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estinoseMaybe I'm not quite through with writing for this evening. This is "Boxed In" universe, and could be counted as a "Missing Scene" for that story.
Note that at the time I started writing "Boxed In", I didn't realize that the "patterning" (the marks on Wataru's face and neck) didn't extend to the rest of his body.
Title: Fall Foliage
Author: Estirose
Universe: Boxed In
Rating: 8+
Prompt: Video
Summary: Hotaru tries to talk to Wataru shortly after he comes into the Executioner's custody. Key word being "tries".
Hotaru walked into the upstairs bedroom, not sure what she was expecting to find. Kurenai Wataru had been found trying to carry out the Executioner's job, in the Kiva armor, and that had been the only reason they'd finally found him. Usually, they were faster at finding the children; Wataru's cell had been unusually cunning.
Sitting on the bed was a teenager. Late teens, if the information was correct, a light-haired boy with a set of moles right below his right eye. His hands were folded; he barely looked up when she entered.
"Kurenai Wataru-kun?" she asked gently. The boy looked up for a moment, and then hung his head again. Withdrawn as anything, like a lot of the children newly taken from their homes. He carried no Fandiri patterning like he was supposed to, and Hotaru hoped that the Executioner had a very, very good reason for that.
"My name is Hiraoka Hotaru; I'm a member of the Fangaire Council. And sort of a social worker, as the Executioner probably told you." She figured that the Executioner would tell his apprentice that kind of thing.
Wataru still looked down, though he showed no indication that he *hadn't* heard her; he just didn't bother to respond.
"Has the Executioner been feeding you?" she asked. She couldn't imagine the Executioner *not* feeding his apprentice, but she had to ask.
Looking up, Wataru gave her a brief nod.
"Do you know what patterning is? Seen it on videos? On yourself?" He had to know what patterning was. Even the hidden Fandiri knew.
"Yes." Wataru's voice was quiet, his response brief.
"Since you got here?" Hotaru asked. Wataru just gave her a dull stare, the dull stare of someone not really interested in answering. She dug into her bag for the snacks she carried everywhere. "Here, Wataru, eat."
Wataru stared at the food as if it was something completely foreign to him.
"Eat." She took one of his hands and placed the snack in it. "It won't hurt you."
Staring at it, Wataru ate it slowly, as if not sure that it wouldn't bite him. At least he could follow instructions.
"Good, Wataru. Now, do you understand why you were taken away from your human father?"
Wataru nodded, as if each movement of his head would cause a headache. Hotaru felt a pang of worry. Was he sick? Did she need to bring him a doctor, or at least some pain medicine?
"Wataru? Do you have a headache?" she asked, leaning forward.
A swifter shake of his head followed, as if denying that anything was wrong. She dug out some Fandiri-safe pain medication. "That doesn't look good. I'll be right back."
She hurried to the bathroom and fetched some water for the pain medication in her purse. Wataru was still sitting there when she got back. He listlessly took the pills and water and swallowed the pain medication, handing the glass back to Hotaru. Very polite, she noted.
His patterning was beginning to show. Green and red and yellow seemed to be his colors; long streaks of red predominated, stretching down his arms. His patterning reminded Hotaru of fall foliage. The patterns, like those of all Fandiri, ended as a faint spiderweb on the back of his hands. On his face, the patterning ended up in a sort of bird's head, the 'beaks' pointing towards his hair, the 'head' a splash of red.
It was, in all, a lovely effect, and it was a shame that he'd hidden it for so long. He'd probably been taught that the marks were shameful and had to be hidden, something that was disgusting to her and any other civilized being.
"You're so beautiful," she said finally.
Wataru ducked his head, as if to hide. She caught his chin in her hand. "Don't hate your patterning, Wataru, it's part of who you are. Part of what makes you so special."
He stared at her once more, not comprehending, not understanding. But he would, someday, if she had anything to do with it.
-end
Note that at the time I started writing "Boxed In", I didn't realize that the "patterning" (the marks on Wataru's face and neck) didn't extend to the rest of his body.
Title: Fall Foliage
Author: Estirose
Universe: Boxed In
Rating: 8+
Prompt: Video
Summary: Hotaru tries to talk to Wataru shortly after he comes into the Executioner's custody. Key word being "tries".
Hotaru walked into the upstairs bedroom, not sure what she was expecting to find. Kurenai Wataru had been found trying to carry out the Executioner's job, in the Kiva armor, and that had been the only reason they'd finally found him. Usually, they were faster at finding the children; Wataru's cell had been unusually cunning.
Sitting on the bed was a teenager. Late teens, if the information was correct, a light-haired boy with a set of moles right below his right eye. His hands were folded; he barely looked up when she entered.
"Kurenai Wataru-kun?" she asked gently. The boy looked up for a moment, and then hung his head again. Withdrawn as anything, like a lot of the children newly taken from their homes. He carried no Fandiri patterning like he was supposed to, and Hotaru hoped that the Executioner had a very, very good reason for that.
"My name is Hiraoka Hotaru; I'm a member of the Fangaire Council. And sort of a social worker, as the Executioner probably told you." She figured that the Executioner would tell his apprentice that kind of thing.
Wataru still looked down, though he showed no indication that he *hadn't* heard her; he just didn't bother to respond.
"Has the Executioner been feeding you?" she asked. She couldn't imagine the Executioner *not* feeding his apprentice, but she had to ask.
Looking up, Wataru gave her a brief nod.
"Do you know what patterning is? Seen it on videos? On yourself?" He had to know what patterning was. Even the hidden Fandiri knew.
"Yes." Wataru's voice was quiet, his response brief.
"Since you got here?" Hotaru asked. Wataru just gave her a dull stare, the dull stare of someone not really interested in answering. She dug into her bag for the snacks she carried everywhere. "Here, Wataru, eat."
Wataru stared at the food as if it was something completely foreign to him.
"Eat." She took one of his hands and placed the snack in it. "It won't hurt you."
Staring at it, Wataru ate it slowly, as if not sure that it wouldn't bite him. At least he could follow instructions.
"Good, Wataru. Now, do you understand why you were taken away from your human father?"
Wataru nodded, as if each movement of his head would cause a headache. Hotaru felt a pang of worry. Was he sick? Did she need to bring him a doctor, or at least some pain medicine?
"Wataru? Do you have a headache?" she asked, leaning forward.
A swifter shake of his head followed, as if denying that anything was wrong. She dug out some Fandiri-safe pain medication. "That doesn't look good. I'll be right back."
She hurried to the bathroom and fetched some water for the pain medication in her purse. Wataru was still sitting there when she got back. He listlessly took the pills and water and swallowed the pain medication, handing the glass back to Hotaru. Very polite, she noted.
His patterning was beginning to show. Green and red and yellow seemed to be his colors; long streaks of red predominated, stretching down his arms. His patterning reminded Hotaru of fall foliage. The patterns, like those of all Fandiri, ended as a faint spiderweb on the back of his hands. On his face, the patterning ended up in a sort of bird's head, the 'beaks' pointing towards his hair, the 'head' a splash of red.
It was, in all, a lovely effect, and it was a shame that he'd hidden it for so long. He'd probably been taught that the marks were shameful and had to be hidden, something that was disgusting to her and any other civilized being.
"You're so beautiful," she said finally.
Wataru ducked his head, as if to hide. She caught his chin in her hand. "Don't hate your patterning, Wataru, it's part of who you are. Part of what makes you so special."
He stared at her once more, not comprehending, not understanding. But he would, someday, if she had anything to do with it.
-end
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