BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER: At the very end of this chapter, I have in bolded font a proposition for all of you creative minds out there, and it's an opportunity to have some input on the story. I need help, and I want to hear from all of you! The 'prompt' (oooh that sounds fancy) is, like I said, at the bottom of the page. Please leave your ideas in either PM's or in reviews, I guarantee I will read them all!
Hello everyone! I know it's been several months since I updated, but I'm really happy with this chapter! Thank you everyone for your patience during this time. With school, work, and everything else going on in my life, it's been honestly rather hard to keep this fanfiction going, but I'm determined to see it through to the end! But please be patient with me, as it may be a long term sort of thing. Anyways, as I've mentioned before, I am so thankful for all of the support you've all given me throughout this story, and I wish I could thank you all individually, but this will have to suffice at present.
The fuel for my inspiration is through your kind replies and favorites and follows. Let me know what you like and don't like, because I really do take it to heart and want to ultimately become a better writer through this experience. Well, I think I've pretty much covered everything, so without any further ado... "Chapter 16 - The Clothes Make the Man"!
Having promised Haku that she would be present at the gala tomorrow night, Chihiro and Haku were met in front of the bathhouse by none other than Akane herself. The blonde woman saw the two together and had a reaction of both amusement and slight disgust.
"Ahhh, there you are, my dear," She cooed, practically shoving Chihiro out of the way. As Akane walked towards Haku, several servants followed carrying rolls of cloth and tulle in different shades. Haku stood there as firmly as he could, his expression without emotion, but his eyes burning with intense irritation towards the woman.
"Tell me, which color cloth should I use for the gown that I'm to wear tomorrow night?" Akane asked Haku, batting her eyelashes ever so innocently.
If Haku had his way, he would have no problem with ripping out this woman's throat right now. But, he had to be strong for Chihiro's sake. Stiffening up, he spoke firmly.
"I'm afraid I have little to no knowledge on the subject," He said, inching slightly further away from Akane, towards Chihiro.
Meanwhile, the human girl stood out of their way, unaware of how to approach the situation. Seeing Akane again was enough to put fear into her, but she felt relieved, remembering Haku's promise to protect her in the case of any incident.
Akane, turning to Chihiro, then chimed, "Well, then maybe our Chihiro may be able to enlighten us." Her servants then held out the spools of cloth to her in a beckoning manner. "Which do you think would go best with my…fair…complexion?" The word silkily flowed from her lips, drawing attention to the beautiful fairness of her porcelain skin.
Chihiro didn't like having this attention thrust upon her, especially not by Akane. But, it seemed she had no choice but to give her opinion. Looking at the options in front of her, she surveyed her choices.
Dozens of spools of fabric were placed in front of her. The first option, a rosy pink fabric with a satin finish, seemed to glimmer with flecks of gold in the light. It was quite exquisite, but its soft, warm appearance would clash heavily with Akane's powerful, if not dominating personality.
Further down the line was a deep, navy blue, which appeared to be made of silk. Out of the many options in front of her, this fabric looked like it was the highest of quality. Anyone could see that it would look lovely in contrast to Akane's fair features, especially in comparison to her golden hair and grey eyes.
The final fabric placed before her was a very loud and flamboyant golden shade. Its material was unknown to Chihiro, but from the way it glinted in the sun, the fabric itself almost looked gaudy. Personally, she liked this fabric least of them all; it felt and looked cheap.
Akane noticed immediately her dislike for the final fabric, and smirked in satisfaction. "Well?" Akane said, once again getting Chihiro's attention. "Which will it be?"
Chihiro, trying her best to avoid eye contact without seeming rude, spoke in a timid voice. "Personally, ma'am, I like the blue the best." Having said her opinion, she locked eyes with her female counterpart.
"Ahh, yes, the blue. A very lovely shade, isn't it?" She said, admiring it fondly. "It's actually quite funny that you happened to choose this fabric…" Akane smirked, eyeing both Haku and Chihiro. "I had this shipped directly from Piscanem this morning. It seems you and that country are drawn to each other." She concluded, raising her eyebrows and barely hiding her eyeroll.
