Heat of the Moment
Jun. 15th, 2020 08:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nyanderenekoWord Count: 2,037
Summary: Tsuchigomori catches Nova by surprise while she’s browsing the shelves one afternoon, and the exchange that follows is one of the last things either of them are really prepared for.
Author’s Note: I meant to get back on a role of posting things regularly from the beginning of this month since I did so well pushing myself last month, but then…well, I don’t need to get into the stuff everyone already knows about. It’s been rough, but I finally pushed myself to edit some things, one of which happened to be this fic that almost gave me a heart attack upon revisiting it. I’ve definitely been feeling Some Type Of Way about most of my f/os as of late, and I’m sure this fic illustrates that to some degree, but I’ll be honest I just think it turned out awesome and I’m very happy with it lol. Thank you for reading!
This place was mystical and mysterious to her, but what else could she expect? She waded through the shallow water splashing around her ankles, an indication that she no longer inhabited the mortal plane. It didn’t feel quite like the water she was used to, but that was just another thing to be expected, of course. Because it wasn’t really water, and this place wasn’t really just another dusty looking library tucked away in some quiet, ordinary school. While the webs that clung to the ceiling and shelves might not have appeared too out of place, the floating lights and crystals dancing through the air certainly did.
The boundary between the near and far shores is infinite, unknowable, with an allure that is as hard to ignore as it is to understand. The fledgling spirit hadn’t ended up here of her own accord, but this was her home now, or at least a home of sorts. Forever bound to wander these haunted halls, weaving in and out of the holes that pierced through the fabric of opposing realities…it sounded quite scary, quite complicated. But Nova wasn’t afraid--not anymore. She didn’t have to be, and that was all thanks to the keeper of this boundary, the one who had so graciously offered her sanctuary from the horrors she’d narrowly managed to escape--another feat she’d only been able to achieve with his aid.
She didn’t even know where to start when it came to making it up to him, but she knew she wanted to try. She had to. It was only fair after all he’d done for her, even if he saw it as nothing more than just another trivial thing he’d had to tend to. The curator had more important tasks to oversee, considering the role he played in keeping track of the past, present, and future records of everyone involved with the academy. It was a job he’d been doing probably about as long as the school had been around, and she wasn’t sure what he’d done before that, or how long he’d even been existing in general. She didn’t know anything about his past, and only small, inconsequential things about his present. It wasn’t really her right to know more than that, but she couldn’t help wanting to understand the man she’d attached herself to, her generous caretaker for the foreseeable future.
How much did he know about her? Had her record appeared in this place before she’d even shown up, heralding her arrival? Had he written her record himself, painstakingly describing the details of her days here as per his duty? She shivered at the thought, running her finger across the books’ uneven spines as she paced the shelves. So many names, so much information…she couldn’t imagine what it was like to be the keeper of something like this. To be tasked with keeping track of so many people, diligently documenting their fates, and ensuring that no outsiders, mortal or otherwise, tampered with the collection. Who knew what would happen if such a wealth of information fell into the wrong hands? Nova didn’t want to think of it. Right now, it was just too taxing for her mind to comprehend.
“What are you doing?”
She gasped, catching herself with the shelf as she tripped over her feet. She still wasn’t quite used to interacting with him, his mannerisms and methods of dealing with things, and apparently that included his propensity to appear out of thin air. In reality, he’d just happened to catch her while she was distracted, deep in thought, but she was too caught off guard to realize it. She stared blankly at the books before her, not even reading their titles as her grip tightened. Why did it feel like she’d been caught in some act, or as if he’d only made his presence known to intimidate her? She must have been imagining things, and in truth she was, but she was still just a little too out of it to process and accept all of that.
“I was just browsing,” she answered, maintaining her precious posture.
“I hope you weren’t digging around too much…” the drawl of his voice sent a chill down her spine, creating ripples at her feet. “Or looking into things you aren’t supposed to. You know what happens to people who dare to read the futures recorded in these books, whether it’s yours or someone else’s?”
