Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.


Chapter 29: Dense Plates

Going with the easier option Tohru crept out from her hiding spot behind the tree and wandered over to the drenched man sitting on the rock. "Um, excuse me?" she called, crouching beside him and waving her hand before his face to grab his attention.

The young man looked up at her in surprise, instinctively running his fingers across the surface of the envelope again. "Who are you?"

Tohru blanked. "A-Ah, I'm sorry, my name is-"

"That doesn't matter," Fen chirped up from behind her, flexing his claw for emphasis. "And enough with the chit chat, we are here to see the Duchess."

The man frowned, glancing back at the house and whispering, "Another visitor? Just how many more will there be?" he muttered, wringing his hands grimly.

"Um," Tohru mumbled, clearing her throat. "T-This is the Duchess' house, yes?" her eyes drifted to the envelope in his hands. "And you said something about a visitor. Was he a rabbit..?"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, weighing the girl up. "How do you know of this?"

Tohru's eyes lightened. "Ah! He is! I-I have something of his that he dropped-"

"Never mind," the man cut her off, standing from his rock. "Yes, this is the Duchess' house but she's busy right now. I wouldn't enter if I were you, not with that racket." He pointed at the house and the three of them strained their ears, hearing the sudden rumblings and shouts coming from inside the house. "They're making so much noise in there so probably won't hear you."

Tohru nodded, jumping at the sound of a plate smashing followed by a painful howl. She looked at Fen with fear in her eyes before darting them back to the house when a chorus of loud sneezes rattled the windows. "I don't think we should go in yet..."

Fen nudged her arm when she began to lower it with each frightened jump, accidentally pulling away his cover from the rain. He ruffled his tail feathers and pulled her arm back up, glaring at the man before them. "He said we shouldn't go in, but didn't say that we weren't allowed." He grinned menacingly.

Tohru sweat-dropped. She looked at the man and said, "W-Will you let us in?"

"No." He replied sharply, curling his lip back.

She stepped back in surprise. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to risk getting caught in the noise. Who knows what they're doing inside," he gripped the envelope. "But I'm not stopping you. Here, give this to the Duchess if you're going in," he handed her the white paper. "I doubt I'll be going inside any time soon. Maybe I'll try going in later tonight-"

Tohru half listened to him as her attention was drawn to the door, gasping when it was yanked open and a large plate came skimming out aiming straight for the young man. She opened her mouth to warn him but the plate was too quick; it grazed past the tip of his nose and crashed into the tree behind, shattering to pieces before her very eyes.

Fen squawked in surprise, losing a few feathers in his panic.

"-or maybe I could go in tomorrow."

The two of them stared at the young man as if he'd grown another head. One word floated into her head at the blank expression on the man's face; he acted as if nothing had happened, speaking his thoughts out loud as his nose began to turn red.

'Dense,' she thought. This man was dense.


Posting Date: 30th May 2014

Words: 600

Symm: Here's the last chapter for today! Please review if you have the chance, I'd appreciate the feedback ;) Thanks for all the support and for reading the story guys!