Second Son, part 4
Sep. 18th, 2008 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
estiroseHere's Second Son part 4.
Title: Second Son (part 4)
Author: Estirose
Fandom: Kamen Rider Kiva
Rating: 8+
Spoilers: episode 32+
Summary: Taiga, feeling sorry for Wataru, tries to improve his life a little. Wataru does not appreciate Taiga's plan.
Note: I pulled a random trope off of "TVTropes". It came up "Unwanted Harem". It may or may not be true to that trope, but....
Wataru was working at his violin later that afternoon when the doorbell rang. He peeked down, and saw a woman he didn't recognize, which was normal. Probably a salesperson.
He went downstairs, still wearing his apron. "Hello?" he asked cautiously as he came up to the gate.
"Hello, Kurenai-san," the woman said. Once he looked at her, he thought she looked vaguely familiar. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Takamoto Keiko."
"Oh, yes. From the dinner the other night." Hadn't Taiga-kun said something about not calling him until the next day?
"I'm pleased that you remember me," she said. "I wanted to let you know that I live and work nearby, so I hope it will not inconvenience you to go out with me." She produced a business card from her purse. "This is my phone number; I'm including my private cell phone. I'd love to have dinner with you sometime and tell you why I'm a good choice."
"Um. Thank you," Wataru said, accepting the card. "Takanoko-sensei."
She smiled. "Please consider me," she said, before bowing and leaving.
He stared at the card, put it away, and then went back up to work on his violin.
* * *
The next morning, he had two messages on his cellphone by the time he got up. One was from Shoji-san, the other from Nakamura-san, both asking very politely for him to call them back. He debated not calling them, but decided it was better to do so and live with an uncomfortable date or two than deal with Taiga deciding for him. Plus, it might buy him time.
Mentally, if he had to marry, he probably would choose maybe Shoji-san and Watanuki-san, the ones that sounded like he could tolerate the best. But only if he had to.
That only left three others he had to 'date'. Watanuki-san, Kuramae-san, and Hideaki-san. He already had Taiga-kun's approval to drop Kuramae-san. He called Shoji-san back first.
"Oh, hello, Kurenai-san," Shoji-san said. "I'm glad you got my message." She did sound genuinely glad for that. Wataru had to wonder what Taiga-kun's aide had told her. "Where would you like to meet? A restaurant?"
"Actually," Wataru said, not wanting to embarrass himself, "I've heard that you like the outdoors, so I was thinking of a picnic?"
"That would be wonderful!" Shoji-san had been polite before; now she sounded genuinely interested.
"And perhaps... you could suggest a good place?" He was still feeling around what he had to do; he definitely didn't want to turn Shoji-san off.
"I can do that," she said. "Let me think, and I'll find us the perfect place."
"Someplace private?" Wataru asked. "I don't want you to be constrained to human form if you don't want to be." He knew he was probably overdoing it, but he wanted it to go right.
"You're very considerate, Kurenai-san," she said. "But I'll stay in human form on the first date, I promise. After that.... well, if you wish, we can look at some of my family's properties, and there I'll feel freer."
"I understand," Wataru-san said. "Whatever Shoji-san is comfortable with."
"I'll call you back," Shoji-san promised.
He closed the call with some relief, and then dialed Nakamura-san. He didn't want to deal with her, really, but he'd do one date. To be polite. "Hello, Nakamura-san?"
"Oh, hello, Kurenai-san," the woman greeted him. "This is a bad time; may I call you back later?"
"Sure," he said. "Please think of a place that you'd like to go for dinner." One date. He could do one date.
"Certainly," she said. "I'll talk to you later, Kurenai-san. Thank you for your consideration."
He hung up. Only three more to go.
Since he didn't have their cell phone numbers, Wataru had no choice but to wait for his 'dates' to call back. The doorbell rang again as he worked, and he peeked out the window. "Another Fangire?" he wondered.
So, he went down, coming to his gate. "Hello?" he asked.
"Hello, Kurenai-san," the girl said. "I'm Kuramae Yuki, may I talk to you?"
Kuramae-san was the one that he could say no to a date on, though he suspected he might just do it anyway to be polite. "Yes, certainly." He opened the gate.
She came inside. "Thank you for seeing me, Kurenai-san. I hope I'm not being too forward."
"No, you're not," he said, walking her into the house, down the stairs to his table.. "Kuramae-san, what made you choose to offer yourself as a possible wife? I got the impression that your family is made of scholars and bureaucrats, and nobody in your family's ever married into a royal line...." He was painfully aware he was practically quoting Taiga-kun, but Taiga-kun would understand.
