insert standard disclaimer here
feedback to pyro72@excite.com
takes place while Tatara and Shido are battling
Long Distance Correspondence
Shuri couldn't help but let out a huge smile as his red parrot
flew in. Sarasa and he had already exchanged a few messages, and
while they were no substitute for actually seeing one another, they
were better than nothing. Shuri was also quite pleased with how their
relationship was progressing. She might still be reluctant and
protest his advances, but he could tell she was slowly beginning to
return his feelings. He was surprised at how strongly he felt for
her, especially considering how little he knew about her. Then again,
he was never one for indecisiveness. Once he decided on a plan - or
fell for a woman - he did it all the way.
Her last message had been tinged with a bit of panic - apparently
things in her search for revenge weren't going well. He felt so
useless, sitting in his capital, unable to help either her or his
best friend. He didn't have any idea where she was at the moment, but
the very nature of her quest was dangerous. It agonized him to know
that the two people he cared about most could be fighting for their
lives right now, and he neither knew about it nor could aid them.
Still, though, she had been able to inject typical Sarasa-humor
into her writing. Since she wasn't near enough to actually punch him
(which he would now laughingly accept - but only from her), she
instead told him of the time she and her brother had gotten into a
fight. Apparently he had been training with a sword to become a
fighter, and at one point had become a little too proud of his
abilities. She wrote that at that time she was just beginning her
studies with Nagi, but she refused to let her brother think he was a
god. She had been in a bad mood, and when her brother began prattling
about how good he was getting, she jumped him and knocked him to the
ground. Startled, her brother had wrestled her back, until she
triumphantly had him pinned. She told him, "You may be handy with
your sword, but if a girl can beat you, what kind of fighter are
you?" It seemed like something she would say. He could imagine her
proudly holding her brother down on the ground, her twin braids loose
with hair sticking out everywhere.
He almost laughed out loud at the image - yes, that was her all
right. All the time he was learning new things about her, things that
only strengthened his resolve to marry her one day. They were also
things that seemed strangely familiar to him - if someone told him a
new fact about Sarasa, he would likely answer, "I knew that already,"
even though he didn't. There was something just so damned familiar
about her.
Despite that sense of familiarity though, he wanted to learn more
about her. The most time they had spent together had been that night
when she had taken care of him. What he wouldn't give for her to be
there every morning when he woke up, telling him of her childhood
escapades with her own voice. He knew how he felt about her, and
nothing would change that. But he still didn't know much about her as
a person, and he hoped that there was nothing there that would
prevent them from being together. He'd probably kill himself rather
than live without her. He really was that type of person - a romantic
fool to the core.
He unfolded her note. Things had turned in her favor and she was out
of immediate danger, it said. However, she felt a horrible guilt.
Something bad had happened, and she had watched people die. She wrote
that she finally realized that the people she was fighting were just
that - people. Did she have any right to kill them and leave their
families alone as they had done to her? She wrote that she was
beginning to feel lost. And the part that pleased and hurt him the
most - she wished he was there, just to hold her and make her feel
safe. While Shuri would gladly embrace her any time and protect her,
he knew she also was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She
must be very shaken to need him so much.
The rest of the note was in a lighter tone; she was probably
trying to tell him not to worry. Baka. Of course he would worry! She
was out there, alone, lost... argh, Shuri told himself, she'll be ok.
This is Sarasa. But as soon as I see her again, I'm holding her as
tight as I can. I'll help her shut out her pain, if only for a few
minutes.
At the bottom of the note was a cheesy drawing of her sticking her
tongue out at him, along with a postscript. It read, "PS I taught
your parrot a new trick. Hope you like it!"
Shuri was in the middle of writing a reply when the parrot decided
it was time to display its new "trick." It belted out proudly, "Shuri
no baka!"
His pen left a long streak in his note.
He glared at the bird. "Oh, so Sarasa taught you a new trick, huh?
To insult me? Stupid ungrateful bird. I raised you, you know!"
The parrot tilted its head, in perhaps its version of a smile.
Then it replied, "Shuri's a loser. Sarasa is the best!"
"That's it, bird," Shuri growled. "You die." With that he lunged
at the bird, who gleefully took to flight. It then began a litany of
insults, its favorite clearly being, "Shuri no baka, Shuri no baka!"
Two of Shuri's advisors walked in, wondering what all the noise was
about. The Red King's glare was sufficient to send them back on their
way.
