Fox Hunt
Part 8
Disclaimer: If I owned the Sorcerer Hunters, I would not be working for peanuts. I'd be rich and living off the royalties; not to mention gloating every chance I get.
Warnings: Sorry; Marron gets teased some more. Haters of Marron/original female character pairings keep out!
Tangerine met them at the garden gate, handing Vanilla her daughter as soon as they'd entered the garden. "You have some interesting guests, Vanilla," she said matter-of-factly.
Marron bit back a sigh of disappointment. "One of them isn't Ramen, is it?" he asked. I'd kind of hoped to spend a little time with Vanilla and my brother and everyone since we just got back from Bagel's castle.
"No," Tangerine said. "It's some strange little girl with wings and a giant woman who claim to be from the Stellar Church."
Vanilla sighed. "My wards are fried again, aren't they?"
"The ones that Bagel and Lox didn't touch are, yes," Tangerine said apologetically. "Your father is out replacing them for you right now."
Vanilla sighed again. "Well, at least I don't have to do it."
"A girl with wings and a giant woman," Carrot muttered. "It's gotta be Big Mama and Dota. Geez, I hope it's not another assignment. We just finished the last one less than an hour ago."
"For once I agree with you, Darling," Chocolate said, sighing wearily.
*Damn. I never even thought of that!* Marron swore inwardly. *I can't go out on an assignment now. I'll miss so much of Mint growing up . . . if I stay a Sorcerer Hunter, that is . . . but could I really quit just like that?*
"Well, time to face the music," Gateau said with a sigh. "No point in putting off the inevitable by sitting around out here."
Everyone followed Gateau inside the house, trudging wearily.
"Whoa, you guys look exhausted!" Dota exclaimed.
Vanilla's eyes widened. "So that's why they call you Big Mama," she said, and Big Mama smiled.
"I wanted to thank you for saving my Sorcerer Hunters from Bagel and Lox," she said serenely. "I am sorry to have broken through your wards again."
Vanilla shrugged. "As long as I don't have to replace them, I don't mind," she replied. "I would prefer it if you asked before you enter my house next time, though, since I can easily let you through the wards without damaging them."
Big Mama smiled again. "I will do that," she agreed.
"Um, excuse me," said Lemon from Big Mama's left, "but if you're done with Vanilla, we'd like to steal her for a moment. She just went off with Ravensara and Tarragon and did something to the people who dared to mess with our family without me, and I'd like to scold her a little."
Vanilla grinned. "Sorry sister, but you weren't there to ask," she said, shifting Mint in her arms. The infant gurgled happily, waving her arms around.
"We invited ourselves anyway," Ravensara added cheerfully.
"Siblings," Lemon said with a sigh. "At least let me fuss over you while you tell me what happened. Have you made cookies recently? I can make some tea."
"I think Butterscotch did," Vanilla said as her sister dragged her off to the kitchen.
Tangerine, Orange, and Tarragon followed, but Ravensara hesitated.
"By the way, here are your sorcerers." Ravensara pulled the pendant off from around her neck and handed it to Big Mama, who took it solemnly. "Do what you want with it, but don't smash it unless you want to remove them from the pendant."
"I hope you don't have any more soul jewels," Big Mama said with a raised eyebrow.
"Last of its kind," Ravensara assured her. "Lemon can attest to that." Then she disappeared after her family into the kitchen.
"Mint is a beautiful child, Marron," Big Mama said after they were gone. "And Vanilla's family are very nice people. Are you happy here?"
Marron nodded without hesitation. "Without Vanilla, none of us would be here," he said softly.
"Yeah, she saved us all," Carrot said, awed. "I'm amazed that she still has the strength to stand after all that."
"She's pretty powerful," Tira said quietly.
"Marron," Big Mama said then, "do you want to continue to be a Sorcerer Hunter now that you have a family here?"
Marron started in surprise.
"What?!" Gateau exclaimed, shocked. "How can you ask him that?"
Carrot looked sad. "Would you ask him to miss seeing Mint grow up, Gateau?" he asked steadily.
"Well, no, but . . ." The big man's voice trailed off, and he dropped his gaze.
Chocolate and Tira both looked at Carrot in astonishment, evidently amazed that he would say something so serious like that. Marron wasn't surprised.
"You always have a choice, Marron," Big Mama said seriously. "I will not force you into making a decision right away. You may take some time to think about it. You will probably not have another assignment for a while, especially once the sorcerers hear that Bagel and Lox were defeated."
A collective sigh of relief rose up from the five Hunters, and Dota grinned at them, amused. "Aren't you guys lucky? You get a break!"
Carrot grinned at her. "So, Dota, do you want to take a break of your own and spend it with me since I've got some time off?" he leered, and Chocolate immediately kicked him.
"Oh, Carrot, you're always so silly!" Dota giggled. She looked up at Marron innocently, a frown creasing her cute forehead. "I still can't see you liking girls, though," she added, and everyone sweat-dropped. "You're the only one who never hit on me."
*Not that stupid rumor again! Dota, why can't you let it go already?!*
"Of course he likes girls," Vanilla said, setting a plate of cookies down on the table in the center of the room. "He married me, didn't he?"
Marron froze; he hadn't known that she was there until she spoke up.
"Yes, but I'm really cute," Dota continued, "and he never once tried to grab me like every other guy does."
Marron wished that the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
Unfortunately, it wasn't cooperating.
"True, you are cute, Dota," Vanilla said seriously, "but you're forgetting that Marron is very polite, and would never do something like that to a person he considers a friend."
"Oh," Dota said, seeming to understand. Marron's heart dropped in his chest when she went on. "But I still can't see it. I really thought he and Gateau were a couple."
Gateau blushed and looked away, coughing.
"No," Vanilla said, and Marron could tell that she was fighting a smile. "Should I demonstrate it for you? I think it might make it easier for you to understand."
Dota smiled brightly. "Sure!"
Vanilla grinned then, and turned to Marron.
*Oh, no . . . what is she going to do, and how embarrassing is this going to be?*
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and paced toward Marron in a way that made even Chocolate blush and turn away briefly. Marron stared down at her when she stopped in front of him, unable to look away from her gloriously sparkling purple eyes. Her smile turned impish, and she stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his, deepening the kiss when he shuddered and put his arms around her.
His mind turned to mush. All he could think and feel was Vanilla. He forgot that Big Mama was in the room. He forgot that Carrot and everyone else was in the room. He even forgot that this was a demonstration for Dota's benefit.
