Author's notes: Wow, I'm just not stopping. I keep getting all these
great ideas. Last night, around midnight (I was up so I could tape Outlaw
Star), I got this fabulous idea for the next chapter, and I just *had* to
write it down! And now you're reading that flash of inspiration. Well,
you will be when I stop rambling.
Oh yeah, I got a review! Yay! Thank you CLAMPraven! I'm very flattered that you think Chisa is shaping out to be an okay character. Now, everyone, inspire me further and write some reviews! One just isn't enough! *looks at everyone with pleading puppy dog eyes* Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase? In your reviews, please include a) compliments, b) criticism (but read my notes on the first page before you criticize), and c) encouragement. Come on people! Suggestions might also be welcome.
Hotohori walked to the meadow where ha and Chisa usually met. With luck, she would be there. He had something very important he wanted to ask her. When he reached his destination, however, she was nowhere in sight. Disappointed, he leaned against a tree and sighed. When a face dropped down to stare into his, he yelled and jumped away, startled.
"Hey there, Seishuku! What's up?" Chisa swung herself from the branch and flipped through the air, only to land on her butt. "Owww…" she whined, wincing, then turned to grin at Hotohori. "How'd you enjoy that incredible display of talent, beauty, and unbelievable klutziness? Ooh, you have your sword. Are you going to teach me like you promised?"
Hotohori smiled. "You certainly seem energetic today, Chisa."
She laughed. "I'm in a good mood. I think it's the adrenaline. I almost got caught by a guard while I was in a banned area. It was really scary! So, are you going to teach me the sword or not?"
"Yes, of course. But first, I have something to talk to you about." He sat under the tree and motioned for Chisa to sit next to him.
"Mmm?" Chisa cocked her head, animal-like, and then sat down. "What's up, Sei-chan? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. Just…if the emperor chose you to be his empress, what would you tell him?"
Chisa punched absentmindedly at a tree branch hanging in front of her face. "I'd tell him no way in hell. Besides, my heart belongs to another."
"Oh…" Hotohori's heart sank. "And who w-" He was cut off by Chisa's lips being pressed against his. Eternity stretched out in front of the two until, reluctantly, Chisa broke off the kiss. "Guess," she teased, smiling mischievously. Hotohori replied with a kiss of his own.
When the second kiss ended, Chisa asked, "So, how about that sword fighting lesson?" eyeing Hotohori's sword.
Hotohori had to laugh. Leave it to Chisa to switch attentions so easily. "Yes, of course." He took the sword from its scabbard. "I only have my sword right now, but I will have a practice sword forged for you soon." He handed the sword, then carefully her fingers so she had the right grip. "This is how you hold the sword, with this finger here, and this finger here. The correct foot position is like this…"
~**~
"Kishuku-chan! Kishuku-chan!" Chisa ran to her childhood friend's quarters, so excited she almost ran right past it. "Kishuku-chan, I'm in love!" Her heart was so full of joy she wanted to run throughout the entire palace, singing every love song she knew, which was quite a lot, at top volume.
Tamahome looked up from his money counting. "Hmm? What did you just say, Chisa?"
The blonde girl ran over to hug him. "I'm in live, Kishuku! I've found my soulmate! At sixteen, I've met the man I want to spend my entire life with!
Tamahome smiled. "Good for you. So you've finally found someone who's into the tomboy type?"
Chisa growled and kicked him in the thigh, knocking him down. "I'm not a tomboy! I'm perfectly delicate and feminine!"
Tamahome looked at her wryly. "Delicate and feminine. Sure, Chisa. Whatever you say."
Chisa grinned. "Okay so maybe 'delicate' and 'feminine' aren't the best words to describe me. But Ki-chan," she asked, looking up through her eyelashes, "don't you find me at least a little bit attractive?"
Tamahome gulped. Chisa suddenly looked very, *very* pretty. "Um, well…that is…"
Chisa burst out laughing. "The look on your face is priceless, Kishuku- chan! I'm gonna remember that for a long time!" Tears were practically running down her face, she was laughing so hard.
Tamahome turned red. "That wasn't funny!" he shouted.
Chisa nodded. "Yes it was, Kishuku. Positively hilarious, actually. But in all seriousness, I want you to meet this guy. I value your opinion, and I'd like to hear it.
"Of course, Chisa. Of course, I'm going to be forced to beat the crap out of him if he doesn't deserve you." He grinned when Chisa made a face at him. "Besides, I have some friends I'd like you to meet."
"Why not? I'd like to meet some of your friends. Well, I'm going to go steal some food from the kitchens. I'm *starving*. I'll talk to you later!"
"See ya," Tamahome replied as Chisa ran off.
~**~
That night in the dorm, Chisa was dreamily brushing her hair – well, as dreamily as is possible when you're constantly wincing in pain because your hair is an impossibly thick tangle – when one of the servants assigned to her walked in. "Oh, hello, Leilan," Chisa greeted the girl. Leilan dropped her basket in surprise, both at the unwonted greeting and the sight of her charge brushing her hair. "Is something wrong, Leilan?"
"Oh, nothing, Miss." Leilan recovered and picked up her basket. "Just doing my job."
"And you certainly do it well! Here, a reward for you hard work." Chisa tossed her a gold coin.
Leilan stared helplessly first at Chisa, then at the gold coin in her hand. "Miss…are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, of course I do. Why do you ask? Do I look ill?"
