Gen made her way, with a few wrong turns, to the clinic on the campus. The whole time, her mind going over her meeting with Chiriko. Something in her whispered that they weren't just dreams. She really felt as if she would scream if she found one more person she knew. She was suppose to be in a new country after all. She shouldn't know this many people, and from the way some of them acted towards her, Chiriko for instance, they knew her as well. She briefly wondered if she had ever haunted their dreams as well.
She rounded the corner that led into the clinic, deep in thought over Chiriko's appearance and ran headlong into a tall figure. Blinking, she looked up and froze, an apology on her lips at the site of Mitsukake standing there, hands on her shoulders to keep her steady.
Maybe it was the familiarity she was beginning to feel at finding people from her dreams here, but she spoke his name softly before she could stop herself. The doctor just seemed to smile a bit wider, taking in her large amber eyes and wild red hair. He dropped his hands and took two steps back, watching her all the while. "Well, what can I do for you? It would seem you know my nickname, so no need to introduce myself, I would gather." She gaped at him and it crossed her mind that if someone had known her nicknames right off the bat that she would question them endlessly about it. But neither Chiriko and now Mitsukake were doing this.
A quick coughing fit interrupted her thoughts and when she stopped, Mitsukake lead her to a bed and had her sit. After a quick exam of her throat, he nodded and turned from her to go to the back. He hadn't said a word. However she was surprised when he returned with what looked to be a cup of ordinary water.
Mitsukake was surprised and pleased to finally see this female Tasuki in person. If he had ever been able to picture the hot headed bandit as a woman, he didn't think she would look this small and delicate. Her clothes did not hide the woman she was. However, she had the posture and under currents of the old Tasuki. The old bluster had been missing, probably because she was so shocked at seeing him and not feeling well.
After checking her throat and feeling her slightly warm flesh, he had nodded to himself. He would use his power to help her, or she would be miserable for a week. No way would he let one of the Seishi feel like that if he could help it, although for awhile he had let Tasuki suffer when he had cured the others. He remembered the bandit hadn't appreciated it at all. Now was different, they had recently despaired of ever finding Tasuki again and to have him show up as a her, and a foreign exchange student, he knew Suzaku was watching out for all of them. Getting a cup of water for her, he sent a quick prayer of thanks to the God of Fire and Love as he held his hand over the water, sending his magical healing into the water, as this was the easiest way to heal her without showing her too much yet.
He gave her the water and instructed her to drink it. She glanced dubiously at him, an expression so remiscent of Tasuki he wanted to laugh. Muttering in her native English, something that distinctly sounded like swearing, she drank the water down. She put the cup down, glanced up at him and opened her mouth when surprise covered her face and her hand came to her throat. "Hey, I feel much better. Thanks so much Mitsukake."
The healer just smiled. "Not a problem for you. Try and stay well, but if you have problems adjusting to the weather again, just come back and I'll help you." She nodded and jumped down to the floor, bowing to him. "Thank you again. Bye".
Watching her leave, he felt a bit saddened, until she turned back and smiled brightly at him, fangs showing. He shook his head and walked to his office, picking up the phone to call Taka and tell him that Tasuki was ok. Something in him told him that Taka and Chichiri already knew that Tasuki was under the weather.
Chiriko had just left the two professers alone, saying he had one more class to attend for the day and he would see them tomorrow when they gathered and attempted to get Tasuki's memory back.
Taka and Chichiri were just discussing their slight guilty feelings at decieving Gen to get her to show up at Taka and Miaka's the next day when the cell phone sitting on Taka's desk rang. He picked it up and answered, listened for a few minutes and then thanked the caller and hung up. He turned back to Chiri and smiled. "Mitsukake healed Tasuki for us. She is good as new."
The former monk smiled with relief and sank back down into his chair. "I'm glad, no da."
Taka smacked his friend on the back. "Come on, we each have one more class to get through today, so back to your room you go." Chichiri yelped, looked at the few students entering the door and he stood, moving at a near run for the door to get to his class on time. Some students tittered at the typically calm teacher running in a hurry. Taka just shook his head in amusement and started to prep for this class, his last for the day and week.
Gen went back to her dorm, knowing her roommate had a class now and she could settle in for awhile in peace and quiet. She reached for her lap top and plugged in to the net, using wireless DSL as it was quicker then the school's connection. Plus her Everquest wouldn't play on dial up. That horrible thought just made her shudder. However, the world of Norrath was not her destination today. Today she was going to chat with friends. She glanced at the time, seeing she was 10 minutes late. Damn her sore throat, although she had seen Mitsukake. She just had to stop meeting her dream people, it was scaring her.
She logged onto a group that she had been part of for so long, one of a few friends back home and their friends from elsewhere. There were close to 20 of them and most were online waiting when she logged in. The all greeted her in a burst of hello's, a "Fuckin took ya long enough" which was Kouji and one "Go Away", which came from her younger brother, Tad.
The next hour was an enjoyable time spent talking with friends, her fingers flying over her keyboard as she talked in English about her experiences. However she made no mention of her dream people, other then to say her religion and science teacher was a HOTTIE. This was met with a round of surprised comments from the others, especially when they found out he was a guy. She never could get them to comprehend she was not a lesbian it would seem. Although Tad did say he wanted pictures fo the Hottie.
