New Year Irony-(Open)-

[Lauren Clark]

Lauren felt a sense of befuddlement on how she contracted the flu of all things,it was an extreme damper upon the holiday plans that were set in motion.Although there was no sense in getting upset to much by the infection as there was no way to take it back,no mater how hard you wished.You just had to deal with it,little by little and the irony of the New Year happened to be that she was a doctor.It reminded Lauren of human frailty,that even doctors get sick and the best course of action would be to get plenty of rest, drink a lot of liquids.However,there would be plenty of time to do that after fulfilling a promise she made.One to the children at the Hospital by Lauren personally delivering a box of assorted origami animals and other decorations to the temple so their wishes would come true.

Some had managed to make the perfectly lined folds for their origami animal(s) of choice,while others had trouble in the folding design.It didn't seem to matter to Lauren as she gave some thought,I think each little creation is special and meaningful somehow.They should be proud.She was obviously being stubborn/now going against better judgment while on route to the temple as Lauren tried not to cough rather harshly.To make things worse in her case,it was beginning to snow and the air held a bitter sting of new chill.Making it difficult to tell if a fever was arising from getting the set of chills associated with the flu as she finally arrived a little numb but happy none the less.By simply leaning over momentarily to place the box against the snow-crunched steps of the temple,she felt extremely fatigued all of a sudden.While Lauren tried to keep some sense of balance as she maneuvered from the temple,it proved fruitless as she eventually collapsed.Much to her surprise,Lauren's throat while scratchy still muttered a curse word," Damn it."

[Momiji Sohma]

Momiji shuffled through the snow, arms clasped around his sites. He ducked his head, the ears on his rabbit stocking cap blowing in the chilly winter breeze. Crunching through the frostbitten earth, Momiji rounded the corner to stand in front of the snow covered temple.
He sighed in awe, a cloud of breath filling the air. The temple looked so peaceful when it snowed... He patted the box in his coat pocked and bent over to pull up his snow boot.
Walking down the stone path, Momiji picked a delicate frost covered flower, the dull pink radiant against the glow of the snow blanketed environment.
He twirled the delicate stem in his woolen gloved fingers, the snow sticking to his eyelashes. He trudged through the snow, his boots satisfyingly crunching in the freshly fallen powder.
As he got closer to the black walled temple, he noticed a familiar figure crouched on the steps to the temple. The figure coughed violently and Momiji's heart softened.
"You shouldn't be out here without a coat," he said cautiously as he wandered over to the figure, who's bare hands were spread rigidly against the cold marble of the steps.
He took off his coat, pulling the box out and stuffing it into his sweater pocket. "Don't worry, I have lots of layers. My aunt made sure of it before I left the apartment," he said softly, draping his thick coat over the shivering form of the women.
Momiji knelt down next to her, his bright blue eyes peering behind the curtain of her hair. "Hello, Lauren," he said simply, his high voice gentle in the frozen air.

[Lauren Clark]

I should have known better,infact I did know better about being out here in the snow,Lauren thought while sprawling her fingertips against the cobbled steps.Feeling their beaded makeup before meeting a small shovel of ivory powder within her grasp,it was a start at least.Telling herself to at least try and shove her way to stand if she could meet a sturdier position,yet nothing could avail.Another violent series of a cough stirred the doctor's form until hushing her throat as her lungs filled with a sting.Despite the pains associated with the dreaded flu,Lauren was happy for one small fact,she had fulfilled her promise of delivering the box to the temple on time and pondered just what sort of wishes her patients had made.'You shouldn't be out here without a coat.'a concerned yet familiar voice rang in the silence that kept her from passing out when slowly replying,"It was only supposed to be a quick errand. I fulfilled my promise."

Fingertips drape over the thick coat that had been placed ontop of her when trying at least one more time to get up,smiling as she didn't want to worry Momiji.With a heave,Lauren was finally able to get up from the bitter crunch of snow and leaned against a temple wall.Lauren expressed a blank sense of worry,she couldn't walk the entire length towards home in her condition and calling a cab would only take more time.Irony was the perfect theme it seems,Lauren blinked as she remembered Momiji had greeted her and blinked in a semi-awkward manner.Her voice was scratchy but tried to overcome the imperfection,"H-Hello.Mo-Momiji."Lauren blinked whenever trying to place her palms inside of the coat pockets,there was a origami crane stuck to the center of her palm.

It must have happened when she fell and curiosity struck when unraveling it, and Cyan orbs read the message.'I wish for lots and lot of money.No, candy!No wait..Ice cream! Hmm.No..both!'Lauren chuckled before she sighed when eying Momiji as her scratchy voice again spoke."D-do you know where I-I could stay,just until I get a little better?"She hated being a bother,which was almost the same feeling-expression of Tohru when Lauren added one final thing,"I-I hope I'm not b-being to much of a burden."Fingertips folded up the bit of paper back into it's original position,a dainty little crane and moved forward just a small bit to place it inside of the box.Her form quickly leaned against a spare wall,to avoid falling over again,It feels like forever since I've last been sick.Lauren noted within her brain.

