Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
The rule of thumb for family reunion dinners is expect the unexpected. Like the matriarch announcing she's serving live seafood 'cos the stove conked out. Live seafood? Never mind... we've all got our Hep A/ B jabs. Eek! The seafood's crawling off the plate. (Faint.)
Live baby octopi is a Korean delicacy. Senbi needn't eat it if she's squeamish-- the Matriarch has spoken.
4. Cat Invited
"What?! Kuso nezumi! Is this Akito's idea of a joke or yours?" Disbelief filled Kyo's voice over the phone.
"Please… it's not a joke," Yuki continued. Kagura had somehow gotten a sash around his neck. She smiled sweetly as she tied a slip knot. Yuki gulped. Kagura's getting psycho. "You want to be invited, don't you? With everyone at the banquet, inside? Akito's really in hospital. I'll get the ward number from Hatori so you can visit him…"
"Are you nuts? I don't want to visit the creep!" Kyo retorted. Tohru was still trying to light the stove, without much success. They were both hungry. Sukiyaki's on the menu but the stove had chosen this time to act up… "I can't go and leave Tohru home alone."
"Bring her!" Momiji piped into the phone over Yuki's shoulder. Yuki wrestled the phone from Momiji. "Look, I'll guide you two in. Get Tohru to wear a plain kimono, we can pass her for one of the servants. I'll meet you at the main gate in a half-hour…" Then he'll get them in through the hole in the wall. No one has gotten round to mending it yet, thank kami-sama.
"I've died and gone to heaven…" The Cat exclaimed as he saw his fellow Zodiacs waving at him. For the first time in his life, he was actually invited to the banquet, even if he had to crawl through a hole in the wall. Everyone else was too caught up in their own festivities to take notice of Yuki and his two companions as they made their way to the restricted rooms.
"Yuki… Is this a dream?" The Rat grinned and punched the Cat lightly on the shoulder.
"Does that feel like a dream?" Kyo shook his head. Yuki smiled as he caught sight of Kagura. In a short while, you'll be wishing it were… Sorry, chum…
"Kyo-darling! You came!" Kagura ran forward. Kyo blanched. This is a nightmare! He ran straight through the shoji and out into the snow-covered garden with the Boar in hot pursuit.
"YUKI! I'll get you, I swear!!! Damned Rat!!"
"Kyo… Come back!!" The pair soon vanished in the falling snow. Tohru was soon pulled into a game of bean-bags with Kisa, much to Hiro's disgust.
Shigure frowned at the broken shoji. It was letting in the cold. They were starting to feel it. Aha! Shigure hit on a solution. "Ayame, do we have any more sake?"
Ayame nodded. "More than enough to go round. We got vodka and brandy in the kitchen. Shall we add some to the punch?" Shigure nodded with a conspiring wink. Kureno passed them in the corridor. He didn't like the look on their faces one bit.
Hatori was now wearing his new ceremonial robe. He had a seahorse motif on his headdress. It'll be time for the dance soon and the man can barely stand. On top of it, Kagura had gone missing. Akito's not there to oversee the banquet and having Shigure as the master of ceremonies is a disaster.
"Yuki… what's she doing here?" Kureno saw Tohru. Yuki had other plans in mind other than explaining Tohru's presence. "Kureno, I think we better start the dance before Hatori passes out." Shigure must have used some hard liquor on the Dragon. Hatori normally held his drink quite well…
"Sorry! I'm sorry… Sorrysorrysorry…" Ritsu went off into another fit of apologies.
"Ritsu, if it's anyone's fault Hatori's in such a state, it's their fault!" Yuki pointed an accusing finger at Shigure and Ayame. The pair was returning with the punch cooler and several jars of sake. "Drinks?" Ayame smiled as he poured out drinks for everyone present.
Yuki took a glass of punch and another for Tohru. Hiro and Kisa declined the punch in favor for hot tea. Yuki knew something was wrong as soon as he tasted the punch. It was strangely sweet. Not unpleasant at all… It warmed him up. They spiked the punch with brandy! How typical… Just as well the children were not touching the punch…
"Places, places everyone!" Ayame clapped his hands for everyone's attention. Shigure managed to persuade Rin and Haru to leave their cubbyhole in the alcove room where Akito normally oversaw the festivities. Kyo and Kagura were still running somewhere about the vast gardens.
"Princess Tohru, you honor us with your presence…" Yuki started as Ayame took Tohru's hand and kissed it lightly. The Zodiac members present arranged themselves on the sides of the room. Momiji took his place in the centre. Kureno was supporting an inebriated Hatori as he stumbled to the centre.
Tohru was excited. She was aware that she really shouldn't be here. This was a very central part of the Sohma tradition… Yuki sat next to her.
The dance started. Momiji was very graceful as he went through the steps. The new robe suited the Rabbit. The Dragon was another matter. Hatori was finding it difficult to focus on his dance. Then he overbalanced and fell…
POOF!
Tohru was surprised to be holding Hatori's ceremonial robe. Where's Hatori? The confused Sohmas looked around. Momiji had stopped dancing for the fear of accidentally treading on Hatori. How do you find a tiny seahorse in the yards of silk, lace and ribbons that comprised the new ceremonial robe?
"Yuki…" Tohru gasped. Her face went red. There was something wiggling inside her kimono…
Author's notes:
AnimeFreaks13: Mua, U think I'll abandon poor Tohru-chan home alone? I'm so hurt...
Run, neko (cat), run. And never let Shigure & Ayame handle the drinks. Poor Kureno's trying his darnest to restore some order and failing... Any guesses where poor Hatori is?