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kinkfestTitle: Fox Wedding
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
incandescens
Rating: G
Warnings: Nothing specific.
Word count: 1329
Prompt: June 26th - Onmyoji, Seimei/Hiromasa: Illusions - "Moonlight traced down the pale curve of his neck and for a moment, he thought he saw the moon itself in him."
Hiromasa and Seimei were having a moon-viewing party when the foxes came trotting by.
"They're going to a wedding," Seimei said casually.
Hiromasa was fascinated. The foxes moved so smoothly across the garden, ducking and weaving between the bushes and flowers, their white-tipped tails catching the moonlight. Little balls of light seemed to hover above them, almost like lanterns. "Isn't the weather supposed to be raining rather than clear for a kitsune wedding?" he asked.
"Ah, they make exceptions for the full moon," Seimei said. "Like any sensible person. Would you like to watch?"
"We haven't been invited," Hiromasa said firmly. He knew all about what happened to uninvited guests at kitsune weddings.
"Oh, that doesn't matter," Seimei said. "I can cast an illusion over us so that they won't recognise us. Or do you doubt my powers?"
Hiromasa raised his sleeve defensively. "Of course I don't. But I wouldn't want you to get into trouble with --" With your family, he almost said. "With foxes," he finished.
"We'd better hurry," Seimei said, apparently choosing not to comment on Hiromasa's careless words. "Here. Take my fan. Hold it in front of your face and remember not to say anything, or they'll notice the difference."
Hiromasa took the plain silk fan and raised it in front of his face. Nothing seemed different.
"Now," Seimei said, and nodded towards the last few foxes. But they were no longer foxes; they were men and women in rich clothing, gliding through the garden. The men offered the women their arms to help them over the tussocks and little hills, and the women smiled close-mouthed smiles and ducked their heads. The garden wall wasn't there any more; instead the ground sloped away towards the wide sycamore tree that stood behind it, and an awning of silks and bamboo glimmered in the moonlight, framing a man and woman who knelt there together.
Hiromasa rose along with Seimei and followed him. It seemed all of a piece; the moonlight, the wine, the foxes. He kept the fan in front of his face as Seimei had instructed him, and none of the foxes looked at him twice. A few laughed at Seimei, or made brief comments about how rare it was to see him.
One male fox stopped Seimei. "Nephew," he said, "your mother sends her greetings."
Seimei bowed. "It is my grief that I have not seen my honourable mother in some while, but she has signified that she approves of my current work."
"And who is this pretty flirt that follows you?" The fox surveyed Hiromasa, who was barely able to keep the fan steady in front of his face, so shocked was he by the words. "A shy and modest lady -- will she show me her face?"
"Modesty is a jewel among women; this lady only unveils her face in her chamber for me," Seimei said quickly. "Don't expect to see her tail any time soon."
"You take companions so rarely, you must expect us to be curious about them," the fox answered. "May I ask the lady's name and her family?"
"She is Flute-Player, of the Noble-Hero family," Seimei said. "She is still too young to send poems or receive them, but I thought that she should see the wedding."
"Well, Flute-Player," the fox said, "I will have to ask Seimei to introduce us on the day when you are bold enough to speak to strangers. A lady of our kind should have more spirit! But guard your manners for the moment, and I will see you later: I must speak to my aunt."
"Well done," Seimei whispered when the fox had left them. "No, do not speak; I know you are angry, but you may scold me later. They would have been suspicious if they had seen me in company with another man. Let us watch the wedding now."
The marriage took place as would have been done among humans, with the ritual exchange and drinking of cups of sake. Then the guests began to form a line to leave presents for the bride and groom.
"This is inconvenient," Seimei muttered. "I have not brought any gifts with me, yet it would be rude for me to leave now. Hiromasa, have you anything of worth on you?"
Hiromasa had only the twig of maple which had previously been attached to a letter to him from a woman of the court, still thick with leaves. He offered it to Seimei.
"Good enough," Seimei said, and hid the twig in his own sleeve. When they came to make their gifts to the newly-wed couple, he drew the twig out, and the leaves covering it were all copper and gold, rustling against each other like the clappers of tiny bells. He laid it in front of the couple with a bow.
"A petty gift from Abe no Seimei," the fox who had spoken to them earlier said, stepping forward. "Can you think of no better present?"
"Alas," Seimei said, "we came in haste so as not to miss the wedding, and I did not have the time to choose a richer gift. I ask the forgiveness of all present."
"Maybe Flute-Player will favour us with a serenade," the fox said, smiling in an unpleasant manner. "I would be glad to see her lovely mouth."
Hiromasa was about to nod that he agreed, when he realised that he would have to lay his fan aside for such a thing. So instead he lowered his eyes and throttled down his temper and allowed Seimei to speak instead.
"You have no flute here worthy of Flute-Player's gifts," Seimei said, "so I must refuse."
