This Lullaby

› Forums › Fan Stuff › Fanfiction › This Lullaby

  • This topic is empty.
  • Post
    • January 9, 2014 at 5:53 AM
    Nil Admirari
    Moderator
    none
    [offtopic]Based on an idea I came up with after a long discussion in mumble last night, an improvisational fanfic in 3 acts.[/offtopic]

    [align=center]Act 1 – Discovery[/align]

    “Come on, everybody! Dinner’s served!” Sasami cheerfully called out down the main hall of the Masaki household, plate of steaming food in hand. Footsteps were heard from upstairs, scampering coming from the study. In her delicate way, Sasami set the first of many plates down on the table. Walking over to the couch, Ryoko and Ayeka sat completely engrossed in the latest episode of their favorite soap opera. Both of their faces flushed with blood, Sasami hesitated to interrupt them in the middle of their show.

    “Um, excuse me… Miss Ryoko?” but no response or recognition to her voice came from the space pirate. “…Sis?” Ayeka too did not stir. Letting out a sigh, she decided it was best to leave them to their overactive minds. Nobuyuki was the first of the family to enter the room, his face weary from the day’s work. As was usual for him, he took one whiff of the smells coming from the kitchen and perked up as Sasami ran by him to fetch more of the large dinner she had prepared.

    “Mmm, it smells so wonderful Sasami!” He exclaimed in his usual fatherly enthusiasm. “How do you do it so often, huh?”

    “You ask her that every time Nobuyuki,” Katsuhito whispered to his son-in-law as he took his seat next to him. “And I don’t think young Sasami is any closer to giving you an answer you’ll understand.”

    “Aw jeez, father. I know a thing or two about cooking a meal!”

    “Your rice cakes speak otherwise.” Both men laughed as Sasami brought in more of the night’s feast.

    Soon enough Tenchi, Kiyone, Mihoshi and Washu had joined the rest at the table. Except for two spots still left vacant by their usual occupants. Still engrossed by their drama, Ryoko and Ayeka had yet to move from the couch. A particularly heated moment between two characters unable to requite their love for one another was playing. Ayeka leaned in from her spot with intense concentration. While her eyes were studying the act before her, her mind had other plans.

    “Oh, isn’t it so beautiful? The gravity of two hearts unable to break away from that which they already circle, to be unable to come together as one but still desire it?” Ayeka gushed aloud. Ryoko chuckled.

    “What, you mean like how it’ll be for you when Tenchi and I are together?” The end of Ryoko’s question jabbed at Ayeka like a thorn. Her face straightened up immediately and filled with frustration as her daydream was pulled out from under her.

    “You! You stop that talk right this instant!” Ayeka barked, but Ryoko wasn’t listening. Her devilish cackle undermining what little authoritative voice Ayeka attempted to use whenever Ryoko stepped out of line. Visions of herself and Tenchi sharing such an intimate moment resurfaced if only for a moment. Frustration overrode all thought, only for the Princess to get further flustered when the daydream once again slipped through her proverbial fingers. Her temper overtook every inch of her head, blood boiling unusually fast. In that instant, Ayeka stood up and grabbed the laughing Ryoko by her collar and pulled her to her feet.

    “Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing Princess?!” Ryoko tried to pull back but Ayeka had a firm grip on her.

    “Listen here you boar-headed scoundrel,” the Princess lost her ability to contain herself. As she spoke her words were filled with the fire of an angry mother figure and a demented, power-hungry ruler. “I will have you know that under no circumstances will I be courting Tenchi behind anyone’s back like some loose woman. And furthermore I won’t be having to take him from you, I can assure you that!”

    “Now now you two, please you must stop this fighting at once okay?” Mihoshi’s chipper voice came from behind Ayeka’s shoulder. “Come now, it’s dinner time. Sasami has made a very delicious meal and we should be enjoying it togethe-” by sheer cosmic misfortune, the bumbling Galaxy Police officer stumbled over herself en route to the two ladies locked into their millionth spat. She lost control and flailed around as she fell forward, smacking into Ryoko as she tumbled to the floor. Ryoko didn’t anticipate the hit and was sent over the back of the couch against the wood paneled wall where some decorations were perched. She felt the wind get knocked out of her.

    “Oh my goodness, are you okay Mihoshi?!” Sasami’s worried cry came as everyone came to help Mihoshi back up onto her feet. She had visibly hit herself in the head and was mumbling something unintelligible.

    “Maybe I should try to get her back to the apartment…” Kiyone suggested, but Katsuhito reached up with his hand to stop her.

    “Not the best idea. You two can stay another night while she recovers.” Everyone had gathered around Mihoshi and helped move her to where she usually rested, leaving Ryoko to herself in the corner of the room. Her head was spinning. Moments passed before she finally came to realize that everyone had gone.

    “Huh? Nobody even stayed to see if I was alright?” she sounded surprised, but deep down she didn’t expect anyone to come to her aid. A part of herself hurt more than her head did, secretly wishing that Tenchi had stayed behind to make sure she had been fine. Not wanting to wallow in too much self-pity over the moment, she reached over to push herself up to her feet. The floor gave way a bit under her hand. She looked and saw a part of the floorboards had come up in the scuffle, strangely they seemed as though they were meant to come loose. Ryoko rolled over to get a closer look, pulling the bundle of boards clear from where they sat.

    Beneath sat a hidden compartment with a gorgeous decorative wooden box. With both hands she pulled the box free of the compartment and turned it around to find the latch. There was no key or lock mechanism. Craning her head upward, she checked to make sure no one was watching. Once in the clear, she flipped the latch and opened the box.

