Fannish 5 - July 9 and "Metamorphosis"

[heavenly_pearl]

It's been a while since I did a fannish5 and I liked this week's prompt, so here we go:

Name your five favorite foreign-language films/series.

Well, that's easy with all the anime I watch. Just need to list my top five series:

Kaleido Star
Super GALS
Death Note
Fruits Basket
Princess Nine

But excluding animated fare, the list looks more like this:

La vita e bella (Life Is Beautiful)
NANA (both movies)
Death Note (both the main movies, have no real interest in seeing the third)
Volver (one of Penelope Cruz's Spanish films)
Last Quarter (based on the Ai Yazawa manga that needs to be licensed, like, right now)

In other news, it looks like my Helios origination fic Metamorphosis is officially a go. I finished the first scene yesterday, and if anybody's interested, here's a sneak peek.

(A note before reading: Yes, there's a reason why I'm using the spelling "Elios" over my usual preference for "Helios". He's not going to become Helios until later in the story. It's part of the "metamorphosis". ^_^ Also, in this scene you meet his childhood friend (and first love) Rhode, whose name comes from the sea nymph wife of the mythological god Helios. Her name happens to be the root of the words "rose" and "rhododendron" as well, making for some nice symbolism in this scene.)

“Rhode, wait up!”
 
Elios panted heavily as he struggled to climb up the wall of the mountain. The two of them had plenty of experience in exploring the caves of Mount Parnassus, but never had they climbed so far up. His muscles strained under the exertion.

 His companion, who had already made it up to the ledge, turned around and peered down at him, hands on her hips. She barely seemed winded at all.
 
“You’re so slow!
 
“No, you’re too fast. Are you really a girl?”
 
“Of course I’m a girl,” Rhode huffed as she extended a hand to help pull him up. “Come on, it’s only a little father. I have a good feeling about this one.”
 
Elios resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “You say that every time we come up here.”
 
“But this time I’m positive it’s the one.”
 
“You also say that every time.”
 
Rhode stuck out her tongue. “Well, you still come with me, so you must believe it, too.” She placed a hand on the mountain, closing her eyes. “Somewhere in this mountain is an entrance to Elysion, and you and I are going to find it.”

“Do you think it really exists?” he asked, coming up beside her. “The entrance, I mean?”
 
“There has to be a way for the King of Earth to visit his realm, right?”

“But it is only a legend that the entrance exists inside one of the caves of Mount Parnassus. Nobody has ever been able to find it.”

“They just didn’t try hard enough,” she said, taking Elios by the hand. He felt a drop of water fall from the sky, splashing against his skin. “Now come on. It’s going to start raining soon. Follow me.”
 
Elios lightly blushed and allowed Rhode to lead him inside the nearest cave. They made it just in time. Almost as soon as they stepped inside, it began to downpour. Beside him, Rhode jumped a little at the sound of booming thunder in the distance and grabbed at his arm.
 
“Still afraid of thunder?” Elios asked, remembering how terrified she would get during thunderstorms when they were younger. Thunder was one of the few things that seemed to faze the usually fearless Rhode.
 
Rhode released her hold on Elios’ arm and pivoted on her heel, one of her long ponytails slapping him in the face. “Don’t be silly!” she said. “Only babies are afraid of thunder. It just startled me, that’s all. I‘m going to get us some light in here.”
 
While Rhode prepared a fire, Elios stood at the entrance of the cave, looking out at the dark clouds and pouring rain. “Looks like we’ll have to stay here for a while,” he sighed. “I hope this storm doesn’t last too long. Mother doesn’t like me playing in the caves. If she finds out…” 
 
“You worry too mu-- Oh, wow!”
 
He turned around at Rhode’s words of surprise, his mouth dropping in awe at the sight in front of him. Despite the fact that it was still late winter, the entire cave was covered in colorful roses in bloom. Thick vines covered the limestone walls and large bushes pushed through the ground. 
 
“Flowers? At this time of year?”
 
