Culture: Japanese, 1814. Medium: Woodblock print on paper. Collection: The British Museum, London.
In Japanese, the word for frog is pronounced kaeru. The verb meaning "to return" or "to go home" is pronounced exactly the same way. In the Japanese culture of the time, there was a strong belief that the spoken sound of words influenced the physical world. This exact phonetic similarity transformed frog depictions into talismans.
In Japanese, the phrase for returning safely is buji ni kaeru. That's why travelers carried small wooden, ceramic, or paper frog figurines in their bags to ensure they'd return home safely after dangerous journeys.
Another example is the phrase okane ga kaeru, which means "money returns" in Japanese.
For this reason, some shopkeepers kept frog statues at their shop entrances or right next to their cash registers.
Similarly, customers placed miniature frog amulets inside their wallets, believing the wealth they spent wouldn't diminish, but would actually return to them.
tags; simp/moody edward. that's it. x reader , no use of y/n , in first person MDNI
short chapter trying to see where i want to go with it :)
Alice Cullen invited me to a homework session, at her house. Her boyfriend was next to her, just staring at me. For some reason I said yes. Now, I'm stounding outside their house gawking at it. I cannot believe this mansion is their house. Big house with big windows and a big forest surrounding it. My GPS stopped working on the way up and I thought I was going to die. Now I'm here, gawking. I take a deep breathe and force my feet to move.
I walk up the steps and gently knock on the door. Maybe if I breathe wrong, I'll break it. I hold my breath as the door slowly swings open. Edward. I roll my eyes and he very obviously frowns. He's in a grey t-shirt with black sweats, and his hair is wet. Obviously he just got out of the shower.
"I'm here for Alice. She's helping me out in math." I say, gripping onto my bag for comfort. Alice rushes down the stairs calling my name. "Alice!" She throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly. She's in her same school clothes, a babydoll dress with shorts underneath and her house slippers. I didn't realize she was so short.
"Edward do you mind?" She asks, pushing him away from us. He scoffs at her, and runs his fingers through his hair. Whatever. I can't be angry at someone I don't care about. Alice grabs my hand with the biggest smile and leads me up many stairs and into her room. A beautiful canopy bed, designs all around and white desk facing a window.
"Woah. Your room is so pretty," I whisper more to myself than to her. Alice nods, making her pixie hair bounce a bit. "You drew all of this?" I gently touch the sketchbook paper on the walls. Alice hums. Each drawing looks like students in beautifully fabulous outfits.
"I get inspired all the time! Yours is next to the door." Alice says, taking out her math textbook. I walk over and see me. She drew me in a long polka dot skirt and a white tank top. My hair is in big curls and she even did makeup. "I was inspired by the 50's a line skirts! You know the poodle ones? It would suit you." I stare in awe at her talent, it looks like a photo.
"Sorry I'm just staring at your things. Let's get started?" I question sitting down at her desk, as she's sat on her bed. Alice nods and we start going over our homework. I've never had so much help before, it's nice. Most of my friends are in higher level courses, it's embarrassing to ask them for help. Alice didn't mind helping me in class, and she minds even less now. Going into detail and asking me which parts are confusing. She should be a teacher.
There's a gentle knock on the door. "Alice? Is your friend staying for dinner?" A woman asks on the other end of the door.
"Come in!" Alice barely calls out. My mom would be standing out there saying she didn't hear me. The door opens and this woman has dark hair like Alice, but everything else is different. Her smile is warm but there's a sadness to it. She's a bit taller than Alice and is still stounding outside the doorframe. Alice introduces me.
"I'm Esme. It's so nice to meet you. Are you staying for dinner? We could make you lobster with a side salad!" Esme says, and looks around the room. Lobster? Did she just say lobster? What world did I come into? Then Esme laughs. Oh a joke. I smile at her. "We had seafood yesterday and we have plently of leftovers. Are you allergic to anything?"
"Oh uh no. I'm fine with seafood leftovers. Thank you," I reply and Esme nods at me, then at Alice before leaving.
"Thank you mother." I glance at Alice who didn't even look up. "I apologize. She can be overbearing." I furrow my eyebrows and stare at her.