    “Whoa…”

    Contained within the old box sat dozens of letters, their envelopes browned with age. As Ryoko fingered through them, she began to realize each and every single letter was addressed to Tenchi by Achika Masaki… his mother! Digging down to the bottom, she found the earliest dated November 1978, the biggest grin on her face forming. For a space pirate, this was a most unusual treasure for her to have unearthed. But she didn’t care. She slammed the box shut, hastily slid the floorboards back into place and teleported quite some distance away from the house to investigate without any unwanted interruption.

    The sun was still going down as Ryoko sat herself down on a large rock overlooking some of the fields of the Masaki household. Barely able to hold back her glee, she flicked the box open and grabbed the letter dated November 9th, 1978 and tore it open. With little care or concern, she pulled the letter free from its envelope and exposed its gorgeously written contents to the open air for the first time in decades. Ryoko felt her head fill with happiness as she realized that in her hands sat the very words that the woman Tenchi loved most had written to him. She couldn’t believe her luck. She shook her head just enough to get the blur cleared from her eyes and began to read.

    [align=right]November 9th, 1978[/align]

    To my budding child,

    [tab=30]Hello there. It feels strange writing to you, seeing that you’re inside of me as I drag this pen across paper. But I realize that soon that shall not be the case. Our cord will be severed and your lungs will take that first gasp of air within a few months’ time. You don’t know me yet but you will. My name is Achika Masaki, but you can call me Mother. Or mommy, or mom or whatever your little heart pleases. Whatever your heart sets upon, the heavens will shape themselves around it.

    [tab=30]It is perhaps just my nerves setting in that has forced me to begin writing this to you, but I I like where this has taken me. So many nights I’ve spent holding on to you… or well, the womb you reside in. Dreaming of what is to come. Your father, Nobuyuki Masaki, is often at work during the day hours and it is just myself and my father Katsuhito left at the house. Father spends many an hour at the temple on the mountain, so this leaves just you and I.

    [tab=30]Do you dream? Are you envisioning your own future like I am of yours? Those would be some interesting dreams since all you know is the inside of me. I’d like to hear about these dreams of yours sometime, child. I promise you that the world is a much better and less stuffy place. I can’t wait for the next few months to pass. You’ve got to go easy on your mother now, you hear? It shouldn’t be too much longer now before I can finally hold you in my arms. I live every agonizing moment for it.

    [tab=30]I think I’ll keep this up. Could be fun to write to you once in a while. Maybe put them all in a box and save it for when you’re ready to move out and brave the world on your own. It seems so far away now, but it’ll remind you that I always love you.

    [tab=60]Maternally yours,

    [tab=60]Achi

    [tab=60]Mommy

    [align=center]~.~[/align]

    “Oh my god!” Ryoko exclaimed with excitement. She slipped the letter back into its envelope and reached into the box for the next in one smooth motion. She tore into it with even more unrestrained ecstasy and began to read before drawing a new breath.

Viewing 13 reply threads
  • Replies
      • January 9, 2014 at 5:54 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none
      [align=center]Act 2 – Letters to an Old Friend[/align]

      [align=right]March 4th, 1979[/align]

      To the Son in my hands; the Sun in my heart,

      [tab=30]I find myself positively glowing with joy as if each day you are born anew. The past few months since your birth have filled me with such happiness untold by any one person. Caesar himself would be jealous of you, despite his vast empire he could not approach even a fraction of the joy you bring to me. Tired though I may be from your frequent awakenings in the night, your cry is more of an empowering call. No matter how much my head aches and my muscles burn from being unable to sleep longer than a few hours all it takes is to hear your hushed coo of satisfaction to send your mother floating like a beautiful bundle of balloons.

      [tab=30]Ah, I hear it now! I mustn’t keep you waiting my son. My Tenchi.

      [tab=60]Yours,

      [tab=60]Mother.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]
      Ryoko flipped through a few more letters, settling for one much further in the stack.
      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]January 27th, 1980[/align]

      My dearest one-year-old,

      [tab=30]You must forgive your mother for not writing to you on your day of birth itself. It was such an event and I wish you could have seen it with your eyes and been able to cherish it always like I will. It’s hard to believe you’ve only been here with us a single year. As I hold you in my arms and watch your nose flare with every breath I try to reflect on all that has passed since the heavens graced me with such a beautiful child.

      [tab=30]You’ve made such a difference in our lives. Your father feels renowned purpose in his work now having a son to provide for. Your grandfather tries to act like he’s unmoved but… I can see a smile forming at his cheeks when he watches you. And I cannot bring myself to separate from you for even a minute’s time.

      [tab=30]No amount of presents will ever mount to even one millionth of the gift you have given to your mother yet still I will foolishly try to match.

      [tab=60]Happy Birthday,

      [tab=60]Mom.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]
      Ryoko giggled to herself, imagining her love as a baby being spoiled by his mother. She began to find herself in automation, pulling letters wherever her fingers stopped in the pile and ripping them open without a second thought.
      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]May 13th, 1980[/align]

      My sweetest child,

      [tab=30]Oh if only you could see your mother now, giggling like a schoolgirl for the first time in almost a decade! You’ve made quite the fool of me with your words – or word I should say. Your very first. And it was “Mama”. Just writing it out sends me to such elation. You’re so full of little surprises, aren’t you? I think your father’s a little jealous that you’re a momma’s boy! We’ll keep that one between us though.

      [tab=30]So, “Mama” is what your heart has decided? Then Mama it is. I shall put the order in the mail right away, the presses will stop for the most important news to hit Okayama. They’ll write it on the front page for all to see – Achika Masaki is now ‘Mama’. And if there’s a place on the earth that dares not hear my new name then I shall climb atop the highest mountain in the country and sing it into the wind. The animals will carry the news around their necks through the thickest of woods where the wind cannot not blow. It will be understood between the ocean and the sky.

