Woot! Back to Sakura/Syaoran although I think I need to do a little more on Eriol and Tomoyo arriving at the Daidouji mansion first. BTW, there's a reason Eriol didn't just use his magic to get the people in his house to move out. Hint, he's planning something that involves certain people…
The ending –hime means princess. I make Eriol use it on Tomoyo to be overly flattering. Remember they've been writing back and forth for a few years now, so they're closer!
Disclaimer: I don't own any CCS characters and I don't own any of the Clover characters used in this fic either! And I don't own any of the original plot of CCS!
The Side of Life People Never Get to See
Chapter 3: Setting up in the Daidouji Mansion and Interludes by Sakura and Syaoran……………..Eriol's point of view, still in the car…..
Once all of us, or, rather, Tomoyo and I (most likely Spinel as well), had adjusted to the speed, I relaxed enough to listen to the music Nakuru had finally settled on. With each passing minute I was admiring Daidouji Sonomi's ability to be patient more and more. My admiration had begun the minute my supposed 'cousin' had almost killed her daughter.
Nakuru had settled a ballad from about two years ago, by some Japanese RandB singer.
"Love, you might laugh, but to us, the most important word. Love, hear the whisper of the heart," the pop star sang.
Just picturing the wince on Tomoyo's face at the sappy lyrics, I turned my head slightly to see.
Surprisingly enough, however, she was smiling and mouthing along, her head tilted towards the window. Ithought she wouldn't like this kind of music. I had been put under the impression that it wasn't really classy, and for the immature type of teen.
"You like this song, Tomoyo?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows.
"Of course! Ora-chan is the best! I like her group Clover even better though! She and Sue-chan sound so good together!" She smiled at me, tilting her head slightly so that her ponytail fell over her shoulder and down in front of her.
A.N-referencing another Clamp work here! Hehe… the manga Clover is so awesome though I just had to do this!
"You don't think that it's just a little … depressing? Or, I don't know, sort of too sappy and too much about love?" I questioned. Of course she'd like Ora, though. The vocals were always good in her music.
"Yeah, that's what Kaho-san would always say," Nakuru added, turning in her seat to look at Tomoyo, "She disliked most of my favorite songs. The poor girl was way too stuck on boy bands and classical!" Nakuru pouted at me, and I remembered the reason I had begun to think Ora's music was too sappy. "You used to listen to her a lot more before Kaho-san turned you into such a classical music snob, Eriol-chan!"
"Well, I was just being polite!" I defended. Tomoyo smiled more widely.
"Well then, ignoring any opinions that developed when Mizuki-san's taste in music prevailed, what did you used to think of Ora?"
"I'd have to say that I loved the sound of her voice. Vocal criticism isn't my forte, but I was loved her tone. And I thought the lyrics were insightful.I supposeit was my fault for being so impressionable…" I answered her honestly, holding back a blush at having to admit that I could have been so impressionable.
"Oh good!" Tomoyo said as she sat back in her seat, clapping her hands twicein a cute and decisive way. "I'll tell her next time I see her, then."
My mouth dropped. "A-ano, Tomoyo-kun…" I was cut off by Nakuru.
"YOU KNOW ORA-HIME?" Nakuru squealed as she turned in her seat again. The car swerved a little as she turned, since the squeal went almost directly into Daidouji-sama's ear (A/N: Daidouji-sama is going to be Sonomi).
"Akizuki-kun, I am going to have to insist fiercely that you keep your volume down when I'm going over a hundred," Tomoyo's mother told her strictly while smiling a little (I could tell from the ways her eyes crinkled in the rearview mirror). Sonomi's patience with such an attitude made me realize growing up around Sakura's mother must have been filled with many girlish squeals and a lot of excitement.
"And to answer your question, I do. Isang with Sue a lot in Tokyo when I was younger, because we met in the national competitions in elementary school and began to put duets together for charities and things in the city. She met Ora when the idol began to date her brother, who is now also in Clover. Kazuhiko, the guitarist, remember? Their band is so awesome now! By the way, Okaa-san, Sue emailed me the other day! She showed Ora my designs and they want me to do their outfits for their concert in Tokyo this winter!"
Tomoyo-kun finished her calm gushing (yes I'm quite aware that is an oxymoron, but it's Tomoyo), and I found myself gaping again. Except this time Nakuru was calm.
Well, sort of. Calmer
"Oh I so knew you'd be getting asked to do stuff by now! I remember all the cute outfits you'd make for Sakura-chan back when we were here! I totally have to go to that concert!"
