Ship/Character: chinatsu/shizuku Fandom: ballroom e youkoso Major Tags: none Other Tags: au ahoy Word Count: 796 Remix Permission: yes
thank you so much for prompting chinatsu/shizuku. i love them
***
Playing at being a knight is all well and good for children, girls who have too much energy to be ladies. There's nothing wrong with them getting some exercise, or learning the other half of courtly behavior. Children are allowed such indulgences, so long as they do not carry them beyond a certain age.
Chinatsu was no longer a child, but she was not sure if she was much of a lady, either. Her strides were too long for the dresses she now wore, and her hands, roughened from sword practice, caught on fine fabric. She tried to follow the lead of her peers, to mimic their graceful steps and silver laughs and quickness with the abacus, but she had never been much for following, and inevitably she would prove herself unladylike in one way or another.
There was, Chinatsu knew, nothing wrong with being a lady. It was in their hands that negotiations and accounts lay, after all. But there were times when she heard their soft voices and watched them sign to one another with their fans and eyes, and could not help but think that even a talentless or dishonest lady may rise if she chose the right husband or protector. Where was the fairness or honor in that?
The longer she spent with the ladies of the court, however, the harder it was to think like that. Lady Mako, still under the protection of her brother, was kind and sweet, and she was both grateful for and resentful of the position her brother had won for her in court, which was based on her own merit only in small part. And then there was Lady Shizuku, who moved through court graciously and gracefully, seemingly without effort, a serene presence who made Chinatsu feel rough and unfinished in comparison, but could not bring herself to resent. And yet Chinatsu had seen her practice her steps, late at night, a fine china plate with an egg on it balanced atop her head, practice again and again until she could quickly cross the ballroom without accident. She had seen the weights sewn into Shizuku's private fan, so she would not be thrown off by a lavishly jeweled fan after she was old enough to be presented. There was no need for her to work so hard, not when everyone knew she would be betrothed to Sir Kiyoharu, but she did, anyway.
“I will not have anyone say I do not deserve him,” Shizuku said, when Chinatsu, still new and thoughtless, asked. She smiled, and Chinatsu could see something angry and brittle in her face, gone as quickly as blinking. “A lady might rise with a powerful husband, but it is her work that keeps him powerful, you understand? It is a partnership.”
The more time Chinatsu spent with Shizuku, the more she admired her. How unfair, that she must be a lady now, and could not be Shizuku's protector. However, would she admire Shizuku so if she had not become a lady? Such questions could not be answered.
“I envy you, sometimes,” Shizuku said one evening. Chinatsu was brushing her hair, silently admiring its sleekness. She stopped.
“Envy me?”
“Yes,” replied Shizuku. She turned and took Chinatsu's free hand in hers. Her hands were cool and soft, the softest hands Chinatsu had ever felt. Chinatsu felt her face heat up, suddenly more aware than ever of the calluses she still had. Shizuku continued. “You're beautiful, and you shine so brightly. No one will ever think you are a doll, or mere decoration, the way some think of me. You are going to be a great lady, Chinatsu.” Her eyes dropped. “I envy you, and I envy your future betrothed, too.”
“Oh.” Chinatsu's mind was blank, still stuck on the softness of Shizuku's hands. “But...that's stupid.”
Shizuku laughed, her court laugh, and began to pull her hands away. Chinatsu dropped the brush she was still holding and caught Shizuku's hands in hers.
“That's stupid,” she said again, fiercely. “You're not a doll, and you already are a great lady. There's no need to envy me, not when I'm the one who envies you.” The last thing Shizuku said caught up with her. “And. I envy Kiyoharu, too. I wish I could have been your knight protector.” Boldly, Chinatsu kissed Shizuku's hands.
They both stared at one another, pink-cheeked. Shizuku opened her mouth, but what she might have said Chinatsu never knew, as they were interrupted by Mako knocking on the wooden screen that hid them from the rest of the room.
Still, the rest of that evening, Shizuku and Chinatsu found chances to touch one another's hands, silk-soft and callused-shiny. They would talk again, later. This was only a beginning.
