Following the greedy consumption of his meal, throughout the duration of
which he guarded his fare as if his very life depended on it, glaring at
his fellow customers menacingly, challenging them to so much as glance at
the mountain of delicacies heaped on the fragile, china plate before him,
Chichiri meandered through the town, pausing periodically to browse in the
quaint shops dispersed along both sides of the street. At each of his
selected destinations, the shopkeepers beamed with pleasure, due to his
eloquently expressed admiration of the superb craftsmanship of their wares.
He endeared himself to them further by purchasing an impressive assortment
of traveling tunics, and an aquamarine hooded cape to ward off the imminent
post-sunset chill, for Aya. No woman in his care need reduce herself to
being clad in the garb of a man, especially one such as himself, who had
been blessed with the misfortune of lacking fashion sense. Swinging his
purchase over his shoulder, and whistling a gleeful melody he had composed
in honor of his shopping excursion, he made a hasty beeline for the
hospital from whence he had ventured forth what seemed lifetimes earlier.
He craved an audience with… Aya's NURSE. *Gulp* Marvelous woman!
Upon entering the sparsely furnished, yet apparently effective, medical facility, Chichiri met no scrambling orderlies, alarmingly focused doctors, or incoming patients, merely blissful solitude. Rejoicing in his good fortune, he tiptoed cautiously into Aya's quarters, for fear that the sound of his footfalls should miraculously rouse her from her comatose state, eased the door closed behind him, set his bags gingerly on the floor, and appraised his unconscious beauty, who was luxuriantly stretched full length on a worn, grungy sofa. Supposing she awoke, only to discover the manner in which he was gawking at her, well… she might misconstrue his intentions, which were, for the present at least, honorable. *Mwuahahaha*
Aya's breathing was gradual, steady, peaceful. She possessed an inner charisma, which reminded him of his mother, the spitfire. At least, that was the image she portrayed to the world, until her death when he was a child. His mother had been a bundle of energy, a force to be reckoned with, but simultaneously unconditionally loving. The ominous warning bestowed upon him by Aya's brother penetrated his thoughts, as he examined her features, eyes clenched firmly, chest rising and falling with each breath, lips drawn up in a serene smile. 'Do you feel for this woman… Then you have my pity!' Chichiri shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I accept your pity, Sir, more willingly than you will ever know." He mouthed, as a figure completely engulfed in an elaborately decorated velvet cloak emerged from the walls (to be technical, she glided right through them), entering the tiny room with dainty purposeful steps, bellowing "Chichiri!" with imperious aplomb.
"Hai, Taitsukun-sama? You never could manage to lower yourself to making a grand entrance like any normal person!" He struggled to keep his expression serious, monk-like. Taitsukun ignored his attempt at humor, choosing to the turn the tables by proclaiming accusingly, "I thought I would find you here." Her sexually connotative implication nearly achieved subtlety. Chichiri would have missed it entirely had the uncharacteristically mirthful gleam in her eyes not given her away. "She is a remarkable creature, Chichiri." Taitsukun observed matter-of-factly, inclining her hood-shrouded head in Aya's direction. Chichiri nodded absentmindedly, too enraptured with the subject of their conversation to be fully conscious of anything else. "I trust you are aware of her extreme importance?" Taitsukun pressed shattering his reverie. "A wonderful question! Um…" Chichiri averted his eyes guiltily. "I have reason to believe her past may have been what one would classify as "shady", but Aya seems to possess the initiative to reform her previous er…unlady-like behavior." Taitsukun favored him with an indignant, leveling stare.
"Chichiri, the young woman you see before you is none other than "THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS." She announced with a dramatic flourish, tapping her foot impatiently. "Ta da!" Chichiri chimed meekly, gesturing to their invisible audience that now would be a perfect time to respond with thunderous applause. "I beg your pardon, Taitsukun." He bowed humbly, kissing her hand apologetically. "My reaction to your astonishing news is infuriatingly belated. Cursed nonexistent audience! If you will excuse me, proper protocol demands that I undergo a fainting spell." Chichiri proceeded to fulfill his promise of swooning, but was detained by Taitsukun's hand on his arm. "You were a splendid apprentice Dear Boy. However, I fear you will never fully mature in the art of magic, or monkhood, if you continue to view life as nothing more than a joke, instead of something to be lived. You'd do well to remember that the only individuals who truly appreciate clowns are members of a circus." Chichiri offered his former mentor an affirmative salute.
