It is so wonderful to be able to get this story back out and on track
again. I so hate when I come down with writers block. I know what I want
to happen but no matter how hard I try it won't come out of my head. I
guess that my brain is just being selfish. Anyway, I've not done this in a
while so I thought I'd take this time to say thanks again to all my
reviewers. THANKS!
I would have had this up earlier, but I had absolutely no ideas as to what Iori would want for Christmas. Tai, TK and Koushirou were no problem since I'm basically a mix of the three of them, but Iori is like the un-me...He is so frustrating sometimes.
The next few chapters were inspired by the Lady Saw part in the No Doubt song 'Underneath it All'. The second I heard it I knew that they had Lady Saw singing with them. She is my favorite reggae artist and I can't get enough of her. So, her little chorus is the driving force behind the next little bit of the story. If you've not heard the song and her part yet, you have to download it, after you read the chapter, of course.
Taichi awoke to the wonderful smell of pancakes drifting over to him. While he was cleaning his eyes off, his stomach growled loud enough that the four people at the table stopped their conversation and looked his way.
"It's nice of you to finally join the land of the living again, Tai," TK said.
"What time is it?" Tai asked as he got to his feet and followed his nose.
"Oh, it's only just after ten. We were going to give you another half hour before we got the fire hose out," Mara told him. "Now come on over here and have some breakfast before your stomach eats itself." Tai was seated in seconds and Mara set a heaping plate in front of him.
"Thanks, Mrs. Izumi, they smell great," Tai said as he started pouring copious amounts of maple syrup all over them. His cheeks were stretched out full like a chipmunk's before Mara could even reply.
"And they apparently taste alright as well, not that Tai probably even notices," Iori said and Tai looked at him and nodded his head affirmatively.
"Oh yuh, dey tashe gree," he said with his mouth full.
"I'm glad to here it, Tai, no matter what you just tried to say." Mara said and set her glass of juice on the table. "So guys, when will you all be ready to head out of here today?"
"Well Mum, Iori and I have already showered, so I guess that as soon as Tai and TK get cleaned up we can get going," Koushirou told her as he was taking his plate and Iori's into the kitchen.
"Since Tai is still feeding his face, I guess I'll go ahead and grab a quick shower," TK told the audience as he pushed his chair back and took his own plate into the kitchen.
"Alright then, go on," Mara said. "Towels are in the closet in there." TK nodded and left the room and after getting his clothes from his bag on Koushirou's bed closed the bathroom door behind him. Tai continued devouring his pancakes while the water turned on. Once his initial stack was gone he had a second, slightly smaller stack, which he finished up about the time the water went off.
Tai got his clothes from Koushirou's bedroom and was waiting by the bathroom door when it opened. "Long enough shower, TK?" He asked quietly and jokingly.
"I don't know, Tai. You might not want to use the washcloth, though." TK smiled hugely at him and walked by, steam following him out of the small room.
"You're gross," Tai said to the retreating form.
"You thought of it first," TK told him from Koushirou's room. Tai smiled and walked into the room and stripped and stepped in the shower.
The sound of water quietly filled the place, accompanied by what might only be considered singing in the broadest of terms. The four others giggled and grinned as they were finally able to pick out the tune Tai was trying to sing.
"He should go out with you father and his buddies the next time they karaoke, Koushirou," Mara told her son between fits of laughter.
"He'd fit in fine, wouldn't he?" Koushirou asked.
"Quite," Mara answered and they sat and waited for Tai.
Well, finally Tai made his way out of the bathroom, taking about as long as TK. As he walked to the others he looked into TK's eyes and could instantly read his mind. "Shut it, TK," he said and the two of them smiled, leaving the others out of the joke.
"Now that everyone's ready, shall we go?" Mara asked and the four boys all told her they were. "Great. Then let's go." Five coats were retrieved from the rack and they made their way out. As they approached the car Mara was very glad that Luke had taken the truck today and left her the car. "So who's riding in the trunk?" Mara asked and got a few odd looks. She waved them off and climbed in and power unlocked the other three doors.
"Shot-gun!!" Tai called and jumped in the front seat before anyone else could move. The other three settled in the back seat and buckled up. Mara backed out and pulled into the street. She glanced in the mirror and saw her son sitting right behind Tai and the other two boys a little closer than might be expected. She smiled and turned on the radio, just missing the beginning of 'Underneath it All'. Mara was singing softly until 2:36 into the song. When Lady Saw came on, she kicked it up and belted it out. (Lady Saw!! Lady Saw!! You know I've listened to it a lot if I know when she comes in, huh? Anyway.) the boys went silent and listened in awe as she sang.
