Duran-kun and Kiyo-chan's Omake Theater

(featuring the Kuga-Fujino and Munakata family pets)

"Now this," Natsuki decided, "is the way shopping should be. No crowds trying to get the last of some bargain before the sale ends, no crowds trying to buy a holiday gift at the very last second, no crowds trying to fight their way to the return desk to get their money back on all the crap they committed major felonies to get past the other shoppers to obtain for when they realize that it was crap—"

She was interrupted by a curious hissing sound from next to her right ear. Natsuki turned to see three of Kiyohime's heads looking at her, puzzlement obvious on their faces. Which, Natsuki reflected, was a considerable amount of confusion since reptiles were generally not the most expressive class of animals.

She glanced over at Shizuru, quirking an eyebrow at her girlfriend.

"Kannin na, Natsuki, but I am not sure that I correctly followed that sentence from one end to the other, either."

Kiyohime's third head bobbed up and down in a definite nod of agreement.

"But I am glad that you are happy to be shopping with me!" Shizuru added, brightening. She gave Natsuki's hand a squeeze.

I wonder when I stopped being embarrassed to walk with her while holding hands?

Out loud, though, she just said, "I'm still surprised you don't just have Kiyohime slither along, instead of using that back sling from your Medusa costume to carry her. She didn't hurt herself on her morning walk, did she?"

Shizuru giggled. Some people's giggles were airheaded and empty, a sign of complete thoughtlessness, the noise of the echo chamber between their ears. Shizuru's…well, they were the complete opposite of that. When Shizuru giggled, it was more akin to an announcement that she knew something that was going to give her the upper hand and that you'd just given her the perfect opportunity to use it.

"Why, isn't it obvious, Natsuki? If Kiyohime was traveling on her own, then I would have to hold her leash. Animals are not permitted to wander free in stores by Tsukimori city ordinance. And then, with my purse over my other shoulder, I would no longer have a hand free to hold yours!"

Natsuki was about to respond with her usual reply of "…Idiot," but the sight of Shizuru's beaming smile made it die on her lips.

"Yeah, okay, you've got a point. But! If you wore pants on your casual days, you could carry a wallet and not need the purse."

"Oh? Is Natsuki suggesting that she would like to see me in form-fitting designer jeans?" Shizuru wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"I was thinking a nice pair of slacks might suit your style better."

Shizuru pouted.

"Natsuki is no fun since she has become more confident in our relationship and accepting of her feelings."

"Think of it as a challenge. If the same old teasing still worked after two years, you'd never improve your skills. And besides," she added in a husky purr, leaning in, "what you lose out in blushes, you make up for with gains in…other areas."

A delicate pink graced Shizuru's cheeks, and she actually squirmed a little. All six of Kiyohime's heads developed a sudden, intense interest in the scenery.

This is fun! I can see why she does it so often!

"Natsuki is getting better at that."

"Well, we have been dating for two years, now. You're rubbing off on me."

"Mmm, as often as possible."

Natsuki could feel the blush reach all the way to her ears.

"I need to learn not to tempt fate," she muttered.

"You've learned a valuable lesson. And speaking of fate, look, there's a fortune-telling stand!"

Natsuki was still off-balance from the teasing, which allowed Shizuru to drag her over to the street stall with little resistance. Calling it a "stall" was really overdoing it; it was really just a cloth-draped table with a large wooden box on it, beneath a cloth sign dangling from two poles that read "Fuuka Shrine Crow Love Fortunes."

Shiho Munakata, drill-curled miko, smiled brightly as they approached. Yatagarasu, perched on her shoulder, fluffed his wings and arched his neck.

"Miss Fujino! Miss Kuga! Welcome to Fuuka Shrine's Love Fortunes, where the hand of your romantic fate will be revealed by the Yatagarasu himself! Would you like to see what destiny has in store? Only 500 yen!"

"Why not?" Shizuru said.

Natsuki wasn't sure that Shiho was the best person to be giving out love fortunes, but then decided that the woman living with Shizuru Fujino was in no position to complain about potential yandere.

Shizuru fished a 500-yen coin from her purse and handed it to Shiho.

"Thank you very much. All right, Yatagarasu."

The crow peered closely at the wooden box. Like at New Year's, the top was slotted with long strings protruding so that fortunes could be drawn without actually seeing the attached slips of paper. He looked up at Shizuru and Natsuki with close examination, then focused his three eyes back on the box.

Kiyohime's fifth head rolled its eyes and offered a sarcastic hiss at how seriously Yatagarasu was taking things. This earned it a sharp caw of displeasure, as well as several disapproving hisses from other heads more interested in the process.

Interruptions set aside, Yatagarasu finally settled on a string, nipped it in his beak, and pulled, drawing the slip of paper it was fastened to up out of the box. He then took the paper by one corner and offered it to Shizuru.

"It'd better not be something like 'terrible fortune,'" Natsuki said. "Wait, never mind, this is you we're talking about. I'm the one with horrible luck."

"It's not that kind of fortune," Shiho told her. "These offer specific advice."

"Huh. What does it say?"

Shizuru unfolded the slip.

"Hmm. 'Impatience may be appropriate at this time.'"

"What does that mean?"

Shizuru did not answer, but instead slipped her arms out of Kiyohime's backpack and set the surprised hydra onto the table.

"Miss Munakata, would you mind watching Kiyohime for the next hour or so?"

Without actually waiting for an answer, she grabbed Natsuki by the hand again and started pulling her girlfriend along.

"Huh? Shizuru, what are you doing?"

"I am allowing myself to be appropriately impatient." Shizuru pointed up at the building behind Shiho's fortune-telling stand.

Which was, it turned out, a love hotel.

"Shizuru, wait, I—"

Once again allowing impatience to be her guide, Shizuru silenced Natsuki's protests by closing her mouth over her girlfriend's. After roughly five seconds, Natsuki had forgotten what, exactly, her complaint was.

After twenty, she was the one pulling Shizuru towards the door.

"Well, that's six," Shiho said.

Kiyohime's second head popped up, hissing.

"Six couples. The hotel manager gives the shrine a kickback on every couple that goes in after getting a fortune."

Several sharp hisses greeted this revelation.

"Hey, don't judge. What else were we supposed to do with the box of fortune cookie messages Grandpa accidentally ordered?"

~X X X~

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day to my very own Natsuki, Tarma Hartley! I always appreciate it when she's willing to window-shop with me, especially since our neighborhood shopping district doesn't have any love hotels. Those of you who've been around this story for a while may remember the Medusa costume from back in Chapter 77.