I associate anxiety with work, so I understand. (I had to specify university myself, because otherwise it sounded like they were in high school - and while Chiyo looks like she should be in high school, she's not.)
Yeah, I doubt Alain got a good look at Chiyo, much less Riko. (And Akari and Onari will want to know what Chiyo and Kanon learned at the talk.)
--- Chiyo still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to all this. She supposed it was better than being taken away immediately, her mother having arranged to meet up with the Ganma she'd met briefly earlier.
"Remember," her mother said softly. "He's a member of the royal family there, and even if he wasn't, he's your father."
She really didn't want to meet her Ganma father, even if she'd never have to call him that. But it would keep Riko safe, and it would give her family time to come up with a plan to at least get away, if not reseal the gateways. Her mother had reluctantly and briefly told her about the relationship, and asked her to tell nobody else.
As they walked up together, Chiyo got a good look at him. He looked slightly older than she did, a youth wearing strangely stylistic clothing. He wasn't what she expected a prince would look like.
"Prince Alain!" her mother called. The man - Ganma - turned towards her mother, a smile clear on his face.
"Kanon," he said, and he said Chiyo's mother's name with a fond diminutive. He could be temperamental, her mother had told her, but apart from a few incidents he'd been pleasant to her.
"Prince Alain, this is my daughter, Chiyo." Chiyo remembered to bow as her mom introduced her. "I was pregnant with her at the time you were last here."
Prince Alain looked at Chiyo appraisingly. "This is the one who took so long?"
"And that I wasn't sure I could carry to term." Chiyo's mother was still smiling. "Ganma reproduce so much faster than humans."
He nodded. "Have you decided to come home?"
"I hope we can just talk today, Prince Alain." The smile hadn't left her face, but Chiyo could tell she was tense. "There's so much Chiyo doesn't know about the Ganma and I'd rather she learn more before we come."
"You mean that Makoto has been filling her head with rubbish." He frowned briefly. "Very well, what do you want to know?"
They stayed for far longer than Chiyo would have preferred, wishing just to rush back home. Prince Alain's attitudes were frustrating and fit with what her uncles had told her. There seemed to be no family bonds outside maybe the royal family. It was the worst when her mother had wandered away from the conversation, though she stayed nearby.
Prince Alain didn't seem to understand why her uncle Makoto had left, or much about humans. As far as he was concerned, the Ganma had a perfect world, and Chiyo was sure he didn't understand why her family wasn't rushing to return.
She, on the other hand, would gladly run if it meant not being like her father. There was no way she would ever set foot - or other appendage - in the Ganma world willingly.
Once her mother had finished talking to Prince Alain, she was out of there. "What did you think?" her mother asked on the way home.
"I couldn't live there." Chiyo shook her head. "He'd have to send me there by force." Reduced to an Eyecon, if she remembered what her mother had said correctly.
"Which he would." Her mother sighed. Her words made Chiyo shiver once more. "But I won't let him take you, and neither will your uncle."
She had faith in her mother, and her uncles. They would keep her safe, and the world safe. They'd done it once, and they'd do it again.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2016-02-09 12:23 am (UTC)Yeah, I doubt Alain got a good look at Chiyo, much less Riko. (And Akari and Onari will want to know what Chiyo and Kanon learned at the talk.)
---
Chiyo still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to all this. She supposed it was better than being taken away immediately, her mother having arranged to meet up with the Ganma she'd met briefly earlier.
"Remember," her mother said softly. "He's a member of the royal family there, and even if he wasn't, he's your father."
She really didn't want to meet her Ganma father, even if she'd never have to call him that. But it would keep Riko safe, and it would give her family time to come up with a plan to at least get away, if not reseal the gateways. Her mother had reluctantly and briefly told her about the relationship, and asked her to tell nobody else.
As they walked up together, Chiyo got a good look at him. He looked slightly older than she did, a youth wearing strangely stylistic clothing. He wasn't what she expected a prince would look like.
"Prince Alain!" her mother called. The man - Ganma - turned towards her mother, a smile clear on his face.
"Kanon," he said, and he said Chiyo's mother's name with a fond diminutive. He could be temperamental, her mother had told her, but apart from a few incidents he'd been pleasant to her.
"Prince Alain, this is my daughter, Chiyo." Chiyo remembered to bow as her mom introduced her. "I was pregnant with her at the time you were last here."
Prince Alain looked at Chiyo appraisingly. "This is the one who took so long?"
"And that I wasn't sure I could carry to term." Chiyo's mother was still smiling. "Ganma reproduce so much faster than humans."
He nodded. "Have you decided to come home?"
"I hope we can just talk today, Prince Alain." The smile hadn't left her face, but Chiyo could tell she was tense. "There's so much Chiyo doesn't know about the Ganma and I'd rather she learn more before we come."
"You mean that Makoto has been filling her head with rubbish." He frowned briefly. "Very well, what do you want to know?"
They stayed for far longer than Chiyo would have preferred, wishing just to rush back home. Prince Alain's attitudes were frustrating and fit with what her uncles had told her. There seemed to be no family bonds outside maybe the royal family. It was the worst when her mother had wandered away from the conversation, though she stayed nearby.
Prince Alain didn't seem to understand why her uncle Makoto had left, or much about humans. As far as he was concerned, the Ganma had a perfect world, and Chiyo was sure he didn't understand why her family wasn't rushing to return.
She, on the other hand, would gladly run if it meant not being like her father. There was no way she would ever set foot - or other appendage - in the Ganma world willingly.
Once her mother had finished talking to Prince Alain, she was out of there. "What did you think?" her mother asked on the way home.
"I couldn't live there." Chiyo shook her head. "He'd have to send me there by force." Reduced to an Eyecon, if she remembered what her mother had said correctly.
"Which he would." Her mother sighed. Her words made Chiyo shiver once more. "But I won't let him take you, and neither will your uncle."
She had faith in her mother, and her uncles. They would keep her safe, and the world safe. They'd done it once, and they'd do it again.