Joker pounded his fist on the desktop in frustration. "Arrrrghhhh!" he growled to no one in particular. He didn't need Raiha here to tell him that this was cheese... and not cheese at its best.
"Are we trying for cheddar or mozzarella?" inquired a wry voice from over his shoulder, and Joker started in surprise. He sighed.
"Why did I have a feeling you were going to arrive from nowhere and say something like that?" he inquired plainatively.
"It might be muenster he's trying for," suggested Neon helpfully from Raiha's side. "I can smell it all the way over here." She giggled unhelpfully.
"Oi, Neon-han, be gentle with the poor, delicate soul of a writer," answered Joker mournfully. He indicated the computer screen distastefully. "But I seem to have lost the gift at the moment... the ideas are there! But the words refuse to come."
"Perhaps you should forget writing as a hobby," offered Neon. "You could go back to cross-stitch or quilting."
"Admit it. You're cranky because you're hopelessly in love with me," said Joker, grinning fangedly. He clasped his hands and batted his eyelashes-- this last gesture was lost on Neon, because she couldn't see his eyes; however, the action was implied. "Ah, poor Neon-han! One of many women in the world, out there, pining for the unattainable love of Joker--"
"You wish!" answered Neon with a laugh. "If there are so many of us, you shouldn't have to be struggling to write your own fics."
"Your last attempt at romance didn't go over too well, I noticed," remarked Raiha, allowing himself a small grin.
"Yeah... so I'm trying drama this time," answered Joker, looking forlornly at the keyboard which refused to type out the right words. "But it's not working, either."
"Oh, was that what it was supposed to be?" inquired Neon, a little too innocently. "It looked more like a fantasy to me."
"Only a fantasy in your mind," he responded lightly, with a flick of his fingers dismissing the subject. "But may I comment upon the amazing taste you show in your daydreams?"
Neon was about to retort, when Raiha interrupted. "How about," he suggested, with a gleam in his eyes, "You two give it a try again? Writing a Joker/Neon fic. Only thing is, Joker-san, you have to write about Neon-san, and Neon-san, you have to write from Joker-san's perspective."
The two looked at each other.
"Sounds dangerous," smirked Joker. "I'm game."
Neon was smiling, too. "Sounds like fun," she giggled. "Joker-san, would you care to go first?" She slid into the chair next to Joker's so the keyboard could be passed to her when it was her turn.
Joker dragged his fingers over the keys for a moment, deep in thought, before
he began his keypecking.
Neon tucked a stray strand of red hair behind her ear as she pretended to dust. Who was that handsome, mysterious man who had recently been seen in Mori Kouran's mansion? He must be one of the newest members of the Uruha, she reasoned, watching him through narrowed eyes as he entered the room. She made up her mind to find out more about him. She had lain awake at night many times, entertaining herself with lemon-tinted thoughts, and the beautiful, busty woman now made up her mind to take the first step towards making her daydreams into reality.
Joker didn't even notice the dazzling beauty of the maid who was pretending to dust in the corner of the room. He was like that-- he tended to be too wrapped up in himself to notice others when it didn't suit him. Such arrogance was typical of him, although still part of his questionable charm. It was not until the maid had coughed several times and had repeated, "Excuse me?" that he finally recovered from his egocentrical daydream long enough to pay attention to the temporarily distracted female.
Neon had been mildly surprised that she had not been previously introduced to this astoundingly handsome new member. She herself had been recently admitted into the Uruha, and though she still kept up some of her housekeeping duties, she had expected to be informed of new recruits. But no one had mentioned this to her at all. She was pleased when the stranger turned his attention on her and gave her an amazingly charming grin, complete with fang. Her previous petty annoyance at having difficulty catching his attention vanished. I'm sure he was thinking of something important, she reasoned to herself. A man with such important things on his mind can't be expected to drop everything and talk to me just because I'm curious to meet him. She returned his smile and said, "Hello, I'm Neon... I noticed you've been around Kurei-sama for a while, and I thought I would introduce myself."
