{ Chronicle } :: Quinn // Syusaki

[Syusaki]

{ {__________An Icy Breeze__________ } }

Miki had only been away from home for a few months, but he was still glad to have the chance to rejoin his family for the Thanksgiving Break. There was not much of a difference to college life, but at the same time there was. He still had to go to class. He still had to study. The essence of it all had remained the same. However, the lad noticed that fewer classes were required, so fewer time was spent being in school. There was more studying to do, but Miki constantly found himself with plenty of free time to pursue his hobbies (technically, hobby). So the cycle repeated as so: school, study, music, sleep. This went on for three straight months. Miki liked dancing and the classes at school were interesting, but when one starts forgetting what day it is because each day is virtually the same there is a problem. That was why he was enjoying reacquainting himself with his hometown.

Happily strolling through fallen autumn leaves, he hummed to himself and rocked his head back and forth, letting the music that blasted from his headphones move his body as it pleased. Eyes closed, his arms and legs paused and moved in a jerky manner. As Miki glided across the cement trail that winded through the park, he lost track of time.

Next time his eyes opened, the light blue sky had transformed into dreary grey. The once-cool weather had now turned cold and windy. Leaves rustled around him and bare tree branches swayed back and forth. Once Miki pulled his headphones down the wind whistled and hissed in his ears. He blinked and looked around the desolate park. Was it him, or did he hear a voice?

Come here. Come here!

Words sharp and harsh, he took a startled step back and surveyed the area second time. Where was it coming from? The voice repeatedly kept calling out to the college student, urging him to “come here”. Thinking that it would not stop anytime soon, Miki obliged the bodiless entity and began to step in a random direction.

It gawked. No, not there! The other way! The other way!

He stopped and confusedly turned around, suspiciously peering to and fro. The voice whispered a relieved “finally” before sharply urging the young man to stop. So he did and Miki looked around a fourth time.

Nestled in a small, nearby pile of autumn leaves was an egg. He gaped at the size, because it sure wasn’t big as a chicken egg. Miki cautiously edged towards it, also noting that it had light blue wings and an unnatural appearance in color. For one thing, it had a picture of a storm cloud, lightning streaking across its silver-blue surface. Raindrops ran down its shell and Miki reached out to touch it in awe. The leather wings slapped at his outreached hand and he immediately recoiled.

“Sorry!”

The wings slowly flapped and stilled and the dark grey clouds that circled the egg also froze, as if to say it was alright.

He paused and then reached out a second time. This time around the egg let Miki wrap his arms around it and pick it up. Intrigued by the egg, he frivolously chose to cart it back home and hummed a tune, the egg fluttering its wing back and forth in a beat.  

[Syusaki]

{ {__________Foreboding Storms__________ } }

Once Miki arrived home, the large egg in his hands, his siblings assault the man with question, rapidly asking one after the other. A myriad of inquiries had already been said by the time he had managed to silence his brothers and sisters. Clueless as to where he should lay the egg, Miki settled for placing it in a cardboard box, full of blankets, next to his bed.

He felt silly, treating the egg as if it was a living creature. However, it felt odd to treat it as anything less. The way it radiated a warm glow, how it sometimes flapped its large leathery wings, and the fact that it seemed to move and react to his movements. Miki was firmly convinced that there was a little man lurking behind the egg’s shell. How else could it act so humanly?

For the most part, the house atmosphere remained its usual boisterous, hyper self. His siblings were as loud as ever, even more so due to the peculiarity of the egg as well as its mysterious origin. Although Miki’s younger sisters and brothers had managed to glean the story out of him numerous times, they always seemed to want it to be told to them again and again.

Life at home was cheerful as it always home, but the town weather suspiciously remained gloomy and cloudy. He curiously wondered what the cause of the stormy days was. Normally, the sky was perpetually a soft shade of blue, wisps of white clouds casually strolling along. Miki admitted that the wintry season called for colder, depressing weather, but it was still unusual for such a dark spell to befall his town for so long. He was at lost for the longest time. Why was the weather so sullen?

Weeks had passed before the idea that the egg was the cause had dawned onto him. When Miki found out he was very displeased. He wanted his sunny days back, please and thank you. It was not like he was in a fury and ready to flip a table over. Miki was not irascible and only once in a moon did his family witness his temper.

Rather, the man sat down on his bed and intently stared at the egg, his arms crossed. He was silent for a few moments, completely frozen like he was a contemplating statue. The egg did nothing for a while before hesitantly flapping its wings, most likely to inquire about Miki’s behavior.

Taking it as his cue to speak, he murmured, “The weather has been pretty rainy and stuff, lately.” A pause to let the egg respond. Its wings excitedly fluttering and Miki swore that it was bouncing up and down in its cozy cardboard box. Unknowingly he grinned at its antics. How cute. “The recent rain is because of you, right? I’d appreciate if you could stop. I think you’ve had enough of your fun.”

