DISCLAIMER: I am seriously running out of creative ideas on how to say "not mine."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: First off.
SEE SPIRITED AWAY SEE SPIRITED AWAY SEE SPIRITED AWAY! it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GOOD! Even though it's a dub, it's still one of the best things I've ever seen! So good so good so good so good! I OFFICIALLY WORSHIP MIYAZAKI!
Now that I am semi-sane again...
Come on you all ~grins~ You KNOW I'm a cliffie addict and shamelessly employ them to get you to continue reading. Would I be Kaze-chan if I didn't? ~big, innocent eyes~
Lib-Chan brought up a very good point. Yes, my site is veeeeeerrrrrrrrry far behind in updates. That's because I'm currently in the process of moving everything to a new site, and using lai_nyan as a storage place for pictures. There's getting to be too many long, bulky text files and relatively large picture files for me to keep expanding. And I wanted a new layout anyway, so I just got a new Geocities site and put it up there, so the lai_nyan can continue existing until the new one is finished being built. Unfortunately, Real Life has killed my chances of getting a lot of work done on it - it's currently on the back-back-back-back-BACK burner, at least until November. I'll let you know when I get it done, and I'll be changing the addy on my profile page anyway, so keep a lookout.
Okay, review responses!
Stormlight, I'm glad you like Hotohori/Suezo! Unfortunately, there's just too many characters in this story to keep proper track of them all and give them major time in the spotlight if they don't interact with Reijirou on a regular basis, like Risako, Gesshin, and Kadiri do. I don't know how much you're going to see of Suezo, the twins, even Hokusai and Murai, for the rest of the story. It's all very iffy. Just keep your eyes open, and I hope you like it regardless. ^_^
Zerianyu, is this soon enough for you? ^_~
Skittles, you should know that I am impervious to Puppy Dog Eyes. Living with animals who beg for table scraps all your life tends to do that to you.
CLAMP, you'll find out eventually, once I get the details sorted out. I've got more of an idea now than I did when I started, but I still want to revise some stuff. And remember, Reijirou is infinitely confused here. He doesn't know what the hell he is. I know, and eventually he and you guys will know, but right now there's turmoil ^_~ Remember, don't make assumptions! I am devious and tricky! And when I refer to the College Crush, I mean the part of senior year in high school when you are taking college classes, filling out college applications, and doing three thousand extra curreicular activities - which is what's going on with me right now. After November begins I'll have more time, though.
Kris, I'm a mountain climber! ^_^ Out of practice, it's true, but I like to tackle those rock walls! If I fall off, I'm gonna catch myself ^_~ Especially with you and Ara-chan around to kick my butt if I do. And you didn't even have to ask about Chiri - I'm not a certain WS author ~snicker~ I'm not signing my own death warrant. I'll knock it off about the "most alike," I promise. And yes, that was the confusion - sorry about the mix-up! I acctually suspected I sent the wrong thing, but there was no way to check it and you didn't say anything, so... I just assumed I did. Yeah, "assume" makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me," right? And I still wanna hear your theory! And you'll be getting mail from me soon (I hope ^^;;;;;)!
Chibigreen... Eheheheh ~grins~ Don't worry about Nuriko not being there. And yes, that helps my confusion greatly. Another weird fact to add to my store of useless knowledge!
Keimei, I must keep leaving cliffhangers because that's what I do. That's why cliffhangers are used, to keep you interested! ~grins~ And isn't it just so easy to see the four of them as mischeif-makers? I'm gonna let them cause more havoc later. And I'm definitely not anti-Nuri/Hori, it's just hard to determine what's right for this story. S'ppose I won't know 'til I get there. ~grins~ We can all find out together!
Lib-Chan, hope you saw the info 'bout the website up there, and hope it answers your question. And I'm very glad you (and everyone else) seem to think Reijirou's logic is normal, understandable, and right! It worried me so much when I was writing it! And of course it's gonna get worse, but it'll get better too ^_^
Bashoooouuuuu... umm... you completely weirded me out with that O.O I'm having a straight-jacket on hand for the next time you're on MSN.
Espeon, I WANT SWEETARTS!
Elwing, you're welcome! Just don't hurt him too much, OK? ^_~ And how can one little cliffhanger kill you? It's not even as torturous as last time! ~cracks up~ He doesn't follow Risako around though! They just keep... running into each other. And viva la no-fingernail people!
