Cat-chan: There! It's finished! 'Soooookaaaa!
Tsuzuki: What's finished?
Cat-chan: My masterpiece! -Tsu's eyes go wide at the sign Cat holds up-
Hisoka: What do you want?
Tsuzuki: Heh heh heh... -nervous- Cat-chan are you sure?
Cat-chan: Here ya go 'Soka! -plops down and sign on him-
Sign: Uber cute and sexy property of Tsuzuki Asato.
Cat-chan: Now no one can rape you 'cause you're claimed! It's the perfect plan!
Tsuzuki: -heart heart- Tee hee!
Hisoka: -blush and anger mark- YOU IDIOTS!
Cat & Tsu: Run awaaaay!
Chapter 10: When I was a child...
"Thank you, Tatsumi-san. Watari-san. I can go to Wakaba-chan's house now?" Setsuko asked, hope rising in her voice.
Two days had passed since the girl had awakened in the infirmary, she had been required to stay there until Watari was certain that she was well-rested and until Wakaba and Terazuma had their place ready. Tsuzuki had wanted to stay with the child during this time, but she persuaded him to go home and get some rest, plus he was wondering where his partner had run off to. None of them had seen the boy since he left the infirmary two days before. Luckily, Hisoka was found in the library, perfectly fine from what the others could see. Now the whole group, including Konoe who was filling Setsuko in with details about the Shokan division, was gathered in the room that she dwelled in.
The scientist winked at her, "Yep! As of today, you're officially discharged, chibi!"
"Yes! Sankyuu Watari-san!" the brown-eyed girl chirped, mimicking Tsuzuki's way of attempting "thank you" in English. "Anou, you know how I gave Tsu-chan a nickname? Well, I was wondering if I could give you all nicknames too, since I'll be staying here a while, that is. So, is that alright?"
Tatsumi pushed his glasses up his nose, "Well, I'd prefer if I kept a professional appearance, so Tatsumi-san will have to do."
She nodded to this, and to Terazuma as well, who demanded his name remain the same, "Alright. Umm, Wakaba-chan? I was wondering if I could call you onee-chan?"
"Ooooh!" Wakaba cooed happily, then glomped the child, "Of course! That's so kawaii! Can I call you Aka-chan then?"
"Uh huh, oh, Watari-san. Your first name is Yutaka, right? Well, I wanna call you Yuu-chan." she beamed, straightening her hair out of habit once Wakaba had released her. "Konoe-kachou, can I call you Tou-san? You seem likea father-type to me."
Both men said that they were fine with her calling them that, Watari even did a little dance that resulted with a smack from Tatsumi. "Behave. Set a good example." he had hissed at him.
"Ah! Hisoka, your nickname took a while to decide. I have decided though, that I wanna call you nii-san! Is that okay with you?" she tilted her head to the side, smiling at the blonde across the room.
Hisoka shrugged, "Sure. Whatever you want to call me is fine."
"Yay! 'Soka-chan has another really kawaii nickname!" Tsuzuki bounded over to his partner and hugged him around the waist, "Hooray for 'Soka!"
"Baka. Get off me." the boy pushed the man away, backing up slightly to avoid being glomped again. There's way too much glomping with all these people. he sighed, leaning against the door frame.
"Well, Aka-chan, are you ready to go and see our house?" the copper-haired girl asked the child.
"Hai!" Setsuko hopped off the bed she'd been sitting on, clothed in some new apparel. Yesterday, Wakaba had gone out to buy some new clothes for her since she only had one outfit and they were not sure if going to her house to pick some up was the right thing.
"Wow! Is this where you live onee-chan?" Setsuko looked around in awe, "It's so pretty and nice!"
Wakaba patted her on the head, "Yep, this is where Hajime-chan and I live. You too, when we're not on cases. Then you'll be staying with Tsuzuki-san."
"Huh?" she tilted her head to the side and peered up at the older girl with confusion.
"Oh! I guess they didn't tell you," the copper-haired girl smiled sheepishly, "Gomen. Anou, there will be times where Hajime-chan and I will have to go on cases, you know?" Setsuko nodded, "Well, you can't stay here alone then. So instead, it's been decided that you will stay with Tsuzuki-san when we go away. He and Hisoka-san don't go on many cases now anyway."
"Why not?" she asked, interested in this conversation.
Wakaba suddenly appeared flustered, "Oh, ha ha, silly Aka-chan! No reason at all really. Kyushu is just a slow sector. That's all. C'mon, I'll show you your room! It's this way."
As the older of the two started down the hall, Setsuko could not hide the puzzled frown that donned her face. Something was being hidden, and the child was curious as to what it was. However, she would wait. Following Wakaba, she skipped merrily down the hall to the room that would be hers for the time being.