Chihiro couldn't have known this, but Piscanem was known for it's exquisite silks and textiles. As a previous citizen of the far off country, Haku's eyes seemed to glint both with mild satisfaction and pride in Chihiro's choice, and also moderate annoyance in Akane's implications in arranging this. Before he could comment, Akane continued to speak to the now slightly embarrassed Chihiro.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled. Blue it is. Next order of business," Akane said, placing her hands on Chihiro's shoulders in a mock-friendly way, "What are you going to wear, Chihiro?"
The young girl hadn't expected this physical contact and, as a result, became nervous. She began to stutter her response.
"A-actually ma'am, my friend Y-yasu-" Chihiro began, beginning to explain Yasu's gracious offer of helping her get ready. But, Akane hurriedly pointed to the previously noted gaudy-gold cloth, exclaiming, "Isn't this one beautiful? It would look wonderful on you, Chihiro! You should use it!"
Chihiro, unaware of Akane's knowledge of her distaste for the spool graciously took hold of the fabric and bowed in respect. "Thank you, ma'am!" She would never dare voice her opinion of the fabric, to avoid offending her patroness.
Meanwhile, Haku couldn't help but glare at the woman as she placed the cloth in Chihiro's hands. He noticed how Akane intently watched Chihiro's response to the fabrics, and knew her true intention all along.
Before anyone could add any further comment, Akane clapped her hands, and the line of servants took the remaining spools of fabric back inside the bathhouse. Akane, turning to Chihiro and Haku, said with an eager grin, "I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow night." The dragon spirit didn't like how she emphasized the word 'both', implying Chihiro, but bowed regardless before walking into the bathhouse. Chihiro followed his lead.
"Haku," Chihiro called out, picking up her pace. "Wait up!" From what she could tell, Haku was in a foul mood after encountering the woman.
She followed him until Haku stopped suddenly in one of the corridors. He turned to her. "I cannot stand that woman," He growled. "How dare she treat you that way?"
Chihiro gave him a smile, which had an immediate soothing effect. "You know, is she honestly that bad? It was actually rather nice of her to give me this material," Chihiro said, gesturing to the cloth in her hands.
Haku looked at her in almost disbelief. "That material? Chihiro, come on. You know it's absolutely hideous."
Both of them looked at the pile of fabric in Chihiro's hands, neither of them saying a word. Then, they both simultaneously locked eyes. Suddenly, a grin broke through Chihiro's features as she burst out in unabashed laughter. Between outbursts, she spoke. "Oh God, you're so right… it's terrible!" Something about seeing his best friend in such a humorous mood made even Haku begin to chuckle, and soon cackle, until both of them were gasping for air, laughing at the sad fabric and the entire situation they found themselves in.
"Oh, but don't worry, I was beginning to tell Akane before, but Yasu is going to be making me a dress for tomorrow," she said with a smile. "I'm sure she'll find some other fabric. Trust me, I'd rather wear my uniform to the gala than this," she said, letting a few more chuckles escape her.
Haku sighed in relief, but not over the clothes issue. In fact, Haku was sure she'd look wonderful in anything she ended up wearing. What really made him happy was hearing Chihiro's wondrous laugh again. After the past couple of nights of seeing her in tears, and the years of longing before then, this sight was the best gift he could receive.
Apparently he had been staring at her for a while now, because the next thing he heard snapped him back to reality.
"Haku, is something wrong? You're staring at me…" A still smiling Chihiro said. Haku paused before answering.
"I missed that laugh," He said. "For a long time, I thought I'd never hear it again," He added, before giving that contempt expression that only Haku got. Chihiro wished she could have a picture of this look, to keep with her always. Just as her head was running wild again, she corrected herself.
Don't misunderstand his words. We are best friends after all, aren't we? It's only natural to have that response, Chihiro told herself, unsuccessfully trying to extinguish her butterflies.
Upon seeing Chihiro's surprised expression, Haku realized just what he had said and immediately cast his eyes to the ground. "You should head back to the women's quarters, Yasuko is probably waiting for you." Good topic change, Haku commended himself.
