The Search
Disclaimer: My latest evil plan involved getting Watase Yuu to autograph my manga and then forging her signature on legal documents signing FY over to me, but unfortunately I missed her at the convention. Chibi Seiryuu Girl: In other words, she still doesn't own Fushigi Yuugi.
Skippy, thanks for the comments. Yes, Makoto is Hotohori, and you're right about Nuriko and Ryuuen. They're different in some ways, and the same in others. Nuriko's emotional reactions to things are strong, and while Ryuuen's are strong as well, he's also been taught that he has to hide behind a brave face. Ryuuen did walk, Tobias' grandmother lives nearby to both him and the Hendersons. Thank you to Zettai as well. I love reading your reviews, they make my day a little better.
Also, I am a total imbecile. Tomo's symbol is on the right side, not the left. I think I'll go and practice my laugh now to make it up to him...
Tobias woke up the next morning feeling absolutely wonderful and free of all worry. Ryuuen had taken it as well as possible, and it was his birthday.
"Mia! Get up!" he yelled at his sister. She was fast asleep and snoring loudly.
"Go away... I don't want to go and see the bunnies..." Mia murmured, and rolled over.
Tobias decided he didn't want to know. Climbing out of bed, he walked over silently and stood over his sister, his dark hair hanging in her face. "Look, Mia, get up, it's our birthday!" he screamed in her ear.
"Yah!" Mia cried, sitting bolt upright. "You didn't need to do that!"
"Well, Mia, I'm still a little peeved at you," Tobias said, raising his eyebrows.
"It all worked out for the best," she said defensively. "You would never have gotten around to it."
"In my own time I would have. Anyway, I think you should rise and shine. The cold shower doesn't wait." Tobias cackled.
"Oh, that is so not funny, *Tomo*," Mia teased.
"Yes it is, *Soi*. At least Tomo's not named after a dairy substitute," commented Tobias. For some reason, he felt like having a 'friendly argument' with Mia.
"Tomo the Homo," sang Mia. "Ha!"
"How incredibly witty. You can rhyme and tell the truth at the same time! Oooh, look, so can I!" Tobias said sarcastically.
Mia threw a pillow at him. "Shut up, Toby!" she yelled. It hit her brother in the face, interrupting his laugh.
Tobias shook his head. "Hey! That was uncalled for!" He threw the pillow back, hitting Mia in the stomach.
A full out, feather-filled pillow war ensued, with the eventual victory of Mia due to the aid of some possibly unfair lightning. Their grandmother, who had obviously been woken up by the giggles and loud insults, wearily knocked on the door.
"Come in," Mia laughed. Tobias was busy trying to shake off the charred feathers and static electricity cracking around his head.
"What happened?" the old woman asked, upon seeing the mess.
"Well, first she insulted me, and then I insulted her, and then she threw a pillow at me, and then - " Tobias said. Old Mrs Henderson raised her hand for him to stop.
She gave both of them a look patented by their father, which Tobias liked to call 'the glare of overwhelming guilt'. Obviously it was something Mr Henderson had learnt from his mother. "Clean it up," she growled.
A few hours later, the twins had showered, dressed and cleaned up the room. It still had a few feathers that had somehow permanently stuck on the ceiling, but in all other aspects everything was how it should have been.
"That's better," old Mrs Henderson said. "Now, happy birthday, both of you. If you'll wait a minute, I'll get you your presents."
Mia grinned at her brother. Tobias, who was wearing his costume, headdress and full make-up for the special occasion, grinned back, and then stopped, because it smudged the stripes.
"Here you go," their grandmother said, passing a present to both Mia and Tobias.
The twins' birthday was one of the best in years. All their relatives and friends came to celebrate, including Ray and Liam. The latter, upon having been told of Tobias' sexuality by his mother, seemed to think this made him some sort of protege, and wouldn't leave him alone.
"Hey, Tobias, do you want tips on being a submissive or dominant partner?" Ray asked in Tobias' ear, elbowing him in the ribs.
Tobias was silently thanked Seiryuu for the gift of make-up that covered extensive blushes. "Um... I'll pass, thanks," he said.
Liam grinned and joined in. "What about over-all guaranteed methods to get the man of your dreams?" he whispered.
I've already had the man of my dreams, thought Tobias. Aloud, he said, "I don't need help, I can manage by myself."
"You sure? Because some guys say that, when they do really. Hey, what about that guy? Isn't he your boyfriend?" Liam asked, pointing obviously at Ryuuen.
"No... he's a friend. We went out for a while, but we're not together anymore," Tobias explained. He shot Ryuuen a "please save me" look.
The purple-haired boy, recognising Tobias' plight, walked over to the table he was sitting at. Ray and Liam both smiled evilly at him and moved on to their next target. Tobias was reminded inexplicably of sharks.
"Uh... hi, Tobias, hi Mr Everett, hi.... Mr Everett," Ryuuen said nervously. He knew that Liam had taken Ray's last name, but didn't quite know how to address them.
Ray laughed. "Just Ray and Liam is fine, it gets far too confusing otherwise," he said. "Anyway, so you're one of us?"
