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Post by vivi on Nov 18, 2007 10:13:22 GMT -5
He waited for a response with one lifted leg while his cousin carefully treated his wound. Every time when the wipe touched Haru’s wound, he winced slightly – it wasn't easy for him to admit it, but it hurt indeed.
"I don't know. What does it matter? Who cares
Disappointment rose in Haru when he heard his cousin’s devaluating attitude. He had at least expected Kyo to guess once. ‘Jeez, it’s no fun…’ Haru bemoaned silently and pouted. Never had anyone in his age refused to answer a riddle, everyone would have racked their brains in order to find out the solution (which was, by the way, "silence"). The boy, cursed by the spirit of the cow, had once asked his other cousin Yuki the same question whereas the latter had - to his surprise - immediately thought of the right answer. Speaking of Yuki…Haru had never seen Yuki fight before. But Yuki had to be good at it, he was positive about Yuki’s skills. The question which remained to him was whether Yuki could beat Haru’s other cousin, Kyo. At least, he expected them to be on a par.
“Is it glass?”
The boy’s jaw dropped open when Kyo’s unexpected words reached his ears. Happiness replaced his previous disappointment (‘Yay, he guessed! And guessed wrong!’), and with a waggish grin, little Haru answered in a rather sweet voice, “Nuh~that’s wrong, it’s something else~”
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Post by Kyou Souma on Dec 1, 2007 2:36:38 GMT -5
Kyou's big pumpkin eyes widened in astonishment. Wrong? And more, Haru's face was the epitome of delight at Kyou's failure in this little game. Haru hadn't seemed nearly so confident before, so maybe he wasn't afraid of Kyou anymore? Or he thought Kyou was comfortable to be around? Kyou mused, buzzing slightly with the promise of such a friendship... but there was more to it than that. As much as Kyou was an innocent, naive child with only the best intentions, there was a more complex side to him as well. The tortured subconscious which whispered even now to him, no matter how hard he covered it up and tried to ignore it, was always present. No... it urged, you cannot be his friend. You cannot have friends. You exist only to be pitied. You exist only to be scorned. You are despicable. You are disgusting. You are... a monster. Kyou wanted to be Haru's friend. He needed to be Haru's friend. He needed a friend. Any friend. Just someone who would understand... But his mind shifted to Kagura. She had been his friend. But she had run away. She had been frightened. Disgusted. And in just those few seconds, as her face contorted to one of shock and horror, he knew that he really was horrible. Despised.
Dab. Dab. Dab. Dab. He suddenly began again, though the wound was more than clean enough. Kyou decided that he was acting too open. Too nice. What the hell was I so happy about anyway? Falling off a shelf... He head shook slightly, unconsciously. No matter how much he wanted friendship, he had to deny it. He wouldn't hurt Haru like that. Wouldn't hurt himself like that. If he didn't make friends, he couldn't lose them. "Baka," he murmured, his voice barely audible, eyes hooded. This moment, here and now. Haru so happy. Kyou... so, so happy... He knew, that as soon as he said anything of family, friends, or compassion at all, the moment would be gone. All that would be left would shrivel and die...
Dab. Dab. He pulled the wipe away and set it next to the first-aid kit. He looked up at Haru, scared to answer, scared to break this moment. And then, in one of those rare occasions when he wasn't hiding his emotions behind a scowl, the expression on his face unknowingly revealed how vulnerable he really was."The answer is 'the heart'," he whispered, but then his teeth clenched and his brow furrowed and he looked away, unable to make eye contact with his cousin.
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Post by vivi on Dec 6, 2007 13:43:16 GMT -5
There were many things a five-year-old couldn't understand. And there were surely many ways for a five-year-old to react on his own incomprehension. Hatsuharu chose "laughing" as his personal solution. Adults often laughed to cover their nescience, whereas little children like Haru just did it automatically. It was an instinct, you easily found things you couldn't understand amusing. In this case, Kyou's answer was not understandable for Hatsuharu's childish intellect at all, the boy didn't know yet what it meant to have a "broken" heart. In this context, he didn't even think of the destroying force a single word could have. In a different context, however, he would have been able to empathize with others very well and could perfectly understand all the coherencies (best example for such a situation would be Rin's family conflict). Children do feel the pain words could cause, yet they didn't know how to couch the feelings.
Carefree and naive like five-years-old boys were, Hatsuharu chuckled and soon laughed at the top of his voice. "Heart" was so far away from "silence". When he had calmed down again, he finally told the answer - still wiping tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes - his cousin:
"No, Kyo, it's silence. But why did you say "heart"? You are the first one who said this answer. Yuki knew the right answer instantly..."
