A/N: Okay, posted this on the Rabi X Allen community over at LiveJournal…this is what happens when I watch too much anime
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Prrrriya! Pri! Prrrriya!
That was the horribly wonderful sound he had to deal with every morning, and he wasn't about to chuck it out of his window just yet. He knew what that sound meant depending on the day, and today just happened to be the day he'd been waiting for all week. Lazily reaching over, he smacked the 'off' button on top of the clock shaped like a strange winged, golden colored creature. It was given to him as a parting gift by a friend, and he was more then happy to receive it. That was over twelve years ago, and the thing was starting to drive him crazy with its constant high pitch noise, which he was sure would make a dog howl. It was a character from a popular manga series that he was very fond of, and anyone getting their hands on such a model was rare. His friend said they didn't need such thing, and it really did feel like he was getting the leftovers of something. He didn't mind because he was a sucker for such things, and since it was a parting gift he couldn't very well decline. He had to thank his friend…if it wasn't for him he'd be nothing but a silent little kid, sitting in a corner with nothing to do. His life started when he those wonderful objects were placed in his hand, making his heart fill with an emotion that was hard for him to put into words.
Sitting up, he ran a hand through his messy fiery hair, taking note that it was probably best to at lest brush it down. He wasn't very good with keeping up with such trivial things, but he knew that he had to if he wanted to keep his job. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stretched a little and made his way into the bathroom, minding the various magazines that lay here and there. He wasn't all that tidy, never really cleaning up unless he was sure there was someone coming over. That's just the way he was, and the way he'd always been. He also used the messiness as a way to remember where everything was. If he wanted something with a lot of action in it, he knew to look over at the pile near the right corner of his room. If he wasted something a little romantic, all he had to do was look over at the pile near his bed. That's how his room worked, and he really didn't want to change it just yet. It was, however; a little distressing when he actually did have company over. They'd always rant to him about how he should get a few more shelves, or at lest take out all the useless books he owned out and throw them away. He couldn't help but scoff at them for such comments. NOTHING he owned was useless; everything had its purpose and he'd be dammed it he thrown anything away. He never bought anything for the hell of it, mainly because his budget wouldn't allow it. He worked at a bookstore, and though he was paid well, he wasn't paid that well. He really loved his job, because every break he would sit over at the manga section and just read. It was one of his many pastimes, the other few being playing console games, getting multiple endings for computer dating-sims, attempting to draw, and listening to the many songs that come from the many seiyuu he liked. Some found this strange, others found it complete waste of time, but it didn't matter. They would call him whatever they wanted, but there was only one name he's really answer to…
O…ta…ku…
He didn't feel any shame in being labeled as such, since that's the person he was. His friend who had moved over seas had shown him the light, giving him the necessary materials he needed to find himself. A manga, a light novel, and a drama CD were the only things he was given that day, but it had done so much for him. He knew he liked to watch those old kiddy animes that came on every weekend, but he wasn't sure why he'd like then better then other shows. It wasn't until he slowly started to piece everything together that it made sense, and made feel like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. At first the term made him feel a little ashamed of himself, mainly because he was told that it meant he'd be a geek. But as time went on he learned to accept it, seeing that being called what he was wasn't all that bad.
Once in the bathroom, he opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out his toothbrush, making a mental note that he needed to buy a new one. He didn't spent all of his money on things related to anime…He actually set aside just enough to buy himself groceries and toiletries…though he didn't put all that much into his wardrobe. It was always the same; if it was hot, he'd wear a tank-top and jeans, and if it was cold he'd wear a sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the tops were black, while the others were dark blue. His jeans where all the same dingy azure color, since he didn't find it necessary to buy any other shade since the damn things were called 'blue jeans'. Fashion was not something he felt was something he really needed to worry about, so he didn't find it all that interesting. But as always his friends had to add their little comments; he knew he'd never hear the end of it, because they felt it important to remind him that 'looks are very important!' He did nothing but shrug them off, knowing that they really didn't have much say in what kind of life he lived. Why were they is friends again? Oh yeah, because they were the only ones that would talk to him. It was sometimes hard to get into a conversation with someone he didn't know, mainly because all he really wanted to talk about was anime or manga. He DID know about things outside of such topics, but he was much more comfortable with something he knew a lot about. He wasn't a shut in, because he enjoyed going out as well as ridding his bike around town.