Joker appraised the maid's lovely form and figure with a swift once-over and smiled approvingly to himself. (Amazing how he could give anyone a swift once-over, what with all those bangs in his eyes, plus that ridiculous mask, ne?) After all, not even a self-centered arrogant freak from Osaka could remain immune to her charms. Unfortunately. "Oi, it's nice to meet you, Neon-han," he answered, and she flinched. His voice was actually pleasant, though marred by his Kansai accent. Neon asked him about who he was. Joker smiled politely and informed her that he was a recent initiate into the Uruha. "Just a minor cog," he added. "No one important." He did not wish to broadcast to the world that he was, in fact, a member of the Jyushinshu, the Uruha elite. Probably admitted into that group while Kurei-sama had undergone a rare lapse of judgement.
Neon smiled. "I'm a member of the Uruha, too," she explained, and reached out a hand to Joker's chest to trace the outline of the spade over his heart. "Perhaps we could get together sometime... I'll be happy to show you the ropes," she added, with a sultry smile.
Joker was intoxicated by the obvious beauty of this fellow member of the Uruha standing before him-- who wouldn't?-- but by a supreme effort, he managed to resist the temptation to accept her offer. "Arigatou, but no thank you," he answered, taking her wrist and removing it from his person. "I wouldn't want to bother you."
"It would be no bother at all!" Neon reassured him, refusing to leave. This time she looped both arms around his neck and gazed up at where she assumed his eyes were. His mask rather got in the way of long, adoring looks, didn't it? She could sense his thoughts as he made a mental note to adapt his costume sometime in the future. "Believe me, I really want to," she murmured huskily.
Joker sweatdropped. Who was this crazy-- albeit beautiful and probably otherwise intelligent-- woman? "Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, bordering on the irate. It was impossible to be completely irate, after all, with such beauty in close proximity to him. Still, these unwanted advances had to be addressed and dealt with.
Neon sighed and released her captive. She turned her back and stared at her fingernails. "Gomen," she said. "I don't know what came over me. But--" and she turned slightly, looking up at Joker with sad, honest eyes, "But, despite my actions, I really do think you're a great person. And I want to be able to know you better in the future... I don't think we'll have much work together in the forseeable future, but you did catch my eye... and I just wanted to let you know."
Joker had been about to storm out of the room in a huff, but something stopped him. He looked solemnly at the beautiful-- yet somehow vulnerable-- figure of the woman before him. If she was Uruha, she had to be strong. He had thought he was strong, too-- little did he know that one day, he would lose a major battle to a kid he would someday call 'an Uruha benchwarmer'. But there was something in her voice that touched his heart... mysteriously. Somehow. "Go on," he said softly.
Neon shook her head. "I'm very bad with words," she explained. "It's strange... but they just won't come when I want to be serious like this." She glanced up and smiled weakly at Joker. "Gomen for bothering you... I won't do it anymore."
Joker stood there awkwardly. "Don't feel bad," he said kindly, amazed by this sudden display of uncharacteristic speech and not knowing quite how to react. "I... I really don't mind at all. It's kind of fun... I look forward to the banter we can have in the future. The rapport. It'll be special," he explained.
"Honto?" asked Neon, her spirits lifting
somewhat. "Then... I look forward to our relationship in the future."
She smiled softly, almost shyly, at Joker.
"Errr... you two... I'm still here," said Raiha pointedly, scowling at his two friends who were staring intently at each other, lips slightly parted, their faces inches apart because of the proximity of their chairs.
"Erm, of course you are," said Neon, pulling away. She stood up quickly. "Joker-san, it looks like this fic isn't going anywhere either. I suggest we stop it here."
Joker shrugged, clasped his hands behind his head, and tilted his chair onto its back legs. "Suit yourself. Whenever you'd like to finish the fic... just ask."
Neon turned to leave and saw a form standing in the doorway. "Kurei-sama!" she gasped, paling.
He coldly surveyed the trio, then turned and left.
Neon ran after him. "Kurei-sama, you've got it all wrong-- it's not what you think!" she exclaimed. "Kureiiiii-sama!" Her voice faded down the hallway.
Joker and Raiha exchanged a glance.
"Perhaps you'd better give that cross-stitch a try," suggested Raiha, before he, too, made his swift departure.