At this very moment, Hatsuharu had dropped a brick. But you couldn't blame him, how could he know about the animosity between the cat and the mouse? For all he knew was that the mouse had once tricked the cat and that both Yuki and Kyo were very nice cousins (well, Kyo was nice in his own weird way).
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Post by Kyou Souma on Dec 8, 2007 17:21:42 GMT -5
Kyou steeled himself as Haru burst into joyful laughter. Of course it had to happen this way. No one could understand his pain. It was his to bear. Alone. The peals of laughter settled around him, diminishing as Haru caught his breath and spoke again, "No, Kyo, it's silence. But why did you say "heart"? You are the first one who said this answer. Yuki knew the right answer instantly..." Kyou had met the nezumi once and only once.
Kyou's fingers pressed against the window, his breath quickly fogging the glass. He wiped it away with his sleeve and peered through. The rest of the Juunishi were all sitting at a long table. The room was bright and festive and they all seemed fairly happy. His feet shifted in the snow and he clutched the window pane, scowling. I want to be there with them. I want to be with them... Unable to stand the sight anymore, he shoved himself away from the window and ran a few steps away. His nose started to run a bit and he hugged himself against the cold. He sniffed and shivered but stayed where he was. There was no way he would willingly return to his broken home. All that awaited him there was his angry father that would refuse to look at him or speak to him and the painful emptiness of where his mother used to be. His father would look at him with those accusing eyes and shove him away, under his breath hissing the word 'monster', and lock Kyou away in his room. It was his prison. So, he had run away to the Sohma Estate, hoping to find at least one family member that might want to help him. He had forgotten about it being New Years though, and when he glanced behind him, the window was bright and many of his cousins were smiling. Two dressed in festive clothes went to the front of the room and began dancing. The music was muffled, but Kyou could hear its rhythm. He couldn't go in there. He wasn't allowed. They wouldn't want a monster in their party anyway. He stood in the snow for an indefinite amount of time, quiet, scornful, alone. All that he could think about was his mother's bloody, dead face... smiling. Happy. Relieved that she no longer had to live with Kyou. She had escaped. He didn't even notice when the door creaked open and a small figure ran out over to him. "Hey! Hey, are you okay?" Kyou blinked and turned around. He caught sight of a boy about his age, only a little shorter than him. He had shiny silver hair and big bright eyes. Eyes that seemed worried. Caring. Unlike his mother's eyes, he didn't see the barely disguised hatred. "I saw you standing out here through the window and you just stayed there and didn't move and I thought maybe something was wrong..." the boy explained. Who was he, to worry about a monster? Kyou couldn't understand it. It didn't make any sense! Was he like Kagura then? Cling to him so that he could feel better about himself? "Who are you?" Kyou asked a bit loudly. The boy looked surprised, but answered him, "I-i'm Yuki. Sohma Yuki." Yuki? Yuki... the rat? Kagura had told him about his other cousins, but Yuki's name was the one that he remembered... Yuki... "You're the rat..." "Hunh? Y-yes...?" the boy seemed distracted and took a step toward Kyou, "Are you Kyou? You're my cousin?" His lips curved a little and he may have even begun to smile, when... A flame of fury ignited in Kyou. The rat. The one who had betrayed the cat. The one who had made the cat the outcast. The monster. So... it was him... "You! You're the one who! It-It's your fault! How can you stand there so happily?! I hate you!" The boy fell back a step, shocked at Kyou's outburst. "EVERYONE IS ALWAYS PRAISING YOU AND CARING FOR YOU! EVERYONE LOVES THE PERFECT RAT! But... But I HATE you!" His anger roared and slashed and wounded, but he couldn't control it. He lashed out at Yuki, all his anger pouring out at once, "I HATE YOU! I HATE--!" But he was grabbed from behind by none other than his father. Kyou thrashed against him, but couldn't escape, "I-I'LL KILL YOU!" his words came out in a sob, but no tears escaped him, he was all dried up. Incapable of crying. His father whispered harshly into his ear, "I've been looking for you everywhere, you little monster, stop causing trouble! You're shaming the memory of your mother! Do you want her to roll over in her grave?! It's your fault she's dead so at least show a little respect, you ingrate." Kyou continued thrashing, but the memory of his mother frightened him. His father would like nothing more than to see him dead. So be it. "I'LL KILL HIM, THEN I'LL KILL MYSELF! YOU'LL BE HAPPY THEN, WON'T YOU!?" His father responded by slapping him and dragging him away from the house, through the snow. He would be punished and then locked in his room. The last glimpse he saw of Yuki was of the boy standing alone, silver eyes wide, with the rest of his cousins running out of the door at the sound of the commotion outside...
