it was a wicked and wild wind
I'm glad that I'm not the only person who thinks that Coldplay's Viva la Vida goes excellently with Code Geass, but my first couple of tries on YouTube have shown me that none of them are on par with the one that runs in my head every time that song plays. Which is really a shame, because it's so damn perfect.
I have had to date had two dreams about Code Geass, which means that it has effectively wormed its way into my subconscious. Happily I have bought no doujinshi yet, though, and I hope this trend continues. In a way, I'm helped by the fact that there's so much of it out there, because it makes me more disinclined to actually look at it. Sometimes too much choice is as effective a deterrant as not enough.
My tendency to prefer canon pairings to slash, and my liking for a fairly unpopular character, helps things a rather lot.
Most people have a "type" when it comes to which characters they like, such that it can be fairly easily predicted who they're going to like in any given series. When I managed to surprise a friend yet again with my pick for a "favorite" in a show we were watching together, I decided that I would try to figure out what my inclinations were. So I made a list of all the series that I've watched or read and my favorite characters in each, as much as I could recall, trying to find a pattern to my preferences.
The Master List: Series (et cetera) I Have Known and Characters I Have Liked
The only order here is a vague one of primary medium for knowledge. I've also left off series that I liked but had no clear favorite character(s). You're welcome to remind me of series that I've forgotten, or ask about ones that you're curious about. I might add them to the list.
the Farseer Trilogy, etc - the Fool
I love the Fool something fierce, I really do. His character had a huge effect on me. Oh, Fitz. YOU HOMOPHOBIC MORON. (I realize that there's more to it than that, but. AURGH.)
the Black Jewels Trilogy - Saetan
Saetan was just more fun than fun. Mostly I just adored the familial parts of the book, and the Lord of Hell being Jaenelle's beloved, beleagured Papa.
the DeathGate Cycle - Alfred
Perhaps Alfred is a good signifier of my tendancy to like characters who are a lot more than they appear to be?
Temeraire - Temeraire, Tharkay
The Gentleman Bastards - Locke, Jean
Sandman - Death
This one is pretty much a no-brainer, isn't it? Who doesn't adore Death? But that character is one who profoundly shaped the person I am today.
Vinland Saga - Askeladd
Nodame Cantabile - Chiaki
His fail is so very epic.
D.Gray-man - Kanda
He kicks ass. And he's an asshole. I have an occasional tendency to like assholes. I don't know why; it's not a consistent thing. But perhaps it's the appeal of a person who can do and say things that I just can't. Because I'm not an asshole, most of the time.
Bleach - Rukia, Bakuya
Rukia's just great, because she's tiny and hilarious and she also kicks ass. I do like a good ass-kicking. Bakuya would be of the ass-kicking asshole type, though. And the pretty type.
FMA - Ed, Roy, Ling
Ed is one of the few instances of me liking the main character. Note that he kicks ass.
MKR - Hikaru, Cleff
Hikaru is very much a heroine off the "heroic character" model-- a little niave, a lot brave, boundlessly determined and devoted. And often I find that kind of character nice, but not all that interesting-- except in this case. Cleff, I think, is more one that people would have predicted: mysterious, knows more than he's telling, kicks ass . . . Hikaru also kicks ass, of course.
Card Captor Sakura - Yue, Touya
Long-haired and pretty? Mysterious? Somewhat pissy in terms of his personality? Poised and mindful of his dignity? Yeah, he kind of reminds me of Emrys, that's undeniable. Touya, also, is more than he seems at first glance.
Ouran Host Club - Tamaki
. . . no, I didn't see this one coming at all, but I liked him from the get-go. It definitely turns out that there's more going on with him than meets the eye, though.
Amatsuki - Bonten, Kon, Ginshu
I think my choices here are pretty much to be expected. Backstory = FTW.
Death Note - L, Ryuuk
Who doesn't adore L, really?
Demon Diaries - Eclipse
Pet Shop of Horrors - D
He also reminds me of Emrys, which is always a big plus.
Hikaru no Go - Hikaru, Sai
Saiunkoku Monogatari - Ryuuki, Seiran, Ensei
I wouldn't have expected this one at all, but I adore Ryuuki beyond all reason.
