Story: Hydrophobia
Author: chibighost
Disclaimer: As much as I wish that the Fushigi characters are mine, sadly enough, they belong to Yu Watase.
chibighost: Okay, the idea for this story just...popped up when I was listening to a presentation on fear. I heard the word, hydrophobia--which is the name of the fic--mentioned, which lead me to remember Tasuki and his fear of the water. One thing lead to another, and...well, the finished product is right before your eyes! ^___^ Admittedly, I'm rather proud of this fic, so...
Tasuki: I think it's dumb.
chibighost: ^^;;; Well, I knew that you'd be inclined to think so, especially since you're so...amusing in this fic!
Tasuki: So? Why in kami-sama's name do I have'ta be the "amusing" one?! Isn't Nuriko your favorite character?
chibighost: Yes, but, Tasuki-kun, it's much more entertaining to make fun of you than Nuriko!
Tasuki: -snorts- You're just saying that 'cus Nuriko would punch your brains out if you made fun of him. He's got the worst temper there is.
chibighost: Look who's talking. -glare-
Nuiko: -appears next to everyone's favorite bandit- Did I hear my name mentioned? -turns to Tasuki- You better not be saying bad things about me, fang boy!
Tasuki: FANG BOY? Well, at least I'm not a braided baka!
Nuriko and chibighost: x.x
chibighost: -_-;;; ano...Tasuki-kun, the braided baka is Duo Maxwell...from...Gundam Wing? He has no relevance to Nuriko.
Nuriko: Humph. What an idiot.
Tasuki: Who ya calling idiot?
Nuriko: Y-O-U.
Tasuki: Wanna know where you can see an idiot?
Nuriko: No. There's one talking to me right now.
Tasuki: I think you do, so go look in a mirror!
chibighost: ^^;;; That was probably that most pathetic comeback line I've ever heard... -turns- Oh hi Duo! ^___^ What a surprise...what are you doing here?
Duo: I thought I heard someone say "braided baka". Um...is Wufei looking for me?
chibighost: ^-^;;; Well, no. Sorry. This is a Fushigi fic, so I wouldn't know what Wufei would be here for.
Duo: -shrug- Okay. Thanks anyway! -looks at Nuriko and Tasuki still fighting away- You know, you really should be careful with that red-head. I think he's going to be putty in a minute or so.
chibighost: o.O??? How do you know?
Duo: Heero.
chibighost: Ahh! Well, ciao! ^___^
Duo: Ja!
Tasuki: Beauty-marked baka!
Nuriko: Fang boy!
Tasuki: Gay freak!
Nuriko: Oh really, you might be yourself! -sniff- Women hater!
Tasuki: I AM NOT GAY, TOAD!
Nuriko: -gasp- TASUKI!! You've gone far enough! No one insults my complexion and gets away with it!
chibighost: ^^;;; Let's let them have their fun, shall we? Okay then, on with the story! O.O
-both chibighost and Nuriko watch as Tasuki goes flying through the air and into outer space-
chibighost: o.O Eep...that was faster than I expected...
Nuriko: -dusts hands off- Good riddance! ^____^.
HYDROPHOBIA
~a fic brought to you by chibighost~
Chapter One: Getting Help
Grumbling, Houyoku Tasuki tapped his fingers unhappily on his desk, staring intently at the phone, as if willing it to melt under his fiery gaze. Try as he might, he couldn't see any way out of this predicament; he'd have to go through with it; it couldn't be helped.
So, it was with unwillingness that Tasuki picked up his phone, dialed a number, and waited impatiently for the person on the other end to pick up. And if that poor unfortunate person didn't, well, things were going to turn nasty.
"Moshimo--" a cheerful voice piped up on the other side after two dial tones, but the red head was in no mood for formalities.
"Chichiri, I need help."
"..." For a moment, there was only silence on the other end. Then, "Tasuki-kun, you've always needed help, no da."
Tasuki felt himself turning scarlet. "CHICHIRI!!! This is serious!"
"But--"
"No buts, Chichiri!"
"--but--"
"I need help! This isn't the time for buts!"
"..." Silence. "Tasuki-kun, you have no idea how wrong that just sounded, no da."
"CHICHIRI--!" His face was definitely red now.
"You see, Tasuki-kun," his friend began calmly, "this is why Nuriko-chan and I advised you to attend anger-management classes last year. A person with as much status as you do should learn to--"
"I DON'T NEED ANY GODDAMN CLASSES!! I NEED HELP!!!" Tasuki took a deep breath, realizing that he'd just involuntarily proved his friend's point, and tried again, this time with forced calm. "Look, Chichiri, if you don't help me, I won't even have that status anymore."
That shut his friend up.
"So, now what do you have to say?" Tasuki challenged.
"Well, unless your father disowns you, no da, how can you lose your status, no da?" His friend questioned.
