Futame Kinen
"Harmful Memory"
This chapter's somewhat lighter than the previous two...but it's not QUITE the end...oh, and it looks like I'm going to attempt to write the sequel...eventually...it's up to you to decide whether that's good or bad ^_^ (This fic IS finished - all six chapters of it... - but I'm posting it a chapter at a time. Gomen to anyone who doesn't like that, but I have to fix all kinds of things before I post them...and it takes a while, no da...)
Return of the Evil Asterisks...though I'm pretty sure they only come back once...anyway, as a reminder, things enclosed in asterisks (*) are thoughts. I apologize in advance for my lame puns.
Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters and whatnot...
Chapter Three - Motte Aruko-ru no Kyuujo...
"With the Aid of Alcohol..."
Chichiri leaned against the wall of a small shop in the middle of Kounan's capital, panting, trying to catch his breath.
He heard Tasuki yell his name. Without his kasa and kesa, he couldn't teleport, but it hadn't occurred to him before to use any of his other magic. Gasping for breath as he was, and what with all the rain, invisibility probably wouldn't do much good, but maybe something else...
However, hard as he tried the oldest Suzaku seishi couldn't bring any of the motions or incantations of any spells to mind. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth from running so long, and his lungs felt like they would explode with each rasping breath he took of the moist air. It was all too much, he felt dizzy with exhaustion, completely emotionally and physically drained.
The most appealing thing to do seemed to be to curl up in a ball on the soaked pavement and die, but just then Tasuki rounded the corner, forcing Chichiri to begin running again. However, no longer far enough ahead to dart down side streets to confuse the fiery haired young man, he had no hope of escape. Tasuki easily overtook him again, and caught his wrists when he tried to turn.
"Chichiri, why do you keep trying to run away from me?" he asked, obviously both confused and hurt. Chichiri was too tired to reply, could only shake his head and try feebly to break free.
"Why don't we just go back to the palace now, and we'll talk, eh, Chichiri?" Tasuki asked, giving his friend a small, nervous smile. Chichiri shook his head again.
"Why not?" Again, Chichiri only shook his head, too weary to even attempt to argue with the young man who had hold of him.
All of a sudden Chichiri realized that he really, truly wanted to hit Tasuki, for no reason other than the fact that the young man had dismissed what had happened so easily, and wasn't in the least angry about it. Chichiri was furious at himself, and he expected Tasuki to be, too. He wanted, with all his heart, for Tasuki to berate him, yell at him, ANYTHING but this complete acceptance of what had occurred.
* Damn it Tasuki, I've done something wrong...why won't you tell me so...I can't forgive myself until you forgive me...and you can't forgive me if you aren't angry with me... * Chichiri thought. It made perfect sense to him, so why couldn't Tasuki see it?
After a long moment Houjun Ri gave in to fatigue and let his legs give out beneath him, wondering if perhaps the fall to the street could kill him if he did it right. Unfortunately he never found out, because Tasuki caught him.
"I hate you," Chichiri said, feeling too weak to explain himself.
"Yeah, I kinda figured that..." Tasuki said, managing an only marginally forced smirk and some shadow of his usual good humor. Chichiri could tell the remark had stung, though, by the hurt in the gaze that met his. The troubled young man moved the stare of his brown eye from Tasuki's face to the bandit's feet, studying the creases in the soft fabric of his friend's boots, trying to focus, to gather the strength to stand under his own power.
After a while he managed to get his legs to support him again, but he still had to lean heavily on Tasuki to avoid falling. Deciding that falling to the street probably wouldn't kill him anyway, he rather grudgingly let the younger man support him.
Tasuki shifted, pulling one of Chichiri's arms over his shoulders.
"So, you don't want to go back to the palace...where to then?" the stubborn young man inquired.
"Go to hell," Chichiri mumbled.