Draconsis, I honestly didn't plan it to be that soon! It just came out that way. And frustration, frustration ~grins~ I'm evil, ne?
At the end of the chapter, there's a who's-who of people in this story (I meant to post it last time, but forgot!) Go check it out if you're confused about anyone!
"Damnit, LET ME GO!"
"Shut up, bitch!" The voice was rough, as if the speaker was in the habit of swallowing gravel on a regular basis, and some of the sounds that were produced with it were nearly unintelligible. But it was clear enough to get the gist of what he was saying.
Risako was plainly not interested in doing what he said and began struggling and screaming at the top of her lungs, hoping that the noise would attract someone. But she had counted against the rush hour traffic, their fairly secluded area, and the definite personality of a crowded residential area - which more often than not had children producing screams of their own, in hopes of getting something they want. They were going to have to get out of this on their own.
Reijirou only barely managed to hold himself back from rushing to the rescue like the hero in some serial drama - if he tried anything, he'd have to get through Risako, which would completely defeat the purpose of the rescue. Her gravel-voiced captor held her as a human shield, twisting her arms behind her in such a contorted way she couldn't yank them free, strong as she was.
"You got lucky once, girl. You ain't got nothing around to save you now. Boss wants to see you. Special." The little bit of his face Reijirou could see twisted into a snarl as he gripped both of Risako's wrists in one overly-large hand and reached into his coat pocket. "And you ain't got a choice."
There was a soft click, almost beneath notice. Risako's screams, which had been becoming more spasmodic as time passed and she tried to save breath, immediately stopped. She had never wished she could be more wrong than she was now in her entire life, but if that sound was what she thought it was…
Reijirou, though, might have had it worse. He too heard the soft click, but he was in a position to see exactly what had made it: the gun the thug had pulled out of his pocket and was now pointing at Risako's back.
"So you'n me, we're going nice and easy back to the boss. You hearing this babe? Come on, we're leaving." He began to step back, convinced she would follow unquestioningly, but Risako's feet seemed to grow roots into the concrete below them. Try as he might, he couldn't shift her more than an inch. "Damnit ya fucking bitch, you don't have a choice! Come on, NOW!"
Risako looked, in the calmness born of sheer panic, at Reijirou, eyes wide. "Do I…" she whispered under the man's rants. "Do I have a gun at my back?"
"Yes," he replied, just as quiet. The scene around him was in slow motion, his mind was on fast-forward: what could he do, what could he do, what could he possibly do in time to help her…
Then Risako shifted the weight on her feet and rammed her entire body backwards, taking the thug off guard and bashing him into the wall, his body acting as a cushion to absorb the blast and protect her. He had gotten her just far enough away from the wall where that little maneuver had a good chance of hurting him - which it did. He yelled hoarsely, having no air in his lungs, and Risako wrenched out of his weakening grip, spun on the ball of her right foot, and gave him one hell of an uppercut.
The punch lifted the thug off the ground and again slammed him into the wall, making him even more dazed. One more punch and a swift kick disabled him entirely, making him drop the gun, which skittered to a halt a few feet down the alley from Reijirou. Reijirou ran after it and picked it up carefully, by the very tips of his fingers, trying to keep as many fingerprints preserved as possible. This guy was going to be locked up. For a long time. In the dark. With the-
"Reijirou! Help me here!" He glanced back and saw the fairly surreal image of Risako trying to drag the now-unconscious man down the alley towards him. "Gimme a break already, I'm still shaking!"
"Where did you learn that?" Before he went back to help her, he unzipped his duffel bag and dropped the gun inside, then scraped his fingers against the building next to him in a feeble attempt to get the residual things from that gun off his skin.
Risako dropped the man's arm and kicked him one more time in the ribs contemptibly, breathing loudly enough for him to hear her clearly but not hard enough to impair speech. "You forget who my father is."
"Who your… Tokaki?"
"Well, I guess you could say that. More importantly: Daishi Ryobe, owner-slash-master-slash-primary instructor of a successful karate dojo. With him and my mother around, and she could be an instructor herself if she wanted to be, you pick things up after awhile."
Reijirou looked closely at Risako, certain he detected something… off. At first she seemed calm and collected, but he could see her hands shaking minutely, and she was very pale under the beginnings of her summer tan. She might sound completely confident, but she was badly shaken. And it must have been even worse last time, when it was two to one and not one to two, and Ashitare was there first…
"Well? Are you going to help or not?"