Then Daidouji-sama chimed in, "Oh Tomoyo that's so great! I told you they'd end up asking you after you sent Sue the pictures of the outfits you'd be using for your debut tonight!" Sonomi-sama gushed about her daughter excitedly. The song that had started all this had now changed to some American rock ballad.
"Your debut? And you're designing for a concert? For CLOVER? Someone's been busy building up a fashion portfolio which they haven't mentioned at all in their letters…" I began to grill Tomoyo with questions about exactly how she had been honing all of her designing skills.
As Tomoyo answered as vaguely as she could manage, despite my direct questions, and I began to plan in my head ways to extract information about her proficiency in photography and filming as well, I looked once again at the rearview mirror. Daidouji Sonomi was smiling again, and I had a good guess as to why…
Halfway through Tomoyo's talk about her designs her cell phone rang.
"Oh!" Tomoyo gasped lightly, opening her purse. "I completely forgot to call Sakura-chan back!"
Tomoyo's mother added loudly, turning down the radio, "She got a call on our way into the airport, but she didn't bother to answer since we were so rushed and we already knew who it was."
"Moshi moshi?" Tomoyo inquired, her cell phone held to her ear, "Ah, Sakura-chan I'm so sorry. Yes I know you called earlier but I was too late to reach my phone. I meant to call you back but things just… yes. Oh yes, they were right, I was at the airport. Yes my mother and I were picking up a person who is going to be renting out a room in our house. Oh, well he's sort of family, but more of a friend of the family… Of course. In fact, I believe you'll even get to meet him later on today. I'll bring him to the lunch before the photo shoot. Remember, don't be wearing any makeup, because we get to do all of that. No, he's going to be staying in the area for a while, because he got a job teaching. I'm sure you're going to be great friends, he's quite pleasant. Oh, the giggles you're hearing? His younger relative is coming along, but I don't know how long she'll be staying… Ja ne, Sakura!"
"Well that was a nice bit of maneuvering," I commented once she had hung up.
Tomoyo had managed to tell the truth with everything she said. She was too late to reach the phone because since she was late to the airport she didn't have the time to take any calls. I suppose I was renting the room, because I was going to offer to pay anyway, which Tomoyo most likely knew. I was both family and a friend of the family, because Sakura was Tomoyo's family and I was friends with both, plus I was the other half of the man Sakura's father was reincarnated from and legally Tomoyo was related to Sakura. Not to mention the fact that if Sakura and Syaoran married Syaoran would be related to Tomoyo by law and I was related to him by blood by virtue of the fact that I was Clow. And the giggles, which had been Nakuru snickering in the background, were from a younger relative because I had used my blood to make Nakuru, so she was younger. And Tomoyo didn't know how long she was staying because she didn't know how long I was staying (which she had neatly avoided stating).
"Yes I thought you'd enjoy that conversation." Tomoyo commented. I had to admit that it was impressive she hadn't lied once. Well if you counted the whole reincarnation bit. "You get to surprise Syaoran at the photo shoot too, by the way, since I'm sure he'll show up to surprise Sakura."
"Ah, is he finally trying to ask her out?" I asked, smiling slightly.
"Yes, and I think you'll be surprised at the change in him. The Li's must have a pretty rigorous training schedule for the man who'll be the head of the clan soon, because he's very… polished, now." She leaned over to whisper to me, "He might actually know you're here. I have a feeling he's much better at sensing things now. You hiding your aura from Sakura will probably work, because you're good at it and she's not always alert, but Li's senses have been much sharper since he got back. Just a warning…" She straightened, and we both ignored the large smiles on the older two ladies faces (although Nakuru isn't really a lady or older).
'Yes,' I thought. 'Daidouji Tomoyo is most definitely the person I came here to find.'
………………..In Syaoran's apartment………….
A sudden shiver passed through the body of the teenager seated at the table. It ran up his spine and was gone in a second.
Syaoran, who was immersed in a book, paused and closed his eyes to sense more deeply the tingling feeling that was tickling the outer parts of his magical mind. It had started about thirty minutes ago, growing steadily more uncomfortable. He had actually scratched his head a few times.
"Hmm…" He said aloud, tapping his number theory book a few times as he spoke to himself, "Someone's definitely trying to hide their aura. Wow it's a pretty twisted one… Mother did mention a magic sensei but i didn't realize… Oh. Kami, no." Realizing who the aura belonged to Syaoran began to slam his head repeatedly into his book.
One of Syaoran's special talents was his ability to sense magic and aura's. Apparently it was something about how he used moon magic and the sensitivity of the moon...
It was rare for anyone within a certain amount of distance from Syaoran to hide any magic from him. Naturally, his clan had decided to train this talent rigorously, and it was now honed to near perfection. He hadn't been as good at it in elementary school as he was now, but he had only ever felt one aura that complex and that powerful. Just like he had never felt an aura more simple and … well, straightforward, than Sakura's father's.
