No Pets Allowed!
Chapter 2 "Surprise, Surprise. A Stroke of Bad Luck."
Disclaimer: I didn't make Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. It's just another fanfiction, so hope you'll like it!
The morning sunlight hits the three figures in bed. One, a black cat, who was the first to wake up, and jump out of bed. Hiding, under the bed, annoyed of the light's bright composition. Another, a light tan rabbit who was shivering little bit, trying to welcome the presence of warmth. Instead, it gently hopped over the third figure, a 23 year old woman who had a calm composure on her face and short fluffy dark hair. The rabbit snuggled into the bed sheets that she was sleeping in and its ears brushed ever so slightly across her face.
"R-Ruka…what are you doing?" Hotaru giggled softly, still sleepy in her voice. Her eyes slowly opening and then turning into the direction of the rabbits face.
She picked up the rabbit and noticed the cat was gone. Then she placed the rabbit on the ground and it scurried under the bed. Hotaru standing up looked in the direction the rabbit had escaped off to, within moments the rabbit had in its mouth the cat's tail. Trying to drag it out from under the bed, but the cat was still resistant in the rabbit's innocent actions.
Hotaru couldn't help but laughed some more. "Ruka, you found Natsume, good job." She left the two animals and their antics, and went to the bathroom to get ready for the appointment she set up last night.
Figuring the animals weren't perverted, she quickly changed her clothes, taking off her night dress and changed into a girls polo and knee length pleated skirt. Applied basic make-up and gave Natsume and Ruka food and water.
Hotaru reheated some breakfast from last night's dinner. She sat at the table and crossed her legs eloquently and ate. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up to answer. Ruka was watching her curiously.
"Mikan? Morning, how are you lately?" Hotaru started into the phone.
Some voices came through and Hotaru answered back, "So your studies are hard? Tough luck. Try harder you idiot."
Now you could hear the noises getting louder, and Hotaru looked at her watch to check time. "So sorry to hear that too, some quick things I need to tell you. First, you're running up my long distance phone bill, and that costs money. Second, I've got a veterinarian appointment for my rabbit and cat. If I miss this, I won't be able to schedule another one anytime soon." Now, you could practically hear a voice shouting, 'What!? You have a cat and rabbi-' But then, Hotaru hung up on the voice. She smiled at the rabbit and stood up.
"Time to go you guys," she said happily. She carried the cat and rabbit and went out of the complex. She took out her cell phone after putting Natsume and Ruka down, figuring that they wouldn't run away anyways. She dialed a number and called someone. Someone picked up and she started talking, "Hello? Nonoko, can you drive me somewhere really quick?" The voice replied. "Thanks." Hotaru hung up.
Within minutes, a dark violet hybrid car, sleek, compact and small, drove up to the sidewalk and the windows rolled down. The woman was wearing a buttoned shirt and capris. "Hotaru, strange to hear you call for a favor," she said.
Hotaru rolled her eyes and replied, "Nonoko, strange to see you're not busy mixing chemicals together." She opened the door and picked up Ruka and Natsume and put them in the back seat. She slid in as well and closed the door.
"Come on Hotaru," Nonoko rolled up the windows again. "Even though I'm a chemist, doesn't mean that's the only thing I'm interested in." She saw the cat sitting calmly on the left side of the car seat and the rabbit bundled up on Hotaru's lap, looking up at Nonoko with its beady eyes. Nonoko kyaa-ed, "The rabbit is sooo adorable! Speaking of which, when did you get pets Hotaru!? You don't tell me anything anymore."
Hotaru put up a straight face and replied, "I got them just yesterday. They're strays so I figured I might as well check them up with a vet, and get some professional advice on how to take care of them."
Nonoko looked at Hotaru for a minute with a stunned expression. "Again, you're asking for someone else's help? I thought you were the type to go solo."
"Just start driving to the Nogi Veterinarian Center. I go solo when it comes to what I invent, if it concerns others, then I'd rather they be in good hands that know what they are doing. Got it?"
Hotaru was getting a bit annoyed and Nonoko could tell. She started up the car and drove to where Hotaru instructed.
They were almost arriving to the Center. Hotaru was stroking Ruka's fur with angst and anxiety. Finally, the car had stopped.
Nonoko turned off her engine and turn back to see Hotaru and her pets. "If you hadn't noticed already, we're here."
Hotaru didn't hesitate to unlock her seat belt and open the car door. She called for Natsume and it made a couple of quick jumps and landed with ease on the concrete. Hotaru closed the door, thanked Nonoko and she drove away.
The three of them turned around after she left and headed towards the vet. Usually, animals would feel nervous, but Ruka and Natsume had no expression towards the said building and headed towards it.
She pushed the door open and went inside the air conditioned building. Everything was surprisingly clean and maintained a professional look for a place that cared and help animals all the time. The renowned Veterinarian Center of Tokyo, owned by Nogi Corp.
Hotaru approached the receptionist.
"Yes? Do you need something madam?" asked the receptionist.
"I have an appointment with one of the doctors," Hotaru replied nonchalantly.
"Your name, if you may?" she requested.