"Hmm, I'm not sure that'd be such a good idea...though it would be warmer...but hey, I think I have a cure for ya...let's go get drunk," Tasuki suggested, showing off his fangs with a wide, genuine smile. Chichiri tilted his head at the grinning seishi, amazed at just how feral the other man looked. The monk hadn't been one to drink since his younger days with Hikou, but right then losing himself in an alcoholic haze sounded very tempting.
Without waiting for Chichiri's reply, Tasuki headed off in search of sake.
***
"Where ARE they?" Nuriko asked.
"I don't know, just like I didn't know any of the other hundreds of times you asked that!" Tamahome snapped.
"Tamahome, she...he's just worried about Tasuki and Chichiri!" Miaka objected.
"Yeah, well asking where they are isn't getting them back! And besides, I'm sure they can take care of themselves!" Tamahome replied, crossing his arms irritably over his chest.
"Tamahome, you could at LEAST..." Nuriko began, but he was cut off by two slurred, off-key voices raised in an even more slurred, off-key excuse for harmony.
"Are hatateta kouya de mo hoshi wa hikaru..." came Tasuki's loud, discordant tenor.
"Mamoritai hito ga ireba chizu wa irenai..." followed Chichiri's somewhat softer but no less dissonant alto.
"Kumo wa kono mama doko e yuku no da rou..." the two voices sang together, Tasuki even adding the 'no da' to his part.
"What the...?" Nuriko asked, trailing off and heading to the door. Upon opening it he smiled, sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching two very intoxicated seishi stagger, arms around each other's shoulders, towards him.
"Hakkiri shirenai ishi ni michibi karete..." the two went on, still singing together for the chorus.
"Habata ita tori no k...ka...kage...kage...aw shit, I can't r'member...oh, k'nichi wa N'riko," Tasuki slurred, giving Nuriko a grin and a clumsy wave, almost knocking both himself and Chichiri off balance with the simple action. Nuriko shook his head.
"What are we going to do with you?" he asked, shaking his head. He was relieved, though, that they were both back and safe.
Chichiri, no longer having anything to concentrate on, slumped wearily against Tasuki's shoulder, trying not to fall asleep. Tasuki gave the older man a lopsided smirk, tightening the arm around him affectionately for a moment.
"He's so cute," the bandit commented.
"You are very, very drunk," Nuriko stated.
"Maybe a l't'l..." Tasuki admitted.
"It had to be Kouji with the higher alcohol tolerance, didn't it...?" Nuriko sighed.
"Huh?" Tasuki asked. He began to laugh softly for no apparent reason. Nuriko shook his head sadly. Chichiri looked up sleepily, blinking to clear his vision to no avail.
"You...both of you...should get to bed," Nuriko instructed.
"But it's still light out...look at all the pretty colors..." Chichiri objected. Nuriko raised an eyebrow at him, looking up at the night sky. The rain had long since stopped, and some of the clouds had cleared away, providing some small glimpse of the bright stars above. It was very near to midnight. Mitsukake had left just a short while before to put Chiriko to bed, despite the boy's protests.
Coming back from Chiriko's room, Mitsukake paused, seeing the three by the doorway. Nuriko looked up at him hopefully. The healer raised his hands helplessly.
"Not a thing I can do about THAT," he replied to Nuriko's unspoken question. Nuriko's face fell.
"If you want, I'll be able to help them when they wake up tomorrow...that is, unless you feel they've earned the hangover..." Mitsukake offered dryly, with an uncharacteristic smile. Nuriko sighed. First Tasuki and Chichiri had BOTH gotten themselves completely drunk, and then Mitsukake had to be in one of his cynical, humorous moods. The purple-haired man shrugged, unable to think of a better response for his towering friend. It was, after all, very late, and certain court princesses didn't do well deprived of their beauty sleep.
"I'm going to sleep," he announced, "and you three should do the same." Chichiri, it seemed, had not waited to get to bed to follow Nuriko's advice - he was fast asleep on Tasuki's shoulder.
