Disclaimer: The only things I own are Kourin (this Kourin, not Nuriko's
sister) and my blind adoration of Yu Watase's works. She's one of my role
models, at least writing-wise. I love her storytelling methods. To be
able to make people feel the emotions that her works often inspire in
people - it's wonderful. I want to be able to do that someday. Of course,
I'm still only fifteen, so I have plenty of time to work on that skill.
But, yeah, just felt like saying.
AN: Hmm, that disclaimer kinda took the place of an AN, don't you think?
Rokou sighed and leaned against the railing of the ship. A sea breeze whipped his long blue ponytail, tugging strands loose and tossing them over his face. Somehow, he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were distant, as if he was looking at something no one else could see. Slowly, silently, his lips formed a single word: "Ryuuen."
"Be careful, or you could fall," a friendly voice reached his ears, snapping him out of his reverie. He turned around to see who the speaker was, and saw a girl of about fifteen with long indigo-purple hair that fell into her eyes (she was constantly brushing it away, to no avail) and red- violet eyes.
"What?" he said, surprised that someone was talking to him.
"I *said*, 'Be careful or you'll fall'" the girl repeated. "The railings get really slippery, especially when it's so misty. And the water's *really* cold, even at this time of year. Trust me, you don't want to fall in."
He just nodded slightly and turned back around.
She frowned. "Hey, that's not very friendly," she said. "What's your problem?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to talk to anyone right now."
"Mm-hmm." She crossed her arms and looked at him judgmentally. "So, Southerner, where are you headed?"
"How could you tell I was from the south?"
"Because of your accent! When you travel as much as I do you learn how to tell the difference. Anyway, where are you going?" Rokou told her destination, and her eyes sparked with interest. "Really? I'm going there too! Did you know there's a Suzaku seishi buried there?"
"I know," Rokou replied. "He's my brother."
The girl fell silent. She stared at him a moment through her long bangs. ".Oh." she finally said. She leaned back against the railing and sighed. "Wow.two travelers with the same destination.traveling separately. Seems such a waste." She glanced at Rokou out of the corner of her eye, then looked away again, then glanced at him again. When he didn't react, she sighed again. "You know, it's so dangerous for a woman to travel alone, especially when she's so young and beautiful." Once again, she glanced at him, looked away, and glanced at him.
Rokou looked at her wryly. "Would you like to travel with me?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yeah! That would be great! By the way, my name's Kourin. What's yours?"
Rokou didn't reply at first, but just gazed at her in shock. "Kourin." he whispered. She did seem to bear a resemblance to his late siblings, but how was that possible?
Kourin frowned at him. "Don't try to tell me that's your name too. It's a girl's name, not a guy's name. Come on, I told you my real name. Now you can at least tell me yours."
"Oh, gomen. My name is Chou Rokou."
~**~
"Arrgh! This is driving me nuts!" Kourin yelled over the table in the inn. "We've been traveling together for two weeks and we haven't said a word. What's your problem, anyway? Don't you have anything to say?" she glared at Rokou.
"Nope," he replied, calmly taking a bite. "Calm down and eat your food. It's good."
She sighed and thumped down in the chair. "Of course you have something to talk about. Everyone does. Why don't you tell me about Nuriko? I mean, you're his brother, so you must have a lot to say about *him* at least."
Rokou looked up sharply. "I *hate* how everyone only calls him Nuriko! No one seems to realize he has an identity beyond the Suzaku seishi! He was a person too, you know! He had a given name!"
Kourin's eyes widened slightly at this unexpected outburst. "Calm down, Rokou! Fine, what was his given name?"
"Ryuuen.Chou Ryuuen."
"Okay. Tell me about Chou Ryuuen, then."
"Right."
AN: Hmm, that disclaimer kinda took the place of an AN, don't you think?
Rokou sighed and leaned against the railing of the ship. A sea breeze whipped his long blue ponytail, tugging strands loose and tossing them over his face. Somehow, he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were distant, as if he was looking at something no one else could see. Slowly, silently, his lips formed a single word: "Ryuuen."
"Be careful, or you could fall," a friendly voice reached his ears, snapping him out of his reverie. He turned around to see who the speaker was, and saw a girl of about fifteen with long indigo-purple hair that fell into her eyes (she was constantly brushing it away, to no avail) and red- violet eyes.
"What?" he said, surprised that someone was talking to him.
"I *said*, 'Be careful or you'll fall'" the girl repeated. "The railings get really slippery, especially when it's so misty. And the water's *really* cold, even at this time of year. Trust me, you don't want to fall in."
He just nodded slightly and turned back around.
She frowned. "Hey, that's not very friendly," she said. "What's your problem?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to talk to anyone right now."
"Mm-hmm." She crossed her arms and looked at him judgmentally. "So, Southerner, where are you headed?"
"How could you tell I was from the south?"
"Because of your accent! When you travel as much as I do you learn how to tell the difference. Anyway, where are you going?" Rokou told her destination, and her eyes sparked with interest. "Really? I'm going there too! Did you know there's a Suzaku seishi buried there?"
"I know," Rokou replied. "He's my brother."
The girl fell silent. She stared at him a moment through her long bangs. ".Oh." she finally said. She leaned back against the railing and sighed. "Wow.two travelers with the same destination.traveling separately. Seems such a waste." She glanced at Rokou out of the corner of her eye, then looked away again, then glanced at him again. When he didn't react, she sighed again. "You know, it's so dangerous for a woman to travel alone, especially when she's so young and beautiful." Once again, she glanced at him, looked away, and glanced at him.
Rokou looked at her wryly. "Would you like to travel with me?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yeah! That would be great! By the way, my name's Kourin. What's yours?"
Rokou didn't reply at first, but just gazed at her in shock. "Kourin." he whispered. She did seem to bear a resemblance to his late siblings, but how was that possible?
Kourin frowned at him. "Don't try to tell me that's your name too. It's a girl's name, not a guy's name. Come on, I told you my real name. Now you can at least tell me yours."
"Oh, gomen. My name is Chou Rokou."
~**~
"Arrgh! This is driving me nuts!" Kourin yelled over the table in the inn. "We've been traveling together for two weeks and we haven't said a word. What's your problem, anyway? Don't you have anything to say?" she glared at Rokou.
"Nope," he replied, calmly taking a bite. "Calm down and eat your food. It's good."
She sighed and thumped down in the chair. "Of course you have something to talk about. Everyone does. Why don't you tell me about Nuriko? I mean, you're his brother, so you must have a lot to say about *him* at least."
Rokou looked up sharply. "I *hate* how everyone only calls him Nuriko! No one seems to realize he has an identity beyond the Suzaku seishi! He was a person too, you know! He had a given name!"
Kourin's eyes widened slightly at this unexpected outburst. "Calm down, Rokou! Fine, what was his given name?"
"Ryuuen.Chou Ryuuen."
"Okay. Tell me about Chou Ryuuen, then."
"Right."