Prompt 12: HALLOWEEN
Title: Handkerchief
Prompt: Halloween (Week 12)
Author: Starlightfairy2
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: Tohru, and Kyoko Honda. Mention of Shigure.
Genre: Drama?
Word Count: 437 words.
Spoilers: None.
Notes: I HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE? It was technically supposed to be turned on the night of the 31st, but it's 12:28 am.
Every year, Kyoko Honda went out of her way to celebrate Halloween at its best. Tohru remembers the sound of her mother’s footsteps, running and almost gliding to and fro from room to room; a certain vibrancy and smell in the air that made October an exciting and wonderful time of the year. It had always been her favorite holiday, she had once told her. As a child, her parents had never approved of a day in which their daughter could dress up in ridiculous outfits, flashy and distasteful, much less let her teeth rot from the harmful effects of candy.
Naturally, as soon as she had left home and tasted her new found freedom, Kyoko discovered the glories of make believe, of that special day when reality wasn’t important, and the world was enchanting in shades of black and orange, of masks and mischief. Everyone was allowed to have as many sweets as their hearts desired and in that moment, Kyoko wasn’t a struggling new parent, living under the shadow of adult matters and bills to pay, but a zombie rock star, a ghoulish prom date, a space princess.
The last year Kyoko had spent Halloween with her daughter she had been a pirate. The red handkerchief tucked in her collar as vibrant as her spiky hair, legs in fishnets and that familiar grin on her face.
She remembers her mother’s friends and their parties and although she couldn’t quite understand why so much planning was put in a holiday she never really got the meaning of, she had finally come to the conclusion that all was done for her mother’s sake. It made her happy.
Tohru could never have the guts to dress as exuberantly as her mother. She knew that her eyes would never sparkle as hers at the sight of a freshly carved jack-o-lantern. But it was always nice to keep some traditions as they were.
“Shigure-san, if it’s not too much trouble, I would like to decorate the house for Halloween.”
It’s not like Tohru didn’t seem like the festive type, quite the contrary. But the determination in the girl’s eyes made Shigure wonder if there was another reason behind her busy demeanor.
And so, like it had been customary to her many months ago, the Sohma house shone that night with candles and ghoulish images hung on every door. Every table had enough candy corn to cause weeks of indigestion and, although it wasn’t nearly as precise as Kyoko’s craftsmanship, Tohru had carved her first pumpkin and they all laughed together, carefree.
She had tucked the same red handkerchief in her collar.