The phobia will be explained more in chapter five since I need to work on a few other stories that have been neglected and people are nagging at me to update.

I am sorry for the lack of updates for so long but I am now addicted to EQ. Sleep isn't important is it?

Samanda

Disclaimer: I do not own dot hack although I would like to own Akichi, Crim and/or Tsukasa. They would just look so good decorating my house don't you think?

Dedicated to Dark Mimi-Chan. (Hey if you review all my stories like she does maybe I'd dedicate a story to you too, hmm.)

How I Blew My Summer Vacation

Chapter Four: Cousins, Phobias And The Panty Thief

By

Samanda Hime-sama and Akichi

Kite and 'Rose slept in the van then hung out in the parking lot until eight a.m. when Mistral finally answered her cell phone and let them into the rooms.

'Rose proceeded to give everyone a wake up call by screaming "Wake up!" at the top of her lungs.

Kite raised an eyebrow at a naked Tsukasa who had just sat up violently out of a sound sleep. "Dude why are you sleeping on the floor?"

"Umm… couldn't sleep on the bed?" Tsukasa's excuse was lame even to his own ears.

Kite smirked. "Whatever."

Tsukasa's eyes narrowed. "Why are you and 'Rose so late?"

Kite suddenly found the wallpaper interesting. "We had our reasons."

Tsukasa grinned and mimicked Kite. "Whatever."

"Just get dressed. We need to be on the road in half an hour." Kite said over his shoulder as he headed into the other room.

************************

Half an hour later everyone was dressed if not fashionably attired. Out of the six only two looked well rested. Kite and 'Rose had shadows under their eyes but were bouncy as 'Rose drove the van. Mimiru was quiet and introspective as she sat in the back of the van, humming to herself. Tsukasa was noticeably tired but had decided to be sociable today as he was initiating conversations instead of simply participating.

"Hey," Mistral, who was sitting next to Mimiru, suddenly said. "Why is there a big piece of pipe back here?"

"Don't touch it!" 'Rose looked back and snapped at her.

The van swerved as her attention was taken away from the road. Subaru and Mistral shrieked in alarm. 'Rose turned her attention back to driving and the guys breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm hungry," Kite whined at 'Rose.

"No, we're not stopping," 'Rose said firmly.

"Come on," Mimiru added.

"No."

"I'll buy your breakfast," Tsukasa tempted her.

"Done!" 'Rose put on her left blinker to get off on the nearest exit. (Remember in Japan they drive on the left side of the road.)

The other occupants of the car except Mimiru cheered at Tsukasa's tactics. Tsukasa turned pink as Subaru squeezed his hand in thanks. Mimiru leaned forward and gave him a hug. She dropped a note into his shirt's front pocket and was relieved when neither Tsukasa nor Subaru noticed.

Mimiru smiled to herself. The note was simple and straight to the point. Hopefully Tsukasa would understand.

********************

"We're here!" Mistral cried out joyfully and clapped her hands together.

'Rose narrows her eyes. "Who's that ringing the doorbell?"

Everyone turned to see a man in his late twenties knocking on the door. He was dressed conservatively in a charcoal gray suit and looked to be frowning down at a slip of paper in his hand.

Toshiwara Shin frowned and looked down at the slip of paper that read: 156 Shinju Lane. He had the right address so where was the owner of the house?

"Excuse me but can I help you?" Mimiru asked politely as she walked up from behind him.

"I'm looking for a Miwa Satoshi," the cute stranger inquired of the group.

Kite stepped forward amidst the rest of the confused group. "That's me but please call me Kite."

"I'm here on behalf of the Sakaeru Corporation to grant you your prize money from the pinball tournament you won a month ago," the businessman smiled and handed him a check.

"Why did you have him send it here?" Subaru asked Kite.

'Rose smiled fiercely. "Because his parents would have spent the money. That's why."

Mistral wandered up to the cluster of people on the front porch dragging her two suitcases. She wondered why everyone was just standing outside instead of going in and picking rooms but the vague thought left her mind as she spotted the newcomer. Mistral smiled happily.

Mistral tackled the stranger and hugged him enthusiastically. "Shin!"

When Shin finally could breathe again he gasped. "Cousin Umi how nice to see you."

"You're related?!" 'Rose, Tsukasa and Kite chorused in unison while Subaru just blinked.

"Yup!"

"Kami-sama, I feel sorry for you, Shin." 'Rose muttered in sympathy.

Shin just grinned weakly from under Mistral's exuberant body. Then he looked at Subaru and frowned slightly. His eyes widened.