Despite the absurdity of his position (or perhaps because of it),
he couldn't stay angry. He threw his head back and began laughing. If
Sarasa could still find enough to look forward to to do this, then
she was doing all right. Next time they met (at an onsen, of course!)
he would still hold her as tightly as possible. And then he would
launch her as far as he could into the hot springs.
feedback to pyro72@excite.com
takes place while Tatara and Shido are battling
Long Distance Correspondence
Shuri couldn't help but let out a huge smile as his red parrot
flew in. Sarasa and he had already exchanged a few messages, and
while they were no substitute for actually seeing one another, they
were better than nothing. Shuri was also quite pleased with how their
relationship was progressing. She might still be reluctant and
protest his advances, but he could tell she was slowly beginning to
return his feelings. He was surprised at how strongly he felt for
her, especially considering how little he knew about her. Then again,
he was never one for indecisiveness. Once he decided on a plan - or
fell for a woman - he did it all the way.
Her last message had been tinged with a bit of panic - apparently
things in her search for revenge weren't going well. He felt so
useless, sitting in his capital, unable to help either her or his
best friend. He didn't have any idea where she was at the moment, but
the very nature of her quest was dangerous. It agonized him to know
that the two people he cared about most could be fighting for their
lives right now, and he neither knew about it nor could aid them.
Still, though, she had been able to inject typical Sarasa-humor
into her writing. Since she wasn't near enough to actually punch him
(which he would now laughingly accept - but only from her), she
instead told him of the time she and her brother had gotten into a
fight. Apparently he had been training with a sword to become a
fighter, and at one point had become a little too proud of his
abilities. She wrote that at that time she was just beginning her
studies with Nagi, but she refused to let her brother think he was a
god. She had been in a bad mood, and when her brother began prattling
about how good he was getting, she jumped him and knocked him to the
ground. Startled, her brother had wrestled her back, until she
triumphantly had him pinned. She told him, "You may be handy with
your sword, but if a girl can beat you, what kind of fighter are
you?" It seemed like something she would say. He could imagine her
proudly holding her brother down on the ground, her twin braids loose
with hair sticking out everywhere.
He almost laughed out loud at the image - yes, that was her all
right. All the time he was learning new things about her, things that
only strengthened his resolve to marry her one day. They were also
things that seemed strangely familiar to him - if someone told him a
new fact about Sarasa, he would likely answer, "I knew that already,"
even though he didn't. There was something just so damned familiar
about her.
Despite that sense of familiarity though, he wanted to learn more
about her. The most time they had spent together had been that night
when she had taken care of him. What he wouldn't give for her to be
there every morning when he woke up, telling him of her childhood
escapades with her own voice. He knew how he felt about her, and
nothing would change that. But he still didn't know much about her as
a person, and he hoped that there was nothing there that would
prevent them from being together. He'd probably kill himself rather
than live without her. He really was that type of person - a romantic
fool to the core.
He unfolded her note. Things had turned in her favor and she was out
of immediate danger, it said. However, she felt a horrible guilt.
Something bad had happened, and she had watched people die. She wrote
that she finally realized that the people she was fighting were just
that - people. Did she have any right to kill them and leave their
families alone as they had done to her? She wrote that she was
beginning to feel lost. And the part that pleased and hurt him the
most - she wished he was there, just to hold her and make her feel
safe. While Shuri would gladly embrace her any time and protect her,
he knew she also was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She
must be very shaken to need him so much.
The rest of the note was in a lighter tone; she was probably
trying to tell him not to worry. Baka. Of course he would worry! She
was out there, alone, lost... argh, Shuri told himself, she'll be ok.
This is Sarasa. But as soon as I see her again, I'm holding her as
tight as I can. I'll help her shut out her pain, if only for a few
minutes.
At the bottom of the note was a cheesy drawing of her sticking her
tongue out at him, along with a postscript. It read, "PS I taught
your parrot a new trick. Hope you like it!"
Shuri was in the middle of writing a reply when the parrot decided
it was time to display its new "trick." It belted out proudly, "Shuri
no baka!"
His pen left a long streak in his note.
He glared at the bird. "Oh, so Sarasa taught you a new trick, huh?
To insult me? Stupid ungrateful bird. I raised you, you know!"
The parrot tilted its head, in perhaps its version of a smile.
Then it replied, "Shuri's a loser. Sarasa is the best!"
"That's it, bird," Shuri growled. "You die." With that he lunged
at the bird, who gleefully took to flight. It then began a litany of
insults, its favorite clearly being, "Shuri no baka, Shuri no baka!"
Two of Shuri's advisors walked in, wondering what all the noise was
about. The Red King's glare was sufficient to send them back on their
way.
Despite the absurdity of his position (or perhaps because of it),
he couldn't stay angry. He threw his head back and began laughing. If
Sarasa could still find enough to look forward to to do this, then
she was doing all right. Next time they met (at an onsen, of course!)
he would still hold her as tightly as possible. And then he would
launch her as far as he could into the hot springs.