Tenchi Muyo! Is owned by AIC and Pioneer. I expect to get nothing from this but a feeling of satisfaction. Kyokki Among Immortals His smile slipped as the door to his room slid closed behind him. It became harder and harder to keep upon his face. Everyday he walked around the house, ate breakfast, went to work, pretending that everything was normal, that he was happy and nothing bothered him. They didn't seem to realize that he was pretending though. They all had their secrets; they all hid exactly what they were. His problem was that the only thing he had to conceal was his normalcy. The house seemed filled with giants now, where as before it had been so empty. There was no room for him, he was squeezed out into the edges, more often than not, out the door altogether. He felt small, trying to keep out from under their feet, he felt clumsy when their eyes fell upon him. He felt mortal. He dropped his briefcase on the floor beside him, loosening his tie with his other hand. This room felt larger now, or he felt smaller. It did not seem conceivable that it should feel that way. It had felt as lofty as the nave of that Catholic Church he had visited on an architectural tour of Rome after Achika had died, now, it felt even larger. Achika, she had kept so much from him, if she even knew at all. Royal blood had flowed in her veins, alien blood. He sank down on his bed and removed his jacket, tossing it over the stool before his drawing board. He had been so proud, building her this house, she could have, should have had a palace. But he hadn't known. And now she was gone, never receiving all that she deserved, not even seeing her son grow up. Leaving her husband in the midst of power that he could never share but through their child. He shook his head at that unworthy thought. It had not been her fault; Kami knew she had not wanted to die. He still loved her as much as before he knew, more even, knowing that she had married him when she could have had a prince at her side, palaces, planets to rule, servants at her beck and call. He sighed and lay down. Curling up on his side his hand stroked the sheets on the side of the bed she had slept. They had been empty so long, and now even the scent of her had nearly gone from his memory. But she had left behind so much. A father who would gain no more marks of the years he carried even after his son-in-law had been dead and buried. That he had figured out, even though no one had told him, preferring to keep the information from him. There was nothing he would do about it anyway. He was not a prince, not like Katsuhito, or Yosho, as he learned was his true name. He would not be legendary; he would not have others on distant worlds he would never visit know his name...unless it was as Tenchi's father. Now there was one great thing that he had done. Tenchi, if nothing else he had Tenchi. He knew he had not done the best job raising his son, what with having to work the long hard hours in order to pay for his house and to keep food on the table. But he did not think that his son had turned out so badly for all that. Although he could be a touch bolder with the women that now inhabited the house, shrinking it with their presence. He didn't really blame him for being intimidated though. He knew they intimidated the heck out of him, which was why he was gone so much. Two princesses, a space pirate, a genius scientist, and a small furry creature that somehow turned into a spaceship all living under his roof. Just the thought of them made beads of sweat pop up on his forehead, even in his cool chamber. Two princesses that were his father-in-law's sisters, even if half, but Ayeka looked no older than Achika had when she died. And she acted like a princess. He didn't know whether to bow whenever he saw her or to run away. He usually ended up staring at her with a grin that made her eyebrow lift, and she would turn, probably uneasy over his thoughts. Not that she wasn't polite though. He found himself using that grin often, trying to get himself out of uncomfortable situations, and it worked, at least with her. At least she hadn't unleashed that twin pair of logs on him, the ones she called guardians, more than once. He stretched out on his back, his hands propped behind his head. Then there was Sasami, a sweet child, just how had imagined his daughter would be like. She never made any outward sign that she was different. But whenever he looked at her he could not help but remember that she was a goddess. A real goddess! And she was staying in his house. She even cooked for him and the others. And he, a mere mortal, acted as though she were no different from an eight year old, she expected it, but still... The other two were even worse. Ryoko made him distinctly uneasy. First of all she was a demon, THE demon that he had heard all those legends about when he was a boy. Sure sometimes she didn't act like a demon, but popping through walls, flying, those abilities that she displayed so flamboyantly constantly reminded him. And the time she shrunk his house, and him! ...And the time that she unleashed a devil spirit on his aunt's onsen. And innumerable other times when she had made him fear for his life and his son's. And the constant fights between her and Ayeka over Tenchi. He could see the solution to their problem, it was so obvious, but Kami knew they couldn't see it. He sighed in frustration. Washu, then. She was almost gone as often as he. He didn't know why she could know so much, being twelve and all, but it seemed there was so much he didn't know. He did know, however, what she had done to his broom closet. And he was a little put out that she had never asked HIM for a sample. She actually was the worst. With all his work, with all his trying, he could never be the architect she was. He had seen some of the things in her lab. If she had wanted to reconstruct the Parthenon she could do it with a few clicks on her keypad. The blueprints he labored over were child's play to her. He had barely even noticed when she rebuilt his house from the ground up. A few tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes, and he angrily scrubbed them away as he sat up. Rebuilt the house that he had built for his deceased wife. A house he had poured his heart and soul into, making it perfect. And with a few touches on her keyboard... Strangely, that upset him more than the actual fact that the house had been destroyed in the first place. He couldn't be upset with Mihoshi, the only one he felt even remotely comfortable around. She was a breath of normalcy in his abnormal little world. Although she was an alien as well, it didn't seem to matter. She seemed...mortal...in a house filled with Titans. She seemed like him. He stood, brushing his fingers across the picture of his late wife that smiled at him from his bedside table. It was alright, it was alright. "Dinner!" the call came wafting up the stairs, floating through his door. He listened but he continued to stare at her picture. Achika had always been able to make him smile, though she had been a somewhat serious girl. Her deadpan jokes would always make him laugh. He realized, staring at the carefully clean glass that covered her faded face, that she had always made him feel like a prince to her. She had loved him, no matter that he was not really a prince. He had been special to her. "Achika." He whispered sadly. He would always have her...that would have to be enough. He turned as there was a rap on his door. "Come in." He said, smiling, and the door slid open. Mihoshi stuck her head in and smiled at him. "Sasami said dinner's ready, honorable father." She said respectfully. He kept his smile as he strode to the door, taking her arm in his as he stepped out into the hall and slid it shut behind him. "Please call me Noboyuki, Mihoshi." They walked down the hall, heading towards where all had gathered, "Did you have a good day, today?" This idea just popped into my head, and I sat down and wrote it out.(I know it's really short) I've always felt that Noboyuki has gotten a bad rap...even though some of it IS deserved. ^^;; Thanks to everyone on #Tenchiff who looked this over for me and said 'hey, it doesn't stink!' Just kidding. Thanks guys. Kyokki