To my first review(evarrr!XD)- I'll keep that in mind.:3 I've four full parts finished, and I'm 3/4 done with the 5th.I'll keep your helpful comments in mind, though. Thanks for giving it a read, Mad!
I used the disgusting amount of Japanese for Pudding since I can't really give her that Chinese flavor she carries. In the original manuscript I'd actually put an IC note about me tuning down on the Japanese, but I kinda went 'screw it'.() The japanese bulk for Licoris was mostly as if she were reteaching(or teaching, as the case may be)her Language again- since, though I type in English, it's originally all Japanese (when it's called Tokyo Mew Mew, you kinda guess that:3). Also,those days with the Pudding-speach, a friend was teaching me how to speak Japanese(It's hard, uwaa!), so a lot of schematics were stuck in my head. You won't be seeinghalfof that after this, I promise.:3 Except for maybe a few 'na no da's, since you mentined it. noddle Sankyuu again for taking the time for a response! Enjoy tangent 3.:3
And- ooh, I'll have to check out the yaoi TMM in your favorites.Heheheh... Sounds interesting.
I'd put in the disclaimer of not owning TMM, but since it's on I think that's a mite obvious. Continuing on!
(Note; some of the symbols might have been deleted, due to being an ass like that. So, if there's a scrambled heart or missing action-star-thing, that's why.)
The whitewashed, wooden legs of the Café Mew always scraped the polished floor so much more noisily after twilight.
Shirogane pulled out a chair, tiredly flopping backwards into the chair with his cup in hand. He pulled his arms over the back of the chair, lying his head against the cool metal. The chairs were always so much more soothing at these hours, though. He sighed, relaxed, as the chill caressed his throbbing forehead. Sometimes he wish he didn't think as much as he did. It always led to bad memories, complicated questions without anyone to answer, and unspoken pleas of his emotions that he refused to acknowledge. He rolled his head a little, enjoying the moment before the cool smoothness warmed from his own filled head's body heat. He never had slept well after that day, long ago.
He opened his eyes long enough to look through the kitchen door at the large Felix clock on the wall.
1:56 AM. He was up a little later than usual.
Which was a curious thing, since more had been running through his mind than usual. He hadn't even known that was possible. At least that's one question answered.
"That girl…" he spoke aloud, softly in the familiar emptiness occupying the later to be bustling café. "She obviously had no idea what she was doing, or what I was, for that matter." Ryou had noted, with some degree of satisfaction, Ichigo's expression as he interacted with Licoris in rather familiar ways. He smiled, mentally, thinking up many ways to exploit this new discovery to his advantage. The thought alone of her flustered face gave him a strange warmth in the core of his being. He watched the heat wave and swirl from the muddied surface of the water tainted by extracted essences of countless herbs and spices. Keiichiro's home brews were always experimental, but he didn't feel up to one. His cooking may be amazing, but his forays into cultural ceremonies was less than miraculous to the taste buds. Plain Earl Grey seemed to be what he needed right now. He wondered what time he last had Earl Grey. His finger slid about the rim of the cup, inhaling the scent once more before raising it to his olive lips. He savored it.
"Mmm."
Enough about the strange child. He'd think no more of that experience behind the alley, nor wonder what Keiichiro had told her as he led her away from the Café the night before. Not even what he would say when he gave back Ichigo her CD player, since she would most likely be late from blabbing overtime about that uninteresting Masaya guy. Especially not about that.
He would just… enjoy the moment.
"From my boat, I can see your house...
And when the lights are on… I can watch you move.
Hear the wind whispering your name. Twice the encouragement
Of the real you."
Ryou froze. He was not hearing what he thought he did.
"Callie, in the summer rain
You will be kept dry, you see, "
He closed his eyes. No, no, no.
"If you got the money for me..."
It was.
Great. There goes his morning solitude.
"Making amends for distant wrong
Sincere..."
The blonde rolled his eyes, exasperated. They had taken the CD Player from her, right? His eyes darted to the front cashier. How could she still be singing the songs, then? They returned her CD, yes, but…
He opened the door, calmly. On the porch, curled up on the cement step, was a girl in an overflowing Lolita gown, her maid headband askew as her hair splayed rivers into the grass below. Her eyes dilated, her body registering the movement behind her. Deep pupils drifted upwards, mouth obscured by locks of long hair. She raised her head, ripples echoing all around in the oceans of cloth and hair. The headband fell over one eye. Ryou just stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he looked down at her. She searched for something to say.
"…Don't you just love goodbyes?"
"Well, I don't know about that." His expression didn't change as he exchanged gazes with the 'girl'. "But you, obviously, have a different opinion." Out of habit, a sarcastic smile crept up the left corner of his mouth. She smiled back.
