Kiri ☂ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
taotrooper) wrote2009-06-20 12:10 am
taotrooper) wrote2009-06-20 12:10 am
Entry tags:
[CLAMP] Artificial fireflies
Fandom: XXXHOLiC/CCS
Title: Artificial fireflies
Theme(s): 16. Appropriate; Are you Sure? (~Why do you care?)
Pairing/Characters: Clow/Yuuko
Rating: G
Summary: Yuuko meets someone at a summer festival
Yuuko arrived to the shrine an hour after dusk. The stands were like islands on a sea full of people. She had the suspicion some of them were not even humans, but it was not of her business anyway.
Not that night, at least. She’d eat, and drink, and relax, and forget about work, and---
“Yuuko! There you are.”
Argh. He was there, too. Too good to be true.
“Clow, what are you doi---?”
He was Clow Reed, alright. Clow Reed, waving at her from behind the red portal. Clow Reed, with his messy black hair in the eternal ponytail and the glasses dangling on his nose. Clow Reed, in a purple yukata with little golden suns on the fabric.
“Fine. What the hell are you wearing?”
“A yukata.” He glanced around, and then looked at himself. “I’m rather sure I got it right.”
“Mm. Yes. You did get it right. But why are you wearing it?”
“You asked me what, not why.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand. “Just answer.”
“That’s what men and women wear at Japanese summer festivals. This is a festival, this is Japan, and we’re in summer. So I sewed myself a yukata. That’s the logic.”
“It’s not mandatory, though. You could’ve come with one of your Chinese outfits or those European suits; the latter are somehow fashionable.”
“Are you sure?” Clow looked perplexed.
“Pretty sure.”
“Oh well.” He grinned in a silly way. “It’s more fun this way. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
She agreed with him, although she wasn’t going to tell him that. Yuuko ignored him and turned around. But as much as she walked, the man’s presence followed her.
“What?” She confronted him before he could reach her. “Why are you following me?”
“I’m not. I’m coming with you.”
“Um. No, you aren’t.”
“Yes, I am. I was at the entrance, waiting for you to arrive.”
She breathed. That was the kind of thing guys who were on a date with their sweethearts on festivals would do. Then again, Clow was a foreigner and perhaps he wasn’t aware of the culture clash. Or at least she really hoped so.
“I don’t recall telling you I was going to go to the festival today.”
“You didn’t.”
“Then how did you know...?” She interrupted herself because she already knew the answer. “Of course. Nevermind. Come on, walk beside me.”
And he did. And something was off. And people had sure noticed.
“Hey. You look too tall; taller than everyone else.”
“Because I am tall. I’m not Japanese.”
“But you’re a head taller than usual!” She looked up and down, until she saw the wooden clogs. “Ah. Geta.”
“Yes, geta!” He smiled. “That’s the footwear you traditionally use with yukata. It's appropiate, right?”
Yuuko’s hand met her face. “Right, but you’re too tall for wearing geta!”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t, but you’re making me nervous and people are staring at us. Just... change into zori and tabi. It’s still traditional.”
Clow sighed. “You win.” In a moment, the crowd was looking somewhere else, and Clow took a chance to morph his geta into sandals and socks. “It’s dragging now. I should shrink the yukata a bit so it doesn’t get dirty.” And so he did.
Yuuko stopped at the takoyaki stand, while Clow seemed to examine something in the stand in front of it. He returned to Yuuko, with two ogre masks. “For Soel and Larg,” he said. He turned to the one in charge of the octopus meatballs. “Three servings, please!”
“One for you,” Yuuko counted, “one for Cerberus, one for...?”
“You. My treat. I’ll pay your food tonight.”
“That’s generous!”
“Not generous, no.” Clow smirked dangerously. “You’re buying the drinks.”
“Ohnonononono, mister!” Yuuko refused. “That’s not equivalent.”
