This is a New Year's "trick or treat" for one cool friend, who is the only character to belong to herself instead of to the companies we pay homage to.
Lisa Shinigaami was up in her room doing homework, grumbling about the one teacher that always seemed to be the most out-of-touch to the existence of other things going on in life. At least the girl got to enjoy having the house to herself, with no mother to suggest chores or come between her and her stereo volume.
And then came the ping of the doorbell. Funny, Lisa hadn't planned on any friends coming over.
At the door was a boy her own age, cute as a bishoun and wearing a "lost puppy" expression. Just as she was figuring out where she'd seen him, maybe one of her classes, Li decided anybody that cute she'd remember.
"May I come in?" he asked tentatively, like a little boy caught in the rain. A shift of his posture revealed a three foot braid down his back, of a color that matched his large brown eyes.
Duo?!
"Am I in the right place? I... I thought I'd be welcome here...."
"YOU ARE!" Lisa gulped and pulled him by the hand.
The boy's stomach rumbled plaintively so she took him in the kitchen and threw a snack together. Good thing the home was empty today, she thought as she imagined explaining a strange boy to mom. At least the fact it was THE Duo wouldn't set off any alarm bells; the woman hardly ever paid attention to the things Li liked.
Just as she was about to inquire about the mystery the doorbell rang a second time.
Under an elegant hooded cloak, a white-maned woman of slender waist sand full hips waited at the doorway. "I need a place to lie low for a while," he purred. He? Yes, the voice was rich and silky but definitely masculine.
"Uhhhhhh, sure," Lisa breathed.
"Thank you. A few days most likely. A year, tops." With that he affectionately hugged an arm around the thin youth behind him. The baby-faced blond grinned at her as he passed by, and he had a furry tail hanging over his low-slung cargo shorts.
That couldn't have been... No, it had to be...
As soon as she had gone back inside to figure out what to do with these people came a knock. Oh gods, more?
An hour later, still somewhat dazed, Lisa walked around the house taking stock. Starting in the living room...
Sora had discovered the Playstation 2, and Kuja had appropriated Guilty Gear XX soon after. The graand nemesis had consistently slayed onscreen opponents; he was rather fond of selecting Testament. Sora experented with all choices and was currently on Ky.
By the stereo, Leon found the retro 80's station and was crooning along. Apparently his own personal anthem had already been written by Men At Work. "Who can it be knocking at my door? Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more. Can't you see that it's late at night? I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right. All I wish is to be alone; Stay away, don't you invade my home. Best off if you hang outside, Don't come in - I'll only run and hide." Not everyone was happy about listening to him but few wanted to argue with him about it. Next he was immersed in the majestic wonder of... "I've, become so numb." ...Limp Bizkit.
Zidane was curled up next to Duo and Riko sharing Lisa's graphic novels. The pilot had to teach the genome how to read mangas in reverse, or more properly right-to-left. After a few minutes Riku got up to leave.
"Something wrong with this story?"
"It's not any one thing; it's just so, blearcgh," he made a face.
"Wait, you thought this was a straight scene, didn't you. Those are two guys."
"It IS? Ohhhhhhh." After the dawning brain-shift he eagerly dived back in.
"Excuse me, can I see you a minute?" Lisa shyly asked the first of the visitors to come in. The mecha expert got to his feet immediately.
Finding a private spot to talk wasn't easy. Two more had gone into the backyard to sunbathe. At least that's what they claimed to want to do. It was just as good an excuse as any to lie around wearing not much.
The girl almost walked into her own room, but backed out again just as quickly. Good thing she retreated before the occupants noticed her, or that would have been even more embarassing.
They returned to the kitchen. Oddly enough, none of the teenagers was in a face-stuffing spree. Then again, they were all so skinny, maybe their reputation for appetite was ovverrated.
"When you first got here, you said something about 'Is this the right house'," Lisa began. "Do you know the reason I'm suddenly the next Tenchi Masaki of the New Year?"
Duo stammered and apologized profusely for making himself a nuisance in case there was some misunderstanding, but eventually he got over being cordial and told her what she wanted. He pulled out an issue of the Weekly Planet. This was the weekly free newspaper of current events, concert reviews, free-thinking politics, and humor, that was supposedly an "underground" printing but almost as popular and fameous as "real" publications.
Advertising was everywhere, especially in the back past the personals. There, in between an offer for cannibus detox and a request for paid medical test subjects was her ad.
"Gay, young, and in need of a place to be yourself? Miss shonen-ai kami knows how to take care of you and treat you right. A kindred spirit is waiting for you at..." and it listed her address.
Lisa absent-mindedly thanked Duo for showing her, and he politely returned to the mangas. Zidane waved to Kuja in front of the game and breathed a sigh of relief the swordsman wasn't jealous since they were only reading together.
Watching this scene Lisa chewed her lip thoughtfully. Maybe if she made all the guys sign an affadavit swearing there wouldn't be any funny business going on under this roof, at least certainly not with her, mother wouldn't blow all the blood vessels on top of her head. No time to worry about that now. She was too worked up about getting to the bottom of this.
For once, she was glad of the coumputer being in the living room so she didn't have to try getting in her bedroom again. After way too long, the internet came up. Shinigaami checked mail before screaming at every Buddy at random.
"Hee hee, look out." She opened that one first.
"Ha ha. Check the back of your paper veerry carefully this week. You get to see your name in print! But I bet you never thought it'd be for this, lmao."
"Idiot. Baka." Lisa said that and a lot of nastier things, only half of which were in English.
The note and joke wree from an online freak who was most definitely not Most Beautiful Girl in the World. "Cute butch" would be as close as this partly-androgynous tomboy could ask for.
And THIS is why you don't give out your address online.