Buying Some Dust...

[senashenta]

I've had my degus (Bedrock & Granite) for about four years now (I believe), and only now am I finding out that they should be supplied with dust for dust bathing--like you would do for a chinchilla. =_=;; I just read that in a pet magazine that I got when I took Tri and Neko to the vet last month...

Supposedly, dust bathing is good for them. I should let them do it once every couple of days or so. And because I love all my little furry friends and I want them all to be as happy and healthy as possible, I will be going out and buying dust for them ASAP.

...yup.

Now!



It was nearly nine o'clock in the morning when the door creaked open and Nazoko poked her head into the apartment that she shared with her sister and their best friend. Orange eyes flitted around, looking for one or the other of her roommates; at that time in the morning, Miru should have been up for hours and was probably gone already, off trying to find something to entertain herself until their classes started, at ten thirty. Nozomi, she figured, would just be falling out of bed, if she was even awake at all--so hopefully no one would see her sneaking in.

The door closed behind her with a quiet creak, and she headed for her bedroom, ponytail swaying behind her.

It wasn't like Nazoko Kou to come sneaking in at the crack of dawn--she was more responsible than that... then again, she found herself doing more more things that could be considered irresponsible as of late, and this was only one of them. In her mind, though, she was attempting to justify the night before with the thought that she hadn't actually been out all night...

I was inside... I just wasn't in my own room...

The thought and what it hinted at almost made her blush, and she raised a hand to rub at one of her cheeks absently.

The truth was that she had spend the night with Hide... and if Nozomi ever caught wind of that fact, she would never hear the end of it. She was fairly sure that her sister had at least a vague idea of how intimate she was with him, but if she actually had proof--or what she thought was proof, anyway--Nazoko would very quickly find herself in trouble.

Giggling, squealing, annoying trouble.

She hoped to get in, change into new clothes, and get back out without anyone noticing.

"Nazoko-chan."

"Ah!" Surprised, she squeaked something almost indignant, and clamped a hand over her own mouth. "Miru-chan!"

The other girl, who was seated in the living room, reading over a thick, heavy novel--which she had probably borrowed from Josei--giggled softly, eyebrows lifting a bit. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Aha... I'm fine..." Nazoko couldn't help sweatdropping slightly as she waved one hand in Miru's direction. "Why do you ask?"

"You didn't come home last night." Miru's lips were quirking amusedly. "I had to convince Nozomi-chan not to launch a search party for you... I figured you and Hide-sama had gone out to a club or something."

"A club? Uh, yeah..."

"Or not?" A shrug, and Miru's beige hair shifted when she turned her eyes back to the book in her lap, a knowing expression on her face. "Well... that's what I told Nozomi-chan, anyway... she's still in bed, if you wanted to grab a shower and get changed." A pause, and green eyes flicked up toward her again; "you're looking a bit wrinkled, Nazoko-chan."

She couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks, a flare of bright red that almost matched her hair. "I--I wasn't--"

"You were too." A chuckle, and Miru turned the page in her novel. "Just don't let Nozomi-chan see that ring, or you'll be done for."

"My--"

Her eyes shifted downward, catching on the silver and red of the ring she was wearing.

The ring was a new development... something Hide had given her only the night before, and part of the reason that she hadn't come home. It was hard for her to believe that they had come so far in their relationship, but... well, there it was. A silver band, highlighted with rubies, worn on her ring finger. A promise of much more to come.

Gods, they had even discussed having children, when they were both ready.

"Omedetou ne, Nazoko-chan."

"I--"

"Omedetou for what?" The third voice made her jump again, and before she could turn around, a familiar orange-haired head was leaning over her shoulder, bright red eyes flitting straight down to her hand and-- "HAAA!!" Nazoko was spun around, her hand jerked up so Nozomi could look at it more closely, before she could even say a word; "Nazoko, this is a ring!"

Nazoko tried to take her hand back, but her sister would have none of it. "Tell me something I don't know." Her tone was a bit defensive, a lot embarassed.

"This is an engagement ring!"

The pitch to Nozomi's voice was raising. The girl was about to start squealing.

"And you didn't come home last night! I knew it! I KNEW IT!"