"Yuki?" he snapped, and glared angrily at Haru. "I hate Yuki! Don't talk about him!" His eyes darkened and his pupils dilated, "What do you know about Yuki anyway? He's an ungrateful, selfish nezumi," he growled out, "Always getting praised... even by you..." ((Aww... so hateful... *tear* I hate having to play Kyou all angry and depressed... TT_TT))
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Post by vivi on Dec 9, 2007 10:12:32 GMT -5
"Yuki?" Kyo snapped at the poor little boy who tried to dodge his cousin's threatening glare "I hate Yuki! Don't talk about him! What do you know about Yuki anyway? He's an ungrateful, selfish nezumi Always getting praised... even by you..."
Hatsuharu's mind was clearly overcharged by Kyo's ouburst and accusations. Subconsciously, he was put in front of a very difficult decision - was Yuki or Kyo more important to him? Who did he trust more? The ox remembered how he himself had once blamed the rat for the ox' misery and how he had - in a towering rage - thrown very cruel words at the rat back then. In certain aspects, Kyo's bitter words reminded Hatsuharu of himself. BUT - unlike Kyo, Hatsuharu had experienced Yuki's kindness - it had helped him leave his burden from the past behind. 'Ungrateful, selfish?' This was really too harsh for Haru. No one was allowed to insult his "first love" like this, not even Kyo! It was the cat who didn't know anything about Yuki, not him! Which word was it again that adults would use in such a context? If you judge people wrongly without even knowing them? The word started with "pre"...was it "prejudice"? Correct, this was exactly the word Haru was looking for.
" 'What do I know about Yuki anyway?' ", Hatsuharu repeated, his temper rising slowly. As a kid, his later notorious "black" personality was less strongly developed than in the future; however, it didn't guarantee that Hatsuharu possessed enough self-restraint to controll his anger.
"I probably know more about Yuki than you, you're full of pre-pre-pre...uh, prejudices! He's neither selfish nor ungrateful! On the contrary, he is the kindest person I have ever met and I won't let you insult my first love!"
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Post by Kyou Souma on Dec 13, 2007 19:55:43 GMT -5
Kyou glanced at the boy in front of him through narrowed eyes and was surprised to see his cheery countenance transform into one of anger. And then Haru yelled at him. And Kyou, ever the fighter, and not one to take losing well, replied in like: "SHUT UP! Don't you DARE yell at me like you think you know me! You don't know ANYTHING about me! Yuki STOLE my happiness, so don't you DARE call him UNSELFISH! He doesn't even CARE about ANYBODY but HIMSELF! I HATE HIM! I HATE THE RAT WHO BETRAYED THE CAT AND MADE HIM INTO A MONSTER! IT'S HIS FAULT! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!" Kyou tried to catch his breath, his ears bright pink and a slight flush mantling his cheeks. His small hands had balled themselves into tight fists that shook at his sides. The medicine and bandages were long forgotten.
((Haha, no, no. I may have written a long post, but whenever I do that, it always seems to be followed by a really short one... as such. So no prostrating, really, my posts average each other out.))
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Post by vivi on Dec 21, 2007 12:38:48 GMT -5
The argument had officially begun.
"SHUT UP! Don't you DARE yell at me like you think you know me! You don't know ANYTHING about me! Yuki STOLE my happiness, so don't you DARE call him UNSELFISH! He doesn't even CARE about ANYBODY but HIMSELF! I HATE HIM! I HATE THE RAT WHO BETRAYED THE CAT AND MADE HIM INTO A MONSTER! IT'S HIS FAULT! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!"
Lies, lies, all lies! Hatsuharu was breathing heavily, Kyo’s words had shocked and enraged the young boy. He also regarded Kyo’s words as a personal insult. No one was allowed to insult his friends – not even someone like Kyo. Kyo was older, probably stronger and wiser, but in this case, he was definitely wrong. And now it was up to Hatsuharu to defend his innocent friend Yuki and to put the orange-haired cousin in his place. It wasn’t easy to put somebody in their place without losing your manners.
“I DARE to say that you’re completely wrong! I DO know that you’re misjudging Yuki and I even DARE to say that you’re only blinded by your hatred and that you’re trying to find a scapegoat! Besides, who said that the cat’s a monster? No one!”
Hatsuharu wanted to protect every one who was important to him.
