(disclaimer): …disclaimed. touché.
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Improving the Employment
The building's office elevator doors clinked open and a very tidy and impeccably well-designed new producer stepped out. Eriol Hiiragizawa examined his new premise with one keen eye. The office was in deco form, every desk and chair coordinated in bright colors that could have only been accomplished by a rather artsy interior designer. A slightly pregnant young girl sat at the receptionists desk, hardly noticed his arrival, for she was talking on a wireless headset.
Tomoyo who was standing across the room speaking in low tones with a lanky male adult, she casually tossed her braid over her shoulder before looking over at the elevator.
"Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo stated, her face void of emotion. Though cool on the exterior, she was nervously giddy inside. She caught herself staring into the new producer's penetrating eyes. She had expected this much, since they were young, Hiiragizawa had never missed an opportunity to stare into her soul.
"Daidouji-san. It's a pleasure seeing you again." He returned her greeting with an icy gaze. Setsuya didn't miss it. He was seated in his office chair, a laptop in front of him with Tomoyo standing to his left. They had been talking script changes when Hiiragizawa stalked across the room carrying an annoying charm of importance at his heel..
"You," Tomoyo choked out uneasily, "Why don't I introduce you to the cast and crew backstage," she put her hand on Setsuya's tensed shoulder. "Lunch at eleven-thirty, ne?"
"Ah, right." He replied and hunched back over his laptop.
"This way please." She beckoned Eriol to follow, while just catching his reply, 'Oh-kay' in a very mock-English tone. Tomoyo stifled a giggle.
Together, they walked in step toward the elevator Eriol had just arrived in, and while they waited, silence prolonged for many seconds.
Eriol cleared his throat, "So, that's Setsuya Kumai? The screenwriter?"
Tomoyo nodded. "He's a very talented writer."
"Ah. Yes, I've seen a couple of Sakura-chan's earlier films, that he's scripted."
Tomoyo cringed. She had momentarily forgotten how she and Eriol Hiiragizawa even knew each other. Sakura Kinomoto. If Sakura hadn't become the new mistress of the Clow Cards and Tomoyo hadn't been obsessed with her every move… then Eriol's name would mean nothing.
"How is Sakura lately?"
Her eyes peeled to the elevator key and Tomoyo's body reflexively rippled with annoyance. She should have known Eriol would always be watching over her and Sakura's lives. Therefore, he was perfectly aware of Sakura's relationship and doings.
But what Tomoyo answered was actually quite different than her thoughts, "Fine. She and Li-kun are going to be married."
The elevator rang, the light on the floor map flashed to the eighth floor. When the doors shifted open, the compartment was empty, allowing Tomoyo to put much space between herself and Eriol.
"What floor?"
"First," Tomoyo said, "The studio warehouse is a block away from this building."
Eriol's body shifted around so he could press the push button, highlighting the 1. Tomoyo watched, either with fascination or paranoia, Eriol's slack calmness and airy politeness he still seemed to possess after all the years.
"Do I have something on my face?"
Tomoyo's head shot up to look into the beautiful eyes. A hinted smile hid behind that narrow look, and Tomoyo's thought of 'beautiful' quickly dissolved into 'irritation'.
"Sumimasen," Tomoyo exhaled daintily, "I was distracted."
"I'm flattered."
"Not by you!" She snapped, a bit harsher than she had intended.
Eriol looked taken, his torso arching in a retreat. "Excuse me, Daidouji. It was merely a joke." Though, suddenly his eyes gleamed behind his square frames with another thought. "What was distracting you then, Daidouji-san? An unexpected vision of Sakura-chan in chiffon nightwear, perhaps."
The elevated had stopped, but the world and all Hell would suspend for Tomoyo's lashing.
"For your information, Hiiragizawa," Tomoyo hissed very softly, "Sakura and I are best friends and forever will be, whether you intend on meddling with magic between us or not! And as far as unexpected visions go.. I am already seeing one involving you—"
Eriol flashed a perverted grin.
"—falling a good, fifty stories to a concrete moving-trafficked street below!"
Bells abruptly rang then stopped. The elevator doors fluttered open and Tomoyo, with her pride hanging by its thread, flew from the booth and marched forward. Eriol followed, but made sure to walk a good twenty paces behind her.
>>
"TOMOYO-CHAN!" Wisps of gentle pink fabric curved and fluttered around Sakura's slim body as she rushed toward the warehouse door. Tomoyo, looking rather flustered, embraced the excited actress with a laugh.
"Sakura-chan." She forced a beaming smile despite her growing outrage at Eriol's remarks. "Watch your pins, dear."
"Mou, there nothing to worry about. We're beginning the scene where Thomas steals my celestial robes, right?"
"Yes"
"Still.." Sakura paused for a moment to brush a loose strand of hair from her vision. A slow blush crept over the makeup. "Are you sure I have to be… well, you know Tomoyo-chan.."
"Naked?"
"Hai." The blush had now fully deepened to a scarlet red.
"I think I'm going to shoot a couple different frames of your back." Tomoyo's eyes glittered playfully, "Or should we do a full frontal?"
"HOE!" Sakura jumped, cuffing her palms against her slender cheeks. She looked ready to faint but instead she retorted, "You can't do that! Syaoran is going to see this… He'll…" she couldn't find the words to explain the horror, "He would see everything!"
