The Human Mask - Natsume Yuujinchou Drabble series 4/?
Story: The Human Mask
Chapter: Little Details
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Genre: drabble, slice of life
Pairings: gen
Warnings: none
Summary: A sequel to Worthy of a Name. Natsume learns to deal with life as a god.
At over 1000 words, this is definitely not a drabble. Oops. However, the next few are definitely going to be shorter, so I apologize beforehand for those of you getting your hopes up. This is a one time thing.
I wanted to address the matter of The Book of Friends. Natsume is no longer a mere human boy who "dares" to control spirits, but a god worthy of such power. And of course, this means that the relationship between Natsume and Nyanko-sensei needs to be sorted out as well. I hope I have addressed both adequately in this short (no longer drabble) piece.
Changed Status
Ever since the change I had worried about how others would treat me differently. It's true that some of those changes have been for the better. But it's the things that have stayed the same that I find myself truly cherishing. And the ones who treat me the same as before that I truly care for.
The spirit groveling before him is starting to give him a headache.
"Ah my lord, rumors of your grace and kindness have reached to the farthest corner of the spirit realm, but none of them describe your shining magnificence, your eternal wellspring of power, the pure goodness that fountains from your very being…"
Natsume stifles a cringe.
"So you see, my great lord Natsume, I have travelled here from afar to present my allegiance to you, if you will so have me, small and insignificant as I am…"
"Um…" Natsume interjects, but the spirit, too absorbed in its lengthy monologue, does not hear him.
"And I believe my lord, though of course I am sure you know already, for you most assuredly know all, but I once had the privilege of dueling with your most honorable grandmother…"
For a split second, the spirit trails off, and Natsume grabs the opening with eagerness.
"You have your name in the Book of Friends?"
The spirit looks hesitant.
"Well yes my lord, but…"
"Do you want me to return it to you?"
Natsume had expected the spirit to once more prostrate itself on the ground and make another five minute long speech of gratitude, but instead the spirit rears up to its full height, which towers over Natsume like a black, crescent wave. The odd, white face located in the middle of the massive bulk is a study in dramatic horror.
"My lord, do I not please you?" it wails, the stubby arms to its sides flailing. It would have been funny, if the spirit had not been so visibly distressed.
"Well, no…"
"Then why do you wish to return my name, my lord? Why do you wish to sever my allegiance to you?"
"Um, well, I don't really need…"
"You don't need me?!"
At this point the spirit's voice has risen to a painful shriek, and Natsume is at a loss for what to do.
"Calm yourself, you over dramatic idiot," Nyanko-sensei suddenly says, coming between Natsume and the spirit. His voice takes on a deeper quality, which cuts through the shriek like a knife. Abruptly the spirit goes silent. "Lord Natsume does not need your name to command you. That is not his way. Surely the stories you've heard have told you that much?"
"Of course! His noble generosity is known far and wide!"
"Then take your name back. Lord Natsume knows that you will serve him better with your freedom returned. He does this to cement your allegiance, not to sever it. It is a sign of his trust. Be happy that you have earned it, since he does not give it to just anyone."
"Hey Nyanko-sensei, that's a bit…"
A sideways glare from Nyanko-sensei stops Natsume mid-sentence.
"My lord, your servant is ready to receive its name now," the cat says, his words so full of acerbic humor that Natsume winces again.
"Kororiku, I return your name to you. Accept it."
When the last strands of the name disappear into the spirit, Nyanko-sensei speaks up again.
"Now Lord Natsume has some business away from the forest. Return to your dwelling. When Lord Natsume needs you he will call."
"Of course." The spirit turns to Natsume, its face once again full of awe. "I will spread word of your generosity far and wide, my lord."
"Y-yeah. Thank you," Natsume says.
With that the spirit leaves in a whirl of black wind, leaving Natsume and Nyanko-sensei standing alone in the forest.
"So pure goodness fountains from your very being does it?" Nyanko-sensei says.
Natsume groans.
"Nyanko-sensei…"
"Idiot. I have never seen such an embarrassing display in all my life. You are a god. How are you supposed to command anyone the way you are now?"
"But I don't want to command anyone!" Natsume says. "I never wanted to," he adds, softly.