A week passed by and the office steadily grew used to Setsuko's presence. She spent most of her time drawing pictures by Tsuzuki and Hisoka's desks while occasionally chatting with them, well, more like Tsuzuki, or she would help Wakaba in the kitchen. Tatsumi had started giving her little tasks that were at her level. She would be asked to deliver this to so-and-so or take that to whoever or let whatshisname know that this-and-that was happening. Pretty simple and it saved time. And according to Tatsumi, time was money.
When she wasn't following Wakaba around like a little duckling or hanging around Tsuzuki, Setsuko followed Hisoka to the library. He was aware that she followed him, but he didn't really care. As long as she didn't bother him, he was fine with her sitting a little ways away from her. She would just look at book covers, draw more pictures, or talk to the GuShoShin twins. They seemed to enjoy her company. They would tell her the meanings of books, what they were doing on their laptops, and she would tell them what she knew of her curse. They found it fascinating and she didn't seem to mind it. When Hisoka would leave though, she'd be right behind him.
One afternoon, two weeks from when she arrived, Setsuko gathered up the courage to sit closer to Hisoka's chair. Then very carefully, she got closer until she was right beside him. Once in that spot, she stood up, clutching a book in her hands.
"Nii-san?"
At first, it didn't occur to Hisoka that she was addressing him until she was in close proximity to him, "What is it?"
"Anou… can you read me a story?" she asked timidly, holding the book out to him, "Please?"
"Why me? Why not go ask the GuShoShin or Wakaba-chan or Tsuzuki?" he inquired, looking incredulous.
Mocha eyes averted to the floor, "Well, I, uhh… I just wanted you to. I mean, you're always reading, so I thought if you read me a story… we'd be doing something we both like. I haven't done anything with you yet, nii-san. So, will you?"
"I guess… but I don't think there are any children's books here." he pointed out, before looking down at the book Setsuko held.
She smiled, "The GuShoShin bought some books for me! They thought it would be nice for me to have something to read. This one is some folktales."
"Okay," he shrugged and took the book from her offering hand. "Which story do you want?"
"You can pick it nii-san!" she beamed, then crawled up onto his lap before he could protest.
Hisoka frowned, "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" she giggled, then realized he was serious and sobered up, "Oh, well, when Okaa-san read me stories she'd let me sit on her lap. So I guess I just assumed…"
The boy sighed, but gave in, "Alright, you can stay there."
"Thank you." she murmured shyly, then hesitantly leaned back into him as he opened the book. He flipped through the pages, then landed on a story that seemed relatively appropriate.
"Long ago there lived in Japan an old man whose name was Hamaguchi. His farmhouse stood on the edge of a plateau, a flat, open space on the side of a mountain. Behind, the mountain rose in lofty wooded peaks. In front, it sloped gently down to the sea. At the foot of the mountain along the shore was the little village, made up of a hundred or more thatched houses and a great temple.
"One afternoon in late summer Hamaguchi sat on the balcony of his house and watched the people in the village below. With him was his grandson, a lad of ten. The rice crop had been very fine, and the villagers were holding their harvest festival. All the shops were closed, and the streets were gaily decorated with ropes of straw and paper lanterns. The villagers in bright-colored clothing were about to join in the harvest dance.
"Beyond the village Hamaguchi could see the vast blue sea, wrinkling under the bright after noon sun. Suddenly there came a slight shock. The house rocked three or four times and then stood still. Hamaguchi had felt many earth quakes in his time, and he was not at all frightened until he looked toward the sea.
The water had become dark green and very rough. The tide had suddenly changed --- the sea was running swiftly away from the land! The villagers stopped their dancing, and ran to the shore to watch. None of them knew what this strange thing meant. But the old man on the mountain had seen one such sight as a little child. He knew what the sea would do. There was no time to send a message to the village, nor to ring the big bell in the temple, and yet the people must be warned.
""Yone!" he called to his little grandson. "Light a torch! Quick!"
"The boy was puzzled, but he asked no questions. He kindled the torch at once. The old man ran to the fields, where hundreds of rice stacks stood awaiting sale. It was all his wealth. He ran from one stack to another, applying the torch to each. The dry stalks caught fire quickly, and soon the red flames were shooting upward, and the smoke was rising in great columns to join the wind clouds in the sky.
"Yone ran after his grandfather, shouting and crying, "Grandfather! Grandfather! Why? Why are you setting fire to the rice?"