Putting his toothbrush away, he rinsed his mouth out with a little water. Removing his shirt, he left the bathroom and walked back into his room, going into his closet once there. It was somewhat chilly outside, so he reached for his favorite black sweater (which wasn't all that bulky); knowing the difference between them all due to the various rips and tires here and there. Surprisingly, he knew how to sew, and managed to patch up most of the hole he had made over the years. All of his clothes looked like a stitched and patched up mess, but it made them look sort of cool in his opinion.
Finding that the jeans he was already wearing were fine, he threw on his shirt and brushed his hair a little. It was naturally messy, so it wasn't really his fault for the way it looked. Luckily he owned a headband that would keep it all in place and out of his face, though he didn't mind his hair just being free. Slipping it on, he made his way downstairs, bringing a fresh pair of socks with him. He didn't need anything to eat, because he'd just end up buying something later on in the day. That's how it always was; he'd get there ten minutes before he needed to, pick up a small bite to eat, and wait in line. It what he went through most weekends, and he didn't mind it one bit. Doing things like this gave him such a thrill, but of course his friends thought it was as waste of time. Why wait in a line for hours to pick up some useless comic book? Or better yet, why waste a weekend surrounded by a bunch of sweaty men, who, in their opinion, 'didn't have a life at all'. But this was life…for him, and all the other people like him. Unless they were a part of the world he lived in, they just wouldn't understand. He had to deal with such comments everyday, but he didn't let them faze him. He liked what he liked, there was no way someone who didn't come from his world could tell him anything different.
Looking at the clock, he knew that setting his clock at lest an hour before he need to would guarantee him eating the late crowed, but not the ones the decided to camp out. Though it was against the rules to do so, people still did, not really caring about the people that didn't think ahead. He wasn't the kind of guy, though he did wish he had a friend or two live there, allowing him to spend the night so he didn't have catch the train. But at lest he wasn't going alone! His friend was a part of his world, so he understood how much the weekend meant to him. He'd only know the guy for three years, but hell, that was enough time. He was a year older then him, and also a foreigner so to speak. He was born in Germany and spent two years there, however; his parents decided to move for unknown reasons. The two of them had met when they were still in high school; they had managed to strike up a conversation about the ending on a very famous anime. They both agreed that the series had gone downhill after its second season, but the ending did nothing but introduce a bunch of new characters that were probably going to appear in some lame spin-off. It was a shame because it had such good potential to become so epic, though all the damn fillers it started was probably where the snowballing started. It was so funny; it was the first time he'd actually had that deep of a conversation that related to anime with someone. The two hit it off right there, and ever since the two of them found that the other was the only person in school that had enough sense to get what the other was talking about.
Once his shoes were on he left the house, remembering that he was supposed to meet his friend at the train station in the next five minutes. He might've woken up early, but he was still going to get to the station late. That's the way everything worked; he was the type to get one thing right, but he'd forget to do the same for something else. It was something he just couldn't get right, but it didn't bother him too much. Racing down the street, he thanked every god he could think of that he lived close enough to the station. He didn't have to waste too much of his energy, since he decided that providing himself with nourishment could wait meaning he barely had any. Rounding the corner, he could see the station only a few blocks away. It didn't seem very crowded, but he wasn't going to let his guard down just because it looked empty. He'd been tricked on plenty of occasions, thinking that the place looked deserted while he was running late for school or work. But it wasn't until he was close enough that he nearly choked on the 'no!' that desperately wanted to escape his mouth; the place had been packed, filled with people who looked like they were in quite the hurry. He'd gotten to his destination rather late, earning him a scolding from his superiors. He hated being late for anything because it meant he'd miss on something, and him missing out on something never ended well.
But today was his lucky day! Upon reaching the station he could now see that it was damn near empty, which meant he wasn't going to be miss out on anything. Slowing down to catch his breath, he could see his friend's blond hair coming into view, and that probably meant he was right on time…or right on time while being late. He was much taller then the redhead, which was something he could never get over. Since he friend was taller then he was, it meant the redhead could finally develop a napoleon complex. He'd always wondered why people got so bent out of shape when someone else pointed out they were short…but now he knew. The height difference wasn't all that great, but it was still enough for him to get peeved off and make a big fuss over nothing.
"Oi, Lavi-kun!" He called out, waving his arms in the air. The redhead waved back, and sped up slightly not wanting to make him wait any longer.
"Oi, Hei-kun, sorry for the wait" Lavi said, finally coming to a complete stop. Alfons Heiderich was his full name, but his close friends just called him 'Hei' because…well…it was easier to say. He didn't mind the nickname, most people would actually call him 'Al', but the one Lavi had given him sounded a little better.