Reijirou squashed his questions and walked carefully over, keeping a wary eye on Risako for anything that was the matter, priming himself for anything that could possibly come. Nothing did, though. All that happened was Reijirou looped the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder and across his chest so it banged at his side and took the man's other arm. Between them he and Risako managed to drape an arm over each of their shoulders and drag him down the alley. Although touching him was the very last thing either of them wanted to do, they were both determined that this time he'd be put in jail. He wasn't going to bother them again.
Risako never said so, but she recognized the man. He was one of the ones that had chased her outside the movie theatre, that had almost- No. She shook her head, trying to drive those thoughts away. Even simply brushing a hair against him was enough to give her the shakes. She was nearly paralyzed by her instinctive hate of him. But she refused to lose control of herself, knowing that if she did what she absolutely hated this time she would never have to see him again.
What she didn't know was her thoughts were shown on her face. Reijirou kept one eye on the thug, ready to punch him out again if he started to wake, and the other on her. A shadowy curtain dropped over her features and her face compressed into an expression of disgust, worry, hate, anger, and pain. She stared forward but obviously wasn't looking at the scenery; her eyes seemed to focus into the past on something he could not see. But he still had a good idea what it was.
"Risako…" he spoke in low tones. She blinked rapidly and shook her head, and took the next right without speaking. He sighed and kept in step with her, easily taking more than half the man's weight on his own shoulder to prevent from overburdening her, although he was fairly certain she'd clock him if she knew. They continued traveling in near silence, the only sounds the scrapes the man's feet made on the concrete. His head lolled back uselessly, but he was still alive; Risako hadn't been trying to kill him, merely put him out of commission. Still, he looked pretty disgusting: stark white scars peppering one side of his face, almost as if he was burned with acid, matted hair, grimy clothes. If he really was one of Akihiko's lackeys, he must have been pretty low on the power ladder.
Risako guided them back to her apartment building, then gratefully dropped her portion of the man's weight and sprinted upstairs to call the police. For his part, Reijirou stayed downstairs, still hidden in the shadows, standing guard over the man with almost a snarl on his mouth. This guy was going to pay, and pay hard…
He hadn't even realized time had passed (he was too focused on revenge to notice something as inconsequential as time) when a loud clattering and banging as the door to the parking lot burst open. Risako had tucked him and the unconscious thug in a very shadowy corner, which fortunately couldn't be seen, but unfortunately had no view of its own. He tensed, drawing back a fist, ready to let loose on anyone who might be after the thug, him, or Risako-
"REIJIROU-KUN!"
He deflated and let out a large sigh of relief as the echoes of Ryobe's voice faded from the parking lot. The man was loud. "Over here!"
A figure rounded the corner at a dead run, white hair flying wildly in the wind from the speed. "What happened?! What's going on?!" Ryobe skidded to a halt in front of him, barely in time to prevent himself tripping over the unconscious man. "And who the hell is THIS?!"
"Eh-heh…" Oh boy. I'm gonna have to stop a murder here… "Well, that's probably what… Why are you down here?" he interrupted himself as he realized that A) he didn't know that important fact, B) he didn't know exactly what Ryobe knew, and C) it would delay him having to explain about everything.
"I don't freakin' know, Risako just said to come down here and look for you. What's going on?" His voice had the absolute quality that all protective fathers' voices did, that of a steel blade with a razor-sharp edge.
Huh, maybe it WOULD be more entertaining to leave this shit to her father than turn him in… "We were walking back from the park and she got fed up with the pedestrian traffic, and so we… went through the alleys to get here."
"And what has that got to do with anything?"
"I'm getting to that. Everything was fine, but about three blocks from here this guy-" Reijirou prodded the man in the ribs with the toe of his sneaker "…appeared."
Ryobe lowered his gaze to meet Reijirou's directly, his oddly shaped eyes narrowing even further, intimidating Reijirou more than anything had before. "When someone says 'appeared' in that tone you just used, something else went on they don't want anyone to know about. What was it?"
"Ummmm… don't kill me, I did my best! He grabbed Risako. And put a gun to her back."
"WHAT?! HE DID WHAT TO MY DAUGHTER?!"
"Please sir, don't do anything-!"
Ryobe, however, was clearly in no mood to listen to anything, yelling at the top of his lungs and diving for the thug. And as satisfying as it would have been to watch him throttle the crook, Reijirou knew it would only get him arrested. So he did what was probably the bravest and stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life.
He jumped in Ryobe's flight path.
