(no subject)
#31 Weapon
“Sticks and Stones”
Number 3 the Aladdin’s Lamp series
736 words
Well, this went in a completely different direction than I expected. Now I have to figure out how to bring it back on track.
*wanders off, muttering about contrary stories that don't do what they are told*
Sticks and Stones
She said no. I can’t believe she said no. It seemed so perfect, so flawless-I offered her everything she could want, and it still wasn’t enough to make up for having to deal with me. I’ve failed. She doesn’t love me. She never will. She said no.
“Hey, Mamoru-kun, are you…okay?” Motoki winced as he asked. It was such an inane question. Of course Mamoru wasn’t okay. Mamoru wore the expression of someone slowly bleeding to death on the inside: equal parts pain and despair. But still, a stupid question was better than no question at all-anything to get Mamoru to break the silence that somehow was more agonizing that tears or anger would have been.
“Let me tell you, that old nursery rhyme is a lie,” Mamoru said slowly, as if each word was an effort. His eyes tracked Usagi, who had flounced off towards the Sailor V arcade console. “Words hurt more than sticks or stones ever could.” He shuddered, and then withdrew back into himself again, transferring his gaze to the cup of coffee in front of him. It hurt to look at her, such a bright beacon of happiness, closed off to him forever. The coffee was more soothing-it was dark and bitter, just like him…
Aware that his thoughts were starting to sound a bit too close to angsty goth poetry, Mamoru tried to think of something else. But, the harder one attempts to not think of white elephants, the less likely one is to succeed. Mamoru tried to banish the last ten minutes from his mind, tried to draw on his usual coldness and self-reserve, and kept failing utterly. It was if the entire scene was on permanent loop in his head.
“Ask me what, Mamoru-baka?” Usagi asked, a saucy smile on her face. She just loved disconcerting her arch-nemesis, and from the expression on his face, she’d just done a marvelous job of it. Both he and Motoki looked uncomfortable.
Of course, at her unexpected appearance, all of his flowery and well-rehearsed speeches had flown entirely out of his mind. All he could think of was a few nasty quips, like "How many tests have you failed this week?" and "Did you know, your constant eating is single-handedly keeping Hershey in business?", but he wisely bit those comments back. He didn’t know why his first instinct was to drive her away (okay, yes he did-reflexive defensive techniques) but he knew that insulting her was not the best way to convince her to go out on a date with him.
Instead, he took refuge in safe, peaceful silence, and mutely held out the pair of vouchers for Aladdin’s Lamp. She looked at him curiously for a moment, and then glanced down at the proffered tickets. Then there was one glorious moment when her eyes lit up and she smiled, and Mamoru saw the future, as bright and wonderful as everything he’d imagined. And then she’d locked eyes with him. And the illusion shattered.
“Is this some kind of joke?” she spat, glaring at him. “Or did you just want to show off? Well, I am neither laughing or impressed! Congratulations-and I hope you choke!” She spun around on her heel and stomped off.
Or tried to, at least. “What? I mean, wait a sec, Odan-Usagi!” Mamoru almost leapt out of the booth to grab her elbow before she could go more than a few paces. “I wasn’t trying to tease you or anything else. I know how much you wanted to go, and so I won these for you, and now I’m hoping you’ll go with me. Out for dinner. Tomorrow, maybe.”
Again, there was a brief moment of hope and excitement, quickly extinguished by anger and sadness. “I’m so sure!” she snarled at him, wrenching her arm free from his grasp. “Because if there’s anyone in the world you’d go to a romantic dinner with, it’s me, Tsukino Usagi, the stupid Odango.” Tears glittered in her eyes, but she quickly dashed them away. “What were you really going to do? Invite me, and then ditch me and leave me standing there to look like a fool? Or something even worse, something so mean I can’t even imagine what it is? I never thought you’d could be so cruel, Mamoru. I see now that I was wrong.”
And he had let her walk away.
I guess I could have used quiet despair as the theme, but a) I already have a drabble planned for that one, and b) words are one of the worst weapons you ca use to hurt someone.
