[LJ Idol] SCI, "Kaidan"
Prompt: High Wire Act
Author's Notes: Kaidan refers to traditional Japanese ghost or horror stories. I hope you enjoy.
Kaidan
The Emperor liked to collect persons of extraordinary distinction for his court instead of collecting works of art or jewels. He could converse with them, and they could entertain him, and so it became a challenge for him to find and foster such a collection.
Word spread of a butterfly woman, only two inches tall, and when the Emperor heard of this he invited her to come to his court to entertain him and so he and the others could marvel at her rareness. The butterfly woman agreed, and when she arrived at court she was instantly favored, and danced daily for them. Her dancing was made even more beautiful by the bright colors of her wings, and she could create her own music by humming or from the buzzing sound made by her wings.
Over time, the court’s favor began to wane, as the Emperor was made aware of a new rarity in his kingdom. A weaver, cursed to become a spider, was brought before him, who wove the most beautiful garments for the court out of silk.
Overcome with jealousy, the butterfly woman planned a grand spectacle for herself, where she danced the hardest she could, flying across the room to dance over their heads and dangle from the wires that held paper lanterns from the ceiling, spinning and spinning, thinking that surely now they would see that her talent was greater and that she deserved to hold their regard.
As hard as she danced, when the music was over she found that no one was watching, so focused were they on the new oddity. No one paid her attention any longer, and even the Emperor dismissed her, preferring to watch the spider spin a new robe for him.
The butterfly woman decided to seek revenge. You see, for having dined on milkweed as a caterpillar she was poisonous, and with this poison killed both the spider and every single member of the Emperor’s court.
Her revenge complete, the butterfly woman continued to dance, moving outside and drifting higher and higher until she reached the branches of a tall tree, and danced around the thinnest twigs. She made a routine out of clouds and stars, and when the time came she danced in the sky at their funerals, and on that day the buzzing of her wings sounded like laughter.
Author's Notes: Kaidan refers to traditional Japanese ghost or horror stories. I hope you enjoy.
Kaidan
The Emperor liked to collect persons of extraordinary distinction for his court instead of collecting works of art or jewels. He could converse with them, and they could entertain him, and so it became a challenge for him to find and foster such a collection.
Word spread of a butterfly woman, only two inches tall, and when the Emperor heard of this he invited her to come to his court to entertain him and so he and the others could marvel at her rareness. The butterfly woman agreed, and when she arrived at court she was instantly favored, and danced daily for them. Her dancing was made even more beautiful by the bright colors of her wings, and she could create her own music by humming or from the buzzing sound made by her wings.
Over time, the court’s favor began to wane, as the Emperor was made aware of a new rarity in his kingdom. A weaver, cursed to become a spider, was brought before him, who wove the most beautiful garments for the court out of silk.
Overcome with jealousy, the butterfly woman planned a grand spectacle for herself, where she danced the hardest she could, flying across the room to dance over their heads and dangle from the wires that held paper lanterns from the ceiling, spinning and spinning, thinking that surely now they would see that her talent was greater and that she deserved to hold their regard.
As hard as she danced, when the music was over she found that no one was watching, so focused were they on the new oddity. No one paid her attention any longer, and even the Emperor dismissed her, preferring to watch the spider spin a new robe for him.
The butterfly woman decided to seek revenge. You see, for having dined on milkweed as a caterpillar she was poisonous, and with this poison killed both the spider and every single member of the Emperor’s court.
Her revenge complete, the butterfly woman continued to dance, moving outside and drifting higher and higher until she reached the branches of a tall tree, and danced around the thinnest twigs. She made a routine out of clouds and stars, and when the time came she danced in the sky at their funerals, and on that day the buzzing of her wings sounded like laughter.