The phone rang suddenly, interrupting Syaoran's trauma. He sighed and reached over the table to grab the cordless phone that was mounted on the wall.
"Moshi moshi?" He said somewhat cautiously. He half expected it to be the sadistic reincarnation of Clow, calling out some new annoying nickname. The habits some sensible people picked up from their mentally instable, sexless, humanoid guardians… Although Eriol wasn't exactly sensible. He was more the cunning and sadistic type.
"Ah, Syaoran-kun? It's Sakura!"
Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief and began to pace slowly around his apartment.
"Are you ok? You sound stressed… Anyway, So I was just on the phone with Tomoyo… It was so weird because she said she'd call me this morning, but then she didn't, and so I called her and she apparently had to pick someone up from the airport. It was all just so weird though… I dunno. Normally she'd be totally stressed about the outfits first thing and call and then relax around lunchtime... I wanted to know if she mentioned it you to? The person she went to pick up, i mean.She sounded super happy, but normally she'd be telling me all about any relatives coming to town about a week before and then not mention it again until they arrived. And she sounded so vague and she kept contradicting herself… It was just a feeling, really, but I felt like calling you up." Syaoran raised his brows, impressed once again by Sakura's intuition, and yet complete confusion.
"Maybe her mother didn't tell her, so she was confused? And no, she hasn't told me anything, but I bet her mother planned it as a sort of surprise. Ano, Sakura? I made some plans for the rest of today, since you couldn't do anything, so I'm really sorry, but I have to go now. I need to get this work done, or someone is going to be very disappointed." Syaoran replied, his pacing having taken him in a full circle around his apartment.
Sakura sighed on the other end of the phone, "You're probably right. And I should finish my essay now, so I don't have to work on it tomorrow. Ugh, I hate doing homework in the mornings. Sayonara Syaoran."
"Ja ne Sakura."
Hanging up the phone again, Syaoran sat down again and frowned thoughtfully. Tomoyo had sounded happy… But normally Tomoyo was very good at hiding her feelings, unintentionally, even. Everything was kept hidden by her thoughtful tone and slightly curious look. And why would Tomoyo be so happy when the only person in the car would be Hiirigizawa… honestly… Well there was Akizuki also, but she was more annoying than something to be excited about.
Syaoran began smiling, realizing the fact that although Hiirigizawa Eriol was weird and creepy and hundreds of years old mentally, he was very similar to Tomoyo.
"She just had to make things complicated, dammit… Although… this may make Tomoyo a little happier… Doesn't he play piano?" Syaoran began to smile faintly, considering things he hadn't really thought of before. "Oh crap." He said suddenly, losing his smile.
"I forgot they both take joy in screwing with other people's heads…" Syaoran shuddered, thinking about how much damage they could do between them.
"Hmm, I suppose I'll have to find out more when I call her to see where Sakura's photo shoot is..."
…………..To Sakura in her Room……
Hanging up the phone, Sakura plopped back onto her bed, pouting.
'Hmm,' She thought, 'Who would he be meeting...' Sakura shot up suddenly. 'What if…'
"He has a date!" She pulled her knees into her chest, sitting in the ultimate magical girl depressed kawaii pose (A.N: that's what I call it cause it looks cute and sad…).
"But… I thought… What if he doesn't feel that way about me anymore…?" Sakura shook her head sadly, considering for the first time the fact that Syaoran might've just been spending time with her to make them friends again, and not the something more that they were the time he came back for two weeks with her teddy bear. (A/N: See the very last book of the manga series for this scene…).
Tearing up and trying to fight the sad feelings swamping her, Sakura fiercely stood, marched over to her desk, and began composing her essay on a sonnet from the seventeenth century. Needless to say, the essay was extremely critical of all of the sappy love lines the poor poet used.
"Dammit, first Tomoyo, now Syaoran… Why the hell don't I know who my friends hang out with on Saturdays!" She could be heard mumbling fiercely every few lame lines or so. "And why does my head keep itching!"
A.N-don't worry, she'll get wise to it eventually… she never could sense much until Syaoran warned her about it in the manga, remember? Well, she wouldn't know what it was anyway, although she'd usually sense it…
……………………Back in the Daidouji home…
"-And here is your room" Tomoyo finished, opening the door to the fairly large room.
Eriol's room was next to Nakuru's and across from Tomoyo's. Eriol thought that it was very well-placed.