"Mum, I've not heard you sing much, but you can really sing," Koushirou said and the others agreed completely.
"Well, I don't do it often but sometimes I just have to. Some songs, well, you know." Conversations in the car changed topics many times on the way to the mall. They arrived and Mara parked the car and the five of them made their way into the expansive mall. It seemed to rise out of the blacktop like a monolith out of the plains.
"Alright guys, do you want to ride home with me or do you plan on catching a bus?" Mara asked them as they opened the doors and felt the heat rush out and meet them.
"I guess we'll catch a bus, Mum. Don't worry about us."
"Who said I was going to worry?" Mara said as she waved to them and headed off into one of the women's shops, leaving them in the vestibule.
"Okay everyone, here's the plan. We'll split up, TK and myself, and Koushirou and Iori. Let's say we meet back up in two hours in the food court by Burger King. Sound good?" Tai asked and waited for an answer.
"Sure. Ready, Iori?" Koushirou asked the smaller boy and received a nod. "I guess we'll see you two later."
"See you all later," TK said as the two groups split, Koushirou and Iori heading one way and the other group the other.
Tai and TK started down the corridor and began the weaving in and out of the crowd of people. "Can you believe how many people are here already?" TK asked as he nearly ran over a small child running out into the stream.
"No kidding. I'll be surprised if there is anything left to buy," Tai told him. "Speaking of buying, what are you going to get Iori for Christmas?"
"I have no idea," TK told him bluntly. "You?"
"Um, me neither." Tai answered and ran a hand back through his hair. "I guess we'd better figure it out, huh?"
"Yeah. How about this? I'll help you figure out Koushirou and you help me figure out Iori?"
"Great. Want to do Koushirou first?" Tai asked.
"Sure. What does he like?"
"Well, he of course likes computers, but I don't want to get him anything like that. It's too impersonal."
"Okay, then what else does he like?"
"School. The Digital World. Um."
"Okay, try something that you could possible get him. I don't see us wrapping the digital world up with a bow," TK said as they passed a shoe store. "Think simple."
"Alright.he likes it when we sit on the couch together and watch tv. He likes when we snuggle under the blanket."
"I think we're getting closer now," TK said as his mind was turning in high gear.
"Koushirou likes wearing my big sweatshirts with the big hoods. He likes to act like he's a Jedi with the as his lightsabre."
"Well, what about one of those?"
"A lightsabre? I don't really think that is possible, TK. They're not real."
"I didn't mean a lightsabre, Tai, I meant a big sweatshirt. You're right though, I've seen him wear yours quite a bit."
"You might be right, TK. I think he'd really like that. It's not impersonal like a new computer mouse or something."
"Great. Then I guess the next thing is where do you get your sweatshirts at?"
"Um, from that store right over there, as a matter of fact," Tai said and the two of them walked in to the light sound of Christmas rock music.
"You know, Tai, I think that I hate Christmas music more every year."
"No way! That is a part of Christmas. You have to love the Barking Dogs version of 'Little Child of Bethlehem'. You just have to."
"Anyway, since we've now confirmed that you're weird, what about this one?" TK asked as he held up a sweatshirt.
"No, that one doesn't yell out 'Koushirou'." The two of them went through most of the selection before Tai finally found one that met the two factors he wanted. One, it was Koushirou's size, and two, it yelled his name out.
"This one?" TK asked for the eleventy billionth time.
"Yes!" The sweatshirt was almost all black, save the day-glo orange Adidas logo right in the middle. "That's it! Is it a large?"
"Um, yes it is."
"Well then we have the first part of our job done. Now we have to find something for my Iori."
"This will probably be tricky," TK said as Tai and he walked to the cashier.
Iori and Koushirou made their way through the throngs of people as well. They had a bit more difficulty since they weren't as tall as the other two, so they sort of waded between the people and dodged the larger ones.
"So, Koushirou, what are you getting Tai?"
"I thought I might get him a World Cup soccer jersey. He was so excited when it was on I thought he'd burst."
"That's not that bad an idea, Koushirou" Iori told him as they dodged a women and her kids who weren't paying the least bit of attention to anyone.
"What about you, Iori? What's on the list for TK?"
"Well, we all know he loves basketball, so I figured something along that line."