One Piece - Luffy, Usopp
I wasn't expecting either of these. And I haven't seen very much of the series. Luffy is . . . well, Luffy, but Usopp amused me by doing brilliant things without realizing he was doing them.
InuYasha - Sesshoumaru
Yeah, okay. Asshole. And pretty. And kicks ass.
Slayers - Xellos
Blood+ - Hajii
No one can possibly be surprised by this one, simply for my chromosome pattern. I did enjoy making fun of him for getting impaled a lot, though.
Hellsing - Integral
Claymore - Teresa, Irene
Since I didn't find any of the characters even remotely interesting, I guess it's not surprising that I didn't pursue this series. I guess Clare was getting more interesting as time went on, but it wasn't enough to hold my attention.
Trigun - Wolfwood
This series fatally spawned the phrase, "What Would Wolfwood Do?"
Seirei no Moribito - Tanda
No one would have predicted this: the gentle but proficient healer? WTF?
Escaflowne - Folken
. . . until his death, which was EMBARRASSING and spoiled the entire series for me.
Fruits Basket - Shigure
I didn't get very far in the manga, so this is based on the anime. I liked him because he was maybe a little bit evil. And he knew a lot more than he was telling, which I always enjoy.
Shounen Onmyouji - Rikugou
He kind of reminds me of Shiva from SR, who is mentioned below.
Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi - Kon
Kon is very much the "regular guy." So much so that it's rather extraordinary.
Code Geass - Lelouch, Xing-ke
Kisarazu Cat's Eye - Bussan
Bussan has a whole lot of potential angst that he mostly does not angst about.
Coffee Prince - Choi Han Seong, Choi Han Kyul
Han Seong just struck me as a likeable person right off the bat, though he makes more than his fair share of mistakes and did some really stupid stuff. Han Kyul kind of snuck up on me, but I mostly ended up liking him because of his hilarious and massive fail.
Spirited Away - Haku
Princess Mononoke - Yakul
Kingdom Hearts - Riku
Final Fantasy X - Tidus
I made fun of him constantly, but he amused the heck out of me. It was mostly that he was so very much a jock running around in a fantasy world. And he didn't need to breathe!
Final Fantasy VIII - Laguna, Irvine
Final Fantasy VII - Red XIII, Vincent
Final Fantasy IX - Freya
. . . this was largely because I adored her attack where she jumped into the air, stayed up there for a couple rounds, and then came down and impaled the enemy. It was awesome, and very silly, and my brother and I got tons of mileage in jokes out of it.
Red Cliff Zhuge Liang
He started my official Thing for Kaneshiro Takeshi. Zhuge Liang kicks ass by being smarter than god. And played by Kaneshiro Takeshi? SHINY.
Arcana: SR - Shiva
Yoshitsune - Yukinari
Possible Conclusions drawn from the Master List
According to this, I favor "the main character" 17 out of 45 times, which would be less than half of the total. Kicking ass is a definite qualifier, as I consider most of these characters to do so in one way or another. I do occasionally like characters who qualify for the descriptor "asshole," but it's not really a consistent thing, since occasionally I use that as a reason not to like a character. Pretty is definitely a plus, but then I don't latch on to characters just for that (it just gives an advantage in catching my eye, as one might expect). I have a strong taste for angst, but at the same time I also scorn those who sit around moping and going "oh-woe-is-me."
Writing pooooost! This time it's more of the Assassin AU. It occurs after all of the currently posted chapters, so the listing is in chronological order.
Saiunkoku: Assassin
Chapter 1: Research
Chapter 2: How To Fall Down
Chapter ?: Revelation
Chapter ?: Shouka's House
Ryuuki panted as he ran along the slanted roof, trying desperately not to stumble as he clutched at his side. The light from the crescent moon would ordinarily have been more than sufficient for him to see by, but not now-- not with fog eating at the edges of his vision and black spots coming and going before his eyes.
Almost there, he thought to himself, a little further . . . He leaped over the alleyway between two buildings, but his legs gave out when he landed and he fell heavily on the slippery tiles. Fresh pain shot through him from the wound in his side, and he opened his mouth to shout-- but his training held, and he only released a sharp huff of breath. Clamping his hand over the wound he found that the wet patch around it was growing again, the dark cloth sodden under his hand.