      [tab=30]I would do so now if only it wouldn’t wake you from your precious slumber. I love you so much, my dear Tenchi. And even though I’ve always known it in my heart, now I know you love me too.

      [tab=60]Your word on the wind,

      [tab=60]Mama.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]August 21st, 1981[/align]

      My cherished little astronaut,

      [tab=30]As the summer draws to a close and the air cools down I’ll be bringing us in earlier to avoid you getting sick again. The last time your nose was weighed down by illness it took us weeks to shake it. Your father and I grew worried that your immune system was not ready to face such ailment yet. But you pulled through with such great strength. You get that from your grandfather, you know.

      [tab=30]But if only all nights could be like tonight, my lovely son. We laid out by the water and gazed at the dazzling gems in the sky for hours, just the two of us. You laid on my stomach and watched mama stare up past your little head. Sometimes you’d turn yourself around and watch with me. I can only imagine the amazement in your eyes drinking in such a sight. Do you see how pretty and bright they all are? If she could, mama would scoop them from the heavens and hand them to you to hold in your clumsy little hands.

      [tab=30]I would give you the world if I could, wrapped in a silken blanket of the stars and woven with thread made from every minute I’ve loved you. Looking at you reaching with stubby fingers and grasping for the glittering lights sewn into the night sky, there is a part of me that felt like you belong there. That this planet is not enough to contain the wonderful things you are capable of. There’s so much out there in that starry expanse that no one mind can possibly understand it all… and yet I would make it all yours in a heartbeat.

      [tab=60]Ground Control Out,

      [tab=60]Mama.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]April 11th, 1982[/align]

      My darling baby,

      [tab=30]Today your father and I celebrated our anniversary a little bit late, but things have been rough here. While the world is a beautiful and wondrous place brimming with potential and possibility at every corner every once in a while you find yourself with challenges. Your father’s work has been piling on hour after hour of overtime to meet demands of clients, much needed after the past six months of financial instability.

      [tab=30]Listen to me, going on about such adult worries. I suppose I’ve not had much of an outlet to express myself over the headaches it has caused us. But I look to you, Tenchi, and even the coldest of days is thawed and melted by the warmth you fill my heart with. You remind me a lot of your father, you know. Everyone says you have my eyes and your grandfather’s nose but I swear watching you move around is like seeing your father young again. He was such an innocent boy when we first met, a little high strung in class but full of imagination once he broke free of the noise and constrictions of school.

      [tab=30]He’s asked me about these letters that I write. I feel so foolish trying to come up with an explanation that makes sense. It was the madness of a mother facing her first childbirth that gave life to such an idea to begin with. I couldn’t expect him to understand. So, I tell him I’m writing to an old friend. And in a way I am. Moreso than seeing a baby Nobuyuki running around in the grass during the day, I feel like I’ve known you all my life. Maybe that’s just the way mothers feel about their sons and daughters since you were made from a part of us.

      [tab=30]Speaking of, guess who decided to come up from behind and start pecking my neck with kisses? I thought he was asleep, perhaps he learned how to fake it from you. I-

      [tab=30]Nobuyuki stop, I can’t write while you’re like this!

      [tab=30]Oh dear, I think I’m going to have to cut myself short this time old friend.

      [tab=60]Mama.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]
      “Ew, ugh. Achika! I didn’t need to read that.” She tried to shake the image of Tenchi’s dad being intimate out of her head before she continued.
      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]October 15th, 1983[/align]

      My gentle son,

      [tab=30]It was a joy to take you out on your first big festival today. The Achi-jinja Shrine’s Akimatsuri is a big celebration in Okayama this time of the year. Families are encouraged to take their children to entertain the Suinkyo, who you got to meet. There are not enough words in mama’s vocabulary to describe how adorable your face was as they approached you and tapped their decorative red fans against your delicate brow. A symbolic act that even I do not fully understand but your grandfather, being the Shinto priest that he is, insisted we take you this year. Who am I but his only daughter to deny such a request?

      [tab=30]Watching you play with the other children who came while your father and I listened to the articulate live music made the trip a worthwhile one. I was astounded by how quickly you were able to make friends with what limited social skills 4 year olds possess. It’s been such a long time since I was that little… a long time since I’ve been free of the burdens of adulthood. It’s easy to forget the innocence of those early years.

      [tab=30]There was almost a certain poetic grace to the way it all came together tonight, how your laughing and chasing of the other kids matched so fluidly to the music and cheer that surrounded us. For that moment, time had stood still to watch you act out your drama as though all the world was a stage made especially for you. I’d like to think the cheering wasn’t for the band or the Suinkyo or even the priest of the Achi-jinja Shrine, but for you.

      Maybe I’m just a little biased.

      [tab=60]Your biggest fan,

      [tab=60]Mama.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      The cool night breeze pulled Ryoko from the depths of her imagination. She hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten, the moonlight as bright as it had ever been. Looking down into the box, she noticed there were only a scant few letters remaining before she reached the last one. The pit of her stomach turned, in a panic she looked over at the stack of letters next to her which had a fair few opened up. At that moment she realized how big of a mistake she may have made, and the weight of her gluttonous action tugged at her heart.

      • January 9, 2014 at 5:54 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none
      [align=center]Act 3 – Love, A Warm Poison.[/align]

      “Oh no, Tenchi’s not going to be happy about this.” With the moon at her back, Ryoko tried to re-sort the letters and stuff them back into the box but there was no way to make them sealed again. Even looking at the stack from a distance she could see the visible disturbances she had caused by ripping open almost a dozen envelopes. Multiple arrangements and much frustration later, she arrived at the decision that she was in trouble. She latched the box shut and held it close to her chest, looking down the mountainside at the house where everyone was at. Where Tenchi was possibly resting in his bed.

      “Achika, please forgive me.”