The two of them started to engage in small talk until the train came, and once it did, they boarded and found it packed. Of course they weren't the only people going, and though Lavi had arrived early (sort of) there was no way the two of them could avoid this. They themselves squeezed into the cramped car, wishing it wasn't always like this. The redhead had managed to find a nice little opening for the two of them, though it wasn't all that great, it was better then rubbing up against some sweaty guy they didn't know. Once they felt comfortable, Lavi pulled out his cell phone and began to write someone a message. He needed to do this because if he didn't people would become very irritated, and if they did…his entire experience would suffer. It was the first of three he was going to send, and his only wish was that he'd, once again, actually lived there so he wouldn't have to do such a thing. A few minutes after pressing the 'send' button he heard his phone 'ping'. Looking down he read the message and sighed a little. The 'I'll be waiting' wasn't what got him; it was the little heart at the end of it. What was up with him lately? Lavi had the suspicion that his train-away-friend had been watching way too many romance animes. He'd been rather moody for the past three months, and the redhead really couldn't figure out why.
'Well, whatever' He thought to himself as he put his phone away. The train ride was going to take about two hours, so he pulled out his game system and started to play. Lavi couldn't very well focus because he was so nervous. It wasn't because he had anything important to do upon arrival; it was just because this time was going to be different than the last. That's how it always was, though keeping some things the same wasn't all that bad. Change meant something was going to happen, be it good or band and he was eager to find out what was going to happen…much to his blonde friend's dismay. Whenever Lavi found something interesting or new to do, Alfons was always dragged along and sometimes it ended up with the two of them cosplaying. The last time they took this little trip the redhead had found out they were having a posing contest, and well, he and Alfons had surprisingly taken first place because of their complicated position they pulled of as members of Kogarasumaru from Air Gear. The problem was that they had to hold the pose, and holding it meant standing there for five minutes. After the five minutes the blonde felt so stiff, so Lavi decided to treat him to lunch to try to make up for dragging him into such a strenuous competition. That's the kind of person Lavi was; if he was going to pull you into something, he was sure reward you for dealing with him.
Looking over his shoulder, the blonde noticed that the game Lavi was playing was new. He told him that he'd read about it online, and apparently the levels were based on mythology. The redhead admitted that he didn't know all that much about said topic, so the two of them were plunged into a world of demons, gods, and white wolves. They continued to play until the reached their stop, which wasn't all that big of a deal for the two of them. Both had their limits when it came to games, Alfons' was about fourteen hours while Lavi's was thirty hours. The redhead once asked how he could play for such a long time, and he answered that if the story was good enough nothing could keep him from it, even sleep. The blonde really did look up to Lavi; he had such a great outlook on things in their world, and his personal views on things really did make sense. Since the two of them were not 'noobs' to the whole anime/mange community, they found it harder to understand what some of the newer generation saw in a few things. They knew that saying things like 'they don't respect the classics' or 'they have no idea what (insert term) truly means' made them sound much older then they were, but that's just how their minds worked. Upon leaving the train, the two let out a sigh of relief…they had made it.
Akihabara…the holy grail of Tokyo.
The two of them had been visiting this place since they were old enough to ride the train, and they were so happy the gods had blessed the world with such a place. Lavi and Alfons braved the cluttered subways ever other weekend, thought if something like a special even came up they would go two in a row. The redhead was the only one that had actually spent an entire week there, mostly because Alfons was sick with the flu. Lavi had wanted to help him out, but he knew staying went against everything the blonde stood for. Since the redhead was in perfect condition, it meant he was going to play errand boy. He didn't mind since his usual income had increased quite a bit, and buying two of everything wasn't an issue.
Lavi pulled out his cell and typed up another message. He wrote that he and Alfons were going to get a bite to eat before heading out to the convention center, and that if it wasn't too long of a line that they would be their soon. Upon closing it, he and Alfons made their way through the thick crowed of people to try and reach their usual eatery. The two of them shard a few random conversations, not caring who heard them talking about anything perverted. It was Akihabara! As long was it technically wasn't a crime, you could speak about it out loud and no one would care. It was common for person to call an otaku a pervert because of the things they talked about, but it was merely because those people didn't have the right mind set. Hell, if someone was standing near them talking how much they loved shoes to the point where they wouldn't spend money on anything else, most might find that normal, but as soon as someone talked about spending too much on anime people thing you're crazy. It was frustrating at times, but they got over it rather quickly. It wasn't their fault for liking what they did, but at lest it was better then shoe shopping.
