The Host Club was in a good mood.
As hard as it was to believe, it was true. The entirety of the club was in one of, if not the, best moods Haruhi had seen them in a long time (not a-counting their food fight some odd miles in the air) and she was no exception. She didn't know why, she had just woken up in the kind of bliss she often thought plagued Tamaki and, upon arriving downstairs, had found effected everyone else. Her conclusion: there had to be a gas leak.
"Good morning, Haru-chan!" Honey's ever-enthusiastic voice rang out the second the female stepped into the room and Haruhi soon found herself the victim of the little blonde's vicious cling.
"Morning, Honey-senpai," She somehow managed with the blonde's happy squirming, returning the hug automatically.
"Awe, how cute," Sonic remarked from the windowsill with the other fuzzy portion of the club. "Can I have a hug too?"
"Not a chance, hedgehog." Haruhi replied flatly, though she wondered why she even bothered with a response since he hadn't sounded all too serious.
"Ouch." Sonic flinched overdramatically and shook his head. "You know, I don't think I've ever been so openly rejected before. It's enough to depress a guy," he added feigning a hurt look, a look that disappeared a half-second later as Honey decided to fulfill the hedgie's request, causing Tails to giggle at his adoptive brother's expression.
"Haruhi!" Tamaki turned as disappointed look to his not-so-blood-related daughter, clearly upset. "You shouldn't be so mean to our fuzzie fellows!"
Haruhi sighed, raising her hands in a no harm intended kind of way. "I was just joking," she said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she thought, though she was speaking the truth. It was kind of an unspoken thing between her and Sonic, it wasn't any different than the way the hedgehog and Knuckles showed their friendship, or mutual liking Haruhi wasn't entirely sure what to call it but the point was it was just a bunch of harmless banter...for the most part.
"It's no big deal," Sonic assured Tamaki with a blasé hand before the blonde went off on one of his tangents about 'acting like a family' and the like. It was far to early for them to be put asleep again, after all.
"Like it matters," Knuckles spoke up for the first time, and with an unusually mischievous air in his tones that frankly unnerved Haruhi. "I'm sure his beau wouldn't approve of it, anyway."
"And I'm sure yours would feel the same way with you spending every second with specks over here," the hedgehog retorted jabbing a thumb towards Kyoya - who barely took notice his (nick)name was mentioned for the first time in a while - then shrugged. "Not that it matters, because Sal' can do what she feels like, you know that," Sonic added with obvious distaste but the echidna just shrugged as a shocked silence filled the room.
That was news to the human portion of the Host Club, though they weren't really as shocked as their expressions made them look. Each of them had seen how the Fuzzies managed to handle the club's many female hosts and, while each of their ways were unique, they had to admit when the fuzzy trio got into it they could be "quite the little gentlemen" as Tamaki had put it. The club just guessed that kind of thing was popular in any world, it was just weird to hear that there was actually people out there willing to be the 'other half' to them.
"What are going to do today?" Honey's question snapped the club from their wonder just in time to hear Knuckles' less-than-happy response.
"What do you mean, 'what are we going to do'?" The echidna narrowed his eyes. "Did you forget the whole reason we're here?"
"And have you not noticed the whole reason we're here isn't around here?" Sonic retorted in a not-so-bad impression of the echidna with more sarcasm than grammar but just the right amount of truth.
"There hasn't been anything in the news or paper," Tails explained and held up said newspaper for emphasis.
"Hard to find something when no one's talking about it," the twins' pointed out helpfully with synchronized shrugs. "It's like trying to find a ghost."
The echidna growled, knowing full well they were right but felt that was no excuse to double-check. "Then what else do you suppose we do then? Just sit here?"
"Wait, I have a plan!" Tamaki announced far more loudly than strictly needed and waited for the echoes to die out before saying in pure exhilaration, "Let's go shopping!"
The club fell over in a typical anime style.
"You can't be serious…" Haruhi sweatdropped. "Did you already forget how our last shopping trip went?"
Expecting some blatant rejection from the Fuzzies as well, the club glanced at their extraterrestrial trio only to find they seemed more interested in the view the window offered at the moment. In fact, it looked like they wanted nothing more than to leap out of the pane and head for the hills.
Taking this silence as dismissal of his idea, Tamaki pouted. "But I insist! Think of all the fashionable attire this country has to offer! I bet we could even find something adorable for our fuzzy trio!"
"Sorry, the only one of us that does adorable is Tails," Sonic told him, jabbing a thumb to his adopted little brother. "And he doesn't even have to try."
"On the contrary," Kyoya professed, looking up at the Fuzzies from the rim of his glasses with an expression that suggested that the pure, concentrated canny of the Vice-President was about to come into play. "I'm sure you've heard the popular expression 'clothes make the man', it's a saying that brings in half of this club's success, after all. And, seeing as how the three of you are not only a part of this club but also owe us a debt, one would assume you three would be doing everything you could to repay said debit even if it meant looking 'adorable'."
"And it gets chilly back home too and we wouldn't want you guys to catch a cold, right Takashi?" Honey looked to his cousin for approval and received a silence nod in response.
Sonic shook his head "Nope, I've got better things to do than stand around and be your dress-up doll," he said, not entirely untruthfully (and unintentionally taking Knuckles' response at the same time) as he hopped off the windowsill and made his way to the door, only to have the twins cut him off halfway there holding up their hands in a clear 'stop' signal.
"Oh no, you don't," Kaoru eyed the blue hero in mock disappointment. "Where do you think you're going? We need to stay together and bond like a real family. Why are you trying to break us apart?" he asked in tones that could almost be genuinely morose if it hadn't been for that suspicious gleam in his eye.
"Besides," Hikaru began then dropped his voice down to a whisper that even Kaoru struggled to hear and said with a clear grudge, "I owe you one for yesterday, pal."
Sonic scoffed. "Hey, just because you liked-Chris!" Abruptly cutting off, and abruptly confusing the twins, the hedgehog zipped past the duo to the older scientist in the manner of someone who had just seen salvation after being told his intimate doom was near (which, in this case, was in the form of clothes shopping). "Where are you heading this fine morning?"
Asked mostly per excuse to avoid this little trip with the club, and with nearly no curiosity behind it, the hedgehog had every intention of following the American on whatever expedition he had planned for that day figuring it had to be better than Tamaki's plan. That, and it would be easier to sneak away with only one person around.