The fox drew the hem of his sleeve over the maple twig, and a flute of polished wood lay in its place. "Let Flute-Player use this, and we shall judge her worth."
Seimei touched the tips of his fingers to his lips, then pointed at the flute. An arrow lay in its place. "Let Flute-Player use this, and you shall judge her worth indeed."
"What's this?" the fox said. "Will you now challenge your own uncle?"
"Uncle," Seimei said, "since you insist, I will tell you the truth. Flute-Player is shy because she is not a pretty woman. I allowed her to come to the wedding because she swore to keep her fan in front of her face, but if you insist on making her lower it, then you will shame her and cause me grief."
The fox put his hand on his heart. "I swear that I will not harm Flute-Player or speak unkindly of her, but all the same, she must lower her fan or this wedding will be spoiled."
At that, Seimei signed to Hiromasa to lower the fan, and he did so. The foxes around him cried out in shock, and Seimei's uncle himself said, "Ah, it is true! Her eyebrows are unplucked, her mouth is wide, her cheeks are thin, her hair is short -- to look at Flute-Player, one would think her a man! Seimei, I apologise to you for my words. Let Flute-Player raise her fan again, and the wedding will continue."
But as Hiromasa raised his fan again, a cloud came across the sky and the moon was hidden, and the foxes fled in all directions with cries of fear, leaving Seimei and Hiromasa standing in the field alone below the sycamore tree.
"Well," Seimei said. "Was that not amusing?"
Hiromasa snapped the fan closed. "Next time," he said brusquely, "don't invite me to any such parties."
"But you acted your part so well!" Seimei protested. "Your conduct was perfect!"
"As a woman?"
Seimei shrugged. "If it was an illusion, does it matter? The moon has gone in now, and all the foxes have fled."
"No," Hiromasa said, watching the moonlight that still clung to Seimei's skin, to the folds of his white robe and the lines of his pale hands. "There's one still here."
---
(I apologise for the lateness of this: my computer has crashed, probably permanently, and I lost my files. Many thanks to the friends who sent me the versions or parts that I'd sent them for beta-reading.)
Author:
incandescens Rating: G
Warnings: Nothing specific.
Word count: 1329
Prompt: June 26th - Onmyoji, Seimei/Hiromasa: Illusions - "Moonlight traced down the pale curve of his neck and for a moment, he thought he saw the moon itself in him."
Hiromasa and Seimei were having a moon-viewing party when the foxes came trotting by.
"They're going to a wedding," Seimei said casually.
Hiromasa was fascinated. The foxes moved so smoothly across the garden, ducking and weaving between the bushes and flowers, their white-tipped tails catching the moonlight. Little balls of light seemed to hover above them, almost like lanterns. "Isn't the weather supposed to be raining rather than clear for a kitsune wedding?" he asked.
"Ah, they make exceptions for the full moon," Seimei said. "Like any sensible person. Would you like to watch?"
"We haven't been invited," Hiromasa said firmly. He knew all about what happened to uninvited guests at kitsune weddings.
"Oh, that doesn't matter," Seimei said. "I can cast an illusion over us so that they won't recognise us. Or do you doubt my powers?"
Hiromasa raised his sleeve defensively. "Of course I don't. But I wouldn't want you to get into trouble with --" With your family, he almost said. "With foxes," he finished.
"We'd better hurry," Seimei said, apparently choosing not to comment on Hiromasa's careless words. "Here. Take my fan. Hold it in front of your face and remember not to say anything, or they'll notice the difference."
Hiromasa took the plain silk fan and raised it in front of his face. Nothing seemed different.
"Now," Seimei said, and nodded towards the last few foxes. But they were no longer foxes; they were men and women in rich clothing, gliding through the garden. The men offered the women their arms to help them over the tussocks and little hills, and the women smiled close-mouthed smiles and ducked their heads. The garden wall wasn't there any more; instead the ground sloped away towards the wide sycamore tree that stood behind it, and an awning of silks and bamboo glimmered in the moonlight, framing a man and woman who knelt there together.
Hiromasa rose along with Seimei and followed him. It seemed all of a piece; the moonlight, the wine, the foxes. He kept the fan in front of his face as Seimei had instructed him, and none of the foxes looked at him twice. A few laughed at Seimei, or made brief comments about how rare it was to see him.
One male fox stopped Seimei. "Nephew," he said, "your mother sends her greetings."
Seimei bowed. "It is my grief that I have not seen my honourable mother in some while, but she has signified that she approves of my current work."
"And who is this pretty flirt that follows you?" The fox surveyed Hiromasa, who was barely able to keep the fan steady in front of his face, so shocked was he by the words. "A shy and modest lady -- will she show me her face?"
"Modesty is a jewel among women; this lady only unveils her face in her chamber for me," Seimei said quickly. "Don't expect to see her tail any time soon."
"You take companions so rarely, you must expect us to be curious about them," the fox answered. "May I ask the lady's name and her family?"
