I just wanted to wish everyone a happy St.Valentines day and really
didn't think I should post the SI I posted in alt.hentai.sailor-moon. :)
So, I dusted this off.
I have been writing little in the last 6-8 months but am slowly beging to
peck away at the keyboard.
Neil
Paper Hearts - Paper Tigers.
by Neil Sinclair
seraphim@sentex.net
All characters copywrite Gainax.
"An Angel?" The pale girl looked alarmed.
She held the odd paper shape carefully as if it would indeed lash
out in some strange way.
"Well sort-of." The other said. She had handed her companion
the paper just to see what she would make of it.
She wasn't sure what she had expected but this wasn't exactly it.
That girl found new ways to surprise her every day.
How could such a...such a *moron* function and get along in the world?
She didn't seem to know anything - yet she was still everyone's darling.
Baka.
"The Commander knows of these?" There was concern in the amber eyes.
"What? Oh..." The other shook her head and smirk formed on her lips.
"Not THAT kind of Angel." She tried to match the tone of certain
professors she had heard explaining things sadistically to some of the
duller students back home.
"No, these are FICTIONAL Angels. Cherubs. Cupids, you understand?"
Maybe asking Rei to go shopping with her wasn't such a bad idea
after all. The first part of their little trip had been dull,
dull, dull. Now, things seemed to be getting better. at the other's
expense yes, but who cared? That made it better.
"If they are fictional they are irrelevant." the other replied flatly.
"Unless they are used in some type of exercise."
Asuka shook her head.
Trust Wonder girl to miss the point again.
"Nevermind." She said. "Maybe the whole thing is just to difficult
for das Wonder Girl to inderstand."
"But..." The other pressed weakly.
Now she found herself questioning her own judgment. Did she really
need to resolve any answers from this or was it really not important.
Briefly she wondered if Asuka was simply toying with her.
The thought was so alien to her way of thinking that she dismissed it.
She looked at the wall of the shop filled with more of these cards.
Some depicted these strange "Angels" others were cut
of red paper and white - cut in odd looking shapes.
Her delicate ivory fingers traced one of these, finger-tips
sensitivly almost *reading* the white lace which outlined them.
"There are so many of these." She said in wonderment.
"What do they mean?"
"Hearts." Asuka said. "They are hearts."
She held up a hand to stop Rei's protests.
"I KNOW they don't look like real hearts but just work with me okay?"
"And these, they're messengers of love." she continued.
Asuka found herself on the verge of losing her "bored professional
tone" in favor of simply shouting.
"See these...they're symbols of love. And these...Well, they shoot
arrows into people - imaginary arrows."
She added quickly seeing the other was about to speak.
"And when the arrow hits a person they fall in love with somebody."
"Who?" The other girl asked, curious.
"Whoever." Asuka heaved a sigh. This was so stupid.
"Look, just forget about 'em and concentrate on the day."
"The day?"
"Sometimes I think you grew up in a cave." The readhead snorted.
"St. Valentines day." She explained. " That's 'the day".
But you Japanese have messed all of that up as well.
In real countries...civilized countries things are different.
I mean what happens here that's stupid.
Girls giving boys chocolate.
Humph!
Who would have thought of it?
What REALLY happens is a boy will ask a girl to dinner, then he
gives her presents and makes mad passionate love to her."
She hugged herself and closed her eyes.
"Just like my Kaji-san would do. "Asuka" (He'd say.)
"I've grown close to you over the years we have
known each other and now I cannot resist you.
Please be mine."
"Kaji-san is a man not a boy." Rei's voice and suggestion abruptly
cut into the other's fantasy.
Asuka opened her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed both from her
thoughts and being so caught up in them.
Although embarrassed she still smiled.
"All men are really just little boys." She said in a superior tone.
"They need women to take care of them and tell them what they
really want."
"Are we?"
Asuka turned to se the lanky form of her favorite NERV agent
slouching against the store wall behind her.
"Ka...Ka..Kaji-san." She stuttered.
Her face became a glowing beacon of crimson.
"How long...how long have you been there?"
She spoke the words downward towards her shoes.
The man grinned, seemingly unaware of her plight.
"From where you so nicely explained to your friend the First Child
over there about holidays.
You know, I think Misato'd agree with you about the "boys" thing
by the way. I myself, I like to think differently.
Asuka felt herself sweating, she had to do something.
She had to save herself somehow.
Her embarrassment turned to swift anger.
"You!" She pointed an accusing finger at the pale girl.
"You KNEW he was there!"
The First Child simply shrugged in her small way.
Asuka did the only thing she could do in such a situation.
She ran.
As she raced towards the apartment she replayed the whole series
of shaming events in her mind.
As her wind left her and her breathing became gasps her running slowed
and became more erratic.
Finally, clutching her side and panting she almost came to a stop.
As she leaned against a lamp-post it finnally hit her.
It couldn't have been.
It simply couldn't have been a whisper of a smile that she had seen
on the other's face before her departure.
Could it?
***FIN***
__________________________________________________________________
_____________
Seraphim, the Restless Angel with a (borrowed) sword.
________
Nene, Ami,
Girls with glasses. girls with computers. Pink hair. blue hair
_______________________
Robyn, Duke of Amber. Agent of Chaos.
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