Animalia Acclamation
Disclaimer: Getbackers (c) Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki
-ººº-
/Did you see? Did you hear?/
/I saw, I heard. That's why I'm here. And exactly HOW many did you tell about this?/
/Why the hostility? What's the problem?/
/What's the problem! Look around you!/
/…so?/
/SO! This place is TEEMING! We're gonna get caught!/
/Oh, relax. It's not like they're gonna notice US anyway./
/When you've got THIS many in one place, making THIS amount of racket?/
/Gentlemen, if you will pipe down for a minute, you WILL notice that-/
/THEY'RE COMING!/
/Precisely./
/Pipe down! They're coming!/
/Honestly, all this fuss over such a small matter…/
/How can you call this a 'small matter'?/
/Shush! Not a sound!/
Rustle rustle.
Mumble mumble mumble mumble.
/What on earth… I can't understand a word!/
/No kidding. I can barely make out what they're saying./
/What'd she say? What'd she say!/
/Hey! What'd she say?/
/She asked him why he asked her out here./
/She asked him why he asked her out here! Pass the word!/
/Keep interpreting!/
/Siiigh…/
Mumble mumble mumble mumble.
/Uh… he says he has something to tell her./
/I know what it is! I know what it is!/
/We ALL know what it is, genius./
/I heard that sarcasm, thank you very much./
/Gee, with all that space between your eyes, all you can do is hear./
/Why you-/
/Will you two shut up! I can't hear!/
Mumble mumble. Mumble mumble mumble.
/Hehe, she says he sounds nervous./
/You're telling me. I'm surprised he isn't shaking like a leaf in a windstorm./
/What'd he say about it? I saw his lips move./
/He's denying it. Profusely./
/Hah! Typical./
/Well, he's got a GOOD reason to be nervous./
/True but he doesn't have to be such a wuss about it./
/Oh, like you can do any better./
/Hey, I'll have you know I'm better at expressing myself than any one else around here./
/You always WERE a braggart, do you know that?/
/And yet you stick around me, why?/
/Because someone needs to keep that mouth of yours shut./
/Remind me to kill you once this is over./
/Heh. Like you could./
/As if I weren't annoyed enough as it is… shush!/
Mumble mumble mumble. Mumble.
/Move! I can't see!/
/Ow! Hey! Quit that! That hurts!/
/Be quiet! He's looking up! He's looking up!/
/If you'd move out of the way, I wouldn't be hurting you!/
/If you weren't so darn PUSHY-/
/OY! SHADDUP, YOU LOT OVER THERE!/
/Not particularly eloquent but effective./
/Thank you./
/Right, what was going on just now before they all got so unruly?/
/He was spluttering a lot and she couldn't understand a thing. Now he's all red in the face and she's completely confused./
/Oh for… what IS he! Man or mouse?/
/…if you already know the answer, why are you asking?/
/It was rhetorical, dimbulb./
/Will you two keep quiet already! She's saying something else!/
Mumble mumble mumble.
/She says… uh… I think she told him that if he's nervous…/
Mumble mumble mumble mumble.
/He should tell her why so that maybe, she could help./
/(snicker) Oh, she can help, alright… (cackle)/
/You sound really creepy, you know…/
/When is he going to get on with it? I'm bored./
/You know what they're like about these sort of things. Always overly complicated… give it a little while./
/Sides' you're ALWAYS bored anyway./
/You'd rather I be active?/
/… no comment./
/Good./
Mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble.
/I can't say all that! That's mushy stuff! TOO mushy!/
/Oh, c'mon already! It can't be that bad!/
/Wanna bet?/
/Look, we'll make it worth your while, alright! What'd he say!/
/Eeeew… lots of sappy junk here… I'm gonna barf…/
/Just GET ON WITH IT!/
/Okay, okay, "I called you out here to say (pause here) to say (pause here) dammit, I'm not good at this stuff," he says/
/Darn right he isn't. Pathetic at it's best./
/"Are you alright? What is it?" she asks. He goes, "I know (pause) I know, I'm not the best person in the world (pause here then continues). I'm still leading a very dangerous life and I'm not, I think, what you expected but (pause)… oh SHIT./
/"Oh SHIT?" What kind of man would say- OH SHIT! RUN! RUN! SCATTER!/
/AAAARGH! FLEE! RETREEEEEEEAT!/
What seemed to be a large black cloud that seemed to float out of the trees was in actuality an entire flock of crows squawking in utter fear as they flew away as fast as was possible. Smaller birds such as sparrows and songbirds as well as a falcon, gliding faster than usual, followed them.
On the ground, squirrels, rabbits, several dogs, cats and a pair of foxes scurried into the cover of bushes nearby with miscellaneous screeches of fright. A full grown, male lion with a large mane bounded for the south end of the lush, large grounds. A mole buried back into the soil and one collie named Mozart ran for dear life to the sanctuary of the Otowa mansion.
Having overheard the animals' conversations and realizing that his chosen spot under their tree ("Their?" questioned his mind) wasn't exactly the most private place to be, Fuyuki Shido had risen menacingly to his feet and uncharacteristically felt like strangling the animals he usually called friends. He muttered darkly about nosy birds, gossipy mammals and damn it, he was NOT pathetic!
He was just… extremely bad at this.
Extremely being a kind way to put it.
As he sat back down on the grass, Madoka's eyes were wide as she felt around on the grass, alarmed by the sudden panic noises. "Shido-san! What happened to the animals? Is something wrong? And where's Mozart?"