"Right." Tomoyo nodded very seriously now, "You two are staying apart until your wedding night, right?"
"Hai," Sakura leaned forward to whisper softly, "It's clan business really. I think if it were up to Syaoran we would have done it years ago. But…"
"It is Syaoran's mother, isn't it?" Tomoyo nodded, understanding, "She's very scary, isn't she?"
"Hoe—" Sakura's eyes widened, "I was so frightened when I had to meet the tribe leaders, let alone the Head of the Li Clan. I think she's mostly grateful because I'm the Mistress of the Clow. Most of them are willing to overlook me because that means the cards will be part of the Li Clan again… His mother seems very protective of me. I think that means she likes me."
"Who wouldn't like you, Sakura-chan. You'll surely be alright."
"Of course! Despite that last night, when Syaoran and I were watching a movie, and he looked about ready to jump me!" Giggles erupted.
Sakura eyes widened and Tomoyo could tell she was picking up a new aura. His aura. She pointed, "ne— who is that?"
Tomoyo looked over her shoulder. As expected, Eriol had caught up with her and now seemed deep in conversation with the set designer. Though his back was to her, Tomoyo knew that distinctive beige blazer from anywhere. "Him?" She played clueless to Sakura.
"Yes." Sakura pursed her lips together, thinking very hard, "I can feel a really strong aura around him… that isn't. wait, no—it couldn't be…"
"Ne— Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo called loudly behind her, "Stop hiding behind Koshikawa and come see Sakura-chan."
"I was merely being polite." He said airily as she strode over. Tomoyo coughed some rather explicit names that only Sakura was naïve enough to miss. However, Eriol who was just too smart, gave her a long stare that held the universe.. that could stop time.. that seemed so inviting that any sincere, lyrical idiom could describe it.
"Eriol-kun! When did you get here?" Sakura jumped to hug him in excitement. Eriol, who even had his boyish moments, stood wary and not knowing how to hold the warm, sensual girl clinging to his jacket.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Sakura." Eriol's voice lifted as she let go, "and how is my little descendant?"
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked, then held up her hand to his face. "Ne—look!"
"He proposed?" Eriol's expression of fake surprise nearly fooled Tomoyo.. nearly. "Why that was a rather daring step for my cute little.."
"Yea, yeah. Descendant." Tomoyo cut in as she grasped Sakura's hand impatiently. "Sakura-chan," she said sweetly, "I think we should begin shooting.."
"Oh—hai, hai. Tomoyo." She gave Eriol a friendly gaze, "Will you be staying Eriol?"
"I hope so, Sakura."
As Tomoyo led the clueless actress away, Eriol grinned. This was exactly the type of vacation he had needed. A visit to the Clow Mistress, to rag on his cute little descendant.. And for some time, puzzle over the amber-eyed beauty who, underneath her graceful facade, was desperately looking for happiness.
"Hiiragizawa?" Eriol's mind snapped from the thoughts, to take in the woman standing before him, arms impatiently crossed.
"Daidouji?" He faintly replied.
She took one step toward him then turned around again. "Would you please follow me?"
>>
Tomoyo led Eriol into a small, stifling office. Blinds shut out the florescent warehouse lights, and a ceiling fan whirled above at slow second intervals. Eriol couldn't decide whether it was the temperature of the room, or what, that suddenly made Tomoyo Daidouji appear so sensual in the mellow illumination.
"I hope you don't mind my taking you here," Tomoyo started out slowly, "We need to talk."
That look in her eyes, so unreadable, made Eriol flinch. What? He thought, bewildered, Is she going to profess her undying love for me?
"We need to talk…"
Eriol drew in a small breath, anticipation brought a small blush to his cheeks.
"…about how we're working together!" She finally blurted out. Bluntness was sometimes, not Tomoyo's strong point.
Eriol, meanwhile, tried sucking the blush out into his face. "Why," he said, turning away to open and close a filing cabinet nearby, "I thought we got along famously, Daidouji."
"Yes," she mused, "as famous as cats and dogs."
He gave her a rather puzzling smirk with a raised eyebrow.
"Look," she sighed, tapping her pink nails on the desk table, "While you're practically our only hope for finishing this, I'm stuck with you. So how about this? I'm going to go direct," She moved her hands in mock sign language, saying this slowly. "And your going to go sit in your new office and writes checks out to our set and costume designers."
Eriol gave a pout, "Now, that doesn't seem much fun..."
Noticing the humor, Tomoyo grinned, "Who said it was going to be fun? If you excuse me, Hiiragizawa-kun, I have a film to direct."
"Ah yes, and I have checks to write."
"Wonderful to know we cleared up these conditions."
The two sealed the deal with a firm handshake, Eriol's hand clasped hers a bit longer than intended, and they left the small office going different directions.
"Daidouji-san!" A man called, "You're needed now!"
"Coming!" Tomoyo walked toward the set, perfectly aware of the two shadowed-eyes casting a burning look into the back of her skull. Eriol Hiiragizawa never missed an opportunity to stare into her soul. Never.
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notes: - ooh wondi-ful. another chapter to claim to my fame-dome! I'm terribly happy that I've been able to keep writing these chapters so fast. Expect chapter five soon. ""edited comment as of 4/9/05"" SOON. xP