"Harmful Memory"
This chapter's somewhat lighter than the previous two...but it's not QUITE the end...oh, and it looks like I'm going to attempt to write the sequel...eventually...it's up to you to decide whether that's good or bad ^_^ (This fic IS finished - all six chapters of it... - but I'm posting it a chapter at a time. Gomen to anyone who doesn't like that, but I have to fix all kinds of things before I post them...and it takes a while, no da...)
Return of the Evil Asterisks...though I'm pretty sure they only come back once...anyway, as a reminder, things enclosed in asterisks (*) are thoughts. I apologize in advance for my lame puns.
Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters and whatnot...
Chapter Three - Motte Aruko-ru no Kyuujo...
"With the Aid of Alcohol..."
Chichiri leaned against the wall of a small shop in the middle of Kounan's capital, panting, trying to catch his breath.
He heard Tasuki yell his name. Without his kasa and kesa, he couldn't teleport, but it hadn't occurred to him before to use any of his other magic. Gasping for breath as he was, and what with all the rain, invisibility probably wouldn't do much good, but maybe something else...
However, hard as he tried the oldest Suzaku seishi couldn't bring any of the motions or incantations of any spells to mind. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth from running so long, and his lungs felt like they would explode with each rasping breath he took of the moist air. It was all too much, he felt dizzy with exhaustion, completely emotionally and physically drained.
The most appealing thing to do seemed to be to curl up in a ball on the soaked pavement and die, but just then Tasuki rounded the corner, forcing Chichiri to begin running again. However, no longer far enough ahead to dart down side streets to confuse the fiery haired young man, he had no hope of escape. Tasuki easily overtook him again, and caught his wrists when he tried to turn.
"Chichiri, why do you keep trying to run away from me?" he asked, obviously both confused and hurt. Chichiri was too tired to reply, could only shake his head and try feebly to break free.
"Why don't we just go back to the palace now, and we'll talk, eh, Chichiri?" Tasuki asked, giving his friend a small, nervous smile. Chichiri shook his head again.
"Why not?" Again, Chichiri only shook his head, too weary to even attempt to argue with the young man who had hold of him.
All of a sudden Chichiri realized that he really, truly wanted to hit Tasuki, for no reason other than the fact that the young man had dismissed what had happened so easily, and wasn't in the least angry about it. Chichiri was furious at himself, and he expected Tasuki to be, too. He wanted, with all his heart, for Tasuki to berate him, yell at him, ANYTHING but this complete acceptance of what had occurred.
* Damn it Tasuki, I've done something wrong...why won't you tell me so...I can't forgive myself until you forgive me...and you can't forgive me if you aren't angry with me... * Chichiri thought. It made perfect sense to him, so why couldn't Tasuki see it?
After a long moment Houjun Ri gave in to fatigue and let his legs give out beneath him, wondering if perhaps the fall to the street could kill him if he did it right. Unfortunately he never found out, because Tasuki caught him.
"I hate you," Chichiri said, feeling too weak to explain himself.
"Yeah, I kinda figured that..." Tasuki said, managing an only marginally forced smirk and some shadow of his usual good humor. Chichiri could tell the remark had stung, though, by the hurt in the gaze that met his. The troubled young man moved the stare of his brown eye from Tasuki's face to the bandit's feet, studying the creases in the soft fabric of his friend's boots, trying to focus, to gather the strength to stand under his own power.
After a while he managed to get his legs to support him again, but he still had to lean heavily on Tasuki to avoid falling. Deciding that falling to the street probably wouldn't kill him anyway, he rather grudgingly let the younger man support him.
Tasuki shifted, pulling one of Chichiri's arms over his shoulders.
"So, you don't want to go back to the palace...where to then?" the stubborn young man inquired.
"Go to hell," Chichiri mumbled.