"That was overbearing? My mother would've asked you for your social security number. Yours didn't ask me a single question outside if I wanted food!" Alice looks down with a small smile. "She seems very nice."
"She'll love that you said that. We all think she's a tad helicopter mom. You may not see it but we do!" Alice laughs and we continue with our work. A few minutes later Alice gets up and opens the bedroom door. I stand with, but not without making a confused face. "Food's ready!" How did she know? I don't understand what magic Alice possess because the second we get down the first few steps I smell the food.
The Cullen family, all of them I assume are washing dishes. "Oh hey. You're the chick Alice brought over?" The big one, I think his name is Emmett says. I raise an eyebrow at him and notice the blonde gently hitting his arm. He smiles at her.
"We ate before you. That way you weren't being bombarded with questions from our mom," Jasper says, suddenly making his presence known directly at my side. Esme smiles and serves me a plate, setting it down right in front of me.
"This is my husband. Carlisle." She motions to a man who is currently cleaning a knife with a smile.
"Oh Dr Cullen right? You did my last checkup!" I comment, sitting down in front of the food. He smiles at me and nods. It's strange seeing him without a lab coat. Dr Cullen sets the knife down.
"Please in my home feel free to call me Carlisle." This is some weird hippy shit that my mom would kill me for. I bite my tongue and nod at him, not before noticing Edward lets out a chuckle. I roll my eyes.
"Let's go. We're not spending our free time staring at her as she eats," Rosalie says, physically dragging Emmett away. Jasper nods at me and follows them out.
"Enjoy," Esme says, linking her arm with Carlisle and walking away. Edward stays and has the nerve to sit next to me. I roll my eyes, again.
"Alice you're not going to eat?" I question, grabbing my fork. She shakes her head.
"I tend to eat later than everyone else. I need to use the restroom." She walks out of the kitchen. Leaving me with Edward.
"Eat." I snap my head to look at him. "It's good." I look back at my plate and take a bite of the shrimp. It is eerily good. Like it has a perfect mixture of all the seasonings and the temperature is perfect. "I am sorry if I said anything to offend you today."
"You didn't offend me." I start eating more comfortably, obviously he isn't leaving me alone and I am hungry.
"Then why do you hate me?"
"I don't."
"You do."
"Just because I don't like you? Does that automatically mean I hate you? I apologize for not being head over heels for you. Can I eat now?" I glare at him and his eyebrows are furrowed. It's like everything I saw he doesn't understand. Am I speaking another language? Is everyone truly so in love with him that he has never met someone who doesn't care? Talk about privilege. Alice hops back in.
"Edward, Rosalie is calling for you." She says motioning upstairs. He sighs and walks away. I finish eating. We go upstairs and finish our homework. I don't see Edward when I leave but his parents do take me to the door.
"Thank you for finding a friend in Alice. We worry about her at times. She's unique. I'm sure you're aware," Carlisle says, while Esme hands me leftovers.
"Please take this for your family. We have plenty to share. We hope to see you again!" Esme says with a huge smile. I smile back.
"Of course. Alice is so sweet. I'm sure I'll see you guys again. Thank you for having me over!" I walk to my car and happily drive home. What a strange family.
Edward's POV
I can't believe she was at my house yesterday, and I barely spoke to her. Alice is stealing her from me and I only received hatred. I sit in my usual spot in English class and wait. I wait forever and she shows up after the bell has rung. She sits down without looking back and immediately takes out her book.
Turn around. Turn around. Turn around. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. I want to see your eyes. Let me see your face. Please. Tun around.
Her head turns around as she hands me a paper the teacher is giving out. She doesn't smile, she barely even looks back. Our eyes lock for a split moment, met with her rolling her eyes.
"Dude pass the paper," The kid behind me says. I practically throw them at him and she snickers in front of me.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," She whispers, with a wink before turning back. If only I could blush. If only she saw my smile. I will get her to stop hating me. I can live with her liking me as a friend. I can manage that. But hatred? It feels like she's killing me.
This is an unplanned sequel to September 2023's Patreon thank you image request! Part one (here) was requested by Charles Fisher, and this one was requested by Mason Collie! He requested a prompt that was very similar to what I did for September last year without realizing it, so when I offered doing a follow-up instead, he accepted. :3