“You’ve warned me before,” she replied, her mouth going dry. “I promise I wasn’t doing something that stupid, or reckless--”
Four hands suddenly appeared on the shelves, randomly placed both above and below her on either side. Long and spindly, like the legs of a spider…the sight of them made her skin crawl. He knew that, and she knew that he knew, but she wasn’t exactly sure why he’d decided to torment her with such a display. They were almost like a cage, but they hadn’t closed in around her enough to qualify. It didn’t matter, though, because in the next moment two more hands placed themselves on her shoulders. She almost jumped out of her skin, her fur standing on end in an instant as her fight or flight response revved up. She could feel his claws digging into the fabric of her dress, not enough to pierce it, but more than enough to make his presence undeniably, unsettlingly known.
“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to remind you, then.”
He didn’t sound antagonistic, or even amused…his affect was unreadable without seeing his face, and she was in too precarious a position to attempt turning around. He took care of that problem for her as he spun her around, subsequently trapping her between his form that towered before her, and the shelf that towered behind. She was trembling, still producing ripples around her feet that broke against his steady, unwavering stance. He was all she could see now, and as much as she’d enjoyed looking at him as of late, nothing about this position was all that flattering to her. She was scared, confused, worried…but as she lifted her eyes to his face, she realized she didn’t have to be.
“I don’t like it when you wander off without telling me,” his tone was smooth, indifferent, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. “I know this place isn’t that big, or doesn’t seem that way, but you never know what could be lurking in the shadows. For the most part, trouble doesn’t come here, and I’m lucky that it doesn’t…but I don’t want you somehow managing to find it.”
“I’m sorry…” she murmured, dropping her gaze. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I’ll tell you where I’m going next time, if that helps.”
“It would probably be wise…” he advised softly, and her heart skipped a beat at the tender caress of his words.
He hadn’t shifted from his stance in front of her, and his stillness confused her. He’d made his point, said what he wanted to say…so what now? Was he waiting for her to say more, to ask something, to react? She could feel his eyes staring her down, not in a threatening way, but certainly not in a normal way, either. She considered raising her head again, but thought better of it. She wasn’t sure she was prepared to see whatever sight awaited her should she choose to make the first move. As if he’d read her thoughts, he took the initiative instead, hooking a finger under her chin and gently coaxing her to look at him.
She grabbed the hand he still had settled on her shoulder, wondering if it mattered how long her heart or lungs failed her since she was already dead. Probably not, and that was a good thing, since she didn’t get the impression she’d be getting those functions back any time soon. Soft, amethyst eyes stared unwavering into her own dark obsidian gaze. He raised his hand to cup her face, slowly and deliberately tracing the curve of her cheek. She could feel the point of his claw pressing into her skin, but never breaking the surface…it was such a tender gesture, part of her struggled to process that it was even happening at all. What reason could he possibly have to present her with such a display, to regard her with such intensity, such intimacy? She wound her tail around one of her legs, a precaution to try and keep it from betraying her emotions too much. It didn’t matter what she did on the outside, though--he could plainly see the influence he was having on her reflected in her eyes, her expression, her very being.
It was new to him, having someone like her around. It was a different dynamic than the one he had with the kitsune, or any of the other Wonders, for that matter. Keeping to himself didn’t bother him, really--that was just the nature of his position, and it suited his temperament just as well. But ever since she’d come into the picture, it was as if she was able to bypass all of that, affecting him to his core. Her presence was like a gentle glow, a modest flame flickering in the darkness and keeping the shadows at bay. She illuminated the world around her, and had even managed to kindle some kind of warmth in his heart. But he wasn’t completely oblivious to the implication of such phenomena; he knew he still needed to deal with it cautiously, carefully. Because the fire they were playing with, whether they were aware of it or not, was both fragile and formidable.