Chris greeted the other hosts in an aside before answering, slightly despondent, "To pick up Helen. I promised her I'd go with her downtown to do some shopping…" He paused, seeing the look on Sonic's face, and raised a curious eyebrow. "Why? Did you want to come?"
I had to ask…Sonic groaned inwardly, seeing the unmistakable light of an idea flash in Tamaki's eyes.
"That's perfect! We'd love to come along, Chris!" Tamaki shouted excitedly, scooping up the blue hedgehog on his way to greet their host. He grasped Chris's shoulder and started pushing him towards the front door, chattering exuberantly about what little he knew about Western shopping and urging his club members to follow with a gesture of his hedgie-filled arm. Sonic's face was plastered with a pout, his arms folded tightly around what part of his chest was available over the King's elbow, and the twins laughed openly at his expression, falling into step right behind their blonde leader.
Haruhi sighed and shook her head with a smile as she followed Mori (with Honey giggling on his shoulders) out the front door. Some things will never change, it seems, she thought as the whole of the Host Club chattered and waited patiently on the front porch for a limo. She gazed around the front yard of the mansion, still impressed by the size of it, when she thought she saw Hikaru staring at her. He looked away quickly, making the female believe she only imagined it, but Hikaru was sure his brother, who was standing right next to him, could hear his heart beat.
Get it together, he thought angrily to himself, even though he laughed loudly at Kaoru's comment. About what, he didn't know, but he knew the tone called for some sort of reaction. He turned to glare at Sonic, who was still firmly stuck in Tamaki's grasp, but he found the hedgie smirking in his direction. I have half a mind to throw you in a lake, the twin thought darkly, and when Sonic shrugged, rolling his eyes, he honestly believed the hedgehog could read his mind.
When the limo pulled up, the club all scurried inside, not really paying attention to or caring whom they sat beside. When everyone was settled, Haruhi found herself stuck between Sonic (who was still held fast by Tamaki but complaining that he'd rather walk/run pretty loudly) and Hikaru (who didn't seem to notice her at all). She watched Sonic struggle against Tamaki's grip, who was yelling almost as loudly as the hedgie to stop squirming, until he fell limp in defeat. He glared at the King who merely grinned and then dropped his eyes on Haruhi.
"How do you put up with this guy?" Sonic stage-whispered to her face.
"Practice. Lots of practice." She rolled her eyes and smiled, getting comfortable for the ride. She was ready to sit in silence until a nagging question jumped off her tongue. "Who's Sal?"
Sonic, who was trying his best to stare out the window with a bored expression, suddenly became rigid. He continued staring, but Haruhi could tell there were gears grinding in the hedgehog's head, and she was ready to wait considering those gears probably hadn't been in use for a while. "She's... just some girl," the hedgie finally replied.
"'Just some girl,' huh?" Haruhi repeated, raising an eyebrow in question.
Hikaru leaned over Haruhi then, patting the blue fuzzy on the head. "She your girlfriend, Sonic?" he questioned almost sincerely, if it wasn't for the smirk on his face.
Sonic pushed his hand away with a scowl. "No! ...Not anymore." His green eyes looked downcast, and Haruhi almost felt sorry for the hedgie until Hikaru asked. "Who dumped who?"
"It doesn't matter, twinkletoes. At least I can get a girlfriend by myself." His tones seemed harsh, and Haruhi was almost 100% sure the hedgehog would stick his tongue out, but he just closed his eyes, his forehead scrunched in frustration.
The female squinted her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean 'by yourself'?"
Sonic opened one eye to look at her. "Don't worry about it, buttercup. If Mr. Lady Killer over there will stop being so obnoxious, you'll find out soon enough." He then closed his eyes again, his elbow sticking into Tamaki's, and his chin resting in the palm of his hand.
Haruhi heard Hikaru hmph loudly, but before she could turn to give him her confused look, he was already turned towards his brother, and they were laughing about something completely off her train of thought.
When the vehicle came to a stop, everyone rushed out, some out of excitement, and others from irritation. Chris announced that he'd be back shortly because he had to pick up Helen, then practically disappeared in the city traffic. Honey was laughing ecstatically from Mori's shoulders, his arm pointing in every direction, trying to grasp all that America had to offer. "Let's go in that store, Takashi! No, wait, that one!"
Tamaki's eyes seemed to fill his whole face as he tried to soak in everything he could with his eyes. His hands covered his face, which allowed Sonic to jump out of the King's arms and shake himself in a very hedgehog-like way before shooting His Majesty a death glare. "This is all so exciting, don't you think?" he announced to no one in particular. He grabbed Haruhi's hand and dragged her to the nearest shop window, his finger jabbing into the glass with so much force, she was sure it would crack. "That would look absolutely darling on you, Haruhi. Let's go inside!"
The female felt herself cringe at the image of herself in the dress from the shop window. Not only was way too frilly, but she was sure it was meant for something like a formal dance or something ridiculous like that, and she would never be able to wear it if she was stuck as a host for the rest of her life. She groaned as the bell above the door tinkled to announce their entrance, and Tamaki dragged her to the back of the store, the rest of the Host Club following suit. Tamaki found the dress in Haruhi's size (much to the female's dismay), shoved it in her arms and stuffed her into a changing room.
"You two! Stay here while I look for more adorable dresses for Haruhi!" she heard him shout, then "Yes, boss!" from the twins. She could imagine the redheads saluting and rushing to the changing room door with serious faces, and sighed. Guess I can't run out of this one.
"Hurry up, princess! We haven't got all day!" Sonic mused; she could hear him tapping his foot on the plush carpet which made her roll her eyes. After tons of struggle (especially with the zipper) she managed to get the dress on the right way. Her reflection looked a bit flushed, though she was sure that was only because of how flustering putting on the dress was. She tried to push the frill from the skirt down just a tad, but it wouldn't give, so with a sigh she stepped out of the dressing room, if only to please Tamaki enough to make this a one-time thing.
The Host Club fell silent. Haruhi wasn't sure what they were staring at, but she was pretty certain it was because they thought she looked ridiculous 'cause she sure felt ridiculous.
Honey was the first to speak. "Haru-chan! You look amazing! Doesn't she, Takashi?"
"Yeah," the usually silent giant uttered, which made Honey's smile take over his face.
Then Haruhi heard Sonic wolf-whistle from across the store, and with a gust of air, he was among the group. "You girl up nicely." He gave her a thumbs up before turning to Hikaru. "Doesn't she, twinkletoes?"