"Well, it was either that or not record the thing for posterity," Kuramae-san said. "So, I applied, I went there... I wasn't expecting our King to choose me. I'm sorry if I've caused you any inconvenience. You'd think I was my crazy brother...."
"Kuramae Noboru-san?" Wataru asked, trying to think of a way to broach the subject of killing her brother.
"Exactly," she said, looking a bit startled. "I'd have you meet him, but he's a poor reflection on the family, and we don't know where he is...."
"I, um. Killed him. He fell in love with Megumi-san, my friend. She's human." He hoped she wouldn't feel the need to avenge her brother. "I'm sorry."
Kuramae Yuki sighed. "Noboru, Noboru, Noboru. Kurenai-san, I'm sorry you had to deal with him. I bet he thought that there was nobody to mete out the Queen's Justice when there was no Queen around."
"So... you're not mad with me... about your brother?" Wataru asked, surprised he didn't have to transform to prevent his own death.
"For dealing the Queen's Justice? No," Kuramae-san said. "Why?"
"Taiga-kun... the whole reason for all this is because I've been killing other Fangire. Taiga-kun says that your brother was the only justified one."
Kuramae-san blinked. "I can see why you're considered a troublesome little brother then," she said quietly. "So, my brother?"
"Taiga also said it was the Queen's Justice," Wataru said.
"I'm sorry again for what you had to do, Kurenai-san," Kuramae-san said. She gazed at him solemnly. "Thank you for telling me."
Wataru nodded. "If you want, I'll take you off the list," he said. "I wouldn't blame you, especially if you're not interested in marrying me."
Kuramae-san gave him a sudden laugh. "A Kuramae marrying a royal? That doesn't happen. I'm not sure why I even made it to this stage."
"Taiga-kun says he thinks we would make a good pair," Wataru said.
Kuramae-san stopped laughing and suddenly looked somber. "I don't know, Kurenai-san. I'm sure Nobori-san thinks I'm a good candidate... but it would go against family tradition. Let me ask my parents, see what they think, before giving you an answer. Okay?"
Wataru nodded. "Yes, that's okay. Thank you for coming, Kuramae-san."
"Thank you for having me," she said, getting up."
After he escorted her through the gate, he was left to his violin and his own thoughts.
Title: Second Son (part 4)
Author: Estirose
Fandom: Kamen Rider Kiva
Rating: 8+
Spoilers: episode 32+
Summary: Taiga, feeling sorry for Wataru, tries to improve his life a little. Wataru does not appreciate Taiga's plan.
Note: I pulled a random trope off of "TVTropes". It came up "Unwanted Harem". It may or may not be true to that trope, but....
Wataru was working at his violin later that afternoon when the doorbell rang. He peeked down, and saw a woman he didn't recognize, which was normal. Probably a salesperson.
He went downstairs, still wearing his apron. "Hello?" he asked cautiously as he came up to the gate.
"Hello, Kurenai-san," the woman said. Once he looked at her, he thought she looked vaguely familiar. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Takamoto Keiko."
"Oh, yes. From the dinner the other night." Hadn't Taiga-kun said something about not calling him until the next day?
"I'm pleased that you remember me," she said. "I wanted to let you know that I live and work nearby, so I hope it will not inconvenience you to go out with me." She produced a business card from her purse. "This is my phone number; I'm including my private cell phone. I'd love to have dinner with you sometime and tell you why I'm a good choice."
"Um. Thank you," Wataru said, accepting the card. "Takanoko-sensei."
She smiled. "Please consider me," she said, before bowing and leaving.
He stared at the card, put it away, and then went back up to work on his violin.
* * *
The next morning, he had two messages on his cellphone by the time he got up. One was from Shoji-san, the other from Nakamura-san, both asking very politely for him to call them back. He debated not calling them, but decided it was better to do so and live with an uncomfortable date or two than deal with Taiga deciding for him. Plus, it might buy him time.
Mentally, if he had to marry, he probably would choose maybe Shoji-san and Watanuki-san, the ones that sounded like he could tolerate the best. But only if he had to.
That only left three others he had to 'date'. Watanuki-san, Kuramae-san, and Hideaki-san. He already had Taiga-kun's approval to drop Kuramae-san. He called Shoji-san back first.
"Oh, hello, Kurenai-san," Shoji-san said. "I'm glad you got my message." She did sound genuinely glad for that. Wataru had to wonder what Taiga-kun's aide had told her. "Where would you like to meet? A restaurant?"