Taitsukun was not one to dwell upon matters once they had been settled, so she immediately switched gears. "Have you noticed your powers weakening recently?" Chichiri, taken aback by the question, scratched his head, pondering. "I haven't required the aid of magic in a long while." "Then this should prove immensely entertaining." Taitsukun mused sardonically. "Just for fun, try opening that door." She instructed, pointed at the door of Aya's chamber. Chichiri eyed the massive, wooden object, calculating the amount of force he would need to employ to accomplish Taitsukun's suspiciously simple task, rolled up his sleeves, and activated his chi. The door refused to budge. After several failed attempts, he faced Taitsukun, beads of perspiration trickling down his forehead, running his fingers nervously through his untamable sky blue tresses.
"Impossible! How can this be happening?!" Chichiri bristled violently, wringing his hands in his anxiety. Taitsukun allowed him a brief moment to brace himself before confirming grimly, "It is as I have feared. The Almighty Suzaku's powers are fading, as are his seishis." Silence reigned, as the monk digested this life-altering news. "For the love of gods, Taitsukun. What in the name of Suzaku possessed you to journey all this way for the sole purpose of delivering some trivial tidbit of gossip that myself and my fellow seishi seem to be experiencing difficulties opening doors?!" Chichiri wagged a finger in her face, chiding impishly. "Silly, Girl! You act as if this were the end of the world!" Taitsukun tweaked Chichiri's nose, her lighthearted tone abruptly transforming into one ragged with age, laden with the overwhelming burden of what she must confide to the young man. "The concept you have yet to grasp is this inability to open doors could prove to be the end of two worlds. Both the mortal haven, and the realm of the gods depend on your beloved "LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS" to ensure their survival."
She traversed to the couch, which still contained Aya's person, hovering in midair, and placed a wrinkled hand to the unconscious young woman's forehead. Chanting a complex incantation, Taitsukun rocked to and fro on her heels, ever suspending herself inches above the floor, until a golden symbol for tenshi, angel, materialized underneath Aya's left eye. Chichiri studied the proceeding with awed curiosity… for purely educational reasons, comparing and contrasting incantations with the ritualistic monk chants. Taitsukun withdrew her hand, causing Aya's emerald green eyes to flutter open.
She evaluated her current location groggily, befuddlement scrawled across every millimeter of her face. "Where the fuck am I, and why is my head throbbing as if it's been clobbered repeatedly with a pagoda?!" Aya tumbled, most ungracefully, over the edge of the couch, landed on the floor in a jumble of twisted sheets and flailing limbs, and bounced promptly to her feet. Taitsukun shot her a disdainful, if-you're-the-light-in-the- darkness-someone-needs-to-change-the-bulb death glare, as Chichiri squeezed her shoulders affectionately, flashing his guaranteed-to-please-would-this- face-ever-lie-to-you lopsided grin. "You are in the presidential suite of an indescribably ritzy five-star hotel because you became intoxicated, through no fault of your own, scratch that… drunk off your ass, due to a few too many martinis, at your boss's bandit's gathering in the hotel lobby last evening. Fortunately, your boss was generous enough to foot the bill." Aya's eyes narrowed dangerously, as she loomed over Chichiri, thundering, "I MAY BE SUFFERING FROM A HANGOVER, BUT I AM NOT STUPID! Ayashi's too cheap to buy HIMSELF a night in the presidential suite." Satisfied that she had stated her case, and won, Aya resumed her relaxed pose on the couch, propping her feet up on a sheik coffee table Chichiri could have sworn occupied what would have been empty space had Taitsukun not managed to maintain her magic in the midst of this hell.