Somehow he pushed himself up again, tried to breath deeply as he waited for his vision to clear so that he could continue. Ryuuki couldn't remember the last time he had fallen on the familiar rooftops of the capital. Shouka would scold him for losing his balance and making such a clumsy job of his approach, surely.
He realized dimly that a poor landing was probably the least of what Shouka would be scolding him for. If I-- when I get there. He had lasted for so long, surely he could make it a little further. Although he had never been there, he knew where Shouka's home was. A large residence, located in a section of the city that had fallen out of fashion in recent years. He could see it, in fact; the walls were only a few rooftops over.
Pain worked its way deeper into his side with every step. Running was more than he could handle, and what should have been easy footing was becoming increasingly uncertain under him. The last rooftop before the compound was significantly higher than Shouka's house on the other side of the wall, and had a raised clay roof-tree guardian. He leaned against it as he gathered himself for the leap across the intervening distance, fighting the pressing urge to sit, to close his eyes just for a moment--
Now! He started running without allowing himself to think about it, and felt something else in his wounded side tear as he threw himself into space. This time he didn't even try to land on his feet, just to roll after he struck. When the agony receded he was on his face on the roof, and he couldn't see the dull tiles even though they were right in front of his eyes. He tried to gather his limbs under him, but only managed his knees and one elbow, the other arm clenched over his injury, before he kilted over on his side. He had no energy left to stop himself, and rolled helplessly down the slope of the eaves until he dropped off the edge and landed with bruising force on the hard ground below.
Roaring filled his ears, and the sound of his own heartbeat. Somewhere in the midst of the pain he felt hands on him, and opened his eyes to see the dim form of someone leaning over him.
Shouka-- help me, please-- He wasn't sure if the words made it out as unconsciousness took him.
* * * * * * *
An unfamiliar white ceiling greeted him when he opened his eyes. He squinted at it, puzzled. It was definitely ceiling, not the familiar canopy of his own bed. Nor was it the canopy of his brother's bed, or the canopy of any of the other beds he had slept in over the years. It wasn't a latticework of branches or open sky, nor was it the smoke-stained ceiling of an inn. Just a plain ceiling, with a crack running through the faded plaster and a water stain in the corner.
"Ah, you're awake."
Ryuuki turned his head and blinked in surprise. A girl sat at his bedside, with the shirt she had been mending still in her hands. She was slight, almost delicate, with her black hair tied up in practical loops above her shoulders. She was frowning at him, and her warm brown eyes were narrowed slightly as she watched him.
He whetted his lips and managed to talk on his second try. "Who are you?"
She sighed in exasperation. "Isn't that my question? After all, you're the one who landed in my garden."
"I did?" he asked, still confused, and moved to push himself upright.
"No, wait, don't--" A wave of pain washed over him, and his head dropped weakly back onto the pillow. Sparks and streamers of color were dancing across the ceiling now. "I told you! What kind of idiot are you? You're wounded, stay still!"
"All right," he gasped, and waited for the world to assume its proper tint again.
"That's better. Now, I think you owe me some answers. First off, who are you?"
"I'm Ryuu--" he stopped quickly as sense caught up to him. "Um, just Ryuu."
"Uh-huh. And would you care to tell me, 'just Ryuu,' why you landed in my garden last night?"
"Umm . . ." Now that the pain from his injury had receded again he could turn his head to look at her, and gather his thoughts a little. "This is Shouka's house, isn't it?"
She frowned. "Yes, this is the residence of Kou Shouka. Unluckily for you, though, he's been held up at work. I'm his daughter, Kou Shuurei."
"Shouka's daughter?" That he hadn't expected; though now that she said it he could recall Shouka mentioning that he did in fact have a daughter. Ryuuki had simply never thought about it. "I wasn't expecting-- that is, I didn't think--" he craned his neck to peer down at himself. He had been undressed, and his seeking fingers discovered the fabric of bandages wrapped securely around the wound in his middle. "You took care of me?"
"Not by myself, I called in the doctor. Which you will be paying for, by the way, although what I can expect from a thief . . ."
He stared at her, once again completely confused. "A thief? I'm not a thief."
Shuurei gave him an arch look. "Whatever you say. I put your lock picks and saws in the chest over there. I'd warn you to keep your fingers to yourself while you're here, but . . . well, it's not like we have anything worth stealing." She sighed. "And you're probably not a very good thief anyway, since you got caught. But since you know Father I won't turn you over to the city guard."
