Happy endings
My first post to this excellent community -- hope it's not too bad -____-'' I hope it fits the prompt satisfactorily; "magic" makes me automatically think "fairy tales", relate that to Saiyuki and I get... something like this.
Title: Happy endings
Author: Claire
Warnings: none but some mild language
Characters: Kougaiji, Dokugakuji
Word count: 578
Notes: for prompt #9-magic; time taken: 54 mins plus read-through editing
Concrit is so completely welcome. (:
Kougaiji kneels in the hall of Rasetsunyo. Her frozen form strives outwards from the pillar; if will alone could break the lady from her stone prison it would have been accomplished long ago, if not by her own efforts then certainly by her son’s longing. “Mother,” he whispers into the dusty chamber.
So often lately, his actions blend together as those in a dream, so that only this room with its fluttering talismans and stonebound prisoner seems real. He’s carried out countless missions for Gyokumen. The bitch has never hesitated to use Kougaiji’s power to further her ends, either by using him personally or simply invoking his name to take advantage of the profound loyalty felt for the prince by all youkai in the empire. He rarely knows the reasons for his assignments, and he doesn’t care; he just carries them out, ever the dutiful (if distasteful) stepson. None of it matters, not the blue-haired bitch or the faceless strangers he’s sent out to kill or collect, nothing but the face trying so hard to drag itself out of the wall opposite him now. “All that matters,” he breathes, “all that I do, it’s only for you, mother…”
He’s not quite sure how he can tell the atmosphere of the room has changed, Dokugakuji certainly hasn’t made any sound behind him, but the air moves differently around the hanging ribbons now and Kougaiji knows he and his mother aren’t alone anymore. He waits for his subordinate to state his business, he wouldn’t have come for no reason… but the silence stretches tight and the man says nothing. As if hesitant to intrude. “Dokugakuji,” the prince acknowledges him, a bit tersely. Dokugaku knows what this time with his mother means to him. “What is it?”
“Kou…” The swordsman’s voice is raw, rough. “What are we doing this for?”
Kougaiji blinks, unsure what the other man means. Gyokumen’s missions, or sitting in this hall right now, or…?
“I know, right, the bitch has said she’ll free your-your mother, but-”
“Dokugaku,” the prince’s tone is warning.
“-I know, right, but how can you trust a word that slippery whore says? About this? Do you really think she’ll do a damn thing to help you, or your mother? Your mother, you know, her rival for the creepy affections of-”
“Dokugaku!” Kougaiji barks the name. He hates when he has to pull authority like this. He climbs to his feet. “We’ve talked about this. Anything I can do-if there’s any chance…” He stares into his mother’s face, like a starving man at the window of a banquet. “If there’s any chance I can bring her back,” he says, quietly, fiercely, “I have to take it. You know that.”
Dokugakuji sighs deeply. “Yeah,” he mutters, “I just…”
“What?” Kougaiji turns to fix his subordinate with a stare. He’s tired of this argument, and of how the bodyguard feels the need to bring it up at the most inopportune times. Can’t he see what’s important here?
“I’m all for the happy endings, you know, but.” Dokugakuji pauses, runs a hand through his spiky hair uncomfortably. “I look at what’s here in front of us, and I look at what you’re expecting to achieve, and…”
“And?”
“And I can’t help thinkin’,” he says, his face going empty as a stone mask, “you’re a little old to believe in magic.”
Dokugakuji turns his back and leaves Kougaiji in the dead empress’s hall.
Title: Happy endings
Author: Claire
Warnings: none but some mild language
Characters: Kougaiji, Dokugakuji
Word count: 578
Notes: for prompt #9-magic; time taken: 54 mins plus read-through editing
Concrit is so completely welcome. (:
Kougaiji kneels in the hall of Rasetsunyo. Her frozen form strives outwards from the pillar; if will alone could break the lady from her stone prison it would have been accomplished long ago, if not by her own efforts then certainly by her son’s longing. “Mother,” he whispers into the dusty chamber.
So often lately, his actions blend together as those in a dream, so that only this room with its fluttering talismans and stonebound prisoner seems real. He’s carried out countless missions for Gyokumen. The bitch has never hesitated to use Kougaiji’s power to further her ends, either by using him personally or simply invoking his name to take advantage of the profound loyalty felt for the prince by all youkai in the empire. He rarely knows the reasons for his assignments, and he doesn’t care; he just carries them out, ever the dutiful (if distasteful) stepson. None of it matters, not the blue-haired bitch or the faceless strangers he’s sent out to kill or collect, nothing but the face trying so hard to drag itself out of the wall opposite him now. “All that matters,” he breathes, “all that I do, it’s only for you, mother…”
He’s not quite sure how he can tell the atmosphere of the room has changed, Dokugakuji certainly hasn’t made any sound behind him, but the air moves differently around the hanging ribbons now and Kougaiji knows he and his mother aren’t alone anymore. He waits for his subordinate to state his business, he wouldn’t have come for no reason… but the silence stretches tight and the man says nothing. As if hesitant to intrude. “Dokugakuji,” the prince acknowledges him, a bit tersely. Dokugaku knows what this time with his mother means to him. “What is it?”
“Kou…” The swordsman’s voice is raw, rough. “What are we doing this for?”
Kougaiji blinks, unsure what the other man means. Gyokumen’s missions, or sitting in this hall right now, or…?
“I know, right, the bitch has said she’ll free your-your mother, but-”
“Dokugaku,” the prince’s tone is warning.
“-I know, right, but how can you trust a word that slippery whore says? About this? Do you really think she’ll do a damn thing to help you, or your mother? Your mother, you know, her rival for the creepy affections of-”
“Dokugaku!” Kougaiji barks the name. He hates when he has to pull authority like this. He climbs to his feet. “We’ve talked about this. Anything I can do-if there’s any chance…” He stares into his mother’s face, like a starving man at the window of a banquet. “If there’s any chance I can bring her back,” he says, quietly, fiercely, “I have to take it. You know that.”
Dokugakuji sighs deeply. “Yeah,” he mutters, “I just…”
“What?” Kougaiji turns to fix his subordinate with a stare. He’s tired of this argument, and of how the bodyguard feels the need to bring it up at the most inopportune times. Can’t he see what’s important here?
“I’m all for the happy endings, you know, but.” Dokugakuji pauses, runs a hand through his spiky hair uncomfortably. “I look at what’s here in front of us, and I look at what you’re expecting to achieve, and…”
“And?”
“And I can’t help thinkin’,” he says, his face going empty as a stone mask, “you’re a little old to believe in magic.”
Dokugakuji turns his back and leaves Kougaiji in the dead empress’s hall.