Ryobe was a good half a foot taller and fifty pounds heavier than him, and he slammed into Reijirou with all the force of one of the cars on the crash test tracks that are shown in commercials everywhere. Reijirou could almost hear each and every rib in his body snapping as Ryobe plowed into him, knocking him back in half a second and smashing him into the brick walls that formed the corner of the parking lot. Ryobe, his trajectory much thrown off by the unexpected obstacle, fell about five feet to the right of his intended target, rolling with a very loud "oomph" into some untended trash cans. Reijirou sank with a startled, mute gasp to the ground. And the man just lay there.
Reijirou couldn't move. Even the thought of moving almost brought tears of agony to his eyes. His entire ribcage - and just about everything else - felt like one great spot of pain that was threatening to overwhelm his consciousness entirely. Even when he'd nearly been killed by Ashitare it hadn't been this bad. Then, the pain was sharp, fast, and quickly forgotten in the following traumatic events. Now it spread over him like a blanket, dulling even his hearing, pulling a colored filter over his eyes.
There was a dull crunching nearby, but he couldn't even think of turning his head to the source without another layer being added to the blanket of pain encasing him. "Reijirou-kun?" The voice came from the same direction as the crunching - probably someone moving over gravel. "Reijirou-kun, are you all right?"
He gritted his teeth and replied as briefly as he could. "No."
"Oh shit. Byakko, gods, why'd you get in front of me like that?! Damnit, you stupid boy! Shit!" Despite his cursing, Ryobe was obviously very worried for him. There was a brief pause before more scrabbling and crunching could be heard, as if Ryobe was getting on his feet. "Just stay there, I'll be back in a minute."
Reijirou really had to work to resist the temptation to throw out the biting comment that Ryobe didn't have to worry, he couldn't even move his pinky.
The footsteps retreated quickly, if a little off-gait; Ryobe must have been hurt in the collision or the fall, as well. He sounded as if he was limping as he ran. But the sound faded gradually, leaving Reijirou alone with the pain.
It was too much. It was just too overwhelming to take. He passed out, without much of a fight.
Consciousness returned slowly, in stages. First came low sounds, indistinct murmuring and vibrations that were impossible to tell apart. Then there seemed to be a dull glow under his eyelids, or some form of color. Finally came feel as a hand dropped to rest on his forehead.
"He should be awake any second." What the…? His hearing must have been damaged, he could swear that was Murai. It was an odd enough idea that he had to check it out: he opened his eyes and glanced around.
The color he had "seen" had been the normal glow of light bulbs through his eyelids. He was lying right under a hanging lamp, and the bulbs were strong enough to necessitate squinting. Turning his head away to spare his eyesight he saw Risako, Hoshiko, and Mitsukake gathered around him, watching him anxiously. Hoshiko took her hand off his forehead when he began to move, a relieved smile spreading over her face. "Oh good, you're awake! Try to sit up dear, Mitsukake healed you."
Reijirou complied, easily swinging around into a normal sitting position. He'd been placed on the couch in the Daishis' living room, which looked both more and less welcoming after being accidentally crushed by the owner. "What happened?"
Risako sighed as her mother shook her head. "After Dad called up and said he'd plowed into you, I called Murai. Mitsukake came right over and healed you."
"I can't blame Ryobe for reacting angrily to hearing Risa-chan had been attacked, but he could have shown a little more common sense," Hoshiko sighed. "We're going to have a talk when he gets off guard duty."
"Guard duty?" Reijirou turned to face her, confused.
"Well you don't really think he was going to let that criminal get away, do you? He and Nuriko are down there, watching him and keeping him unconscious."
"Nuriko?!"
Mitsukake nodded. "Hai. I realized I didn't know where Risako lived, and I guessed that Nuriko would either feel something wrong with you or would want to know about it anyway, and so I went to him and asked him to… sort of be my guide. He was panicking when I got there, and we came immediately. And a good thing, too. Four ribs, your collarbone, and your arm broken, internal organs bruised, a lump the size of a rock on the back of your head-"
"All right, all right, I get the picture." Reijirou grimaced and rubbed the back of his head, feeling for any remaining bruises or tender spots. Unsurprisingly, there weren't any; Mitsukake always did a thorough job. "But why are you lecturing me? Ryobe-san's the one that did this!"
"To remind you what happens when you play hero. Think next time."