Ryuuki closed his mouth, feeling overwhelmed. "Um . . . thank you?"
"Thank me by getting better quickly. Goodness knows we can't afford another mouth to feed, not for very long. Is there someone you want to send a message to, let them know where you are?"
"I-- um, no. Just Shouka . . . Shouka-sama, that is. If you could let him know that I'm here . . ."
"I'm afraid that there's no way to send him a message while he's working, but he should be back soon. Unless he has to spend another night in the archives . . . when the court's busy he's often held up and doesn't come home." Shuurei's tone was resigned. "Or he gets his hand on a book he's really interested in and loses track of time."
There were other reasons why Shouka often spent the night at the Palace, Ryuuki knew. One of them, lately, was waiting for his errant apprentice to return from missions and give his reports. Holed up in the archives, he had absolutely no way of knowing that Ryuuki had returned, only not quite far enough. Doubtless he would guess that something had gone amiss . . . and he would be worrying. Again Ryuuki probed at the bandage, assessing, and was rewarded by the throbbing pain of his wounded side intensifying sharply.
"Don't poke at that," Shuurei said sternly. "Dr. Yoh says you're not to stir from this bed for a week."
A week? A week was far too long. Never mind Shouka; his brother would be raging with worry and impatience. The thought, with its attendant implications, made him blanch. "I have to go," he explained vaguely. "I can't stay here."
"I encourage you to leave as soon as possible, but for the mean time you're not going anywhere. Apparently you already made a bad wound much worse with whatever foolish stunt landed you in my garden. Try getting to your chamber pot before you make any grand traveling plans. The doctor will be returning this evening to change your bandages." The young woman finished off her thread and folded the shirt with a practiced flick of her wrist, tucking the precious needle away in her sash. "I need to get started on lunch, but I'll send Father in when he returns."
"You don't need to make me anything, I'm not hungry," Ryuuki said. Food was the least of his worries, and how would he eat it, anyway? He had some doubts over his ability to sit up and manipulate utensils.
"You'll have broth and tea over rice, and you'll eat it, too. I won't have anyone wasting food in my house, even if that person happens to be an uninvited and troublesome guest." She swept from the room, closing the door behind her with a tightly controlled but highly eloquent click.
I have had to date had two dreams about Code Geass, which means that it has effectively wormed its way into my subconscious. Happily I have bought no doujinshi yet, though, and I hope this trend continues. In a way, I'm helped by the fact that there's so much of it out there, because it makes me more disinclined to actually look at it. Sometimes too much choice is as effective a deterrant as not enough.
My tendency to prefer canon pairings to slash, and my liking for a fairly unpopular character, helps things a rather lot.
Most people have a "type" when it comes to which characters they like, such that it can be fairly easily predicted who they're going to like in any given series. When I managed to surprise a friend yet again with my pick for a "favorite" in a show we were watching together, I decided that I would try to figure out what my inclinations were. So I made a list of all the series that I've watched or read and my favorite characters in each, as much as I could recall, trying to find a pattern to my preferences.
The Master List: Series (et cetera) I Have Known and Characters I Have Liked
The only order here is a vague one of primary medium for knowledge. I've also left off series that I liked but had no clear favorite character(s). You're welcome to remind me of series that I've forgotten, or ask about ones that you're curious about. I might add them to the list.
the Farseer Trilogy, etc - the Fool
I love the Fool something fierce, I really do. His character had a huge effect on me. Oh, Fitz. YOU HOMOPHOBIC MORON. (I realize that there's more to it than that, but. AURGH.)
the Black Jewels Trilogy - Saetan
Saetan was just more fun than fun. Mostly I just adored the familial parts of the book, and the Lord of Hell being Jaenelle's beloved, beleagured Papa.
the DeathGate Cycle - Alfred
Perhaps Alfred is a good signifier of my tendancy to like characters who are a lot more than they appear to be?
Temeraire - Temeraire, Tharkay
The Gentleman Bastards - Locke, Jean
Sandman - Death
This one is pretty much a no-brainer, isn't it? Who doesn't adore Death? But that character is one who profoundly shaped the person I am today.
Vinland Saga - Askeladd
Nodame Cantabile - Chiaki
His fail is so very epic.
