Disclaimer: Sorcerer Hunters own I don't.
Author's Note: I dedicate this chapter to Miko no Hoshi who has suffered greatly for her love of anime. The happy pig, the empty room…my heart cries out for you and your pain.
~*~
"I know of this cabin just a few miles south of here," Gateau offered.
"No…I don't think that's going to work," Marron rejected the idea.
"Well if we were to send both of them in that direction to gather wood on a rainy night… You know, they would have to get naked because their clothes would be all wet from walking around in the rain. And then, they would have to huddle together to maintain body heat. Sounds like a sure thing to me," Gateau trailed off, a hint of innuendo in his voice.
"It sounds too perfect. Think of something else," Marron concluded that trail of thought.
Gateau sat growling; he wasn't used to helping those other than himself. He stood and made to leave the tent when Marron grasped his ankle and pulled.
"I have an idea. I just remembered this book I own, I think it might have something we could use," Marron looked up at Gateau.
"What book?" Gateau questioned with a look of doubt on his face.
"Look in my bag over there," he pointed toward the brown sack that lay on top of his blanket.
Gateau dug into the bag and pulled out various toiletries and two large books, one orange and the other a pinky red. Gateau lifted both books and weighed them in his hands. He outstretched his hands offering the books to Marron. Marron grabbed the pink book and skimmed through it on his way to the index.
"Love curses, love dispel, love spinners," Marron trailed through the entries.
"What the hell are love spinners? Let me see that thing," Gateau took hold of the book and continued reading.
"Let me guess, you want love potions right?" Gateau asked with his eyebrows raised, "You don't think these things actually work do you?"
"They aren't exactly what you're thinking Gateau," Marron assured, "you remember when Potato cast his love spell don't you?"
"Yeah, and I still have nightmares about it!" Gateau shuddered at the images he recollected from that afternoon at the beach.
"This is nothing like that. You needn't worry because this spell is approved and foolproof. All that we need to do is slip it into Carrot's drink and wait for him to express his feelings of love for Tira," Marron informed.
"Why exactly do you want to hook innocent little Tira up with your retarded brother anyway? I can see it now; Carrot comes home from work at the panty factory and sits down to look through his latest issue of 'Playboy' while poor Tira slaves to try to make her dinner for him edible. Tira will end up giving up and ordering pizza and Carrot will burp and fart all through the evening. And it isn't like Carrot has shown any interest in her, so why would you force your beloved brother into a relationship that he obviously holds no interest in? Why not match Carrot with Chocolat, they are both perverts at heart? Then you can pair lonely Tira with Potato or something. Potato would dote on her every whim, we both know it," Gateau tried to reason with a stubborn Marron.
Marron sat, grim-faced and stern as he weighed what Gateau had to say. He didn't like the thought of Carrot living out the rest of his life with someone as shallow and callus as Chocolat. He could imagine their future together and he didn't like the images he was conceiving. Tira might pair with Potato all right, but Potato could never satisfy her. No, Carrot must fall in love Tira. As a child Carrot had cared for him. Carrot had protected him and guided him through good and bad circumstances. Now was the time for him to pay him back for all it. With a new sense of determination Marron jerked the book free of Gateau's hands and prepared to make a very heady spell.
~*~
"You look like an idiot," Chocolat laughed.
"You know all about that don't you sister?" Tiramisu retorted.
"She finally has guts I see," Chocolat taunted.
"I'm really not in the mood for your acrid tongue so spare me," Tira burst.
"Oh please. Dressing like you are isn't going to attract any attention, except maybe the ridicule kind," Chocolat sneered.
Chocolat knew what her sister was up to. As soon as Tira had traipsed out of her tent in that practically sheer ivory dress, Chocolat had know that she was up to something. Tira was wearing make-up, and she never wore make- up. She didn't like the thought that her little sister was out to get Carrot's attention.
"Carrot won't like you in it," Chocolat spat, " he only has eyes for me."
"I'm sorry Chocolat, I can't argue with you right now," Tira made to leave her seat next to Chocolat, "we are leaving for Arsim right now and I have to pack."
Tira didn't want to have another childish argument with Chocolat right now; her nerves were frayed. She knew what her sister was thinking, and yesterday if she had worn this kind of dress and make-up she wouldn't have been able to deny her sisters accusations. But today, well, Tira was her own woman and she needed to move past Carrot and be happy with who she was; take pride in herself.
She walked away from the lake where Chocolat was tanning back towards camp. Halfway, she saw Carrot seated beside a bush gleefully chomping on berries. Crouching down onto her haunches she asked, "Don't you know that it isn't good for you to eat berries out of the woods without knowing if they are poisonous or not?"
"It's 'kay. Sum birs' were eatin' 'um and tey were fine," Carrot replied through a mouthful of purple berries.
"Oh, okay then. I'm headed back to camp I guess I'll see you there," Tira weakly excused herself. Her face was red with embarrassment. Tira wasn't used to being so blunt with her observations and even with her new resolve to be happy she was still very insecure.
Pulling herself to her feet she trudged back toward camp. Twenty steps later hands grasped her arms. In fear she struggled to free herself. She kicked and screamed until a breathless voice calmed her.
"Wait! Tira, I'm not trying to hurt you calm down!"
And she did. Feeling guilty over her attack on Carrot she made to apologize, but he interrupted.