"Hey, I did think. Ryobe-san would've killed that guy and that would've only gotten him arrested." Reijirou started to get up, but one solid and one ghostly hand prevented his movement as Hoshiko and Mitsukake forced him to stay on the couch. "Aww, lemme go!"
"If you start acting like you're five, I'll start treating you like you're five," Hoshiko cautioned. "Stay there. Rest. Recuperate."
Risako, meanwhile, had taken a seat in one of the chairs and was watching with one eyebrow quirked in amusement. "Speaking of arrests," she said, talking loudly to be heard over Reijirou's protests that he didn't need a second mother, "the police should be here any moment. It's only been about five minutes since Dad got you."
"That short?" Reijirou stopped fighting Hoshiko to stare at Risako, and shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? Is Ryobe-san okay?"
Mitsukake's eyes rolled in their sockets as the tall healer shook his head in exasperation. "Hai. I helped him first, because he required less energy. He only minorly twisted his leg in the fall. But I let him have a piece of my mind."
"Mitsukake blew up!" Risako explained gleefully as Reijirou stared at the healer in pure shock, not believing that he was even capable of getting angry. "It was great! It was just like Dad was a little boy who did something bad and was getting told off by the teacher! And he still has Mom to look forward to!"
One look at Hoshiko told Reijirou that the worst part of the deal might still be coming Ryobe's way.
The doorbell rang, prompting everyone to turn and face the source of the noise, even Mitsukake. He was adapting very well to modern inventions, unlike certain purple-haired seishi who persisted in reacting in strange ways to things like stoplights… Hoshiko quickly crossed the room and opened the door, but neither Reijirou, Risako, nor Mitsukake could see who or what was on the other side. "May I help you?"
"Yes, we're here in response to a call," replied a somewhat familiar-sounding voice. There was a pause and the rustling of clothing, and then Hoshiko nodded and opened the door to its fullest, letting in two people - a small woman who nonetheless appeared rock-solid and a man not much taller than her, with a jovial expression to his face.
"Now how many times are we going to be responding to calls from you two?" Sargent Owake grinned, taking off her cap as she kicked off her shoes.
"Yeah, they're funneling your calls straight to our desks now," Officer Fujimara added as his shoes joined his partner's. "You two certainly seem to attract your share of trouble."
Reijirou grumbled under his breath about it not being their choice. Risako threw him a warning look and stood, shaking their hands. "Sorry for bothering you again, but we have someone you really need to arrest."
"Yeah, we saw him downstairs. Your old man looked like he'd be all too happy to take his head off his shoulders." Owake pulled out her same old notepad and a ballpoint pen, clicking the latter and getting poised to take notes. "Okay, you know the drill. From the top."
Risako nodded and launched into the story of the walk home, with Reijirou breaking in every once in awhile to add a detail she'd forgotten, as Hoshiko sat down next to her daughter and Mitsukake bent, unnoticed by the officers, over the back of the chair to inspect Owake's pad. It didn't take long to tell about meeting at the park, the start of the trip back, and the appearance of the thug. However, she did leave one thing out. "…And I don't know why he did that, maybe he wanted to rob me. But then he pulled out a gun and pointed it at me, and of course I was scared Mom," she added almost sarcastically, giving her mother a warning look, "but I was pretty pissed by then also. My dad taught me some kendo and judo and some other things, so I took him by surprise and disarmed him."
"You did more than that, you beat him up pretty thoroughly," Reijirou pointed out. "She was the entire reason why we could bring him back here and wait for you to come and arrest him. And- where'd my duffel bag go?"
"I've got it, give me a minute." Hoshiko stood and walked quickly into the kitchen.
"His gun's in my bag. Sorry, I had to touch it, so my prints will be on it too, but not much. I tried to only use the tips of my fingers." The bag was dropped into his lap and he unzipped it as Hoshiko resumed her seat. "It's in here somewhere."
Owake nodded at Fujimara. The officer dug a rubber glove out of his pocket and pulled it on his hand, taking Reijirou's bag and setting it on the floor. He reached in and dug around for a moment, concentrating, before a frown crossed his face and he pulled out the crook's weapon. He took one cursory glance at it. ".35 millimeter anyone-can-buy-one type. Not wiped. Probably doesn't have the license on him." He peered closely at the handle, running one gloved finger over a series of scratches. "Number's been filed off." He set it down for a minute and extracted and donned another glove, then picked the gun up in both hands and pulled out the clip. "It's loaded." Hoshiko put an arm protectively around Risako's shoulders as Owake handed Fujimara a plastic bag. He dropped the gun inside without replacing the clip, then dropped the clip in a separate bag before looking at Reijirou and Risako. "How do you guys get so many weapon-wielders after you?"
