Nipping the Bud
I don't know why I wrote this. I just felt like it.
-----------------------------------
Kamakura was a quaint little town, Seishirou decided. Quiet, full of old beauty and clinging to a history that most places had long since abandoned. And underneath it all lied a taint so powerful that even one with dull, muted senses would feel a cold shiver down his or her spine. It was said that this land had once housed a demon, and Seishirou felt that perhaps it was incorrect to say so in the past tense.
There were cherry blossoms in the park. Bright, vibrant pink blooms that spoke of the pain and suffering of those sacrificed in order for them to thrive. Their apparent health so late in the year implied something tragic, as did the faint lingering of negative energy in the air. Great evil had been done here.
The atmosphere was so chilling, even one such as Seishirou could be forgiven for inwardly starting a bit at the soft noise of feet padding in the grass. But because he was who he was, he repressed the urge to jump, put on a carefully constructed smile, and turned around to greet his nighttime visitor.
"Good evening."
It was a boy, no more than a child, and he was beautiful. He wore a light green kimono, his feet bare, and in the light of the moon, his pale skin glowed, resulting in aresemblance to a deity of nature.
The boy's eyes widened, and that in itself was strking, for they were large and very green, betraying his youth. They reminded Seishirou of another pair he had come across not so long ago. Another boy, looking up at him with an innocence only a child could possess.
"Good evening, sir," the boy replied, wary, but not frightened. Very foolish. "I've never seen you before."
It wasn't phrased as a question, but it was one all the same. "I'm just passing through," Seishirou replied. "I thought I'd take a midnight stroll. The cherry blossoms are lovely, aren't they?"
"I suppose," the boy answered, face darkening slightly. "I don't much care for cherry blossoms."
Interesting. "No? That's a shame," Seishirou remarked. "But I suppose there is something ominous about them. They say that each tree has a body buried beneath it, did you know? That's how the blossoms receive their color, by sucking up the blood through the roots."
He would always remember little Subaru's expression when he had made this comment. The child's face had contorted in horror at the idea of a beauty so admired could be the result of such pain.
Seishirou was surprised by the boy's short, bitter laughter. "Oh yes, I know," he answered. "I know that very well."
Walking up to stand beside this mysterious night walker, Seishirou realized upon closer inspection that he had been wrong. The boy's eyes were not like Subaru's at all. He had been misled by their color and shape, but there was a darkness lurking around the edges that spoke of suffering and an acute knowledge of evil. It was a look Seishirou hoped to inspire in his little Subaru some day, stamping out his innocence and showing him the cruelty of the world, but it appeared that something had already done that for this boy. He was young still, but his innocence was long gone.
Seishirou couldn't help but be struck by curiosity. What could have happened to taint someone at such a young age? He reached out and stroked the child's cheek. His companion flinched slightly at the contact, but didn't move away.
Ah, yes, Seishirou could sense it clearly now. This child's life was rotting, being sucked away slowly, and Seishirou sensed that the boy was aware of this as well, although he most likely didn't know why.
"You should be more cautious," Seishirou warned him, eyes glinting. "Monsters come out at night. You might get hurt."
"You won't hurt me," the boy said with a surprising confidence.
Seishirou raised an eyebrow. "No? And how can you be sure of that?"
The boy smiled, his face cool and knowing, and at once Seishirou felt as if he was the foolish child in the face of a predator, something he hadn't felt in years.
"You won't," the boy repeated adamantly. "I'm not the one you want."
"And what do I want?" Seishirou asked.
The child laughed again. "How am I supposed to tell you that when you don't know yourself?"
Seishirou smiled, a smirk without real mirth. "I suppose you're right."
"I usually am," the boy responded. "I should leave. The night grows long, and I can't have anyone missing me. But I wish you luck, stranger."
"And I you," Seishirou answered.
"I think it's too late for that," the boy admitted wistfully, "but thank you."
Seishirou watched the child walk away, at once young and old, pure and tainted, and smiled. It was rare to meet one so interesting, and there may have been a time where he would have chased the boy down and marked him as his own. But Seishirou stayed where he was. For the boy was right, it wasn't what he wanted. And besides, it was too late for that now. He knew better than to play with another man's toy.
-----------------------------------
I self editted this. I still don't know what inspired me to write it. It was a head to hands reaction. It popped into my head and went straight to my laptop.
On a side note, we got our first snow yesterday. It would have been prettier if it hadn't been mixed with rain, but oh well.
On a side note of the side note, I did rex_sun's meme, but so far I've only have one taker. Anyone else interested?
And for some reason, lj cut isn't working for me, so I'm sorry about that.