"She is Flute-Player, of the Noble-Hero family," Seimei said. "She is still too young to send poems or receive them, but I thought that she should see the wedding."
"Well, Flute-Player," the fox said, "I will have to ask Seimei to introduce us on the day when you are bold enough to speak to strangers. A lady of our kind should have more spirit! But guard your manners for the moment, and I will see you later: I must speak to my aunt."
"Well done," Seimei whispered when the fox had left them. "No, do not speak; I know you are angry, but you may scold me later. They would have been suspicious if they had seen me in company with another man. Let us watch the wedding now."
The marriage took place as would have been done among humans, with the ritual exchange and drinking of cups of sake. Then the guests began to form a line to leave presents for the bride and groom.
"This is inconvenient," Seimei muttered. "I have not brought any gifts with me, yet it would be rude for me to leave now. Hiromasa, have you anything of worth on you?"
Hiromasa had only the twig of maple which had previously been attached to a letter to him from a woman of the court, still thick with leaves. He offered it to Seimei.
"Good enough," Seimei said, and hid the twig in his own sleeve. When they came to make their gifts to the newly-wed couple, he drew the twig out, and the leaves covering it were all copper and gold, rustling against each other like the clappers of tiny bells. He laid it in front of the couple with a bow.
"A petty gift from Abe no Seimei," the fox who had spoken to them earlier said, stepping forward. "Can you think of no better present?"
"Alas," Seimei said, "we came in haste so as not to miss the wedding, and I did not have the time to choose a richer gift. I ask the forgiveness of all present."
"Maybe Flute-Player will favour us with a serenade," the fox said, smiling in an unpleasant manner. "I would be glad to see her lovely mouth."
Hiromasa was about to nod that he agreed, when he realised that he would have to lay his fan aside for such a thing. So instead he lowered his eyes and throttled down his temper and allowed Seimei to speak instead.
"You have no flute here worthy of Flute-Player's gifts," Seimei said, "so I must refuse."
The fox drew the hem of his sleeve over the maple twig, and a flute of polished wood lay in its place. "Let Flute-Player use this, and we shall judge her worth."
Seimei touched the tips of his fingers to his lips, then pointed at the flute. An arrow lay in its place. "Let Flute-Player use this, and you shall judge her worth indeed."
"What's this?" the fox said. "Will you now challenge your own uncle?"
"Uncle," Seimei said, "since you insist, I will tell you the truth. Flute-Player is shy because she is not a pretty woman. I allowed her to come to the wedding because she swore to keep her fan in front of her face, but if you insist on making her lower it, then you will shame her and cause me grief."
The fox put his hand on his heart. "I swear that I will not harm Flute-Player or speak unkindly of her, but all the same, she must lower her fan or this wedding will be spoiled."
At that, Seimei signed to Hiromasa to lower the fan, and he did so. The foxes around him cried out in shock, and Seimei's uncle himself said, "Ah, it is true! Her eyebrows are unplucked, her mouth is wide, her cheeks are thin, her hair is short -- to look at Flute-Player, one would think her a man! Seimei, I apologise to you for my words. Let Flute-Player raise her fan again, and the wedding will continue."
But as Hiromasa raised his fan again, a cloud came across the sky and the moon was hidden, and the foxes fled in all directions with cries of fear, leaving Seimei and Hiromasa standing in the field alone below the sycamore tree.
"Well," Seimei said. "Was that not amusing?"
Hiromasa snapped the fan closed. "Next time," he said brusquely, "don't invite me to any such parties."
"But you acted your part so well!" Seimei protested. "Your conduct was perfect!"
"As a woman?"
Seimei shrugged. "If it was an illusion, does it matter? The moon has gone in now, and all the foxes have fled."
"No," Hiromasa said, watching the moonlight that still clung to Seimei's skin, to the folds of his white robe and the lines of his pale hands. "There's one still here."
---
(I apologise for the lateness of this: my computer has crashed, probably permanently, and I lost my files. Many thanks to the friends who sent me the versions or parts that I'd sent them for beta-reading.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:14 pm (UTC)The play on mythology and Seimei's origins and oh god, poor Hiromasa! XD This was just so much fun and really captured the spirit of Seimei as he and his trickster relations play off of each other and poor Hiromasa gets stuck in the middle of it all.
I am happily delighted. <3
no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 08:59 pm (UTC)Oh, yes... a kitsune wedding without rain in the sunshine? I loved that there is an exception for the moon...
I like your take on the myths.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-30 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-27 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-27 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-28 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-28 01:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-28 04:17 pm (UTC)Thank you very much, both for your fic and for your permission!
no subject
Date: 2010-02-28 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-05 05:09 pm (UTC)Love this line: "No," Hiromasa said, watching the moonlight that still clung to Seimei's skin, to the folds of his white robe and the lines of his pale hands. "There's one still here."
Beautiful ♥
no subject
Date: 2011-12-05 11:01 pm (UTC)