      In Tenchi’s study, he sat at his desk tending to some very late night homework by lamplight. He scribbled away, only occasionally stopping to tap the pencil to the side of his head in thought.

      Fwwwwp

      At the other side of the room, Ryoko teleported in clutching Achika’s letter box tightly. Tenchi had been concentrating too hard to hear her enter. She stood watching him work, afraid to disturb him. Whatever it was he was working on, it was the most important thing in the world to her. She also knew that he would most likely not be pleased with her when he found out what she had done, which caused her to drag her feet to the executioner’s block like a child knowing they got caught red handed stealing from the carnival. She felt the butterflies in her stomach, mind racing trying to come up with an excuse that sounded good to her. None of them did. They were all hollow and nowhere near acceptable for her Tenchi. She wasn’t quite ready when he turned around to stretch and locked eyes with her.

      “Gah, Ryoko! How long have you been standing there?” He scooted back in his seat in surprise, but took note of the shock in her eyes. She worked overtime fumbling for anything to say.

      “Tenchi, I… I didn’t mean to startle you,” was all she could muster.

      “All this time and you still haven’t figured out how to knock.” It was then that Tenchi realized that something was locked in Ryoko’s arms. “What’s in your hands, Ryoko?” She pulled it back away and tried half-heartedly to block it from his view with her body.

      “Nothing, it’s just something I found in the house. That’s all.”

      “Well why are you holding it like your life depends on it?” Ryoko sighed, she knew there was no use hiding it from him. She slowly let her grip of the box go and held it out towards him.

      “Take it.”

      Tenchi stared at her, puzzled by this random display of kindness. It was not like her to show up with a gift out of the blue like this.

      “Please, take it. It’s yours, not mine.” Her words weighed heavy with guilt, enough so that Tenchi was finally motivated to get up and investigate the box she held. He reached out and took it from her hands, holding it in the darker corner of the room they stood in for a moment. He ran his hand over the cool surface of the wooden exterior.

      “It’s a really nice box, Ryoko. Where did you find it? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before.” Tenchi turned around and set it on the desk, finding the latch and unhooking the mechanism. The sound the box made as the latch slapped against the lid and the creak of the hinge opening made her cringe. She wanted to teleport out of there now while she still could, vanish further up the hill and hide there until it was all over. But she knew she couldn’t do that.

      “What’s this? It’s a bunch of letters…” Tenchi said as he shuffled through the top of the stack. “…from the 1980s? Huh, they’re addressed to me?” He pondered a moment.

      “I’m sorry, Tenchi.” Ryoko felt the tears come on strong. She could no longer see but a vague colorful blur where her Tenchi once stood. At last he recognized what it was that sat in front of him. He quickly ruffled through the letters sitting in the box.

      “Ryoko, where did you find this?! And why are some of them opened?” He turned to face her, exasperation in his every movement. “Answer me, Ryoko!”

      “I found them after the fight Ayeka and I had during dinner. When everyone had left I found this box hidden behind the couch under the floor. I couldn’t help but open just one!” she pleaded.

      “You opened a fourth of the letters! And why the hell would you open up letters addressed to me?! These are my letters, to me, from my mother! The one I haven’t had since I was five? You didn’t think it would be important for me to see these before you ripped into them?” His fury was not unwarranted and Ryoko knew this. Every word still struck her with immense force.

      “I, I just…”

      “Get out!”

      “…huh?” Ryoko felt herself shatter in that moment.

      “How could you peer into something this private with such little care? I can’t believe you, Ryoko.” He struggled to form his next words. Ryoko tried to beg for forgiveness.

      “Please Tenchi, you don’t understand what I was going through!”

      “You weren’t thinking, like always. Why do you have to be such a snoop? I hate you so much some times! Get out!” He threw his arms up in frustration and turned to the box. Sitting down in his chair, he devoted all attention to checking the dates on each letter as he sifted through to the back of the pile. Ryoko was gutted. Any semblance of happiness she had gotten from those letters earlier and her initial discovery of them was vaporized. She wanted nothing more than to continue to ask him to forgive her, but she stood and watched a moment just as she had when she first teleported in. Reading these letters was the most important thing now. And she accepted it.

      Fwwwwwp

      Ryoko found herself a total mess on the roof. Tenchi’s words hammered away at her resolve, at last letting her tears stream out now that he was no longer in front of her. Still, she buried her head into her arms and cried under the moon for what felt like hours. In her head she kept trying to pull herself towards happier thoughts but the replay of what transpired between them continued to invade every single one. It was the longest night she’d ever had, a low she’d not reached since her 700 years of solitude.

      That is, until she heard someone approaching from the other side of the roof.

      “Ryoko,” Came a soft voice from behind her shoulder. “I knew I’d find you up here.” She couldn’t look at him, fresh tears still dripping down her cheeks. There was no doubt in her mind that he heard her crying. She didn’t want to have Tenchi see her like this, though she also felt her heart sting as she hung on to his voice saying her name. She was angry with him. Angry with herself. His footsteps drew near.

      “Tenchi, we need to talk.” Her voice wavered, feeling the whirlwind of emotions she had tried to put aside long enough to speak choking her up.

      “I know.”

      Ryoko lifted her head out of her arms and locked eyes on the forming sunrise. The way it painted the deep night sky with hues of red and dark orange was such a romantic sight to behold. This moment in time was, regrettably, not one of romance. Tenchi took a seat beside her, his legs danging over the roof next to hers. So many sights matching up to her happiest daydreams of the two of them.

      “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Ryoko. It wasn’t right of me to lose my head, no matter the cause.” Ryoko heard his words but tried her hardest not to turn and look into his eyes. She knew she would lose herself the moment she did.

      “I made a mistake that I have to own up to,” she started, pausing a moment to collect as many thoughts as she could. “I share responsibility in this, Tenchi.”