“I think it’s rather fair, myself. I’m buying food for my guardian, too. I bought the materials for my yukata. The festival will make me broke this month. And also,” he added, “you drank from my best beer last Tuesday.”
“You’d better settle with a regular sake brand tonight,” she gave in, still fuming. He gave her the best of his smiles.
“Aww, you are so cute!” He pinched Yuuko’s cheek for about twenty seconds, moving the flesh to and fro.
“I’m not Soel, so stop doing that, crazy old man,” Yuuko pouted, while Clow’s fingers were still on his face. She was sure he had left her red marks. He was annoying.
They ate the takoyaki while they walked between the crowds. To Yuuko’s annoyance, Clow had clinged to her free arm so he wouldn’t lose her.
They got two bottles of sake and more Japanese-cuisine food, but they toured the festival before they’d drink. Clow played a game involving rings and had won a white fish. He offered it to Yuuko, but she refused because she didn’t have a pond or an aquarium, and the Mokonas could accidentally kill it. He nodded and didn’t insist. Yuuko wondered if he’d give it to Yue as a pet. The idea made her giggle.
When they had enough food and drink, they went to the lands behind the temple to drink in peace. There was an artificial lagoon on there. Clow opened the plastic bag containing the fish and set it free. Then he sat on the grass. His crafty yukata was going to get dirty from the earth below, but he wouldn’t mind anymore. Yuuko followed and opened the bottle.
“There’s something missing,” Clow complained.
“I know. The moon is crescent.”
“Not that. Fireflies. Not a single one.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Yuuko frowned. “That’s disappointing.”
“It doesn’t feel traditionally Japanese this way. We can get a substitution, though.” He took a Card out of his yukata. “Please make this evening more pleasant,” he murmured.
Small balls of fluorescent green light surrounded them.
“Cheers!” Yuuko saw Clow, illuminated by the glow of the light fantastic, raising his small cup. But, in her eyes, he’d still shine anyway because of that warm –and somehow tipsy- smile on his lips. The stars above them looked brighter. Even the white fish in the water seemed delighted.
In the end, she concluded it was a blessing he had come along.
Title: Artificial fireflies
Theme(s): 16. Appropriate; Are you Sure? (~Why do you care?)
Pairing/Characters: Clow/Yuuko
Rating: G
Summary: Yuuko meets someone at a summer festival
Yuuko arrived to the shrine an hour after dusk. The stands were like islands on a sea full of people. She had the suspicion some of them were not even humans, but it was not of her business anyway.
Not that night, at least. She’d eat, and drink, and relax, and forget about work, and---
“Yuuko! There you are.”
Argh. He was there, too. Too good to be true.
“Clow, what are you doi---?”
He was Clow Reed, alright. Clow Reed, waving at her from behind the red portal. Clow Reed, with his messy black hair in the eternal ponytail and the glasses dangling on his nose. Clow Reed, in a purple yukata with little golden suns on the fabric.
“Fine. What the hell are you wearing?”
“A yukata.” He glanced around, and then looked at himself. “I’m rather sure I got it right.”
“Mm. Yes. You did get it right. But why are you wearing it?”
“You asked me what, not why.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand. “Just answer.”
“That’s what men and women wear at Japanese summer festivals. This is a festival, this is Japan, and we’re in summer. So I sewed myself a yukata. That’s the logic.”
“It’s not mandatory, though. You could’ve come with one of your Chinese outfits or those European suits; the latter are somehow fashionable.”
“Are you sure?” Clow looked perplexed.
“Pretty sure.”
“Oh well.” He grinned in a silly way. “It’s more fun this way. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
She agreed with him, although she wasn’t going to tell him that. Yuuko ignored him and turned around. But as much as she walked, the man’s presence followed her.
“What?” She confronted him before he could reach her. “Why are you following me?”
“I’m not. I’m coming with you.”
“Um. No, you aren’t.”
“Yes, I am. I was at the entrance, waiting for you to arrive.”
