CHALLENGE!! So far I've made some obscure references to different TRC characters.
I'll give whoever can find all of them a prize!! (but you'll have to PM me...)
So far I've mentioned : Yuuko, Toya, Tomoyo, Mokona, Fei Wong, Xing Huo, Caladina, Oruha, Chu'nyan, Primera, Syoran, Kyle Rondart, Shogo, Kaumi and Subaru
She Will chapter 3 :
Draped casually across the bar counter, Fai stirred a bowl of peanuts idly, waiting to be noticed by the red-eyed bartender who was currently arguing loudly with a very drunk guy in a fancy suit.
"I'm telling you I'm a doctor, I would know!"
"Look, I don't give a damn if you're a doctor or not, I don't have-"
"lachanophobia; a fear of vegetables."
Fai grinned and popped another peanut into his mouth; this was very entertaining.
When the bartender looked like he might strangle the man one of the waitresses, A lovely Chinese girl, came over and led him discreetly to the door.
"If that Rondart fellow ever comes here again, I think I'll..." He made a violent motion with his fist.
He looked suddenly at Fai as if just noticing him there against the gritty background. Instantly, he switched into a I -couldn't-care-less-about-you attitude.
"I thought you weren't playing here until later. You need help setting up your speakers again?"
Rolling his eyes, Fai casually got up and swung himself over the counter, gracefully to coming to stand next to the barman. "Is that any way to greet me after we haven't seen eachother for a whole month?" Hands on his hips, the barman said "Three months exactly, and you only show up when you want something."
Fai placed a hand over his heart dramatically, "You wound me, Kuro-chan. But as it happens, yes. I'd like some information." Rubbing his head tiredly, he muttered, "Didn't realize it'd been three months already..."
"You idiot!" hissed Kurogane, "You practically vanished off the face of the Earth, I hear NOTHING of you for three whole months, and then you just waltz in here expecting me to help you again?!"
Fai sniffed. "Polka. I Polka-ed in here expecting my best friend to back me up a little when I just want some info."
He paused. "Wait...Kuro-kun was worried about me!! YAAATA!! hahaha!!" He cackled evilly while Kurogane wished that the Earth would open up right there and swallow him. Oh, how long it'd been since Fai was here...
Wiping his eyes, Fai turned to face Kurogane again. "Can I put these somewhere? I don't want them to spoil." He gestured to the groceries lying by the barstool.
XXXXXXX
While Kurogane stocked his groceries in the bar's cooler, Fai swiped a ratty checkered apron and looped it over his thin waist.
Out of the back room, Fai heard Kurogane's voice call, "So what did you want to know about anyway?" "Well, what do you know about a man named Fei Wong?"
There was a heavy thud and a long stream of obscenities came from the back room before Kurogane limped back up to the counter.
"Are you insane!! Fei Wong REED!? What have you gotten into- that guy's seriously dangerous!" He seethed . Just as Fai was about to reply, there was a deep rumbling from outside. "Concert's out; Brace yourselves!" Ryuoh called back to the staff, as a storm of people burst through the front doors into the bar.
"Dammit, I forgot about the concert today. Look, Fai today's not the best of days-" He stopped short at the sight of Fai's determined expression.
"Caladina's off today. And you think that you can run this all by yourself?" He snorted.
"You haven't changed a bit."
"Fai you don't even work here, you just play here in the afternoon."
"Oh please, I'm practically family here. Ryuoh doesn't care, Chun'yan doesn't care, you don't care, and the Primera fanboys just want their drinks."
Kurogane sighed; he could never win.
XXXXXXX
They were back-to-back serving drinks as fast as possible for the better part of an hour. And as much as Kurogane hated to admit it, he and Fai knew eachother so well that they made a pretty good team.
"Grab that before it spills-
"Awww, your changed all the taps around on me-
"Moron, you M.I.A for three months-
Fai reached over Kurogane grabbing the try laden with sake before it spilt all over the floor.
The absolute chaos that had reigned in the bar for the last hour was due to the fact that the Primera fanclub, the fanclub of the town's very own teen idol, chose this spot to host their after party. God knows why; they small bar was so understaffed that even the delivery boy Shogo was helping out, a pair of goggles draped around his neck.