      “No, I-” He wasn’t sure how to respond. Ryoko was not one for accepting when she was the cause of something let alone admitting any amount of punishment was needed. He felt a light-hearted quip almost escape his lips, but thought better of it.

      “But… can I help it?” Ryoko gave in and turned to face the man she loved. In the ruby light of the cresting morning her tears, streaking across her face, appeared all the more vivid to Tenchi. He hadn’t seen her like this since they were storming Jurai’s fleet to defeat Kagato.

      “Help what?”

      “When I found those letters, I almost couldn’t believe it. Curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t just stop myself after the first letter. I was hooked. I finally found the words I’ve always wanted to say but couldn’t. Your mother is the only other woman to have lived who understood the way you make me feel!” Ryoko turned away, feeling the tears welling back up. There was a moment between them where neither said a word. Just two hearts beating and minds racing along on the roof of the house, with only the sounds of the wind rustling the trees and the idle lapping of the water to break the silence.

      “In a way, I couldn’t stop myself either I suppose. Seeing my mother’s handwriting, my name in her pen’s ink, and a whole box of it at once? If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes I wouldn’t have believed it.” Tenchi put his hand on Ryoko’s shoulder. She flinched and snapped her head to meet his warm face. It was then she noticed telltale dried tear streaks on his cheek. “But it doesn’t excuse what I said. It was hurtful. And I don’t think just saying ‘I’m sorry’ will be good enough to make it up to you.”

      Tenchi dug into his pocket and produced one of the letters. He held it out towards Ryoko who looked at it for a moment before looking back up at him.

      “It’s the very last letter she wrote to me,” he pointed to the date marked on the envelope. “I want us to read it. Together.”

      “Just us?” Ryoko felt her soul beginning to calm. The anger that poisoned her veins turned into that normal warmth she felt when sharing even but a single moment with her Tenchi. He flipped the envelope over to show the seal unbroken, no tear in the paper.

      “No one’s eyes have seen what’s inside except for my mother’s. Grandpa hasn’t seen it, Dad hasn’t seen it, I haven’t seen it. Please, I want you to open it.”

      Her hand cautiously reached up for the envelope. These had been the cause of her own self-inflicted misery and even with Tenchi holding it in front of her there was a bit of reservation in her movement. Her fingers clasped the edge of the envelope, Tenchi letting go of his half and leaning himself in a bit. Ryoko tore at the envelope’s edge. She looked over to him as if to ask if it was ok, and he nodded her along. She completed the tear, pulled the letter out from its resting place and unfolded the paper.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      [align=right]February 15th, 1984[/align]

      My snow angel,

      [tab=30]Look at you out there playing in the snow with such vigor, as though it’s the first time you’ve ever encountered it! Like delicate pedals they fall around you with such grace, pieces shaved from the stars just so. To sit and observe the slow but steady construction of a snowman by your hands is one of life’s greater pleasures.

      [tab=30]Though, as I sit indoors away from the brisk winter air I find my mind adrift towards the future. It was only weeks ago that you turned five. By this time next year you’ll be preparing to enter school for the first time. I can’t help but feel a little sorrowful that this shall be our last full year together as just mother and son. In 12 months’ time you’ll be burrowing your head into books, studying hard and making friends. You’ve got a sharp head on your shoulders and you will no doubt do well.

      [tab=30]I can’t help but feel that your mother will become a lesser part of your life then, but… To expect you to remain mine forever would be such a greedy thought. There’ll come a time when there will be another girl in your life as well, one whom I hope is able to fill your heart with wonder. One who will wish to give you everything your mother couldn’t. She will take you away from our home, but you will always remain in my every thought. My soul will ache for the comfort I find in your eyes. But so long as you are happy, my Tenchi, I will march on behind you forever.

      [tab=30]Ah, I could write so much more were it any other day but today. The chill outside is rather draining, I can feel the grip of winter slowing my hand. Nothing a nice dinner won’t cure. I think I’ll end this here and take to the kitchen so you can have a warm meal to come inside to. I’ll be sure to add a little extra love this time.

      [tab=60]Eternally,

      [tab=60]Mama.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      Before Ryoko had fully pulled herself back to the present day, Tenchi wrapped his arms around her tightly. She was almost in shock, only returning his sudden display after a moment had passed. She felt her heart pounding out of her chest. She heard stifled sniffling coming from him. She wanted to say so much to comfort him, to use words so elegantly and powerfully as his mother had all those years ago. But her tongue remained tied.

      “Thank you, Ryoko.”

      “No need to thank me, Tenchi…”

      “If it weren’t for you and Ayeka being yourselves, I may have never been able to get this. I’ve grown up so long not knowing much about my mother other than what we saw of her back in 1970 and the stories dad and grandpa would tell while they were drunk. I feel like a part of me that’s been missing since I was a child has come home at last.”

      Ryoko was soaring.

      Tenchi began to hum, leaning back out from Ryoko’s shoulder and turning his head to the brightening morning horizon. It was a simple, repetitive little tune. Ryoko wracked her brain but could not recognize it. If only she had Mihoshi or Kiyone to grill on it, certainly one of the two of them had sung it on one of their Karaoke binges.

      “What song is that, Tenchi?”

      “I don’t know, I can only remember so much of it. This lullaby my mother used to sing to me. Probably put me to sleep so fast I never heard the whole thing anyway.” Tenchi let out a little laugh.

      “It’s beautiful, whatever it is.” Ryoko rested her head on Tenchi’s shoulder and stared out at the sunrise with him. Ryoko took to humming the short song. Each note seemed to make the sun rise just a little bit more over the two of them.

      “Who knows,” said Tenchi. “Maybe one day, we’ll write our own words for it.”

