I take the challenge!
Name of Challenge: Story Behind the Picture
Title: Picture Perfect
Author/Penname: Claire-chan
Rating: G
Summary: Fujitaka and Sonomi reminisce about Nadeshiko.
Disclaimer: CCS is Clamp's.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!” Sonomi spat as the maid gestured to who was at the front gate.
“Um, excuse me for calling so late…” Fujitaka rubbed the back of his head, squinting back and forth to see where the camera was.
“YOU’RE NOT EXCUSED!”
“My daughter left a certain thing here this afternoon that are very dear to us, and though it’s past her bedtime, I came to pick them up…”
“What kind of thing?”
“A very dear photograph, and this is the only place I can imagine it would have been left, and it would be very painful if we could no longer find it…”
Sonomi rolled her eyes and rubbed her fingers together. “The smallest violin in the world, playing just for you.”
“This picture Sakura-chan was showing me?” Tomoyo asked from behind the maid and Sonomi, cupping it preciously in her hands. She was in a nightgown and did not seem to have been sleeping.
“Tomoyo, it’s too late for you to be up!” Sonomi wagged her finger at her daughter and walked over to take the photos away, and stopped, gasping at their content. “…you may come in, Kinomoto-sensei,” she muttered at the PA system darkly, trying to regain her composure.
Taking the pictures from Tomoyo’s hands, she said sternly, “And to bed with you, young lady!”
Tomoyo giggled and disappeared.
~~
“One of the last pictures of Nadeshiko…” Sonomi said sadly, handing it to Fujitaka. She looked so happy. She always did.
“You have the double, don’t you…?” Fujitaka asked, taking it tenderly.
“Yes…”
“You have also drawn a mustache and demon horns on me on your copy, haven’t you?” he added.
“Shut up.”
Fujitaka laughed heartily and before too long, Sonomi’s mouth quirked a bit. The CEO began to laugh as well. Laughter, like yawning, was contagious.
“Sorry,” Fujitaka coughed. “I’ve had too many students make burlesques of me on the back of their exam papers to be offended. Nadeshiko’s were the most adorable though.”
“Adding those round angel wings to everything and everyone! With the curlique at the base,” Sonomi was trying not to smile anymore in the presence of her sworn enemy, but she always did when talking about Nadeshiko.
“That’s right…” Fujitaka looked back down at the picture.
“Were you two doing laundry?” Nadeshiko had never told Sonomi.
“Yes! Our son caught us,” Fujitaka laughed. “While little Sakura-san was napping.”
“Sakura-chan’s so cute…” Sonomi mumbled.
Fujitaka stood up. “Oh, look at how late it is! I am sorry to have interrupted your evening. Please take care. Sakura-san should be back over tomorrow,” he zipped his coat and pocketed the photo.
“Bye,” Sonomi said. “Walk him to the door,” she told one of the maids, and she bowed courteously before doing so.
When the door closed behind him, Sonomi’s shoulders drooped. “I miss her…” she sighed. A feather crossed her vision, and she caught it. “What…? Is a bird trapped in the house?”
Sonomi turned, but saw nothing. She looked down in her hand, and the feather that had been there was gone. “Too many meetings,” she sighed, putting a hand to her face. “Bed time…”
The power went out as she reached the stairs and she tripped over the first one. “What? What happened to the generator?? Maids!!” Sonomi snapped, pulling herself up.
The lights came back on. “Whatever do you need, madam?” a maid asked.
“Why did the power just go out? I want our generator inspected!” Sonomi said.
“Ummm… okay…” the maid smiled gently. “Perhaps the madam needs more sleep…? There was no power outage…”
Sonomi stared blankly, and then apologized. “It’s late, I need sleep…”
“Don’t worry, madam, it gets to us all sometimes,” the maid laughed and bowed. “Please excuse me, the dishes need to be done.”
Nadeshiko watched Sonomi dash up the stairs and into her bedroom, laughing to herself mischeviously. “Oyasumi, my cousin.”
