So Ra No Wo To: Filicia/Rio - Before Soft Rains
Sorry for being so late. Life happened and stuff. I'll try to get my other fic up soon-ish.
Title: Before Soft Rains
Author/Artist: vinforspi
Fandom: So Ra No Wo To
Pairing: Filicia Heideman/Kazumiya Rio
Rating: PG-13
Request/Prompt: “You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.”
Contains: Light allusions to sex and drunken shenanigans, but an overall somber atmosphere
Word Count: 1500
Notes: Title alludes both to the Sara Teasdale poem, "There Comes Soft Rains," and the Ray Bradbury short story by the same name.
Rio returns to the Time Telling Fortress the day the cherry blossoms begin to fall. Framed by the light pink petals floating down in the background, she is greeted by the members of the 1121st Platoon. Kanata, Kureha, and Noel leap onto her once the initial shock of her appearance wears off, the force of their combined embrace is enough to make Rio crash into the ground. The sound of their laughter encapsulates the scene while Second Lieutenant Filicia Heideman, the captain of the platoon, watches on with a fond smile on her bespectacled face. She stands at a distance-more a spectator than a participant of the scene.
The rest of the day is characterized by jubilant celebrations. Even as everyone goes about their daily routines, Rio’s presence seems to energize them. They all finish their chores in record time and a homecoming party is held in the princess’ honor. Despite Kureha’s half-panicked protests, Filicia still spikes everyone’s drinks causing the cheery atmosphere to intensify into a drunken abandon. Later, even as the festivities continue in its energetic frenzy, the blonde-haired girl slips away, unnoticed by the other members of the platoon.
Outside of the fortress, the moon shines brightly in the midnight hours. The individual lights from the town below are slowly snuffed out, one-by-one, as the citizens of Seize retreat to their beds. The humidity intensifies and the air grows colder and colder. Clouds overhead grow larger and larger and darker still.
Later, when Rio finally manages to untangle herself from the pile of sleeping bodies, she goes to find Filicia. The older girl is in her room. She is sitting at her desk, her back to the doorway, and is still dressed in her uniform. A candle burns and causes Filicia’s shadow to flicker along the walls. She ignores Rio even as the other girl walks towards her. Her eyes are trained on a journal in front of her. The entry is half written.
“Hey,” the blue-haired soldier says. Filicia turns around and offers Rio a small smile.
“Hello Rio,” she returns pleasantly.
“When did you leave?”
“A little while back,” Filicia answers. She says after a pause, “You know, we reminisced about you the day before. So it was surprising to see you today.”
“You didn’t really think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you?”
“Maybe, “ Filiicia replies with a teasing smile before she says in a more serious tone, “are you back for good?”
“Pretty much. The marriage is just in name only. He already has a wife and I’m a nuisance at the capital anyway. Besides,” Rio says looking up, staring straight into Filicia’s eyes, “my place is here.”
The blonde-haired girl stares back at her before she breaks into a mischievous smile. “My, how bold of you,” she says, causing the other girl to sputter and blush.
“A-anyway, what exactly did everyone reminisce about?”
“About how we met you.”
“You tell them about our first meeting?”
“Of course.”
“Did you tell them about our fistfight too?”
“Yes. Kana-chan was especially interested in who won. But don’t worry,” Filicia says with amusement, “I didn’t say who did. I didn’t want to ruin your cool reputation in the eyes of our cute juniors.”
“Thanks,” Rio replies drolly, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. She remembers the day of the fight and the circumstances that led up to it. She had been an ignorant, spoiled brat back then. She had fought with Filicia about the girl’s easily-going policy that disregarded many military traditions and regulations, saying it was disrespectful to the nation and to other soldiers.
Of course, Filicia had attacked her, causing a huge fight with her in the mess hall. What was it that she had said?