After they'd braved the large crowed, they finally found the stand they were looking for. It was always there, never moving unless it rained, and it always served the same thing…dango. The guy who ran the shop knew them very well, and he often gave them discounts because he knew how much they wanted to spend on other things. Ordering a few, Alfons playfully nudged the redhead in the side and reminded him to buy a couple extra dango because it was another thing that would haunt him the rest of the trip if he didn't. Thanking the man, the two left, Alfons holding a plastic bag of mitarashi dango. Looking around, he, like he always did, began to take in all everything him saw. The streets are filled with people, while ever few corners he could see were filled with performers. If they were good enough the pay would be more then enough to sustain them for the rest of the day. It was one of the many ways people made money if they didn't have enough for the convention or just plain ran out. Aside from them there were the cosplayers. There were three types in Lavi's book; there were the top grade ones that looked like it took them more then half the year to make, there were the ones that looked close but could use a little work…and then there was the last group. This group was made of the people who just seemed to not care, like they'd just woken up and decided 'hmm…I'll go cosplaying today!' There was nothing really wrong with that, but there was something that just irked him about half-ass cosplay. Putting that aside, there were also the many electronic shops that were open all over the place. It was a popular place for anyone to pick of spare parts for their computers, and most of the time all of them were packed. Lavi and Alfons sometimes traveled there when they needed to repair or upgrade their PCs, because the games they purchased sometimes called for them to do so.
Stretching a little, the redhead tried to think of all the new amateur doujin artists were going to be there. He was so interested to see just what kind of talent was going to show up. He really did enjoy seeing the creator try to place the characters in unfamiliar situation, making them act towards another character not seen in any form anime or manga. Of course there were the 'hinted at' pairing, ones that the authors might not know about and it takes a fan with a sharp perception to find them. Now Lavi was the kind of guy to go for both popular and not-so-popular pairings, mainly because it was frustrating as hell to have to hunt for the right doujinshi. He tried to come up with those kinds of ideas, but his artistic skills were subpar, he never actually published anything. Natural talent was something he lacked greatly…and he thanked god he had a friend who took requests. Upon arriving at the convention center, they found that the line wasn't all that long. Pulling out his phone for the last time, he wrote that they were currently in line and that they would seem them inside. He once against received another message with a heart attached to it, and he once again sighed. He really needed to ask his now few-people-away friend why he was acting so off. Maybe he was having one of those 'bad periods' where he his muse just decided to take a vacation. The redhead could see this in his art lastly; his production value had gone down somewhat, with him not putting in as much detail as he usually did or just forgetting to finish a page or two.
It was almost disturbing how much of his talent had gone down the drain, and he had brought the topic up when speaking with Alfons. The blonde just said that everything would be alright as long as 'he got his act together', and when Alfons said 'he' Lavi wasn't sure if he was talking about their friend or himself. That made Lavi very suspicious, thinking that the blonde knew more then he was letting on. Whenever his friend was brought up in the conversation, Alfons would only smirk slightly and listen, as if already knowing what the redhead was going to say. Lavi even asked a few times if he was hiding anything, and he simply answered 'Why no, Lavi-chan, what would give you that idea?' each time, further fueling his suspicion.
As they reached the door, they were greeted by two young girls dressed as maids. They were always there, greeting everyone that entered and trying to make them feel comfortable. Lavi really didn't seem to notice them after the first few times, so they when walked right passed them and to the Doujin Alley. The convention center was enormous, so much that if one did not know their way around they it was always the first place they visited, and it was one the liveliest. People going from table to table, asking the artist or circle a few questions, looking through their work and getting into a friendly chat with them. The redhead liked the atmosphere of the place, making him sometimes wish the whole world was like this.
"He said they moved his spot, right?" Alfons asked, looking around the room.
"Yeah, his table is further back this time" Lavi answered, walking a little further back then they usually did. When an artist would sign up for the convention, they didn't have a 100 chance of getting in. If they did, they had to option of choosing where they wanted to be place, but if they didn't act fast that chance would go as quickly as it came.
"I wonder why he asked for a different spot…" The redhead muttered to himself, trying to figure out if this was somehow linked to his friend's odd behavior. Alfons couldn't help but hold back a laugh…the redhead was so dense! Once they'd found their friend, they each let out a sigh of relief. He looked so tired, liked he'd been sitting their since the crack of down, which all that farfetched. He, along with the other participants, had to come in early to make sure everything was ready. A table, chair, a few signs were the only things the artist really needed, but how they were placed made everything come together. He was wearing a black blazer with a school logo that he most likely made up himself, along with a tie that went along with it. The blazer was open so the purple frilly dress shirt could be easily seen. On top of his head was a small top hat that was cocked to the right side, and a small golden creature much like Lavi's alarm clock perched on its brim. Strangely enough he was wearing a pair of black capris, and he must have not minded the cool weather because he was the only person doing so. He really liked to show off…but it wasn't just for the hell of it, most of the time he did it because it somehow tied into his works.