She breathed. That was the kind of thing guys who were on a date with their sweethearts on festivals would do. Then again, Clow was a foreigner and perhaps he wasn’t aware of the culture clash. Or at least she really hoped so.
“I don’t recall telling you I was going to go to the festival today.”
“You didn’t.”
“Then how did you know...?” She interrupted herself because she already knew the answer. “Of course. Nevermind. Come on, walk beside me.”
And he did. And something was off. And people had sure noticed.
“Hey. You look too tall; taller than everyone else.”
“Because I am tall. I’m not Japanese.”
“But you’re a head taller than usual!” She looked up and down, until she saw the wooden clogs. “Ah. Geta.”
“Yes, geta!” He smiled. “That’s the footwear you traditionally use with yukata. It's appropiate, right?”
Yuuko’s hand met her face. “Right, but you’re too tall for wearing geta!”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t, but you’re making me nervous and people are staring at us. Just... change into zori and tabi. It’s still traditional.”
Clow sighed. “You win.” In a moment, the crowd was looking somewhere else, and Clow took a chance to morph his geta into sandals and socks. “It’s dragging now. I should shrink the yukata a bit so it doesn’t get dirty.” And so he did.
Yuuko stopped at the takoyaki stand, while Clow seemed to examine something in the stand in front of it. He returned to Yuuko, with two ogre masks. “For Soel and Larg,” he said. He turned to the one in charge of the octopus meatballs. “Three servings, please!”
“One for you,” Yuuko counted, “one for Cerberus, one for...?”
“You. My treat. I’ll pay your food tonight.”
“That’s generous!”
“Not generous, no.” Clow smirked dangerously. “You’re buying the drinks.”
“Ohnonononono, mister!” Yuuko refused. “That’s not equivalent.”
“I think it’s rather fair, myself. I’m buying food for my guardian, too. I bought the materials for my yukata. The festival will make me broke this month. And also,” he added, “you drank from my best beer last Tuesday.”
“You’d better settle with a regular sake brand tonight,” she gave in, still fuming. He gave her the best of his smiles.
“Aww, you are so cute!” He pinched Yuuko’s cheek for about twenty seconds, moving the flesh to and fro.
“I’m not Soel, so stop doing that, crazy old man,” Yuuko pouted, while Clow’s fingers were still on his face. She was sure he had left her red marks. He was annoying.
They ate the takoyaki while they walked between the crowds. To Yuuko’s annoyance, Clow had clinged to her free arm so he wouldn’t lose her.
They got two bottles of sake and more Japanese-cuisine food, but they toured the festival before they’d drink. Clow played a game involving rings and had won a white fish. He offered it to Yuuko, but she refused because she didn’t have a pond or an aquarium, and the Mokonas could accidentally kill it. He nodded and didn’t insist. Yuuko wondered if he’d give it to Yue as a pet. The idea made her giggle.
When they had enough food and drink, they went to the lands behind the temple to drink in peace. There was an artificial lagoon on there. Clow opened the plastic bag containing the fish and set it free. Then he sat on the grass. His crafty yukata was going to get dirty from the earth below, but he wouldn’t mind anymore. Yuuko followed and opened the bottle.
“There’s something missing,” Clow complained.
“I know. The moon is crescent.”
“Not that. Fireflies. Not a single one.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Yuuko frowned. “That’s disappointing.”
“It doesn’t feel traditionally Japanese this way. We can get a substitution, though.” He took a Card out of his yukata. “Please make this evening more pleasant,” he murmured.
Small balls of fluorescent green light surrounded them.
“Cheers!” Yuuko saw Clow, illuminated by the glow of the light fantastic, raising his small cup. But, in her eyes, he’d still shine anyway because of that warm –and somehow tipsy- smile on his lips. The stars above them looked brighter. Even the white fish in the water seemed delighted.
In the end, she concluded it was a blessing he had come along.