[Mingler] Happy Easter, for the kid in all of us

[chevalier_boy]

The past few days and nights, Riku has been busy, hardboiling eggs and coloring them. And he's also been kindly asking the Plothole to give him several dozen chocolate eggs and plastic eggs full of jelly beans and malted milk eggs. Late Saturday evening, he slips out to hide the colorful treasures in the bushes and flowerbeds and under the trees in

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[in_summer_leaf]

Hisoka's never celebrated Easter, but a few of his friends were Japanese Catholics (long ago in his first life, in his school days). He's up for an Easter egg hunt, and he takes a basket off the top of the stack. He'll get to the food (which looks delicious) later on.

He looks around for Riku (or anybody else).

[chevalier_boy]

Riku will be just coming in with a tray of hot cross buns (fresh from the oven), when he spies Hisoka. "Hi there! Happy Easter!" he says with a big, if sweetly sad smile. "Or, if you don't celebrate Easter, happy springtime!"

[in_summer_leaf]

"Happy Easter, Riku," returns Hisoka. "I'm perfectly happy to celebrate the occasion, whatever it is. Looks like you've put some real energy into this! Did you do all the cooking yourself?"

[chevalier_boy]

"I sure did: it's kept me busy the past couple days, but it's a lot of fun," he says, smiling with pride. "I put some eggs out for an egg hunt, in the yard, if anyone wants to join in."

[in_summer_leaf]

Hisoka raises his basket and smiles. "I was going to look for the eggs. It would seem a shame if somebody didn't, after you went to the trouble to hide them."

[chevalier_boy]

That gets a big smile of delight from Riku. "That's great! I was hoping someone would look around for those eggs: I'd join you, but I know where they all are, so that wouldn't be fair."

[in_summer_leaf]

"True," says Hisoka, "but I'll bring back the nicest one for you. I'll be here for brunch, too! The food looks delicious."

[chevalier_boy]

"Cool! Thanks, Hisoka! When you're done outside, you can always help yourself to the brunch," he says.

"Can I ask you a favor? It's kind of a big one," he adds.

[in_summer_leaf]

"Of course!" says Hisoka. "What is it?"

[chevalier_boy]

"Could you teach me how to sword-fight? I've been practicing as good as I can from what I learned when I watched my sister Saya used to practice, but it's not quite the real thing, isn't it?" he asks.

[in_summer_leaf]

"Certainly I can," answers Hisoka. "You'll be a good swordsman. I have no doubt of that. When would you like to start?"

[chevalier_boy]

"Anytime that's good for you: I've got all the time in the world, so I'm not in a huge hurry," he says.

[in_summer_leaf]

Hisoka answers, "I usually practice in Genkai's dojo early in the morning -- around 6am, now that spring's here. And then I try to get another session in during the hour before dark, out on the front terrace, or if it's raining, in the ballroom. You're welcome to turn up for either or both. I've got a couple of bamboo swords."

[chevalier_boy]

"I'll be there! I don't need to sleep, so I'm up that early anyway," he says, with a sad but happy smile.

[in_summer_leaf]

"Yeah. The bright side of not needing to sleep is more time to practice. But what have you been doing with the night hours up until now?" asks Hisoka.

[chevalier_boy]

"Oh, I usually read at night, though sometimes, if there's a holiday coming, I'm cooking through the night. That's when I made all this," he says. "I hope the scents don't bother anyone who might be up late."