Hello, everyone! Long time no see! School has just kept me so busy I haven't had the chance to write anything good recently, but when I heard about Court Records' OC Contest this year? I knew I had to join, so this is my entry for this year! If you liked it, then starting from December 5 and onwards, please be a dear and oh-so-kindly visit the Court Records' forum and vote for me~ (Since it's not open yet, I'll just leave a link to the forum thread on my about)
But winning a place is not the number one reason why I joined—it's to see if I can still entertain you guys with my fics! Please enjoy~!
"Mama, what's my real papa's name?"
"…Giles. You can call him Giles."
"Oooh, that's pretty, Mama!"
"Don't ask about it again, okay, Nadeshiko?"
"Yes, Mama."
"You're going to England?!"
Nadeshiko Wakahisa's loud voice echoed through the quiet courtroom lobby.
"Nadeshiko–chan, please be quiet!" Susato Mikotoba said in a hushed tone, waving her arms frantically, her worried expression a cute and endearing one. "And yes, I am," she said warmly. "I'm going with Naruhodo–kun."
"Susato, darling, you can just call me by my first name and you know that!" Nadeshiko said slightly condescendingly, patting her head. She giggled and her perfect black curls bounced up and down.
Nadeshiko and Susato were standing in the courtroom lobby waiting for both Asougi Kazuma and Ryuunosuke Naruhodou to come out of the judge's chambers, right after a successful trial (which Ryuunosuke barely won, as Nadeshiko likes to point out constantly to the poor boy).
Nadeshiko's dark brown eyes sparkled as she looked at Susato excitedly, bouncing up and down on her high–heeled boots (and when we say "high–heeled," we really mean high–heeled). "Are you taking the steamship? Ooh, or are you taking a hot air balloon?!" Her enthusiasm for all things English always made her personality do a complete 180.
"N–Nadeshiko–chan…"
Susato laughed awkwardly as Nadeshiko looked at her excitedly. Nadeshiko was bobbing up and down so much that she lost her balance and fell straight onto her back. Without the pair knowing, Kazuma and Ryuunosuke had already gotten back from the judge's chambers and saw the whole thing happen.
"Nadeshiko–chan!"
"Wakahisa–chan!"
"Wakahisa–san!"
Three different voices called out to Nadeshiko at the same time as she tried to regain her senses. She got up, extremely embarrassed, with Kazuma's help. And yet…
"Thanks, Kazuma–kun," said Nadeshiko in a low voice, a flirty smile playing on the corners of her lips. Even after her embarrassing fall, she still had the energy to flirt with Kazuma, as usual. She held his hand and held his gaze for longer than necessary, leaving the poor man speechless and completely off guard. She had done this several times before to him yet it flusters him every time. A wink and the whispered words, "You can just call me Nadeshiko, you know that," dealt the final blow and Kazuma was left a bumbling mess as Ryuunosuke always is.
Nadeshiko flashed a bright smile at Ryuunosuke. "Would you like to be next, or… Perhaps you would like to do a favor for me?"
Ryuunosuke turned absolutely red and looked as if his head would explode from embarrassment. He nodded furiously as he mumbled, "Wh–What d–d–do y–you n–need, W–Wakahisa–chan?"
"Nadeshiko–chan, why do you always do this…?" Susato asked expectantly.
"Susato, it's all part of the plan, darling. All part of the plan…" Nadeshiko announced confidently, yet she didn't quite know the answer herself.
xXxXxXx
The favor that Nadeshiko had asked of Ryuunosuke was nothing bothersome at all: just that she wanted him to save a spot for her next to Susato on the steamship. Nadeshiko planned to buy separate tickets so she could join Ryuunosuke and Susato on the trip.
"Nadeshiko–chan, you don't have to spend money to buy your own tickets. I can just ask Naruhodou–kun to acquire one more ticket—" Susato caught Nadeshiko in line at the ticket station, ready to go with her (surprisingly) small suitcase.
"Nonsense, dearie. I don't rely on others to get simple things like steamboat tickets. Now go, Susato, and join Naruhodou–kun on the boat before seats run out!" Nadeshiko smiled and waved her away.
"Nadeshiko–chan, but where will you sit—"
"Don't worry about me, Susato!"
Susato hesitated before saying goodbye and that she'll see her in a bit. Nadeshiko smiled and thought about what dresses to buy from England and what tea she'll taste and what kind of courts England had and…
"Oh yes, but most importantly," Nadeshiko murmured, clasping her locket around her neck, "I hope I can find out more about my father."
xXxXxXx
"Nadeshiko–chan, isn't the sea nice? The air is so clean out here and the breeze is simply refreshing!"
Susato turned to see a green–tinted Nadeshiko covering her mouth, keeling over her beautiful blue, Victorian–style dress.
"Yeah, it's—ulp—beautiful, Susato. If I could see it, that is! Oh no—"
Poor Nadeshiko threw up for the third time this trip into the trash bin near her, and the group was only barely halfway to England.
"Goodness, Nadeshiko–chan, it's a wonder how you still have the energy to be sassy when you're so sick like this…" Susato rubbed Nadeshiko's back soothingly.
"Here's my handkerchief, Wakahisa–chan." With a sympathetic smile on his face, Ryuunosuke offered his handkerchief to her, but Nadeshiko refused.
"Oh no, no thank you, dear. I have my own." With a flourish, Nadeshiko took out a pretty, pink, lace handkerchief. "You have my thanks nonetheless." She flashed a warm smile as she daintily tapped her kerchief at the corners of her mouth.
Ryuunosuke turned a bright red and mumbled, "N–No problem…"
(And it's a wonder how you still have the energy to flirt, Nadeshiko–chan…)
xXxXxXx
Nadeshiko ran through the crowd at the dock and plopped herself down on the cold cobblestone, looking ungraceful yet having the daintiness of a Japanese woman.
"Land at last!" Nadeshiko took a deep breath and sighed. "The sight and smell of smoke penetrating the air, the gorgeous dresses and top hats bobbing around, the almost–blinding fog… Ahhh, yes, this is definitely London, England!" she announced poetically. Getting up from her seated position on the ground, she twirled gracefully around as she inhaled more of that "fresh" London air.
Susato and Ryuunosuke appeared next to her after quite some time.
"Ohoho! What have we here? Our two lovebirds only appearing by my side just now? Just what were you two doing, hm?"
The two blushed and quickly defended that Nadeshiko ran way ahead of them, her excitement and relief obvious when they had finally reached land.
"It better be nothing!" Nadeshiko grabbed Susato close and gave her a tight hug. "I can't give away my precious Susato to just anyone, now can I?" She winked and touched cheeks with Susato.
The two blushed again and they were left speechless as Nadeshiko let Susato go and was laughing heartily. She couldn't wait to see the adventures they'd have in London.
"Sherlock Holmes?! Really?!"
"Yes, Nadeshiko–chan! Ryuunosuke is going to meet him tomorrow!"
"Perhaps he can help me find my father…"
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, dearie! Nothing at all…"
"…I see."
"Giles… That name is all too familiar."
"That's my story. Will you help me find my father?"
"I don't know."
"Wha—"
"We will see, Nadeshiko. We will see."