"Is that a new dress?"
Author's Note: I dedicate this chapter to Miko no Hoshi who has suffered greatly for her love of anime. The happy pig, the empty room…my heart cries out for you and your pain.
~*~
"I know of this cabin just a few miles south of here," Gateau offered.
"No…I don't think that's going to work," Marron rejected the idea.
"Well if we were to send both of them in that direction to gather wood on a rainy night… You know, they would have to get naked because their clothes would be all wet from walking around in the rain. And then, they would have to huddle together to maintain body heat. Sounds like a sure thing to me," Gateau trailed off, a hint of innuendo in his voice.
"It sounds too perfect. Think of something else," Marron concluded that trail of thought.
Gateau sat growling; he wasn't used to helping those other than himself. He stood and made to leave the tent when Marron grasped his ankle and pulled.
"I have an idea. I just remembered this book I own, I think it might have something we could use," Marron looked up at Gateau.
"What book?" Gateau questioned with a look of doubt on his face.
"Look in my bag over there," he pointed toward the brown sack that lay on top of his blanket.
Gateau dug into the bag and pulled out various toiletries and two large books, one orange and the other a pinky red. Gateau lifted both books and weighed them in his hands. He outstretched his hands offering the books to Marron. Marron grabbed the pink book and skimmed through it on his way to the index.
"Love curses, love dispel, love spinners," Marron trailed through the entries.
"What the hell are love spinners? Let me see that thing," Gateau took hold of the book and continued reading.
"Let me guess, you want love potions right?" Gateau asked with his eyebrows raised, "You don't think these things actually work do you?"
"They aren't exactly what you're thinking Gateau," Marron assured, "you remember when Potato cast his love spell don't you?"
"Yeah, and I still have nightmares about it!" Gateau shuddered at the images he recollected from that afternoon at the beach.
"This is nothing like that. You needn't worry because this spell is approved and foolproof. All that we need to do is slip it into Carrot's drink and wait for him to express his feelings of love for Tira," Marron informed.
"Why exactly do you want to hook innocent little Tira up with your retarded brother anyway? I can see it now; Carrot comes home from work at the panty factory and sits down to look through his latest issue of 'Playboy' while poor Tira slaves to try to make her dinner for him edible. Tira will end up giving up and ordering pizza and Carrot will burp and fart all through the evening. And it isn't like Carrot has shown any interest in her, so why would you force your beloved brother into a relationship that he obviously holds no interest in? Why not match Carrot with Chocolat, they are both perverts at heart? Then you can pair lonely Tira with Potato or something. Potato would dote on her every whim, we both know it," Gateau tried to reason with a stubborn Marron.
Marron sat, grim-faced and stern as he weighed what Gateau had to say. He didn't like the thought of Carrot living out the rest of his life with someone as shallow and callus as Chocolat. He could imagine their future together and he didn't like the images he was conceiving. Tira might pair with Potato all right, but Potato could never satisfy her. No, Carrot must fall in love Tira. As a child Carrot had cared for him. Carrot had protected him and guided him through good and bad circumstances. Now was the time for him to pay him back for all it. With a new sense of determination Marron jerked the book free of Gateau's hands and prepared to make a very heady spell.
~*~
"You look like an idiot," Chocolat laughed.
"You know all about that don't you sister?" Tiramisu retorted.
"She finally has guts I see," Chocolat taunted.
"I'm really not in the mood for your acrid tongue so spare me," Tira burst.
"Oh please. Dressing like you are isn't going to attract any attention, except maybe the ridicule kind," Chocolat sneered.
Chocolat knew what her sister was up to. As soon as Tira had traipsed out of her tent in that practically sheer ivory dress, Chocolat had know that she was up to something. Tira was wearing make-up, and she never wore make- up. She didn't like the thought that her little sister was out to get Carrot's attention.
"Carrot won't like you in it," Chocolat spat, " he only has eyes for me."
"I'm sorry Chocolat, I can't argue with you right now," Tira made to leave her seat next to Chocolat, "we are leaving for Arsim right now and I have to pack."
Tira didn't want to have another childish argument with Chocolat right now; her nerves were frayed. She knew what her sister was thinking, and yesterday if she had worn this kind of dress and make-up she wouldn't have been able to deny her sisters accusations. But today, well, Tira was her own woman and she needed to move past Carrot and be happy with who she was; take pride in herself.
She walked away from the lake where Chocolat was tanning back towards camp. Halfway, she saw Carrot seated beside a bush gleefully chomping on berries. Crouching down onto her haunches she asked, "Don't you know that it isn't good for you to eat berries out of the woods without knowing if they are poisonous or not?"
"It's 'kay. Sum birs' were eatin' 'um and tey were fine," Carrot replied through a mouthful of purple berries.
"Oh, okay then. I'm headed back to camp I guess I'll see you there," Tira weakly excused herself. Her face was red with embarrassment. Tira wasn't used to being so blunt with her observations and even with her new resolve to be happy she was still very insecure.
Pulling herself to her feet she trudged back toward camp. Twenty steps later hands grasped her arms. In fear she struggled to free herself. She kicked and screamed until a breathless voice calmed her.
"Wait! Tira, I'm not trying to hurt you calm down!"
And she did. Feeling guilty over her attack on Carrot she made to apologize, but he interrupted.
"Is that a new dress?"