A/N: About time we had some funny stories around here, I suppose. This was inspired by someone I know, and I make no promises as to where it ends up. Here's hoping I don't end up regretting it.

Awareness returned in a hazy fog of sleep. For Fumio, it was like she had just emerged from a deep slumber that had stretched on without end. It had the feeling of an entrancing dream, one which had only just now come to a conclusion as she returned to the world of the living.

Images ran before her eyes, flashing through her mind. Visions of brutal combat, crushed hopes, shattered and perverted dreams, immeasurable sadness, and a woman in white watching over it all as the scenes played out for her. This was what she had been cast into by her victory. No, not a dream. More like an unstoppable nightmare.

A low groan escaping chapped lips, she opened her eyes to face the day and what battles waited for her as her vision recovered from tired blurriness. "...!" From dull lethargy she snapped to wakefulness as she sat up in her bed, sweeping the room with wide eyes in stunned silence. This, this was her room! She shouldn't be here, had no reason or right to be here. So why wasn't she still an LRIG?

Surprisingly, no answer to that immediately presented itself. For a moment she sat in disbelief before quickly patting herself down, pinching her arm and doing everything she could to wake herself up. This had to be a dream. It couldn't be possible, right?

Yet it was, and as the minutes ticked by it rapidly became apparent that if it was a dream then it was a very strong one. With a growing resignation to that fact, and confusion as to what would have inspired Mayu to do this, Fumio decided to see what was currently going on in her room, and what had changed since she had left it behind.

She rose from bed in her pajamas, circling the room to give everything a cursory look. It had definitely been lived in, with new clothes (some of them fancier than she was used to), rearranged furniture, and the like. It seemed that Futase had wasted no effort in making this place homely for herself.

She stopped, running her right hand against the spines of the book collection she had on her desk, which she noticed had been altered by Futase as well. It was strange, all told. She seemed to be herself again, but it almost felt like she was a stranger in her own life. That was a topic to write about she supposed, if she ever worked up the ability to do so. It had been months since she was Fumio, so why now? And what had happened to Futase?

The sliding motion paused as her hand ran over the final book, lingering there for a moment before she removed the unfamiliar text so she could see what it was. Then a tremble ran through her hands, unable to turn a page or move at all. This was it, the book...Her book. The realization of her dream on paper and ink. Of course she had heard of the product by Fumio Futase, but to be able to feel it, touch it in flesh and blood, it at last brought the reality home. Whatever suffering there might have been, Futase had been good in her word.

At last she forced herself to move, placing the book back down on her desk. She would read it later, once her nerve had returned and she had adjusted to being herself again. It was in the process of that that she saw a folded up piece of paper with her name on it, resting in front of her computer with a pen nearby.

With an invitation like that she could hardly ignore it. So she didn't, picking up the note and flipping it open to find a message waiting for her, a letter from Futase. She gave a thanks for the farsightedness of her LRIG before she began to read, eager to see what the message was.

To: Fumio

If you're reading this, it means that things are back to the way they should be. If so then I'm glad. I could grant your wish, but I'm not fit to write your story for you. You're self published now, and people are avidly waiting for a sequel, a conclusion to the initial tale that I wrote out for you. Now that you've been an LRIG like me, maybe you can do what I couldn't.

Coincidentally, I would suggest talking to Ruuko Kominato. You should have her email address, and I expect that she was at least partially responsible in bringing about your current situation, and the return to your body. Perhaps she can help you with writing the next part.

In the end I would like to say that I am glad to have been your LRIG. I did my utmost to fulfill your dream, and I hope that you can forgive my failures in that pursuit.

I hope that we can meet someday, so you can see my true appearance.

From, Futase

P.S. I suppose I should add that while I was inhabiting your body your natural looks and and charm led to me entering into several relationships with other girls, most of whom are unaware of the others existence. Try to not break their hearts, thanks! ;)

"...What!?"

To say that Fumio was surprised would be an understatement. She was astonished, confused, and flustered by what she had just read. The first part was nice and heartwarming, it was merely the postscript that earned her current ire. She had never imagined that Futase was such a player, and the fact that she had been using her body to do it sent a shiver down her spine. She already had the feeling of imminent doom, and she barely needed to think about it.

