Chapter 2
Another note about ages: Motochika is 27, and Motonari is 25. -Rin
Chosokabe Motochika was bored. So bored, in fact, that he thought he might explode if he didn't find something to do soon. The obvious solution, of course, was to find his flat mate, Mori Motonari, and see what he could do to hinder whatever work the other was doing.
He wandered around their flat searching, finally finding Motonari in his bedroom, at his desk, working. Motochika entered without asking permission and sat on the desk, on top of the papers Motonari had been trying to write on.
"Yo, Nari-chan, what're ya doing?" Motonari glared at him. "I was trying to work. And don't call me that. Now move your butt so I can finish."
"You're so boring, Nari-chan." Motochika completely ignored Motonari's dislike for the nickname. "Forget that stuff, come do something with me."
Motonari sighed. "If you'll get up and let me finish, I'll play a board game with you." Motochika shrugged. That would work. He hopped up from the desk and poked Motonari's cheek.
"Don't take too long, 'kay?" He went to his own room and threw himself down on the bed to wait. But eventually he got bored again, and decided to find some other way of amusing himself. Messing with Motonari was always fun, maybe he'd do that.
All he had to do was get his flat mate out of that room and away from his work, right? Motochika knew just how to do it. He went to the kitchen and rummaged in the cupboards until he found a bottle of Febreeze. It would work nicely.
Next he looked through his desk, which was similar to Motonari's, but much less organized. Finally finding a zip tie, he closed the drawer a little too hard and put the tie around the can, over the trigger, but not too tightly.
He slunk down the hallway to Motonari's room, pausing at the door with one hand one the knob, listening. He heard only the sounds of rustling paper, so he opened the door, pulled the zip tie tight, and threw the bottle before closing the door and running away.
He waited in the living room for Motonari to come out of the Febreeze-d bedroom, which he did, gasping for breath.
"What was that?" He seemed angry.
"Febreeze." Motochika grinned. "The commercials say you can wash a whole room with it, so I thought I'd help you out. But anyway, you can't work now, right? So let's go do something."
Motonari's frown disappeared like a ripple on water, which should have been Motochika's first indicator that this wasn't going to work as he had hoped.
"Yes, let's." Motonari went to the door and held it open for him. "After you."
"Aww, how nice of you." He ruffled his flat mate's hair as he passed, then looked back, only to have the door slammed in his face.
"Nari-chan?" He knocked on the door and tried the knob, butt he was locked out. "Motonari? You gonna let me in?" From behind the door came a firm "No."
Motochika sighed and leaned against the wall. He probably should have seen this coming, but it's always easier to say that looking back on things. He pulled out his cellphone and started calling friends to find a place to stay for the night. Motonari would cool off when the Febreeze smell cleared up, which would take at least a day.
After calling everyone listed under the letters A through C, he came to the first name under D: Date Masamune. The phone rang three times before he picked up.
"Yo."
"Can I come stay with you for a while? Nari locked me out."
"What, again?" Masamune laughed. "What'd you do this time? Actually, just tell me when you get here. I have a feeling it's a long story."
Motochika grinned. "Thanks, man. I'm on my way."
After Motochika explained his Febreeze grenade, Masamune snorted.
"I've got a better story for you." And he told Motochika about the trick he'd played on Yukimura with the broom and the cup of water.
"Seriously? Mine's totally better." After a brief argument over who was better at messing with their friends, Motochika had an idea.
"Hey, Dokuganryuu, we should team up. Think of the chaos we could create." Masamune grinned in a mildly terrifying way.
"I like it. You're on."
Meanwhile, at the grocery store, Kojuurou felt a sudden shiver, and an inexplicable sense of impending doom.