DISCLAIMER: The characters belong to Sai Yukino and Kairi Yura, Kadokawa Shoten, Madhouse Studios, etc., i.e., not me.
I'm just borrowing them for a while to spin a tale
Submitted to Saiun Challenge's Week 6 Prompt. Word Count: 300 Words and won joint Third Place.


Avoidance Measures
By firewolf
June 2008

Reishin never told Yuri his true reasons for moving Kouyuu to Kiyou over her objections that he couldn't be trusted to raise the boy alone. She thought it inadvisable since Kouyuu had an obsessive desire to please him. This was understandable given the boy's history of being sold whenever his owners tired of or had no more use of him. However, Reishin thought Kouyuu would out grow this once he became confident of his permanence in their lives.

Yuri had little doubt Reishin loved and was very proud of their son since Kouyuu was astoundingly gifted and intelligent. Her husband practically spoiled the boy with gifts of books and the best tutors he could find. She never heard, however, that the music tutor approached Reishin to prohibit Kouyuu from playing the flute. And Reishin agreed because Kouyuu unconsciously injected an unsettling quality to any music he played with the flute.

Reishin also kept from her an evening incident during a street festival when a florist was freely giving away his unsold merchandise and offered them a droopy rose. Enchanted, Kouyuu accepted the rose and restored it to newly plucked freshness. Fortunately, no one noticed nor understood why the man raced away from them screaming.

After that event, Reishin brought Kouyuu with him to Kiyou, determined to shield his son within the magic dampening borders of the capital city.

Even if Kouyuu was originally of the Hyou clan, Reishin swore that they rightly delivered him into his keeping through the two thieving finches, which promptly disappeared when they alighted on the boy's shoulder with Yuri's handkerchief. That clan lost all rights to even associate with his son when they abandoned him to the slavers. And Reishin was damned if he'd risk having Kouyuu attract their attention and try to reclaim him.

owari


Thanks for reading.
Cheers, firewolf