"How do you intend to engage in a proper relationship with a woman if you can't lie properly to get yourself out of trouble?" Taitsukun recoiled in disgust at the pathetic display of "brilliance". Chichiri hung his head in shame, mumbling, "I am a monk. My lying abilities extend only as far as other men of the cloth, and plants." Taitsukun shook her head regretfully. "Mankind, and his deities, don't have a prayer! Nevertheless, guard Aya with your life, and be extremely careful during your trek to the Imperial City. Your archnemises's diabolical scheme is unfolding even as we speak, as his minions are already in position, and Suzaku and you seishi are all little pawns in his chess game, able to be moved around a board of suffering however he sees fit. Entirely off the subject, you have grown into a very handsome young man. I am thrilled to see you venturing from the confines of your mask. Might I suggest confronting Aya as the real Chichiri. Give her a fair chance to abhor the true you before escaping to the security of your façade." Winded after her tirade, Taitsukun waved majestically, vanishing into thin air amidst a spectacular burst of chi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stumbling over the uneven path winding its way toward the picturesque bridge suspended over a crystal clear bubbling brook, Yuri's heel caught the hem of her robes, causing her to trip, sprawling face first on the ground. The timing of this disaster couldn't have been worse. She was already twenty minutes overdue for her reandevuz with Chiriko. The emperor had been frightfully indecisive that evening over the issue of his bedtime snack, which inevitably snowballed into a culinary crisis, yet Yuri knew keeping a Suzaku no Seishi waiting for such an eternal span of time, for any reason, would result in severe consequences. She righted herself somewhat awkwardly, and staggered onward. Brilliant puddles of moonlight filtered through the clouds, the stars winked gaily down at her, and from the bridge, Chiriko gestured impatiently for her to pick up her laborious pace.
The millisecond she arrived at their appointed destination, Chiriko didn't waste an instant busting a move. His arms automatically draped themselves about her shoulders. He even went the extra mile of conquering his flaws, and behaving like a perfect gentleman. The whole nine yards, from offering his coat, to presenting her with an extravagant bouquet of flowers. "Most precious Lotus Blossom, my entire being is consumed by indescribable ecstasy that you were able to join me beneath this glorious blanket of stars." Chiriko had diligently rehearsed his opening compliment in front of his gilded mirror (this entailed abandoning the library… the readers gasp, and sweat drop, in unison) all afternoon, unable to concentrate on the library's abundance of books, which had been his reason for living, until Yuri sashayed into his mundane life. To Mitsukake's credit, his warped concept of tea failed to detract from Yuri's unfathomable romantic feelings for him, and Chiriko's intense desire to sing in the rain, fly like an eagle, or any other activities a person performed after falling head over heels for someone not of the manuscript species.
Yuri simply rolled her eyes at his antics. "One must refrain from using the full extent of their vocabulary in a single sentence." She hissed vehemently, as her pupils dilated, encompassing her emerald irises. Within their tumultuous depths, he beheld a vision of a familiar young man, one who had become like a brother to him over the quasi-rocky course of their relationship, neck snapping backwards with an ear-splitting CRRRRRRRACK, impaled upon an ornate sword, crimson blood flowing from a crater-sized wound. Yuri blinked rapidly, and, abruptly as it had occurred, the horrific scene vanished.
"Fortunately for you, the full extent of my vocabulary was designed to create a maximum of two sentences." Chiriko remarked breezily. Her threateningly furrowed brows relaxed, her irises reappeared, reducing her pupils to their proper size, and the demonic air, which had temporarily dominated her angelic chi, was replaced with a good-natured half smirk. The ferocious gnawing in the pit of Chiriko's stomach subsided, as his taunt, panic-stricken abdominal muscles contracted. Self-consciously, he wiped the cold, terror-enduced sweat inching down the back of his neck away with his palm. (Chiriko, you are succumbing to first date jitters, which results in minor delusions, such as your future wife, if Fate opts to comply with your wishes, experiencing 'contortions of the eyeball'.)
"How long have you served the emperor?" Chiriko murmured at long last, once he accomplished the feat of meeting Yuri's gaze without being forced to stifle the overpowering urge to cower in terror. "At times it seems like an eternity." She sighed heavily, laying her head on his shoulder. His heart hammered in his chest, reverberating in his ears, exclaiming "Holy crap!" with each beat. "On those rare occasions when the emperor relieves you from the rigors of servitude, do you have any family in the Imperial City you can visit?" Yuri cocked her eyebrow suggestively. "Are you hoping to gain an invitation to meet my mother by flattery?" Chiriko winked flirtatiously. "Only if her beauty is equivalent to her daughter's."
