Disclaimer:
I do not own Fruits Basket.
It was a typical day in the Sohma house, home of Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki, when Tohru Honda, their roommate, was leaving for two weeks, with Uo and Hana.
"Okay, boys, I know this is much, but you can handle this on your own, right?" She asked.
Shigure, in his gray yutaka, said, "It won't be the same, without you. The house has never been sparkly and clean."
Tohru exclaimed, "I'll only be gone for two weeks. Besides, I'm sure you three can handle it on your own."
"Yes, but having to go through my roommates to clean the home can be a troubling experience."
He remembered that Kyo and Yuki often fight amongst each other. Of course, so does Tohru.
She then stated, "Well, I figured that it may happen, so…"
She held out a pamphlet of Maidens for Hire, a well-known Maid Service in Japan.
Shigure gasped, "WHAT? AUTOMATION TO DO OUR WORK?"
Kyo cried out, "WHAT? A ROBOT MAID?"
He jumped down, a boy with a black school uniform and orange spiky hair, and stood in front of Tohru, all fuming.
"NO! N-O spells no! I refuse to have these robot girls fawn over us and clean for us!" He shouted, "We're better off with you!"
Shigure said calmly, "Now, now… Maybe we could give it a shot. We won't keep a Maiden."
Kyo growled, "Yeah, right. They're like 3,000 Yen a unit!"
Tohru stated, "Actually, 2,000 Yen."
Yuki, a boy with purple hair, asked, "Tohru, is it wise to go through the trouble of having a Maiden for Hire in our home?"
Kyo snapped, "Kagura is thinking of a Butler for Hire that looks like me! This is madness!"
Shigure called out, "Boys, please! Whatever Tohru had to go through to get a Maiden for Hire for us, it's fine."
He glared at her and asked, "But… aren't you forgetting something?"
Tohru stuck her tongue out and laughed, "Oh… right. I forget. But that's okay. As long as you don't touch her, you'll be fine."
She grabbed her bag and said, "You can, if you want to; but don't get to chummy over her. And also, don't plan on keeping her. Remember, I'm gone for two weeks."
She waved goodbye, as Yuki grew a bit concerned.
"Uh… Shigure… Will the Maidens affect us in any way?" He suggested.
Shigure then said, "Trust me, Yuki, it's simple. We can be hugged by any woman. However, a robot woman may be in experimentation."
Kyo huffed, "Great. Why not leave it at that and do the chores, ourselves?"
Shigure sighed, "Boys, boys, boys… I see why our guest has chosen to go for automation. Plus, the last time you two washed was a disaster."
Yuki explained, "Kyo was washing too hard."
"SHUT UP! You always pile it on high!" Kyo yelled.
Shigure sighed in embarrassment, as Yuki and Kyo started to bicker.
Of course… the Sohmas are about to experience Maidens for Hire, in the WORST way possible…
The Sohmas, thirteen of them, are all cursed by being hugged by the opposite sex, since most of the family consists of men (about 10/13 are male). It is said that if a Sohma is hugged by the opposing gender, or if they are sick or under stress, they turn into an animal from the Chinese Zodiac for a brief amount of time. (Curse magic is temporary; cursed Sohma turn back to normal, but fully naked)
As you see, Tohru Honda knows about the Sohma Curse, but is confused about if a Maiden or Butler can hug one of them. We're about to find out.
Maiden Universe in:
Maiden Triple Threat
The Defective Trio
(メイデンユニバース11)
As Tohru left through the forest, a girl, who distinctly looks like Tohru, along with two others, wearing matching blue and white Maiden uniforms, appeared in the pathway. The Tohru double looked at the house from far away. She then smiled.
"Target acquired…" she beeped in a robotic voice, "Three potential units inside."
She and her friends marched in unison to the Sohmas house.
We'd like to tell you that they are Maidens for Hire. But for what purpose?
XXXXX
For meanwhile, at the Tokyo branch of Maidens for Hire, Terry Stanton appeared and was worried.
"What is it?" A woman asked.
"Did you toss out those three Maidens?" Terry asked.
"No, sir," she said, "I had them set for dismantling."
"Well, they're gone, trainee Tsuki."
"Well, I figured that they'd be dismantled already. They're somewhat a defective bunch."
"That makes sense. If they were still in one piece, we'd locate them."
Callie Tsuki, a new employee in the Maiden for Hire branch, with a blue jumpsuit and blonde hair, exclaimed that the three Maidens were defective. Stanton wanted to repair them, but was too late.
"Say, Tsuki," he insisted, "See if you can keep an eye on them, if they did escaped."
"Huh? How so?" she asked.
"Because Tomo Model (Version 2) and Kagura Model were once escapees in the Maidens for Hire grand opening. We cannot go through another one like that."
"Oh… I see. Did it end badly?"
"Talk to Tomo, if you can; or Miss Mizuhara or Miss Sawachika, if they're not busy."
"I will."
"By the way, which Models were they?"
Tsuki then said, "From what I gather… They are Models #T0478, #1R451, and #51K4 – The Tohru, Arisa, and Saki Models, respectively."
Terry nodded and said, "Okay… Carry on, then."
He left, as Tsuki cringed, "Ah, crap! It's those three! I couldn't stand to tell the truth!"
She remembered what the three Maidens did… and was terrified. But what?
XXXXX
"This is the place," the Tohru Maiden stated, "Three people are in here. We shall do what we can to make sure we stand tall as Maidens for Hire."
