Oh, hey, another part already. Stupid addictive Rozen Maiden ... anyway, nothing terribly exciting happens here, this was mostly just a silly chapter I wrote for fun and to set up the next part. Next chapter, Suigintou rears her pretty head and gets annoyed at how utterly stupid everyone is.

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE 2

Dress Up

Suiseiseki followed Shinku's movements with her mismatching eyes. She had been pacing back and forth for quite a while now. If she kept it up she'd likely wear a hole in the carpet. Shinku had been in a touchy mood ever since Jun had left, and Suiseiseki was finally starting to figure out why.

"You know, Shinku, I'm sure everything will be fine," she said cautiously, "The puny runt is far too shy around girls to try anything with that Tomoe. He'd probably pass out with a nosebleed if she so much as fluttered her eyelashes at him."

Shinku stopped pacing and glared at Suiseiseki, prompting her to shrink back. "I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about."

Suiseiseki sighed. "Oh come on, Shinku, it's pretty obvious. You're jealous."

Shinku's mouth hung open in shock. "I am not jealous."

"Oh, you so are! I should know, I used to feel the same way seeing you and Jun together. It still bothers me sometimes."

Shinku resumed pacing. "Really now Suiseiseki, sometimes you say the strangest things. What Jun chooses to do with his time is of no concern to me. I am simply irked that my servant is not here to make the tea. That is all."

Suiseiseki watched her for a while longer before speaking again. "You think I don't know what you're going through, Shinku? You're in love with Jun, but you're worried there's someone he loves more than you. It was the same with Souseiseki and me."

Shinku stopped pacing but did not face her. She pressed on. "I loved ... I love Souseiseki more than anything, more than anyone. Even more than Father. I didn't care about anything but being together with her." She hung her head, recalling the painful memories of her last conversation with her twin. "And when I finally told her how much she meant to me, she pushed me away. She ... she even threatened to fight me if I stood in her way!" Suiseiseki winced, "All because she loved Father more than me. Because ... he meant more to her than I did. Part of me wants her back, so I can be with her. But ... another part of me never wants to see her again, because I know that she doesn't love me the same way I love her." She looked up at Shinku now, a determined glint in her eye. "You're afraid it'll be the same with you and Jun, aren't you? You're worried that if you tell him how you really feel he'll push you away, because maybe he loves that Tomoe girl more than you."

Shinku still did not face her. She stared fixedly at the wall. "And what if I am? Did it not break your heart when Souseiseki rejected you?"

They were interrupted by Kanaria, who entered the room with her backpack on and her case in hand. She smiled cheerfully. "Well ladies, it's time for Kana to go. It's been fun, y'know? Maybe you could come and stay with Micchan and me sometime."

Suiseiseki and Shinku regarded her for a moment, then looked at each other. Suiseiseki had a sneaking feeling what was coming next.

"What a splendid idea," said Shinku, "We should leave at once."

Kanaria started with surprise, completely taken aback. "W-what? You mean, like, now?"

"Of course," said Shinku as she strode past Suiseiseki, "If we hurry perhaps we will be able to join Miss Kusabue for the photo shoot..."

"Oh, thank you Junjun! You're a lifesaver!" Mitsu extended her arms and looked as if she were about to glomp him. He stepped back and held his palms up defensively.

"No hugging!"

She stopped, seemingly disappointed for a moment, but her smile quickly returned. Beside him, Tomoe giggled, a rarity for her. The studio was all set up with several different backgrounds and a host of camera equipment. There was no one else present however, a fact that Mitsu noticed as well.

"Weren't you able to find anyone else?" she asked, concerned. Jun shook his head.

"Sorry. Can't you manage with just one model?"

She raised a finger to her mouth, thinking. "I really need at least two people for the shoot, but no one else I know would do for this..." Her shoulders slumped. "Oh dear."

Jun wracked his brains for a possible solution, but the only person he knew besides Tomoe who could do the job was his sister, and there was no way she'd ditch her game today. She'd been practicing for weeks. Tomoe regarded Jun with her usual passive expression.

"Jun, I have an idea," she said. Jun and Mitsu looked to her hopefully, prompting her to elaborate. "Why don't you do it?"

Mitsu's eyes widened at the prospect, whilst Jun simply stared at her, not sure what she meant. "Huh?"