The realization came upon Chihiro suddenly as she exclaimed, "Oh, you're right, thank you for reminding me! I'll see you later, Haku!" Obviously, the comment from before had now escaped her mind. Waving to the man beside her, she set off running in the direction of the women's quarters.
The image of an excited Chihiro running down the hall was one of those moments that Haku couldn't help but smile at. If she were able to see his expression, she would have found the dragon spirit standing there, grinning after her like a fool.
As Chihiro ran down corridor after corridor on her way to the quarters, the image of Haku looking at her with that contempt expression stuck in her mind. He had looked at her as if seeing a new side to her, which to be honest, he probably had. But, just as Haku had seen a new side of her, she likewise saw a new side of him. In fact, she couldn't recall a time where she had ever had a lighthearted, normal conversation with Haku. Well, they probably never had the chance to, considering the first time she was in the Spirit World was under rather dire circumstances.
Then she thought of his face moments before the contempt look, eyes closed, grinning wildly, laughing genuinely. It was the first time she had ever seen or heard him laugh. It was deep and hearty, and the mere thought of it brought warmth to the deepest parts of Chihiro's heart. She secretly wondered if this was a side he showed to anyone, or if it was only her who had ever seen him that way.
Regardless, I truly hope I get to see more of that side of Haku, Chihiro thought and nearly prayed.
Just as she had finished her contemplation, she reached the entrance of the women's quarters. Before she had even opened the door halfway, she was flooded with two very loud voices, shouting in unison.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Rin and Yasu stood at the entryway, arms crossed like two concerned parents, glaring at Chihiro.
"We needed you here at LEAST an hour ago," Yasu stepped forward, leading Chihiro into the room. Throughout the space were several stations, each surrounded with yunas who were all working on something; whether it be sewing cloth or arranging hairpins. Upon closer inspection, Chihiro noticed that they were all working on their respective outfits for tomorrow night's gala. The room was abuzz with the murmurings of the yunas.
"Miko, can you pass me the yellow thread?"
"Has ANYONE seen my pink silk? I could have sworn in was right next to me..."
"Hana, do you have any extra sequins?"
Wow, Chihiro thought. This gala is really a big deal, isn't it?
Before she could offer her apology for being late and give her alibi, Rin had already taken her by the arm and guided her to a corner of the room. The kitsune spirit stared at her, as if expecting something.
"Well?!" Rin huffed, foot tapping impatiently on the ground.
"...well, what?" Chihiro replied meekly.
"TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES! We have precisely 24 hours before the gala, and if we don't get your measurements now, your dress will not be ready in time!" She said, pulling out a tape measure and pins.
Behind her came Yasu, wearing what appeared to be reading glasses and carrying a clipboard. She tied her sleeves back, as though she were ready to do some strenuous job.
"R-right here?" An embarrassed Chihiro chirped. She had never been too comfortable with her body, and the thought of undressing in front of everyone was nerve wracking.
Yasu put her hand on Chihiro's shoulder. "We're all girls here, and this is nothing new to us. Come on, it'll be fun!" She said, gesturing around the room at the other girls. Chihiro could see the other yunas getting their measurements done by each other, all of them laughing or with smiles on their faces.
"This is our 'girls night'!" Hollered Rin enthusiastically to no one in particular. Girls around the room began to cheer as they continued their work. The obvious excitement began to have an effect on Chihiro.
Well, Chihiro thought. Let's get started!
READ THIS PART READ THIS PART READ THIS PART: Now, before I forget, I have a proposition for you all. The way this story has been going, I honestly haven't really had a plan, I've just kinda been winging it and seeing where it takes me. Well, I think pretty soon the story is going to take Haku and Chihiro away from the bathhouse for a while, and the point is, I want your guys' input on an OC. I want this OC to be a boy, and be (perhaps) interested in Chihiro, and maybe even have her consider having feelings for him. I feel like the way things are going in this story, Haku's and Chihiro's potential relationship is almost TOO perfect, if that makes sense. PLEASE leave your ideas in either reviews or PM's of physical descriptions, names, personality traits, EVERYTHING. Plot twists are always welcomed too! ;) Thanks everyone for your support, and I'll hopefully be updating as soon as I can!