Artemis: hehe i got some comments!! I feel so special!! giggles like a little girl I'm going back to school soon so I might get to write more!
Akerri: (..)....ummm...don't you mean that you won't be able to write much?
Artemis: no! I write better when I'm at school! Anywayz, in this chapter, you get to learn more about Mieru!! Yay! My brother thinks Mieru isn't as good as my other original characters. sticks tongue out nyah nyah! I like Mieru so –pppfffffffttt!!- hehehe okay so ONTO THE FIC! Mew!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Baskets or any of the characters. I only own my original character, Mieru, and the plot.
After school, Nemii Mieru followed Sohma Yuki and Kyo home cheerfully. Mieru was hired as a temporary housekeeper for the Sohma house because poor Tohru was terribly sick. Mieru was the type of girl who would just simply smile when asked a question. The type who would hum a tuneless tune and stare into nothing. As Mieru arrived at the Sohma house, her face lit up. "It looks just like my mom's house!!" she exclaimed.
As the three walked inside, Sohma Shigure was there waiting with an eager smiling face. "Ah! You must be Nemii Mieru" he held out his hand. "I am Sohma Shigure, the owner of this house and cousin to Yuki and Kyo." Mieru hesitated and stared into Shigure's hand, as if she were thinking to shake or not. She then smiled and shook his hand.
"Yes," she replied. "thank you for hiring me. I really needed it. So, is Honda-san your cousin also?"
Yuki shook his head. "No, she just lives with us."
Shigure nodded. "Sometimes I wish she were our cousi—uhh.." Shigure was interrupted a loud growl from his stomach. "Excuse, I'm very hungry."
Mieru smiled and bowed. "I guess I should fix something up, ne, Shigure-sama?" Yuki showed her around first and set her bags inside the secret guestroom that Shigure had never told them of before. After he brought her to the kitchen, Mieru politely shooed him off. "I like to cook in privacy. Thank you, Yuki-kun" In about fifteen minutes, a tasty aroma fled from the kitchen. After the food was already set on the table, Mieru let the boys come in. The Sohma's couldn't believe what was set on the table. The table was set up with very expensive looking entrees. The scent of all the food was incredible.
Shigure sat down immediately. "I would love to know which inn Mieru-chan worked at."
As Mieru walked into the room, she bowed politely. "I hope you like it. I worked nearly twenty minutes to cook it."
Wow...twenty minutes is very fast for this whole spread. Yuki thought to himself. "uh...ano,...Nemii-san, what inn did you work at again?" he asked.
Mieru smiled and giggled. "umm...actually I didn't work at an inn" she replied. "ehh...it was more of a hotel...a grand hotel."
Kyo stared at the food. "You worked as a chef?"
"ohh...chef, maid, waitress. Anything I could do to help my parents who owned the hotel."
"....what kinda rich parents make their daughter work as a maid in their own hotel..." Kyo muttered.
Even after the food was finished, something didn't feel right. It was delicious, but it only filled them only a bit more than a large snack. Mieru picked up the dishes and brought them into the kitchen. The boys were about to get up, but when when their newly hired maid walked back in, they sat down quickly. She had baked a lemon meringue pie and was setting down saucers. "I hope you're not too full." She said as she smiled that charming smile.
After the meal, Shigure smiled brightly. "I knew hiring her was a good idea." Yuki shook his head. "That was Tohru's idea, Shigure." Shigure shrugged. Mieru was in Tohru's room watching over her when guests appeared. It was Tohru's best friends, Hana-chan and Uo-chan. "Where is she?! Oh poor Tohru-kun" Arisa exclaimed as she ran up to Tohru's room. Hana-chan followed quietly behind her.
"She's in good hands, girls" Shigure answered as he watched the girls run up the stairs.
As the two girls walked into Tohru's room, they stared at the platinum-haired girl sitting beside Tohru. "Nemii Mieru?" Uotani said "What are you doing here?" Mieru merelyh smiled and took the thermometer out of Tohru's mouth. The thermometer read 102.1 degrees. Uotani snatched the thermometer from Mieru's hands and look at the temperature. "Poor Tohru-kun. If there's anything we could do just tell us." Uo-chan gave Tohru a big hug. Tohru smiled. "Thank you, Uo-chan, Hana-chan. You're my best friends." Mieru watched them and smiled. "You're going to get sick also if you keep hugging Tohru-kun." Hana-chan said quietly. Mieru then walked out of the room, out of the house.