"Like a signed ball, cards, what exactly?"
"Maybe a ball. I don't know. I do know that there is a store that sells memorabilia somewhere in the mall (how convenient, huh?), so can we go there first?"
"Sure Iori. Let's go." The two of them made their way and found the store, and just like Iori said, it was full of crap like that. Jerseys, cards, banners, flags, t shirts, you name it, it was there. Iori did a double take when he saw the price of the autographed balls.
"Oh man, I guess I won't be getting TK one of those after all. I'd have to do chores for the rest of my life."
"Look around some more, Iori. I'm sure you'll find something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg." The two of them browsed for more than a little while. Finally Iori let out a little yelp of surprise. Koushirou was at his side in a heartbeat, thinking he might be in pain.
"Everything alright?" Koushirou asked him.
"Yes!" Iori was bouncing from foot to foot and not pointing to or holding any particular item, so Koushirou had no clue exactly what he was talking about.
"Are you going to tell me about it or are you going to keep me in suspense forever?" Koushirou asked while laughing at Iori's antics.
"Sorry, Koushirou, that was rude of me." He picked up a red mesh jersey from the hangers and showed it to Koushirou. "TK was just mentioning the other day that he'd not been able to find this anywhere. He said it was the, oh, what did he call it? The 'alternate away jersey' I think is what it's called."
Koushirou looked at it and saw the number 42 on the front and 'Stackhouse' written along with the number on the back. (yeah, TK is a Pistons fan like me..so sue me) "Well I guess that wasn't as hard as we thought it would be, huh?"
Iori was nearly dancing still. "No, it was quite simple. I know he will love it. Come on Koushirou, let me pay for this and then we'll get your present for Taichi." They waited in line for almost twenty minutes, waiting behind some old lady who was trying to pay with a third party check from Zimbabwe or some goofy place like that. (I hate being behind old women in line. It drives me mad. It takes FOREVER for them to find anything in their boat-sized purses)
Unfortunately my hands have started cramping up bad so I'll have to go on and post this and hope that they relax sometime soon. I need one of those dictation programs I guess. Anyway, enjoy and leave me a few reviews!
In a bit of other news, go check out 'harsh memories' by Yaegashi Yoshiki, my new beta project. The story is a good Takori and I bet you'll enjoy it. It's on my favorite stories list in case you're to lazy to look it up. ;)
energy
I would have had this up earlier, but I had absolutely no ideas as to what Iori would want for Christmas. Tai, TK and Koushirou were no problem since I'm basically a mix of the three of them, but Iori is like the un-me...He is so frustrating sometimes.
The next few chapters were inspired by the Lady Saw part in the No Doubt song 'Underneath it All'. The second I heard it I knew that they had Lady Saw singing with them. She is my favorite reggae artist and I can't get enough of her. So, her little chorus is the driving force behind the next little bit of the story. If you've not heard the song and her part yet, you have to download it, after you read the chapter, of course.
Taichi awoke to the wonderful smell of pancakes drifting over to him. While he was cleaning his eyes off, his stomach growled loud enough that the four people at the table stopped their conversation and looked his way.
"It's nice of you to finally join the land of the living again, Tai," TK said.
"What time is it?" Tai asked as he got to his feet and followed his nose.
"Oh, it's only just after ten. We were going to give you another half hour before we got the fire hose out," Mara told him. "Now come on over here and have some breakfast before your stomach eats itself." Tai was seated in seconds and Mara set a heaping plate in front of him.
"Thanks, Mrs. Izumi, they smell great," Tai said as he started pouring copious amounts of maple syrup all over them. His cheeks were stretched out full like a chipmunk's before Mara could even reply.
"And they apparently taste alright as well, not that Tai probably even notices," Iori said and Tai looked at him and nodded his head affirmatively.
"Oh yuh, dey tashe gree," he said with his mouth full.
"I'm glad to here it, Tai, no matter what you just tried to say." Mara said and set her glass of juice on the table. "So guys, when will you all be ready to head out of here today?"
"Well Mum, Iori and I have already showered, so I guess that as soon as Tai and TK get cleaned up we can get going," Koushirou told her as he was taking his plate and Iori's into the kitchen.
"Since Tai is still feeding his face, I guess I'll go ahead and grab a quick shower," TK told the audience as he pushed his chair back and took his own plate into the kitchen.