“Sticks and Stones”
Number 3 the Aladdin’s Lamp series
736 words
Well, this went in a completely different direction than I expected. Now I have to figure out how to bring it back on track.
*wanders off, muttering about contrary stories that don't do what they are told*
Sticks and Stones
She said no. I can’t believe she said no. It seemed so perfect, so flawless-I offered her everything she could want, and it still wasn’t enough to make up for having to deal with me. I’ve failed. She doesn’t love me. She never will. She said no.
“Hey, Mamoru-kun, are you…okay?” Motoki winced as he asked. It was such an inane question. Of course Mamoru wasn’t okay. Mamoru wore the expression of someone slowly bleeding to death on the inside: equal parts pain and despair. But still, a stupid question was better than no question at all-anything to get Mamoru to break the silence that somehow was more agonizing that tears or anger would have been.
“Let me tell you, that old nursery rhyme is a lie,” Mamoru said slowly, as if each word was an effort. His eyes tracked Usagi, who had flounced off towards the Sailor V arcade console. “Words hurt more than sticks or stones ever could.” He shuddered, and then withdrew back into himself again, transferring his gaze to the cup of coffee in front of him. It hurt to look at her, such a bright beacon of happiness, closed off to him forever. The coffee was more soothing-it was dark and bitter, just like him…
Aware that his thoughts were starting to sound a bit too close to angsty goth poetry, Mamoru tried to think of something else. But, the harder one attempts to not think of white elephants, the less likely one is to succeed. Mamoru tried to banish the last ten minutes from his mind, tried to draw on his usual coldness and self-reserve, and kept failing utterly. It was if the entire scene was on permanent loop in his head.
“Ask me what, Mamoru-baka?” Usagi asked, a saucy smile on her face. She just loved disconcerting her arch-nemesis, and from the expression on his face, she’d just done a marvelous job of it. Both he and Motoki looked uncomfortable.
Of course, at her unexpected appearance, all of his flowery and well-rehearsed speeches had flown entirely out of his mind. All he could think of was a few nasty quips, like "How many tests have you failed this week?" and "Did you know, your constant eating is single-handedly keeping Hershey in business?", but he wisely bit those comments back. He didn’t know why his first instinct was to drive her away (okay, yes he did-reflexive defensive techniques) but he knew that insulting her was not the best way to convince her to go out on a date with him.
Instead, he took refuge in safe, peaceful silence, and mutely held out the pair of vouchers for Aladdin’s Lamp. She looked at him curiously for a moment, and then glanced down at the proffered tickets. Then there was one glorious moment when her eyes lit up and she smiled, and Mamoru saw the future, as bright and wonderful as everything he’d imagined. And then she’d locked eyes with him. And the illusion shattered.
“Is this some kind of joke?” she spat, glaring at him. “Or did you just want to show off? Well, I am neither laughing or impressed! Congratulations-and I hope you choke!” She spun around on her heel and stomped off.
Or tried to, at least. “What? I mean, wait a sec, Odan-Usagi!” Mamoru almost leapt out of the booth to grab her elbow before she could go more than a few paces. “I wasn’t trying to tease you or anything else. I know how much you wanted to go, and so I won these for you, and now I’m hoping you’ll go with me. Out for dinner. Tomorrow, maybe.”
Again, there was a brief moment of hope and excitement, quickly extinguished by anger and sadness. “I’m so sure!” she snarled at him, wrenching her arm free from his grasp. “Because if there’s anyone in the world you’d go to a romantic dinner with, it’s me, Tsukino Usagi, the stupid Odango.” Tears glittered in her eyes, but she quickly dashed them away. “What were you really going to do? Invite me, and then ditch me and leave me standing there to look like a fool? Or something even worse, something so mean I can’t even imagine what it is? I never thought you’d could be so cruel, Mamoru. I see now that I was wrong.”
And he had let her walk away.
I guess I could have used quiet despair as the theme, but a) I already have a drabble planned for that one, and b) words are one of the worst weapons you ca use to hurt someone.