Shigure watched Mieru walked out the door. "ah. Mieru-chan--..." he stopped when he saw she was not alone. She was with another boy. He was tall with brown spiky hair and glasses. Mieru did not look at him. She looked down at the floor, trying to hide her saddened face. "...Keiji..." she said softly. "I told you I don't want to see you anymore. I left for a reason."
The boy named Keiji shook his head. "Yes, but I followed you for a reason, too." He replied. "When we were together, no matter how happy you looked, you would never let me touch you. Why was that? We were happy, right? It was like you weren't real."
Mieru turned away. "well...um, you'll have to find someone else. Someone who's real." With that, she walked towards the house. But Keiji didn't want to give up. He ran after her and wrapped his arms around her. Shigure, who was watching secretly, then heard a small explosion. He gasped as he saw Mieru was no longer standing there. The surprised Keiji looked at Mieru's clothes lying on the ground and searched through them. Lying in the middle of the clothes was a small blue fish was jumping up and down. Shigure watched in amazement. She transforms!! This is an amazing discovery! Shigure thought to himself. Ah! The boy! We can't let him know of this. With that, Shigure ran towards the boy and surpressed his memories immediately.
"Yuki! Kyo!" Shigure called after he sent Keiji off. "You have to see this!"
Yuki and Kyo ran outside. "Whats wrong, Shigure?" Yuki asked. He then spotted Mieru's clothes on the ground. He gasped. "I-is she?" Kyo stared at Shigure. Shigure was holding something in his hands. He turned around slowly. "Boys..." Shigure started. "Meet Mieru." Shigure opened his hands and revealed the fish. Kyo licked his lips. "hehehe....fish. mmmm" Shigure gasped. "No Kyo! It's Mieru!" Yuki stared. Shigure-sensei....If Mieru's a fish..." Shigure's eye's widened. "Water!!" The three ran to the bathroom and filled the tub with water quickly. Shigure was about to put Mieru in the tub, but then, the fish changed into something more extraordinary. Lying in the tub was Mieru, definitely, but she looked older. She was more mature and more buxom. But that wasn't what startled them. Mieru didn't have any legs. Instead, there were fins. She had turned into a mermaid.
Mieru put her head down and sobbed. "...oh no..." she murmered. Shigure put his hand on her shoulder and smirked. "Don't worry." He said. "It happens to us too. Just explain to us what went on right now."
Mieru flipped her fin. "My family is cursed," she said sadly "We can't hug anyone of the opposite gender outside of our family..." she hesitated "...or else we transform into a manifestation of our zodiac sign."
Kyo watched Mieru's fin closely. "mmm I can smell fish...." Mieru splashed her fin roughly at the waters and wet Kyo. "Hey!" Shigure shrugged. "Yes that happens to our family also with the Chinese zodiac. But tell us, why did you turn into a mermaid."
Mieru turned away. "no..." she said quietly "...I've said too much." Shigure begged. "Please, Mieru-chan?" Mieru smiled half-heartedly. "We turn into two forms. The first form when we are hugged is an animal. Virgo becomes a dove, Gemini a finch, Leo a lion and so forth. After awhile we turn into a mythical creature, like a mermaid or a goddess....." Mieru hesitated again. "...now you must forget everything I told you. You must--." Mieru immediately changed back to naked self. She covered herself quickly.
"Don't worry" Shigure said. "I'll get your clothes. Boys, get out. Out. It's rude to stare at a woman's naked body." They all walked out, leaving Mieru to sigh and sob. Later that night, Mieru walked into Shigure's office. "Shigure-sama?" she asked as she came forward. Shigure turned and smiled. "yes, Mieru-chan." Mieru stared forward. "I'm sorry, but you must forget everything that has happened. I need to suppress your memories." Shigure protested. "ah! But Mieru-chan I alrea--." Mieru walked forward but then trip and sending her falling. Shigure ran up and caught her before she hit the ground. Mieru shut her eyes and yelled. "No! Don't touch me." But even after Shigure caught her, they were both still standing, and still human. Mieru got up immediately and walked out of the room.
Shigure stood there in his office. I can hug her?....I can hug a highschool girl without transforming!! He thought to himself as he danced around his office.
Yuki and Kyo stood outside his door and stared. "I don't want to know..." They said simultaneously.
Artemis: okies, done with the second chapter. I know 'tis weird. Nyah nyah but who cares. Read and review, PLEEEEAAASSE!! TT I am in need of fwiends!
Akerri: you are extremely sad.