The kiss went on and on, and Marron never even noticed that everyone but Dota was gaping at them openly. Dota was watching them intently, a look of extreme concentration on her cute face.
Finally, Vanilla pulled back, sucking on Marron' s bottom lip briefly. She grinned up at him as he stared down at her, trying to get his scattered wits back. It wasn't working.
"Doesn't that look like Marron likes girls?" Vanilla asked, looking at Dota.
Dota smiled. "I guess I'm convinced," she agreed brightly. "Wow! I never noticed that before."
Marron finally realized that everyone was grinning at him, even Vanilla, and cringed inwardly.
*She did it again!*
"That was a pretty convincing moan, bro," Carrot said with a grin.
To his chagrin, Chocolate and Tira just laughed at Carrot's comment, and so did Gateau. Even Big Mama smiled.
*They're all against me,* he thought, bewildered, yet somehow found it in him to smile weakly at them even though he started to blush faintly.
*~~~~~~~~~~*
The next day, Marron watched Vanilla from the window as she played with Mint out in her garden. Her silver hair shone brightly in the deceptively late summer afternoon sunlight, and her purple eyes sparkled with tenderness as she showed the infant the big red rose she held, brushing Mint's cheek with the soft petals.
Mint giggled and waved her arms happily, and Vanilla smiled at her, stroking her cheek with the rose again. Mint caught one of Vanilla's fingers and held onto it, laughing happily up at her mother.
Marron's heart ached at the sight.
*I love them both so much . . . and Vanilla hardly seems to know how I feel about her. She doesn't seem to notice me as a man, beyond being Mint's father, but I wish that I could really act like her husband . . . especially after everything we've been through recently. It's so hard to believe that she really did kiss me like that in front of everyone.*
Marron blushed at his thoughts, watching as Vanilla lifted Mint in her arms, cradling the infant against her body. He let his eyes trace Vanilla's slender figure as she walked toward the house; she was already back to normal so soon after her pregnancy.
*She never told me what I did to her that night. I wish I could remember. Did she enjoy it? Would she let me do it again if I could remember? I've never wanted anything as much as I want to remember that night, even if I could just use the memory to fantasize about her for the rest of my life . . .*
Marron shivered even though the room was suddenly very warm. He could hear Vanilla as she neared the house, cooing to Mint very softly. The door opened, and Marron leaned back in the window seat, pretending to read the large book in his lap.
Something made him look up, though it certainly wasn't Vanilla's footsteps; she moved like a cat no matter where she was. The elf stood in front of him, holding a sleepy-looking Mint in her arms. Her smile was gentle and radiant, almost like it was just for him, and he found himself smiling back at her, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.
"Can you put Mint down for her nap for me?" she asked softly, her purple eyes full of warmth. "I need to go start supper."
"I'll do it!" Carrot chimed in, materializing next to Vanilla from seemingly out of nowhere.
Vanilla started in surprise, her purple eyes widening.
Before she could open her mouth, Gateau spoke up. "No you won't, Carrot, or you forfeit this game."
"Hey, I'll be right back," Carrot retorted. "Can't a guy be helpful once in a while?"
"Not when he's you," Gateau countered. "You made me learn how to play Patchouli, so you have to finish this game. I'm not going to sit here and wait while you're off playing with Mint."
"Really, Darling, how can you pass up this chance to snuggle with me over here on this comfy loveseat?" Chocolate asked coyly.
A vein appeared on Tira's forehead at that statement, but she ignored her sister and buried her face deeper in the book she'd borrowed from Vanilla with a loud sigh, letting it drop for once. Marron suspected Orange's influence there. Tira had seemed to be quite impressed by him.
Marron sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'll do it, Niisan," he said quietly, reaching out to take Mint from Vanilla's arms. Mint cooed happily as he gathered her small body close to him. "You go back to your game."
Vanilla smiled at him gratefully, her purple eyes amused. "Thank you, Marron," she said, and with one last sparkle of her eyes, she slipped out of the room to the kitchen.
He sighed after her, and Carrot eyed him critically. Marron looked up at him quizzically.
Carrot just smiled and shook his head. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you've got it bad, bro." His voice was low, pitched for Marron's ears only. Suddenly, he grinned. "You've got good taste, too. Vanilla's really hot. Must be my influence there."
Marron smiled and stood up with Mint in his arms. "Thank you, Niisan," he said softly, laying his hand on Carrot's shoulder briefly.
"Anytime," Carrot replied, and went back to the game of Patchouli.
"It's about time," Gateau muttered.
"Hey, can't I have one short bonding moment with my little brother without you complaining about it?" Carrot demanded just as Marron slipped out of the room and began walking through the hallway toward the stairs. "You're so cruel, Gateau!"
*He never changes,* Marron thought, shifting Mint in his arms. The infant cooed happily again, grabbing a fist-full of his long black hair. He winced as she yanked on it, trying to pull it into her mouth.
"Mint, please don't eat my hair," Marron said, laughing softly when she grumbled in protest as he freed his hair from her tiny fist. He put the rest out of her reach over his shoulder.
Just like her mother, Mint was quick to forgive the confiscation of his hair from her, and smiled up at him, patting his cheek with her small hand. She babbled something quite seriously to him in baby talk, and he smiled at her, leaning forward to kiss her tiny nose.
"You're beautiful," he whispered to her, his golden eyes soft. "Just like your mother." To Mint's utter delight, he very gently stroked her soft black hair and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Maybe you can tell me what to do about your mother."
Mint babbled something to him again, her expression very serious.
"Gomen ne, little one," he said softly, smiling at her. "I suppose that isn't a very good question to ask you."
Mint gave up trying to talk to him, and lay her head trustingly on his chest, snuggling her small body closer. Marron smiled again, and patted her small back soothingly as he ascended the stairs.
*Who could tell me what I should do about my situation with Vanilla? That's a hard one,* he thought, entering the room he was sharing with Vanilla and Mint. He walked over to Mint's cradle, and knelt beside it.
Realistically, out of my entire team, whom could I ask? Certainly not Carrot. Niisan means well, but his methods wouldn't exactly be . . . polished. Chocolate's would probably be just as offensive to Vanilla. There is no way that I'm going to ask Gateau, so that only leaves Tira.
He lay Mint down in the cradle. She was already asleep, so he pulled a soft blanket over her and let her nap.