"Hotaru Imai," her look directed to Ruka who was hopping around her legs, sometimes looking up at her. She smiled and knelled down for a moment to pet it. Then, she decided to pick Ruka up and resumed her conversation with the receptionist. "Anything else you may happen to need from me?"
"Usually it would be a payment, but apparently your appointment has been paid for already. Nothing else is needed from you, more or less, you need something from me." The receptionist gave Hotaru a card with some writing on it.
Hotaru left without thanks and read the card.
Room 7 with Dr. Kokoroyomi.
She sighed…and then opened the door to see the man fidgeting with a popsicle stick. He immediately threw it away when he noticed their presence.
"Welcome Imai-san. Long time no see," he said with his typical 'straight face', which was practically a smile, but…it wasn't. He examined the animals just as Nonoko had done in the car and he was just as stunned. "You have pets now?"
Just as she had told Nonoko, Hotaru replied coolly, "They're strays. I want you to check them up so I can have them as pets in my apartment." She was still holding Ruka in her arms, but it startled her when it jumped out so suddenly.
"Right, back to business. You're so very lucky you have so many acquaintances from Alice Academy who would be willing to give you free service." The vet remarked.
Hotaru gained composure, "And so are you to be so lucky to have been affiliated with me and my antics." As if hinting she'd done something to be able to get all these perks with little or no cost. She sat down on the chair in the corner of the room. "So, what are you going to do with them?"
Kokoroyomi concentrated on the rabbit for a moment. The rabbit staring intently back. "Checking its basic info; this rabbit is a buck…" He paused for some more minutes until Hotaru broke the silence.
"So basic info is only gender? Is there anything else? Something wrong with him or…?"
"That's just it. I can't find out much else besides gender. If I did find out more, it was that he was perfectly healthy in a weird way," he said, continuing to stare at the rabbit.
"Weird? Such a professional use of vocabulary," she remarked.
"I don't give a damn about something like that. The thing is…I just can't explain this rabbit in words. Though, I think you'll be fine having this rabbit as a pet. A very docile one, you were lucky," Kokoroyomi concluded. "Now, time for the cat."
The vet had concluded the same for the cat. That it was a tom and it was healthy as well. Their attitudes were 'normal' in a way where it wasn't really normal. Hotaru didn't mind much of the details. Instead she stayed longer just to ask how to take care of her official pets. She also asked if she needed to go through some documentation before claiming these pets as her own. Kokoroyomi explained everything she needed to know and gave her his business card for future reference.
Before she left, Hotaru smirked and said, "How's it going with Sumire and the kids?" She looked at Kokoroyomi's expression.
He continued his straight face, "Just what you'd expect. Hell."
She left the room with Ruka and Natsume and got back home via Nonoko.
Hotaru opened the door and the two animals rushed in to land on the sofa to just take a nap. Hotaru did the same, or similar. Instead, she took of her shoes and plopped onto her bed. Her eyes slowly closed and she fell asleep.
A few hours later, she woke up again. The sounds of knocking on her door interrupted her nice dream. Hotaru opened the door and the renter was present.
"Yuu Tobita. Surprised to see you here, not," Hotaru said. Yuu Tobita was another genius from Alice Academy with his curly blonde hair and his classic glasses.
"Hotaru…" he started.
"What do you want?" she asked impatiently. She was thinking this was about money.
"I hear that you have pets now? What kind are they?" he asked with regret.
"A rabbit and a cat. Why?" She examined the small gestures and apparent look on his face. Then she asked again, "Is there something wrong Tobita?"
His voice became very solid, "There are residents who are allergic to rabbits in this apartment complex. I'm sorry, but you have to either find a new home for it or we'll have to take care of it personally."
"Wha-What?" This is one of the few times in her life that Hotaru has ever stuttered in the presence of others. "You're taking away Ruka from me?"
The cat and the rabbit stood behind Hotaru's quivering legs. Tobita looked down at the rabbit. "Imai-san…you don't have a place for this rabbit, nor do you plan on giving it up so easily do you?"
She looked at him again, "I'll find a way. I'll easily invent something. That way you won't have to take him away," she finally declared by regaining strength. "Who has the allergies?"
"You didn't know Imai-san? I'm allergic to rabbits."
Hotaru's face was completely blank and realized that it was just an illusion. "No…not even for you, would I give this rabbit away."
"Hotaru…" the illusion approached. "For sure, we can find it a good owner."
Hotaru backed away taking the rabbit and cat in her hands. "I said NO! Get away from me Tobita!" She ran past the illusion and escaped with the two animals and ran out of the complex. She had no idea where she was going, but she wasn't going to come back there for a while.
"I'm so stupid…" she muttered to herself. "I have an invention for something like that." She slid down the alleyway wall and sat there and cried, holding Ruka and Natsume in her arms.
The two animals comforting her in a way only an animal can.
The sun was setting faster than usual; it was a cloudy night in Tokyo.
Typer's Note –
Oh my, second chapter always includes tragedy.
Who knew Tobita could become the bad guy. Tsk tsk.
Notice how Hotaru is nicer to animals than she is to people?
I hope that clears any misunderstandings about her personality.
Review if you please!
Hopefully it was good…or satisfactory.
Sankyuus for reading if you made it this far!