| The Invitation "You want me to dress up in leather and what?" Kinomoto Sakura frowned as she tried to understand what her friend Tomoyo said on the other line. "Dress up in leather and carry a WHIP?" Beside Sakura, Li Syaoran's ears pricked up the slightest bit. He looked up from his textbooks and slowly turned his head to glance at Sakura. "Carry a whip?" he asked as if the idea was not only disturbing but just the slightest bit...interesting. "Cat Woman?" Sakura continued, her eyebrows lost in her hairline. "But her costume was so TIGHT in the movie." Syaoran was nodding eagerly next to her. But the moment she glanced at him he was shaking his head. "NOOOO. No, no, no..." Sakura listened for another moment and then sighed. "Tomoyo-chan, just come over and talk to me. Yes, to the house. Syaoran is here with me." She paused. "You want to put him in leather, TOO?" Syaoran sprang to his feet. "She is a SICK, SICK child!" Sakura waved at him, trying to make him quiet down. "Yes, yes. Ok. All right. Yeah, just pop on by. We're doing homework." She hesitated. "Of course, only homework." Syaoran slowly began to sit back down. "No, I don't know what Syaoran's tonsils look like. What kind of question is that?" Sakura asked, looking positively baffled as Syaoran gave her a look. She shrugged at him, not understanding, and then nodded. "Ok, we'll be here. See you soon. Bye!" She hung up the phone and set it aside, facing Syaoran again. "She's asking me a BIOLOGY question when we're in CHEMISTRY. That Tomoyo-chan..." she said with a giggle before turning to her homework once more. Syaoran stared at her in disbelief for another long moment and then looked down at his homework once more. One of these days he would have a nice, long talk with Sakura. About birds and bees. And the difference between girls and boys, because it was OBVIOUS her father hadn't taken it upon himself. Daidouji Tomoyo skipped up to the front door of Sakura's house, standing on tiptoe to ring the doorbell. She had her handy camcorder in hand and a brilliant thought brewing in her head. She waited patiently and was rewarded with footsteps moments later. The door opened a crack and she spotted Syaoran's eye peeking out. "Li-kun! Konnichi wa!" He glared at her with his one brown eye. "Does she know what my TONSILS look like, Daidouji-san?" Tomoyo smiled brightly. "She didn't get it, did she?" she asked although it was more of a statement. "No, of course she didn't." Tomoyo giggled. "Okay, let me in." And she took a step forward. "No." She paused and cocked her head. "No?" "No." "Why not?" Sakura popped her head into the hallway from the living room. "Syaoran...?" she asked and her eyes widened as she caught sight of Tomoyo's right hand and leg poking in through the front door. Syaoran was pressed against the door, trying to close it on her. "SYAORAN!" Syaoran straightened immediately, a look of innocence on his face. "What stalker?" he asked. Tomoyo flung the door open, sending him into the far wall. "LI-KUN!" she growled, hopping into the house and gripping the camcorder tightly. "Oh, Daidouji-san!" he said feigning surprise as he detached himself from the wall, his bodily imprint left behind. "Was it you at the door? I didn't even realize it..." Tomoyo glared at him and flicked her hair over her shoulder, slamming the door shut behind her. She took a moment to compose herself and then rushed toward Sakura, taking hold of one of her hands. "So?" she demanded cheerfully. "What did you think of my idea?" "The leather and whips one?" Syaoran asked from behind. "I think it's great." Sakura nodded. "But I'm not sure about Cat Woman. The outfit is a bit...racy." Syaoran's ears were turning a bright pink she noticed. "What idea?" he asked, coming closer to join them. "I'm going to have a party. It's going to be a bit of a Masquerade Ball-slash-Haunted House kind of party." Tomoyo said, looking at him eagerly. "And I'm going to do Sakura-chan's outfit. I was thinking Cat Woman..." Syaoran liked Daidouji-san sometimes. They always agreed on a lot of things when it came to Sakura. Things like what looked good on her, what brought out her features and played them up. In fact, they agreed a bit too much... Syaoran paused to study her suspiciously. "So, I was thinking Cat Woman." Tomoyo was going on. And she cocked her head, looking Sakura up and down. "Or maybe a nice French Maid uniform..." Syaoran blinked and then mirrored Tomoyo, also looking Sakura up and down. "Nani?!" Sakura demanded, throwing up her hands to cover herself in embarrassment. "Stop looking at me, you perverts!" Syaoran lifted his hands, instantly sputtering in response. Tomoyo merely shrugged and then wound around Sakura, who still covered herself. "That was nothing." She said, floating off toward the guest room. Syaoran cautiously followed her, slowly circling Sakura who glared at him. And then to tease her he said, "Go as a Sailor Senshi." And he ducked as she swiped at him angrily. "Ok, I already invited Eriol-kun. He said he's going to bring along Nakuru and Suppi-chan. And of course, Sakura-chan, please bring along Kero-chan." Tomoyo said, seated with her legs crossed next to Sakura. Syaoran faced them