"No, no, ma'am. It's nothing at all. Goodbye, Miss." With that, the servant girl scurried out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Chisa frowned after her. "Strange person," she muttered, and returned to brushing her hair.
Oh yeah, I got a review! Yay! Thank you CLAMPraven! I'm very flattered that you think Chisa is shaping out to be an okay character. Now, everyone, inspire me further and write some reviews! One just isn't enough! *looks at everyone with pleading puppy dog eyes* Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase? In your reviews, please include a) compliments, b) criticism (but read my notes on the first page before you criticize), and c) encouragement. Come on people! Suggestions might also be welcome.
Hotohori walked to the meadow where ha and Chisa usually met. With luck, she would be there. He had something very important he wanted to ask her. When he reached his destination, however, she was nowhere in sight. Disappointed, he leaned against a tree and sighed. When a face dropped down to stare into his, he yelled and jumped away, startled.
"Hey there, Seishuku! What's up?" Chisa swung herself from the branch and flipped through the air, only to land on her butt. "Owww…" she whined, wincing, then turned to grin at Hotohori. "How'd you enjoy that incredible display of talent, beauty, and unbelievable klutziness? Ooh, you have your sword. Are you going to teach me like you promised?"
Hotohori smiled. "You certainly seem energetic today, Chisa."
She laughed. "I'm in a good mood. I think it's the adrenaline. I almost got caught by a guard while I was in a banned area. It was really scary! So, are you going to teach me the sword or not?"
"Yes, of course. But first, I have something to talk to you about." He sat under the tree and motioned for Chisa to sit next to him.
"Mmm?" Chisa cocked her head, animal-like, and then sat down. "What's up, Sei-chan? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. Just…if the emperor chose you to be his empress, what would you tell him?"
Chisa punched absentmindedly at a tree branch hanging in front of her face. "I'd tell him no way in hell. Besides, my heart belongs to another."
"Oh…" Hotohori's heart sank. "And who w-" He was cut off by Chisa's lips being pressed against his. Eternity stretched out in front of the two until, reluctantly, Chisa broke off the kiss. "Guess," she teased, smiling mischievously. Hotohori replied with a kiss of his own.
When the second kiss ended, Chisa asked, "So, how about that sword fighting lesson?" eyeing Hotohori's sword.
Hotohori had to laugh. Leave it to Chisa to switch attentions so easily. "Yes, of course." He took the sword from its scabbard. "I only have my sword right now, but I will have a practice sword forged for you soon." He handed the sword, then carefully her fingers so she had the right grip. "This is how you hold the sword, with this finger here, and this finger here. The correct foot position is like this…"
~**~
"Kishuku-chan! Kishuku-chan!" Chisa ran to her childhood friend's quarters, so excited she almost ran right past it. "Kishuku-chan, I'm in love!" Her heart was so full of joy she wanted to run throughout the entire palace, singing every love song she knew, which was quite a lot, at top volume.
Tamahome looked up from his money counting. "Hmm? What did you just say, Chisa?"
The blonde girl ran over to hug him. "I'm in live, Kishuku! I've found my soulmate! At sixteen, I've met the man I want to spend my entire life with!
Tamahome smiled. "Good for you. So you've finally found someone who's into the tomboy type?"
Chisa growled and kicked him in the thigh, knocking him down. "I'm not a tomboy! I'm perfectly delicate and feminine!"
Tamahome looked at her wryly. "Delicate and feminine. Sure, Chisa. Whatever you say."
Chisa grinned. "Okay so maybe 'delicate' and 'feminine' aren't the best words to describe me. But Ki-chan," she asked, looking up through her eyelashes, "don't you find me at least a little bit attractive?"
Tamahome gulped. Chisa suddenly looked very, *very* pretty. "Um, well…that is…"
Chisa burst out laughing. "The look on your face is priceless, Kishuku- chan! I'm gonna remember that for a long time!" Tears were practically running down her face, she was laughing so hard.
Tamahome turned red. "That wasn't funny!" he shouted.
Chisa nodded. "Yes it was, Kishuku. Positively hilarious, actually. But in all seriousness, I want you to meet this guy. I value your opinion, and I'd like to hear it.
"Of course, Chisa. Of course, I'm going to be forced to beat the crap out of him if he doesn't deserve you." He grinned when Chisa made a face at him. "Besides, I have some friends I'd like you to meet."
"Why not? I'd like to meet some of your friends. Well, I'm going to go steal some food from the kitchens. I'm *starving*. I'll talk to you later!"
"See ya," Tamahome replied as Chisa ran off.
~**~
That night in the dorm, Chisa was dreamily brushing her hair – well, as dreamily as is possible when you're constantly wincing in pain because your hair is an impossibly thick tangle – when one of the servants assigned to her walked in. "Oh, hello, Leilan," Chisa greeted the girl. Leilan dropped her basket in surprise, both at the unwonted greeting and the sight of her charge brushing her hair. "Is something wrong, Leilan?"
"Oh, nothing, Miss." Leilan recovered and picked up her basket. "Just doing my job."
"And you certainly do it well! Here, a reward for you hard work." Chisa tossed her a gold coin.
Leilan stared helplessly first at Chisa, then at the gold coin in her hand. "Miss…are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, of course I do. Why do you ask? Do I look ill?"
"No, no, ma'am. It's nothing at all. Goodbye, Miss." With that, the servant girl scurried out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Chisa frowned after her. "Strange person," she muttered, and returned to brushing her hair.