He leaned in closer, and she tried to keep an equal distance between them as the shelves dug deeper into her back. There was nowhere to go, nothing to distract him with…and part of her was perfectly alright with that. But another part was screaming that she needed to do something, anything to prevent whatever was unfolding from progressing any further. She didn’t know why it had suddenly become so important for her to escape this arguably fortuitous situation…it was probably just her nerves. Her anxiety about the fact that she shouldn’t expect any more from him; he’d already gone above and beyond for her.
Hospitably granting her the privilege of staying here, watching over her and giving her a place to belong…that was enough, it was more than sufficient. But in the aching depths of her heart she couldn’t help wanting to close the distance between them just a little more, to forge a bond that transcended the bounds of decorum they’d been honoring accordingly since their first encounter. But that was selfish of her, immature…it was nothing more than a fleeting crush, after all. What was the point of acting on it and potentially ruining what she already had?
Apparently she wasn’t the one who needed to be worried about it at the moment. Tsuchigomori knew he was being impulsive, probably intimidating…that wasn’t his intention, but he could see the uneasiness swimming in her eyes. It was mixed in with a touch of eagerness, of expectation. But this really wasn’t the time or place to start pushing boundaries. Then again, when and where would be? Was there really ever a proper time for something like this?
“Tsuchigomori-sensei?”
They both recognized the cheeky, youthful voice in an instant, and the spell they’d so unceremoniously fallen under was abruptly and decisively broken. It seemed the answer to that question would have to remain unsolved…for now. Retracting his hold as he stepped away, Nova took to her feline form and fled deeper into the shelves as soon as an opening presented itself. That was to be expected, he supposed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated his misdeed; he’d pushed her too far, acted too rashly, caught up in the heat of the moment. Yet as he made his way back to greet his sudden and surprisingly frequent visitors, he found that he wasn’t really that disappointed with how things had turned out. It gave them both more to think about, certainly…and of course, it wasn’t like such an exchange was destined to never happen again.
Summary: Tsuchigomori catches Nova by surprise while she’s browsing the shelves one afternoon, and the exchange that follows is one of the last things either of them are really prepared for.
Author’s Note: I meant to get back on a role of posting things regularly from the beginning of this month since I did so well pushing myself last month, but then…well, I don’t need to get into the stuff everyone already knows about. It’s been rough, but I finally pushed myself to edit some things, one of which happened to be this fic that almost gave me a heart attack upon revisiting it. I’ve definitely been feeling Some Type Of Way about most of my f/os as of late, and I’m sure this fic illustrates that to some degree, but I’ll be honest I just think it turned out awesome and I’m very happy with it lol. Thank you for reading!
_____
This place was mystical and mysterious to her, but what else could she expect? She waded through the shallow water splashing around her ankles, an indication that she no longer inhabited the mortal plane. It didn’t feel quite like the water she was used to, but that was just another thing to be expected, of course. Because it wasn’t really water, and this place wasn’t really just another dusty looking library tucked away in some quiet, ordinary school. While the webs that clung to the ceiling and shelves might not have appeared too out of place, the floating lights and crystals dancing through the air certainly did.
The boundary between the near and far shores is infinite, unknowable, with an allure that is as hard to ignore as it is to understand. The fledgling spirit hadn’t ended up here of her own accord, but this was her home now, or at least a home of sorts. Forever bound to wander these haunted halls, weaving in and out of the holes that pierced through the fabric of opposing realities…it sounded quite scary, quite complicated. But Nova wasn’t afraid--not anymore. She didn’t have to be, and that was all thanks to the keeper of this boundary, the one who had so graciously offered her sanctuary from the horrors she’d narrowly managed to escape--another feat she’d only been able to achieve with his aid.
She didn’t even know where to start when it came to making it up to him, but she knew she wanted to try. She had to. It was only fair after all he’d done for her, even if he saw it as nothing more than just another trivial thing he’d had to tend to. The curator had more important tasks to oversee, considering the role he played in keeping track of the past, present, and future records of everyone involved with the academy. It was a job he’d been doing probably about as long as the school had been around, and she wasn’t sure what he’d done before that, or how long he’d even been existing in general. She didn’t know anything about his past, and only small, inconsequential things about his present. It wasn’t really her right to know more than that, but she couldn’t help wanting to understand the man she’d attached herself to, her generous caretaker for the foreseeable future.