*I'm pretty certain that Tira's advice would be the best of all of them,* he thought as he left the room, leaving the door open a crack. *It will be embarrassing to ask her, but my only other option is to write a letter to Big Mama, and that would not only take longer, but would also be even more embarrassing in the long run.*
Marron shuddered at the thought of Big Mama's expression if he asked her how he could seduce Vanilla.
*The Haz Knights would jump in, and I'd never hear the end of it. I'll just ask Tira. She'll help me, I'm sure of it.*
He went back downstairs, and down the hall into the sitting room. Tira was still sitting in her chair, pretending to ignore the three Patchouli players in the center of the room. In reality, she was staring at the book in her lap without really seeing it. He noticed that she was on the same page she'd been on when he'd left to put Mint down for her nap.
"Tira, can I ask you something?" Marron inquired nervously, wringing his hands in the concealment of his sleeves.
"Of course, Marron," said the pink-haired girl a little too eagerly. Marron suspected that she was glad of the distraction from her sister's behavior around Carrot tonight. "What is it?"
"Privately?" he added, glancing at Gateau, Carrot, and Chocolate. Tira followed his gaze, shutting her book absently.
The Patchouli game had gotten into full swing, and Chocolate was hanging on Carrot's arm as he and Gateau played.
"Darling, you shouldn't have done that," Chocolate was saying in response to Carrot's latest move of his piece on the board. "He can beat you in three moves."
"I can?" Gateau asked, confused. "I don't see it." He moved a piece on the board hesitantly. "Like this?"
"No, you can't do that until you have four of my pieces," Carrot argued. "You only have one!"
"Darling is right," Chocolate said with a shrug when Gateau looked at her for confirmation.
"This is too confusing," Gateau complained. "Why don't you make Chocolate or Tira play with you? I've got better things to do than sit around this board all night."
"I'm not asking them to play because they can easily beat me," Carrot replied loftily. "Now shut up and pay attention."
"Che," Gateau muttered, and stared hard at the board, pondering his next move.
Tira sweat-dropped and shook her head at them. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing toward the door.
Marron nodded in relief and led Tira to the hallway, shutting the door behind them. The three Patchouli players hadn't noticed that they had left, so intent were they on the game.
The young mage led her a little ways down the hallway to the alcove in front of Vanilla's scrying room door. He paused by the door, and Tira stood in front of him, waiting for him to speak.
"You're the only person I can ask about this," he said apologetically.
"Well, what is it, Marron?" she prodded gently.
"I-I have a problem," he said hesitantly, "and I'm not sure of how to approach it."
Tira nodded. "Go on."
Marron flushed. "Well, I've been married to Vanilla for about three months now, and we haven't . . . you know . . . since that night."
Tira blushed. "Since you got her pregnant?"
Marron nodded, his eyes lowered. "I-I really want to – " He stopped, clenching his hands together.
"Oh," Tira said delicately, her face flaming. "I see."
"But I don't know if she feels the same." He sighed in frustration. "I don't know how to ask her. She's so self-contained and beautiful and – " He broke off, seeing Tira's amused smile.
"I can't ask Carrot or Chocolate for advice," he added. "I don't even want to know what they'd tell me." He snorted in disgust. "Gateau would probably try to give me a demonstration of what I should do. And can you picture what Big Mama would do if I asked her?"
Tira giggled. "Her eyes would bug out of her head. And then she'd probably tell you to ask the Haz Knights to give you advice."
"Exactly," Marron said. "You're the only one who can give me good advice."
Tira nodded. "Sad, but true," she said, watching as Vanilla walked past them on silent feet with a basket of green beans. The silver-haired elf did not appear to have noticed them, much less to have heard anything that Marron had said about her. Marron hadn't noticed her walking by either, which was probably a good thing.
Tira had seen the affect Vanilla had on the young mage, and had seen how Vanilla watched Marron when he wasn't looking.
*They make a cute couple,* she thought with a smirk.
"Maybe you should just tell her," Tira said suddenly.
Marron looked at her, blushing, and his golden eyes wide. "But – "
Tira grinned. "It's obvious that you're in love with her," she said. "Just tell her how you feel."
"I don't want her to think that I'm just saying that I love her because of Mint," he objected. "What if she doesn't believe me?"
"Then keep telling her until she does believe you," Tira replied. "The only way that you'll be able to resolve this is to talk to Vanilla."
Marron sighed. "I know. It's just so hard. It seems like she cares more about our daughter than me. And it's impossible to tell what she's thinking."
Tira giggled. "Don't be silly," she chided. "She loves you just as much as she loves Mint. I think she expresses her love for you by doting on Mint because she doesn't know how you feel."
Marron looked at her, his golden eyes wide with incredulity. "That actually makes a lot of sense," he said slowly.
She patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry. It will all work out."
He smiled, bemused. "Thank you, Tira."
"No problem."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Vanilla was seated at the table, staring hard at the green bean she held in her hand. She'd seen Marron and Tira standing in the alcove together. She'd seen the look on Marron's face; embarrassed, maybe guilty, as if he'd confessed something to the pink-haired human girl.
*Marron and Tira. It makes sense in a way, I suppose. They grew up together, and they've worked together for a while now. He certainly knows her better than he knows me . . . but why didn't he say something to me after we found out about Mint? I would have freed him for her then, and saved myself the heartache.*
She snapped the ends of the green bean off, placed it in the bowl, and reached for another.
*Tira is also a very kind person. I had thought that she loved Carrot, but she must have pretended that to cover her real feelings. I cannot hate her for loving Marron, or him for loving her, even though it hurts. I should free him so that they can be together.*
Vanilla blinked against sudden tears.
*I don't want to let him go! I know he's only here because of his sense of duty to Mint, but . . . I think I love him. I don't want to lose him!*
Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Marron entered, carrying Mint, who was blinking sleepily. The infant yawned, and Marron stroked her wispy black hair. Vanilla's heart constricted at the sight of them.
"Look who's awake," Marron said, smiling at the infant in his arms. He looked up at Vanilla, extending the warmth of his smile to her. "Mint decided she was hungry," he explained.
Vanilla forced a smile. "I guess I'll have to take care of that, then," she said, and held out her arms for the baby.
Marron placed their child in her arms, and looked away from her as she bared her breast and put Mint up to it. Vanilla wondered briefly why he would never look at her while she nursed Mint, but squelched the thought as quickly as it formed.