"Nozomi-chan..."

The slightly-younger twin continued to hold onto her sister's hand, bouncing slightly in her excitement, squealing softly. Over on the couch, Miru was giggling under her breath, giving Nazoko a sympathetic-but-amused look out of the corner of one eye, and Nazoko was almost glaring back at her--she wasn't helping. At. All.

Nazoko jerked her hand back, rubbing at her wrist a bit. "Nozomi, leave me alone."

"Heehee! I'm getting a brother-in-law!"

"No-Nozomi!"

"And neices and nephews!"

Her face flushed terribly again, Nazoko shoved her sister away. "Nozomi, shut up, shut up!"

"I'm only telling the truth!"

"...urusei."

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Naaaaaaaaa~" Nazoko made a break for the stairs, heading for her room as quickly as she could. "I have to go... I'm taking a nap."

"Because you didn't get much sleep last night, Na~zo~ko!"

If Nozomi hadn't scrambled frantically for the kitchen, she would have been clocked firmly in the head--when Nazoko grabbed a candle from the nearby bookshelves and flung it at her.


Nazoko just flings things at Nozomi a lot, doesn't she? ^^;;;

Comments

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Bunch of morons they could be most of the time...*sighs, shaking her head* Just show them a bit of skin and they're on you like rabid dogs...Ne, Ryoka-san? *chuckles, smiling at him* Any insight as to why that is?

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Hormones. *shrugs* I've been on both sides of the fence, so I kind of understand both... though I'll never be your typical guy...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *chuckles softly, leaning against her chair again, smiling vaguely* No one would say you were, Ryoka-san...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Mm? *lips quirk, looking over at her again* And why is that, Leika?

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *closing her eyes slightly, shrugging, still smiling vaguely* You know how it's like to be both a man and a woman. That is unique ne? Very untypical...*adjusting the cross of her legs slightly*

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Yes, well... *smiles vaguely, shaking his head* Not around Kaita-sei, ne? It's actually rather common around here...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Na...*chuckles, smiling vaguely* Maybe just around the capital too ne? Unless you have a country that breeds Starlights then...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *chuckles softly, shaking his head* At this rate around here, we might as well call ourselves a breeding program... when Kozue and I left back during Kokoro-hime's reign, it wasn't nearly so crowded around here...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *chuckles, sighs* It's true...The last time we were here, there was only until Seiya-tachi's kids and with Miru-san and her friends. Now, Hiromi-chan has children as well...*giggles softly*

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Time flies, I suppose... *shakes his head* Maa, just that before we left the Palace wasn't a place for children, and now they're crawling everywhere...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *giggles softly* Kakyuu-hime just loves her Starlights, apparently...As well as their children...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: I don't really blame her, I guess... everyone around here are good people... *shrugs* It just seems a little crowded at times...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *sighs, leaning back even more against her chair, drawing her arms lazily around her waist, fiddling with her fan a bit as she leans her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes* Mm...It's not so bad I suppose...Once you get used to it...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: It seems very strange to me, really... *shrugs* But then I've been gone a long time, haven't I...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: I believe you have been...*chuckles softly* I haven't even been born then...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: I suppose that's true... *chuckles, shaking his head* Maa ne, now I feel old...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *chuckles softly, sighs, opening her eyes a fraction* Anything I could do to make you feel young again, Ryoka-san, hm? It was my fault anyway...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *eyebrows quirk* Well... you could stop calling me 'Ryoka-san', for one thing... I much prefer just my name...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Aa, sou ne...Just 'Ryoka' then...*smiles vaguely* Anything else?

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *shrugs vaguely* Not really... unless you had any ideas?

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Hm...*flips her fan open, her eyes on it, shrugging, smiling vaguely* I have no more ideas, but if there are any you come up with just let me know...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *chuckles softly* If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were propositioning me...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Propositioning? *eyebrow quirks, looking at him, chuckles softly, smiling amusedly* Propositioning what, hm Ryoka?

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *shakes his head, lips quirking a bit* Maa ne... nandemonai...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *chuckles, eyeing him amusedly before looking away, uncrossing and crossing her legs again* All right then...Since you didn't want to share...