Fic: Correspondence [Onmyouji]
Title: Correspondence
Fandom: Onmyouji
Pairing: Seimei/Hiromasa
Rating: PG
Summary: Seimei visits Aki province. From the capital, Hiromasa writes to him.
Notes: For karadin. Written for both the ‘epistolary’ square for kink_bingo and the prompt ‘the pleasure of your company’ at smallfandomfest. All poems are taken from the Manyoshu; references are given at the end of the fic.
Correspondence
Dear Seimei,
Gazing at the hazy moon
through the dark mist of night
induces sadness in me.
Well, Seimei. I hope your journey is less tedious than... whatever it is you find most tedious. There’s so many things you find tedious that I can’t tell which one you dislike most. And please don’t tell me, because then I shall laugh whenever I have to do the tedious thing, because I always have to do tedious things and I don’t often find them tedious the way you do, so it gets me wondering why you find them tedious and...
You’re probably finding this letter tedious right now, aren’t you? You are, I can see it. Not really, of course, but I can imagine you just about wrinkling your nose and arching your eyebrows in that very superior way you have, and in a moment you’ll fling my letter to the floor and declare that I’m impossible, or you’ll sigh and say “Oh Hiromasa” in that way you do. Or you’ll just fold the letter up and put it in your sleeve and have another drink.
That’s what I’m doing. Drinking. You know, Seimei, of all the times in the day when I miss the pleasure of your company, it’s now. I never knew drinking alone could be so, well, boring. Lord Tadahira and Lord Mototsune visited yesterday. They brought two jars of wine, which was nice of them, but they stayed from the hour of the Rooster until the hour of the Rat and to be honest, I just wanted them to leave. But it would have been too rude of me to chase them away, and besides, Lord Mototsune had come to ask for my help, and one should always be gracious to those requesting assistance.
You see, Seimei, Lord Mototsune complains of a demon in his garden. He says it strikes in the middle of the night and it damages his plants. Perhaps you don’t recall this, but Mototsune grows miniature trees in terracotta pots, and his work is most sought-after at the palace. I like the little red maples. I bought one for you last autumn, and you planted it in your garden and made it grow to full size, which was not really the point, but it’s still a very nice tree no matter how big it is.
Anyway, I promised I would look into this business of the demon. I will let you know how I get on.
With affection, Hiromasa
* * *
Hiromasa-
Please do not send me poetry.
The weather in Aki is atrocious.
-Seimei
* * *
Dearest Seimei,
Though the bell tolls bidding all to retire for the night,
I cannot fall asleep for thinking of you.
Thank you for your note. I wish you would write a little more. I mean, it’s very interesting to learn that the weather in Aki is terrible, but then anything beyond the capital is atrocious and it’s not like the weather here is all that good, either. In fact it’s rained every day since you left. I suppose you’ll tell me it’s because it’s the Tenth Month and rain is to be expected as we move towards the end of the year, but secretly-or not so secretly, since I’m writing this down for you to read-I think it’s raining because you’re not here and I miss you.
By the way, I will keep on sending you as much poetry as I wish. Please do not try to stifle my creative endeavours!
With my affection, Hiromasa
* * *
Hiromasa-
If, as your poem suggests, you’re having difficulty sleeping, there’s a flask of poppy juice in the small carved chest with the jade inlay. You should be able to find it at the back of my study. One or two drops of poppy juice in a cup of wine will be sufficient to bring restful sleep. Please do not take more than two drops, otherwise your sleep might become permanent and that would be unfortunate.
I have reached Itsukushima. The weather is much colder today. Perhaps we will have frost tomorrow.
-Seimei
* * *
My dear Seimei,
If I had known that my love sickness would be so painful,
I would have wished that
I were the dew that forms in the evening
and vanishes in the morning.
Thank you for your letter. See, it didn’t hurt, did it, writing a bit more? Although if I were to be very demanding-and I’m not, by the way, I know better than that-but if I were very demanding then I’d wish for something a bit more... personal.