"Daishi-san, do you think you could give us some time alone with your daughter and Enomoto-san? Please." It wasn't a request; Owake was giving Hoshiko a direct order.
But the older woman wasn't about to give up without a fight. Hoshiko had definitely inherited Subaru's stubbornness. "Whatever you have to say to them you can say in front of me, I'm not made of glass."
"Now, Daishi-san. I don't want to have to ask again."
The two of them locked eyes in silent battle, neither willing to fold. Tension increased as the stare-down continued, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Then, barely noticed by anyone but Mitsukake, there was a very brief, dull, muted flash of light from the region of Hoshiko's chest, and she closed her eyes as she crossed her arms, quick enough to hide the last of the flash. "Very well. I think I'll go see how my husband is doing." Then she whirled, not giving anyone a chance to speak, blue eyes flashing, and marched out the door.
"She hasn't changed," Mitsukake murmured.
No one else said anything for a minute, until Officer Fujimara somehow managed to open his mouth. "I think… I'm glad I'm not married to her…"
"Yeah, I don't envy Ryobe-san…" Reijirou agreed.
"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet," Risako piped up, not even bothering to hide her grin that had come out in full after the shock had worn off. "That was nothing for her. Her worst ever was when I was eight and she went out with a group of friends, and Dad took me to the movies and let me eat all the candy I wanted and stay up 'til one in the morning. Lord, she was maaaaaaad…"
"I bet. Look kids," Owake said determinedly, dropping her notepad on the coffee table and giving both of them a meaningful look. Her entire demeanor had changed in a matter of nanoseconds; she was once again the tough, put-together cop - tougher than they'd ever seen her. "We're not gonna play games here. Something is up, and we want to know what."
"W-What do you mean?" Risako stammered, blinking in surprise.
"To quote a good friend of ours, 'once is luck, twice is a coincidence, three times is a conspiracy.' In the past few weeks alone we've run into you or've been called by you three times." Fujimara held up a hand, three fingers extended. He folded his fingers down again as he counted off the circumstances. "One: when Sukunami-san was mugged in the park. That really was luck, but it set the precedent, as you all were the ones who called us. Two: when Reijirou-san here was attacked." Fujimara gave him a sharp look on "attacked," a look so unlike his normal friendly one that Reijirou flinched away. "And I still don't think we have all the facts on that yet. Third: today. This time Risako-san was attacked, but she was with you the other time and you were with her today."
"To be blunt kids, we smell a rat. Something's going on that's just not right, and we want to know what it is. Normal people normally don't run into trouble three times in three weeks." Owake gave them both a look to match her partner's, violet eyes flashing as dangerously as Hoshiko's had earlier. "We're giving you a chance to come clean and tell us what's up. If you don't, we'll be forced to find out for ourselves."
Reijirou and Risako threw each other panicked looks. This was beyond any bad dream they'd ever had. They couldn't tell the police about Ashitare and the seishi, they'd be locked in a mental institution faster than it took to say the word crazy!
"Don't tell them anything," Mitsukake whispered from behind them. "Just do your best, it'll be all right." He placed a reassuring, ghostly hand on each of their shoulders, giving them support.
But they still didn't know what to say. "Do you… Can you step outside for a minute?" Reijirou asked, feeling helpless and almost panicked.
"No. Tell us now. The truth, all of it. And don't leave anything out." Fujimara's tone accepted no refusals.
"Uhh… umm… We're secret crime fighters who spend our days working to stop mass murderers?" Reijirou said hopefully.
"Nice try. Tell us another one, we've got all day." Fujimara propped his feet on the coffee table and reclined against the back of his chair, looking very comfortable.
"Oh lord…" Risako muttered under her breath.
Then they were saved by the bell.
Saved by the squawk, actually. Owake's shoulder radio chose that moment to let out a particularly loud static eruption, making everyone wince, even Mitsukake. She growled with frustration and grabbed at the radio, holding down the little button and screaming into the mic. "WHAT?!"
"Robbery in progress! You're the closest unit! The bank at 1692 Tamakazu! All units being called!"
