[fic][rd] Medium
And the insane crossover finally has a title! Just in time for the epilogue, too. ^_^
Jun supposed they made quite a row, the nine of them. At the far end, in the seat next to the aisle, sat Sumeragi Subaru, Sakon’s teacher and allegedly one of, if not the, most powerful magicians in Japan. Jun had to agree with Shinku; out of context the man certainly didn’t look the part. On the other hand, he wasn’t quite sure what he expected a powerful magician to look like, so maybe it was a moot point. Next to him sat his girlfriend, Suigintou’s new medium. Suigintou sat on her lap, arms crossed, staring angrily into space. They’d obviously had an argument. Jun had to stifle a grin. He still didn’t really like Suigintou, and thought she definitely needed to be taken down a peg or two. Her medium didn’t seem discomfited by Suigintou’s sulk at all, chatting animatedly with her father, who sat on her other side. Her hands described pictures in the air as she talked with him about one of her cases as a policewoman. One hand came to rest quite often by Suigintou’s side, though, and it was very obvious that Suigintou was only pretending not to listen. The Sumeragi caught Jun’s glance and shared with him a small, wry smile of appreciation.
Tachibana Saemon, apparently a Living National Treasure, had seemed quite enchanted by all six of the Rozen Maidens, exchanging introductions with them as well as the humans in their party. Well, Kaoruko did live with one now, Jun thought, and being Sakon’s grandfather had to mean that the elderly gentleman was used to talking dolls… Jun bit back a yelp as Hinaichigo used him again as a footpath, moving from Tomoe’s lap across his to Nori’s. She tugged at Master Tachibana’s sleeve and asked where Ukon was.
“If it’s Ukon, he’ll be backstage,” the elderly man replied with a twinkle in his eye, a half-smile on his mouth. “He’s taken to preferring to watch the performances from there recently.”
“But he’s not... animate without Tachibana-san,” Jun protested.
The Sumeragi, at the end of the row, shook his head. “It doesn’t seem to matter with the two of them,” he said quietly. “They have a bond that makes such things inconsequential at times like this.”
“Then we’ll get to see him after the show?” Hinaichigo inquired.
“I think so,” Master Tachibana replied with a nod.
“Yay!” the doll cheered. She sat back down in Nori’s lap and looked up. “Can we have cake and tea after?”
Nori smiled and exchanged a glance with Tomoe. “I don’t see why not.”
On Tomoe’s other side, Kusabue Mitsu smiled. “Tea and cake sounds lovely,” she said, turning to Shibasaki Matsu, who sat on her other side. “Don’t you think so, ma’am?” Her hand rested on top of Kanaria’s where the doll, dressed in a very formal-looking black and orange gown with a matching hat, sat on her lap.
“Oh, that does sound nice,” the elderly woman agreed. “It’s been so long since we’ve been to the theatre like this, we might as well make a celebration of it.”
“Strawberry cake,” Suiseiseki said dreamily from her lap.
“Chocolate,” her twin disagreed from where he sat next to her, held in Shibasaki Motoharu’s arms.
“Strawberry!”
“Chocolate!”
Jun hid a smile and looked at Shinku. “What kind of cake would you like?” he asked.
She took a moment to consider the question. “Lemon,” she replied.
Jun smiled. “My favorite.”
“Mine too.”
*
After the play was over, the stage darkened and theatre empty, two shadows stirred from where they’d been standing near the back wall, invisible to most human eyes.
“That was interesting, wasn’t it, Hisoka?” the taller shadow asked, his dark hair falling into amethyst eyes. He absently brushed it away with a flick of his wrist.
“Yeah,” his partner agreed, unfocused emerald eyes looking at the empty stage. “He’s very good.”
“You think they’ll be okay?”
Hisoka’s absent gaze focused on his partner. “I don’t think we need to take that doll’s soul on for judgment, if that’s what you mean.”
Asato nodded, and his hand found its way into his partner’s sandy hair. “I like having you the right height again,” he mused.
Hisoka glared up at him. “Shall we go already?” he asked pointedly.
Asato’s face lit up. “I know this shop with wonderful desserts nearby--”
Hisoka glared.
Asato used his puppy-dog eyes.
Hisoka resisted for a moment, then sighed. “All right,” he acquiesced, “but one serving only.”
He didn’t quite dodge his partner’s enthusiastic grab, and didn’t quite manage to hide his half-smile either as he was dragged off to Asato’s enthusiastic, if less than musical, sing-songing of the word “cake.”