Title: Picture Perfect
Author/Penname: Claire-chan
Rating: G
Summary: Fujitaka and Sonomi reminisce about Nadeshiko.
Disclaimer: CCS is Clamp's.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!” Sonomi spat as the maid gestured to who was at the front gate.
“Um, excuse me for calling so late…” Fujitaka rubbed the back of his head, squinting back and forth to see where the camera was.
“YOU’RE NOT EXCUSED!”
“My daughter left a certain thing here this afternoon that are very dear to us, and though it’s past her bedtime, I came to pick them up…”
“What kind of thing?”
“A very dear photograph, and this is the only place I can imagine it would have been left, and it would be very painful if we could no longer find it…”
Sonomi rolled her eyes and rubbed her fingers together. “The smallest violin in the world, playing just for you.”
“This picture Sakura-chan was showing me?” Tomoyo asked from behind the maid and Sonomi, cupping it preciously in her hands. She was in a nightgown and did not seem to have been sleeping.
“Tomoyo, it’s too late for you to be up!” Sonomi wagged her finger at her daughter and walked over to take the photos away, and stopped, gasping at their content. “…you may come in, Kinomoto-sensei,” she muttered at the PA system darkly, trying to regain her composure.
Taking the pictures from Tomoyo’s hands, she said sternly, “And to bed with you, young lady!”
Tomoyo giggled and disappeared.
~~
“One of the last pictures of Nadeshiko…” Sonomi said sadly, handing it to Fujitaka. She looked so happy. She always did.
“You have the double, don’t you…?” Fujitaka asked, taking it tenderly.
“Yes…”
“You have also drawn a mustache and demon horns on me on your copy, haven’t you?” he added.
“Shut up.”
Fujitaka laughed heartily and before too long, Sonomi’s mouth quirked a bit. The CEO began to laugh as well. Laughter, like yawning, was contagious.
“Sorry,” Fujitaka coughed. “I’ve had too many students make burlesques of me on the back of their exam papers to be offended. Nadeshiko’s were the most adorable though.”
“Adding those round angel wings to everything and everyone! With the curlique at the base,” Sonomi was trying not to smile anymore in the presence of her sworn enemy, but she always did when talking about Nadeshiko.
“That’s right…” Fujitaka looked back down at the picture.
“Were you two doing laundry?” Nadeshiko had never told Sonomi.
“Yes! Our son caught us,” Fujitaka laughed. “While little Sakura-san was napping.”
“Sakura-chan’s so cute…” Sonomi mumbled.
Fujitaka stood up. “Oh, look at how late it is! I am sorry to have interrupted your evening. Please take care. Sakura-san should be back over tomorrow,” he zipped his coat and pocketed the photo.
“Bye,” Sonomi said. “Walk him to the door,” she told one of the maids, and she bowed courteously before doing so.
When the door closed behind him, Sonomi’s shoulders drooped. “I miss her…” she sighed. A feather crossed her vision, and she caught it. “What…? Is a bird trapped in the house?”
Sonomi turned, but saw nothing. She looked down in her hand, and the feather that had been there was gone. “Too many meetings,” she sighed, putting a hand to her face. “Bed time…”
The power went out as she reached the stairs and she tripped over the first one. “What? What happened to the generator?? Maids!!” Sonomi snapped, pulling herself up.
The lights came back on. “Whatever do you need, madam?” a maid asked.
“Why did the power just go out? I want our generator inspected!” Sonomi said.
“Ummm… okay…” the maid smiled gently. “Perhaps the madam needs more sleep…? There was no power outage…”
Sonomi stared blankly, and then apologized. “It’s late, I need sleep…”
“Don’t worry, madam, it gets to us all sometimes,” the maid laughed and bowed. “Please excuse me, the dishes need to be done.”
Nadeshiko watched Sonomi dash up the stairs and into her bedroom, laughing to herself mischeviously. “Oyasumi, my cousin.”