FILL: Team Grandstand, G
Fandom: ballroom e youkoso
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: au ahoy
Word Count: 796
Remix Permission: yes
thank you so much for prompting chinatsu/shizuku. i love them
***
Playing at being a knight is all well and good for children, girls who have too much energy to be ladies. There's nothing wrong with them getting some exercise, or learning the other half of courtly behavior. Children are allowed such indulgences, so long as they do not carry them beyond a certain age.
Chinatsu was no longer a child, but she was not sure if she was much of a lady, either. Her strides were too long for the dresses she now wore, and her hands, roughened from sword practice, caught on fine fabric. She tried to follow the lead of her peers, to mimic their graceful steps and silver laughs and quickness with the abacus, but she had never been much for following, and inevitably she would prove herself unladylike in one way or another.
There was, Chinatsu knew, nothing wrong with being a lady. It was in their hands that negotiations and accounts lay, after all. But there were times when she heard their soft voices and watched them sign to one another with their fans and eyes, and could not help but think that even a talentless or dishonest lady may rise if she chose the right husband or protector. Where was the fairness or honor in that?
The longer she spent with the ladies of the court, however, the harder it was to think like that. Lady Mako, still under the protection of her brother, was kind and sweet, and she was both grateful for and resentful of the position her brother had won for her in court, which was based on her own merit only in small part. And then there was Lady Shizuku, who moved through court graciously and gracefully, seemingly without effort, a serene presence who made Chinatsu feel rough and unfinished in comparison, but could not bring herself to resent. And yet Chinatsu had seen her practice her steps, late at night, a fine china plate with an egg on it balanced atop her head, practice again and again until she could quickly cross the ballroom without accident. She had seen the weights sewn into Shizuku's private fan, so she would not be thrown off by a lavishly jeweled fan after she was old enough to be presented. There was no need for her to work so hard, not when everyone knew she would be betrothed to Sir Kiyoharu, but she did, anyway.
“I will not have anyone say I do not deserve him,” Shizuku said, when Chinatsu, still new and thoughtless, asked. She smiled, and Chinatsu could see something angry and brittle in her face, gone as quickly as blinking. “A lady might rise with a powerful husband, but it is her work that keeps him powerful, you understand? It is a partnership.”
The more time Chinatsu spent with Shizuku, the more she admired her. How unfair, that she must be a lady now, and could not be Shizuku's protector. However, would she admire Shizuku so if she had not become a lady? Such questions could not be answered.
“I envy you, sometimes,” Shizuku said one evening. Chinatsu was brushing her hair, silently admiring its sleekness. She stopped.
“Envy me?”
“Yes,” replied Shizuku. She turned and took Chinatsu's free hand in hers. Her hands were cool and soft, the softest hands Chinatsu had ever felt. Chinatsu felt her face heat up, suddenly more aware than ever of the calluses she still had. Shizuku continued. “You're beautiful, and you shine so brightly. No one will ever think you are a doll, or mere decoration, the way some think of me. You are going to be a great lady, Chinatsu.” Her eyes dropped. “I envy you, and I envy your future betrothed, too.”
“Oh.” Chinatsu's mind was blank, still stuck on the softness of Shizuku's hands. “But...that's stupid.”
Shizuku laughed, her court laugh, and began to pull her hands away. Chinatsu dropped the brush she was still holding and caught Shizuku's hands in hers.
“That's stupid,” she said again, fiercely. “You're not a doll, and you already are a great lady. There's no need to envy me, not when I'm the one who envies you.” The last thing Shizuku said caught up with her. “And. I envy Kiyoharu, too. I wish I could have been your knight protector.” Boldly, Chinatsu kissed Shizuku's hands.
They both stared at one another, pink-cheeked. Shizuku opened her mouth, but what she might have said Chinatsu never knew, as they were interrupted by Mako knocking on the wooden screen that hid them from the rest of the room.
Still, the rest of that evening, Shizuku and Chinatsu found chances to touch one another's hands, silk-soft and callused-shiny. They would talk again, later. This was only a beginning.