D.Gray-man - Kanda
He kicks ass. And he's an asshole. I have an occasional tendency to like assholes. I don't know why; it's not a consistent thing. But perhaps it's the appeal of a person who can do and say things that I just can't. Because I'm not an asshole, most of the time.
Bleach - Rukia, Bakuya
Rukia's just great, because she's tiny and hilarious and she also kicks ass. I do like a good ass-kicking. Bakuya would be of the ass-kicking asshole type, though. And the pretty type.
FMA - Ed, Roy, Ling
Ed is one of the few instances of me liking the main character. Note that he kicks ass.
MKR - Hikaru, Cleff
Hikaru is very much a heroine off the "heroic character" model-- a little niave, a lot brave, boundlessly determined and devoted. And often I find that kind of character nice, but not all that interesting-- except in this case. Cleff, I think, is more one that people would have predicted: mysterious, knows more than he's telling, kicks ass . . . Hikaru also kicks ass, of course.
Card Captor Sakura - Yue, Touya
Long-haired and pretty? Mysterious? Somewhat pissy in terms of his personality? Poised and mindful of his dignity? Yeah, he kind of reminds me of Emrys, that's undeniable. Touya, also, is more than he seems at first glance.
Ouran Host Club - Tamaki
. . . no, I didn't see this one coming at all, but I liked him from the get-go. It definitely turns out that there's more going on with him than meets the eye, though.
Amatsuki - Bonten, Kon, Ginshu
I think my choices here are pretty much to be expected. Backstory = FTW.
Death Note - L, Ryuuk
Who doesn't adore L, really?
Demon Diaries - Eclipse
Pet Shop of Horrors - D
He also reminds me of Emrys, which is always a big plus.
Hikaru no Go - Hikaru, Sai
Saiunkoku Monogatari - Ryuuki, Seiran, Ensei
I wouldn't have expected this one at all, but I adore Ryuuki beyond all reason.
One Piece - Luffy, Usopp
I wasn't expecting either of these. And I haven't seen very much of the series. Luffy is . . . well, Luffy, but Usopp amused me by doing brilliant things without realizing he was doing them.
InuYasha - Sesshoumaru
Yeah, okay. Asshole. And pretty. And kicks ass.
Slayers - Xellos
Blood+ - Hajii
No one can possibly be surprised by this one, simply for my chromosome pattern. I did enjoy making fun of him for getting impaled a lot, though.
Hellsing - Integral
Claymore - Teresa, Irene
Since I didn't find any of the characters even remotely interesting, I guess it's not surprising that I didn't pursue this series. I guess Clare was getting more interesting as time went on, but it wasn't enough to hold my attention.
Trigun - Wolfwood
This series fatally spawned the phrase, "What Would Wolfwood Do?"
Seirei no Moribito - Tanda
No one would have predicted this: the gentle but proficient healer? WTF?
Escaflowne - Folken
. . . until his death, which was EMBARRASSING and spoiled the entire series for me.
Fruits Basket - Shigure
I didn't get very far in the manga, so this is based on the anime. I liked him because he was maybe a little bit evil. And he knew a lot more than he was telling, which I always enjoy.
Shounen Onmyouji - Rikugou
He kind of reminds me of Shiva from SR, who is mentioned below.
Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi - Kon
Kon is very much the "regular guy." So much so that it's rather extraordinary.
Code Geass - Lelouch, Xing-ke
Kisarazu Cat's Eye - Bussan
Bussan has a whole lot of potential angst that he mostly does not angst about.
Coffee Prince - Choi Han Seong, Choi Han Kyul
Han Seong just struck me as a likeable person right off the bat, though he makes more than his fair share of mistakes and did some really stupid stuff. Han Kyul kind of snuck up on me, but I mostly ended up liking him because of his hilarious and massive fail.
Spirited Away - Haku
Princess Mononoke - Yakul
Kingdom Hearts - Riku
Final Fantasy X - Tidus
I made fun of him constantly, but he amused the heck out of me. It was mostly that he was so very much a jock running around in a fantasy world. And he didn't need to breathe!
Final Fantasy VIII - Laguna, Irvine
Final Fantasy VII - Red XIII, Vincent
Final Fantasy IX - Freya
. . . this was largely because I adored her attack where she jumped into the air, stayed up there for a couple rounds, and then came down and impaled the enemy. It was awesome, and very silly, and my brother and I got tons of mileage in jokes out of it.
