Title: Roommates Diary II - Double Date In Hell (Part XI)
Author: ficeler37
Note: Don't own Mai-Hime. I'll let Sunrise take the credit.
Rating: PG
Word count: 1643
Summary: Shizuru and Natsuki have a date with fancy lingerie.
A/N 1: I hope everyone had a nice summer! I certainly did. If people have questions about credit scores, ask me! That was my big project of the summer, hehe. I have a confession to make - the cliffhanger in the last chapter actually alludes to a scene in the NEXT chapter. Again, my fault for being wordy and making the story progress at a snail's pace. I know that the length of this update is sub-par, but I promise that the next chapter will appear in the VERY near future. Oh, and there will be a special guest(s) appearance in the omake. Enjoy!
A/N 2: To midorihitomi, hanging out with his brother can only mean trouble for Kenta. I shall continue to beat that yaoi romance joke with a stick. To glowie and fan-rei, there will probably be soapy scenes coming up, heh. To moonslights, coming is such a nicer word than going. To shiznats, greatpumpkin81,and rc, the topless Natsuki will have to wait, sorry … To Sugador, yes, the brothers are merely spices. To Shiznat, two months is not a short time, I admit. But the next update won't take as long, I swear. To chatterbox-hikaru13, Kenta is indeed the perfect buffer to create shiznat interaction. I like how you typed the n word, heh. To kikyo4ever, I'm sure deep down, Natsuki is the type of person who will peek at a naked Shizuru between the cracks of her fingers, versus Shizuru who will just scan Natsuki's naked body like an x-ray machine.
A/N 2.25: To renny-chan, it's more like Jun treats her mom like a maid in my setting. Snobbiness is one of his many sins. Shizuru will probably not be topless since she has to wear the merchandise, heh. To volk83, noooo, leave my Wii alone! To OO, your name matches so perfectly with your review. Here, have some Kleenex. To SychoBabblex, Natsuki will of course disapprove of Shizuru's touchy ways. I guess the only solution is for Natsuki to glue Shizuru's hands on her own body. To Naolin, hurray, I'm still alive! Should I be a good writer and turn Jun into a more 3D character by giving him redeeming qualities? Hmmm … nah. Typos, typos, go away!
A/N 2.5: To kttykiwi, I can imagine Natsuki making a bargain about snatching some bras and undies. LOL on Minami's line!!! To writer-jm, the drama CD says Shizuru works at a lingerie store, so I shouldn't take credit for that plot device, heh. I'm going to milk this locale as much as possible. To Lone Voice, Natsuki won't always be clueless … I hope. To anon, it's certainly entertaining to imagine how Shizuru will commit crimes just to hog all the lingerie photos, but for the continuity of the series' sake, the scene shall be played out in my head and not in writing. To Alix, (happy sigh), Shizuru, our favorite resident pervert. To lurk-a-lot, oh, Jun's face WILL connect with something rock solid later.
A/N 2.75: To jam-chan, I hope the cream of the crop is not stale by now. To Azn-anime, wow, you left so many reviews in such a short period of time. Kudos to you. Yes, it's true that Shizuru works in a lingerie shop according to the Drama CD. To SharonSuh, RDII is the latest (the 4th) addition in my Shiznat saga. The 1st one is "The Challenge". To scoobz87, ChieH, Darkredeyes, Wolfblaze, Tenshi No Tsume, S, moonfreckle, darkangel714, theshiznat, and kitten320, thanks for reviewing. (grin)
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Who the hell is this guy? Numerous question marks emerge from Natsuki's back as she twitches at the tall slender man in a flashy silver suit. But what makes her speechless is probably the moving wall of fresh roses on wheels that seems to follow that man's every step. How much does he pay his assistants to push around that cheesy background decoration all day?
"Mr. Armani, our models have arrived." Minami takes a humble bow in front of this year's hottest photographer in the fashion industry.
"Ah, Signorina Minami. What great timing, I just finished setting up the station. Now, who do we have here?" The suave middle-aged man falls silent as he scrutinizes Shizuru and Natsuki with a pensive smirk.