"Uh... I'm bi," Ryuuen said, embarrassed. "But I guess so, yes."
Liam patted him on the back. "Girls as well, then?" he asked.
"Yes, not that I've ever had a girlfriend," Ryuuen said. "They all think I look too girly." This was true. Ryuuen's features were feminine to a far greater extent than Tobias'. He was sometimes mistaken for a female if he wore loose enough clothes to hide his flat chest.
"Aaw, they have no taste then," sighed Ray laughing in a farce of flirtatiousness. His green eyes suddenly became serious. "You're a good looking guy, Ryuuen."
Ryuuen blushed, and unfortunately for him, he was not wearing anything to hide it. "Um... uh... thank you," he said. "I... uh... I try to... I..."
"Stutter a lot when I'm embarrassed?" suggested Tobias. "Look, Ray, Liam, I have to go for a minute..." He looked at Ryuuen for a second, who got the point.
"Uh... me too," he said. They both scooted off.
Ray and Liam shrugged to each other. "We could have had so much more fun there!" Ray sighed to his partner.
"Well, it's a big party and there are plenty more people to have fun with. Hey, what about Mia?" asked Liam. He ran a hand through his untidy brown hair.
"What can we annoy her about?" Ray inquired.
"Tobias, of course. She'd know all about him," said Liam as though this was the most totally obvious thing in the world.
"Sounds good to me," Ray agreed. "Maybe we can ask about that sexy exchange student, the blonde, do you remember? Tobias' first boyfriend."
"That guy was called Akira," Liam corrected. "Liza said Tobias hasn't gotten over him."
"Oh..." Ray said, his sunny mood dampened a little. "Maybe that's why he dumped that cutie with the pretty eyes..."
Liam raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't be looking at that guy yourself, would you?" he asked, jealousy lighting his tone.
"He's what, eighteen?" Ray asked. "Even if I were, it's not like he'd want a thirty year old married man."
Liam laughed. "I don't know... he was extremely embarrassed," he joked, pouting ridiculously.
"He was embarrassed because I was teasing him. I mean, I could try that on Mark and he'd be embarrassed," Ray said, exasperated.
"Now you're trying to crack onto our best friend's husband?" asked Liam in mock disbelief. He shook his head. "And I thought you loved me..."
"I do," Ray said sincerely. "Very much so."
Liam smiled. "Aaaw, that's so sweet," he said, giving Ray a hug. A few people turned to stare. "What? Never seen someone giving their partner a hug before?" he yelled at one unfortunate woman, who went white and tried to pretend she'd been looking at the painting on the wall above them.
"Liam one, stupid woman zero," Ray joked.
Disclaimer: My latest evil plan involved getting Watase Yuu to autograph my manga and then forging her signature on legal documents signing FY over to me, but unfortunately I missed her at the convention. Chibi Seiryuu Girl: In other words, she still doesn't own Fushigi Yuugi.
Skippy, thanks for the comments. Yes, Makoto is Hotohori, and you're right about Nuriko and Ryuuen. They're different in some ways, and the same in others. Nuriko's emotional reactions to things are strong, and while Ryuuen's are strong as well, he's also been taught that he has to hide behind a brave face. Ryuuen did walk, Tobias' grandmother lives nearby to both him and the Hendersons. Thank you to Zettai as well. I love reading your reviews, they make my day a little better.
Also, I am a total imbecile. Tomo's symbol is on the right side, not the left. I think I'll go and practice my laugh now to make it up to him...
Tobias woke up the next morning feeling absolutely wonderful and free of all worry. Ryuuen had taken it as well as possible, and it was his birthday.
"Mia! Get up!" he yelled at his sister. She was fast asleep and snoring loudly.
"Go away... I don't want to go and see the bunnies..." Mia murmured, and rolled over.
Tobias decided he didn't want to know. Climbing out of bed, he walked over silently and stood over his sister, his dark hair hanging in her face. "Look, Mia, get up, it's our birthday!" he screamed in her ear.
"Yah!" Mia cried, sitting bolt upright. "You didn't need to do that!"
"Well, Mia, I'm still a little peeved at you," Tobias said, raising his eyebrows.
"It all worked out for the best," she said defensively. "You would never have gotten around to it."
"In my own time I would have. Anyway, I think you should rise and shine. The cold shower doesn't wait." Tobias cackled.
"Oh, that is so not funny, *Tomo*," Mia teased.
"Yes it is, *Soi*. At least Tomo's not named after a dairy substitute," commented Tobias. For some reason, he felt like having a 'friendly argument' with Mia.
"Tomo the Homo," sang Mia. "Ha!"
"How incredibly witty. You can rhyme and tell the truth at the same time! Oooh, look, so can I!" Tobias said sarcastically.
Mia threw a pillow at him. "Shut up, Toby!" she yelled. It hit her brother in the face, interrupting his laugh.
Tobias shook his head. "Hey! That was uncalled for!" He threw the pillow back, hitting Mia in the stomach.
A full out, feather-filled pillow war ensued, with the eventual victory of Mia due to the aid of some possibly unfair lightning. Their grandmother, who had obviously been woken up by the giggles and loud insults, wearily knocked on the door.