"Well you had better get used to it," Nyanko-sensei says with visible impatience. "Kororiku won't be the last spirit to do this, and since you insist on returning their names to them you had better think of a way to do it so they don't get upset."
Nyanko-sensei starts to walk down the forest path that leads back to human civilization, and Natsume follows meekly behind. He looks down at his sneakers, the jeans, and the thick blue coat Touko-san had insisted he wear that morning. For all purposes he looks like an ordinary human boy. But then he senses the power of the earth beneath him, the power that he taps into to maintain his human form, and recognizes his appearance for the illusion that it really is.
It isn't his human appearance that spirits see.
"They aren't going to come and ask me to return their names anymore, are they?" Natsume finally says.
"Took you long enough to realize that," Nyanko-sensei grumbles.
Something about the way Nyanko-sensei says it triggers a memory that Natsume has put away until now. A promise, but a promise that can no longer be kept.
"I'm sorry."
"Hmph." The cat rolls his eyes. "I only wanted the Book of Friends because it isn't a thing you should leave in human hands."
Natsume smiles, then reaches down to pick up the cat.
"Come on, we still need to buy the things Touko-san asked us to get."
"Bah, how shameful. What is a god doing running errands for a mere human?"
Natsume smiles.
"Hmmm, well if I recall correctly one of the things she wanted me to buy were squid rings. I think she was planning on frying some tonight for d-"
Immediately the cat bounces out of his arms and pelts down the forest path as fast as his stubby legs can go.
"Squid rings? What are we waiting for? Come on Natsume!"
In a moment Natsume is left alone in the forest, and he stands there quietly, feeling the hum of the earth beneath him, and the soft sounds of roots digging deep into the earth. Above him he can sense the breeze rustling through branches still bare from winter, but he can sense the life within the trees. Soon there will be visible buds. Natsume smiles, enjoying the sensation of awakening life. As a human he would not have been able to feel this, to sense the world preparing itself for rebirth.
"Spring is coming," he says, softly.
Then he too, walks down the forest path, back to human civilization.
Previous: Little Details
Next: Friends From the Other Side
Chapter: Little Details
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Genre: drabble, slice of life
Pairings: gen
Warnings: none
Summary: A sequel to Worthy of a Name. Natsume learns to deal with life as a god.
At over 1000 words, this is definitely not a drabble. Oops. However, the next few are definitely going to be shorter, so I apologize beforehand for those of you getting your hopes up. This is a one time thing.
I wanted to address the matter of The Book of Friends. Natsume is no longer a mere human boy who "dares" to control spirits, but a god worthy of such power. And of course, this means that the relationship between Natsume and Nyanko-sensei needs to be sorted out as well. I hope I have addressed both adequately in this short (no longer drabble) piece.
Changed Status
Ever since the change I had worried about how others would treat me differently. It's true that some of those changes have been for the better. But it's the things that have stayed the same that I find myself truly cherishing. And the ones who treat me the same as before that I truly care for.
The spirit groveling before him is starting to give him a headache.
"Ah my lord, rumors of your grace and kindness have reached to the farthest corner of the spirit realm, but none of them describe your shining magnificence, your eternal wellspring of power, the pure goodness that fountains from your very being…"
Natsume stifles a cringe.
"So you see, my great lord Natsume, I have travelled here from afar to present my allegiance to you, if you will so have me, small and insignificant as I am…"
"Um…" Natsume interjects, but the spirit, too absorbed in its lengthy monologue, does not hear him.
"And I believe my lord, though of course I am sure you know already, for you most assuredly know all, but I once had the privilege of dueling with your most honorable grandmother…"
For a split second, the spirit trails off, and Natsume grabs the opening with eagerness.
"You have your name in the Book of Friends?"
The spirit looks hesitant.
"Well yes my lord, but…"
"Do you want me to return it to you?"
Natsume had expected the spirit to once more prostrate itself on the ground and make another five minute long speech of gratitude, but instead the spirit rears up to its full height, which towers over Natsume like a black, crescent wave. The odd, white face located in the middle of the massive bulk is a study in dramatic horror.