”Take what you said back!” the younger Filicia said with an air of quiet, barely restrained fury, looking down at Rio from her position of the winner of the fight. She was sporting a scratched cheek and a bleeding lip and the look in her eye was ferocious. “How dare you,” she had said with her fists clench, the light reflecting across her glasses, “how dare you assume our lives are already forfeit! Even if we’re soldiers, we have to live the lives that the dead dreamed of, for the sake of all of us!”
“Sorry about that, back then.”
“I’ve already mostly forgotten about it,” Filicia replies simply.
“You were right though.”
Filicia doesn’t answer immediately; she only leans back in her chair. Her eyes are hidden in the light refracting off her glasses. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing-if I’m just projecting my own selfish desires onto them.“
Even though she’s sitting right next to me, she seems so far away now, Rio thinks. Sometimes she wonders exactly what Filicia sees when she loses herself in thought-what is it that Filicia remembers. Rio herself had never been in live combat and it was only the memories of her mother and sister that haunted her dreams. For Filicia, it was more-Rio couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose her entire platoon. For a moment Rio wonders what it would be like to see the lifeless bodies of Kanata, Noel, and Kureha sprawled out on the bridge of the Time Telling Fortress as missiles and tank shells are exchanged overhead.
It’s a terrifying image.
“You’re doing the right thing, I think.” Rio says. “They deserve to live a carefree life. We all do.”
Filicia slowly turns to look at her. The expression in her eyes is open, vulnerable. And, for the first time today, time itself seems to have slowed to a trickle. Rio feels safe, like she’s finally back home. There is a degree of comfort and familiarity here. The fact that she is the only one alive that Filicia allows to see her weak side makes Rio feel needed in a way that her position as princess never did. Rio moves behind Filicia and wraps her arms around her.
“I missed you, Filica,” she whispers, burying her face in the other girl’s soft blonde hair.
Filicia giggles, but she leans into the embrace.
“I’ve said many hellos and just as many goodbyes. But,” she pauses, slowly laying her hand on Rio’s arm, “this is one of the few times that I’ve ever said welcome back.”
“Well, I’m back.”
For a few moments they stay like that before the embrace is broken.
“I’m glad you are. I admit, I was slightly worried about how well I could lead them without you,” Filicia says candidly before turning to stare at the diminishing candlelight. “I’d rather them take after you than me. You can do more for them than I can.”
There is an edge to her words, a sense of world-weary weight to them that sounds both at odds with the Filicia’s girlish voice yet at the same time so characteristic of the eighteen year-old. It’s a thing that has tempered her personality, colored her character, and something that occasionally puts her and Rio at odds with each other, just like it did during their first fight.
And what can Rio say in response to that? She struggles at how to properly respond to such heavy words, her trepidation conveyed in a shaking, half outreached arm. Her hand falls to her side, clenches in a fist, before Rio moves forward once more. Once more she embraces Filica tightly.
“You’re still young too, you know,” she says.
Filicia laughs at this and takes off her glasses. Carefully she stands up while making sure not to break the embrace. Once she has, she turns around and returns the hug with equal strength.
“I missed you too, Rio,” she says, emotion seeping into her voice as she buries her face into the nape of Rio’s neck and clutches the cloth on the princess’ back.
They cling to each other for a few moments longer before Rio cups Filicia’s face with her two hands and they kiss. It is one that is slow, sensuous, and familiar. Rather than having the sense of a beginning or an end, it is continuous as one kiss transitions to the next and the next until Rio has guided Filicia to the bed and laid her gently down on it.
Against the light pitter-patter of the rain on the windowsill, Rio unpins the buttons on Filicia uniform one by one. Her hand travels across the landscape of the other girl’s body, exploring the soft skin over the battle hardened muscles, and feels the slight bumps and dips of Filicia’s faded battle scars. Filicia does not stay complacent for long before she too moves forward with practiced familiarity in a long night that slowly inches towards dawn.
And in the morning, when Kanata, Kureha, and Noel rush forward towards the new day, Rio will turn back for Filicia, take her by the hand, and together they will run headfirst into the morning.