It stopped its fluttering and paused, slowly shifting towards the window like it was staring out the glass (and thoroughly creeping Miki out). A streak of lightning crossed the sky and a clap of thunder rattled the window frame, shocking the boy and causing him to jump off the bed. Once more the egg quickly beat its wings, jumping. As Miki recomposed himself, confusedly shaking his head, he was sure that the egg was laughing.

Bewildered, Miki stared at the giggling egg as it floated over to him, caressing his cheeks with its misty cloud.

You’re so cute. Really.

After that experience, it began to rain. Hard.

He could still hear its laughter ringing in his ears.  

[Miss Marzipan]

[ G.r.o.w.t.h.

xxxQ.u.e.s.t. ]

For weeks it's still been cloudy, grey, and sporadically raining, odd weather for a usually snowy time of year. Seems that the weathermen on TV can't figure it out, but write the cause off to "the usual suspects" like global warming or a warm front that crops up every ten years or so. Miki knows better though. The egg in the box has been rather demure for the past month or so, but today is rather different. A huge thunderhead has rolled in - seemingly out of nowhere - and it's pouring hard enough that the roof leaks, the windows rattle, and any and all trees outside are in danger of losing their branches or hold thanks to the gale-like winds. What's worse, is the power has gone out! Even with the heating gone, the egg is active as ever, seemingly unaware of the dropping temperature. Each flash of lighting and burst of thunder only seems to increase its activity, so much so that even the egg seems to have its own inner rumbling. How does Miki deal with the damage being done to his house? How does he deal with the egg's hyperactivity and inner storm? And how does Quinn finally make her grand appearance into this stormy new world?

 

[Syusaki]

{ {__________Thunderstorm__________ } }

After that failure of a confrontation, Miki did not dare to insult the egg ever again. It appeared to be a benign egg, but the student knew that it was so much more to it than that. Rather than a pearly white color, the shell painted a perfect picture of a storm: dark grey clouds that swirled around one another, giving birth to a stream of lightning that dove across the egg. Did he mention the bat wings that flocked each side of it while it rested on a stormy grey cloud? That was pretty important.

Through a streak of miracles, it was only Miki and the egg at home tonight. His other family members had obligations to tend to and places they would rather be than in a dreary house while the town drowned in everlasting rain. Even worse, the unrelenting weather was causing the roof to leak and the windows to furiously shake like they would shatter any moment. Ever since he had attempted to chide the egg, it had been pouring day by day, those days eventually turning into weeks. The once-uncommon bleak sky that gently covered the city now blended into the scenery as the citizens grew accustomed to the subdued colors of their world.

Miki was curled up on the couch, his large hands tightly wrapped around the bright red controller in his lap. The television set lit up his face in the empty darkness of his house while he glued his gaze to the blinking colors and characters that flashed across the screen.

Jump. Jump. Stab. Run. Jump. Dodge. Stab. Duck. Ru—

With an innocent click, Miki’s sole source of light and entertainment had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Bewildered eyes stared at the black screen in disbelief, wondering why his precious game had been wrongly stolen from him. A low rumble of thunder answered his silent pleas, making him cautiously crawl off the couch.

“Oh. So the storm cut off the power.” He tried to mask the nervousness in his voice. “How nice.”

There was momentary silence, save for the energetic tapping of pelting water.

Then the room turned a pale blue as white lightning blinked across the storm clouds, ferocious thunder chasing after its heels. The sudden roar startled the college student, causing him to flinch and fall back against the plush material of the couch. High laughter peeled through the empty halls as the weather took a drastic turn for the worse, thunder and lightning joyously clashing through the sky one after the other.

Come here . . . come here . . . ! A whisper in his ear urged him to get up and move, but to where?

Miki confusedly stood up a second time, wincing when another clap of ringing thunder seemingly shook the very foundations of the house. Covering his ears with his hands, instinct told him to head towards his room, so he did.

He hastily stumbled through the hall as each boom echoed louder and louder. Why was this thunderstorm so strong? So powerful that the wooden structure of the house reverberated? Trembling hands clumsily wrapped around the brass handle of the door and he pushed it open, letting it harmlessly swing back as he peered into the darkness.

Smack dab in the middle of his room was the egg, frozen still until it appeared to have spotted Miki. He could hear it produce a low hum as it began to lightly hop, each one seemingly producing more thunder to mix with the storm. The man furrowed his brows and bent down as it eagerly moved toward him. “So the storm really has been all your doing? Stop it. Stop it now!” He yelled with all his might, but was unsure whether his voice got through to the egg at all.

It answered with an outraged rumble, jumping high into his face, but not quite smashing into him.

“Hey!” he protested, the shock and proximity sending him rolling on his back.

The egg giggled at his silliness, but also pleased with what it had done.

Miki gawked at it as he used his arms to prop himself up. “What are you laughing at?” he shouted and in his fury, grabbed the egg and hurled it at the wall.