"Uh..." Hikaru managed until his brother elbowed him in the ribs. He was pretty preoccupied with making sure his heart didn't burst from his chest.
"Brilliant, as always," Knuckles grunted from behind the twins before Kyoya said, "Yes, that dress is very fitting on you. Tamaki made a good choice."
Haruhi felt the need to roll her eyes, but resisted with all her might. "Okay, thanks. I'm gonna go change back."
"But Tamaki hasn't seen yet!" Tails interjected with his ability to state the obvious.
"Oh, well, looks like he missed out," the female muttered before closing the dressing room door behind her. She tugged the dress off and threw it on the floor unceremoniously, fighting the urge to step on it. She refused to let Tamaki see her in it and have him feel the need to buy it for her. It would probably add more to her debt, and she definitely didn't need that. She put her clothes on quickly, draped the rumpled dress over her arm and stomped out the dressing room to Tamaki's crying face. "Why'd you change, Haruhi?" he whined.
"I don't need a dress, senpai," she explained exasperatingly. She hung the dress on the hanger outside the dressing room door and followed the rest of the club out the store, Tamaki complaining at her heels.
The rest of the day went pretty much the exact same way, only Haruhi was replaced with the fuzzy trio. Tamaki had so many custom-made suits and outfits sewn for the little aliens, their arms were overflowing with bags and boxes of different sizes. It was barely lunchtime when Knuckles lost his cool.
"That's enough!" he shouted, practically tossing his share of packages on the ground. "I'm sick of being treated like you people's show dog!"
Tamaki looked genuinely hurt at the echidna's words, but the mole's glare didn't waver. His Majesty tried to smile and explained, "But, Knuckles, my dear friend, we're only trying to-"
"To make us look ridiculous?" The echidna burrowed a fist into his pile and pulled out a cute, little chef outfit that Tamaki bought especially for the red fuzzy. "There is no way in hell I am ever wearing this." And with that, he tossed it on the ground. Tamaki's face fell, and Haruhi felt her heart squeeze. She was used to turning his ridiculous antics down, but never that harshly. It was almost cruel.
The female noticed Sonic prep himself to say something, but Kyoya beat him to it. "Knuckles, please don't be so rude. You're disrupting the peace." And in response, the echidna merely hmphed and folded his arms tightly.
Sonic laughed shortly and placed his pile on the ground much more carefully than his mole companion. "Lighten up, Knucklehead, it could be worse," he figured, then cupped his jaw thoughtfully. "Though I have to admit getting us the uniforms was a bit much."
"Nonsense!" Tamaki protested, thinking his idea to get the Fuzzies custom Ouran High School uniforms had been a stroke of pure genius...but he was just about the only one. "After all, if we're going to be an Ouran High School Host Club then we must proudly support our school and everything it stands for!" The blonde finished with as much exhilaration as one giving a particularly invigorating speech.
"Like bad fashion?" Knuckles asked in sub-zero tones
The twins scoffed. "Like you would know anything about that." They said in a way that didn't have as much harm as it did truth. Even they had to admit that the uniforms were bland compared to some of the other schools but seeing as how they couldn't really do much about it they dealt with it.
"Well, I thought they looked adorable," Helen said, mostly to break the tension that had built up. "Don't you think so Chris?"
Chris, who had been purposely standing behind Helen in the likely case of Knuckles sending his pile of bags airborne looked unsure but nodded anyway. "I guess so...sure," he said awkwardly, thinking it rather odd for one guy to call three more 'adorable', fuzzy aliens or not.
Knuckles just rolled his eyes (and grumbled something about the ten of them looking like some kind of reverse harem), realizing this was a fight he couldn't win without some broken bones and possible lawsuits. "Are we done here?" He asked, not bothering to make himself sound like he was enjoying this.
"Yes," Tamaki replied and the echidna dared to get his hopes up, only to have them abruptly crushed when the blonde continued with, "Now on to the next store!" And the King scooped up the grumpy red Fuzzie like he weighed next to nothing and darted out of the building, leaving behind a trail of smoke.
At a more relaxed pace followed the remainder of the Host Club, Chris and Helen after dropping off their newly bought objects in the limo. With the way Tamaki was going they'd be lucky to fit in the vehicle after he was finished and chances are he'd run out of money long before he ran out of energy. As they walked down the path to the next building (which Haruhi couldn't help but notice was some kind of electronics store and wondered just what use they club had to go in there), the twins suddenly asked, "So, what's Knuckster's girlfriend like?"
"You guys are just full of personal questions today, aren't cha?" Sonic asked, bemused. "Guess we really are getting to know each other, finally. We should've done this Q and A thing sooner, could have saved us a lot of drama." The hedgehog continued and grinned when the twins rolled their eyes.
"But Julie-Su is a nice person, " Tails said to answer the question hanging in the air. A part of him was relieved at the non-fuzzy hosts curiosity, after all the bad things that had happened between the Fuzzies and Host Club he was glad to see them all acting more friendly, like him and Honey were, though the young fox never really understood why they hated each other in the first place (well, despite the events in Okinawa). He gave up trying after a while, figuring it was just a clash of personalities.
"And that's nice in the sense that Knuckles is cuddly," Sonic clarified. "The girl can definitely hold her own and is one hell of a marksman, I'm just glad she's on our side."
"So in other words," the twins began with identical smiles, already finding unlimited material to bug the echidna with later. "They're a perfect match."
"Precisely," the hedgehog mused.
"She's not that bad," Tails told everyone else before they got the wrong idea, while wondering if it really mattered since they would never meet her but at the same time not wanting them to think the echidna was dating some psycho assassin.
"What about you, Tails?" Honey asked the fox in a raised voice as they entered the next building full of kids, adults and even more electronic sounds. "Do you have a-"
"No." Both fox and hedgehog answered bluntly, glancing at each other in the way of two who knew very well the reason but weren't about to elaborate on why (though the twins made a mental note to prod the subject later).
Confused but realizing his question had been answered nonetheless, Honey turned his attention to the many gadgets lining the walls and counters in the store. Anything from giant televisions, phones and several other things the club couldn't tell apart from the others, minus Tails who was as happy as a kid in a candy store, filled the store and that, coupled with the people, practically made it impossible for the club not to bump into strangers. Which is why it was no big surprise when Sonic ran into a fellow store-dweller.