Red Cliff Zhuge Liang
He started my official Thing for Kaneshiro Takeshi. Zhuge Liang kicks ass by being smarter than god. And played by Kaneshiro Takeshi? SHINY.
Arcana: SR - Shiva
Yoshitsune - Yukinari
Possible Conclusions drawn from the Master List
According to this, I favor "the main character" 17 out of 45 times, which would be less than half of the total. Kicking ass is a definite qualifier, as I consider most of these characters to do so in one way or another. I do occasionally like characters who qualify for the descriptor "asshole," but it's not really a consistent thing, since occasionally I use that as a reason not to like a character. Pretty is definitely a plus, but then I don't latch on to characters just for that (it just gives an advantage in catching my eye, as one might expect). I have a strong taste for angst, but at the same time I also scorn those who sit around moping and going "oh-woe-is-me."
Writing pooooost! This time it's more of the Assassin AU. It occurs after all of the currently posted chapters, so the listing is in chronological order.
Saiunkoku: Assassin
Chapter 1: Research
Chapter 2: How To Fall Down
Chapter ?: Revelation
Chapter ?: Shouka's House
Ryuuki panted as he ran along the slanted roof, trying desperately not to stumble as he clutched at his side. The light from the crescent moon would ordinarily have been more than sufficient for him to see by, but not now-- not with fog eating at the edges of his vision and black spots coming and going before his eyes.
Almost there, he thought to himself, a little further . . . He leaped over the alleyway between two buildings, but his legs gave out when he landed and he fell heavily on the slippery tiles. Fresh pain shot through him from the wound in his side, and he opened his mouth to shout-- but his training held, and he only released a sharp huff of breath. Clamping his hand over the wound he found that the wet patch around it was growing again, the dark cloth sodden under his hand.
Somehow he pushed himself up again, tried to breath deeply as he waited for his vision to clear so that he could continue. Ryuuki couldn't remember the last time he had fallen on the familiar rooftops of the capital. Shouka would scold him for losing his balance and making such a clumsy job of his approach, surely.
He realized dimly that a poor landing was probably the least of what Shouka would be scolding him for. If I-- when I get there. He had lasted for so long, surely he could make it a little further. Although he had never been there, he knew where Shouka's home was. A large residence, located in a section of the city that had fallen out of fashion in recent years. He could see it, in fact; the walls were only a few rooftops over.
Pain worked its way deeper into his side with every step. Running was more than he could handle, and what should have been easy footing was becoming increasingly uncertain under him. The last rooftop before the compound was significantly higher than Shouka's house on the other side of the wall, and had a raised clay roof-tree guardian. He leaned against it as he gathered himself for the leap across the intervening distance, fighting the pressing urge to sit, to close his eyes just for a moment--
Now! He started running without allowing himself to think about it, and felt something else in his wounded side tear as he threw himself into space. This time he didn't even try to land on his feet, just to roll after he struck. When the agony receded he was on his face on the roof, and he couldn't see the dull tiles even though they were right in front of his eyes. He tried to gather his limbs under him, but only managed his knees and one elbow, the other arm clenched over his injury, before he kilted over on his side. He had no energy left to stop himself, and rolled helplessly down the slope of the eaves until he dropped off the edge and landed with bruising force on the hard ground below.
Roaring filled his ears, and the sound of his own heartbeat. Somewhere in the midst of the pain he felt hands on him, and opened his eyes to see the dim form of someone leaning over him.
Shouka-- help me, please-- He wasn't sure if the words made it out as unconsciousness took him.
* * * * * * *
An unfamiliar white ceiling greeted him when he opened his eyes. He squinted at it, puzzled. It was definitely ceiling, not the familiar canopy of his own bed. Nor was it the canopy of his brother's bed, or the canopy of any of the other beds he had slept in over the years. It wasn't a latticework of branches or open sky, nor was it the smoke-stained ceiling of an inn. Just a plain ceiling, with a crack running through the faded plaster and a water stain in the corner.
"Ah, you're awake."
Ryuuki turned his head and blinked in surprise. A girl sat at his bedside, with the shirt she had been mending still in her hands. She was slight, almost delicate, with her black hair tied up in practical loops above her shoulders. She was frowning at him, and her warm brown eyes were narrowed slightly as she watched him.