Yuri slithered from his embrace, leaning over the bridge's edge to better absorb the majesty of the stars reflected in the water's surface beneath her feet. "To be perfectly frank, my parents and I haven't spoken in years, not since Dad deserted us to be with his little gypsy. I was "adopted" by my former employer and his business associates. The depressing thing is they have been more of a family to me than my mother and father ever were." Chiriko pushed a lose strand of hair into its proper location behind her ear. Yuri bounced up and down exuberantly, clapping her hands, squealing excitedly like a little kid at Christmas. "He sent word recently that he plans to swing by the palace to check on me in the very near future. His associates have already settled themselves in the Imperial City." Chiriko gave her a sloppy high-five (his first since childhood). "I can't wait to meet him."
Upon entering the sparsely furnished, yet apparently effective, medical facility, Chichiri met no scrambling orderlies, alarmingly focused doctors, or incoming patients, merely blissful solitude. Rejoicing in his good fortune, he tiptoed cautiously into Aya's quarters, for fear that the sound of his footfalls should miraculously rouse her from her comatose state, eased the door closed behind him, set his bags gingerly on the floor, and appraised his unconscious beauty, who was luxuriantly stretched full length on a worn, grungy sofa. Supposing she awoke, only to discover the manner in which he was gawking at her, well… she might misconstrue his intentions, which were, for the present at least, honorable. *Mwuahahaha*
Aya's breathing was gradual, steady, peaceful. She possessed an inner charisma, which reminded him of his mother, the spitfire. At least, that was the image she portrayed to the world, until her death when he was a child. His mother had been a bundle of energy, a force to be reckoned with, but simultaneously unconditionally loving. The ominous warning bestowed upon him by Aya's brother penetrated his thoughts, as he examined her features, eyes clenched firmly, chest rising and falling with each breath, lips drawn up in a serene smile. 'Do you feel for this woman… Then you have my pity!' Chichiri shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I accept your pity, Sir, more willingly than you will ever know." He mouthed, as a figure completely engulfed in an elaborately decorated velvet cloak emerged from the walls (to be technical, she glided right through them), entering the tiny room with dainty purposeful steps, bellowing "Chichiri!" with imperious aplomb.
"Hai, Taitsukun-sama? You never could manage to lower yourself to making a grand entrance like any normal person!" He struggled to keep his expression serious, monk-like. Taitsukun ignored his attempt at humor, choosing to the turn the tables by proclaiming accusingly, "I thought I would find you here." Her sexually connotative implication nearly achieved subtlety. Chichiri would have missed it entirely had the uncharacteristically mirthful gleam in her eyes not given her away. "She is a remarkable creature, Chichiri." Taitsukun observed matter-of-factly, inclining her hood-shrouded head in Aya's direction. Chichiri nodded absentmindedly, too enraptured with the subject of their conversation to be fully conscious of anything else. "I trust you are aware of her extreme importance?" Taitsukun pressed shattering his reverie. "A wonderful question! Um…" Chichiri averted his eyes guiltily. "I have reason to believe her past may have been what one would classify as "shady", but Aya seems to possess the initiative to reform her previous er…unlady-like behavior." Taitsukun favored him with an indignant, leveling stare.
"Chichiri, the young woman you see before you is none other than "THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS." She announced with a dramatic flourish, tapping her foot impatiently. "Ta da!" Chichiri chimed meekly, gesturing to their invisible audience that now would be a perfect time to respond with thunderous applause. "I beg your pardon, Taitsukun." He bowed humbly, kissing her hand apologetically. "My reaction to your astonishing news is infuriatingly belated. Cursed nonexistent audience! If you will excuse me, proper protocol demands that I undergo a fainting spell." Chichiri proceeded to fulfill his promise of swooning, but was detained by Taitsukun's hand on his arm. "You were a splendid apprentice Dear Boy. However, I fear you will never fully mature in the art of magic, or monkhood, if you continue to view life as nothing more than a joke, instead of something to be lived. You'd do well to remember that the only individuals who truly appreciate clowns are members of a circus." Chichiri offered his former mentor an affirmative salute.
Taitsukun was not one to dwell upon matters once they had been settled, so she immediately switched gears. "Have you noticed your powers weakening recently?" Chichiri, taken aback by the question, scratched his head, pondering. "I haven't required the aid of magic in a long while." "Then this should prove immensely entertaining." Taitsukun mused sardonically. "Just for fun, try opening that door." She instructed, pointed at the door of Aya's chamber. Chichiri eyed the massive, wooden object, calculating the amount of force he would need to employ to accomplish Taitsukun's suspiciously simple task, rolled up his sleeves, and activated his chi. The door refused to budge. After several failed attempts, he faced Taitsukun, beads of perspiration trickling down his forehead, running his fingers nervously through his untamable sky blue tresses.