"She's right!" Mitsu stood in front of Jun and leaned down a little so her face was level with his as she examined him closely. "It could work. If we took away the glasses, added some extensions to your hair ... a little makeup..."

Finally the meaning behind Tomoe's suggestion filtered through into his mind, whereupon it triggered a flood of icy panic. Jun held his hands up to ward off her intense scrutiny, his own eyes widening in shock.

"Are you kidding me? No way! I'm not dressing up as a girl!"

Mitsu stood upright and clasped her hands together tightly. "Oh please, Junjun! It'd really mean a lot!"

He shook his head emphatically. "Forget it! There's no way I could pass for a girl, anyway. I'd just look stupid."

"You wouldn't," said Tomoe quietly, "I think with a little effort you'd look like a very pretty girl."

Jun couldn't believe what he was hearing. His face burned just thinking about it. He knew coming here was a bad idea. Did they seriously expect him to dress up and have pictures taken? If people at school found out, he'd never live it down. He'd crawl into bed and die of embarrassment.

"Ohh, please!" Mitsu pleaded, bouncing up and down nervously, "I'm really stuck here, Jun. If you did this I'd really owe you one."

Jun gaped at her, then at Tomoe. Oh dammit ... he planted his face in his hands and groaned loudly. "Fine! I know I'm gonna regret this, but I'll do it."

Mitsu squealed with delight and clapped her hands together. "Wonderful!" She grabbed his arm and led him through the studio towards a doorway. "Now, let's get you made up..."

Half an hour later Jun wilted in intense embarrassment in front of the dressing room mirror. Yes, they'd both done a very good job on him. That was the problem. He had hoped that he'd look ridiculous and they'd call the entire stupid idea off. But no. Seeing himself, he was forced to admit that he just might be able to pass as a girl after all. Even the clothes that Mitsu was doing the shoot for fit him perfectly, which was just weird. He tried not to dwell on it.

"Well Jun, what do you think?" Tomoe asked, leaning over his shoulder. He hid his face behind his hands again and whimpered.

"Please just kill me."

"It's not that bad you know. I think this look suits you," she said earnestly. Jun blushed deeply.

"Is that supposed to be a complement?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"So how are my two little stars?" Mitsu gushed, appearing at the doorway and showing enough enthusiasm to power a city. "Are we set?"

"No," said Jun seriously, standing up and trying not to look down at himself, "I just suddenly remembered I left the oven on back home."

"Ohhh, you look so cute!" Mitsu squee'd, clutching her face with her hands and wincing with delight. This prompted Tomoe to giggle again and Jun to grimace in despair.

"Can we please just get this over with?"

They followed her back out into the studio and over to one of the background screens, Jun staring at the ground directly in front of him and trying not to think too much about what he was actually doing. Mitsu positioned herself behind one of the camera tripods and gave them the thumbs up.

"Great! Oh, one more thing Jun; some of your friends showed up at my place before I left. I brought them along to watch. I hope that's okay."

Jun blinked and looked up, wondering what the heck she meant. It didn't take him long to notice the three director style chairs several feet behind Mitsu and her equipment. They were occupied. By dolls. Jun's expression became one of abject horror as he met the wide-eyed gaze of Kanaria, Suiseiseki and Shinku. He lifted a shaking hand and pointed at them accusingly, as if he could force them to vanish out of sheer denial.

"W-what ... what the heck are they doing here?!"

Suiseiseki gaped. "Hey! Isn't that girl ... isn't that ... Jun?"

Shinku seemed equally as confused. She leaned forwards in her chair. "Why I do believe it is. Oh my."

Only Kanaria seemed unfazed. She was so used to Micchan dressing her and everyone else up, that seeing Jun with shoulder-length hair and wearing the latest girls fashion was the most normal thing in the world to her. She sat in silence, sipping juice with a straw.

"Hi guys," Tomoe waved to the dolls. Jun felt like a snowman being attacked by a flamethrower. Various words and exclamations failed to escape from his throat. Suiseiseki however managed to articulate her words just fine. She stood up on her chair and pointed right back at him.

"I so don't believe this! You ... you great big pervert, you!"

"Hey!" Mitsu rounded on the doll, "Do you mind? He's doing me a favour here!"