"Sorry, my bad," the hedgie apologized automatically, looking up to meet the bright blue eyes of a man that he could only assume was around the same age as Chris' parents, if not a tad older, with a rather scruffy appearance and bearing a black cane, with a bright flame design on the lower half of it, in one hand which the man was obviously using as support, not just looks (though it could have fooled the blue hero).
Getting a good look at who had just ran into him, the man smiled in a way best put as the kind of smile you never want to see aimed your way in a dark alley with a definite twinkle in his eyes. "Wow...you're a lot smaller in person, somehow I imagined you a bit taller...and more menacing," he added after a short, thoughtful pause. "Somehow the short, fuzzy thing kills the whole evil alien stereotype we've gotten accustom to, gotta say I'm disappointed."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Sonic said, though he'd never heard such a statement in his life.
"Oops, where are my manners?" The man said in a way that sounded horribly rehearsed and more sarcastic then strictly necessary making the only hosts who could understand English believe this guy had something up his sleeve. That or he was just naturally prickly. "The name's Gregory House."
"Doctor Gregory House?" Chris questioned, making the name sound both threatening and amazing at the same time.
"The Dr. House?" Helen sounded just as, if not more, shocked then Chris. "From Princeton?"
"Did the cane give it away?" House raised a quizzical eyebrow as he idly swung the cane in a complete circle at his side. "'Cause it does that sometimes."
The other club members looked at each other completely puzzled as to who this guy was, besides a possible loon. Seeing this, Chris decided to explain. "Gregory House is one of, if not the, best diagnostic specialists in the country, and currently working at the Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey. While his methods are, um, questionable there's no doubt that he's one of the best doctors the world over." When he finished the expressions on the hosts' faces hadn't changed much but they made a clear attempt to seem interested.
"So..." Sonic began slowly, not entirely sure what to make of this so-called doctor figure. "What are you doing here? Last time I checked the hospital's down the other way."
"Who wouldn't come to see tiny earth-saving aliens?" House asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have a heighten sense of curiosity as any one of my colleges can very well vouch for but, since I'm not a cat, it's not fatal so I came here to find another means of slowly killing myself. That and my medical curiosity has recently expanded towards the alien variety." He added, looking at said creatures with an innocent expression, though his eyes said something else entirely. Something that made the Fuzzies feel inclined to take a few steps back. "I don't suppose you guys need a doctor?"
"No thanks. We're good." Knuckles' voice rejected from behind the club, where he and Tamaki now stood. Or rather the echidna was standing and Tamaki was eyeing him rather apprehensively while fretting that the mole would take out his frustrations on this stranger.
Looking at House with an air of suspicion, The King took in the doctor's appearance before suddenly gasping louder than anyone thought possible. "My fellow club members, don't you know what this guy is?" Tamaki said in hushed tones of awe and Haruhi was just about to ask how in the world the blonde knew about the guy when he suddenly said in pure excitement, "He's a real live hobo! I thought they only existed on television!"
If the look on Tamaki's face that followed the rest of the group suddenly bursting into hysterics was anything to go by, it hadn't been quite the reaction the blonde expected and resulting expression on House's face (something between confusion, due to the face he didn't understand Japanese, and offense) didn't help in the least. When finally they managed to control themselves it was Kyoya who spoke first, seeing a possible future alliance between his family and this doctor's hospital at risk while around the club.
"If you'll excuse us, Dr. House, we have to get going. We have other affairs to attend to." And with that said, the vice president made a pushing direction to the door that the rest of the club gladly obeyed, though Chris and Helen seemed a bit reluctant to leave. After all it wasn't everyday you ran into a medical genius at an electronics store, no matter how much of an oddball they seem to be. Besides, there was something in the grin that found its way to the doctor's face as they left that said this wouldn't be the last time they saw him.
Luckily, none of the hosts noticed that last part due to the fact half of them had voiced their hunger and were now debating on where and what to eat.
"How about that Japanese place we saw on the drive here?" the twins suggested, arms looped together. "It looked pretty fancy."
"And expensive!" the King nearly shouted.
The twins each raised an eyebrow at the other and turned to Tamaki. "Yeah, that's kind of what we were going for, boss."
The blonde club leader grabbed them by their shoulders and pushed them until they were kneeling along with him. "You guys know Haruhi can't afford anything that fancy. Are you trying to embarrass her?" he whispered harshly.
"How is that an different than all those dresses you made her try on?" Hikaru whispered back.
Tamaki looked offended. "That's totally different!"
Haruhi glared at them, obviously able to hear what they were saying very clearly.
"Sure, boss," the twins mused, standing up. "Why don't we let Haruhi decide then?" they asked, each wrapping an arm around the female in question.
"I really don't care where we go," she muttered, annoyed.
"How about some fast food?" Sonic suggested.
Knuckles scoffed. "Imagine that. The hedgehog wants something fast."
The hedgie shot a glare at the echidna, but turned to the human portion of the club with a shrug. "I'm just sayin'. It's cheap and quick, and I bet the lot of you haven't had McDonald's in your life."
Haruhi quickly glanced at Kyoya, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention as he scribbled in his little notebook. Not that that was a surprise.
"What's a McDonald's?" Honey asked, genuinely curious, but Mori's only response was a shrug.
Tamaki shot to the hedgie's side much faster than anyone would've guessed possible and gripped the blue fuzzy tightly. "You are so smart, Sonic! Yes! Let's go enjoy the poor man delicacies! I've read all about these places and have always wanted to try their boogers!" He started parading down the street, everyone else falling into step.
"I think you mean 'burgers,'" Sonic struggled to say, trying to free himself from the King's vice-like grip. The twins chuckled, watching the blue fuzzy try to escape, until he was finally successful.
After a couple blocks of following Tamaki blindly, Chris finally took the lead, considering he actually knew where the nearest fast-food establishment was. "Are you sure you want to eat here?" he asked Tamaki, holding the door open for His Majesty. "There are much finer places all over town." But the blonde was too excited to answer and ran through the door at full speed. He stopped in the middle of the restaurant, gazing admiringly all around him and catching a few peoples' attentions as well. When the rest of the gang made it in, he turned to Chris and asked, pointing at the line that was formed at the front counter, "What are they standing around for? Should we have made a reservation?"
Sonic snorted, and Helen giggled. Haruhi just rolled her eyes.
Tamaki looked bewildered as Chris took his shoulder with a slight smile on his face. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I got this. You guys go find a booth or something."