      • January 14, 2014 at 4:09 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none
      And with that, ladies and gentlemen, our 3 act fanfic comes to a close.

      http://i.minus.com/ibxvHKyakfZU9c.gif" />

      Thank you for reading and feeling.

      Our author would like to thank the following composers for their aural inspiration:

      Sylvain Chauveau

      Eluvium

      Hildur Gudnadottir

      Tim Hecker

      Oren Ambarchi

      • January 15, 2014 at 12:58 AM
      shadowsfall0
      Participant
      none
      First point I have to say. I absolutely LOVE what you did bringing back up Achika Masaki. She’s a maternal figure that earned the a place in the hearts of many fans and honestly seems to have faded into obscurity for the later incarnations past the movie Tenchi Muyo in Love. Resurrecting her character and delving into the thoughts and deeper notions of a new mother was something that just hit it home hard for me.

      The concept is plausible, and absolutely enjoyable. Ryoko discovering the box of letters and reading most of them, then realizing what she was doing was a huge buildup for the imminent feels that were blowing towards the plot like a typhoon.

      The argument and all the lines said that followed. That was the grand slam that was in the making since act 1 and no matter how prepared I was, it still hit and still stung. The roof scene(very reminiscent of Daughter of Darkness) was just perfect. The reactions and the mutual apologies were something that was for the most part absent in big moments, such as the slap. When they finally made up and read that last letter, I felt my heart tear a bit, but it was so worth it.

      Call it bleeding heart masochism.

      The last line was one that was a subtle reference to what would happen between the two(may need to put this in spoilers) Something that drove home the pairing that I being a Ryoko fan, have been rooting for for a long, long time.

      Also, the music you listened to, as well as your methods of method acting I give massive respect to, as they were your tools to completing This masterful Lullaby.

      "For the curse of life is the curse of want. And so, you peer... Into the fog, in hope of answers."
      • January 15, 2014 at 2:46 AM
      wwwwhhhhoooo
      Moderator
      none
      soawesome1 ow, my feels.
      • January 15, 2014 at 7:55 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none
      or – Nil obessess over the weirdest details

      As Shadows & Who requested, I had some “Making of” stuff that is really just writers’ nonsense talking about my process and how I arrived at certain decisions. So if none of that interests you, feel free to skip over this post! Also, SPOILERS ABOUND, so if you’ve yet to read This Lullaby I would suggest not reading this until you have.

      As Shadow had mentioned in his post, I applied some method-acting techniques while trying to get into the character of Achika Masaki. Our knowledge of her character is limited to what we see in Tenchi Muyo In Love, some years before her and Nobuyuki get married and long before Tenchi was born. I did rewatch the movie frequently to maintain the basis of her personality. However, I pulled from several sources to induce a more motherly tone on top of the Achika we got to meet.

      In particular I read several passages from The Whalestoe Letters, one of my main inspirations for this project, aloud before I would begin writing her sections that day. I would imagine Achika’s voice with a bit of age and wisdom added to it and put myself into a zone where I was feeling every thought as this older Achika Masaki. From there, I would grab my trusty fountain pen and begin to write:

      http://i7.minus.com/ibirHpP2JdfvnF.jpg" />

      Starting with teaching myself how to write her name fluidly enough, I hand wrote the base versions of every letter in This Lullaby. This additional physicality added to me already operating myself under what I considered to be Mother-Achika and put me in a zone. Several of them have been put into sealed envelopes addressed to Tenchi, though I put no actual address on any of them. Heaven forbid someone put a few stamps on this and someone get a really weird letter in the mail.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      One of the big challenges I faced when starting this fic was coming up with the proper timeframes for everything. I had asked in Mumble about some general timeline questions and worked with that skeleton to flesh out as much as I could. In Tenchi Muyo in Love, Washu claims that they had to travel back in time 26 years to reach 1970 on the dot. While I don’t believe their ages are ever explicitly stated, it is believed that in 1970 both Achika and Nobuyuki were 16, the same age as Tenchi during the Universe TV show’s run. If this is the case, assuming Achika’s birthday had already occurred when the events of TMiL1 happened, then Achika’s date of birth is sometime in 1954. Not wholly relevant to our story, but fun math regardless.

      Fast forward a bit. Achika is shown to have died on a snowy day in 1984, leaving Tenchi without a mother at the tender age of Five. This places Tenchi’s year of birth at 1979. But what month? I needed to know for the sake of framing Achika’s letter while he was still in the womb. Here’s where my meticulousness came into play.

      http://i.minus.com/iirGxcPYpllHE.png" />

      In the real world Okayama Prefecture circa 1984, the weather charts show absolutely no snowfall at the end of the year. The heaviest snowfall recorded takes place on February 17th, and as seen in Episode 9 of Universe the snowfall is fairly heavy and well accumulated when Nobuyuki returns home to tell his son of his mother’s sudden passing. I felt this the best time to place his mother’s death, so in terms of the canon this story follows, Achika Masaki passed away February 17th, 1984. Her final note, you’ll recall, was written just two days earlier.

      This narrowed things down a little in terms of Tenchi’s birth month. He was either born sometime in January or early February, as he had already had his birthday the year his mother had passed. I doubt the crew on Universe had the actual weather patterns in mind when they wrote that scene but it made sense for the purposes of this exercise and fanfiction. Mentally, I’ve placed his birthday in the second week of January. Letters were dated accordingly – birthday mentions in January or February letters, and her first letter being written as she was entering the third trimester in November 1978.

      On a related note – Tenchi’s conception would have taken place in April if he were born in January, assuming it occurred later in the month. I weighed a few options for why this would be and decided upon the simplest of explanations. Achika and Nobuyuki’s anniversary took place in April. No better time for sexytimes, right? So that’s where our Anniversary letter’s date came from. I have a note here which claims that 1984 was to be their 10th anniversary but I have no clue where that came from so we’ll assume I wrote that down as an idea and it is not fact.