"Watashi…wa Licoris desu. Nan… ji, desuka?"
He shook his head, knowing that this is the point in time where he sighs extravagantly and tutors the girl on her lack of manners or sense in general. However, she was just so far gone, he couldn't help but do the most inappropriate reply his mind could come up with. He laughed, silently. "Come on in. You'll get a cold, if it's possible for you."
Maybe he could teach her some etiquette about arriving 'fashionably late' as well as how to drink tea.
.--x--
Mint stared into her meal, her soupspoon untouched. Her grandmother looked at her curiously, wondering at this sudden loss of appetite. "Is something wrong with your bird's nest soup, dear?" Mint woke up, just realizing she was being talked to.
"Oh? It's nothing…we just had a lot to do at the café yesterday. I'm a bit tired."
She smiled at Mint. "I'm so pleased to hear how hard you've been working on your own accord, Minto. You've really become a lovely, proper lady in such a short time. And you've gained so many more friends, as well!"
"Uhuh…" Mint picked at the delicacy absently, completely ignoring her main course. She'd yet to take a bite. She couldn't get yesterday off of her mind… that strange, outsider girl. She was completely out of it- drugs were definitely hovering on the top of her possible explanations, and she wasn't the only one who'd thought of that. Yet, something about her… that emptiness… She hadn't smiled, once. No emotion, just obeying politely the monkey's pantomimes in front of her, parroting words. She didn't seem happy at all- she didn't seem to feel anything, truly. Like her whole body wasn't completely aware that she was supposed to be in that place. That obedient silence, her helplessness… thinly veiled, or not, yet elegant poise through it all, though she wasn't sure on the way. For some reason, she kept seeing bits of… herself.
As the maids took away the plates untasted and her nanny carried on, she couldn't help but wonder what daft person put it in their brain that maids outfits were such complicated, intricately extravagant outfits to assemble in the first place.
.--o--
Another? Maybe.XD Shut up. Nothing else to do. Some Ryou-ness will be in the future, since I'm so curious on what he does while the Mew Mews are fighting. What does he do, I wonder? We'll find out later..
Ichigo sighed heavily, feet feeling like weights as she dragged herself up the stairs of the café. She barely caught ANY sleep last night… uggh. Her date on Wednesday inched closer and closer, and she had been so giddy last night she'd not been able to catch barely a wink. A grueling day at school didn't help. Hopefully today wouldn't be so busy at the Café…or otherwise. She reached out her hand towards the doorknob, giving a tired sigh-
The door swung open in a flash, Ichigo quickly toppling backwards after having had a body shoved right into her.
"GWAH-!"
Ryou appeared in the doorway, arms crossed in the usual fashion. "Here. Take her out for the day."
Ichigo blinked, balancing herself on the edge of the step. She looked at the heavy mess of black hair and fabric curiously. The memory of yesterday clicked into place as a grey-blue eyes turned to stare straight through her. She reddened, ducking away from the limp girl. Licoris tilted her head towards Ryou, looking at him questioningly like a new puppy does its master. He deftly pulled at one of the wire dangling from her right ears, unplugging part of her headphones. Muzak drifted out to accompany the nervous pink wreck's stammering. Her eyes briefly seemed to snap into focus, slightly intensifying at Ryou's words.
"Ichigo, she's absolutely mannerless. You /should/ get along just fine." Ichigo fumed at this, but was too busy trying to regain control of herself again to retort to the amusedly cocky expression on his face. "Find Zakuro and buy her some clothes. She certainly can't hang around all of the time in that old outfit. Maybe pawn it off, while you're at it…"
"B-b-bu-" Ichigo swallowed, in an instant regaining control. "WITH WHAT /MONEY! I'M JUST A TEEN AND YOU ONLY PAY US MINIMUM WAGE!--"
"I'm sure you'll figure something out." Oh, God. It was that smirk again. Not The Smirk. She turned berry-red, lost for words again.
Ryou laughed at her (of course AT her. Is there ever at time he laughs when he ISN'T mocking somebody!), not whole-heartedly but enough to let her know that he was.
Licoris slowly computed the conversation, curiously looking between the two. "Help…with…I..chigo?" she questioned innocently, seeking she had chosen the right answer to some hidden question. Ryou nodded, still chuckling faintly. A second later, the smirk had vanished.
Without another word, he drew himself close to Licorice, pulling away her hair from her ear, the other looped about her shoulders, unplugging the headphones completely as he did so. Her eyes dimmed slightly at the loss of music, yet no hint of sadness took over. He touched her chin, making sure that the girl was paying attention, and tilted his head with a smile, hovering his face just above her thin jawline. Crystal blue eyes once again met opalescent. Lips nearly touching her ear, gold locks mingling with axinite, he whispered softly into the girl's ear for a moment, Licoris listening intently, unabashed.
