Well. I had completely forgotten about this series and how much I enjoyed the
first part, and then I notice the second part in my inbox. And a very
pleasant surprise it turned out to be. This one was as fun to read as the
first. I really like the characters. I'm not sure exactly where the story is
going, but so far it makes a good environment for the characters to run around
in.
"You look like you're searching," the muse continued as if
his entire consideration had taken only a glance's time. Kenji
swallowed hard, trying to remember why he had come here. "Can I
help you find?"
The wording here seems odd at first, but on the second reading I like it.
"Yessir," Kenji growled as he departed obsequiously in
Tanako's direction.
"That's a good boy," Ichiro praised, as much to Masao as to
Kenji. "Now, if you don't mind..."
Masao shook his head. "So, if you can control Kenji, why
haven't you--"
Masao is rather gullible, isn't he?
"Ooh, are those the oatmeal kind?"
Kenji grabbed the plate in a fit of inspiration. "Yeah.
Want one?"
"Sure!" Caravan hopped to her feet and yanked a cookie from
the plate. Flopping on the bed, she munched happily.
Can muses get ADD? I wonder if that hurt Caravan in Muse Academy, or maybe
helped? Perhaps that would explain why inspiration seems to come and go in
such bursts. ^_^
"I know. I'm..." Caravan gazed down at the wrinkled
bedspread. "...Kenji?" She had barely whispered his name, but he
could hear it perfectly, just inside his ears.
"Yeah?"
Caravan looked up slowly. She was pouting slightly, head
tilted coyly. Her eyes, moist, trembling, expressed to Kenji more
than he could put to words in a lifetime. Kenji felt something in
his stomach quiver. He prepared himself for an apologetic
confession, ready to return in kind, maybe with a hug, or a soft
look into her doe-wide eyes. Between blinks, she changed, just a
little; she seemed so soft, so vulnerable. Kenji wanted to
protect her as much as she must have wanted to inspire him. He
felt suddenly sympathetic, and held back a sigh.
She opened her mouth, but didn't speak. Kenji waited
patiently as she chose her words.
Kenji?"
"Yes?"
She looked at the bed. "Can I have another cookie?"
On word: HAHAHAHA! That was great. I'm not sure if she was teasing him, but
it seemed innocent to me. Either way, this was my favorite part of the
chapter.
The first word that flashed in Kenji's mind was 'no', but he
refrained from speaking it. "I guess I have no reason not to
believe you." He smiled and shrugged. "Your story's as good as
any, I suppose."
Kenji's muse nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, are we
gonna talk ourselves to death, or are we going to shop?"
Kenji just learned an important lesson: never say what you _really_ think. :)
"Huh?" Even as he feigned ignorance, the blood coursing to
his face betrayed him. As he warmed in a flush, Caravan's grin
grew, at once sympathetic and malicious. She returned to a normal
standing position, lingering on the subtle poses between. Her
arms remained extended, her weak fists wrapped around the ends of
the long sleeves.
But then again, this makes me think the cookie thing wasn't so innocent.
"Wait!" Kenji had thought the word, but Caravan had said it.
"The store I found is right up your alley. You'd... " She groped
for a colloquialism. "...you'd really dig it. It's funky." She
instantly regretted her word choice, and Kenji joined her in a
mutual cringe.
Such is the curse of the muse, to provide inspiration but not have it
herself. Which is the
Tanako shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. Nothing really
great. But I'm not much for his type of poetry. Too many weird
images." She smiled. "You could probably write a lot better than
him."
Ouch. Ouch again.
Good episode. And it just feels so... Anime!
Renaissance, Focus, Caravan: All are names of progressive rock
bands from the 70's. Muses have a tendency to be names after prog
bands these days.
Ugh. As long as King Crimson the Muse doesn't pop up, it's okay. ^_-
More, please. ^_^
Chris Burke
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------==
| Life is like a simile.
| http://www.umich.edu/~wyrm/abp Original anime-style drawings
| http://www.planetquake.com/archmage Quake conversion
| http://www.umich.edu/~wyrm/uo Ultima Online stories
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