I did not sign up to be stared at, especially not from a weirdo like him. Shizuru is not meat in the market! Natsuki takes a step forward and uses her body to shield Shizuru from Armani's intrusive gaze.
This is why I don't like dealing with eccentric artists. Manners are not what they are known for … On the bright side, it is always delightful to play the powerless maiden in need of protection in front of Natsuki, ho ho. However, for Minami-san's sake, there is still business to be done. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Armani. My name is Fujino Shizuru and this is my friend Kuga Natsuki."
In response to the introduction, Armani only gives a barely noticeable nod and proceeds to resume his fixation on the two girls in silence.
The awkward atmosphere permeating the room makes Minami rub her hands together nervously. Even though Shizuru-san and Natsuki-san are gorgeous, I should have known that it is still bad business to diverge from what we have already agreed in the concept meeting. "I apologize for the …"
"I love it! You're a darling, Signorina Minami. That is exactly the edge that I'm looking for!" Armani grabs Minami by her shoulders and gives her a passionate kiss on the cheek. "Now my beautiful ladies, please get dressed promptly. My assistants will show you the various outfits that will make an appearance in the catalog. Butch girl, you go to the left dressing room and doll face, the right one."
"Who are you calling …" Before Natsuki can scream out the rest of her sentence, she is knocked off balance by extended arms. By sheer undisputable laws of physics, the fuming girl stumbles into her dressing room.
Forgive me, Natsuki-san. The job must go on. The lingerie shop owner lets out a breath that she has been holding since they arrived.
"Oh yea, a definite butch. She might not look it, but the essence is there." Armani proudly enlightens one of his assistants with his assessment.
Uhm, what is this feeling of being thrown into an ice dungeon? Minami turns around and makes eye contact with a smiling Shizuru, who has taken a short pause before stepping behind the curtains. How come I never noticed how threatening Shizuru-san's smile could be?
Five minutes later, Natsuki walks out in black denim baggy jeans and a white wife-beater. This isn't so bad. I mean, the floor is a bit cold, but whatever. Minami-san was probably on crack when she told me I had to be topless. What's taking Shizuru so long?
"Miss me much?" A few feet over, Shizuru struts forward in a silky pearl color flyaway babydoll dress and matching silk panties. The front slit of the dress located below the breasts conveniently shows off her firm stomach attributed to a lifetime of balanced diet.
"Ahhhh, what are you wearing???" Green orbs dart around rapidly following an incoherent route, more specifically, everywhere but on the Kyoto woman's body.
"Catalogue merchandise. What else?" Shizuru smirks innocently while tiptoeing closer to the younger girl whose body is turning stiff like a stick.
"Kuga-san …" After a polite warning on Minami's part, Armani now addresses both his models properly by their last names. "Please take your bra off."
"Are you trying to mess with me?" You think MY limited collection bra is too cheap to show itself in the catalogue?
"Professionally speaking, I'm going for the androgynous look here, and the bra makes you too feminine. So would you please do as I say so that we can start shooting?"
"But …" My nipples will be showing! "I thought these were not supposed to be x-rated photos!"
"Oh honey, with my expertise, nothing inappropriate will be included in the photos. We are running an esteemed and legitimate business after all. Of course, it will be a different story if this is for my private collection …"
"Ahem." With a fiery stare that screams "Don't you dare think about it!", Shizuru's battle aura successfully jolts Armani out of his reverie.
"Moving along …" The photographer swallows the lump in his throat, still digesting his first close encounter with death. Gotta watch out for that doll …
Meanwhile, Natsuki decides to yield. After performing the long lost art of remove-your-bra-without-taking-off-your-shirt technique, she crosses her arms to cup her unsupported yet perky breasts. I'm only doing this for Shizuru. That buffoon better keep his word.
"Now, Kuga-san, stand upright and face the white background. Put your hands in your pockets. Just concentrate on the whiteness ahead. Pretend you're an emotionless statue. Nothing in the world can cause a ripple in your heart."