Jun supposed they made quite a row, the nine of them. At the far end, in the seat next to the aisle, sat Sumeragi Subaru, Sakon’s teacher and allegedly one of, if not the, most powerful magicians in Japan. Jun had to agree with Shinku; out of context the man certainly didn’t look the part. On the other hand, he wasn’t quite sure what he expected a powerful magician to look like, so maybe it was a moot point. Next to him sat his girlfriend, Suigintou’s new medium. Suigintou sat on her lap, arms crossed, staring angrily into space. They’d obviously had an argument. Jun had to stifle a grin. He still didn’t really like Suigintou, and thought she definitely needed to be taken down a peg or two. Her medium didn’t seem discomfited by Suigintou’s sulk at all, chatting animatedly with her father, who sat on her other side. Her hands described pictures in the air as she talked with him about one of her cases as a policewoman. One hand came to rest quite often by Suigintou’s side, though, and it was very obvious that Suigintou was only pretending not to listen. The Sumeragi caught Jun’s glance and shared with him a small, wry smile of appreciation.
Tachibana Saemon, apparently a Living National Treasure, had seemed quite enchanted by all six of the Rozen Maidens, exchanging introductions with them as well as the humans in their party. Well, Kaoruko did live with one now, Jun thought, and being Sakon’s grandfather had to mean that the elderly gentleman was used to talking dolls… Jun bit back a yelp as Hinaichigo used him again as a footpath, moving from Tomoe’s lap across his to Nori’s. She tugged at Master Tachibana’s sleeve and asked where Ukon was.
“If it’s Ukon, he’ll be backstage,” the elderly man replied with a twinkle in his eye, a half-smile on his mouth. “He’s taken to preferring to watch the performances from there recently.”
“But he’s not... animate without Tachibana-san,” Jun protested.
The Sumeragi, at the end of the row, shook his head. “It doesn’t seem to matter with the two of them,” he said quietly. “They have a bond that makes such things inconsequential at times like this.”
“Then we’ll get to see him after the show?” Hinaichigo inquired.
“I think so,” Master Tachibana replied with a nod.
“Yay!” the doll cheered. She sat back down in Nori’s lap and looked up. “Can we have cake and tea after?”
Nori smiled and exchanged a glance with Tomoe. “I don’t see why not.”
On Tomoe’s other side, Kusabue Mitsu smiled. “Tea and cake sounds lovely,” she said, turning to Shibasaki Matsu, who sat on her other side. “Don’t you think so, ma’am?” Her hand rested on top of Kanaria’s where the doll, dressed in a very formal-looking black and orange gown with a matching hat, sat on her lap.
“Oh, that does sound nice,” the elderly woman agreed. “It’s been so long since we’ve been to the theatre like this, we might as well make a celebration of it.”
“Strawberry cake,” Suiseiseki said dreamily from her lap.
“Chocolate,” her twin disagreed from where he sat next to her, held in Shibasaki Motoharu’s arms.
“Strawberry!”
“Chocolate!”
Jun hid a smile and looked at Shinku. “What kind of cake would you like?” he asked.
She took a moment to consider the question. “Lemon,” she replied.
Jun smiled. “My favorite.”
“Mine too.”
*
After the play was over, the stage darkened and theatre empty, two shadows stirred from where they’d been standing near the back wall, invisible to most human eyes.
“That was interesting, wasn’t it, Hisoka?” the taller shadow asked, his dark hair falling into amethyst eyes. He absently brushed it away with a flick of his wrist.
“Yeah,” his partner agreed, unfocused emerald eyes looking at the empty stage. “He’s very good.”
“You think they’ll be okay?”
Hisoka’s absent gaze focused on his partner. “I don’t think we need to take that doll’s soul on for judgment, if that’s what you mean.”
Asato nodded, and his hand found its way into his partner’s sandy hair. “I like having you the right height again,” he mused.
Hisoka glared up at him. “Shall we go already?” he asked pointedly.
Asato’s face lit up. “I know this shop with wonderful desserts nearby--”
Hisoka glared.
Asato used his puppy-dog eyes.
Hisoka resisted for a moment, then sighed. “All right,” he acquiesced, “but one serving only.”
He didn’t quite dodge his partner’s enthusiastic grab, and didn’t quite manage to hide his half-smile either as he was dragged off to Asato’s enthusiastic, if less than musical, sing-songing of the word “cake.”