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

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *looks at her for a moment and then clears his throat vaguely* We were all over the place, actually... we travelled for a long while. *shrugs* We ended up on Earth...

I kind of like her outfit, actually. ^^; Suits her...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Earth ne? Hm...*smiling vaguely, looking at her fan* We went there when the Elemental Moonstar strayed there and revived Hideto-oujisama...We had to help control it...

Maaa..."Stars Align..." spoiler.^^;;

Yeah, she's got the body for it.^^

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Mmhm... *considers, eyebrows lifting a bit* Aa... Kozue and I weren't in Tokyo then, but I remember for a while I could feel other Lights... I'm told a few of the othes were there.

Yaaaay! >^-^

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Aa...Seiya-tachi along with Kira and Aoi. *smiles vaguely* Very strange those times...

Ahahaha...^^;;

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *glances out the window absently* Kozue wanted to go and see what was going on... but I wouldn't let him...

*patpat* Write more when you have a chance. ^^ No worries.

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Aa...Hm...*looking down at her fan then, trailing her fingers against it again* So that was what was distracting Yaten then...She said she felt stars...The same, but different...

Maa...I hope I get to continue it really...^^;; Though I really do want to revise the whole thing...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *looks back toward her, eyebrows lifting a bit* Mm... I've heard that Yaten is Empathic... I suppose she would have been able to sense us even more than any of the others...

*shrugs* I wouldn't worry about it too much. ^^ There's not all that much that doesn't work in our new little universe... just say it was before Seiya and Yaten got together, ne?

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Aa. *nods* If they hadn't been busy I'm sure they would have investigated it...*chuckles softly* You could have been found earlier...

That and I really want to put in the people left behind in Kinmoku during that time...Maaaa neeee...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Mm... *frowns a bit, then shakes his head* I'm rather glad we weren't found earlier, actually... and we weren't actually "found" anyway. *lips quirk* Kozue managed to convince me to help Taiga and Hikaru out while we were in Japan... hm. First time I'd used my senshi form in years and years...

Maaa... *patpat*

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *looking at him, smiling vaguely, tilting her head a bit* How did it feel? Using that form again...

Yeah...So, Kozue and Ryoka could still transform?

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *chuckles softly, shaking his head, glancing up at her again* Very strange... hadn't been female in all that time, either... but it's surprising, I hadn't forgotten anything...

*shrugs* Their Stars still exist, and they weren't around to be formally retired, so...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Maa ne...*chuckles softly, smiling still* Why do you think you would ever forget? What does it matter if it was so long...

I guess that is true...*nods*

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: I don't know... it'd just been a long time. I'd've thought I'd be rusty, but it all came back to me like I'd never stopped. *shrugs a bit* Don't know why I figured that...

Probably after they end up back on Kinmokusei, they'd send their Stars to rest, though. ^^;; They had a good run...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *smiles vaguely* Taiki once told me that you live by your stars...You are your stars, no matter what form you take in...

Yeah.^^ And they are back so...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Aa... it's true... *smiles faintly, looking out the window and up toward the sky* Even if I'm not a Starlight anymore, I can still feel Archer with me...

Exactly. ^^ But while they were on Earth, they were still technically active Starlights... I actually have a whole storyline partially-worked-out that took place while Hikaru and Taiga were on their honeymoon that dealt with Ryoka and Kozue... ^^;;;

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Aa...*chuckles softly* It's good then ne? You feel protected...I believe it's like our bond with our land...

I know.^^ Whatever happened with that...

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *smiles vaguely, looking back toward her* Aa, you're probably right...

Ahahaha... ^^;; The same thing that's happened to a lot of the scenes that I wanted to write, I think...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *sighs, smiling vaguely* So wherever you go it's as if you haven't really gone far...

Yeah, I guess...^^;

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *nods a bit, smiling faintly* Aa... it is like that...

Maybe I can get some writing done over the next week, since I can't go back to work for a few days... ^^;

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Mmhm...Ne, if you don't mind me asking, Ryoka. *looks at him* Did you ever Kinmoku-sei when you were away?

Yaaaaa~y!^^

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *smile fades, looking down a bit, considering* I did sometimes... but for the most part I was happy where we were... thinking about home made me remember why I left--and being here now does, too... but I can't run forever, and it's not fair to Kozue to hide for the rest of our lives... *trails off, shaking his head, and sighs a bit* Maa. Told you a bit more than I originally intended, there...

^^;; No promises... I have to get a lot of rest, too. Actually, I should go soon so I can get some sleep... but I'll try. >^-^;;

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: *smiles vaguely* Thank you for being open with me though it wasn't intentional, Ryoka...

Okay.^^ Just what you can come up with and get some rest, yes!^^

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: Mm. *chuckles softly, shaking his head* Not used to actually talking to people, I think...

^^;; Okay...

[cassandracsenta.livejournal.com]

Leika: Na? *chuckles softly, smiling at him* And you open up to me? I must be special...

Just get better ne?^^

[senashenta.livejournal.com]

Ryoka: *eyebrows quirk a bit* I guess you could say that...

I'll try. ^^; I hope I do, anyway...