*I will not cry now. Not in front of him.*
"Is this for tonight's supper?" Marron asked, gesturing to the basket of green beans.
Vanilla nodded, smiling gently down at Mint as the infant suckled, her purple eyes half-closed, drowsy slits and her tiny hand gripping Vanilla's finger. She stroked Mint's hair very gently.
*This is so peaceful . . . almost like we're really a family.*
"I'll finish this," Marron volunteered, and sat across from her at the table.
"Oh, that's not necessary," Vanilla protested. "This will only take a few minutes."
"No, that's fine," he interrupted, and started snapping the ends off the beans. "You've cooked for me for months now, and it's the least I can do."
"All right," she conceded, and sat back in her chair to finish nursing Mint.
"I saw Carrot and Gateau playing that game you taught them," Marron said conversationally after a few moments of silence broken only by the soft sounds of Mint suckling.
"Really? How were they doing?"
"Niisan was winning," he said. "Gateau is still confused about the rules."
"It took me several games to understand it myself," she replied, and switched Mint to her other breast.
"Tira and Chocolate picked it up pretty quickly playing you," he said. "Niisan won't play them anymore."
Vanilla chuckled softly. "That's silly. How can he get better at Patchouli if he does not play someone with more knowledge than he has?"
Marron shrugged, a faint smile curving his lips.
Vanilla watched him as he prepared the green beans, fascinated by the deft, graceful movements of his slender hands. His golden eyes were focused intently on the beans in his hands, so he did not appear to notice her scrutiny.
The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the horizon, and a stray beam of warm, gold sunlight stretched across the kitchen, splashing over Marron's long, shiny black hair. The light danced and played in those long black strands, and Vanilla's heart ached.
*He's beautiful,* she thought, awed, absently disengaging the now sleeping Mint from her breast and pulling her tunic back down.
At that moment, he looked up at her and paused, as if he had seen the thought reflected in her eyes. He shifted in his seat, and smiled warmly at her.
"Is Mint asleep?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes were almost hungry as he studied her.
Vanilla sat up a little straighter. "Yes," she replied.
*Did I really see that?* she wondered, hardly daring to hope that she had.
Her heart lurched in her chest as he stood gracefully and walked over to her, holding her gaze with his intent golden eyes.
Marron paused a few inches from her, and she stared up into his eyes, mesmerized by the emotion she saw there. Time stopped as his hand lifted, reaching out to her . . .
. . . and started again as Carrot barged into the kitchen, closely followed by Chocolate and Gateau. Instantly, Marron's hand was at his side again.
"I finally won!" Carrot exclaimed, laughing. "I finally beat someone at Patchouli!" He grinned proudly at Marron. "Isn't that great, Marron? I just beat Gateau!"
"That's wonderful, Niisan," Marron sighed.
"Che! That was just luck," Gateau grumbled. "I could've beaten you if – "
"No, that was all skill," Chocolate interrupted, beaming at Carrot with pride. "Darling, why don't we go celebrate on that cozy little bench in the garden?"
Carrot ignored the suggestion. "Luck my foot," he retorted. "You just can't take knowing that I'm better at something than you are."
Gateau made a fist and brandished it menacingly at Carrot. "What did you say?" he demanded coldly.
"You heard me," Carrot said pugnaciously.
"Darling, he'll clobber you!" Chocolate cried.
At this point, Mint began to wail, having been rudely awakened by the stupid argument. Glad of the distraction, Vanilla pulled the infant up to her chest, patting her back soothingly until she calmed again.
Marron sighed. "I'll put her back to bed," he said, taking their daughter from her arms.
"Thank you," Vanilla replied, inwardly swallowing her disappointment at the interruption.
He nodded and left the kitchen, soothing Mint's discontented murmur with a kiss pressed to her small cheek.
Vanilla sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.
A large hand covered her shoulder briefly, and she looked up to see Gateau bending over her solicitously.
"Are you all right, Vanilla?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she replied tightly.
"What's wrong?" he persisted.
Vanilla looked up at Gateau, noting that both Carrot and Chocolate had walked over behind him. They looked worried too.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, inwardly enjoying how red Gateau's face immediately turned.
Carrot had also noticed, and couldn't resist nettling the big man further. "Oh, were you and Marron gonna get it on?" he asked innocently.
"Darling!" Chocolate objected, flushing. "Don't be so crude!"
"No," Vanilla replied, trying not to smile as Gateau's face grew even redder with Carrot's comment. "You woke Mint up."
"Oh," Gateau said, laughing sheepishly, and ran his big hand through his short blond hair. "Sorry."
Vanilla sighed and stood up. "Just for that, Chocolate, you are going to finish those beans. Carrot, you're going to peel those potatoes. Gateau, you are going to haul in five buckets of water and then chop some wood for the cook fire – enough for a month."
"Hey, why do I have to do more than that scrawny little freak and that bim- "
"Hey!" Carrot protested, whirling on Gateau.
"Watch it, Gateau," Chocolate said warningly at the same time.
"- that beautiful, respectable young lady," Gateau amended sullenly.
"That's better," Chocolate said.
Vanilla just smiled. "They're not doing less than you are. They're going to clean the kitchen when they're finished."
"Hey!" Carrot and Chocolate protested in unison.
*~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~*
Author's Notes: There are only a couple more threads for me to tie up in a nice, neat little bow, and then this story will finally be finished. I don't know what it is about this story, but working on it always makes me want to work on my original stuff. I'm getting impatient. ^_^ So now all my friends can be expecting an update of X & D pretty soon. ^_^
And now:
DratiniRocket: Mary Sue? Is that the thing where authors write themselves into a story like this to sleep with their favorite character? If so, I just wanted to say that Marron is an interesting *character*, and that is as far as my interest goes in him. If I ever met him in real life, he'd probably annoy me. I enjoyed working with him in this story as a writer, but I did not write Vanilla to be myself; I'm sorry that it seems that way to you, and it's okay if you don't believe me. Thanks for letting me know that the next chapter of your story's up! ^_^
Fala: Thank you for your email. ^_^ And thank you again for telling me what a Mary Sue thing is, even if that's not what DratiniRocket meant.
Now please review and let me know what you think. Or go read my bizarre Kenshin fic and review that. Or both; that'll work too. ^_^ I really do want to know what everyone thinks of this.
Arigatou!