There wasn't exactly a booth in the tiny food establishment that could fit their whole group, so they took a few little tables and put them together and arranged themselves as they saw fit. They chattered amongst themselves until Chris arrived with a little slip of paper. "Guess they're pretty busy. Listen up for number 57, guys."
"57? We'll be here all day!" Tamaki yelped from behind his fingers.
"Number 54, your order is ready." The voice on the intercom interrupted the quiet muzak, and Chris translated patiently. "Our food will be ready in no time," he explained to the worried blonde who immediately smiled triumphantly.
"You'll be biting into one of your boogers in no time, boss," the twins chimed to which The King squealed excitedly.
The group continued chattering aimlessly about anything that came to mind when Haruhi noticed someone familiar hobble to a table next to them and open a newspaper. Dr. House took a seat in a booth across from Haruhi, and if he noticed her staring at him in confusion, he didn't make it known.
Haruhi turned to Kaoru who was sitting at her right and asked, "Isn't that the man we just ran into at the electronics store?"
Kaoru glanced in the direction Haruhi pointed and shrugged. "Maybe," he muttered, then turned back to his brother. Haruhi continued to scrutinize the cripple but tried to be discreet. That is, until Tamaki noticed she wasn't paying attention to his talking.
"Haruhi, what are you looking at?" When the blonde spotted the doctor, he gasped loudly. "It's the hobo!" He pointed at Dr. House who looked up at the large group with a face covered with faux confusion. He pointed at himself and asked in Japanese, "Who, me?"
"Dr. House?" Chris and Helen chimed.
"I thought he couldn't speak Japanese," Honey questioned, cocking his head to the side.
Dr. House folded his newspaper and placed it on the table in front of him. "On the contrary, little boy, I pretended I couldn't speak Japanese. Something someone your age should be familiar with."
"Well, why would you pretend you couldn't speak Japanese then, doctor?" Haruhi asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I didn't want to come off as all-knowing since, y'know, I'm already a pretty impressive doctor," House explained as if it were obvious.
Hikaru snorted. "Okay, whatever. Why'd you follow us then?"
"Come to try one of the famous boogers?" Kaoru questioned with a grin.
"Oh, no. I'm not hungry," the doctor replied, reopening his newspaper.
The group gave each other confused glances until House laughed out loud which gave the majority of them a start. "That Garfield," House laughed. "No matter how many times he hates Monday, it always comes creeping up on him."
Sonic zipped up to the doctor's booth and pushed the top of his paper down with a couple fingers. "Why you following us, doc?"
House raised an eyebrow at the curious blue fuzzy and pulled his newspaper from the hedgehog's reach. "Oh, I thought you'd like to eat before I tell you one of your other fuzzy friends is rather sick. Wouldn't want you to lose your appetite. Three squares a day, if you know what I'm saying."
The three fuzzies' ears perked up. "What? Who?" Sonic and Tails asked simultaneously.
"How do you know? Visited Mobius lately?" Knuckles sneered.
House's face looked as if he was deep in thought then turned to the blue and yellow fuzzies. "Who? I think her name was Sammy or Susie or something. She was brown, so maybe it was Brownie." He shrugged, then he turned to Knuckles. "No, Mobius seems too colorful for my tastes from the looks of you, but your friends are around here somewhere. Just saw them a few hours ago. Why else would I be here?" And with that, he returned to his funnies.
It was silent around the table for a moment, and the background muzak seemed like it was being played from a boom box on full blast.
"Number 57, your order is ready."
No one moved for a while, in fact it wasn't until the intercom repeated itself five times that Kyoya and Mori got up and got the food, whether to shut the intercom up or because they where hunger no one knew. Left at the table, Haruhi couldn't help but glance in Sonic's direction where the hedgie looked deep in thought and slightly worried. While Haruhi wasn't sure if the doctor was telling the truth or not, a part of her hoped he had mostly due to the fact she was curious to see the female part of the Fuzzie's world.
Knuckles and Tails looked from Sonic to each other before sighing. "Five, four three, two-" Both echidna and fox where cut off as the hedgehog abruptly hopped from the table and ran to House, practically jumping on the table in his haste.
"You're coming with me," Sonic told him, grabbing the doctor and disappearing through the doors faster than anyone had expected him to move dragging a middle-aged man behind him (and a crippled one at that).
"Well...That was interesting." The twins stated, trying their best not to look interested when the truth of the matter was their curiosity was seconded only by Haruhi's.
"Do you think we should follow them?" Helen looked to Chris, who simply shrugged.
When no one else seemed much inclined to answer, Honey asked, "But what if that doctor was right? What if one of your friends is here a sick?" He looked to Tails but before the fox could answer, Chris stood up.
"I'll go." Chris figured he might as well, seeing as how Mobian civilians tended to take to him.
Not surprisingly, Tails stood up as well. "I'll go too." And the two left, leaving the Host Club and Knuckles in a very tense silence considering this was the first time they'd been left with the grumpy mole for a while.
"So..." The twins looked at the echidna quizzically. "What makes you so sure Dr. Crazy wasn't telling the truth?"
"I didn't say I wasn't." Knuckles corrected sharply. "But for your sake you'd better hope it's not true."
"And why would that be?" Kyoya asked as he and Mori returned, placing the food on the table and taking their seats, not acknowledging the scene that just took place (or the fact most eyes in the building were now focused on their table).
Knuckles looked at Helen, unsure how to describe the problem himself (science was never his bag) and the blonde nodded. "Well, you see..." She began, trying her best to dumb it down. "Basically, because Earth and Mobius used to be one planet if things from one planet keep passing to the other, time won't be able to coop and will eventually stop all together."
"It's what almost happened last time, and if more of us are getting transported to this world thing's are getting bad." Knuckles considered for a second, then shrugged. "The only good thing about it is now we have to find the emeralds now so we can go back."
"But that's just if." The twins pointed out, not really enjoying the "time will stop' point of that explanation. "Besides, we only have three more to find. Then you guys can split and we can finally get on with our lives."
Knuckles snorted but made no further comment. Truth be told, as of right this second, he couldn't imagine anything better than being back home. He had had just about all he could handle of these kids and their spoiled-rich drama. In a way, a part of him wished that the others had been transported here, at least then he'd at least have Julie-Su to keep him sane.
Meanwhile, one doctor and the hedgehog, currently dragging him down the sidewalk, pushed passed the crowd of people gathered downtown without so much as a second glance.