"Um, the closet that isn't a walk-in is full out outfits. Sorry about that, but its one of the ones that I've recently had to put to use, seeing as how I've used up most of the others. But lucky for you it's the one that has mostly male clothing. Some of it might even fit you," Tomoyo added, looking Eriol over in a professional way. "Mainly I was using Takashi and Li's measurements, and you look somewhere inbetween."
Eriol looked at her.
"How many clothes have you made since my cute little descendant arrived?" He asked her, a little startled.
"Oh I had Meiling give me his measurements early so I could start on a tux for our prom this year and his outfit for the homecoming dance. And anything else this year, since he probably wouldn't have ever given them to me, thanks to that dress I made him for the elementary school play. I had a great idea for the tux anyway, and since I'm going to make sure he's with Sakura by then, he's just going to have to look good! Anyway, how do you like the room?"
Eriol looked around. In the center of one wall was a bed with a high black iron headboard and the bed had an iron frame. The bed's colors were grays, dark blues, and blacks. The molding that lined the place where the walls and ceiling connected was a gray color, and the walls were cream. The curtains were a sheer gray with a dark blue scarf wrapped around an iron window rod. The window was large, so the room didn't seem dark at all. The furniture set was all dark wood, and it included a writing desk with an electric lamp that was designed to look old-fashioned, a pair of bedside tables, and an armoire with a large mirror. Basically, the entire room was very well designed. And it fit him perfectly.
Eriol stepped forward and walked toward the bathroom, which was connected to the room. It had dark blues and pale blues and silver as its colors. The towels looked very plush, and they were a navy shade.
Turning and crossing the room briskly, Eriol opened the door to what was the walk-in closet. There was lots of hanging space, room for shoes, and more drawers. Turning just as abruptly as he walked towards the closet, he approached Tomoyo, picked up one of her hands, got on his knees (strategically placing himself so the light from the window made his hair shine a pale gray blue), and brought the back of her hand to lightly brush his lips.
"My lady, I don't think even my former self at his height of his social career could have understood the kind of hospitality Tomoyo-hime was offering when she said yes to my horribly inconvenient question. And I'm very sorry but if Nakuru's room is anything like mine I insist on paying for the rooms," continuing on through Tomoyo's shocked protests (she was blushing also however), he added "And staying here for the rest of the year. If it's ok with you anyway."
The last part was directed to Sonomi, who stood in the open doorway. She was smiling widely and was surrounded by the heads of five maids who had poked their heads around the edges of the door's frame. The minute Tomoyo began to turn her head to the door, the heads disappeared, leaving only Sonomi in the doorway for Tomoyo to see.
"Ano, it's up to Okaa-san, really, but I wouldn't mind. Oh, and you shouldn't insist on paying it would be rude of us to ask for that." She said, grasping at what remained of her dignity, half of her mind focused on how he could possibly have gotten her that off balance in the space of a few minutes.
"And really Eriol-kun, you don't need to be that dramatic." Sniffing slightly and then smiling as she pulled him back up to his feet, she stepped back.
"Well I think maybe we should discuss this further after our guests get themselves situated. If you truly enjoy the rooms that much I would love to have you stay. And I agree Hiirigizawa-kun that rent would be a good idea if you are actually planning to stay that long. I think I'll quite enjoy having more company around the house. It needs a little something to liven it up. I'll be downstairs in my study sorting through some papers, so come down as soon as you've gotten yourself unpacked. I assume you can probably be trusted by your guardian to work out the living arrangements?"
Raising an ironic eyebrow with her last statement as Eriol nodded, since he was obviously more levelheaded than Nakuru, Sonomi nodded decisively and disappeared from the doorway.
Tomoyo turned back to Eriol.
"Now I should leave you to get unpacked. Um, for lunch I thought I could take you and Nakuru to a very cute café further into town. And if you don't mind I thought you'd both like to come to my debut. It's some shoots for a magazine. I showed them Sakura's picture and they agreed to let me use her as the model. I'm also calling to tell Syaoran where it is before he calls me to ask. So you see why I think it may be a good idea for you to go, ne?" Smiling as Eriol nodded his agreement she turned and walked out of the room, giving a little wave as she left his room.
….Back To Syaoran………………..
Smiling as he hung up the phone after taking Tomoyo's oh so informative call, Syoaran collapsed onto a couch.
"Well," he said in response to Wei's inquiry on what had gotten him to smile, "For one thing, Tomoyo's sounding quite excited compared to her normal state. And, I just found out where Sakura's shoot is taking place. And I've been invited as an onlooker by the designer. So I don't have to pay my way past the gaurds!" Losing his smile he continued, "Of course I also have to put up with a distant ancestor. Damn…"
The End
…of this chapter anyway!