~ Lady Cianyin ~
Part 8
Disclaimer: If I owned the Sorcerer Hunters, I would not be working for peanuts. I'd be rich and living off the royalties; not to mention gloating every chance I get.
Warnings: Sorry; Marron gets teased some more. Haters of Marron/original female character pairings keep out!
Tangerine met them at the garden gate, handing Vanilla her daughter as soon as they'd entered the garden. "You have some interesting guests, Vanilla," she said matter-of-factly.
Marron bit back a sigh of disappointment. "One of them isn't Ramen, is it?" he asked. I'd kind of hoped to spend a little time with Vanilla and my brother and everyone since we just got back from Bagel's castle.
"No," Tangerine said. "It's some strange little girl with wings and a giant woman who claim to be from the Stellar Church."
Vanilla sighed. "My wards are fried again, aren't they?"
"The ones that Bagel and Lox didn't touch are, yes," Tangerine said apologetically. "Your father is out replacing them for you right now."
Vanilla sighed again. "Well, at least I don't have to do it."
"A girl with wings and a giant woman," Carrot muttered. "It's gotta be Big Mama and Dota. Geez, I hope it's not another assignment. We just finished the last one less than an hour ago."
"For once I agree with you, Darling," Chocolate said, sighing wearily.
*Damn. I never even thought of that!* Marron swore inwardly. *I can't go out on an assignment now. I'll miss so much of Mint growing up . . . if I stay a Sorcerer Hunter, that is . . . but could I really quit just like that?*
"Well, time to face the music," Gateau said with a sigh. "No point in putting off the inevitable by sitting around out here."
Everyone followed Gateau inside the house, trudging wearily.
"Whoa, you guys look exhausted!" Dota exclaimed.
Vanilla's eyes widened. "So that's why they call you Big Mama," she said, and Big Mama smiled.
"I wanted to thank you for saving my Sorcerer Hunters from Bagel and Lox," she said serenely. "I am sorry to have broken through your wards again."
Vanilla shrugged. "As long as I don't have to replace them, I don't mind," she replied. "I would prefer it if you asked before you enter my house next time, though, since I can easily let you through the wards without damaging them."
Big Mama smiled again. "I will do that," she agreed.
"Um, excuse me," said Lemon from Big Mama's left, "but if you're done with Vanilla, we'd like to steal her for a moment. She just went off with Ravensara and Tarragon and did something to the people who dared to mess with our family without me, and I'd like to scold her a little."
Vanilla grinned. "Sorry sister, but you weren't there to ask," she said, shifting Mint in her arms. The infant gurgled happily, waving her arms around.
"We invited ourselves anyway," Ravensara added cheerfully.
"Siblings," Lemon said with a sigh. "At least let me fuss over you while you tell me what happened. Have you made cookies recently? I can make some tea."
"I think Butterscotch did," Vanilla said as her sister dragged her off to the kitchen.
Tangerine, Orange, and Tarragon followed, but Ravensara hesitated.
"By the way, here are your sorcerers." Ravensara pulled the pendant off from around her neck and handed it to Big Mama, who took it solemnly. "Do what you want with it, but don't smash it unless you want to remove them from the pendant."
"I hope you don't have any more soul jewels," Big Mama said with a raised eyebrow.
"Last of its kind," Ravensara assured her. "Lemon can attest to that." Then she disappeared after her family into the kitchen.
"Mint is a beautiful child, Marron," Big Mama said after they were gone. "And Vanilla's family are very nice people. Are you happy here?"
Marron nodded without hesitation. "Without Vanilla, none of us would be here," he said softly.
"Yeah, she saved us all," Carrot said, awed. "I'm amazed that she still has the strength to stand after all that."
"She's pretty powerful," Tira said quietly.
"Marron," Big Mama said then, "do you want to continue to be a Sorcerer Hunter now that you have a family here?"
Marron started in surprise.
"What?!" Gateau exclaimed, shocked. "How can you ask him that?"
Carrot looked sad. "Would you ask him to miss seeing Mint grow up, Gateau?" he asked steadily.
"Well, no, but . . ." The big man's voice trailed off, and he dropped his gaze.
Chocolate and Tira both looked at Carrot in astonishment, evidently amazed that he would say something so serious like that. Marron wasn't surprised.
"You always have a choice, Marron," Big Mama said seriously. "I will not force you into making a decision right away. You may take some time to think about it. You will probably not have another assignment for a while, especially once the sorcerers hear that Bagel and Lox were defeated."
A collective sigh of relief rose up from the five Hunters, and Dota grinned at them, amused. "Aren't you guys lucky? You get a break!"
Carrot grinned at her. "So, Dota, do you want to take a break of your own and spend it with me since I've got some time off?" he leered, and Chocolate immediately kicked him.
"Oh, Carrot, you're always so silly!" Dota giggled. She looked up at Marron innocently, a frown creasing her cute forehead. "I still can't see you liking girls, though," she added, and everyone sweat-dropped. "You're the only one who never hit on me."
*Not that stupid rumor again! Dota, why can't you let it go already?!*
"Of course he likes girls," Vanilla said, setting a plate of cookies down on the table in the center of the room. "He married me, didn't he?"
Marron froze; he hadn't known that she was there until she spoke up.
"Yes, but I'm really cute," Dota continued, "and he never once tried to grab me like every other guy does."
Marron wished that the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
Unfortunately, it wasn't cooperating.
"True, you are cute, Dota," Vanilla said seriously, "but you're forgetting that Marron is very polite, and would never do something like that to a person he considers a friend."
"Oh," Dota said, seeming to understand. Marron's heart dropped in his chest when she went on. "But I still can't see it. I really thought he and Gateau were a couple."
Gateau blushed and looked away, coughing.
"No," Vanilla said, and Marron could tell that she was fighting a smile. "Should I demonstrate it for you? I think it might make it easier for you to understand."
Dota smiled brightly. "Sure!"
Vanilla grinned then, and turned to Marron.
*Oh, no . . . what is she going to do, and how embarrassing is this going to be?*
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and paced toward Marron in a way that made even Chocolate blush and turn away briefly. Marron stared down at her when she stopped in front of him, unable to look away from her gloriously sparkling purple eyes. Her smile turned impish, and she stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his, deepening the kiss when he shuddered and put his arms around her.
His mind turned to mush. All he could think and feel was Vanilla. He forgot that Big Mama was in the room. He forgot that Carrot and everyone else was in the room. He even forgot that this was a demonstration for Dota's benefit.
