oldest child in his extended family, followed by his sister Rumiko. The next male cousin was born when Shinji was nine. Much too young to be of any interest to Shinji.
Shinji’s family lived in a neighborhood where there were not many children. The children that did live there were either much older than Shinji, or his sister’s ages. Shinji learned early on that it was pointless to take a ball outside, as there was no one that would play with him.
What Shinji did have was books. Books and an imagination.
Shinji had taught himself to read when he was three years old, and from then on, whenever he got lonely, he was able to find refuge in the pages of a book. The books opened new worlds for him, and led Shinji to create playmates of his own, imaginary friends each with their own distinct personality and voice. His mother soon learned to not be surprised when she would look out the kitchen window and see her son sitting in the back yard, blithely talking to himself.
The imaginary friends would one day fade. Shinji would talk to himself for the rest of his life.
When Shinji turned five, two things happened at once. Rumiko was born, and he entered school.
Shinji had been eagerly anticipating school. The idea of learning new things appealed to him, but, more importantly there were other children. Real children that he could laugh and play with to his heart’s desire.
What Shinji had no way of knowing was that he would not fit in.
Shinji was smaller and paler than the other boys, even at five years old. He came in knowing how to read, write, and count. Due to his reading and spending time around a lot of adults, Shinji’s vocabulary was far above the other five year olds.
Shinji was a freak. And the other children let him know it quickly and often.
So Shinji was lonely still. He’d stand in a corner of the playground and talk to himself. Soon he forgot how to talk aloud at all, just in the quiet mutterings that would define Shinji for the rest of his youth.
Just a child, and Shinji’s life was set for him.
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Ibu Rumiko. Ibu Reiko
Prompt: 028: Children
Word Count: 465
Rating: G
Summary: Children are cruel, and Shinji’s is a lonely world.
Author's Notes:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Shinji remembered his childhood, he remembered it as a lonely one.
He had two younger sisters, the first born when Shinji was five, the second when he was eight. There was too much difference in years, too much difference in gender. Both of his sisters were very…feminine from a very early age. Rumiko was attached to dolls from the moment she was able to grasp one, and Reiko screamed if she wasn’t dressed in something that was pink or had frills.
Shinji despised dolls, pink, and lace.
He was the oldest child in his extended family, followed by his sister Rumiko. The next male cousin was born when Shinji was nine. Much too young to be of any interest to Shinji.
Shinji’s family lived in a neighborhood where there were not many children. The children that did live there were either much older than Shinji, or his sister’s ages. Shinji learned early on that it was pointless to take a ball outside, as there was no one that would play with him.
What Shinji did have was books. Books and an imagination.
Shinji had taught himself to read when he was three years old, and from then on, whenever he got lonely, he was able to find refuge in the pages of a book. The books opened new worlds for him, and led Shinji to create playmates of his own, imaginary friends each with their own distinct personality and voice. His mother soon learned to not be surprised when she would look out the kitchen window and see her son sitting in the back yard, blithely talking to himself.
The imaginary friends would one day fade. Shinji would talk to himself for the rest of his life.
When Shinji turned five, two things happened at once. Rumiko was born, and he entered school.
Shinji had been eagerly anticipating school. The idea of learning new things appealed to him, but, more importantly there were other children. Real children that he could laugh and play with to his heart’s desire.
What Shinji had no way of knowing was that he would not fit in.
Shinji was smaller and paler than the other boys, even at five years old. He came in knowing how to read, write, and count. Due to his reading and spending time around a lot of adults, Shinji’s vocabulary was far above the other five year olds.
Shinji was a freak. And the other children let him know it quickly and often.
So Shinji was lonely still. He’d stand in a corner of the playground and talk to himself. Soon he forgot how to talk aloud at all, just in the quiet mutterings that would define Shinji for the rest of his youth.
Just a child, and Shinji’s life was set for him.
--The End--