The red head snorted. "Hm, let's see, he can just pass it to that sniveling CPO of his."
"NANI? Kansaku Miboshi? You're kidding, right, no da?" Chichiri asked hopefully, sounding a bit faint.
"The one and only."
"But--but--your dad's isn't foolish enough to leave his family business to someone like Miboshi, is he? I mean, your dad's always been...sensible. He would know better--"
"Chichiri, that's what I said, and my dad told me, very seriously, that if I didn't do what he said, he'd hand everything over to Miboshi."
"Every..thing?"
"Everything."
"Even all of his stocks?"
"Even all of his stocks," the Tasuki verified.
"Kami-sama," Chichiri breathed, running a hand through his short blue hair. "He wouldn't even give me some, even though he's known my parents since high school, no da. And--and...your dad's worked so hard to get his business to where it is now, no da. How could he destroy all of it by giving it so someone like, like, Kansaku Miboshi, na no da?" He grimaced. Even the man's name sounded like something evil and distasteful.
"I know." His red haired friend sighed, before adding determinedly, "So, that's why I'm not going to let that damn bastard get my dad's business!"
"Good for you, Tasuki-kun!" Chichiri grinned, before asking, "But what did your dad tell you to do, no da?"
There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, and the blue haired man could have sworn that his friend was shifting sheepishly from foot to foot on the other end of the line. "Well, Chichiri, I'm supposed to...well, godownmydad'sbiggestwaterslide," he answered rather quickly.
His friend couldn't help but smile at this. "Ah, that explains it, no da!"
"What dy'a mean, 'that explains it'?" Tasuki protested indignantly.
"Well, isn't it obvious, Tasuki-kun, that your dad doesn't want a son who's scared of his own line of work, no da."
"Own line of work?" Repeated the red head, somewhat bewildered.
"In other words, he doesn't want a son who's scared of water, no da" Chichiri said quietly.
"NANI?! Chichiri, what the hell does being chicken of the water--which I'm not--have to do with running Phoenix Wing Water Parks?" [just to let you know, since Tasuki's surname in this fic is "Houyoku", which means phoenix wing, his dad's water parks are called "Phoenix Wing Water Parks"]
His friend shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's because your phobia is rather...childish, no da."
"CHILDISH? Chichiri, water is dangerous. People drown in water. I don't want to drown."
"I thought you weren't afraid of water, no da."
"I'm damn not," Tasuki grumbled unhappily, knowing that he was trapped.
"Really, no da?" His friend sounded thoughtful. "What about that one time that Nuriko pushed you into the pool--"
"Okay, okay! Don't remind me!"
"--and you let out that shrill scream, no da?" Chichiri rubbed his ears just thinking about it.
"Fine, I get the point."
"And, that other time that we went boating, and you were standing on the back of the boat--"
"I get it!"
"--and you didn't know that the boat was starting, no da, so when it did start, you fell into the water and thought you'd drowned in three feet of water, na no da."
"Chichiri, ENOUGH! I get it already. I need your help, which is why I called you in the first place.
"Hai, that's what I'm here for, no da."
Tasuki let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Now that he had Chichiri helping him, there was no way his father's goddamn cursed CPO would get his job. "Arigato, Chichiri!"
"Sure, any time, Tasuki-kun!" His blue haired friend paused. "Oh, and Tasuki-kun, I'll be bring Nuriko-chan along, no da. I'm sure he'll be glad to help to, no da! Ja ne! Have a nice day, na no da!" With this, Chichiri hung up.
It took a minute for the red head to process this information. Suddenly, Tasuki's eyes bulged. NURIKO? Uh oh. "Iie, Chichiri, DON'T! Not Nuriko!"
Oops. Too late.
~until next time~
Kansaku: shrewd (dirty) trick; sinister
Houyoku: phoenix wing
chibighost: So, what did you think? ^__^ Did you like?
Tasuki: I still think that was stupid.
Nuriko: Quiet, fang boy, the author's talking.
Tasuki: -shows fangs- I'm not fang boy!
chibighost: ^^;;; Okay...that's nice, Tasuki, yeah, go be your hypocritical self. Anyway, I'd be really happy and inspired if you go and press that little purplish-blue button at the bottom of the screen!
Chichiri: Hai! Do what she says, everyone, and I'll appear more often, no da!
chibighost: ^__^ That's right! Listen to Chichiri!
Tasuki: Look at him, sucking up to chibighost like that...
chibighost: you're just jealous...fang boy
Tasuki: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?
Chichiri: Whoa, calm down, Tasuki-kun, no da!
Tasuki: -glares, stomps to a corner, sulking-
Chichiri: ^^;;; Oh well, I'm sure he'll be okay in a minute, no da.
Tasuki: Oh hell I won't!
chibighost: Well, ja ne for now! ^__^