"Impossible! How can this be happening?!" Chichiri bristled violently, wringing his hands in his anxiety. Taitsukun allowed him a brief moment to brace himself before confirming grimly, "It is as I have feared. The Almighty Suzaku's powers are fading, as are his seishis." Silence reigned, as the monk digested this life-altering news. "For the love of gods, Taitsukun. What in the name of Suzaku possessed you to journey all this way for the sole purpose of delivering some trivial tidbit of gossip that myself and my fellow seishi seem to be experiencing difficulties opening doors?!" Chichiri wagged a finger in her face, chiding impishly. "Silly, Girl! You act as if this were the end of the world!" Taitsukun tweaked Chichiri's nose, her lighthearted tone abruptly transforming into one ragged with age, laden with the overwhelming burden of what she must confide to the young man. "The concept you have yet to grasp is this inability to open doors could prove to be the end of two worlds. Both the mortal haven, and the realm of the gods depend on your beloved "LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS" to ensure their survival."
She traversed to the couch, which still contained Aya's person, hovering in midair, and placed a wrinkled hand to the unconscious young woman's forehead. Chanting a complex incantation, Taitsukun rocked to and fro on her heels, ever suspending herself inches above the floor, until a golden symbol for tenshi, angel, materialized underneath Aya's left eye. Chichiri studied the proceeding with awed curiosity… for purely educational reasons, comparing and contrasting incantations with the ritualistic monk chants. Taitsukun withdrew her hand, causing Aya's emerald green eyes to flutter open.
She evaluated her current location groggily, befuddlement scrawled across every millimeter of her face. "Where the fuck am I, and why is my head throbbing as if it's been clobbered repeatedly with a pagoda?!" Aya tumbled, most ungracefully, over the edge of the couch, landed on the floor in a jumble of twisted sheets and flailing limbs, and bounced promptly to her feet. Taitsukun shot her a disdainful, if-you're-the-light-in-the- darkness-someone-needs-to-change-the-bulb death glare, as Chichiri squeezed her shoulders affectionately, flashing his guaranteed-to-please-would-this- face-ever-lie-to-you lopsided grin. "You are in the presidential suite of an indescribably ritzy five-star hotel because you became intoxicated, through no fault of your own, scratch that… drunk off your ass, due to a few too many martinis, at your boss's bandit's gathering in the hotel lobby last evening. Fortunately, your boss was generous enough to foot the bill." Aya's eyes narrowed dangerously, as she loomed over Chichiri, thundering, "I MAY BE SUFFERING FROM A HANGOVER, BUT I AM NOT STUPID! Ayashi's too cheap to buy HIMSELF a night in the presidential suite." Satisfied that she had stated her case, and won, Aya resumed her relaxed pose on the couch, propping her feet up on a sheik coffee table Chichiri could have sworn occupied what would have been empty space had Taitsukun not managed to maintain her magic in the midst of this hell.
"How do you intend to engage in a proper relationship with a woman if you can't lie properly to get yourself out of trouble?" Taitsukun recoiled in disgust at the pathetic display of "brilliance". Chichiri hung his head in shame, mumbling, "I am a monk. My lying abilities extend only as far as other men of the cloth, and plants." Taitsukun shook her head regretfully. "Mankind, and his deities, don't have a prayer! Nevertheless, guard Aya with your life, and be extremely careful during your trek to the Imperial City. Your archnemises's diabolical scheme is unfolding even as we speak, as his minions are already in position, and Suzaku and you seishi are all little pawns in his chess game, able to be moved around a board of suffering however he sees fit. Entirely off the subject, you have grown into a very handsome young man. I am thrilled to see you venturing from the confines of your mask. Might I suggest confronting Aya as the real Chichiri. Give her a fair chance to abhor the true you before escaping to the security of your façade." Winded after her tirade, Taitsukun waved majestically, vanishing into thin air amidst a spectacular burst of chi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stumbling over the uneven path winding its way toward the picturesque bridge suspended over a crystal clear bubbling brook, Yuri's heel caught the hem of her robes, causing her to trip, sprawling face first on the ground. The timing of this disaster couldn't have been worse. She was already twenty minutes overdue for her reandevuz with Chiriko. The emperor had been frightfully indecisive that evening over the issue of his bedtime snack, which inevitably snowballed into a culinary crisis, yet Yuri knew keeping a Suzaku no Seishi waiting for such an eternal span of time, for any reason, would result in severe consequences. She righted herself somewhat awkwardly, and staggered onward. Brilliant puddles of moonlight filtered through the clouds, the stars winked gaily down at her, and from the bridge, Chiriko gestured impatiently for her to pick up her laborious pace.