"Alright then, go on," Mara said. "Towels are in the closet in there." TK nodded and left the room and after getting his clothes from his bag on Koushirou's bed closed the bathroom door behind him. Tai continued devouring his pancakes while the water turned on. Once his initial stack was gone he had a second, slightly smaller stack, which he finished up about the time the water went off.
Tai got his clothes from Koushirou's bedroom and was waiting by the bathroom door when it opened. "Long enough shower, TK?" He asked quietly and jokingly.
"I don't know, Tai. You might not want to use the washcloth, though." TK smiled hugely at him and walked by, steam following him out of the small room.
"You're gross," Tai said to the retreating form.
"You thought of it first," TK told him from Koushirou's room. Tai smiled and walked into the room and stripped and stepped in the shower.
The sound of water quietly filled the place, accompanied by what might only be considered singing in the broadest of terms. The four others giggled and grinned as they were finally able to pick out the tune Tai was trying to sing.
"He should go out with you father and his buddies the next time they karaoke, Koushirou," Mara told her son between fits of laughter.
"He'd fit in fine, wouldn't he?" Koushirou asked.
"Quite," Mara answered and they sat and waited for Tai.
Well, finally Tai made his way out of the bathroom, taking about as long as TK. As he walked to the others he looked into TK's eyes and could instantly read his mind. "Shut it, TK," he said and the two of them smiled, leaving the others out of the joke.
"Now that everyone's ready, shall we go?" Mara asked and the four boys all told her they were. "Great. Then let's go." Five coats were retrieved from the rack and they made their way out. As they approached the car Mara was very glad that Luke had taken the truck today and left her the car. "So who's riding in the trunk?" Mara asked and got a few odd looks. She waved them off and climbed in and power unlocked the other three doors.
"Shot-gun!!" Tai called and jumped in the front seat before anyone else could move. The other three settled in the back seat and buckled up. Mara backed out and pulled into the street. She glanced in the mirror and saw her son sitting right behind Tai and the other two boys a little closer than might be expected. She smiled and turned on the radio, just missing the beginning of 'Underneath it All'. Mara was singing softly until 2:36 into the song. When Lady Saw came on, she kicked it up and belted it out. (Lady Saw!! Lady Saw!! You know I've listened to it a lot if I know when she comes in, huh? Anyway.) the boys went silent and listened in awe as she sang.
"Mum, I've not heard you sing much, but you can really sing," Koushirou said and the others agreed completely.
"Well, I don't do it often but sometimes I just have to. Some songs, well, you know." Conversations in the car changed topics many times on the way to the mall. They arrived and Mara parked the car and the five of them made their way into the expansive mall. It seemed to rise out of the blacktop like a monolith out of the plains.
"Alright guys, do you want to ride home with me or do you plan on catching a bus?" Mara asked them as they opened the doors and felt the heat rush out and meet them.
"I guess we'll catch a bus, Mum. Don't worry about us."
"Who said I was going to worry?" Mara said as she waved to them and headed off into one of the women's shops, leaving them in the vestibule.
"Okay everyone, here's the plan. We'll split up, TK and myself, and Koushirou and Iori. Let's say we meet back up in two hours in the food court by Burger King. Sound good?" Tai asked and waited for an answer.
"Sure. Ready, Iori?" Koushirou asked the smaller boy and received a nod. "I guess we'll see you two later."
"See you all later," TK said as the two groups split, Koushirou and Iori heading one way and the other group the other.
Tai and TK started down the corridor and began the weaving in and out of the crowd of people. "Can you believe how many people are here already?" TK asked as he nearly ran over a small child running out into the stream.
"No kidding. I'll be surprised if there is anything left to buy," Tai told him. "Speaking of buying, what are you going to get Iori for Christmas?"
"I have no idea," TK told him bluntly. "You?"
"Um, me neither." Tai answered and ran a hand back through his hair. "I guess we'd better figure it out, huh?"
"Yeah. How about this? I'll help you figure out Koushirou and you help me figure out Iori?"
"Great. Want to do Koushirou first?" Tai asked.
"Sure. What does he like?"
"Well, he of course likes computers, but I don't want to get him anything like that. It's too impersonal."
"Okay, then what else does he like?"
"School. The Digital World. Um."
"Okay, try something that you could possible get him. I don't see us wrapping the digital world up with a bow," TK said as they passed a shoe store. "Think simple."
"Alright.he likes it when we sit on the couch together and watch tv. He likes when we snuggle under the blanket."