"DAMNIT. We're not through kids." Owake and Fujimara shot to their feet and hurriedly grabbed their hats, their notepads, their pens, and the bags with the gun and clip, all in less than three seconds and without knocking each other over. "We're taking that guy, but you're gonna have to come down later to press charges. And don't go anywhere far until we get all this sorted out." With one last warning look, the officers pulled open the door, dashed out, and raced down the hall. The door slammed shut in their wake.
"Now that's what I call a close call," Reijirou breathed in their wake, feeling the tension seeping out of his body and leaving him limp as a rag doll. "God, how would we have gotten out of that?"
"Well…" Reijirou turned just in time to see Risako turn as red as her hair and duck her head to try and hide it. "Umm… I was… umm… I was going to say…"
"What Risako?"
"Umm… Iwasgoingtosaythatwehadbeengoingouttogetherbehindourfamilies'backs but I didn't!"
"You… You what?" Had he heard right? He could have sworn she said that she was going to say they had been going out behind their families' backs, but that couldn't have been it.
Mitsukake broke in with an unexpected smirk. "She was going to say you two had been dating. And didn't want your families to know."
"WHAT?! WHY would you say that?!" he yelled, jumping out of his seat.
"It was the first thing that popped into my head! Hey, at least it would explain why we were always together!" She jerked her head up to glare at him, still red.
"But we weren't always together!"
"Yeah, but they think we were! Look, I didn't say it, let's just drop the subject already."
Reijirou sighed and slumped in the chair again. Things were getting way too confusing. He needed a day planner installed in his brain or something along those lines just to keep track of everything that had changed in his life since he walked into Taka's class the first day of college.
The intercom buzzed, and Risako dragged herself to her feet to answer it (after a brief explanation to Mitsukake about what was buzzing and how it worked and how one shut it off). "Hello?"
"Dear? The police car just pulled away." Hoshiko's voice, normally a very nice one, sounded thin and tinny coming out of the speaker, and a bit confused. "We're coming up now. What made them leave so fast? They just grabbed that man and threw him in the back of the car."
"Bank robbery," she replied simply
"Oh. Well, that gunman was still unconscious half a minute ago, so he shouldn't be a problem. What did you do to him? Wait, don't answer. I don't want to know."
"Can we eat now?" Reijirou called plaintively from his chair.
"You've been attacked, nearly died yet again, and endured an interrogation with the police. I think your stomach can hold out another five minutes," Hoshiko answered in an unmistakable Mother Tone. The crackling static that was caused by the line being held open abruptly disappeared, meaning the external speaker wasn't in use any more.
Reijirou listened to his growling stomach with a very Nuriko-like pout on his face. "But that's why I'm hungry."
Mitsukake sighed and shook his head. "Why do some people get an enhanced metabolism when they're healed? Enhanced metabolism should only occur when the body is healing naturally, and I fix them in a second."
"But still, a lot's happened today. And I was going through intense physical… activity before that."
"What intense physical activity, standing on the sidelines?" Risako quipped.
"I was playing before you got there, you know," he grumbled in return.
Before another spat could be started the door swung open and the Daishis came in, Nuriko following behind them and wearing an intensely worried look on his face. "Reijirou!" He sped in a flash of pale purple across the room to stop just in front of his counterpart's chair, hauling Reijirou upright in his seat as easily as if he was picking up a roll of paper towels. "Thank Suzaku you're okay! I wanted to come up and check on you, but he needed controlling." Nuriko threw Ryobe a significant look on "he."
"Can you really blame me?" Ryobe asked in a tone much like Reijirou's grumble. "That shit-"
"Ryobe!"
"-went after my daughter," he said, completely ignoring his wife's interruption. "I think anything I do in that situation is understandable."
"Understandable maybe, but not legal. And speaking of legal, we have a new problem. The cops are suspicious."
"Cops?" Nuriko and Mitsukake asked at the same time.
"Police. The two who just left are police, also known as 'cops' in slang terms," Risako patiently explained. "Reijirou's right. After they asked you to leave, Mom, they confronted us with this idea they have that we're not being completely up front with them."
"Gee, I wonder why they would think that," Nuriko asked brightly.
"It'll be hard to do anything out of the ordinary if people are following us," Mitsukake said soberly. "We have to think of some way of distracting them."
"Food first?" Reijirou pleaded, shamelessly turning to look at Hoshiko with wide, sad eyes. He was good at the puppy dog look when he put his mind to it.
Hoshiko threw her hands up in defeat, but Reijirou thought he could see the beginnings of a smile around her hair and arms. "I've acquired a son. Byakko, how do these things happen? Very well, if you want to eat so much, you can help."
