Thanks for writing! Very perceptive and useful comments.
Funaho and Misaki were back for a visit.
Don't they have an empire to run?
;) They're virtual queens, working from home or whereever.
Aeka's face fell. "What is the problem?" She asked. "Normally
it only takes a few days to approve such a list."
"What's the matter, _Princess_?" said Ryouko in a low voice,
smirking. "Getting anxious for a little horizontal exercise?
Won't do it without Daddy's final approval?"
Hmmm, does this mean she's going to eventually see Emperor Tenchi as a
father figure? The possibilities boggle the mind.
Not sure what you meant by this; it sounds like you read something into
my text I didn't intend. Ryouko's implying that Aeka won't jump
Tenchi's bones until she hears that the Emperor has given official
approval to the list.
Tenchi twitched. "..._another_ bride?"
Give it up, boy. You are *so* doomed.
Heh.
"This young lady," Funaho commented, touching a button. A moving
hologram sprung into the middle of the room, showing a lively
red-haired woman in a Galaxy Police uniform. "Her name is..."
"Mitsuki!" hissed Kiyone. "How dare that conniving bitch get
involved in this!"
An OAV Mitsuki... hmmm.
Well, better than making up a new character (especially since this
is as much as we'll see of her).
"Well, Kiyone," remarked Washuu conversationally, "she probably
thinks of marriage to Tenchi as a sort of _PROMOTION_, being the
consort of the future Emperor and all. Perhaps the biggest
of all possible promotions..."
Kiyone started to look thoughtful. "A promotion... that's true,
isn't it..."
GACK! Not level-headed Kiyone, too?!
I'm thinking I need to rewrite this. I've had a few comments that
Kiyone just wouldn't do this, and I've thought of another way
to get to the same endpoint, while preserving Kiyone as Mihoshi's
primary victim and the disinterested onlooker at the girls around
Tenchi. Basically, the same machinations, except that they go
on around Kiyone, without her knowledge or approval. She's
presented with a fait accompli.
Kiyone stood and strode out of the room. "Please excuse
me; I need to go make a few calls."
Heh.
Funaho finished, "...but three or four of the most powerful
factions will have to be appeased. Certainly no more than
five."
"Six, absolute tops," Misaki quipped, grinning.
"Seven is a lucky number," Nobuyuki added.
Heh.
"My instruments indicated that she's a higher-dimensional
life-form. She may not even manifest a physical body in
this dimension. Does she even count as a wife under
Jurai law?"
Somehow, they seem to be making Tokimi's case for her.
Maybe I need to elaborate here. Aeka, Ryoko, Funaho, Misaki,
Tenchi, and Youshou believe that they don't have any real
choice about Tokimi; they're all basically awestruck. They
don't think she needs to make a case; what can they do to
thwart her will if she shows up at the wedding the same way?
Ryouko started, then also studied Sasami. Washuu
sweatdropped.
Should we infer from Washuu's reaction that she knows something about
who she is? Just curious.
Heh. Suffice to say that most fanfics I've read take Washuu's
statement that she doesn't remember anything from more than 20,000
years ago at face value. What if she was lying?
"Yes, your majesty. Since the boy can generate the
Light-Hawk Wings, he will be able to survive forced
extrusion
Such a visceral word. Nice.
Thank you; I tried to make it sound unpleasant.
into higher-dimensional space for purposes
of procreation. It will almost certainly not be
comfortable for the boy, however."
Tokimi smiled. "Comfort is not necessary."
Oh, my! It is if you want to get him excited enough, Tokimi-sama.
There are ways: artificial insemination by sperm retrieved
by surgery, for instance...
Kiyone tapped her teeth. "Someone unconnected with me
has to float the idea that the second representative should
be neutral and unaligned. Then someone else should helpfully
point out that I am both, and that I already know Tenchi."
Kiyone paused, then smiled. "YES! I'll snatch this promotion
right out of Mitsuki's hands!"
Begs the question: why is she doing this? For the promotion only? (I'm
largely speaking rhetorically, but I wouldn't sneeze at any
forthcoming answers. :)
As I said above, I'm going to rewrite all this.
Funaho looked glumly back. "That's one more, Sister.
In-Absentia brides count as a full bride, and we're in
enough trouble with the numbers now."
So use one of the already agreed-upons!
This might occur to them, but there is the issue of DNA tests,
which might prove that Mayuka is NOT the daughter of (most)
of the already agreed-upons...
"She's got you beat, Princess, but I'm not worried."
"Kiyone's loveliness easily surpasses yours, Ryouko-san, but
I doubt she shall usurp me as Tenchi's favorite."
Gah. Poor Tenchi-dono.
Tenchi, with a rueful smile, turned back to Kiyone. He
stuck one hand out in Washuu's direction. Washuu started
typing on her holographic laptop and a Juraian earring
appeared in Tenchi's hand.
Tenchi got down on one knee as he reached up and grasped
Kiyone's hand. "Kiyone, will you please marry me?"
"Well, tell me about the benefits, retirement package,
promotion ladder,
etc., etc..."
Tenchi sweatdropped.
Heh. You know, I might use this, or a variant, in the rewrite,
if you don't mind.