How much did he know about her? Had her record appeared in this place before she’d even shown up, heralding her arrival? Had he written her record himself, painstakingly describing the details of her days here as per his duty? She shivered at the thought, running her finger across the books’ uneven spines as she paced the shelves. So many names, so much information…she couldn’t imagine what it was like to be the keeper of something like this. To be tasked with keeping track of so many people, diligently documenting their fates, and ensuring that no outsiders, mortal or otherwise, tampered with the collection. Who knew what would happen if such a wealth of information fell into the wrong hands? Nova didn’t want to think of it. Right now, it was just too taxing for her mind to comprehend.
“What are you doing?”
She gasped, catching herself with the shelf as she tripped over her feet. She still wasn’t quite used to interacting with him, his mannerisms and methods of dealing with things, and apparently that included his propensity to appear out of thin air. In reality, he’d just happened to catch her while she was distracted, deep in thought, but she was too caught off guard to realize it. She stared blankly at the books before her, not even reading their titles as her grip tightened. Why did it feel like she’d been caught in some act, or as if he’d only made his presence known to intimidate her? She must have been imagining things, and in truth she was, but she was still just a little too out of it to process and accept all of that.
“I was just browsing,” she answered, maintaining her precious posture.
“I hope you weren’t digging around too much…” the drawl of his voice sent a chill down her spine, creating ripples at her feet. “Or looking into things you aren’t supposed to. You know what happens to people who dare to read the futures recorded in these books, whether it’s yours or someone else’s?”
“You’ve warned me before,” she replied, her mouth going dry. “I promise I wasn’t doing something that stupid, or reckless--”
Four hands suddenly appeared on the shelves, randomly placed both above and below her on either side. Long and spindly, like the legs of a spider…the sight of them made her skin crawl. He knew that, and she knew that he knew, but she wasn’t exactly sure why he’d decided to torment her with such a display. They were almost like a cage, but they hadn’t closed in around her enough to qualify. It didn’t matter, though, because in the next moment two more hands placed themselves on her shoulders. She almost jumped out of her skin, her fur standing on end in an instant as her fight or flight response revved up. She could feel his claws digging into the fabric of her dress, not enough to pierce it, but more than enough to make his presence undeniably, unsettlingly known.
“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to remind you, then.”
He didn’t sound antagonistic, or even amused…his affect was unreadable without seeing his face, and she was in too precarious a position to attempt turning around. He took care of that problem for her as he spun her around, subsequently trapping her between his form that towered before her, and the shelf that towered behind. She was trembling, still producing ripples around her feet that broke against his steady, unwavering stance. He was all she could see now, and as much as she’d enjoyed looking at him as of late, nothing about this position was all that flattering to her. She was scared, confused, worried…but as she lifted her eyes to his face, she realized she didn’t have to be.
“I don’t like it when you wander off without telling me,” his tone was smooth, indifferent, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. “I know this place isn’t that big, or doesn’t seem that way, but you never know what could be lurking in the shadows. For the most part, trouble doesn’t come here, and I’m lucky that it doesn’t…but I don’t want you somehow managing to find it.”
“I’m sorry…” she murmured, dropping her gaze. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I’ll tell you where I’m going next time, if that helps.”
“It would probably be wise…” he advised softly, and her heart skipped a beat at the tender caress of his words.
He hadn’t shifted from his stance in front of her, and his stillness confused her. He’d made his point, said what he wanted to say…so what now? Was he waiting for her to say more, to ask something, to react? She could feel his eyes staring her down, not in a threatening way, but certainly not in a normal way, either. She considered raising her head again, but thought better of it. She wasn’t sure she was prepared to see whatever sight awaited her should she choose to make the first move. As if he’d read her thoughts, he took the initiative instead, hooking a finger under her chin and gently coaxing her to look at him.