[Momiji Sohma]

Momiji nodded, bracing himself against the wind.
"You could probably warm up at my aunt and uncle's apartment until you go home. It's where I live, remember?" He said, referring to their surprise birthday party for his sister Momo.
He stuffed his hands under his armpits to keep warm and wandered into the open air temple with a sniffling Lauren following.

Momiji walked past the family shrines, the black marble shining in the harsh light reflecting off of the innocent white powder, the contrast brilliant in the white wonderland. Picking his way around bouquets of frostbitten flowers and offerings, he finally came to the family shrine.

Digging his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the little pink flower and the box. Delicately, he placed the single stem into the flower holder on the ground next to the tall black marble slate. Reading the family names inscribed onto the shrine, his breath fogging the air, Momiji searched for his closest relation on the the Sohma slab.

Opening the box, he pulled out a small ceramic rabbit. It was a creamy chocolate color, with white ears and paws. Its fragile appearance was overcome by the intelligent look on the rabbits face, black eyes staring inquisitively back. The rabbit was posed on its haunches, paws tucked against its exposed belly, stretching up to look around.

Momiji traced his great grandfather's name with his cold white finger, etched in the chilled black marble. He placed the little rabbit tenderly next to his ancestors name on the pedestal that rested against the main part of the shrine. He noticed that the rabbit was surrounded by other animal figurines from the Chinese zodiac. He noticed a small stuffed tiger, a glass boar, a porcelain cow, a beaded snake, a solemn wooden rat among others.

Momiji giggled. "Looks like my other family members have already been here," he said to Lauren, gesturing to the almost complete set of zodiac representation. It didn't strike him as odd that the cat was also included, the little orange cat with a black and white beaded necklace placed next to it. It seemed that even Kyo had come to pay his respects to the rest of the family too. Momiji also noticed that there was only one figure missing from the set, an empty spot where the dragon should go.

He sighed unhappily, the cold winter wind whipping at his back, his blond hair falling in his face. Hatori must be too busy to make it out here on New Years, he thought. I'm surprised I didn't see anyone else come to pay their respects though. They must've all come in the morning.

He turned around, finished with his time at his family shrine. "So," he said, his pure gentle voice breaking the silence that was thick in the snow filled air. "Do you want to go to your shrine now?" Momiji asked the coughing doctor, pointing at a silver crane that had fallen out of her pocket.

[Lauren Clark]

Lauren gently shook her forehead to the best of her ability as to needing to go to her own shrine,"I don't think I can make it there.Hope it isn't a inconvenience to leave the offerings here at this location."She spoke gently whenever her lugs became strained and continued to grasp the coat around her form,"I promised I'd try to deliver them all to the children that were unable to leave from the hospital.It's strange as hard as I tried not to get sick.I am sick."Referring to the nasty flu bug she caught and is still going through,Cyan orbs stare upon the little 'farm animals' and make a comment."Kawaii little cow."

Finding the little blotches of the spot pattern cute,"Is this the zodiac story that your family is trying to create? I don't remember it. I forget whom told me when I first moved to this country about the legend.Twelve animals or is it thirteen. Wasn't there a cat?"To many questions that she felt dizzy and figured it would be a good time to get a move on,staying out in the chilly air was bad for her condition at the moment.Feet scuffle forwards in the long windy direction of where Momiji lived,in order to seek shelter from harsh conditions.

[Momiji Sohma]

Momiji nodded. "Yep. There are twelve in the zodiac...Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, dog and Boar. But the Cat was left out from the group..." Momiji reeled off, gesturing to each of the figurings in turn, skimming over the spot where the dragon should be.

He thought for a moment, trying to find words to say what he meant without giving anything away. "Our family," he started, his breath pluming in front of his cold nose. "Has a strong connection with the Zodiac. As you might have guessed, I feel a strong relationship with the year of the Rabbit, even though I wasn't born in the Year of the Rabbit." Momiji gestured to the rabbit figurine he had left as an offering, its delicate form blending in with the properly placed order of the zodiac animals, headed by the rat and ended with the surly looking cat.

He bowed his head briefly one more time, muttering a prayer of thanks and then turned to face Lauren.
"If you point to where you were going to put the cranes, I would be happy to take them there for you," he offered, peering into her tired face. "Then I could get you to my uncle and aunt's apartment to warm up before you get home to rest. You shouldn't be out here for so long with that nasty flu you have there," Momiji said gently.

But before he could take the cranes from her, Lauren stumbled when reaching forward with the box and Momiji instinctively threw his arms out to break her fall.

"Oh no..." Momiji said, instantly regretting his action as a plume of smoke puffed into the air and both fell to the ground...

***