The kiss went on and on, and Marron never even noticed that everyone but Dota was gaping at them openly. Dota was watching them intently, a look of extreme concentration on her cute face.
Finally, Vanilla pulled back, sucking on Marron' s bottom lip briefly. She grinned up at him as he stared down at her, trying to get his scattered wits back. It wasn't working.
"Doesn't that look like Marron likes girls?" Vanilla asked, looking at Dota.
Dota smiled. "I guess I'm convinced," she agreed brightly. "Wow! I never noticed that before."
Marron finally realized that everyone was grinning at him, even Vanilla, and cringed inwardly.
*She did it again!*
"That was a pretty convincing moan, bro," Carrot said with a grin.
To his chagrin, Chocolate and Tira just laughed at Carrot's comment, and so did Gateau. Even Big Mama smiled.
*They're all against me,* he thought, bewildered, yet somehow found it in him to smile weakly at them even though he started to blush faintly.
*~~~~~~~~~~*
The next day, Marron watched Vanilla from the window as she played with Mint out in her garden. Her silver hair shone brightly in the deceptively late summer afternoon sunlight, and her purple eyes sparkled with tenderness as she showed the infant the big red rose she held, brushing Mint's cheek with the soft petals.
Mint giggled and waved her arms happily, and Vanilla smiled at her, stroking her cheek with the rose again. Mint caught one of Vanilla's fingers and held onto it, laughing happily up at her mother.
Marron's heart ached at the sight.
*I love them both so much . . . and Vanilla hardly seems to know how I feel about her. She doesn't seem to notice me as a man, beyond being Mint's father, but I wish that I could really act like her husband . . . especially after everything we've been through recently. It's so hard to believe that she really did kiss me like that in front of everyone.*
Marron blushed at his thoughts, watching as Vanilla lifted Mint in her arms, cradling the infant against her body. He let his eyes trace Vanilla's slender figure as she walked toward the house; she was already back to normal so soon after her pregnancy.
*She never told me what I did to her that night. I wish I could remember. Did she enjoy it? Would she let me do it again if I could remember? I've never wanted anything as much as I want to remember that night, even if I could just use the memory to fantasize about her for the rest of my life . . .*
Marron shivered even though the room was suddenly very warm. He could hear Vanilla as she neared the house, cooing to Mint very softly. The door opened, and Marron leaned back in the window seat, pretending to read the large book in his lap.
Something made him look up, though it certainly wasn't Vanilla's footsteps; she moved like a cat no matter where she was. The elf stood in front of him, holding a sleepy-looking Mint in her arms. Her smile was gentle and radiant, almost like it was just for him, and he found himself smiling back at her, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.
"Can you put Mint down for her nap for me?" she asked softly, her purple eyes full of warmth. "I need to go start supper."
"I'll do it!" Carrot chimed in, materializing next to Vanilla from seemingly out of nowhere.
Vanilla started in surprise, her purple eyes widening.
Before she could open her mouth, Gateau spoke up. "No you won't, Carrot, or you forfeit this game."
"Hey, I'll be right back," Carrot retorted. "Can't a guy be helpful once in a while?"
"Not when he's you," Gateau countered. "You made me learn how to play Patchouli, so you have to finish this game. I'm not going to sit here and wait while you're off playing with Mint."
"Really, Darling, how can you pass up this chance to snuggle with me over here on this comfy loveseat?" Chocolate asked coyly.
A vein appeared on Tira's forehead at that statement, but she ignored her sister and buried her face deeper in the book she'd borrowed from Vanilla with a loud sigh, letting it drop for once. Marron suspected Orange's influence there. Tira had seemed to be quite impressed by him.
Marron sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'll do it, Niisan," he said quietly, reaching out to take Mint from Vanilla's arms. Mint cooed happily as he gathered her small body close to him. "You go back to your game."
Vanilla smiled at him gratefully, her purple eyes amused. "Thank you, Marron," she said, and with one last sparkle of her eyes, she slipped out of the room to the kitchen.
He sighed after her, and Carrot eyed him critically. Marron looked up at him quizzically.
Carrot just smiled and shook his head. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you've got it bad, bro." His voice was low, pitched for Marron's ears only. Suddenly, he grinned. "You've got good taste, too. Vanilla's really hot. Must be my influence there."
Marron smiled and stood up with Mint in his arms. "Thank you, Niisan," he said softly, laying his hand on Carrot's shoulder briefly.
"Anytime," Carrot replied, and went back to the game of Patchouli.
"It's about time," Gateau muttered.
"Hey, can't I have one short bonding moment with my little brother without you complaining about it?" Carrot demanded just as Marron slipped out of the room and began walking through the hallway toward the stairs. "You're so cruel, Gateau!"
*He never changes,* Marron thought, shifting Mint in his arms. The infant cooed happily again, grabbing a fist-full of his long black hair. He winced as she yanked on it, trying to pull it into her mouth.
"Mint, please don't eat my hair," Marron said, laughing softly when she grumbled in protest as he freed his hair from her tiny fist. He put the rest out of her reach over his shoulder.
Just like her mother, Mint was quick to forgive the confiscation of his hair from her, and smiled up at him, patting his cheek with her small hand. She babbled something quite seriously to him in baby talk, and he smiled at her, leaning forward to kiss her tiny nose.
"You're beautiful," he whispered to her, his golden eyes soft. "Just like your mother." To Mint's utter delight, he very gently stroked her soft black hair and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Maybe you can tell me what to do about your mother."
Mint babbled something to him again, her expression very serious.
"Gomen ne, little one," he said softly, smiling at her. "I suppose that isn't a very good question to ask you."
Mint gave up trying to talk to him, and lay her head trustingly on his chest, snuggling her small body closer. Marron smiled again, and patted her small back soothingly as he ascended the stairs.
*Who could tell me what I should do about my situation with Vanilla? That's a hard one,* he thought, entering the room he was sharing with Vanilla and Mint. He walked over to Mint's cradle, and knelt beside it.
Realistically, out of my entire team, whom could I ask? Certainly not Carrot. Niisan means well, but his methods wouldn't exactly be . . . polished. Chocolate's would probably be just as offensive to Vanilla. There is no way that I'm going to ask Gateau, so that only leaves Tira.
He lay Mint down in the cradle. She was already asleep, so he pulled a soft blanket over her and let her nap.
