InsaneJournal

FM-PMS
Sometimes when writing a fic you have a scene for a late chapter, written almost at the beginning. You grew fond of that scene, played with it, endorse, giggled, whatever about it. And when you finally come to the chapter it is intended for, you realize that the minuscule changes from the original plan accumulated over the last 16+5 chapters and the mood no longer fits. Sometimes, you can salvage the scene, sometimes not. Sadly, "Hotaru's caterpillars" are a case of the latter. It was deleted this morning. At least the rest reads better now.


"You seem not very welcome in your own kitchen," Seishiro commented the surprised looks they got from the passing servants.

"They probably wonder why we're here. This is where students failing in their tasks are served reduced dishes as punishments."

"Given their surprise, you didn't have to eat often here."

"Once. In Hotaru's caterpillar spell." The door beside them opened and Rumiko appeared with a tray with simple breakfast and a white china coffee cup.

"Hotaru's?" Seishiro raised a doubtful brow at him, while Rumiko sat the tray onto the small table between them.

"I lost my concentration." Subaru retorted, giving him a dark look. "Hokuto-chan dropped a caterpillar down my shikifuku."

Seishiro laughed out loud, startling the servant who set a white china cup down on the table before him.

"Don't laugh!" Subaru protested. "It *squiggled*."

"It sure would," Seishiro agreed. "I certainly would squiggle, too, if I were dropped down your clothes... though probably for a different reason," he added with a wicked smirk.

"Don't you start!" Subaru warned, nodding towards the servant, who bowed and went back to her kitchen work.

"You know," Seishiro said thoughtfully, stirring sugar into his coffee. "I had two theories regarding Hotaru's caterpillar spell in my youth. First, that it doesn't work and Hotaru knew it. So he wrapped it into a hundred-and-twenty pages of the most boring Japanese prose I've ever encountered -- and that includes the Genji Monogatari in high school," he added, giving Subaru a long, suffering glance. "So that by the time, anybody can attempt the first, most simplified version of the spell every plant infested with caterpillars would be gone and nobody noticed his goof-up." Seishiro raised a second finger, appearing as if he gave the Victory-sign instead. "The second theory is, that it was never tested in the first place."

"Why not?"

"Because you have to endure said 120 pages of the most boring Japanese prose for it, of course." Seishiro snorted. "Collecting the caterpillars manually off the plant is a lot faster and the real test is whether or not you think of doing it!"

Subaru gave up on not laughing. "Not everybody has as little tolerance for boredom as you."

"Little tolerance?" Seishiro actually managed to look horrified. "It's *Hotaru*! Compared to his prose, the phone book is positively thrilling!"

"Oh yes," Subaru said dreamily,." All those names and addresses... the *advertisings*... they guarantee sleepless nights!"