She grabbed the hand he still had settled on her shoulder, wondering if it mattered how long her heart or lungs failed her since she was already dead. Probably not, and that was a good thing, since she didn’t get the impression she’d be getting those functions back any time soon. Soft, amethyst eyes stared unwavering into her own dark obsidian gaze. He raised his hand to cup her face, slowly and deliberately tracing the curve of her cheek. She could feel the point of his claw pressing into her skin, but never breaking the surface…it was such a tender gesture, part of her struggled to process that it was even happening at all. What reason could he possibly have to present her with such a display, to regard her with such intensity, such intimacy? She wound her tail around one of her legs, a precaution to try and keep it from betraying her emotions too much. It didn’t matter what she did on the outside, though--he could plainly see the influence he was having on her reflected in her eyes, her expression, her very being.
It was new to him, having someone like her around. It was a different dynamic than the one he had with the kitsune, or any of the other Wonders, for that matter. Keeping to himself didn’t bother him, really--that was just the nature of his position, and it suited his temperament just as well. But ever since she’d come into the picture, it was as if she was able to bypass all of that, affecting him to his core. Her presence was like a gentle glow, a modest flame flickering in the darkness and keeping the shadows at bay. She illuminated the world around her, and had even managed to kindle some kind of warmth in his heart. But he wasn’t completely oblivious to the implication of such phenomena; he knew he still needed to deal with it cautiously, carefully. Because the fire they were playing with, whether they were aware of it or not, was both fragile and formidable.
He leaned in closer, and she tried to keep an equal distance between them as the shelves dug deeper into her back. There was nowhere to go, nothing to distract him with…and part of her was perfectly alright with that. But another part was screaming that she needed to do something, anything to prevent whatever was unfolding from progressing any further. She didn’t know why it had suddenly become so important for her to escape this arguably fortuitous situation…it was probably just her nerves. Her anxiety about the fact that she shouldn’t expect any more from him; he’d already gone above and beyond for her.
Hospitably granting her the privilege of staying here, watching over her and giving her a place to belong…that was enough, it was more than sufficient. But in the aching depths of her heart she couldn’t help wanting to close the distance between them just a little more, to forge a bond that transcended the bounds of decorum they’d been honoring accordingly since their first encounter. But that was selfish of her, immature…it was nothing more than a fleeting crush, after all. What was the point of acting on it and potentially ruining what she already had?
Apparently she wasn’t the one who needed to be worried about it at the moment. Tsuchigomori knew he was being impulsive, probably intimidating…that wasn’t his intention, but he could see the uneasiness swimming in her eyes. It was mixed in with a touch of eagerness, of expectation. But this really wasn’t the time or place to start pushing boundaries. Then again, when and where would be? Was there really ever a proper time for something like this?
“Tsuchigomori-sensei?”
They both recognized the cheeky, youthful voice in an instant, and the spell they’d so unceremoniously fallen under was abruptly and decisively broken. It seemed the answer to that question would have to remain unsolved…for now. Retracting his hold as he stepped away, Nova took to her feline form and fled deeper into the shelves as soon as an opening presented itself. That was to be expected, he supposed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated his misdeed; he’d pushed her too far, acted too rashly, caught up in the heat of the moment. Yet as he made his way back to greet his sudden and surprisingly frequent visitors, he found that he wasn’t really that disappointed with how things had turned out. It gave them both more to think about, certainly…and of course, it wasn’t like such an exchange was destined to never happen again.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-06-30 02:29 pm (UTC)The idea of tsuichi writing nova's book though, omg.. I mean I know he probably didn't though. But it's an interesting thought, very intimate lol
"Four hands suddenly appeared on the shelves, randomly placed both above and below her on either side." HE DID THE THING there's no escape now.
I really like how you wrote him in this fic, I think his personality and status as a yokai/wonder both were very clear here. Some of the interactions felt distinctly not-human, while still maintaining a familiar intimacy, if that makes sense.