*I'm pretty certain that Tira's advice would be the best of all of them,* he thought as he left the room, leaving the door open a crack. *It will be embarrassing to ask her, but my only other option is to write a letter to Big Mama, and that would not only take longer, but would also be even more embarrassing in the long run.*
Marron shuddered at the thought of Big Mama's expression if he asked her how he could seduce Vanilla.
*The Haz Knights would jump in, and I'd never hear the end of it. I'll just ask Tira. She'll help me, I'm sure of it.*
He went back downstairs, and down the hall into the sitting room. Tira was still sitting in her chair, pretending to ignore the three Patchouli players in the center of the room. In reality, she was staring at the book in her lap without really seeing it. He noticed that she was on the same page she'd been on when he'd left to put Mint down for her nap.
"Tira, can I ask you something?" Marron inquired nervously, wringing his hands in the concealment of his sleeves.
"Of course, Marron," said the pink-haired girl a little too eagerly. Marron suspected that she was glad of the distraction from her sister's behavior around Carrot tonight. "What is it?"
"Privately?" he added, glancing at Gateau, Carrot, and Chocolate. Tira followed his gaze, shutting her book absently.
The Patchouli game had gotten into full swing, and Chocolate was hanging on Carrot's arm as he and Gateau played.
"Darling, you shouldn't have done that," Chocolate was saying in response to Carrot's latest move of his piece on the board. "He can beat you in three moves."
"I can?" Gateau asked, confused. "I don't see it." He moved a piece on the board hesitantly. "Like this?"
"No, you can't do that until you have four of my pieces," Carrot argued. "You only have one!"
"Darling is right," Chocolate said with a shrug when Gateau looked at her for confirmation.
"This is too confusing," Gateau complained. "Why don't you make Chocolate or Tira play with you? I've got better things to do than sit around this board all night."
"I'm not asking them to play because they can easily beat me," Carrot replied loftily. "Now shut up and pay attention."
"Che," Gateau muttered, and stared hard at the board, pondering his next move.
Tira sweat-dropped and shook her head at them. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing toward the door.
Marron nodded in relief and led Tira to the hallway, shutting the door behind them. The three Patchouli players hadn't noticed that they had left, so intent were they on the game.
The young mage led her a little ways down the hallway to the alcove in front of Vanilla's scrying room door. He paused by the door, and Tira stood in front of him, waiting for him to speak.
"You're the only person I can ask about this," he said apologetically.
"Well, what is it, Marron?" she prodded gently.
"I-I have a problem," he said hesitantly, "and I'm not sure of how to approach it."
Tira nodded. "Go on."
Marron flushed. "Well, I've been married to Vanilla for about three months now, and we haven't . . . you know . . . since that night."
Tira blushed. "Since you got her pregnant?"
Marron nodded, his eyes lowered. "I-I really want to – " He stopped, clenching his hands together.
"Oh," Tira said delicately, her face flaming. "I see."
"But I don't know if she feels the same." He sighed in frustration. "I don't know how to ask her. She's so self-contained and beautiful and – " He broke off, seeing Tira's amused smile.
"I can't ask Carrot or Chocolate for advice," he added. "I don't even want to know what they'd tell me." He snorted in disgust. "Gateau would probably try to give me a demonstration of what I should do. And can you picture what Big Mama would do if I asked her?"
Tira giggled. "Her eyes would bug out of her head. And then she'd probably tell you to ask the Haz Knights to give you advice."
"Exactly," Marron said. "You're the only one who can give me good advice."
Tira nodded. "Sad, but true," she said, watching as Vanilla walked past them on silent feet with a basket of green beans. The silver-haired elf did not appear to have noticed them, much less to have heard anything that Marron had said about her. Marron hadn't noticed her walking by either, which was probably a good thing.
Tira had seen the affect Vanilla had on the young mage, and had seen how Vanilla watched Marron when he wasn't looking.
*They make a cute couple,* she thought with a smirk.
"Maybe you should just tell her," Tira said suddenly.
Marron looked at her, blushing, and his golden eyes wide. "But – "
Tira grinned. "It's obvious that you're in love with her," she said. "Just tell her how you feel."
"I don't want her to think that I'm just saying that I love her because of Mint," he objected. "What if she doesn't believe me?"
"Then keep telling her until she does believe you," Tira replied. "The only way that you'll be able to resolve this is to talk to Vanilla."
Marron sighed. "I know. It's just so hard. It seems like she cares more about our daughter than me. And it's impossible to tell what she's thinking."
Tira giggled. "Don't be silly," she chided. "She loves you just as much as she loves Mint. I think she expresses her love for you by doting on Mint because she doesn't know how you feel."
Marron looked at her, his golden eyes wide with incredulity. "That actually makes a lot of sense," he said slowly.
She patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry. It will all work out."
He smiled, bemused. "Thank you, Tira."
"No problem."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Vanilla was seated at the table, staring hard at the green bean she held in her hand. She'd seen Marron and Tira standing in the alcove together. She'd seen the look on Marron's face; embarrassed, maybe guilty, as if he'd confessed something to the pink-haired human girl.
*Marron and Tira. It makes sense in a way, I suppose. They grew up together, and they've worked together for a while now. He certainly knows her better than he knows me . . . but why didn't he say something to me after we found out about Mint? I would have freed him for her then, and saved myself the heartache.*
She snapped the ends of the green bean off, placed it in the bowl, and reached for another.
*Tira is also a very kind person. I had thought that she loved Carrot, but she must have pretended that to cover her real feelings. I cannot hate her for loving Marron, or him for loving her, even though it hurts. I should free him so that they can be together.*
Vanilla blinked against sudden tears.
*I don't want to let him go! I know he's only here because of his sense of duty to Mint, but . . . I think I love him. I don't want to lose him!*
Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Marron entered, carrying Mint, who was blinking sleepily. The infant yawned, and Marron stroked her wispy black hair. Vanilla's heart constricted at the sight of them.
"Look who's awake," Marron said, smiling at the infant in his arms. He looked up at Vanilla, extending the warmth of his smile to her. "Mint decided she was hungry," he explained.
Vanilla forced a smile. "I guess I'll have to take care of that, then," she said, and held out her arms for the baby.
Marron placed their child in her arms, and looked away from her as she bared her breast and put Mint up to it. Vanilla wondered briefly why he would never look at her while she nursed Mint, but squelched the thought as quickly as it formed.