"Just around this corner," House pointed to the nearest corner as best he could considering one hand was on his cane and the other in the hedgie's grip. They turned, rather abruptly, right into a dead end alleyway and stopped. "They were here. I swear on my word as an honorable doctor." House promised when Sonic turned a furtive look to him.
"Ri-ight..." The hedgehog rolled his eyes and tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking around the alley for some clue before setting his eyes on the roof. "Hmm..." He cocked his head to one side before figuring 'what the heck, it's worth a shot' and jumping to the top in one clear leap. Three seconds later, he found a rather miffed echidna in his face armed with a handy little weapon.
"Sonic?" The echidna, Julie-Su, lowered the weapon slightly as she eyed the blue hedgehog suspiciously. "Is that you?" It was obvious from the way she said it she didn't expect anything less but Sonic had never known her to be the kind to risk anything. It was just one of the ways she was perfect for his grumpy-red friend. Julie-Su, commonly called 'Su by most people, was one of the very few female echidnas that bothered to show their faces around Mobius. Next to her more magenta-than-most colour and tougher-than-nails attitude, Julie-Su was also well known (or feared) for her unusual mechanical appendages, including one dreadlock and almost her whole left arm.
Sonic folded his arms, tapping one foot impatiently. "Of course it's me, you guys have been following us around half the day after all." He said knowingly, though there were quite a few questions that were left unanswered.
"You knew zat and you didn't bother to tell us?" The only other male one roof, Antoine, asked in his typical Freglish accent, sounding rather displeased. Then again, hardly anything ever managed to please the once paranoid and lily-livered coyote. When he wasn't shaking in his fancy boots, Antoine would spend most of his time fretting about this and that in the past. Most considered it a blessing that he had managed to almost break his paranoid habits over the years and become quite a skilled swordsman, though his tendency to ramble about anything concerning himself still hung strong.
"Hey, I tried to get away from our wealthy tag-alongs earlier but..." The hedgehog just settled for a shrug. "They're not the easiest people to avoid, trust me."
"Well, Ah'm glad yo're here, Sugarhog." A heavily accented rabbit, Bunnie, said earnestly. Like Julie-Su, Bunnie also bore mechanical parts, however, unlike the echidna, Bunnie's entire bottom half and left arm were made of a slicker metal. Usually seen in her trademark cowgirl hat, Bunnie was kind-hearted and an excellent fighter who always put herself before others. Which is why it surprised most people to learn that she and Antoine were married. "We're at a lost as tah wat's wrong with her." Bunnie's green eyes passed over the last of the roof-dwellers, currently propped up against the edge of the railing and looking very much ill.
"Sal'?" Sonic walked over and lowered himself to eye-level with the female. He knew too well the effects of time/space travel, especially for first-timers (heck, he still got lightheaded when it happened to him), and could sympathize with her. While Sally was pretty strong-willed, more by forced experience than anything, she still had her weak moments and being sick was one of those.
Sally looked at him and smiled lightly. "How do you manage to do this all the time?"
"Practice." Sonic said, simply, returning the gesture.
"Looks like the doctor was right," Tails said from behind the group with Chris hanging on to his wrists as the two landed on the roof. The fox greeted the others before looking at his big brother questioningly, receiving a shrug in response.
Chris looked around the roof, both in fascination and confusion at the new arrivals before remembering the reason he had come in the first place. "So..." He looked to where Sally was getting to her feet. "Is she going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine." Sally assured with more effort than anyone really knew, though she made a mental note to never go towards any mysterious light ever again.
"So now what?" Julie-Su asked, hands on hips and looking less than pleased at Chris' friendliness. "Do you expect us to stay up here all day?"
"Not at all," Sonic replied, waving a hand through the air. "You guys can come with us."
"An' where is that?" Bunnie asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.
"Back to the Host Club." Tails said without really thinking about the details, realizing his mistake a second later when the new arrivals looked puzzled. "Um..." Tails tried to explain but looked to Sonic for help.
"Basically, it's a bunch of rich kids with too much money and time on their hands. It's a long story." The hedgehog added when the looks turned on him and gestured for them to follow him to the edge of the roof. "It's something you have to see for yourself."
The new arrivals looked at each other, none to thrilled about having such little details about this 'Host Club' but knowing Sonic wouldn't lead them into trouble (usually). Without bothering to ask anymore questions, figuring they'd find out soon enough what the heck was going on, the new Fuzzies followed the others off the roof and back towards the place where they'd meet the infamous Host Club.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, House rolled his eyes as he watched the others walk away. "'Good-bye' is finally a thing of the past, it seems." He told no one in particular and walked/limped back towards the hospital.
When the majority of the Fuzzies (old and new) and Chris made their way back to McDonald's, the Host Club (and Helen) were waiting outside. Tamaki was talking louder than was probably necessary, and it was a miracle that Haruhi could tume him out so well now.
"Where are they? That hobo kidnapped them! Whatever will we do?" His Majesty sobbed into his sleeve, gripping Haruhi around the shoulders with his free arm.
In the process of rolling her eyes, the female spotted the blue hedgehog, but before she said anything, she double-checked who or what he was talking to. Then she groaned internallty. 'More fuzzy aliens? Well, at least some of them are normal colors...'
As she turned to tell Tamaki the hopping good news, the blonde king spotted the group as they crossed the street. Tails hovered over to Honey who was sitting comfortably on Mori's shoulders licking an ice cream cone. When he noticed the fox, however, the ice cream was quickly forgotted as he hugged Tails with a giggle explaining how the buns on the boogers were a little dry.
"Where have you been?" Tamaki pointed at Sonic who gave him a confused look.
Ignoring the club leader's ignorance, the little brown Fuzzy standing behind Sonic cleared her throat and stepped forward.
"Hi, I'm Sally Acorn. You must be this 'Host Club' we've heard so much about." She smiled up at them politely, nodding her head slightly to each othe the hosts in turn. A little taked aback, the group nodded back without a word.
After a bit of awkward pause that the fuzzy princess didn't seem to expect, she turned to the rest of her fuzzy friends and began introducing them. She gestured to the little rabbit in a cowboy hat. "Bunnie D'Coolete." Bunnie tipped her hat with a "How do yah do?"
Sally turned to the coyote in a little military outfit. "Antione D'Coolete." The coyote bowed a bit at the waist and said, "'Allo."
"And Juile-Su." The pink echidna nodded curtly with a seemingly grim expression until she noticed Knuckles perk up that the sound of her name. They met eyes, and a smile creeped on both their faces.