"My lord, do I not please you?" it wails, the stubby arms to its sides flailing. It would have been funny, if the spirit had not been so visibly distressed.
"Well, no…"
"Then why do you wish to return my name, my lord? Why do you wish to sever my allegiance to you?"
"Um, well, I don't really need…"
"You don't need me?!"
At this point the spirit's voice has risen to a painful shriek, and Natsume is at a loss for what to do.
"Calm yourself, you over dramatic idiot," Nyanko-sensei suddenly says, coming between Natsume and the spirit. His voice takes on a deeper quality, which cuts through the shriek like a knife. Abruptly the spirit goes silent. "Lord Natsume does not need your name to command you. That is not his way. Surely the stories you've heard have told you that much?"
"Of course! His noble generosity is known far and wide!"
"Then take your name back. Lord Natsume knows that you will serve him better with your freedom returned. He does this to cement your allegiance, not to sever it. It is a sign of his trust. Be happy that you have earned it, since he does not give it to just anyone."
"Hey Nyanko-sensei, that's a bit…"
A sideways glare from Nyanko-sensei stops Natsume mid-sentence.
"My lord, your servant is ready to receive its name now," the cat says, his words so full of acerbic humor that Natsume winces again.
"Kororiku, I return your name to you. Accept it."
When the last strands of the name disappear into the spirit, Nyanko-sensei speaks up again.
"Now Lord Natsume has some business away from the forest. Return to your dwelling. When Lord Natsume needs you he will call."
"Of course." The spirit turns to Natsume, its face once again full of awe. "I will spread word of your generosity far and wide, my lord."
"Y-yeah. Thank you," Natsume says.
With that the spirit leaves in a whirl of black wind, leaving Natsume and Nyanko-sensei standing alone in the forest.
"So pure goodness fountains from your very being does it?" Nyanko-sensei says.
Natsume groans.
"Nyanko-sensei…"
"Idiot. I have never seen such an embarrassing display in all my life. You are a god. How are you supposed to command anyone the way you are now?"
"But I don't want to command anyone!" Natsume says. "I never wanted to," he adds, softly.
"Well you had better get used to it," Nyanko-sensei says with visible impatience. "Kororiku won't be the last spirit to do this, and since you insist on returning their names to them you had better think of a way to do it so they don't get upset."
Nyanko-sensei starts to walk down the forest path that leads back to human civilization, and Natsume follows meekly behind. He looks down at his sneakers, the jeans, and the thick blue coat Touko-san had insisted he wear that morning. For all purposes he looks like an ordinary human boy. But then he senses the power of the earth beneath him, the power that he taps into to maintain his human form, and recognizes his appearance for the illusion that it really is.
It isn't his human appearance that spirits see.
"They aren't going to come and ask me to return their names anymore, are they?" Natsume finally says.
"Took you long enough to realize that," Nyanko-sensei grumbles.
Something about the way Nyanko-sensei says it triggers a memory that Natsume has put away until now. A promise, but a promise that can no longer be kept.
"I'm sorry."
"Hmph." The cat rolls his eyes. "I only wanted the Book of Friends because it isn't a thing you should leave in human hands."
Natsume smiles, then reaches down to pick up the cat.
"Come on, we still need to buy the things Touko-san asked us to get."
"Bah, how shameful. What is a god doing running errands for a mere human?"
Natsume smiles.
"Hmmm, well if I recall correctly one of the things she wanted me to buy were squid rings. I think she was planning on frying some tonight for d-"
Immediately the cat bounces out of his arms and pelts down the forest path as fast as his stubby legs can go.
"Squid rings? What are we waiting for? Come on Natsume!"
In a moment Natsume is left alone in the forest, and he stands there quietly, feeling the hum of the earth beneath him, and the soft sounds of roots digging deep into the earth. Above him he can sense the breeze rustling through branches still bare from winter, but he can sense the life within the trees. Soon there will be visible buds. Natsume smiles, enjoying the sensation of awakening life. As a human he would not have been able to feel this, to sense the world preparing itself for rebirth.
"Spring is coming," he says, softly.
Then he too, walks down the forest path, back to human civilization.
Previous: Little Details
Next: Friends From the Other Side