Title: Before Soft Rains
Author/Artist: vinforspi
Fandom: So Ra No Wo To
Pairing: Filicia Heideman/Kazumiya Rio
Rating: PG-13
Request/Prompt: “You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.”
Contains: Light allusions to sex and drunken shenanigans, but an overall somber atmosphere
Word Count: 1500
Notes: Title alludes both to the Sara Teasdale poem, "There Comes Soft Rains," and the Ray Bradbury short story by the same name.
Rio returns to the Time Telling Fortress the day the cherry blossoms begin to fall. Framed by the light pink petals floating down in the background, she is greeted by the members of the 1121st Platoon. Kanata, Kureha, and Noel leap onto her once the initial shock of her appearance wears off, the force of their combined embrace is enough to make Rio crash into the ground. The sound of their laughter encapsulates the scene while Second Lieutenant Filicia Heideman, the captain of the platoon, watches on with a fond smile on her bespectacled face. She stands at a distance-more a spectator than a participant of the scene.
The rest of the day is characterized by jubilant celebrations. Even as everyone goes about their daily routines, Rio’s presence seems to energize them. They all finish their chores in record time and a homecoming party is held in the princess’ honor. Despite Kureha’s half-panicked protests, Filicia still spikes everyone’s drinks causing the cheery atmosphere to intensify into a drunken abandon. Later, even as the festivities continue in its energetic frenzy, the blonde-haired girl slips away, unnoticed by the other members of the platoon.
Outside of the fortress, the moon shines brightly in the midnight hours. The individual lights from the town below are slowly snuffed out, one-by-one, as the citizens of Seize retreat to their beds. The humidity intensifies and the air grows colder and colder. Clouds overhead grow larger and larger and darker still.
Later, when Rio finally manages to untangle herself from the pile of sleeping bodies, she goes to find Filicia. The older girl is in her room. She is sitting at her desk, her back to the doorway, and is still dressed in her uniform. A candle burns and causes Filicia’s shadow to flicker along the walls. She ignores Rio even as the other girl walks towards her. Her eyes are trained on a journal in front of her. The entry is half written.
“Hey,” the blue-haired soldier says. Filicia turns around and offers Rio a small smile.
“Hello Rio,” she returns pleasantly.
“When did you leave?”
“A little while back,” Filicia answers. She says after a pause, “You know, we reminisced about you the day before. So it was surprising to see you today.”
“You didn’t really think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you?”
“Maybe, “ Filiicia replies with a teasing smile before she says in a more serious tone, “are you back for good?”
“Pretty much. The marriage is just in name only. He already has a wife and I’m a nuisance at the capital anyway. Besides,” Rio says looking up, staring straight into Filicia’s eyes, “my place is here.”
The blonde-haired girl stares back at her before she breaks into a mischievous smile. “My, how bold of you,” she says, causing the other girl to sputter and blush.
“A-anyway, what exactly did everyone reminisce about?”
“About how we met you.”
“You tell them about our first meeting?”
“Of course.”
“Did you tell them about our fistfight too?”
“Yes. Kana-chan was especially interested in who won. But don’t worry,” Filicia says with amusement, “I didn’t say who did. I didn’t want to ruin your cool reputation in the eyes of our cute juniors.”
“Thanks,” Rio replies drolly, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. She remembers the day of the fight and the circumstances that led up to it. She had been an ignorant, spoiled brat back then. She had fought with Filicia about the girl’s easily-going policy that disregarded many military traditions and regulations, saying it was disrespectful to the nation and to other soldiers.
Of course, Filicia had attacked her, causing a huge fight with her in the mess hall. What was it that she had said?
