P U R A C H I N A
- p l a t i n u m -

This is a collection of one-shots focusing on Ryou Shirogane. Most of the stories take place before the accident. These have mostly been cross-posted from a roleplaying game which I originally wrote them for. All references to fan characters have been removed and edited out with the exceptions of family members. Credit is due to both Satouberri and Saica, as well as everyone else who participated in the game with me. If you have any ideas for future one-shots, just holler at me. I love writing Ryou and his parents. Absolute love.

Notes:

- From here on out, Professor Shirogane will be referred to as Jishou Shirogane. The character "ji" means "self" and the character "shou" means "victory".
- From here on out, Mrs. Shirogane will be referred to as Elizabeth Shirogane. It's shortened often to Liz.
- The honorifics -hakase and -kyoju mean "doctor" (one who has earned a doctorate in some field) and "professor".

These are not official names. They never had official names. These are simply the names we used in the game and I don't have the heart to change them. If you wish to adopt these same names, feel free to do so, just credit us.

memory 01.

It was a lazy June afternoon - hot, muggy, and unpleasant. Even the air conditioning seemed to be doing little good for the maple-haired adult as he busied himself with tweaking details for a project that he and one of his highschool friends were working on together. Today, however, it was just him.

So heavy and sluggish was time upon the room, that he may have been watched for a handful of minutes before actually realizing it. Turning his head, Jishou Shirogane could see that two bright aquamarine eyes were peering up at him from behind the opposite end of the desk. Little else of his five-year-old son could be seen, simply because he was dwarfed by all of the equipment.

More grateful for an interruption from his work (and for some company) than angry at his son for carelessly wandering into the lab, Shou set down the item he was working on with a smile and wandered around to the other end of the desk.

Seeing as he was not about to be scolded (which he had been half-expecting), the fair-haired child brightened - something that started with the growing twinkle in his eyes and eventually expanded to a small but visible cat-like grin on his face.

"'Afternoon Papa!" the youngster chirped.

The father sighed, but returned the grin, "Afternoon, Ryou. But I wonder what's brought you in here..."

The boy's eyes widened suddenly and he hopped backwards quickly to show that he was well aware - the lab was dangerous, dangerous was bad, knocking on the door first was best.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, "But, question."

Ryou never seemed to run out of questions, so this was little surprise.

Shou laughed good-naturedly, even though he was silently hoping that this would not be a very big question. He wasn't sure he could explain to his son where babies came from or why little boys and girls were different.

Pulling out his office chair, Shou settled into it, "Well then, let's hear it."

Not even waiting for an invitation, the child trailed over to where his dad was seated and hoisted himself up onto his knee - an odd choice for one who was afraid of Santa Claus and refused to sit on his lap.

"What's a wedding?" Ryou inquired. Needless, Jishou was a bit shocked. Had Ryou been old enough to actually get married, he was pretty sure some other feelings would have arisen at that moment along with the shock, but as he was not (and since he'd probably dislike the idea after learning what it was), he figured he had little to worry about.

The adult chuckled then, ruffling Ryou's hair.

"Well, I suppose I could tell you..." he murmured.

"Yes, please!" the boy prodded, his face shining eagerly. Ryou was always hungry for answers, no matter what they were.

"Alright, alright..." Shou was still smiling as he planned ways in his head to make the explanation interesting, to add effect, "Well, a wedding happens between two people when they decide they want to get married--"

"Mary...d?" Ryou was clearly confused and did not hesitate to create an interruption.

Shou tried to explain this better, "Two people are married when they love each other very much, and want to live together forever. So they have a wedding to show everyone this..."

Ryou was trying to process this, "For. Ev. Er?"

Shou laughed weakly, then offered Ryou a smile, "For a very long time, Ryou."

"I see," the child smiled, beginning to grasp this new knowledge, "So when two people like each other a lot they have a married and then get together with people and make a wedding!"

Shou couldn't help but chuckle, "Something like that, I suppose... does that answer your question?"

The child considered this, "Hey Papa, I love you a whole lot and I want us to be together... for a lon-- forever... so, does that mean we can get a wedding?"

"I would say yes, Ryou, but you're still too little for that..." Shou said weakly, though with obvious amusement.

His son's face fell, "But, Papa, that's not fair! I know I'm little, but one day I'll be bigger! So we can get a marriage then, right?"

"It might work Ryou, but I'm already married to your mother..." he explained, deciding he was getting in over his head, and now needed to be bailed out.

"Then get married to me too! When I'm big!"

"But you can only marry one person at a time..." Shou was indeed in deep water now.

"Trying to get rid of me? Are we, Shou?" Jishou wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not when he heard his wife's voice coming from the doorway. She had that look on her face, the one she put on when she was not being very forgiving. Because of it, he had no idea how much of the conversation she had actually heard.

"Of course not, Liz," he replied sincerely.

"You sure?"

The child broke in with an explanation, "I'm trying to get Papa to marry me, but he says I'm too small, Mama."

"I think it's almost snack time, Ryou. Maybe we should let your Papa get back to his work," Liz suggested, moving a hand to hide her mouth as she giggled silently at her spouse's predicament.

"Okay," Ryou said, turning his attention back to his dad. He moved his shoulders in a giant shrug, pecking the adult briefly on the cheek before hopping down.

"I love you anyway, even if you won't marry me," he declared.

"I know you do, Ryou. I love you too." Watching to be sure his son had left the room, the adult sagged in his chair, rubbing his temples wearily with one hand.

Liz glided over to where he was, her skirt sweeping against her legs, "Another Ryou question?"

Jishou whistled softly, "I don't know if I'll be able to answer the next one, to be honest..."

Liz laughed lightly, stroking his arm as some sign of affection, "Met your match, have you?"

Shou grinned, the one that was his trademark, "Of course I haven't."

"I wonder where he heard about weddings..." Liz wondered aloud after a few seconds of silence.

Shou's grin faded to a somewhat serious expression, and he shook his head, "Who knows? I'm just hoping there won't be any more talk of Ryou getting married for a very long time..."

"The over-protective father," she mused.

"Maybe, maybe not..." he responded quietly, "I'm just not sure I could ever let him go."