"I think we're getting closer now," TK said as his mind was turning in high gear.
"Koushirou likes wearing my big sweatshirts with the big hoods. He likes to act like he's a Jedi with the as his lightsabre."
"Well, what about one of those?"
"A lightsabre? I don't really think that is possible, TK. They're not real."
"I didn't mean a lightsabre, Tai, I meant a big sweatshirt. You're right though, I've seen him wear yours quite a bit."
"You might be right, TK. I think he'd really like that. It's not impersonal like a new computer mouse or something."
"Great. Then I guess the next thing is where do you get your sweatshirts at?"
"Um, from that store right over there, as a matter of fact," Tai said and the two of them walked in to the light sound of Christmas rock music.
"You know, Tai, I think that I hate Christmas music more every year."
"No way! That is a part of Christmas. You have to love the Barking Dogs version of 'Little Child of Bethlehem'. You just have to."
"Anyway, since we've now confirmed that you're weird, what about this one?" TK asked as he held up a sweatshirt.
"No, that one doesn't yell out 'Koushirou'." The two of them went through most of the selection before Tai finally found one that met the two factors he wanted. One, it was Koushirou's size, and two, it yelled his name out.
"This one?" TK asked for the eleventy billionth time.
"Yes!" The sweatshirt was almost all black, save the day-glo orange Adidas logo right in the middle. "That's it! Is it a large?"
"Um, yes it is."
"Well then we have the first part of our job done. Now we have to find something for my Iori."
"This will probably be tricky," TK said as Tai and he walked to the cashier.
Iori and Koushirou made their way through the throngs of people as well. They had a bit more difficulty since they weren't as tall as the other two, so they sort of waded between the people and dodged the larger ones.
"So, Koushirou, what are you getting Tai?"
"I thought I might get him a World Cup soccer jersey. He was so excited when it was on I thought he'd burst."
"That's not that bad an idea, Koushirou" Iori told him as they dodged a women and her kids who weren't paying the least bit of attention to anyone.
"What about you, Iori? What's on the list for TK?"
"Well, we all know he loves basketball, so I figured something along that line."
"Like a signed ball, cards, what exactly?"
"Maybe a ball. I don't know. I do know that there is a store that sells memorabilia somewhere in the mall (how convenient, huh?), so can we go there first?"
"Sure Iori. Let's go." The two of them made their way and found the store, and just like Iori said, it was full of crap like that. Jerseys, cards, banners, flags, t shirts, you name it, it was there. Iori did a double take when he saw the price of the autographed balls.
"Oh man, I guess I won't be getting TK one of those after all. I'd have to do chores for the rest of my life."
"Look around some more, Iori. I'm sure you'll find something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg." The two of them browsed for more than a little while. Finally Iori let out a little yelp of surprise. Koushirou was at his side in a heartbeat, thinking he might be in pain.
"Everything alright?" Koushirou asked him.
"Yes!" Iori was bouncing from foot to foot and not pointing to or holding any particular item, so Koushirou had no clue exactly what he was talking about.
"Are you going to tell me about it or are you going to keep me in suspense forever?" Koushirou asked while laughing at Iori's antics.
"Sorry, Koushirou, that was rude of me." He picked up a red mesh jersey from the hangers and showed it to Koushirou. "TK was just mentioning the other day that he'd not been able to find this anywhere. He said it was the, oh, what did he call it? The 'alternate away jersey' I think is what it's called."
Koushirou looked at it and saw the number 42 on the front and 'Stackhouse' written along with the number on the back. (yeah, TK is a Pistons fan like me..so sue me) "Well I guess that wasn't as hard as we thought it would be, huh?"
Iori was nearly dancing still. "No, it was quite simple. I know he will love it. Come on Koushirou, let me pay for this and then we'll get your present for Taichi." They waited in line for almost twenty minutes, waiting behind some old lady who was trying to pay with a third party check from Zimbabwe or some goofy place like that. (I hate being behind old women in line. It drives me mad. It takes FOREVER for them to find anything in their boat-sized purses)
Unfortunately my hands have started cramping up bad so I'll have to go on and post this and hope that they relax sometime soon. I need one of those dictation programs I guess. Anyway, enjoy and leave me a few reviews!
In a bit of other news, go check out 'harsh memories' by Yaegashi Yoshiki, my new beta project. The story is a good Takori and I bet you'll enjoy it. It's on my favorite stories list in case you're to lazy to look it up. ;)
energy