”Take what you said back!” the younger Filicia said with an air of quiet, barely restrained fury, looking down at Rio from her position of the winner of the fight. She was sporting a scratched cheek and a bleeding lip and the look in her eye was ferocious. “How dare you,” she had said with her fists clench, the light reflecting across her glasses, “how dare you assume our lives are already forfeit! Even if we’re soldiers, we have to live the lives that the dead dreamed of, for the sake of all of us!”
“Sorry about that, back then.”
“I’ve already mostly forgotten about it,” Filicia replies simply.
“You were right though.”
Filicia doesn’t answer immediately; she only leans back in her chair. Her eyes are hidden in the light refracting off her glasses. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing-if I’m just projecting my own selfish desires onto them.“
Even though she’s sitting right next to me, she seems so far away now, Rio thinks. Sometimes she wonders exactly what Filicia sees when she loses herself in thought-what is it that Filicia remembers. Rio herself had never been in live combat and it was only the memories of her mother and sister that haunted her dreams. For Filicia, it was more-Rio couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose her entire platoon. For a moment Rio wonders what it would be like to see the lifeless bodies of Kanata, Noel, and Kureha sprawled out on the bridge of the Time Telling Fortress as missiles and tank shells are exchanged overhead.
It’s a terrifying image.
“You’re doing the right thing, I think.” Rio says. “They deserve to live a carefree life. We all do.”
Filicia slowly turns to look at her. The expression in her eyes is open, vulnerable. And, for the first time today, time itself seems to have slowed to a trickle. Rio feels safe, like she’s finally back home. There is a degree of comfort and familiarity here. The fact that she is the only one alive that Filicia allows to see her weak side makes Rio feel needed in a way that her position as princess never did. Rio moves behind Filicia and wraps her arms around her.
“I missed you, Filica,” she whispers, burying her face in the other girl’s soft blonde hair.
Filicia giggles, but she leans into the embrace.
“I’ve said many hellos and just as many goodbyes. But,” she pauses, slowly laying her hand on Rio’s arm, “this is one of the few times that I’ve ever said welcome back.”
“Well, I’m back.”
For a few moments they stay like that before the embrace is broken.
“I’m glad you are. I admit, I was slightly worried about how well I could lead them without you,” Filicia says candidly before turning to stare at the diminishing candlelight. “I’d rather them take after you than me. You can do more for them than I can.”
There is an edge to her words, a sense of world-weary weight to them that sounds both at odds with the Filicia’s girlish voice yet at the same time so characteristic of the eighteen year-old. It’s a thing that has tempered her personality, colored her character, and something that occasionally puts her and Rio at odds with each other, just like it did during their first fight.
And what can Rio say in response to that? She struggles at how to properly respond to such heavy words, her trepidation conveyed in a shaking, half outreached arm. Her hand falls to her side, clenches in a fist, before Rio moves forward once more. Once more she embraces Filica tightly.
“You’re still young too, you know,” she says.
Filicia laughs at this and takes off her glasses. Carefully she stands up while making sure not to break the embrace. Once she has, she turns around and returns the hug with equal strength.
“I missed you too, Rio,” she says, emotion seeping into her voice as she buries her face into the nape of Rio’s neck and clutches the cloth on the princess’ back.
They cling to each other for a few moments longer before Rio cups Filicia’s face with her two hands and they kiss. It is one that is slow, sensuous, and familiar. Rather than having the sense of a beginning or an end, it is continuous as one kiss transitions to the next and the next until Rio has guided Filicia to the bed and laid her gently down on it.
Against the light pitter-patter of the rain on the windowsill, Rio unpins the buttons on Filicia uniform one by one. Her hand travels across the landscape of the other girl’s body, exploring the soft skin over the battle hardened muscles, and feels the slight bumps and dips of Filicia’s faded battle scars. Filicia does not stay complacent for long before she too moves forward with practiced familiarity in a long night that slowly inches towards dawn.
And in the morning, when Kanata, Kureha, and Noel rush forward towards the new day, Rio will turn back for Filicia, take her by the hand, and together they will run headfirst into the morning.