Ryuoh, passing by with several empty trays assured Fai that he'd get paid for this. Which reminded Fai why he'd come here in the first place-
"Oh my god, Sakura-chan!!" he dropped the glass he was holding so that it shattered onto the floor, the pieces glinting dully. He ran back into the storeroom and grabbed the groceries, yanked the apron off, and tried to open a door all at the same time. He ended up on the floor with a daikon radish in his hair, and a faint throbbing in his arm.
'Sakura, what have I done! I totally forgot about her and left her in that café- and I bet she thinks I'm never coming back- which is awful since the girl already has abandonment issues, and now I can even move!'
It was true, Fai was too tangled in apron strings to even sit up.
In the semi-darkness, he could hear foot steps apporaching.
"Help! Hey I'm a little stuck in here, would someone get thier ass in here so I can go home?!"
Soft laughter met his ears, along with a voice that was uncannily familiar.
"Well well, Yuui-san, what have we gotten ourselves into now? You might want to get that radish off you head, I hear Kurogane has an acute fear of Vegetebles."
Fai knew that voice- there was only one person who would dare call him his brother's name-
"Yuuko?" he asked, suddenly hoarse. A curtain of black hair fell over his eyes, and he could feel the strings loosening as she talked.
"Hmmm...what a coincidence... or not? I was just coming here for happy hour, and I see you all trussed up on the floor. Hitsuzen surely?" the strings fell away, and Fai sat up rubbing his head.
"But I haven't seen you playing here for awhile Yuui-chan. The twins had to fill in for you, and they're just not nearly as good." She gave him an eerie smile, " Go get Sakura from the café- she's still waiting for you. And..." She peered out the door, I'll tell Kurogane that you have to cancel tonight. Oruha can sing instead."
This was the part about his weird neighbor that creeped him out the most. She knew seemingly everything without being asked. However, she was an excellent gossip, and a bottomless drinker so Fai liked having her around on occasion.
But right now she was just being creepy.
Fai grabbed his stuff and with a hurried thank you, dashed out the door. He didn't even ask how she knew half that crap. Yuuko just stood there in the darkness.
"It was indeed Hitsuzen that brought you together. So what will you do now Fai?"
Her facial expression completely changed, and then with a loud, "ohhohohoh!!" she glided inside to get her daily alcohol.
XXXXXX
Sakura was having a marvelous time with Syoran, and was hardly missing Fai at all. The five dollars Fai had given her didn't buy much, but she knew he was flat broke and couldn't bring herself to ask him for more.
They chatted animatedly over hot tea discussing things like the weather, or Syoran's various part-time jobs and generally having a good time. Sakura was careful not to reveal too much about herself or her situation. She skipped over the fact that she was rooming with Fai, that they had practically become BFF's, and that she'd once been a renown teen model and was now in hiding from her employers.
In fact, She was having a grand old time until she saw a certain disoriented blonde struggling up the street and burst into the café. He seemed to sag with relief when he caught sight of her sitting casually with Syoran, drinking tea.
Indicating that he'd wait for her outside, he picked up a rolled newspaper and sat by the streetcorner, where it was now raining.
"I'm so sorry!" said Sakura, standing up suddenly. "I really need to be getting home!"
"Oh!" said Syoran, blinking in surprise and looking at his watch. His face turned red, "Will I get to see you again?"
XXXXXXX
"Sakura's cheeks turned pink- as the happy music flowed around the two star-crossed lovers!"
Sakura punched Fai's arm as they made their way back to his apartment, Her face feeling like it was on fire.
"We just met and had a nice conversation, unlike someone, who dissapeared into a bar for an hour and a half!"
"But Sakura-chan, I just met someone and had a nice conversation!" said Fai in a perfect immitation of her voice.
"Man, only been in this town a week, and you already have a hot date!" "I do not! I just gave him my number! and at least I have a date- Fai do you even go to work?"
"Do I?"
"Hobo."
"That's cold Sakura- I worked today while you were relaxing and drinking tea with your new man. Besides, I don't mind spending evey day, out on your corner in the pouring rain."
"...Fai, It's raining again."
"No it's not-" he looked over to see a few drops falling to the ground. But they weren't coming from the sky.
"Oh wait, yeah. Yeah, it's raining."