      The only other date of note would be October 15th, 1983. The Akimatsuri festival that takes place at the Achi-jinja Shrine in Okayama always happens on the third weekend of October. As linked above, in 1984 the third Saturday of October was the 15th. The festival celebrates Shinto traditions as well as ushering in a new year of good crop production. A minor detail in the grand scheme of the fic, but one I felt required research regardless.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      Lastly, I did want to address a few things discussed elsewhere. As Shadows notes in his post (Thank you for the kind words!), the rooftop scene was very reminiscent of the one that happens in Daughter of Darkness. I loved the visual poetry and potential behind the scene as it exists in the movie, but have always felt that whenever Ryoko and Tenchi get into a larger than normal fight with one another it tends to get breezed through way too easily for my liking.

      While a different canon, in Ep. 10 of the OVA when Ryoko rips Tenchi’s mother’s Kimono and then intentionally defaces it further, he explodes with anger and repeatedly says that he hates her. This is handwaved away less than a few minutes later when Tenchi returns home. He simply states to her that he isn’t angry any more, Ryoko takes this as gospel and goes back to loving him. She may love Tenchi, but nah uh. That wouldn’t be the end of the story for Ryoko.

      http://i.minus.com/ibxvHKyakfZU9c.gif" />

      Similarly, the slap scene from Daughter of Darkness required much more subtlety and time to simmer than it got. I saw this as the ultimate betrayal of trust between Tenchi and Ryoko in any form of their growing relationship. What we got was a very much condensed rooftop conversation that brushed aside the fact that Tenchi physically assaulted her (not to mention how moments after the slap does occur, he changes the subject without a care) in favor of Ryoko doing almost all of the talking and again, a disturbingly quick repair job of the damage that should have occurred.

      I borrowed elements from both of these scenes to build tension for where the title for this fiction came from. While I could have gone a little more in-depth with the dialog the two had on the roof, I felt I achieved a much better balance than either scene from the animations mentioned. There’s much more relevant dialog which actually discusses motivations for why the hurtful things occurred and a much more powerful gesture on Tenchi’s behalf to solidify his acceptance of responsibility as well as a beautiful way to further build their relationship. I enjoyed the idea of the rooftop scene from DoD more than its execution, so I took it upon myself to write my own roof scene more to my satisfaction.

      [align=center]~.~[/align]

      Lastly, since this is bugging me and Who noticed it I feel it must be mentioned. In Act 3 I mention that Ryoko hadn’t felt as lonely since her 700 years of solitude/imprisonment until that moment. This was a factual error on my part as there’s no evidence in Universe that Ryoko ever served 700 years of time. Ayeka simply references her getting a 700 year sentence, which is about where that paper trail begins and ends. In OVA she is imprisoned, but different canons. Don’t be surprised if this line goes missing in the future since it is incorrect. But a part of me could not resist making a reference to One Hundred Years of Solitude.

      ~.~

      I set out to make a fic that gave both fans of Universe and the Tenchi x Ryoko pairing something unique and special to read, and I hope I delivered.

      Oh, and for shits and giggles… the promo gif I made after Act 2 went live.

      http://i.minus.com/ibxmj2ZETbcrlk.gif" />

      Well that about covers it! If you’ve stuck with us this far then I hope you enjoyed this look into the Making Of This Lullaby. I may stick a few more things in here later as it is 3AM and I may have neglected to add something. But for now you’ll just have to settle for what’s above, which in and of itself is almost as long as the shortest chapter of the fanfic.

      • January 23, 2014 at 4:12 AM
      Yosho24
      Member
      Wow nil, that was great. Really caught the feels from it soawesome1
      • January 27, 2014 at 1:46 AM
      evilpii
      Participant
      none
      Having read the story myself now, I am very pleased with how it came together. The interactions between Tenchi and Ryoko flow very much in the same vein as OVA episode 10 and Manatsu no Eve. You cited these as references and inspiration for the piece, which appears most, considering OVA episode 10 also has Ryoko damaging a memento of his mother’s in a similarly haphazard and self-serving way.

      Reading the letters from Achika to Tenchi gave an insight into her character we have never had a real chance to see in the series at large. We have only seen her active in TMiL1, and mentioned in flashbacks, i.e. through the eyes of Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and Katsuhito. We never really get to see her as a wife and mother. Here, we see her musing over her son growing up, having financial issues with her husband, and other good times over all. It makes one wonder how Ryoko might handle these situations in Achika’s stead, if the lady pirate had considered that life for herself.

      I loved the story overall, as it gave a good bit of development to Achika, as well as to Tenchi and Ryoko. I empathetized with her plights, referencing parallels in my own life. However, a dread hung in my mind as I read forward. My heart feared that the later letters might start referencing her growing ill and, therefore, apart from her son. Waiting for that other foot to fall had my heart in a bit of a knot, but this never did happen. While this might be a missed opportunity, having that well-known fact rise might detract from the story’s main thrust of telling of Achika’s mostly happy life with her husband and son.

      Nice work. ^^V

      • January 27, 2014 at 5:20 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none

      evilpii wrote:


      Reading the letters from Achika to Tenchi gave an insight into her character we have never had a real chance to see in the series at large. We have only seen her active in TMiL1, and mentioned in flashbacks, i.e. through the eyes of Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and Katsuhito. We never really get to see her as a wife and mother. Here, we see her musing over her son growing up, having financial issues with her husband, and other good times over all. It makes one wonder how Ryoko might handle these situations in Achika’s stead, if the lady pirate had considered that life for herself.