Natsuki complies, silently grateful that with the camera behind her, her unprotected bosoms won't be exposed.
Armani continues to prep his models. "Someone, prepare the fan! Fujino-san, you're the temptress. Go stand next to Kuga-san with your body facing the camera. Turn your head towards Kuga-san …"
Easy enough. Awww, the fan is making my Natsuki cold. Look how "they" are all hard …
"Damn it, Shizuru. Stop staring at my chest!" Natsuki growls without turning her head. As if I'm not self-conscious enough!
"Only doing what I was told." With a sheepish grin, Shizuru whispers back matter-of-factly.
"Fujino-san, please pick up a handful of Kuga-san's hair and hold the bundle close to your heart. Try to look like you're longing for something that you cannot have."
Shizuru chuckles to herself. Wow, this is bringing back so many memories. The days when I would stroke her hair in secret … Reaching out to feel the softness of the blue hair that reminds her of the steady and forgiving ocean, she tries not to let the bleak future of her unrequited love push her to tears.
The sudden shift in mood did not escape Natsuki. Perhaps it is primal animal instinct, or perhaps it is the mysterious ability for pets to sense their owners' mental condition. Either Shizuru is talented enough to win the Academy Awards, or something is really bothering her …
"You're phenomenal, Fujino-san. Extraordinary expression." Incessant and rhythmic camera sound. Finally Armani brings himself up from the crouching position in front of his camera on a tripod. "Good job, everyone. Kuga-san can stay put. Fujino-san, please change into your next outfit."
How immature of me to lose my usually calm countenance in front of Natsuki. I must regroup fast while I change. As Shizuru releases the handful of beautiful blue hair and starts to pull away, an arm across her bare midriff takes her by surprise.
"Don't take the photo shoot so seriously. Let's relax and have some fun." In her mind, Natsuki had played out the scene plentiful times where she would deliver her lines with a confident smile. But in reality, the shy girl ends up giving her advice to the spotless floor, mostly due to the revealing nature of Shizuru's accoutrement.
The temptress of the hour leans closer to speak softly in Natsuki's ear. "Your hand sure seems like it's having a blast." How cute! She was so nervous that she kept rubbing my tummy without noticing.
"Wha … AHHHH!" Natsuki retracts her hand so quickly that she almost sprains her arm. This woman can be so infuriating! "Just … hurry back, it's cold out here." At least she is back to her old self …
With a devilish grin, Shizuru swiftly exits the crime scene.
From a dark corner in the room, Minami has come to her own conclusion. Shizuru-san is without a doubt the one wearing the pants in their relationship.
TBC.
----omake begins----
Kenta and Jun have stepped out of the lingerie shop, finally realizing that waiting for the girls while being surrounded by tons of racy outfits is utterly unnecessary.
Kenta: Bro, you wanna walk around for an hour?
Jun: Sure. (exasperated sigh) Just don't get too close to me. I don't want people to think that we are related.
Demon horns rise up from Kenta's fiery red locks.
Kenta: Honey, why are you being so shy in public? (jumps on his brother's back)
Jun: Ahhhhh, get off me! (flails his arms like a headless chicken)
All the bystanders begin whispering in each other's ears … well, except one …
Haruka: (takes out her custom made bullhorn) Stop this display of impure homosexual desire at once! Have you no spam?
Dead silence.
In the sky, a crow flies by while chanting "baka, baka".
Yukino: Haruka-chan, it's actually …
Jun: You mean shame? Lady, you got serious speech problems.
Haruka: (flustered) That's none of your … Yukino?
Yukino creeps up to the brothers with her head dipped down. Though no one can see her expression, the eerie dark clouds wrapped around the small framed woman is enough to send shivers down one's spine.
Out of survival instinct, Kenta jumps off his brother and backs away with the speed of a frightened gazelle.
Jun: (quivers in discomfort) What do you want?
Yukino grabs him with all her might and body-slams him into the ground with a judo two-handed shoulder throw.
Yukino: YOU STOLE MY LINE!!!
----omake ends----