Also, thank you for your concern about my sleep. I found the poppy juice. You have some interesting things in that chest, Seimei! You know what I mean. I had only heard about them, I’ve never actually seen any before. I thought only women used them. Can men use them, too? Perhaps you will show me when you return. I put everything back where I found it, anyway. And the poppy juice worked! You see, Seimei, I found it hard to sleep because I was thinking about those things I found in the box, and I thought about you, and by then it was very late and so I took a drop of poppy juice and I slept until the hour of the Sheep. That was all very well but I’d promised to visit Lord Mototsune about that demon in his garden. Never mind, I will go tomorrow.
Did you have frost? I hope you remembered to take that extra cloak. It’s cold here without you.
With love, Hiromasa
* * *
Dear Hiromasa,
If you insist on sending me poems, could you at least make them a little less trite? Banality is unattractive.
Yes, there’s frost. Not much, since the temple lies close to the sea, but when I breathe in, the air is sharp and still and it hurts, and makes me think of you.
-Seimei
P.S. The demon in Mototsune’s garden is not a demon.
* * *
Dear Seimei,
While I wait in longing for you, my lord,
there comes the autumn wind stirring the bamboo blinds.
Banality is attractive, Seimei! At least it is at court. I know you don’t like that sort of life, but at least permit me to correspond with you according to convention. With you so far away, it’s the only time I get to pretend I’m courting you. Don’t you think it’s fun? I mean, when we’re both in the capital I can just call round and see you, and I like that, I like being spontaneous with you, because Heaven knows there’s no spontaneity at court, but...
Oh, Seimei, I know you’ll laugh at me, but I do so long to court you the proper way, as if you were forbidden to me and screened from my view, and as if I fell in love with you through the elegance of your kin-playing or the charm of your grass script or the seasonal appropriateness of your scent.
I think it would be nice to follow convention for a while, even if we were only playing at it. It’s only sometimes that I think like this. It’s not a demand, nor even a wish. I just... I don’t know, Seimei. I just miss you, that’s all.
By the way, you were right about Mototsune’s demon. It was the ox-handler and Mototsune’s wife! They sneaked out of the house and met amongst the shrubs in the garden, and sometimes their trysts grew so passionate that the miniature trees got knocked down and broken. I’m not sure who to feel sorry for the most, Mototsune, his wife, or the ox-handler. They are all to be pitied, I think.
-Hiromasa
* * *
Dear Hiromasa,
Congratulations on bringing the Mototsune case to a close. It’s difficult, I believe, for a man to separate his pride from his needs, as one always gets in the way of the other. Mototsune is a man of deep emotion but very little wit with which to express himself. Let us hope that this incident enables him to communicate his true feelings towards his wife, and likewise let us hope that his wife gives ear and listens to him. Otherwise, yes, it will be pitiable.
Perhaps you should advise him to write her a letter?
-Seimei
* * *
Seimei-
Though hidden like the stream
flowing beneath the trees on the autumn mountain,
my yearning towards you
will be much greater than yours for me.
By the way, Lord Mototsune and his wife have reconciled.
-Hiromasa
* * *
My dearest Hiromasa,
Your yearning towards me is greater than mine towards you?
I don’t agree.
So violently do I disagree, in fact, that if you were here I would show you how much I ache for you.
Alas, you are not here and I am not there, and since it seems that you’ve been wilfully misunderstanding my affectionate notes, I am obliged-most reluctantly, please notice, my dear Hiromasa-I am obliged to express myself with a poem:
If you were a jewel, I would wrap you around my wrist.
If you were a robe, I would never take you off.
I hope I have not made too great a fool of myself.
Yours, Seimei
* * *
Hurry home, Seimei. Hurry.
* * *
I will be with you tomorrow. Tomorrow, Hiromasa!