She was just telling them about becoming a tutor and going to the meeting tomorrow when Suki arrived in the room. She did not approach Gen, maybe it was that she was finally beginning to like her life and didn't want it threatened, or she just got it through her head that Gen didn't want to talk when she was doing other things, which was always. The girl just greeted her and sat down at her desk. Although Gen did notice the annoying curious looks that her roomie was giving her.
She continued to talk to her friends until, one by one, they all logged off claiming sleepiness as the reason.
After signing off with Tad and Kouji, who were the last to leave the chat room, Gen began to do her required reading. Why she was even required to take a conversational english course, she didn't know. But it was required of the cirriculum and she took it. It had to be her most boring and her easiest class, of course. She did that one first, reading the required material, laughing with amusement when it told her to repeat the phrases outloud for practice.
Laughing was to be her mistake. Suki, taking a chance, jumped on herlaughter and began to question her about what was so humorous. Gen took a few minutes to try and explain it, but it ended badly. Mostly with Gen yelling and putting her impressive cursing vocabulary to work before storming out of the room, light jacket in her hands.
Would that girl ever learn?
She burst from her dorm, pulling her jacket on as she went and stopped dead in her tracks. Ahead of her was Chichiri, Chiriko, Tamahome and Mitsukake. She stood still for about 20 seconds and then Tamahome moved slightly and the one that she had named Miaka was visible.
She had just decided to try and go quietly back inside, hoping they hadn't seen her when Chichiri looked right up at her, and said something. They all turned to look in her direction and she wanted to just run more then anything. Chiriko broke from the group and jogged lightly over to her.
"Hi, Genevieve. Are you well?" Gen gave a nod. "It's just Gen, Chiriko. And I am feeling better. Mitsukake helped me out." Chiriko nodded and looked back over his shoulder. He could tell from the way the others were watching them, and Miaka was bouncing from one foot to the next that they wanted Tasuki to join them. What the hell. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"
Gen looked between the two groups. "I don't know if they would want me to intrude. Thank you for asking." Chiriko felt a small panic. He wanted her to join them, he knew the others did also. Plus he wanted Chichiri to be happy again. He knew Tasuki would be the key to that happiness. "Oh come on, the others would want you to join too. Trust me." Gen looked at him and then against her better judgement, she agreed. Chiriko could almost feel the waves of happiness and excitement coming from Miaka as they approached the group. Chichiri looked like his dreams were about to come true, but the monk was quick to guard these from his face as Gen and Chiriko arrived at the group.
He started to make the introductions to Gen and she stopped him. "I know most of them Chiriko. Ri-sensei. Sukunami-sensei. Mitsukake and you must be Miaka." The others stared at Gen in surprise. They all felt hope surge in their souls and hearts that she remembered their miko. They didn't express this though, at least all but Miaka. The girl just launched herself at her last Seishi and hugged this new Tasuki for all she was worth.
Gen tried to not step back in surprise, really. And she really didn't realize that Chichiri was standing back there to catch her when she tripped slightly. Taka had grabbed his wife around the waist, pulling her back to him and Chichiri had caught his Tasuki in turn. Gen was very confused by the greeting given to her by this girl, but she took it in stride and something about this girl said that she did not deserve the usual irritation that Gen usually held for women in general and she immediately liked her.
The others had been watching for this it would seem, and a tense feeling evaporated when Gen smiled with friendship showing at the Miko. Gen was soon very comfortable with the group, a feeling she had never had with other people besides Kouji and her online friends.
Chichiri was trying his hardest to not stare at her, really he was. It was at this moment he wished he had his mask. And he wished for it with his whole being. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Sure, Tasuki ... Gen, was his student, but she was also the love of his life, and of his previous one. He didn't know if he could deal with this much longer. He loved Tasuki, that was all there was to it.
They were currently seated at a large table in a small restraunt that not many knew about. Keisuke was co-owner and they came here often. Maybe it was for the best that Gen was seated on his right, and not across from him. At least he didn't have to look up and see her each time. Next to her was Chiriko, with Mitsukake on his left followed by Taka and then Miaka across from Chichiri. The conversation had been very friendly and comfortable. Miaka, of course, was taking control of it, questioning Gen about her childhood. Chichiri forced himself back to the conversation at hand and had just started to get interested in it, and not just because he could listen to Gen's voice forever when an amused voice sounded from behind them. HOW THE HELL DID HE MISS THOSE TWO COMING IN, NO DA?
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? And we weren't invited? I'm very disappointed."
Gen froze slightly at the husky, seductive voice behind her. Looking up and back, she found her self face to face with Hotohori and a female Nuriko. Does this mean that Nuriko had always been a woman? This confused her a bit and her shock and confusion must have showed on her face. Nuriko's next statement was directed solely at Gen.
"What took ya so long, Tasuki?"
The flood gates opened.
(I do not own Everquest, it is owned by SOE (SOny Online Entertainment). Norrath is theirs too.)