"No Mom, don't trust his cooking. I still remember the time a couple of years ago when he set the Home Ec lab on fire." Risako grinned at Reijirou evilly.
"It wasn't the whole lab, just one oven! And that class shouldn't be required anyway!" He determinedly ignored Ryobe's and Nuriko's muffled snickers.
Risako just shook her head. "I'll fill in for him. You can make him clean up."
"I should be going," Mitsukake's deep voice broke through. "Now that everyone's in one piece I've outstayed my usefulness."
"All right, but come back soon." To Reijirou's surprise, Hoshiko walked over to hug Mitsukake tightly. "I want to get a chance to talk to you properly."
Mitsukake nodded as he returned the hug. It was like Hoshiko - or maybe Subaru - had an enhanced connection for the Suzaku. It wasn't something Reijirou would count against, and maybe they'd have another ally or two when they finally fought Ashitare because of it. "Don't worry, I'll come back. And I'll make Tasuki and Chichiri as well, and Chiriko, when we call him."
"You must be a mind reader," Hoshiko laughed slightly as she pulled away.
"Don't stay away too long," Ryobe said as he stepped forward, hand extended to the seishi. "Gets kind of dull around here sometimes."
He smiled as he shook Ryobe's hand. "Now why am I doubting that?" Mitsukake stepped back a pace, nodded to the rest of the room, and disappeared.
Risako had disappeared into the kitchen while the good-byes were taking place, and Hoshiko and Ryobe began heading that way, talking pleasantly about something in voices too low to be distinguished. As the room cleared, Reijirou took a deep breath to ask Nuriko a question that had been bothering him since the seishi came through the door. "Nuriko…"
"Hai?"
"You… remember that talk we had?"
He didn't have to say which talk. His tone, hesitancy, and manner were all very clear signals as to what he was thinking about. Nuriko just looked away, remaining silent.
"What do you think now?"
Several tense yet surprisingly sad moments passed with the only noises in the room coming through the open door to the kitchen, where the Daishi family was happily arguing about something. Then Nuriko looked up at Reijirou, a wistful, sad, and in some level happy smile on his face. The seishi turned and went into the kitchen.
AUTHOR'S NOTES II: The Return of the Dread Ara-chan!
Ara-chan's reaction when Hoshiko goes down to "talk" to Ryobe after confronting Owake: "Risako's either gonna have one parent or a little sibling after this."
| Character | Reincarnation of... | More |
| Enomoto Reijirou | Nuriko | Main character |
| Enomoto Chiaki | Kourin | Reijirou's older sister |
| Sukunami Taka | IS Tamahome | Reijirou's professor |
| Daishi Risako | No one | Reijirou's school friend |
| Sukunami Miaka | Herself ^_^ | Taka's wife |
| Ijiri Gesshin | Tasuki | Reijirou's best friend |
| Sukunami Naora | No one | Miaka and Taka's daughter |
| Lowle Adam | Nakago | Reijirou and Risako's physics classmate |
| Yuki Keisuke | No one | Miaka's older brother |
| Enomoto Hajime | Rokou, if anyone (not sure) | Reijirou's younger brother |
| Aizawa Katai | Amiboshi | Hajime's friend (twin) |
| Aizawa Shirai | Suboshi | Hajime's friend (twin) |
| Koiso Akihiko | Ashitare | Bad Guy :P |
| Seo Murai | Mitsukake | Reijirou's hospital doctor |
| Mizutani Kadiri | Soi | Reijirou's boss/co-worker |
| Watari Suezo | Hotohori | Chiaki's boyfriend |
| Kajiwara Yui | Herself ^_^ | Miaka's best friend |
| Kajiwara Tetsuya | No one | Yui's husband/Keisuke and Taka's best friend |
| Obinata Morin | No one | Miaka and Yui's school friend |
| Obinata Hokusai | Chichiri | Morin's husband |
| Daishi Ryobe | IS Tokaki | Risako's father |
| Daishi Hoshiko | IS Subaru | Risako's mother |
| Ijiri Mitsuyo | One of Tasuki's sisters, if anyone | Gesshin's little sister |
| Seo Setsuko | Shoka | Murai's wife |
| Tani Daisuke | Chiriko | Keisuke and Tetsuya's employee |
I'm trusting you all to know who Nuriko, Hotohori, etc are ^_^ If you don't, then you're probably irreversably confused anyway! Jaaaaaa!
