Tachi opened her closet doors as she puzzled her way through 
Nabiki's impromptu test.  _Mom wants me to be able to relax and have fun, 
so I can narrow my choices down to my generation._  A sundress went 
flying across the room to land near the bed.  _If Ranko isn't going, 
then Ran certainly isn't._  A more formal gown followed the sundress.  
_Father would certainly frown on my best friend's fiancee as a traveling 
companion, even if Mom was feeling perverse._
	Tachi paused as she reached the more combat-suitable section of 
her wardrobe.  "I might as well," she sighed as she held up a dark-knit,  
form-fitting jumpsuit.  "A trip to China means Jusenkyo and Joketsuzoku.  
There's no way I'll be able to avoid fighting altogether, unless... no, 
Mom wouldn't send Bell-chan with me to China.  She's the antithesis of 
the Amazons; they wouldn't understand a woman so peaceful that she can 
end a fight just by walking past the combatants."
	Tachi frowned.  _That doesn't leave many other people.  There's 
Ryuunosuke, and there's-"
	The jumpsuit fell to the carpet.  "Satsuke!" Tachi shouted.  "Have my 
scooter powered up.  I'm going to Grace Brothers."

* * * * *

	_Which floor is he on?_ Tachi asked herself.  _They keep moving 
the Ladys' and Gents' Department around... oh, wait, there's that 
supercilious floorwalker.  I'm in the right spot._  The short-haired 
girl hopped out of the elevator just as the doors were about to close.
	A mannequin dominated the center of the floor, moving jerkily 
under the influence of outdated robotics technology.  Tachi ignored the 
display; her tastes ran to the ultra-modern and the archaic, not the 
obsolete.
	A slender man with age-silvered golden hair saw the teenager 
approach.  "Why, hello there, Miss Kuno," he greeted her cheerfully from 
behind the display counter.  "I do believe Mister Kuonji is just 
finishing with a customer."  The salesman finished folding a pair of 
y-fronts.  "Are you free, Mister Kuonji?" he called to the fitting room.
	"I'm free, Mister Humphries," a kawaii voice echoed back.
	A moment later, Shun Kuonji appeared.  Of an age and height with 
Tachi, his hair was much longer and his voice much higher.  To Tachi's 
eternal dismay, he also had a narrower waist.  The combined effect was 
disconcerting, and even those who knew Shun well had to remind themselves 
that he was a boy.
	"I wonder what your transdimensional half-brother's gender sense 
would make of you," Tachi whispered under her breath.
	"Permission to speak with the daughter of a stockholder?" Shun 
asked Mister Humphries.
	"Permission granted, Mister Kuonji."  To Tachi, he added, "Don't 
keep him too long.  Old Spit and Polish Peacock is in a right mood today."
	"That might be a problem," Tachi mused.  "No, wait, Mom would have 
taken care of it."  The mercenary girl grabbed Shun by the arm.  "You've 
got to start packing.  We're going to China."
	The floorwalker, just now noticing the commotion in the Gents' 
department, walked over and attempted to throw his weight around.  "Now 
see here, Miss, you can't just carry our saleswo- salesme- sales_persons_ 
out of the store."
	"I'm sure it's all right," Tachi reassured, batting her eyelashes 
to throw Captain Peacock off guard.  "If you check with Young Mister 
Grace, you'll find that Mister Kuonji has some vacation time coming up."
	"Well."  Peacock cleared his throat and stood ramrod straight.  
"I'll do just that."
	"Good."  Tachi dragged Shun away before the floorwalker could say 
anything else.
	"What was that about?" the androgynous boy asked as the elevator 
doors shut them away from the Lady's and Gents' Department.  "Do I really 
have vacation time?"
	"I'm sure you do.  My Mom planned this, and the day she can't get 
a favor from Young Mister Grace is the day he goes blind _and_ deaf."
	"He already is," Shun reminded his friend.
	"He's only _mostly_ blind and deaf."
	"Isn't that like being mostly dead?"
	"No, that's when you need a miracle pill to rescue your true love."
	"I thought mostly dead was when you threatened to bite someone's 
kneecaps off."
	"No, that's Marvel-dead.  You also get to come back the next time the 
issue number hits a multiple of twenty five."
	"Whatever." The elevator opened onto one of the parking levels.  
"Please tell me you had Satsuke drive you here in your mom's limo."
	Tachi frowned at Shun.  "No, I brought my scooter.  Do you have a 
problem with that?"
	"Well, I'm rather attached to the concept of living."
	"Hey, I'm a good driver," the mercenary girl said defensively.
	Shun shrugged.  "If you ever find a way to be your own passenger, 
I think you'll change your mind."
	Tachi reached for a scathing comeback, but the unintentional 
irony of Shun's words made it die before she could give it voice.  In 
silence she handed the boy a spare helmet.  Shun caught her mood, and in 
silence they rode away.
 ______
{B-{=__

Author's Note:  As I plot these story segments out, I realize that 
they're noticeably shorter than the chapters of D&I.  Sorry about that.  I 
think this might be my length limit on POV sections.  Symm P focuses on 
far fewer characters than D&I did, so I run out of things to say faster 
before I have to take a break.
	I hope I spelled the AYBS characters' names right.