A Maiden with long blonde hair and a Maiden with long black hair appeared by the Tohru Maiden. Seems to me that the Maidens resemble Tohru, Arisa Uotani, and Saki Hanajima… only more perky and ample.
THEY are those three Maidens?
The Arisa Maiden exclaimed, "Sounds like a plan… Tohru."
The Hana-Chan Maiden stated, "Perhaps we shall introduce ourselves to them. I sense that they are in need of our help."
The Tohru Maiden sneered, "At last, the stupid human girl has left. I can tell. Perhaps we shall take her place and comfort the men into our lives."
They all turned their LED eyes green and scanned the area. The Arisa Maiden was concerned.
"Tohru," she said, "It seems there may be a disturbance in the household."
There was… because at the Sohma residence, an argument began.
"NO! NO WAY I WILL!" Kyo shouted, "Can you imagine if a Butler may look like one of us or any other person?"
"The same goes for the Maiden, but don't get your hopes up, if the Maiden resembles Kagura," Shigure explained.
"I DON'T WANT THAT!" He cried, "One Kagura is enough! A robot for Pleasure Mode, which resembles Kagura, it's a nightmare!"
Yuki quietly said, "Well, we should ask the company about it."
Kyo snapped, "That could take weeks! Tohru doesn't come back, until then!"
He huffed outside and went to the roof.
Shigure sighed and smirked, "Well, I approve of the idea. After all, we are grateful to Tohru Honda, after all the times we shared."
Yuki nodded, as the door knocked. He got and opened the door. There, he saw the three Maidens in attention.
"NOW! Formation!" The Tohru Maiden cried, as the trio did their dance, similar to the Prince Yuki Fan Club's own dance, except a little stiff and robotic.
They stood in attention and saluted, "We are your Maidens for Hire. We are the three-for-one special!"
The Hana Maiden cheered, which her expressions were nowhere near the real Hanajima, "I am Model #51K4 – Saki Model!"
The Uo Maiden smiled, which her hair waved in the air, with a cute smile, "I am Model #1R451 – Arisa Model!"
The Tohru Maiden saluted and winked, "And I am the leader, Tohru Model #T0478!"
They said together, "We offer guaranteed service for you! We provide you cooking, cleaning, and anything you desire."
The Tohru Maiden giggled, "Special thanks to Koyomi Mizuhara, our creator!"
They stand in their poses, as Yuki smiled and thought aloud, "Tohru and her friends may be playing us. We didn't even order and it was nice of them to do it for us."
He asked, "Won't you come in?"
XXXXX
Shigure introduced himself to the Maidens, "I'm Shigure Sohma, and this is my cousin, Yuki Sohma."
Yuki bowed, "Hello."
The Maidens bowed back, "Good day to you, Masters Yuki and Shigure."
Shigure stated, "There's another with us, but he's just angry over the whole Maiden thing."
Yuki said, "He was against the idea of having robots in our home."
Tohru Maiden smirked, "Oh, don't be ridiculous. ALL users are obliged to be treated with the proper guaranteed services."
Shigure giggled, "This is a joke, isn't it?"
Yuki shook his head and said, "No. They do look like them, but they seemed different from before."
Shigure got up and said, "I'm calling Kyo."
He called to Kyo and shouted that three Maidens appeared. Kyo jumped down and saw the Maidens, confusingly thinking that they are Tohru and her friends, in disguise.
"NO WAY! REAL LIFE MAIDENS?" He cried, "OUT! OUT! OUT!"
Shigure covered his mouth and giggled to the Maidens, "Would you excuse us, ladies?"
The boys went to the other room, as the Maidens wait on.
In the other room, Kyo was angry.
"What gives? This is a joke!" Kyo snapped.
"Kyo, this is sudden," Shigure said, "But we all know that it was only to make them feel better. Besides, Tohru did dress up like them for the occasion, but they're fine. They're okay with helping us, in our hour of need."
Kyo huffed, "Well, they didn't have to impersonate as Maidens, now would they?"
Yuki stated, "To be honest, Miss Honda and her friends, dressed as Maidens, kind of baffles me. I think they're playing a trick on us. If it is, I blame Ayame. If not, then they just want to be happy."
Shigure then stated, "Well, we'll play along with it, but remember, they must not know about the Sohma Curse."
They nodded, "Agreed."
Shigure stepped back inside and said to the Maidens, "Ladies, make yourself at home, and remember to become the Maidens that you are. You will start tomorrow, by cleaning our rooms and dishes."
The Hana Maiden bowed, "Understood… Shigure Sohma."
The Uo Maiden smiled, "We shall do our best, Yuki Sohma."
The Tohru Maiden then winked, "Give us the job, and Maidens for Hire will do the rest, Kyo Sohma."
Shigure grinned, "Fast learners."
Kyo groaned, "Tomorrow's a busy day."
Meanwhile, outside the city, Tohru suddenly felt a chill.
"Tohru, what's wrong?" The real Uo asked.
Tohru replied, "I don't know… I have a sudden feeling that Yuki and the others are in danger."
She then whispered, "And it could be my own fault…"
Uo smiled, "Oh, relax. They'll be fine. You did give them the pamphlet."
"You're probably right," she said, "I just wish that they'll handle the situation, just fine. Besides, they are messy people. They just needed a new (but temporary) backup solution."
You may be right, Tohru… But the next chapter says different.
The boys may be clueless, since they thought that the Maidens were the real Tohru, Uo, and Hana. But we'll soon find out.
See you soon!