"Come in," Mia laughed. Tobias was busy trying to shake off the charred feathers and static electricity cracking around his head.
"What happened?" the old woman asked, upon seeing the mess.
"Well, first she insulted me, and then I insulted her, and then she threw a pillow at me, and then - " Tobias said. Old Mrs Henderson raised her hand for him to stop.
She gave both of them a look patented by their father, which Tobias liked to call 'the glare of overwhelming guilt'. Obviously it was something Mr Henderson had learnt from his mother. "Clean it up," she growled.
A few hours later, the twins had showered, dressed and cleaned up the room. It still had a few feathers that had somehow permanently stuck on the ceiling, but in all other aspects everything was how it should have been.
"That's better," old Mrs Henderson said. "Now, happy birthday, both of you. If you'll wait a minute, I'll get you your presents."
Mia grinned at her brother. Tobias, who was wearing his costume, headdress and full make-up for the special occasion, grinned back, and then stopped, because it smudged the stripes.
"Here you go," their grandmother said, passing a present to both Mia and Tobias.
The twins' birthday was one of the best in years. All their relatives and friends came to celebrate, including Ray and Liam. The latter, upon having been told of Tobias' sexuality by his mother, seemed to think this made him some sort of protege, and wouldn't leave him alone.
"Hey, Tobias, do you want tips on being a submissive or dominant partner?" Ray asked in Tobias' ear, elbowing him in the ribs.
Tobias was silently thanked Seiryuu for the gift of make-up that covered extensive blushes. "Um... I'll pass, thanks," he said.
Liam grinned and joined in. "What about over-all guaranteed methods to get the man of your dreams?" he whispered.
I've already had the man of my dreams, thought Tobias. Aloud, he said, "I don't need help, I can manage by myself."
"You sure? Because some guys say that, when they do really. Hey, what about that guy? Isn't he your boyfriend?" Liam asked, pointing obviously at Ryuuen.
"No... he's a friend. We went out for a while, but we're not together anymore," Tobias explained. He shot Ryuuen a "please save me" look.
The purple-haired boy, recognising Tobias' plight, walked over to the table he was sitting at. Ray and Liam both smiled evilly at him and moved on to their next target. Tobias was reminded inexplicably of sharks.
"Uh... hi, Tobias, hi Mr Everett, hi.... Mr Everett," Ryuuen said nervously. He knew that Liam had taken Ray's last name, but didn't quite know how to address them.
Ray laughed. "Just Ray and Liam is fine, it gets far too confusing otherwise," he said. "Anyway, so you're one of us?"
"Uh... I'm bi," Ryuuen said, embarrassed. "But I guess so, yes."
Liam patted him on the back. "Girls as well, then?" he asked.
"Yes, not that I've ever had a girlfriend," Ryuuen said. "They all think I look too girly." This was true. Ryuuen's features were feminine to a far greater extent than Tobias'. He was sometimes mistaken for a female if he wore loose enough clothes to hide his flat chest.
"Aaw, they have no taste then," sighed Ray laughing in a farce of flirtatiousness. His green eyes suddenly became serious. "You're a good looking guy, Ryuuen."
Ryuuen blushed, and unfortunately for him, he was not wearing anything to hide it. "Um... uh... thank you," he said. "I... uh... I try to... I..."
"Stutter a lot when I'm embarrassed?" suggested Tobias. "Look, Ray, Liam, I have to go for a minute..." He looked at Ryuuen for a second, who got the point.
"Uh... me too," he said. They both scooted off.
Ray and Liam shrugged to each other. "We could have had so much more fun there!" Ray sighed to his partner.
"Well, it's a big party and there are plenty more people to have fun with. Hey, what about Mia?" asked Liam. He ran a hand through his untidy brown hair.
"What can we annoy her about?" Ray inquired.
"Tobias, of course. She'd know all about him," said Liam as though this was the most totally obvious thing in the world.
"Sounds good to me," Ray agreed. "Maybe we can ask about that sexy exchange student, the blonde, do you remember? Tobias' first boyfriend."
"That guy was called Akira," Liam corrected. "Liza said Tobias hasn't gotten over him."
"Oh..." Ray said, his sunny mood dampened a little. "Maybe that's why he dumped that cutie with the pretty eyes..."
Liam raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't be looking at that guy yourself, would you?" he asked, jealousy lighting his tone.
"He's what, eighteen?" Ray asked. "Even if I were, it's not like he'd want a thirty year old married man."
Liam laughed. "I don't know... he was extremely embarrassed," he joked, pouting ridiculously.
"He was embarrassed because I was teasing him. I mean, I could try that on Mark and he'd be embarrassed," Ray said, exasperated.
"Now you're trying to crack onto our best friend's husband?" asked Liam in mock disbelief. He shook his head. "And I thought you loved me..."
"I do," Ray said sincerely. "Very much so."
Liam smiled. "Aaaw, that's so sweet," he said, giving Ray a hug. A few people turned to stare. "What? Never seen someone giving their partner a hug before?" he yelled at one unfortunate woman, who went white and tried to pretend she'd been looking at the painting on the wall above them.
"Liam one, stupid woman zero," Ray joked.