Strawberry Ice

Seven

Doctor Saeko Mizuno was an attractive if somewhat stern woman, and Tamao had to struggle not to wilt under her cool gaze. 'Why did Ami have to leave us alone?' Tamao thought.

Relenting a little Saeko smiled slightly as she conceded, "Ami speaks very highly of you."

"Thank you," Tamao smiled back.

"I also borrowed your book," Saeko added, "I didn't like it, but it was well written."

"Ah," Tamao answered weakly. "Not a fantasy fan, I take it?" she asked politely.

"Hmm," Saeko nodded, "I'm usually reading mysteries and slice of life."

Tamao desperately tried to come up with something else to say, then puffed a sigh of relief as Ami finally came back.

"Mother," Ami rolled her eyes as she returned with their drinks. "No grilling my girlfriend when I'm gone," she chided.

"I only lightly grilled her," Saeko smiled impishly.

They were meeting at the Strawberry, which surprisingly Saeko had suggested. Both younger women had been surprised that she even knew about the semi-exclusive woman's club!

Ami set out the drinks, then sat down beside Tomao. "I was surprised you'd heard of the Strawberry," she noted mildly.

Saeko looked amused, "Who do you think does their medical?"

Tamao blinked, "I hadn't thought about it."

"I met Shizuma at the hospital a few months back, and have been coming here off and on ever since," Saeko admitted. "It's nice going to a bar and not be hit on by men," shew noted then smirked, "and the women who hit on me take no very graciously."

Ami chuckled softly, even as she wondered about her Mom and women hitting on her. It HAD been a long time since she had seperated from her father, after all...

Saeko gave Ami a look that said she knew exactly where her thoughts were going, but wasn't going to say it. She turned to look at Tamao as she asked calmly, "So, what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Tamao was swallowing a sip of her drink, and nearly choked. "Ack!" she wheezed.

"Mother!" Ami yelped as she patted her girlfriend on the back.

"What? It's a reasonable question," Saeko said, though she did look a little sheepish.

"Sorry," Tamao managed to recover. "Ms. Mizuno, I care for your daughter very much. While we've only been dating a short while, I take our relationship very seriously."

Saeko studied her thoughtfully before nodding slightly. "Fair enough," she said, sipping her drink.

Ami relaxed a little, glad things were going so well.

"So, is a wedding on the horizon?" Saeko asked deadpan.

BOTH young women choked at THAT.

"MOTHER!" Ami wailed.

Up at the bar, tall, elegant white haired Shizuma Hanazono was fighting back a laugh.

"Shizuma!" her wife Nagisa scolded softly, poking her in the side.

"You have to admit it's funny," Shizuma nodded to the table with Tamao, Ami and her Mom.

"Well, yes," Nagisa conceded.

Tamao and Ami were both fairly serious young women, and it was pretty funny seeing them flustered by Saeko.

Nagisa gave Shizuma a thoughtful look. "You didn't suggest to Saeko that they should meet here, did you?" she asked.

Shizuma looked innocent, "Would I do that?"

"Oy," Nagisa shook her head...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Swords came together with a flash, then the taller woman drove the other back. "Surrender, Prince!" the Wicked Queen cried.

"Never," the black haired Prince cried.

With a mighty heave of her shoulders she forced the Queen away. Their swords gleamed as they fought across the stage, then the Prince disarmed the Wicked Queen. She demanded her surrender, the Queen slipped a prop knife from her sleeve and went for a stab. Then finally the Prince lunged forward, driving her blade right into the Queen's chest. Or at least that's how it looked.

"Argh!" the Queen gasped as she fell, blood splurting from her mouth.

The Prince froze, but the crowd of watching actresses cheered enthusiastically.

"That was marvelous," Remon enthused.

Rei Hino ignored that as the 'Prince' hurried over to where Chikaru had collapsed. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Chikaru sat up, smiling cheerily if bloodily. She spat something out, then said, "Blood packet. I thought it added a nice touch."

Rei puffed out a relieved sigh. "I thought I actually stabbed you for a second."

Chikaru looked sheepish. "Possibly I should have warned you," she conceded as she stood up.

Rei looked at the bloody mouthed theater director wryly. "And how do you think the Sisters are going to react to that?" she wondered.

"Not well," Chikaru admitted. "Spoil sport," she added.

"Sorry," Rei shrugged. "I thought we had said we weren't doing the blood packets, anyway? That's why it surprised me so much..."

The 'stabbing' effect was very simple and pretty much safe, thankfully. Rei lunged at Chikaru with a VERY blunted blade, and Chikaru 'caught' it between her side and arm. It looked like she was stabbed, without much risk. Especially since they had padded that side of her costume too.

"I still don't think we actually need all the padding," Chikaru complained mildly, "It makes it hard to move."

"if I stab you, even by accident, your students will kill me," Rei deadpanned.

Chikaru snorted. "Scared of little girls?" she teased.

"Damn right," Rei agreed.

"Places everyone! Next scene!" the director cried.

"Yes, ma'am," Rei called back jokingly.

Chikaru, now that she was 'dead', went over to sit and watch Rei as the Prince awaken the princess with a kiss. An 'air kiss' Chikaru noted disapprovingly. She was going to have to mention to Rei that the fans WERE going to notice if there wasn't lip contact.

There was the celebration, the 'curtain close' and after that the actors and actresses would come out and bow. Chikaru got up, claping as she said, "Well done, everyone."

The group broke up into smaller teams, practicing various parts they thought needed work. Rei walked over to where Chikaru was standing, smiling tiredly.

"Rei...," Chikaru started.

"I KNOW I have to actually kiss her in the actual play," Rei said wryly.

Chikaru smiled wryly, "You know me too well. So why not in practice?"

"Because Kagome has someone she likes and I'd rather they not murder me," Rei noted.

"You noticed Chiyo being annoyed I take it," Chikaru said.

"JUST a bit, yes..." Rei admitted.

Chikaru snickered softly. "You are VERY lucky we aren't in my old school," she noted, "you'd probably have evil lesbians trying to booby trap you or something."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling that has actually happened to you?" she wondered aloud.

"You would be correct," Chikaru snickered. "I'll tell you about it some day..."

"I look forward to it," Rei offered mildly.

To be continued...

Notes: YES I mentioned blood backs in an earlier chapter. Edited this to reflect that. I'm sick, my brain clearly isn't working all that good.

Sorry for short chapter. Again, kinda ill.