_________________________________________
1. Manyoshu 6.982
2. Manyoshu 4.607
3. Manyoshu 12.3038
4. Manyoshu 4.488
5. Manyoshu 2.92
6. Manyoshu 2.150
Fandom: Onmyouji
Pairing: Seimei/Hiromasa
Rating: PG
Summary: Seimei visits Aki province. From the capital, Hiromasa writes to him.
Notes: For karadin. Written for both the ‘epistolary’ square for kink_bingo and the prompt ‘the pleasure of your company’ at smallfandomfest. All poems are taken from the Manyoshu; references are given at the end of the fic.
Correspondence
Dear Seimei,
Gazing at the hazy moon
through the dark mist of night
induces sadness in me.
Well, Seimei. I hope your journey is less tedious than... whatever it is you find most tedious. There’s so many things you find tedious that I can’t tell which one you dislike most. And please don’t tell me, because then I shall laugh whenever I have to do the tedious thing, because I always have to do tedious things and I don’t often find them tedious the way you do, so it gets me wondering why you find them tedious and...
You’re probably finding this letter tedious right now, aren’t you? You are, I can see it. Not really, of course, but I can imagine you just about wrinkling your nose and arching your eyebrows in that very superior way you have, and in a moment you’ll fling my letter to the floor and declare that I’m impossible, or you’ll sigh and say “Oh Hiromasa” in that way you do. Or you’ll just fold the letter up and put it in your sleeve and have another drink.
That’s what I’m doing. Drinking. You know, Seimei, of all the times in the day when I miss the pleasure of your company, it’s now. I never knew drinking alone could be so, well, boring. Lord Tadahira and Lord Mototsune visited yesterday. They brought two jars of wine, which was nice of them, but they stayed from the hour of the Rooster until the hour of the Rat and to be honest, I just wanted them to leave. But it would have been too rude of me to chase them away, and besides, Lord Mototsune had come to ask for my help, and one should always be gracious to those requesting assistance.
You see, Seimei, Lord Mototsune complains of a demon in his garden. He says it strikes in the middle of the night and it damages his plants. Perhaps you don’t recall this, but Mototsune grows miniature trees in terracotta pots, and his work is most sought-after at the palace. I like the little red maples. I bought one for you last autumn, and you planted it in your garden and made it grow to full size, which was not really the point, but it’s still a very nice tree no matter how big it is.
Anyway, I promised I would look into this business of the demon. I will let you know how I get on.
With affection, Hiromasa
* * *
Hiromasa-
Please do not send me poetry.
The weather in Aki is atrocious.
-Seimei
* * *
Dearest Seimei,
Though the bell tolls bidding all to retire for the night,
I cannot fall asleep for thinking of you.
Thank you for your note. I wish you would write a little more. I mean, it’s very interesting to learn that the weather in Aki is terrible, but then anything beyond the capital is atrocious and it’s not like the weather here is all that good, either. In fact it’s rained every day since you left. I suppose you’ll tell me it’s because it’s the Tenth Month and rain is to be expected as we move towards the end of the year, but secretly-or not so secretly, since I’m writing this down for you to read-I think it’s raining because you’re not here and I miss you.
By the way, I will keep on sending you as much poetry as I wish. Please do not try to stifle my creative endeavours!
With my affection, Hiromasa
* * *
Hiromasa-
If, as your poem suggests, you’re having difficulty sleeping, there’s a flask of poppy juice in the small carved chest with the jade inlay. You should be able to find it at the back of my study. One or two drops of poppy juice in a cup of wine will be sufficient to bring restful sleep. Please do not take more than two drops, otherwise your sleep might become permanent and that would be unfortunate.
I have reached Itsukushima. The weather is much colder today. Perhaps we will have frost tomorrow.
-Seimei
* * *
My dear Seimei,
If I had known that my love sickness would be so painful,
I would have wished that
I were the dew that forms in the evening
and vanishes in the morning.
Thank you for your letter. See, it didn’t hurt, did it, writing a bit more? Although if I were to be very demanding-and I’m not, by the way, I know better than that-but if I were very demanding then I’d wish for something a bit more... personal.