A huff escaped as she put the note down, frowning slightly as she mused over everything. She was going to have to talk to Ruuko, and see what Futase had written up already for this second book. Then, of course, she needed to deal with this whole mess that Futase had left for her. She was just thinking of that when the doorbell rang.

For a moment Fumio stood there, simply incapable of comprehending what had just happened. It took her a few seconds to come to terms with the fact that she was an author now, and that meant that she would get a lot more visitors than she did usually. So once she had recovered, she stepped over to the front door to see who it was.

Persistent knocks continued until she opened the door, revealing the person there. It was a younger girl with orange hair, dressed in a coat and clothes that seemed relatively high class. Fumio was about to ask what she wanted when she was taken off guard by the girl springing towards her, beaming like a lamp. "Futase!"

"Huh-oof!" Even though Fumio knew that this was part of what Futase had told her, experiencing it as she was suddenly embraced in a firm and overbearing hug was another matter entirely. She had no idea what to do, and deferred to a more mundane response. "Why are you here so early?"

The girl pouted, flashing her a disapproving frown as she glanced up from the tight hug. "It's not that early," she countered, a small bite in her tone. "Besides, Aki-lovely missed you, especially after Mirurun ditched me." It was easy to tell that she was bitter, but Fumio was more concerned about what it meant for her. She wasn't sure who Mirurun was, but leaving 'Aki-lovely' in this aggravated state might not be the best idea.

Well, by that account there was no point in keeping her in the hallway, and Fumio tried to pry herself out of the hug in as gentle a manner as she could. "I guess. Come on in." The girl grudgingly let go and Fumio stepped to the side, allowing her to enter the apartment while getting a better look at her current guest.

It took a bit as she closed the door behind the two of them, but she eventually identified just who this was in a burst of shock and realization. Wait, that was Akira Aoi, the model who was also pretty publicly into WIXOSS. That meant that Mirurun was presumably her LRIG. With that, another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

That just left the small issue of Akira Aoi thinking that she was her girlfriend. Or perhaps not so small as far as models, tabloids, and lawyers were concerned. She didn't even know how Futase had done it in the first place. This was not the sort of problem that she had imagined she would have when she set out to become an author.

But if there was a problem it was all on her end. Certainly Akira seemed eager, smiling away as she sat on Fumio's bed without a care in the world. In the meanwhile Fumio sat down at her desk, chair turned to face her guest. She supposed that she made quite the sight, having had neither the time to shower or to change into respectable clothes. She didn't know whether she should be worried by the fact that Akira didn't seem to care about that particular fact either.

A silence fell for several minutes, Akira's happy smile fading away into a frown of sadness, aimed directly at the redhead sitting across from her. In turn Fumio was relatively apathetic, with a neutral expression and one eye covered by her hair as was her usual style. "Futase," she said then, her gaze downcast. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

Once again Fumio was thrown into shock, unable to speak for a few seconds as she tried to comprehend what Akira had just said to her. She wanted her to...kiss her? Just how far had Futase gone with these girls?! It was very unsettling for Fumio, whose romantic expertise beyond writing was relatively small.

But before she could outright refuse, Futase's letter came to mind. She owed it to her LRIG, just as Futase had helped her own dreams come true. The guilt stung, and she gave in to it. "Sorry," she replied with a light smile. "I'm tired. It was a long night." That would never stop being a convenient excuse.

"I got that," Akira replied, the barest hint of irritation slipping into her tone. Fumio got the impression that she would not be satisfied until she got what she wanted. In the face of that the author could provide no argument that wouldn't reveal the truth, so it seemed that she would have to do it before Akira grew too agitated.

With resignation taking over, Fumio rose and moved over to the bed. She sat down next to her guest, who turned to face her with expectation written across her features and her smile returned. Slowly Fumio leaned over, lips pursed and ready, only for Akira to take her off guard and grab her shoulders as their lips met, holding her in place as an abortive grunt of surprise escaped. If Akira noticed, she didn't give any sign of it.

No, no, there were other things on Fumio's mind as she was swept away by the kiss. She was taken aback by the sheer intensity that was forced upon her, the desperate need that was there as Akira pulled herself closer, her eyes closed, legs brushing against each other, and making no move to pull away.

Fumio couldn't help but admit that there was some part of her that enjoyed it, her cheeks heating even as her lips tingled at the passionate contact. She might not have the experience, but she could practically feel the spark glimmering from out of sight. Maybe it was Futase's fault, but Fumio found herself unable to stop.