But their moment was interrupted when Tamaki squealed like a little school girl and gripped Antione's and Bunnie's hands. "D'Coolete? You must be French!"
"Oui."
"Nah."
The married couple answered simultaniously and smiled at each other.
"Zat ees to say, I am, and she eez not."
"Ah guess ah am though, sugah. By marriage anywho."
The smile on Tamaki's face could've lit up all of San Francisco. Maybe even all of California. He jabbered something in French that no one but Antione seemed to understand. The coyote lit up instantly and responded in the same language.
The rest of the group just gazed at the duo with a sort of uncomfortable expression as the two laughed joyously at something only they understood.
"So, anyways," Chris started. "Are you guys hungry? We just got some food."
"Speaking of, here's yours." The twins handed the group that left their bags and wiped their hands on their pants. "Not the cleanest food, those boogers," they chimed, grinning at each other.
Sonic shrugged, grabbed a handful of fries which were now cold, and shoved them in his mouth. After a pause, he offered the bag to Sally who shook her head vigorously, covering her mouth.
The twins were whispering between themselves, watching the two interact. "That has to be the 'Sal,'" Kaoru observed as Sonic unwrapped his burger and ate half of it in one bit then offering the rest to the fuzzy princess who gave the hedgehog a look of disgust and shook her head.
"Well, whaddya know. Must be fate," Hikaru muttered with a sly grin. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
His twin mirrored his smile. "This is going to be a fun game." They both laughed quietly while the plotted unbeknownst to the rest of the club.
Chris went back inside the McDonald's to get some bread and water for Sally who was looking greener by the second.
"Where'd the doctor guy go?" Haruhi asked Sonic who looked up at her, his mouth full of fries.
He swallowed loudly and shrugged. "Heck if I know."
"We didn't get to thank him," Tails pointed out, some ketchup dripping from his chin from his burger.
Haruhi grimaced as she watched Sonic finish his burger in another huge bits. "That's too bad. I might need a doctor soon."
"Hey, it's no chili dog, but it ain't half bad," Sonic explained with a full mouth.
Haruhi and Sally both winced then caught eyes. Sally smiled and extended her little arm. "You must be Haruhi."
Haruhi shook her hand gently. "Is it that obvious?"
Bunnie giggles from beside Sally. "Ol' sugahog over there told us everything about y'all. But ah'm sure y'all ain't as bad as he makes y'all out ta be." She extended her arm to Haruhi, and they shook hands. The human female smiled, but it vanished as soon as she noticed the rabbit's legs. Noticing Haruhi's concerned look, Bunnie knocked on one of her roboticized legs like she would a door, and it gave off a dull ring. "Fancy, huh?"
Haruhi was without words and stuttered before uttering, "They're shiny."
Bunnie laughed. "It's alright, darlin'. They ain't all bad."
"How'd that happen?" Honey asked from Mori's shoulders. "Your legs, I mean."
Julie-Su finally spoke from behind Sally. "It's a long story." Her eyes flashed along with her roboticized dread lock.
"Maybe another time, hon." Bunnie smiled up at Honey who smiled back with a "Kay!"
Chris came back with the bread and water, and Sally nibbled on it slowly as they all walked back to where they would meet the limo.
"You all know what this means, don't you?" Tamaki exclaimed, his arms outstretched.
The gang all gave each other puzzled looks and looked back to His Majesty for an explanation.
"Another shopping spree!"
Pretty much everyone groaned.
"Boss, give out feet some time to heal from this trip!" the twins whined with a glint in their eyes.
Tamaki pouted. "But our new guests need new clothes! Look at what they're wearing!"
The new recruits looked down at their attire. They never though much about how their clothes looked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Julie-Su asked, and something in her voice stopped Tamaki from actually answering her. Haruhi raised her eyebrows at the little pink creature, impressed.
"At least they wear more than these guys," Hikaru said, jabbing a thumb at the original Fuzzy trio.
Sonic shrugged. "Clothes get in the way," he said matter-of-factly.
"And they're itchy," Tails pointed out, scratching his fuzzy cheek.
"And more shoppping isn't in out budget," Kyoya finally spoke.
Tamaki pouted and folded his arms tightly, muttering to himself like a four year old.
"We should just find the rest of the emeralds and leave," Knuckles suggested with a scowl, his teeth clenched.
"That sounds like the best idea," Julie-Su added with a nod.
"And you guys have a time limit, right?" Haruhi added, remembering the confusing explanation of different dimensions and whatnot.
Sonic nodded. "If this is anything like last time, the sooner we find the emeralds, the better."
Haruhi noticed Chris' face become slightly crestfalled for an instant, but it disappeared so soon, she thought she imagined it. Not that it really mattered to her. She mentally shrugged it off.
The chatter continued in about the same way until the limo arrived to take them all home. The gang all shuffled inside, ready to finally take a break from walking and stalking around and to just relax at their temporary home.
When they arrived, they all hopped out the limo and up the front steps and headed for their rooms before Tamaki shouted for them all to stop.
Everyone froze where they were and turned to His Majest, his face stern. "Don't you think we should all get to know out new fuzzy roommates?"
The hosts and new fuzzies all glanced at each other before turning back to Tamaki. "No, not really," they all said.
Tamaki's face fell until another thought came to mind. "Well, where are our new fuzzies going to sleep?"
"There are enough rooms," the twins shouted from the top of the stairs. After a short pause, they turned to Chris and asked, "Aren't there?"
Chris thought for a moment. "Um... no. You guys have all the guest rooms occupied. You're not exactly a small group."
Tamaki squeaked in excitement as he clapped his hands together in a thoughtful manner. "Then it looks like we have no choice but to share!" The blonde paused for all of two seconds before announcing that, for the time being, the male and females would spilt up and decide from there who would pair up and take which rooms, with Bunnie and Antoine being a possible exception.
As the larger group headed upstairs…or perhaps headed was too calm a word. Instead, the twins immediatey claimed: "last ones at the top are rotten eggs!" and the guys in their entirety (except Kyoya, of course) stampeded up the stairs without looking back and nearly tripping over each othr in the chaos. Had one of them taken the time to even glance back they would hav seen the shocked expressions on the girls and Bunnie shake her head.
"Men." She sighed, though there was a slight amusement in her voice. "They're the same 'n any world."
Haruhi looked at her. "You have no idea…" she muttered, feeling rather awkward about being left alone with complete fuzzie strangers and yet somewhat relieved at the change of faces. "At least not yet." She added.