"Oi, Allen-kun, we're here" Lavi said, not quite sure if their short friend had noticed them. He jumped a little, franticly trying to brush down the snow white strands of his hair that refused to stay in place.
"Oh, hay you two" he said, looking up at them, "I wasn't expecting you for another few minutes"
"Yeah, the line was a lot shorter then we thought it would be" Alfons said, giving him a look that only the smaller could read. Clearing his throat, he started to straighten himself out.
"Whatever" He started, crossing his arms and cocking his hip to the side a little "I guess you didn't hear then…"
"Hear what?" Lavi asked. Smirking, Allen pulled out a small package with two boys locked in a very suggestive position. The redhead recognized it instantly and nearly choked; it was a limited addition of a very famous boy love game staring catboys, and the shorter having it meant they were selling it.
"There all sold out…" Allen said, smirk growing wider as a look of horror took over the redhead features. There was one thing about Lavi that only people who knew him very well could understand, and that was that the redhead…
Really liked his yaoi…
"S-Sold out?!" He yelped.
"Yup, they were selling it pretty early; I sort of tried to call you about it…" Allen said, waving the box in front of the redhead's face. He quickly pulled it back when Lavi tried to grab it, making the redhead whine a little.
"Allen-chan" He began to whine louder "Pleeease don't torture your wonderful Nii-san!"
"Hmm…" Allen said, making it seem as if he was thinking deeply. He knew how much something like this meant a lot to the redhead, and he actually only bought a copy of the game to piss him off. That's how these things worked; Allen was the kind of person to use his power (which just happened to be earliness) to try and screw the redhead over. This wasn't the first time he'd done this, and he knew it wasn't going to be the last. Tapping his chin with it, he decided that he might as well make a profit off of the guy.
"I'll only give it to you, Nii-san, if you actually buy one of my doujinshi-"
"I'll take two copies!" The redhead said, slamming the money down on the table. Oh yes…Lavi never actually bought anything Allen made. The redhead would only take the ones the shorter would make for him, because Allen was just 'too damn kind for his own good'. Snickering, Allen handed him the game, two copies of his doujinshi, as well the one that he wanted. Ouran Host Club…why the hell did he like that damn Hikaru Hitachiin so much? Allen really didn't mind doing requests for Lavi, mainly because he wasn't really drawing for the money (though one time he really needed his rent paid…he might've only been twenty-one, but he knew what the value of money way).
"Oh, is this the one that I asked for?" Lavi asked, eyeing the extra doujinshi. The shorter just nodded, trying his best not to blush; now he liked the yaoi just as much as Lavi did, but he just couldn't get over drawing all of those poses. He'd nearly had a nosebleed from blushing too hard while trying to ink his pages, and he was sure his fans would notice the strange blotches on his pages.
"Well I might as look around, ya coming Hei-kun?" Lavi said to the teller boy standing next to him.
"Uh…I'll be there in a minute, I wanna ask Allen-kun something" He said. The redhead just nodded and left, leaving the two alone. The blonde sighed and looked over at Allen, who's head was currently down as if ashamed of something. Alfons knew exactly why he was acting so off, and he had to blame both of them.
"Allen-kun, you really need to-"
"I-I'm working on it…" He said, covering his face with one hand, "Just…tell him I want you two to spend the night…"
"What? Really? I thought you didn't want us to-"
"Just tell him!" He shouted, holding his stomach with his free hand. The blonde just sighed and left, remembering to leave the bag of dango with the shorter. Allen doing something like this meant he was planning something big, and knowing that much was enough for him to steer clear of the two of them that night.
Allen was so nervous; he'd never liked people bring people over to his apartment, partially because he had so much anime memorabilia around that it might shock someone. The other reason was because he kept it so messy. It wasn't by choice, everything he did just couldn't stay in one room so each room was littered with pictures old and new. He'd tried to clean them all up, but had gotten so use to things being here and there that each room became his own little filing space.
'Crap…what am I doing…?' He thought to himself, picking up one of his doujinshi and holding it against his chest. Only he knew what those last three pages meant, and it was up to him to make Lavi understand as well.
End Part 1