"Hmm, I'm not sure that'd be such a good idea...though it would be warmer...but hey, I think I have a cure for ya...let's go get drunk," Tasuki suggested, showing off his fangs with a wide, genuine smile. Chichiri tilted his head at the grinning seishi, amazed at just how feral the other man looked. The monk hadn't been one to drink since his younger days with Hikou, but right then losing himself in an alcoholic haze sounded very tempting.
Without waiting for Chichiri's reply, Tasuki headed off in search of sake.
***
"Where ARE they?" Nuriko asked.
"I don't know, just like I didn't know any of the other hundreds of times you asked that!" Tamahome snapped.
"Tamahome, she...he's just worried about Tasuki and Chichiri!" Miaka objected.
"Yeah, well asking where they are isn't getting them back! And besides, I'm sure they can take care of themselves!" Tamahome replied, crossing his arms irritably over his chest.
"Tamahome, you could at LEAST..." Nuriko began, but he was cut off by two slurred, off-key voices raised in an even more slurred, off-key excuse for harmony.
"Are hatateta kouya de mo hoshi wa hikaru..." came Tasuki's loud, discordant tenor.
"Mamoritai hito ga ireba chizu wa irenai..." followed Chichiri's somewhat softer but no less dissonant alto.
"Kumo wa kono mama doko e yuku no da rou..." the two voices sang together, Tasuki even adding the 'no da' to his part.
"What the...?" Nuriko asked, trailing off and heading to the door. Upon opening it he smiled, sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching two very intoxicated seishi stagger, arms around each other's shoulders, towards him.
"Hakkiri shirenai ishi ni michibi karete..." the two went on, still singing together for the chorus.
"Habata ita tori no k...ka...kage...kage...aw shit, I can't r'member...oh, k'nichi wa N'riko," Tasuki slurred, giving Nuriko a grin and a clumsy wave, almost knocking both himself and Chichiri off balance with the simple action. Nuriko shook his head.
"What are we going to do with you?" he asked, shaking his head. He was relieved, though, that they were both back and safe.
Chichiri, no longer having anything to concentrate on, slumped wearily against Tasuki's shoulder, trying not to fall asleep. Tasuki gave the older man a lopsided smirk, tightening the arm around him affectionately for a moment.
"He's so cute," the bandit commented.
"You are very, very drunk," Nuriko stated.
"Maybe a l't'l..." Tasuki admitted.
"It had to be Kouji with the higher alcohol tolerance, didn't it...?" Nuriko sighed.
"Huh?" Tasuki asked. He began to laugh softly for no apparent reason. Nuriko shook his head sadly. Chichiri looked up sleepily, blinking to clear his vision to no avail.
"You...both of you...should get to bed," Nuriko instructed.
"But it's still light out...look at all the pretty colors..." Chichiri objected. Nuriko raised an eyebrow at him, looking up at the night sky. The rain had long since stopped, and some of the clouds had cleared away, providing some small glimpse of the bright stars above. It was very near to midnight. Mitsukake had left just a short while before to put Chiriko to bed, despite the boy's protests.
Coming back from Chiriko's room, Mitsukake paused, seeing the three by the doorway. Nuriko looked up at him hopefully. The healer raised his hands helplessly.
"Not a thing I can do about THAT," he replied to Nuriko's unspoken question. Nuriko's face fell.
"If you want, I'll be able to help them when they wake up tomorrow...that is, unless you feel they've earned the hangover..." Mitsukake offered dryly, with an uncharacteristic smile. Nuriko sighed. First Tasuki and Chichiri had BOTH gotten themselves completely drunk, and then Mitsukake had to be in one of his cynical, humorous moods. The purple-haired man shrugged, unable to think of a better response for his towering friend. It was, after all, very late, and certain court princesses didn't do well deprived of their beauty sleep.
"I'm going to sleep," he announced, "and you three should do the same." Chichiri, it seemed, had not waited to get to bed to follow Nuriko's advice - he was fast asleep on Tasuki's shoulder.