Shion felt a strange feeling blooming in her. If she had been years older, and in command of an eloquence she would be famous for, she may have said that "as if color was seeping into her dull life". But she could not express her joy, for that was what she was feeling, and even if she knew that she was feeling happiness for the first time and had words for it, it would have been useless, as the one she wanted to say it to would not have understood.
What Shion didn't know was that her shy smile was enough. The way her eyes shone was enough. The way she had gobbled the marzipan ball without hesitation was enough. For Chikaru saw more than what her eyes could see.
And what Chikaru saw was…a cohort.
For her schemes.
Small scale childish schemes that, in an adult scale, are relatively harmless yet could still evoke trepidation in the hearts of any Minamoto within the vicinity of the little terror.
What harm was there in switching Oka-sama's lipstick with Onee-san's shocking neon green one? Not that any one of the board members had dared to say anything to Oka-sama during their meeting. In a way it had complimented the conservative dark green pantsuit that her mom wore.
And that time that she was brought on a social call to the young family of a daughter of a powerful politician, how could Chikaru have known that their toddler would pick up his first word from her? All she did was amuse the child with dirty limericks she overheard from her older cousins while her parents had tea with their hosts. Didn't they find it darling that when the young mother tried to coax her son to say "Mama" for the guests the apple-cheeked cutie with a wide toothless grin roared "Bakero!"?
And wasn't it her that saved her cousin (the same one whose wedding reception there were celebrating now) from a horrible match? If she hadn't been present at the omiai making faces behind the back of the pompous ass that was the potential groom, her cousin wouldn't have bust out laughing, the longwinded bore wouldn't have left in a huff, and the Minamotos would have wed into what would turn out to be a disgraced family on the verge of bankruptcy who were eager to get their grubby hands on some Minamoto wealth!
But those exploits are peanuts to what Chikaru had in mind for the future. Now, with this treasure she discovered she had the perfect foil. Why, world domination was well nigh into her grasp!
Chikaru regaled the oblivious Shion with her spin on the classic bait and switch. Shion, apparently, was the bait. She was blond after all. If Chikaru had learned anything from Charlie's Angels old and new (from another cousin's peculiar obsession with American culture) it's that decoys were always blond. Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd, and Cameron Diaz. Blond, blond, and blond. And leggy. Leggy would come later, Chikaru mused. Shion could make do with utter cuteness.