Author's Note: Nyuuu! Chapter 2! Yes, I know it's really late . . . I am
scum! Forgive me.
She wasn't much to look at, as far as women go. Kinda young. The kind of girl who should have been home playing with her dolls instead of wandering around this rat infested part of town looking for detectives for hire. But the coat she wore was mink and the rocks on her wrist and neck were real if a little showy. The odangos had to go . . . Her name was Miaka Yuki and her story . . . was an interesting one . . .
"Does he always talk to himself like that?" Miaka whispered to Nuriko.
"You'll get used to it." Nuriko replied with a shrug.
"So, this guy your looking for? When was the last time you saw him?"
"Tamahome said he would meet me for lunch at the Café Regalo yesterday afternoon but he never showed up."
"So he's only been missing for a few hours, then?" Tasuki glanced at Nuriko and cast his eyes heavenward in a plea for patience. This little girl's boyfriend had more than likely found another skirt to flip and had just forgotten to cover his trail. He'd come calling again when he got up the courage or came up with a really good excuse.
"28 actually . . . hours that is . . . I know it sounds silly, but every other time he's gone missing it's because something has happened."
"Oh? What kind of something?" Tasuki asked leaning back in the chair. He wondered privately how many lunches this guy had missed and what his excuses had been. But the stories this Miaka Yuuki related made even Tasuki think twice about the guy's guilt.
"So let me get this straight . . . You're saying he was drugged into thinking he wanted you dead? Was that before or after he was re-incarnated as Tama?" Nuriko tried valiantly to clear up some of the more confusing points but most were muddled beyond comprehension by Miss Yuuki's inability to relate events chronologically and her increasing tendency to sniffle. Not to mention the vague and disconcerting tingle of Deja Vu both Nuriko and Tasuki were experiencing. But that's what happens when alternate worlds aren't as complete as their creators would like so the two brushed the feeling off as best they could and tried to follow the current plotline (not to mention Miss Yuuki's story) as best they could.
"And . . . sniff . . . and so that's how . . . sniff, sniff . . . how I know he didn't just forget about me." Nuriko dug out a tissue from the bottom of the tissue box, handed it to her, and then waited until the girl could compose herself.
"So, this guy Nakago, you think he's the one behind all this?" Nuriko ventured.
"Well, he's been behind most everything else . . . unless it was Tenkou . . . but I think he's only in the OAV's . . ." Tasuki waved that last comment aside.
"Let's not make things anymore complicated then they already are, huh? Have you got a picture of this guy we can look at?
"Oh! Of course!" Miss Yuuki opened up her wallet and unrolled 5-foot chain of plastic photograph holders. "Now let me see . . . Oh, this one's nice! This was taken when he first started college . . ."
"Hey, he's not bad looking" Nuriko commented.
"Oh, and this one is when we all went to Nezumi Land . . . And this was the baseball game (my brother's idea) . . ."
"Hey, Tasuki! There's a picture of you here!"
"Great! Wonderful! Can we stick to THIS story line, please? I'm getting a headache. Just find ONE picture you can lend us and let's get on with it!" The girl scanned both sides of the picture chain until she came to one she felt she could part with for the duration of the investigation and handed it to Tasuki for a closer look.
"Not bad . . . if like that goody-goody-boy-next -door look. He's not quite on my level, though . . ."
"Can we dispense with the ego stroking, please." Nuriko snatched the photo from Tasuki.
"Don't worry, Kid. We'll find him for you."
"Oh, will you? That's great! Here's the number where you can reach me." She rummaged in her purse and scribbled on a scrap of paper before handing it off to Nuriko. "Thank you so much!!"
"Chiriko, will you see our guest out, please."
"Of course! This way Miss Yuki!" Chiriko hopped off his stool and led Miss Yuki out the door.
"So now what, PARTNER?" Nuriko inquired raising an eyebrow at Tasuki. "How are we gonna find this kid. Where do we even start looking?"
"Oh, that's the easy part."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yup! We start . . . at the Beginning . . ."
Author's Note~
I couldn't decide what events I wanted to bring in as "past history" so I just gave Tasuki my confusion and moved on with life.
Nezumi means mouse by the by . . . (or rat . . . ^_^ )
So, how do you call your Noriko? He? She? Both sound equally wrong and still so right . . .
I know these are short chapters but, hey, it's kind of a short story . . . Er, don't ask why I haven't gotten it all up if it's so short . . . you'll only make me cry . . .