"Subaru-sama?"

***********************************

"I'm Krim," Shin smiled at Tsukasa, Mimiru and Subaru.

"Holy shit," Kite breathed then yelled, "Ow!"

"I don't like words like that," 'Rose said warningly.

Kite grinned. "That's not what you were saying last night."

He took off running towards the bedrooms as 'Rose shrieked and tried to smack him silly. She pursued him into a room and a door slammed. Tsukasa, Mimiru, Subaru and Krim flinched at the shrill screams from 'Rose, Kite's yelps of pain and general crashing noises coming from the room.

"Thar's it," Tsukasa said. "That's their room. I don't want to be sleeping in there after they get done."

The other three nodded solemnly. Mistral couldn't care less since she was in the kitchen listening to her walkman while singing and dancing to Britney Spears. The three flinched again at a particularly high note Mistral hit that threatened to shatter their eardrums.

"Sometimes I wonder if she was adopted," Krim said and the other two nodded.

"On another subject," Subaru said quietly. "Do you have a place to stay ronight?"

Krim just smiled.

******************************

"Thank Kami-sama that I got a room to myself," Mimiru sighed in relief.

There were four bedrooms in Bear's vacation home. Kite and Rose got the one they had dismantled, Mistral and Subaru shared another room since they got along so well. Krim had accepted their invitation so he was bunking with Tsukasa and that left Mimiru alone in the smallest bedroom. But that was fine for Mimiru since she felt that not having to put up with anyone else more than made up for the size of the room.

Mimiru gloated some more as she opened her suitcases and began to unpack. A frown crossed her face and she searched for it again.

"Hey! Where the hell did my favorite panties go?" A smile crossed her face. "Nevermind, I think I know who has them."

**********************

And somewhere in the house a person waited till the other person left and then unpacked the secret treasures stolen from the others while they were in route. The hands reached in and touched the items. Caressing them then bringing one out to rub the silky material against a cheek before settling it back into the a piece of luggage.

A knock sounds on the door and the person zips the luggage up quickly.

"Come in."

Mimiru walks inside and shuts the door behind her. She sits on the bed beside the luggage and looks at the person who seems a little nervous. Mimiru smiles and hugs him. "If you wanted a pair of my panties so badly you should have asked, Tsukasa."

Tsukasa looked guilty as hell as he gave her a sheepish smile. "Caught red handed." He looked scared. "Please Mimiru… don't tell anyone."

"I won't," Mimiru promised him and held out her hand.

Tsukasa unzipped his bag and handed her the stolen item. Mimiru nodded in thanks and looked around trying to think what to do with them. Finally she grimaced and stuck them in her pocket.

Tsukasa looked at her with relief. "By the way I read your note. Thank you for being so understanding about last night. It was special but-"

Mimiru interrupted. "It was special but you're not in love with me. I know, Tsukasa, don't beat me over the head with it."

Tsukasa looked away and said. "I know. Sorry."

"Just be happy, Tsukasa. You're my best friend you know." Mimiru smiled at him and left the room.

"You're mine too." Tsukasa said to the empty room then sighed. "I wish I loved you though, Mimiru. Everything would be so much easier."

******************************

"Time to go back and put my laundry in the dryer," Mistral exclaimed happily. "Do you need to do yours, Subaru?"

Subaru's pulse speeded up and she gulped. "Yes."

"Then let's go!"

Subaru wheeled into the room behind Mistral and watched with trepidation as Mistral opened the dryer door and stuck her arms inside. The light was dim in here and the red lights on the dryer were lit and looked like demonic eyes glaring at Subaru.

Subaru screamed like she was being murdered. Mistral jumped and spilled her clothes all over the floor. She rushed over to Subaru as Krim and Tsukasa rushed to the site of distress.

"What's wrong?" Mistral asked.

"The dryer," Subaru hiccuped and burst into tears. "It's possessed!"

Footnotes:

The only reason that I know about the incident is that Tsukasa once mentioned it after he drank one too many and we played Truth or Dare. He had chosen Truth and 'Rose asked him what his darkest secret was. He told us and I was shocked. I had wondered of course why my unmentionables were always disappearing but I thought it was a simple case of the dryer monster eating them.

And yes I do have a phobia about dryers. They just exude a sense of evil and darkness. If you don't believe me you are more than welcome to visit Tori's website. It's located at: www.sanerantings/ofpervadingevil/dryersofdarkness.com/

- Isawa Subaru