"Actually," Wataru said, not wanting to embarrass himself, "I've heard that you like the outdoors, so I was thinking of a picnic?"
"That would be wonderful!" Shoji-san had been polite before; now she sounded genuinely interested.
"And perhaps... you could suggest a good place?" He was still feeling around what he had to do; he definitely didn't want to turn Shoji-san off.
"I can do that," she said. "Let me think, and I'll find us the perfect place."
"Someplace private?" Wataru asked. "I don't want you to be constrained to human form if you don't want to be." He knew he was probably overdoing it, but he wanted it to go right.
"You're very considerate, Kurenai-san," she said. "But I'll stay in human form on the first date, I promise. After that.... well, if you wish, we can look at some of my family's properties, and there I'll feel freer."
"I understand," Wataru-san said. "Whatever Shoji-san is comfortable with."
"I'll call you back," Shoji-san promised.
He closed the call with some relief, and then dialed Nakamura-san. He didn't want to deal with her, really, but he'd do one date. To be polite. "Hello, Nakamura-san?"
"Oh, hello, Kurenai-san," the woman greeted him. "This is a bad time; may I call you back later?"
"Sure," he said. "Please think of a place that you'd like to go for dinner." One date. He could do one date.
"Certainly," she said. "I'll talk to you later, Kurenai-san. Thank you for your consideration."
He hung up. Only three more to go.
Since he didn't have their cell phone numbers, Wataru had no choice but to wait for his 'dates' to call back. The doorbell rang again as he worked, and he peeked out the window. "Another Fangire?" he wondered.
So, he went down, coming to his gate. "Hello?" he asked.
"Hello, Kurenai-san," the girl said. "I'm Kuramae Yuki, may I talk to you?"
Kuramae-san was the one that he could say no to a date on, though he suspected he might just do it anyway to be polite. "Yes, certainly." He opened the gate.
She came inside. "Thank you for seeing me, Kurenai-san. I hope I'm not being too forward."
"No, you're not," he said, walking her into the house, down the stairs to his table.. "Kuramae-san, what made you choose to offer yourself as a possible wife? I got the impression that your family is made of scholars and bureaucrats, and nobody in your family's ever married into a royal line...." He was painfully aware he was practically quoting Taiga-kun, but Taiga-kun would understand.
"Well, it was either that or not record the thing for posterity," Kuramae-san said. "So, I applied, I went there... I wasn't expecting our King to choose me. I'm sorry if I've caused you any inconvenience. You'd think I was my crazy brother...."
"Kuramae Noboru-san?" Wataru asked, trying to think of a way to broach the subject of killing her brother.
"Exactly," she said, looking a bit startled. "I'd have you meet him, but he's a poor reflection on the family, and we don't know where he is...."
"I, um. Killed him. He fell in love with Megumi-san, my friend. She's human." He hoped she wouldn't feel the need to avenge her brother. "I'm sorry."
Kuramae Yuki sighed. "Noboru, Noboru, Noboru. Kurenai-san, I'm sorry you had to deal with him. I bet he thought that there was nobody to mete out the Queen's Justice when there was no Queen around."
"So... you're not mad with me... about your brother?" Wataru asked, surprised he didn't have to transform to prevent his own death.
"For dealing the Queen's Justice? No," Kuramae-san said. "Why?"
"Taiga-kun... the whole reason for all this is because I've been killing other Fangire. Taiga-kun says that your brother was the only justified one."
Kuramae-san blinked. "I can see why you're considered a troublesome little brother then," she said quietly. "So, my brother?"
"Taiga also said it was the Queen's Justice," Wataru said.
"I'm sorry again for what you had to do, Kurenai-san," Kuramae-san said. She gazed at him solemnly. "Thank you for telling me."
Wataru nodded. "If you want, I'll take you off the list," he said. "I wouldn't blame you, especially if you're not interested in marrying me."
Kuramae-san gave him a sudden laugh. "A Kuramae marrying a royal? That doesn't happen. I'm not sure why I even made it to this stage."
"Taiga-kun says he thinks we would make a good pair," Wataru said.
Kuramae-san stopped laughing and suddenly looked somber. "I don't know, Kurenai-san. I'm sure Nobori-san thinks I'm a good candidate... but it would go against family tradition. Let me ask my parents, see what they think, before giving you an answer. Okay?"
Wataru nodded. "Yes, that's okay. Thank you for coming, Kuramae-san."
"Thank you for having me," she said, getting up."
After he escorted her through the gate, he was left to his violin and his own thoughts.