*I will not cry now. Not in front of him.*
"Is this for tonight's supper?" Marron asked, gesturing to the basket of green beans.
Vanilla nodded, smiling gently down at Mint as the infant suckled, her purple eyes half-closed, drowsy slits and her tiny hand gripping Vanilla's finger. She stroked Mint's hair very gently.
*This is so peaceful . . . almost like we're really a family.*
"I'll finish this," Marron volunteered, and sat across from her at the table.
"Oh, that's not necessary," Vanilla protested. "This will only take a few minutes."
"No, that's fine," he interrupted, and started snapping the ends off the beans. "You've cooked for me for months now, and it's the least I can do."
"All right," she conceded, and sat back in her chair to finish nursing Mint.
"I saw Carrot and Gateau playing that game you taught them," Marron said conversationally after a few moments of silence broken only by the soft sounds of Mint suckling.
"Really? How were they doing?"
"Niisan was winning," he said. "Gateau is still confused about the rules."
"It took me several games to understand it myself," she replied, and switched Mint to her other breast.
"Tira and Chocolate picked it up pretty quickly playing you," he said. "Niisan won't play them anymore."
Vanilla chuckled softly. "That's silly. How can he get better at Patchouli if he does not play someone with more knowledge than he has?"
Marron shrugged, a faint smile curving his lips.
Vanilla watched him as he prepared the green beans, fascinated by the deft, graceful movements of his slender hands. His golden eyes were focused intently on the beans in his hands, so he did not appear to notice her scrutiny.
The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the horizon, and a stray beam of warm, gold sunlight stretched across the kitchen, splashing over Marron's long, shiny black hair. The light danced and played in those long black strands, and Vanilla's heart ached.
*He's beautiful,* she thought, awed, absently disengaging the now sleeping Mint from her breast and pulling her tunic back down.
At that moment, he looked up at her and paused, as if he had seen the thought reflected in her eyes. He shifted in his seat, and smiled warmly at her.
"Is Mint asleep?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes were almost hungry as he studied her.
Vanilla sat up a little straighter. "Yes," she replied.
*Did I really see that?* she wondered, hardly daring to hope that she had.
Her heart lurched in her chest as he stood gracefully and walked over to her, holding her gaze with his intent golden eyes.
Marron paused a few inches from her, and she stared up into his eyes, mesmerized by the emotion she saw there. Time stopped as his hand lifted, reaching out to her . . .
. . . and started again as Carrot barged into the kitchen, closely followed by Chocolate and Gateau. Instantly, Marron's hand was at his side again.
"I finally won!" Carrot exclaimed, laughing. "I finally beat someone at Patchouli!" He grinned proudly at Marron. "Isn't that great, Marron? I just beat Gateau!"
"That's wonderful, Niisan," Marron sighed.
"Che! That was just luck," Gateau grumbled. "I could've beaten you if – "
"No, that was all skill," Chocolate interrupted, beaming at Carrot with pride. "Darling, why don't we go celebrate on that cozy little bench in the garden?"
Carrot ignored the suggestion. "Luck my foot," he retorted. "You just can't take knowing that I'm better at something than you are."
Gateau made a fist and brandished it menacingly at Carrot. "What did you say?" he demanded coldly.
"You heard me," Carrot said pugnaciously.
"Darling, he'll clobber you!" Chocolate cried.
At this point, Mint began to wail, having been rudely awakened by the stupid argument. Glad of the distraction, Vanilla pulled the infant up to her chest, patting her back soothingly until she calmed again.
Marron sighed. "I'll put her back to bed," he said, taking their daughter from her arms.
"Thank you," Vanilla replied, inwardly swallowing her disappointment at the interruption.
He nodded and left the kitchen, soothing Mint's discontented murmur with a kiss pressed to her small cheek.
Vanilla sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.
A large hand covered her shoulder briefly, and she looked up to see Gateau bending over her solicitously.
"Are you all right, Vanilla?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she replied tightly.
"What's wrong?" he persisted.
Vanilla looked up at Gateau, noting that both Carrot and Chocolate had walked over behind him. They looked worried too.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, inwardly enjoying how red Gateau's face immediately turned.
Carrot had also noticed, and couldn't resist nettling the big man further. "Oh, were you and Marron gonna get it on?" he asked innocently.
"Darling!" Chocolate objected, flushing. "Don't be so crude!"
"No," Vanilla replied, trying not to smile as Gateau's face grew even redder with Carrot's comment. "You woke Mint up."
"Oh," Gateau said, laughing sheepishly, and ran his big hand through his short blond hair. "Sorry."
Vanilla sighed and stood up. "Just for that, Chocolate, you are going to finish those beans. Carrot, you're going to peel those potatoes. Gateau, you are going to haul in five buckets of water and then chop some wood for the cook fire – enough for a month."
"Hey, why do I have to do more than that scrawny little freak and that bim- "
"Hey!" Carrot protested, whirling on Gateau.
"Watch it, Gateau," Chocolate said warningly at the same time.
"- that beautiful, respectable young lady," Gateau amended sullenly.
"That's better," Chocolate said.
Vanilla just smiled. "They're not doing less than you are. They're going to clean the kitchen when they're finished."
"Hey!" Carrot and Chocolate protested in unison.
*~~~~~~~~~ To be continued ~~~~~~~~~*
Author's Notes: There are only a couple more threads for me to tie up in a nice, neat little bow, and then this story will finally be finished. I don't know what it is about this story, but working on it always makes me want to work on my original stuff. I'm getting impatient. ^_^ So now all my friends can be expecting an update of X & D pretty soon. ^_^
And now:
DratiniRocket: Mary Sue? Is that the thing where authors write themselves into a story like this to sleep with their favorite character? If so, I just wanted to say that Marron is an interesting *character*, and that is as far as my interest goes in him. If I ever met him in real life, he'd probably annoy me. I enjoyed working with him in this story as a writer, but I did not write Vanilla to be myself; I'm sorry that it seems that way to you, and it's okay if you don't believe me. Thanks for letting me know that the next chapter of your story's up! ^_^
Fala: Thank you for your email. ^_^ And thank you again for telling me what a Mary Sue thing is, even if that's not what DratiniRocket meant.
Now please review and let me know what you think. Or go read my bizarre Kenshin fic and review that. Or both; that'll work too. ^_^ I really do want to know what everyone thinks of this.
Arigatou!
~ Lady Cianyin ~
