Post by Wicked on Aug 18, 2011 23:41:50 GMT -5
Masaru took a hesitant step through the willows, each of which urged him onwards. He took a step onto the pond. He fell through.
In seconds, Masaru had pulled himself up and was now treading water, gasping for breath. He hadn't expected to fall straight through like that--but it had happened. He was suddenly hit by a harsh wave of water, and he was left sputtering. Water came out of his nose, out of his ears, and out of his mouth. He stared at Sazanami, who sent another wave at him. Masaru braced himself this time, turned around so the wave would sweep him towards the willows. He grabbed onto the vines, pulled himself up.
"Is that it, Masaru?" Sazanami demanded. Masaru stared at him. "Are you going to try to hide from me too?"
Masaru gritted his teeth, moved forward slightly but refused to let go of the vines, as more water was coming his way, and pushed him back anyways.
"Fight, you idiot," Sazanami spat. "You should have at least some fight in you."
Masaru took offense to that, letting go of the vines and diving into the pond. He swam over, popped up under Sazanami and moved to grab his kimono. But a sudden, harsh current pulled him under, and he opened his mouth in shock, took a breath. He started to choke on the water, it burned. He was thrown up against the willow trees again, and he spat out the water he had breathed in as he gripped the vines again.
"Running away. Pathetic. You won't even try again," Sazanami muttered, turning his back to Masaru. Masaru yelled out, lunged forward at Sazanami and managed to create a small, shaky foothold in the water. He shot at Sazanami, but another sudden wave broke his walkway and sent him under the surface again. It spat him up against the willows, which did nothing to stop him from sinking or climbing them.
"Making the same mistakes," Sazanami spat again. "You have the cover of a turned back, but not the brains to use it properly."
"Fuck off," Masaru spat back.
Sazanami doused Masaru with another wave. "You knew your mother hated your father, you idiot, you wouldn't put two-and-two together and realize why."
"I needed to know!"
"You spent so much time grovelling over the idea that a man who abandoned you with that bitter old woman would actually want to see you that you lost sight of what actually matters!"
"Leave Chiyako out o' it. It ain't her fault."
Sazanami spat into the water. Masaru leaped out with a fist ready to slam into the effeminate man, but a wave knocked him under the surface. He tried to swim back upwards, but the water felt heavy and distant. He reached for the surface but only found water. No air. He continued to fall. He wondered if he was going to die. But he kept reaching upwards, kept kicking anyways. He was not letting a part of his own mind kill him.
And when he finally grasped some air, was able to put his hand on the surface of the water and pull himself out, he understood. He didn't say a word, but he realized that in the end, Chiyako may have felt guilty, but she still saw Hisao in him. In the end, Maeru was the closest thing to family Masaru had ever had, and likely ever would have. He was alone.
Overwhelmed, Masaru let out a throaty howl. Like a wounded animal. Sazanami looked down at Masaru, but allowed him that moment to behave like a child. When that moment had ended, he continued. "You need to stop running from yourself, Masaru. When this happens, these waters will finally calm."
Sazanami waved an arm, pointed to the exit without revealing his hand.
Masaru nodded, and left without another word.
In seconds, Masaru had pulled himself up and was now treading water, gasping for breath. He hadn't expected to fall straight through like that--but it had happened. He was suddenly hit by a harsh wave of water, and he was left sputtering. Water came out of his nose, out of his ears, and out of his mouth. He stared at Sazanami, who sent another wave at him. Masaru braced himself this time, turned around so the wave would sweep him towards the willows. He grabbed onto the vines, pulled himself up.
"Is that it, Masaru?" Sazanami demanded. Masaru stared at him. "Are you going to try to hide from me too?"
Masaru gritted his teeth, moved forward slightly but refused to let go of the vines, as more water was coming his way, and pushed him back anyways.
"Fight, you idiot," Sazanami spat. "You should have at least some fight in you."
Masaru took offense to that, letting go of the vines and diving into the pond. He swam over, popped up under Sazanami and moved to grab his kimono. But a sudden, harsh current pulled him under, and he opened his mouth in shock, took a breath. He started to choke on the water, it burned. He was thrown up against the willow trees again, and he spat out the water he had breathed in as he gripped the vines again.
"Running away. Pathetic. You won't even try again," Sazanami muttered, turning his back to Masaru. Masaru yelled out, lunged forward at Sazanami and managed to create a small, shaky foothold in the water. He shot at Sazanami, but another sudden wave broke his walkway and sent him under the surface again. It spat him up against the willows, which did nothing to stop him from sinking or climbing them.
"Making the same mistakes," Sazanami spat again. "You have the cover of a turned back, but not the brains to use it properly."
"Fuck off," Masaru spat back.
Sazanami doused Masaru with another wave. "You knew your mother hated your father, you idiot, you wouldn't put two-and-two together and realize why."
"I needed to know!"
"You spent so much time grovelling over the idea that a man who abandoned you with that bitter old woman would actually want to see you that you lost sight of what actually matters!"
"Leave Chiyako out o' it. It ain't her fault."
Sazanami spat into the water. Masaru leaped out with a fist ready to slam into the effeminate man, but a wave knocked him under the surface. He tried to swim back upwards, but the water felt heavy and distant. He reached for the surface but only found water. No air. He continued to fall. He wondered if he was going to die. But he kept reaching upwards, kept kicking anyways. He was not letting a part of his own mind kill him.
And when he finally grasped some air, was able to put his hand on the surface of the water and pull himself out, he understood. He didn't say a word, but he realized that in the end, Chiyako may have felt guilty, but she still saw Hisao in him. In the end, Maeru was the closest thing to family Masaru had ever had, and likely ever would have. He was alone.
Overwhelmed, Masaru let out a throaty howl. Like a wounded animal. Sazanami looked down at Masaru, but allowed him that moment to behave like a child. When that moment had ended, he continued. "You need to stop running from yourself, Masaru. When this happens, these waters will finally calm."
Sazanami waved an arm, pointed to the exit without revealing his hand.
Masaru nodded, and left without another word.