“They’re so pretty!” Dropping down to her knees in front of one of the rosebushes, Rhode bent her head down to sniff one of the blooms, a beautiful pink rose whose color nearly matched the shade of her hair. “They smell good, too.” She snapped the rose off the bush and gave it to Elios. “Here.”
 
Elios’ cheeks flushed. “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” he asked, twirling the rose between his fingertips. “The boy giving the girl flowers?”
 
“Sometimes, a girl has to take matters into her own hands,” she replied.
 
And then she kissed him.
 
Elios’ eyes widened in surprise when he felt her lips against his, soft, but wet. It was his first kiss, so he wasn’t sure how to react. In shock, he stood there motionless until Rhode finally pulled away.
 
“I’ve been wanting to do that for the longest time,” she said with a smile as Elios pressed his middle and pointer finger against his bottom lip.
 
“Rh-Rhode… I…” 
 
She turned away, once again focusing on their mission. “These flowers must be a sign,” she declared. “The rose is said to be a symbol of the royal family of Earth. I’m more certain than ever that this cave holds an entrance to Elysion.”
 
Elios began looking around the cave as well, purposely avoiding glancing over at Rhode. He was glad the cave was mostly covered in shadows, sure that his face was as red as a tomato. “I-I don’t see anything here, Rhode.”
 
“It must be behind some of these vines.” She walked over to one of the walls and began yanking off some of the vines with her bare hands. “Help me look, Elios!”
 
 Glad to have something to do to take his mind off what had just happened between them, Elios walked over to another wall and joined the search. Together, the two of them managed to pull down all the vines covering the cave walls, but there was no sign of a visible entrance. Other than the presence of the out-of-season roses, it appeared to be a normal cave.
 
When they were finished, Elios and Rhode slid down to the ground, leaning against each other, back-to-back.
 
“It’s not here,” he announced unnecessarily.
 
Rhode let out a sigh. “But I was so certain…”
 
Elios brought his arm back, reaching for Rhode’s hand. He knew how disappointed she must be. Ever since she had learned of the legend of a hidden entrance to Elysion located somewhere in the caves of Mount Parnassus, it had been her most treasured dream to find it. “

"We’ll find it someday,” he told her, attempting to cheer her up. “Don’t give up.”
 
“Yeah.” She stood back up and walked over to the entrance of the cave. “Hey, look, the rain has stopped.”
 
“Oh, it has?”
 
“We should start heading back to town. If you get in trouble with your mother, we won’t be able to continue our search.

Elios stood back up as well, dusting off his hands, which were covered with small scratches from the thorns on the vines. He wasn‘t sure how he would explain those away. “I suppose you’re right. Let‘s go.”
 
After extinguishing the fire, the two of them made their way back down the mountain. Neither of them said much of anything to each other until they reached the temple where Elios lived with his mother, a Dream Seer known as the Oracle of Delphi for her ability to divine the future from dreams.
 
“Well, here we are,” he said at the top of the stairs.
 
“Yeah.” In an uncharacteristic moment of bashfulness, Rhode stared down at the ground, hands behind her back. “See you tomorrow?”
 He nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow.”
 
“Then… Goodbye, Elios.”
 
She started back down the stairs.
 
“Rhode, wait!” he called out, sprinting after her.
 
Rhode turned around, surprised. “What is it, Elios?”
 
“I just…uh…” Before he could change his mind, he quickly pecked her on the cheek. “See you tomorrow, Rhode.”
 
“See you tomorrow, Elios.”


Edit: Huh, it looks like I mistakenly disabled comments. Don't know how that happened. Oh, well, it has been fixed.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Loved the preview. Can't wait for the actual story.

Also, love the last few drabbles in your meme. I think the one for inner senshi/kids would make a funny one-shot (can you imagine the cravings?). I can also see the Ami/Akira city hall concept becoming a one shot for the sole reason that his mother's reaction would be priceless (I love izumi, amazing OC!)

-purna