      For another fanfic another time to be sure, but this is something I feel could be worth exploring. We see her take motherly duties to various degrees of incompetence (Dealing with Tenchi’s… cousin? Nephew? I forget), upholding a job for financial reasons (as seen in TMiL2, also her failings to keep a job in Okuda’s manga) and so on. She may love Tenchi, but how aware of the domestication of home life on earth is she really, and what sort of adjustments would she need to make for herself to live said life? Could be a fun character study for her to get a wake-up call and have to soul-search to see if she’s truly ready for what she’s asking for.

      Quote:

      However, a dread hung in my mind as I read forward. My heart feared that the later letters might start referencing her growing ill and, therefore, apart from her son. Waiting for that other foot to fall had my heart in a bit of a knot, but this never did happen. While this might be a missed opportunity, having that well-known fact rise might detract from the story’s main thrust of telling of Achika’s mostly happy life with her husband and son.

      This was something that I fought with myself over in the few days it took me to get back around to Act III. I had considered several factors over that time, mainly the extent of Washu’s brainwashing computer applied at the end of TMiL1 and how long, if at all, I was going to acknowledge her impending death. By the end of my internal deliberations I had decided that Achika’s memory was not only wiped of the events of the movie but of any hint of her Jurian blood. It would lead to the cleanest break for everyone and prevent her from having her life too distracted by the part of her that was aware the end was coming.

      To that degree, I decided to stick with her death occurring very suddenly for all involved. In every canon, Tenchi’s mother dies without warning and in this case I felt like Washu’s brainwashing intervention may have aided in assuring she would be unaware of what was to come. The whole idea was to let them live their lives as happily as possible and even as death is about to knock on her door she remained blissfully unaware.

      To put a personal spin on this reasoning, my best friend up through middle school’s mother died suddenly of a fatal aneurysm in our freshman year of high school. The days, weeks, months leading up to her death she never once seemed out of step to anyone who knew her. I suppose she’s not alive today to tell us otherwise but I would like to think she would have looked for help if she suspected something was wrong. I drew from this experience and the impact her death had on her friends and family and saw Achika’s death similarly.

      However, I did decide to acknowledge this via the end of her final letter. As she states, the “cold” is slowing her hand and she is unable to write nearly as much. I felt this was subtle enough foreshadowing to her oncoming death while leaving her completely ignorant to it. Perhaps a bit too subtle, but I felt it the best. Strangely, I did not seem to acknowledge the date of her death in the fiction itself which dilutes the purpose of the dating scheme and some of the research I put into it as the only place you see her official date of death is in my authors notes. Whoops!

      Still though, thank you (and all above as well!) for your compliments and i’m glad I could give you a quality read that dared to ask some questions that hadn’t been. kiyonesmile1

      • January 27, 2014 at 6:59 AM
      wwwwhhhhoooo
      Moderator
      none

      evilpii wrote:

      However, a dread hung in my mind as I read forward. My heart feared that the later letters might start referencing her growing ill and, therefore, apart from her son. Waiting for that other foot to fall had my heart in a bit of a knot, but this never did happen. While this might be a missed opportunity, having that well-known fact rise might detract from the story’s main thrust of telling of Achika’s mostly happy life with her husband and son.

      For what it’s worth, I’m glad you did it the way you did Nil. I was feeling the same dread pii describes, as I’m sure any Tenchi fan would, but the fact that it wasn’t there, in addition to all your other good reasons, made it feel more realistic to me somehow. I felt as though if this were Achika writing letters to her child (which she would have shown him someday, making it all the more tragic she never had a chance to show them to Tenchi) she would be focusing on the good times; plus, as you said, I don’t think she saw it coming, so it would maybe have come across as too expositional for her to state “gee, I don’t feel very good today, sure hope I don’t die before writing the next entry” (not literally like that, but, well, you know). Hindsight is 20/20: we know what’s going to happen, but as she’s living life in the moment, Achika has no idea (as none of us do ourselves), so there was no need to call undue attention to it.

      • March 19, 2014 at 7:13 PM
      ookamilord
      Participant
      nice story i enjoyed it. hit a little close for my taste considering i never had a true father figure in my life and it ways always me an my mother. but great story it felt like i got suckered punched in the feels.
      • April 8, 2014 at 10:00 AM
      Nil Admirari
      Moderator
      none

      ookamilord wrote:

      nice story i enjoyed it. hit a little close for my taste considering i never had a true father figure in my life and it ways always me an my mother. but great story it felt like i got suckered punched in the feels.

      I was hoping to achieve a bit of surprise with the chosen subject matter and the direction I took the story. I tried to dance around what it was about when asked in Mumble and still try not to really mention what it is about as I feel the discovery is part of what makes the story all come together – the initial surprise the reader shares with Ryoko upon finding the letters, the emotions of reading through them and the realization that sets up the resolution in the third act. I’m glad to see you enjoyed it, though I do apologize for the sucker-punching.

      It’s been fun to revisit Achika this week, having her Jurian form be my face on the forum temporarily. I spent a week in her head for this so while we were all taking a break from our usual avatars I felt it appropriate to let her be my head on the forum.

      http://i.minus.com/iRGP8FQYaVDhq.jpg" />

      We will be parting ways at the end of today and I shall return to my usual blue-haired beauty, Kiyone.

      Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to read This Lullaby so far and an advance Thank You to all who read later on. Every view and comment means a lot.

      • April 10, 2014 at 4:46 AM
      Yosho24
      Member
      Is this going to be continued in any way? Or are you going to come up with another fanfic in the future, Nil? I love your work, and would read the hell out of whatever you decide to do.
      • May 7, 2014 at 2:57 PM
      segaman4
      Member
      Very nice story especelly when rhino stumble joins achikas old notes.and also vintage ryoko. Vs ayeka as usual. It just felt like asatifiyi g emotional drama
Viewing 13 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.