The millisecond she arrived at their appointed destination, Chiriko didn't waste an instant busting a move. His arms automatically draped themselves about her shoulders. He even went the extra mile of conquering his flaws, and behaving like a perfect gentleman. The whole nine yards, from offering his coat, to presenting her with an extravagant bouquet of flowers. "Most precious Lotus Blossom, my entire being is consumed by indescribable ecstasy that you were able to join me beneath this glorious blanket of stars." Chiriko had diligently rehearsed his opening compliment in front of his gilded mirror (this entailed abandoning the library… the readers gasp, and sweat drop, in unison) all afternoon, unable to concentrate on the library's abundance of books, which had been his reason for living, until Yuri sashayed into his mundane life. To Mitsukake's credit, his warped concept of tea failed to detract from Yuri's unfathomable romantic feelings for him, and Chiriko's intense desire to sing in the rain, fly like an eagle, or any other activities a person performed after falling head over heels for someone not of the manuscript species.
Yuri simply rolled her eyes at his antics. "One must refrain from using the full extent of their vocabulary in a single sentence." She hissed vehemently, as her pupils dilated, encompassing her emerald irises. Within their tumultuous depths, he beheld a vision of a familiar young man, one who had become like a brother to him over the quasi-rocky course of their relationship, neck snapping backwards with an ear-splitting CRRRRRRRACK, impaled upon an ornate sword, crimson blood flowing from a crater-sized wound. Yuri blinked rapidly, and, abruptly as it had occurred, the horrific scene vanished.
"Fortunately for you, the full extent of my vocabulary was designed to create a maximum of two sentences." Chiriko remarked breezily. Her threateningly furrowed brows relaxed, her irises reappeared, reducing her pupils to their proper size, and the demonic air, which had temporarily dominated her angelic chi, was replaced with a good-natured half smirk. The ferocious gnawing in the pit of Chiriko's stomach subsided, as his taunt, panic-stricken abdominal muscles contracted. Self-consciously, he wiped the cold, terror-enduced sweat inching down the back of his neck away with his palm. (Chiriko, you are succumbing to first date jitters, which results in minor delusions, such as your future wife, if Fate opts to comply with your wishes, experiencing 'contortions of the eyeball'.)
"How long have you served the emperor?" Chiriko murmured at long last, once he accomplished the feat of meeting Yuri's gaze without being forced to stifle the overpowering urge to cower in terror. "At times it seems like an eternity." She sighed heavily, laying her head on his shoulder. His heart hammered in his chest, reverberating in his ears, exclaiming "Holy crap!" with each beat. "On those rare occasions when the emperor relieves you from the rigors of servitude, do you have any family in the Imperial City you can visit?" Yuri cocked her eyebrow suggestively. "Are you hoping to gain an invitation to meet my mother by flattery?" Chiriko winked flirtatiously. "Only if her beauty is equivalent to her daughter's."
Yuri slithered from his embrace, leaning over the bridge's edge to better absorb the majesty of the stars reflected in the water's surface beneath her feet. "To be perfectly frank, my parents and I haven't spoken in years, not since Dad deserted us to be with his little gypsy. I was "adopted" by my former employer and his business associates. The depressing thing is they have been more of a family to me than my mother and father ever were." Chiriko pushed a lose strand of hair into its proper location behind her ear. Yuri bounced up and down exuberantly, clapping her hands, squealing excitedly like a little kid at Christmas. "He sent word recently that he plans to swing by the palace to check on me in the very near future. His associates have already settled themselves in the Imperial City." Chiriko gave her a sloppy high-five (his first since childhood). "I can't wait to meet him."