It shrieked as it disappeared behind his bed and crashed into the harsh, icy floor, a hissing crack resounding in the air. The thunder outside suddenly died and the rain descended into a light trickle. However, the immediate change in weather did not register to Miki at all. He was far too busy staring at his bed with an uneasy look on his face.

Holy crap. Did he just kill the egg?

He cautiously waddled to the other side of the bed, closing his eyes in fear of the mess that might lie before him. Once he flashed open his eyes, Miki was surprised to find the gleaming remains of the shell, but nothing else. “W-Wha . . . ?”

Tiny hands wrapped around his neck. “Boo!” The voice was high-pitched, but low enough to make the gender undistinguishable.

Miki immediately stiffened, but once he felt blond locks brushing his cheeks he angled his face to stare into icy blue eyes.

“Who . . .”

The small child grinned. “Your precious egg!”  

[Syusaki]

Open Invitation // Quinn, Miki & Tsuji, Huan Yi

 

[Syusaki]

For the Thrills // Quinn, Miki & Chath, Michael

 

[Syusaki]

{ {__________Summer Rest__________ } }

“Miki, I’m bored,” Quinn declared, sprawled over the student’s bed like a snake basking on a rock.

He continued to calmly work, scribbling away on his note cards while his eyes soaked in the information of his textbook. “Then why don’t you go outside? I’m sure Viki and the others would be more than willing to oblige you,” Miki offhandedly replied.

The bed creaked as the blond Ashe shifted into a sitting position, legs loosely crossed and her arms stretched out to support her weight as she leaned back. She glared at the back of the boy’s head with her icy eyes. ”I’ve done that a bajillion times already! It’s so boring to play with them now. Why can’t you be the one to play with me instead?” She huffed, puffing her cheeks out and crossing her arms. “Yeah college thingy is done for the year, right? So come play with me already! I’m so boredddd!” The bed screeched a second time when she flopped backwards, the mattress gently bouncing up and down from the impact.

“That’s true, but I’ve decided to also take some summer classes, so unlike most college students I still have work to do,” he answered, writing away on the thick cards. “I’m sorry, Quinn. Maybe another day?”

She frowned, her forehead creased with ridges. Silently, Quinn stood still as she stubbornly expected him to respond to her immature silence. When no reply came she softly coughed, only to be met with the constant scratching of pencil lead against paper. She coughed louder the second time, but received only the same response. Disgruntled with her treatment, she slithered off the bed and stormed out of Miki’s room, slamming the door so hard that the frames rattled with her anger. Even so, Miki did not come chasing after her.

She was glad he couldn’t see them mixed look of furious disappointment etched on her face.

Quinn listlessly kicked a red rubber ball across the front lawn, the younger siblings engaged in a vigorous game of tag while the older ones sat by the sidelines, their hawk-like eyes always protectively observing the children from afar. Lips firmly set themselves into a tight frown as she glanced at Miki’s siblings.

After contemplatively staring at them she called out, “Why’s Miki so boring and studying?”

Viki laughed, girlishly flipping her wavy bleached locks over her shoulder. Crystal blue eyes glittered at the Ashe. “The boy may be dense, but he has his priorities straight,” she answered, flopping back onto the grass to bathe in the sun’s warm rays. “I don’t think his workload is so heavy though. I suppose pestering him a bit wouldn’t hurt ‘im,” the elder sibling added after a moment of thought, silently giving Quinn permission to bother him.

Quinn grinned, eyes gleaming maliciously. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She prowled back into the house as the sky slowly turned cloudy grey.

Her feet silently treaded across the carpet and lightly pushed the door to Miki’s bedroom open. “What is it---”

A fierce gust swam through his room, mischievously throwing about small objects and papers across the floor. As surprise and shock scribbled themselves all over Miki’s face, he vainly attempted to clamp down on his papers, but they all flew between his fingers. “Quinn . . . ?” he questioningly shouted over the wind and turned towards the blond that stood in the doorway.

With the tilt of her head she innocently smiled, dark misty clouds surrounded her head as she stepped forward. Her face turning darker and darker with each step, Quinn jabbed a finger into Miki’s face. “It’s summer rest (or whatever you humans you call it), and it’s about time you go and rest!” she calmly said with a deadly calm.

Taken aback by the deadly force in her voice, the brunette slowly nodded his head, for fear of incurring more of the child’s stormy wrath. “Okay . . .”

The wind died to a low whisper and the clouds faded. “That’s good!” she chirped and began to shuffle the fallen papers together. Grinning like she hadn’t just made a total mess of her guardian’s room, she beamed. “Why don’t we clean up your room a bit before going outside?”

Miki slowly nodded his head and joined in the cleaning. After scooping up most of his room, he stood up, staring at Quinn’s squatting figure as she picked up the last of the strewn items. “Why’re you so adamant about playing with me?” inquired the boy.

“Things are even more boring without you around,” she explained, gluing her eyes to the floor as she scowled. “Stop giving me that goofy smile of yours. It’s pissing me off.”

“If that’s what you want.” He grinned.

“It is.”