She wasn't much to look at, as far as women go. Kinda young. The kind of girl who should have been home playing with her dolls instead of wandering around this rat infested part of town looking for detectives for hire. But the coat she wore was mink and the rocks on her wrist and neck were real if a little showy. The odangos had to go . . . Her name was Miaka Yuki and her story . . . was an interesting one . . .
"Does he always talk to himself like that?" Miaka whispered to Nuriko.
"You'll get used to it." Nuriko replied with a shrug.
"So, this guy your looking for? When was the last time you saw him?"
"Tamahome said he would meet me for lunch at the Café Regalo yesterday afternoon but he never showed up."
"So he's only been missing for a few hours, then?" Tasuki glanced at Nuriko and cast his eyes heavenward in a plea for patience. This little girl's boyfriend had more than likely found another skirt to flip and had just forgotten to cover his trail. He'd come calling again when he got up the courage or came up with a really good excuse.
"28 actually . . . hours that is . . . I know it sounds silly, but every other time he's gone missing it's because something has happened."
"Oh? What kind of something?" Tasuki asked leaning back in the chair. He wondered privately how many lunches this guy had missed and what his excuses had been. But the stories this Miaka Yuuki related made even Tasuki think twice about the guy's guilt.
"So let me get this straight . . . You're saying he was drugged into thinking he wanted you dead? Was that before or after he was re-incarnated as Tama?" Nuriko tried valiantly to clear up some of the more confusing points but most were muddled beyond comprehension by Miss Yuuki's inability to relate events chronologically and her increasing tendency to sniffle. Not to mention the vague and disconcerting tingle of Deja Vu both Nuriko and Tasuki were experiencing. But that's what happens when alternate worlds aren't as complete as their creators would like so the two brushed the feeling off as best they could and tried to follow the current plotline (not to mention Miss Yuuki's story) as best they could.
"And . . . sniff . . . and so that's how . . . sniff, sniff . . . how I know he didn't just forget about me." Nuriko dug out a tissue from the bottom of the tissue box, handed it to her, and then waited until the girl could compose herself.
"So, this guy Nakago, you think he's the one behind all this?" Nuriko ventured.
"Well, he's been behind most everything else . . . unless it was Tenkou . . . but I think he's only in the OAV's . . ." Tasuki waved that last comment aside.
"Let's not make things anymore complicated then they already are, huh? Have you got a picture of this guy we can look at?
"Oh! Of course!" Miss Yuuki opened up her wallet and unrolled 5-foot chain of plastic photograph holders. "Now let me see . . . Oh, this one's nice! This was taken when he first started college . . ."
"Hey, he's not bad looking" Nuriko commented.
"Oh, and this one is when we all went to Nezumi Land . . . And this was the baseball game (my brother's idea) . . ."
"Hey, Tasuki! There's a picture of you here!"
"Great! Wonderful! Can we stick to THIS story line, please? I'm getting a headache. Just find ONE picture you can lend us and let's get on with it!" The girl scanned both sides of the picture chain until she came to one she felt she could part with for the duration of the investigation and handed it to Tasuki for a closer look.
"Not bad . . . if like that goody-goody-boy-next -door look. He's not quite on my level, though . . ."
"Can we dispense with the ego stroking, please." Nuriko snatched the photo from Tasuki.
"Don't worry, Kid. We'll find him for you."
"Oh, will you? That's great! Here's the number where you can reach me." She rummaged in her purse and scribbled on a scrap of paper before handing it off to Nuriko. "Thank you so much!!"
"Chiriko, will you see our guest out, please."
"Of course! This way Miss Yuki!" Chiriko hopped off his stool and led Miss Yuki out the door.
"So now what, PARTNER?" Nuriko inquired raising an eyebrow at Tasuki. "How are we gonna find this kid. Where do we even start looking?"
"Oh, that's the easy part."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yup! We start . . . at the Beginning . . ."
Author's Note~
I couldn't decide what events I wanted to bring in as "past history" so I just gave Tasuki my confusion and moved on with life.
Nezumi means mouse by the by . . . (or rat . . . ^_^ )
So, how do you call your Noriko? He? She? Both sound equally wrong and still so right . . .
I know these are short chapters but, hey, it's kind of a short story . . . Er, don't ask why I haven't gotten it all up if it's so short . . . you'll only make me cry . . .