Also, thank you for your concern about my sleep. I found the poppy juice. You have some interesting things in that chest, Seimei! You know what I mean. I had only heard about them, I’ve never actually seen any before. I thought only women used them. Can men use them, too? Perhaps you will show me when you return. I put everything back where I found it, anyway. And the poppy juice worked! You see, Seimei, I found it hard to sleep because I was thinking about those things I found in the box, and I thought about you, and by then it was very late and so I took a drop of poppy juice and I slept until the hour of the Sheep. That was all very well but I’d promised to visit Lord Mototsune about that demon in his garden. Never mind, I will go tomorrow.
Did you have frost? I hope you remembered to take that extra cloak. It’s cold here without you.
With love, Hiromasa
* * *
Dear Hiromasa,
If you insist on sending me poems, could you at least make them a little less trite? Banality is unattractive.
Yes, there’s frost. Not much, since the temple lies close to the sea, but when I breathe in, the air is sharp and still and it hurts, and makes me think of you.
-Seimei
P.S. The demon in Mototsune’s garden is not a demon.
* * *
Dear Seimei,
While I wait in longing for you, my lord,
there comes the autumn wind stirring the bamboo blinds.
Banality is attractive, Seimei! At least it is at court. I know you don’t like that sort of life, but at least permit me to correspond with you according to convention. With you so far away, it’s the only time I get to pretend I’m courting you. Don’t you think it’s fun? I mean, when we’re both in the capital I can just call round and see you, and I like that, I like being spontaneous with you, because Heaven knows there’s no spontaneity at court, but...
Oh, Seimei, I know you’ll laugh at me, but I do so long to court you the proper way, as if you were forbidden to me and screened from my view, and as if I fell in love with you through the elegance of your kin-playing or the charm of your grass script or the seasonal appropriateness of your scent.
I think it would be nice to follow convention for a while, even if we were only playing at it. It’s only sometimes that I think like this. It’s not a demand, nor even a wish. I just... I don’t know, Seimei. I just miss you, that’s all.
By the way, you were right about Mototsune’s demon. It was the ox-handler and Mototsune’s wife! They sneaked out of the house and met amongst the shrubs in the garden, and sometimes their trysts grew so passionate that the miniature trees got knocked down and broken. I’m not sure who to feel sorry for the most, Mototsune, his wife, or the ox-handler. They are all to be pitied, I think.
-Hiromasa
* * *
Dear Hiromasa,
Congratulations on bringing the Mototsune case to a close. It’s difficult, I believe, for a man to separate his pride from his needs, as one always gets in the way of the other. Mototsune is a man of deep emotion but very little wit with which to express himself. Let us hope that this incident enables him to communicate his true feelings towards his wife, and likewise let us hope that his wife gives ear and listens to him. Otherwise, yes, it will be pitiable.
Perhaps you should advise him to write her a letter?
-Seimei
* * *
Seimei-
Though hidden like the stream
flowing beneath the trees on the autumn mountain,
my yearning towards you
will be much greater than yours for me.
By the way, Lord Mototsune and his wife have reconciled.
-Hiromasa
* * *
My dearest Hiromasa,
Your yearning towards me is greater than mine towards you?
I don’t agree.
So violently do I disagree, in fact, that if you were here I would show you how much I ache for you.
Alas, you are not here and I am not there, and since it seems that you’ve been wilfully misunderstanding my affectionate notes, I am obliged-most reluctantly, please notice, my dear Hiromasa-I am obliged to express myself with a poem:
If you were a jewel, I would wrap you around my wrist.
If you were a robe, I would never take you off.
I hope I have not made too great a fool of myself.
Yours, Seimei
* * *
Hurry home, Seimei. Hurry.
* * *
I will be with you tomorrow. Tomorrow, Hiromasa!
_________________________________________
1. Manyoshu 6.982
2. Manyoshu 4.607
3. Manyoshu 12.3038
4. Manyoshu 4.488
5. Manyoshu 2.92
6. Manyoshu 2.150