Whatever she would have felt, though, was made up sevenfold in poor Ichigo who was bright as a strawberry again. Wha-wha-wha-WHAT had been going on here while she was gone! After several seconds, he pulled away, giving her a serious nod. Licoris began to tilt her head again in her innocent fashion, but he straightened it with a shake of his head.
"She'll not speak much without her music," he drawled. "It seems she takes in everything she sees. She interacts better- or at all- when listening to it, but she's rather distracted. I'll be keeping your CD Player for future exercises."
"E-expirements! A-and you know all of this how?…"
Ryou blinked, as if it were obvious. "You learn how to use your time wisely when you spend ten straight hours alone with a person."
"WHAT!" Ichigo resisted the urge to faint. Poor child, trapped with him that long! "What have you DONE to this girl?"
"Nothing that would cause permanent scarring."
"Why were you alone with her THAT LONG!"
"I don't learn in public school, remember. Besides, she ended up sleeping on my doorstep. It would be cruel to just leave her out there- and besides, I'd hate to fill up your time by having you scrub the drool off the cement."
Licoris watched this exchange of insults with interest.
"Why- you-" Ichigo scoffed, hotly grabbing the other girl's wrist and stomp away. "Fine! See if I wanna hang around you anyways!"
Ryou watched the two go, shaking his head with a chuckle. Once again, he knew just what buttons to push to have her do exactly what he wanted her to. The naïve are so fun.
And, he couldn't help but add to himself, irresistibly cute when mad.
.--x--
"Ah!" the hospital secretary's head raised up as she saw the tall brunette walk through the front door, surprised. "Keiichiro-san, you're certainly here early today."
The man smiled sweetly, gathering his volunteer's outfit in his arms. "Oh, I couldn't sleep last night." He remembered Ryou fussing with the younger girl in the morning as he snuck out the back way to not disturb them. He laughed mentally at the adorably confused expression on his face as they played tug-of-war over Ichigo's CD player, the boy refusing to allow listening while she learned the 'proper way to drink herbal tea'. "I just woke up feeling particularly happy today, for some reason. Besides, you can never begin too early in helping others!"
"Well, that's always good to hear." The secretary smiled, nervously batting her hair over the ink imprinted on her face from sleeping on her paperwork. "We should be so lucky to ever find someone half as enthusiastic a nurse volunteer as you."
"Well, hopefully this isn't just first-week eagerness," he chuckled, slipping his white jacket over his crisp tailored shirt. She couldn't help but ogle as the twenty-something's brown hair fluttered softly around his neck as he buttoned it up. She was in the middle of imagining bishonen bubbles about his angelic face when her looked over at her curiously. "Something wrong?"
"N-no!" the girl reddened, quickly hiding her face among the files. Keiichiro shook his head, trying not to grin at the girl's stammering. It reminded him of another girl he knew.
Sigh. "So, any news on the new comatose victims?"
She poked her eyes above the manilla folder, looking at him in embarrassment. "Y-you still want to watch over those guys?" He nodded. She calmed herself a little, fanning her face. "Well… it's odd. The press has been clamoring for any possible info. They're like wolves! Crazy as they are, though, nobody's a clue on what's wrong with them. And I mean, if the PRESS can't even think up anything to what happened to the victims…" she shook her head and shrugged. "Who can?"
Keiichiro's expression softened. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Hopefully, though, they'll figure it out soon, right?" She nodded eagerly, if not a little bit so to get the press off her back every two seconds for meetings- mostly, however, because Keiichiro was one sezzy beast- with CLASS. Ya don't find many of those these days, especially working a throwaway college job. Keiichiro cuffed his sleeves, looking himself once-over in the mirror. As she expected, it was spotlessly crisp and fit the man perfectly. Siigh "I think that's presentable enough." He turned back towards the younger girl, giving a nod and a smile. "My thanks again for lending me your time like this. I'm quite grateful. I hope you won't get into any trouble for telling me this…?"
She waved a hand about airily, laughing loudly. "Oooh no, of course not! It's my pleasure, really. Now hurry with your work, now, I'd hate to keep your adoring audience waiting!"
As he walked away, she slumped deep into her seat, giving a deep sigh. "Jeez, Marie," she coached herself, "It's been four whole days. Ya think you could have a conversation with the guy without turning beet-red, already."
.--o--
;; Thank you for reading this big ol' thing. Bear with me, there'll be SOME semblance of a plot... it'll appear obvious... eventually.