Mozart, thought Shido with a dark, foreboding glare that looked like it had been carved with a chisel into his face. Translator Dog. "He's fine, Madoka-san, just ran off for a minute…"
Wait till I get my hands on that fur coat-on-paws…
"…Shido-san? You sound upset… what's wrong?"
I'll turn him into coat without legs. "Pathetic at it's best"? After everything I've done for them…!
"Shido-san? I can't hear you. What is it"
That's it. I'm gonna chop down this tree. Don't care what Madoka-san says-
Uh...
Fine. I won't chop down the tree. But I won't feed the ungrateful beasts for at least a week. Let them find their own food, bloody pests of mammals…
"It's not difficult for them. THEY don't have to PROPOSE to their mates…"
There was a long, drawn out silence as Shido and Madoka both realized what he'd just said out loud.
Well… not actual silence per se since the animals had gone back to their original positions in the trees and amongst the bushes. Mozart was shouting out translations from where he sat by the house. (Dog ears were particularly sensitive when it came to their master/mistress's happiness).
Now, every single animal had thrown discretion to the wind and was hooting all sorts of 'encouragements' at Shido. Even the previously bored lion was roaring a "Don't be a wimp, Shido!" from the sidelines.
Shido, feeling like causing sudden extinction amongst his friends, steeled himself and glanced sideways.
Madoka wasn't turned towards him, only straight ahead with a delightful splash of red across her cheeks. Delightful since to Shido's mind, that HAD to be a good sign, right? Right?
As for him, he had a not-so-attractive pink on his own face that he would have been positively ashamed to look at if he had a mirror. Reaching into his pocket, he brought something out. It was the only thing he could afford even with after much scraping and scrimping and saving since he first came here. Some yen here, some yen there day by day and of course, some subtle borrowings from here and there.
Without a single engraving, he drew out a round silver band and with doubt, fear and daring all at once embroiled in his insides, took Madoka's hand. He pressed it into her palm and closed her fingers around it, but kept his hand over hers.
"O… Otowa Madoka… will you (gulp) marry… marry me?"
/HE did it! He DID it!/
/Finally!/
/SAY YES! SAY YES!/
/You know you want to! Go on!/
/Answer him before he keels over in too much shock!/
/C'mon, Madoka-san!/
/Think long and hard! Then say YES!/
Madoka didn't need to talk to animals to understand what all the sudden screeching, chirping, roaring and nudging of her elbow with Mozart's cold, wet nose meant. Smiling so wide that her cheeks hurt, she lay her other hand over Shido's.
"…I will. With all my heart."
The ring, held by a trembling hand, slid into place on Madoka's fourth finger amidst a roaring cacophony of wildlife.
/I thought he'd NEVER get it done!/
/Ring the wedding bells! Send out the invitations!/
/How many kids, Shido!/
/Knowing him? Either a dozen or none at all!/
/Oh, that poor girl!/
/Madoka, don't be scared to give him what for!/
"If you guys don't shut up right now, I'm gonna pluck your fur and feathers out so you'll FREEZE in the WINTER!" roared Shido from beneath the tree, still holding onto Madoka's hand.
/Oh, go kiss your fiancée already and quit threatening us!/
"That's IT! I'm not giving you ravens any more food! Don't expect to get any food from me! I-"
Shido's shouting was cut off with a gentle squeeze of his hand. He turned and Madoka's hands reached his face, as she had done last time to try and see what he looked like. Now, with her hands on his cheeks, she pulled him gently towards her.
The miscellaneous cries just got more bawdy and louder. Several comments from the ravens and ground animals were heard amidst the other approving screeches.
/WOOOO! You GO Madoka!/
/Girl power! Yeah!/
/Shame on you, Shido! Letting a girl make the first move!/
/Talk about a –3 on the manliness scale!/
/Ding ding ding! Madoka, 1, Shido, absolutely ZILCH!/
Shido did nothing to counter his friends' catcalling. As far as he was concerned, they could all go and jump off a cliff.
Not that he could hear anything while he kissed Madoka back for all he was worth anyway.
-ººº-
Some way away...
"He did it! Shido did it!"
"Go, Beastmaster!"
"What're you talking about? Go, MADOKA!"
"Man, talk about letting masculinity down, letting a girl make the first move…"
"Says the guy who doesn't even KNOW what a kiss is like."
"Take that back, Ban! I'm the best Romeo in Mugenjou and you KNOW it!"
"Right… and I'm Marilyn Monroe."
"Ban, that imagery's just wrong."
Shido would soon find out that attached to his bandana was one very fine, very LONG string that led to one Fuchoin Kazuki, Amano Ginji, Midou Ban, Haruki Emishi, Mizuki Natsumi, Hevn, Kudo Himiko and Wan Paul in the Honky Tonk. More strings from that one string was connected to a computer screen in a certain room in Mugenjou where one MakubeX, Kakkei Juubei and Kakkei Sakura were situated.
Apparently with Ginji's help, Kazuki had set up a mini camcorder in the boughs of the tree in Madoka's lawn and attached a string to it as well. With the camcorder string and bandanna string connected to a screen in the Honky Tonk and to a computer screen in the current king of Mugenjou's room and gentle jolts of electricity compliments of the blonde and human lightning rod, there was an interesting show going on that all of Shido's friends were watching.
Namely the live telecast of Shido's proposal to Madoka.
Complete with a full stereo system.
Well, you didn't think all the animals were the only ones to have all the fun, did you?
The End.
A/N: Animalia - taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct animals. Acclamation - A shout or salute of enthusiastic approval. (Source: dictionary. com)
"Talk about a -3 on the manliness scale!" comes from Final Fantasy VIII, one of Laguna Loire's friends, can't remember which.
Happy Chinese New Year to all!