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Post by Kyou Souma on Dec 25, 2007 0:50:45 GMT -5
Kyou bristled at Hatsuharu's retaliation. Indeed he was "blinded" by his hatred, and by his anger. He didn't even stop to consider Haru's arguments, focusing merely on the last point. "No one? Don't be stupid! EVERYONE says it! I KNOW everyone says it! Most people don't even bother hiding it. NO ONE wants to talk to me! NO ONE wants to be my friend!" Tears welled up in his eyes, but he angrily scrubbed them away, "SO I'M A MONSTER, OKAY!? GO AHEAD AND HATE ME, I DON'T CARE!" he lied, but then, he continued, "But it's Yuki's fault that I'm this way in the first place..."
And then, Kyou looked straight into Haru's eyes, his resolve determined, "It's the rat who made my life the hell it is. I'm going to kill him... And you can't stop me." His eyes flashed and his jaw set and he finished the sentiment in his own wry thoughts, "I'm going to kill him, and then I'll kill myself, and then they'll all be happy, won't they?"
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Post by vivi on Dec 25, 2007 13:05:09 GMT -5
Hatsuharu was appalled when he saw tears gathering in Kyo’s eyes. Seeing other people crying always caused the ox to feel guilty; his bad conscience in turn caused Haru to cry himself. This inexplicable chain reaction soon brought tears into Hatsuharu’s eyes as well, but he bravely fought them back. He heard how Kyo insulted himself and he wanted to yell “stop it!” at Kyo every time the latter called himself a "monster".
“Well, to your information, I don’t think you’re a monster and…” his lips trembled “...and I really hope we can be friends! HOWEVER I WON’T ACCEPT YOU INSULTING YUKI!”
He paused for a moment and finally decided to tell Kyo about his first encounter with Yuki. His eyes were already watery and he attempted to gulp back a sob. Just why was he such a crybaby?
"I used to think so as well…I blamed Yuki because the rat made the ox a laughingstock…but he," Hatsuharu hiccupped before continuing in a low voice "was kind and helped me to realize that I am not a fool!"
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Post by Kyou Souma on Dec 26, 2007 1:29:57 GMT -5
((Ano, you said in the first post that Haru was "7 or 8 years old". I had forgotten, too, but I just reread it. So if we're playing them a little young, heh. My Kyon is supposed to be 9 right now! ^_^ heehee and whoops! Kyou wouldn't cry at 9!!! Yeek! [he would at six, but not at nine! <_< Usually]......................... Too late! *in a really good mood for some reason?* SUDDENLY REMEMBERSSSSS: In book 8, Kyou and Haru fiiight! Haru's all like "Stupid cat, stupid cat, d**n showoff!" And Kyou socks him!!! And then the teacher dumps water on them and Haru's like "Ah, this is refreshing." <3 Furuba!))
Kyou lost himself to his emotions, "You don't know anything, stupid cow!" Haru had spoken so confidently, but he knew nothing! "We CAN'T be friends!" Kyou wanted to be Haru's friend, but he was so convinced of the impossibility of everything, he felt he HAD to deny it before he had the chance to ruin everything like he always did. "Don't you know that I'm not even IN the zodiac?! I'm the cat! I'm not allowed!" His beaded bracelet weighed heavily on his arm, not by it's weight, but by WHAT is was. Blood and bones. A life. A sacrifice. A seal. His true form... "I was born to be hated!" To be hated and looked down on. Scapegoated, blamed. So that the other cursed juunishi could look at him and feel better about themselves. "Don't you get it?! Yuki acts all nice and gets everybody on his side! Everybody loves the perfect rat!" The rat, God's chosen. God's favorite. The first at the banquet and the cat's betrayer. It was his fault. His fault. All his fault. "It's ALL YUKI'S FAULT! STOP DEFENDING HIM, STUPID COW! WHY DON'T YOU GO AND LEARN BEFORE YOU GO YELLING ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND!!!"
Kyou's emotions were out of control. When this happened, he unintentionally became thoughtless and more often than not, very hurtful. Kyou would fight. He wanted to PROVE that he wasn't completely useless. He would never have done it, but he constantly threatened to kill Yuki. It would be a few years yet until he made a certain bet with Akito over the defeat of the rat in a battle... But the curse still held. No matter what, the rat would win. Be it in friend's loyalties, arguments, games, or fights, there was no way that it was possible for Kyou to defeat him... Even with- no, especially with Haru, Haru could only continue to take Yuki's side. And though Kyou didn't know all this yet, he could sense it. And it only made him angrier. He resisted the urge to grab the front of Haru's shirt and threaten him that way... it would be immoral. Haru hadn't even been taught yet!
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