"So tell us, Haruhi…" Julie-Su began, looking up at the host curiously. "How did you end up with this club?"
Haruhi laughed sheepishly, trying to ignore the slight intimadation she she got from the echidna. "Well…It's a long story…"
"Do tell." Sally told her, generally interested.
Bunnie nodded in agreement. "We got nothin' better tah do, afta all."
True… Haruhi thought then figured she might as well since they'd find out eventually anyway.
So she did. Telling them everything that came from her trying to find a quiet place to study one day, finding the Host Club instead and shattering a priceless vase. She told them about her first days as an offical host and the antics that came with them, about her first encounter with a true Otaku (who was currently on vacation back home in Frace and showed no signs of returning soon), Lobelia, the events in Karuizawa and the first encounters with the original Fuzzie trio. By the time she finished, and the four of them had moved into the living room, Haruhi noticed a new fascination in her listeners' eyes.
"A-mazin'." Bunnie remarked when Haruhi finished. "Ah dunno how ya managed tah survive so long, Sweetheart."
"Especially with that blonde, Tamaki, was it?" Julie-Su said sounding as though she pitied Haruhi, who could have laughed at how much she sounded like Knuckles had she not been afraid the echidna would take it the wrong way. "He seems like a piece of work."
"This whole club seems like a piece of work," Sally said evenly though a small smile was on her face as she rested her head on her palm. "Still, it amazes me you got Sonic and the others to actually host."
"They didn't really have a choice," Haruhi replied simply as Bunnie let out a short laugh.
"Ah bet they're naturals. Well, at least Sugahog ought tah be considerin' his female popularity back home." Bunnie turned a furtive look to Sally. "But we all know who he cares fo' most."
Sally just huffed and turned her head pointingly, but not enough that the others couldn't see the blush that appeared on her face. Haruhi rolled her eyes while wondering how anyone could actually stand being with the hedgehog and vise versa before remembering the hedgie's reactions from earlier in the day whenever Sally had been mentioned. Haruhi wondered if she should bother to ask about them, then decided against it. It was none of her business, after all.
It didn't matter, because Bunnie saw the look in the female's eyes and decided to explain. "It's terrible, really," she started, too dramatically to be genuine. "The two of 'em were perfect fo' each other but the trouble started when Sally—"
"Bunnie!" Sally interrupted, abashed.
The country-belle raised an eyebrow at the princess. "Well, Sally-girl, either you tell it or Ah will. But Ah ain't gonna be tah blame for my point-a view."
Sally opened her mouth to retort, then closed it and sighed.
Julie-Su clicked her tongue. "The point of view on the whole thing is the same, Hon," she explained to Haruhi, who had been followed with a puzzled look. "Basically, it was a misunderstanding that lead to them splitting up, a misunderstanding on Sally's part but it was both their faults things got so complicated."
Bunnie laughed. "Love is complicated. Ah can't even begin to count how many times me an' Antoine hit hard times 'n the past, but now look at us." She held up her cybernetic hand to reveal her gold wedding band. "We're happily married. Love wasn't meant tah be easy, if it was then it wouldn't be so magnificent."
"Exactly." Sally nodded at the last part before folding her arms and glaring at her friends, who just grinned back at her. "Besides, I'm perfectly fine with being single."
The other to females rolled their eyes but didn't argue anymore, knowing Sally would deny how she really felt the whole time. After a short silence, each of the new Fuzzie's eyes turned and focused on Haruhi, who just stared back blankly.
"Well, Haruhi…" Bunnie eyed the brunette slyly, her emerald eyes narrowed and twinkling. "What about you?"
Haruhi blinked "What about me?"
"Don't you have anyone special?" Sally filled in. "There's no way you can hang around all those guys and not feel anything towards any of them."
As each of them stared the host down, Haruhi was just about to say that this conversation had made a dramatic turn to cliché girl talk when memories of the night before filled her head. Hikaru, the carnival, the rollercoaster, her new stuffed panda (currently sitting on the bed in her borrowed room) and then that dumb song that she still couldn't make heads or tails of…
Gitchee Gitchee Goo…
Haruhi mentally shook her head and told herself to forget it. "No," she answered at last, albeit somewhat hastily. "We're all close enough to practically be family. I don't consider any of them anything more than brothers and I'm sure they think the same." Well, except Tamaki…She added in her head.
Julie-Su tilted her head inquiringly. "So you don't think any of them might think of you as more than just a sister?"
"No," Haruhi said, shaking her head before remembered what a certain blue pest had said on the way back from their chaotic trip in Okinawa.
'In case you haven't noticed or are just completely oblivious, these guys all adore you. Why, I've no idea, but none of them want to say anything…'
…Then, there had been that other time not to long after too, hadn't there?
'You really are dense. I don't understand why everyone's ga-ga over you.'
Haruhi sighed inwardly, telling herself not to take the hedgehog's words so seriously and that he was probably just over-analyzing things. After all, she had been with the hosts longer than The Fuzzies and never noticed anything but muddled, brotherly love coming from them…Again with the exception of Tamaki who was, and probably always would be, in the false mind-set that Haruhi was his 'daughter' and he her 'father'.
Nothing abnormal for the Host Club.
After Sally failed to hide an upcoming yawn, the girls decided it was time to call it a night and pick who would stay with who. After little debate, it came to Haruhi would room with Sally and Julie-Su with Bunnie, both figuring their other halves could use with more male bonding though Haruhi didn't know if bonding with the club was a good thing, or a bad one.
Still, even as she lay down, a part of Haruhi wished she could know what the guys in the story above could possibly be talking about.
F.K here, once again! Gotta few announcements for those of you who bother to read this and review ;) First off, the reason there is no comment replies on this chapter is because we're gonna try something a bit different this time around. Meaning we're gonna have one of those "Let the characters answer your reviews/questions" things for this and every chapter from now on. So let those reviews start a-flowing! Second, I know that somewhere in the beginning of the story we (I) said that only Team Sonic would be in the ffic but after some major thought, it was decided that the twin's needed some way to get back at Sonic for interfering so much in Hikaru's "love" life and what better way to do that then send the Fuzzie's girlfriends?
Third and last, for those of you who are interested some fan-art has been posted in my account (the link is in my profile) and we also have a playlist made up for the ffic, which will be posted either on or Devaint, not sure yet but check both so you don't miss it! ANYWAY. please R&R! And thanks for the continued support!