both, lips twisting as he concentrated on the homework. "It's going to be a party for whom?" Sakura asked her. Tomoyo thought about it. "Mostly some family and friends. Mom's friends from her job. And you guys, of course. Not a big group." "But a big house." Syaoran murmured, eyes still focused on his textbook. He cast a quick glance up at them both. "You said you were going to make it into a Haunted House. What exactly do you plan on doing?" Tomoyo smiled innocently. "Well, if I told you, Li-kun, it wouldn't be a surprise." Syaoran pondered that one. "But won't it be strange, my bringing along Kero-chan when you have all these other people who don't know about the Cards?" Sakura asked. "Kero-chan doesn't exactly look like a cat." "That's not what the little girl who took him in thought when he ran away that time..." Syaoran said under his breath. Sakura sweat dropped. "So, it's set then!" Tomoyo said, clapping happily. "Now all we have to worry about are the costumes." She turned to Syaoran. "Li-kun, what are you going to be?" "Me." Tomoyo's smile didn't waver in the least although she did look sympathetic. "Oh, really? How...original." She looked towards Sakura and then sat up straight. "Well, if Sakura-chan is going to be Cat Woman-" "Hasn't been decided yet!" "Then Li-kun can be Batman?" Tomoyo looked at Syaoran again, ignoring Sakura completely. Syaoran looked less than pleased. "Batman?" he echoed with a grimace. "We can always dress YOU up as a Sailor Senshi." Sakura piped up. "What with the dark hair and the muscles you'd be perfect as Sailor Jupiter." She and Tomoyo both leaned back to get a better look at him. "OI! I am NOT going to dress up as a girl!" he yelled indignantly. And he paused. "If Sakura is going to be Cat Woman, can ~I~ carry her whip?" Tomoyo beamed at him, Sakura looking more lost than ever. "I can carry it myself, Syaoran." She said. Syaoran hung his head, exhaling a small puff. "Li-kun, if Sakura is Cat Woman, you can be her prisoner, tied up to the wall." she said with a nod. "You'll be naked, of course." "EH?!" Sakura gasped, eyes wide. And as if he were already naked she covered her eyes with her hands. Tomoyo looked at him, winking a bit. "We can have a little room just for you where she can whip you and handcuff you and whip you some more..." Syaoran wasn't sure but he could have sworn he had detected the appearance of shooting stars in the dark-haired girl's eyes for a split second. Then she shook herself and cocked her head, smiling innocently once more. Sakura was whimpering behind her hands. "You don't like my idea?" Tomoyo asked, sounding hurt. "I love it." Syaoran piped up instantly. Sakura wailed again. Tomoyo rose joyfully. "I'm so happy we agree. I'll get started on the house right now!" she scooped up her notes and waved, skipping off toward the door. "Ja ne!" "SYAORAN!" Syaoran paused, halfway through closing his front door. His ears pricked up at the irritating voice, face paling. "Oh, no..." From behind, two arms wrapped around his neck, the weight of a sudden body throwing him into the door. "Welcome home!" the voice shrieked in his ear, setting his teeth grinding. Syaoran tried to hold it in, he really did. But the girly scream broke from him and he found himself tossing off the body, opening the door and flinging it out, slamming the door shut quickly. No problem. Disaster averted. Now to make believe it had never happened, that he had never heard her... A knock came from outside, sounding lonely. "Syaoran? I'm locked out..." Syaoran ran for his life. "So, Tomoyo-chan is going to have a party and we're invited." Sakura said cheerfully, looking from Kero-chan to Yue-san. "Isn't it a great idea?" Kero-chan glanced at Yue-san, Yue slowly looking right back. "And she's my new Mistress. You're sure about this?" he stated, arms crossed over his chest once more. Kero-chan smiled sympathetically. Sakura opened her mouth to say more but the phone rang at that precise moment, stopping her. She reached over, picking it up. "Hello?" "She's AFTER me!" Sakura frowned. "Syaoran?" There was the sound of rapid breathing and he spoke again, sounding frantic. "I tried to lock her out! But she has the KEYS! I tried to throw her down the stairs! She LAUGHED at me after getting back UP!" Sakura grimaced, not understanding. "Syaoran, where are you?" "Locked in the pantry." He whispered, tone desperate. "I'm not going to make it out alive, Sakura." Sakura blinked. "What are you TALKING about?" "Tell my mother I love her. And my sisters. Well, maybe not all of them. But MOST of them!" he hissed into the receiver. "Tell them I'm sorry I never lived up to the Li name. And tell them-" "SYAORAN! FOUND YOU!" came a high-pitched laughing voice from his end. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" The phone went dead. With a sigh Sakura hung up the phone and then turned to Yue and Kero once more. "What was I saying?" she asked politely, returning to the matter at hand. Kero was looking at her strangely. "Who was that?" he asked. Sakura smiled. "Syaoran. Meilin is back." |
| All images and works done/altered by ShiNoFuriko and TasogareBan. Please do not steal and always give credit to where it is due. |