He whetted his lips and managed to talk on his second try. "Who are you?"
She sighed in exasperation. "Isn't that my question? After all, you're the one who landed in my garden."
"I did?" he asked, still confused, and moved to push himself upright.
"No, wait, don't--" A wave of pain washed over him, and his head dropped weakly back onto the pillow. Sparks and streamers of color were dancing across the ceiling now. "I told you! What kind of idiot are you? You're wounded, stay still!"
"All right," he gasped, and waited for the world to assume its proper tint again.
"That's better. Now, I think you owe me some answers. First off, who are you?"
"I'm Ryuu--" he stopped quickly as sense caught up to him. "Um, just Ryuu."
"Uh-huh. And would you care to tell me, 'just Ryuu,' why you landed in my garden last night?"
"Umm . . ." Now that the pain from his injury had receded again he could turn his head to look at her, and gather his thoughts a little. "This is Shouka's house, isn't it?"
She frowned. "Yes, this is the residence of Kou Shouka. Unluckily for you, though, he's been held up at work. I'm his daughter, Kou Shuurei."
"Shouka's daughter?" That he hadn't expected; though now that she said it he could recall Shouka mentioning that he did in fact have a daughter. Ryuuki had simply never thought about it. "I wasn't expecting-- that is, I didn't think--" he craned his neck to peer down at himself. He had been undressed, and his seeking fingers discovered the fabric of bandages wrapped securely around the wound in his middle. "You took care of me?"
"Not by myself, I called in the doctor. Which you will be paying for, by the way, although what I can expect from a thief . . ."
He stared at her, once again completely confused. "A thief? I'm not a thief."
Shuurei gave him an arch look. "Whatever you say. I put your lock picks and saws in the chest over there. I'd warn you to keep your fingers to yourself while you're here, but . . . well, it's not like we have anything worth stealing." She sighed. "And you're probably not a very good thief anyway, since you got caught. But since you know Father I won't turn you over to the city guard."
Ryuuki closed his mouth, feeling overwhelmed. "Um . . . thank you?"
"Thank me by getting better quickly. Goodness knows we can't afford another mouth to feed, not for very long. Is there someone you want to send a message to, let them know where you are?"
"I-- um, no. Just Shouka . . . Shouka-sama, that is. If you could let him know that I'm here . . ."
"I'm afraid that there's no way to send him a message while he's working, but he should be back soon. Unless he has to spend another night in the archives . . . when the court's busy he's often held up and doesn't come home." Shuurei's tone was resigned. "Or he gets his hand on a book he's really interested in and loses track of time."
There were other reasons why Shouka often spent the night at the Palace, Ryuuki knew. One of them, lately, was waiting for his errant apprentice to return from missions and give his reports. Holed up in the archives, he had absolutely no way of knowing that Ryuuki had returned, only not quite far enough. Doubtless he would guess that something had gone amiss . . . and he would be worrying. Again Ryuuki probed at the bandage, assessing, and was rewarded by the throbbing pain of his wounded side intensifying sharply.
"Don't poke at that," Shuurei said sternly. "Dr. Yoh says you're not to stir from this bed for a week."
A week? A week was far too long. Never mind Shouka; his brother would be raging with worry and impatience. The thought, with its attendant implications, made him blanch. "I have to go," he explained vaguely. "I can't stay here."
"I encourage you to leave as soon as possible, but for the mean time you're not going anywhere. Apparently you already made a bad wound much worse with whatever foolish stunt landed you in my garden. Try getting to your chamber pot before you make any grand traveling plans. The doctor will be returning this evening to change your bandages." The young woman finished off her thread and folded the shirt with a practiced flick of her wrist, tucking the precious needle away in her sash. "I need to get started on lunch, but I'll send Father in when he returns."
"You don't need to make me anything, I'm not hungry," Ryuuki said. Food was the least of his worries, and how would he eat it, anyway? He had some doubts over his ability to sit up and manipulate utensils.
"You'll have broth and tea over rice, and you'll eat it, too. I won't have anyone wasting food in my house, even if that person happens to be an uninvited and troublesome guest." She swept from the room, closing the door behind her with a tightly controlled but highly eloquent click.