Suiseiseki stared at her in frank astonishment. "Say what?"

Shinku leaned back in her chair and cupped her chin with her hands, smirking. "I think Jun looks rather fetching, actually."

"You do?" Suiseiseki gaped at her. Jun blinked in surprise.

"You do?" he parroted.

"Yes. In fact I think I shall have him dress this way all the time. It makes him more bearable to look at."

Jun's embarrassment turned to hot anger, and he clenched his hands into fists and snarled. "Like hell!"

Tomoe actually laughed a little and raised a hand to her mouth. "See Jun, I told you."

After a while they all settled down and Mitsu got to work. Protesting frequently, Jun followed her instructions on how to stand and pose, all the while being subjected to Suiseiseki's verbal barbs and mocking laughter. They stopped every so often for Jun and Tomoe to change into the next outfits Mitsu laid out for them. At some point however Jun actually started having fun, and found himself laughing as well.

The shoot went on for a couple of hours. They took a break halfway through to eat, drink and change once again. Mitsu stopped to check through what she had so far, and Jun took the opportunity to sink into a vacant chair and adjust the socks he was wearing. Shinku approached him.

"Well Jun, you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself."

"Not really," he lied, "I bet I look pretty stupid, huh?"

"Not at all," insisted Shinku, "In fact I was just thinking that you have been carrying yourself with an air of elegance I did not believe you capable of."

Jun blushed at her comment and smiled, bemused. "Well I've had plenty of opportunity to watch the way you move, Shinku. If I have any airs it's only because I've been copying you."

This surprised Shinku, who fell silent. Suiseiseki filled the vacuum with her loud presence. She strode up and stopped before Jun, her hands on her hips. "If it isn't our very own puny four-eyed geek boy," she said brightly, "Looking marginally less puny and four-eyed, though still every bit the geek. You should so be ashamed right now. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jun glowered at her. "We need to get Hinaichigo back, if only so you will stop annoying everyone else so much."

Suiseiseki seemed surprised. "You know he's right; I actually miss that puny Ichigo. It's just so much less fun without her around to mock and torment relentlessly."

"I can't believe you just stood there and admitted what an evil little monster you are," said Jun, "You need help."

Suiseiseki chuckled. "Oh really? This coming from the boy dressed as a girl posing for pictures!" She seemed thoughtful for a moment, and Jun could see the deviousness brewing behind her demonic eyes. "You know what? We should get a copy of those pictures from that crazy Mitsu lady. We could use them to blackmail Jun into doing whatever we wanted!"

Shinku merely sighed at her sister's antics, but Jun was livid. "Why you-" he started, reaching out to grab the rotten little doll, when he was interrupted by Tomoe.

"Hey Jun, she's ready."

He grumbled and got up, pointedly ignoring Suiseiseki as she waved to him and grinned in a very sinister fashion. Shinku watched them go, and noticed that Tomoe was holding Jun's arm in a tender fashion. This brought a sharp, painful pang deep inside her that made her wince. Suiseiseki saw as well, and saw her reaction. She moved over to her sisters side.

"Don't read anything into it," she tried to reassure Shinku, "After all, how much can she like him if she prefers to see him dressed up as a girl?"

Shinku wasn't so sure. All she knew was that everything Suiseiseki had said to her earlier was true, and she was afraid to tell Jun how she felt. Today did nothing to put those fears to rest.

Within the N-Field lay a glittering cavern of wrought crystal, in varying hues of pink and white. In the centre of the cavern Kirakishou floated above the ground, surrounded by flat, glossy crystal shards, each displaying images from the real world. The seventh doll focused on images of Shinku, who looked saddened, and of Jun and Tomoe. Kirakishou grinned.

"Poor Jun, his heart pulls him in two different directions and he doesn't know where to turn," she said, evidently relishing this conflict, "I shall have to help him make up his mind." She raised a hand and called out; "Lempicka!" summoning the artificial spirit, which floated serenely in the air around her. Whilst it was true that she did not have the Rosa Mystica that the spirit belonged to, she had managed to acquire the precious little wisp from that obtuse rabbit. She tilted her head as she regarded it.

"We have work to do little one," she said soothingly. She turned and stared at one of the crystal shards displaying an image of Tomoe, her grin widening. "I have something special in mind for this one..."