The moment seemed to stretch on, no closer to ending than it had been when they started. It was only after the sudden buzzing of a phone intruded that Akira broke off, a whimper escaping as she went for her pocket to produce her cell phone. Fumio panted as she got her breath back while watching Akira, whose pleased air vanished like ice on a hot day as she glared at her phone.

"They told me this was my day off," she snarled to herself, an alarming show of rage from the previously happy girl. "Those bastards!" She seemed about ready to chuck her phone at the wall, so intent and powerful was her anger. Fumio didn't know what the schedules of models were like, but she had the feeling this sort of thing didn't happen all that often.

Nonetheless she did intervene to ensure no damage to her bedroom. That was the sort of problem she didn't need and could actually handle, and she was quick to take Akira's hand in her own. "It's alright," she said in a placating tone. "I'll still be here, so go do whatever it is they need you to do." Besides that, she wouldn't mind the chance to recover from what was happening, and to prepare for the next time.

"Fine," Akira grumbled as she squeezed Fumio's hand. "I guess I should. I don't want those cheapskates taking my job again. Then I wouldn't be able to be with you anymore." Fumio didn't exactly mind that if it ended up happening, but it was obvious that Akira had a problem with even just the possibility.

That said, she rose back to her feet, grumbling under her breath while Fumio rose at the same time. The author followed her guest over to the front door, standing there as the model stepped back into the hallway. "Don't go anywhere," Akira commanded as she turned to face her supposed friend. "Aki-lovely will be back as soon as she can."

"I will." Fumio continued with a nod, putting on enthusiasm that she didn't quite feel. There was something very wrong with this girl, and she wasn't sure that she wanted any part of it.

That signaled Akira to run off, waving over her shoulder as she left. Fumio watched her round the corner before stepping back inside, letting a sigh escape at the same time. "Futase, what did you get me into," she wondered aloud as she returned to her bedroom, gaze sweeping the place once more.

What to do now then? She had some time before Akira returned, leaving her to decide what she should entertain herself with in the interim. This was going to provide all sorts of trouble for her, that much was apparent now. And Akira might have just been the first. Who knew what kind of person might show up at her door next?

She returned to Futase's letter, hoping that it might distract from her other issues. Reading it one more time, a name sprung out at her in the process, one that she had read before but now with a highlighted importance. "Ruuko, huh?" That might be something worth pursuing. Recalling what had bee said, she sat down in front of her computer. Booting it up, she leaned back in her chair as she looked over the books nearby.

It didn't take much time to access her emails and find the one from Ruuko, asking to meet with her and revealing that she was also involved in the Selector battles. Given what the letter had said, it wasn't really a surprise at this point.

Fumio stopped herself, humming as she considered the email. She could send a message asking for a meeting, but if Ruuko was involved in how she had come to be herself again then there would be no way of hiding the deception, especially if they had met before. Should she do this now, or wait until she was more prepared?

Then what Futase had written her poked back up even more. It hadn't just been one girl, but multiple. Who knew how long she had before the next one showed up? No, better to get this out of the way quick, so she could get a handle on things before they got even more out of control.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, it didn't take long for Fumio to type out an email to Ruuko. The only difficulty was figuring out the best way to phrase it to not be too weird. It had been a while since she had had to write anything after all, even something as simple as an email to another person.

Soon enough though she managed to get it sent off, and with that done she leaned back in her chair, filled with profound satisfaction. That had been done, now it was time to go on to the next thing. She could confidently say that she was beginning to recover from her time as an LRIG, slowly but surely. If she didn't have all these issues from Futase, things might have gone even quicker.

Futase... Thinking of her LRIG brought a sad frown to Fumio's face as she tapped the desk. Where was she now? What sort of life was she living? It occurred to her that in spite of their time together, she didn't know all that much about her friend, as stuck as she had been with her own problems.

Guilt surged at the thought, her head dipping slightly as she recognized it. There was nothing she could do about it now, but that didn't make her feel any better.

As her vision rose once more, she caught sight of her book. She reached over and grabbed it, sighing as she examined the cover. The art wasn't the best, but there was no denying that this was her book, the book that she had given her life for, and the book that Futase had made with her wishes.

At last she resigned herself to what was to come, flipping open to the first page as she began to read. Time to see what her dream had made.