"The old man had no time to answer, but ran on, firing stack after stack. The high wind caught the sparks and loose brands and carried them farther, until the fields were all ablaze. The watcher in the temple saw the fire, and set the big bell booming, and the people turned from the sea to look. In Japan every one in the village must give help in time of fire. No sooner did the people see that Hamaguchi's rice stacks were on fire than they began to run. Like a swarm of ants they climbed the mountain --- young men and boys, women and girls, old folk, mothers with babies on their backs, even little children joined in the race to put out the fire. But when they reached the plateau, it was too late. The flames had already eaten the stacks of beautiful rice.
"It is too bad," the people exclaimed. "How did it happen?"
""Grandfather did it," cried Yone. "With a torch he set fire to the rice. He is mad."
"In amazement the people stared at Hamaguchi. "You did this thing !" they cried. "You set fire to the rice fields! "
""Look toward the sea," said the old man, "and know my purpose."
"The people turned and looked. Far out they saw a great wall of water sweeping toward them more swiftly than a bird flies. It was the returning sea! The people shrieked, but their voices were lost in a great sound, deeper than thunder, as the wall of water struck the side of the mountain. The hills shook, and were drenched in a great burst of foam.
"When the cloud of spray had disappeared, the people saw a wild sea raving over their village. Great angry waves seethed and tumbled above the house-tops. They rolled away roaring, tearing out houses and trees and great rocks, and bearing them off. Again the wall of water struck, and again and again, with less force each time. At last it fell back once more in its former bed.
"The people stood speechless on the side of the mountain. The village was gone; the temple was gone; the fields had been torn away. Nothing was left of their homes but a few straw roofs that floated on the water. But every man and woman and child was safe on the mountain side. Then the people knew why old Hamaguchi had set fire to the rice. There he stood among them, as poor as any. And they fell on their knees to thank him. Owari."(1)
Setsuko sat still for a moment, eyes closed in deep contemplation, then they opened and she beamed at Hisoka. "Hamaguchi-san sounds like Tsu-chan, doesn't he? Being nice to all those other people even though he lost all he had." Sadness flickered in her gaze momentarily, then she was hopping off the blonde, "Thank you nii-san. That was a good story."
"Hai, it was." he replied quietly, handing the book back to the girl. "Let me know if you want to read another story, okay?"
Setsuko blinked at him, clearly surprised by what he told her. He marked the place in his other book, then rose from his chair. "Let's go. That baka is probably taking a nap or eating."
"Okay nii-san!" she chirped, grasping his hand and walking with him to the exit. It was his turn to blink at the contact, at first he tried to pull away, but the pleading gaze she gave him left him relenting.
The two bid farewell to the GuShoShin, then made their way down the halls of JuOhCho. Setsuko seemed giddy, pleased with herself that she had succeeded in her effort to get a little closer with Hisoka, to bond with him. The empath on the other hand, was a bit preoccupied. What with having to maintain a strong shield against the emotions that came with the contact and trying to stay awake. He still wasn't getting much sleep.
"Aka-chan! Hisoka-san!" both looked up to see Wakaba coming their way, "Hello! I was wondering where you two went. Listen Aka-chan, you want to help me bake a cake? For the office."
Setsuko's face lit up with excitement, "Hai! Let's go onee-chan! Nii-san, you want to come too?"
"Ah, no, I should get back to the paperwork. Thanks anyway, though." he replied, before setting off once more towards his office.
Wakaba blinked, "Did Hisoka-san just say 'thanks'?"
Setsuko giggled and nodded, "Yup! Onee-chan, what kind of cake are we making?"
TBC
Notes:
1. This story was found at a website full of Japanese folktales.I have the site and will give to anyone interested in copyrights or whatever. 2. Aka-chan: baby
3. onee-chan: big sister
4. nii-san: big brother
5. Tou-san: father
Reviews! Yay!
1. ffpanda: It's okay, I'm just glad that you are still enjoying the story! Thanks so much!
2. DreamingToThis: Heh, well I'll keep posting the chapters as best as I can! Glad you like it, thanks for the review!
3. lunarkitty14: lol, yep yup! That's why I put a sign on him that makes him reserved for Tsu-chan. Thank you so much for the review!
4. Harriet: Well thank you! And yes, Hisoka is uber kawaii as is Tsuzuki! And Muraki... he's quite evil... I'm not sure how well I'm doing with him which is why he's not popping up as much. The review was very well written, not bad English at all!
5. Hazel-Beka: Yeah, well, I do look up random words in the dictionary when I'm bored so I thought: Someone will do that in one of my fanfics. It just seemed to suit him. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
6. Nana-Riiko: Yes, I was laughing so hard when I heard that word at school, I immediately thought Tsuzuki and Hisoka were necrophiliacs. lol. Isn't the anime awesome? I lub it so! And don't feel bad, I was pronouncing both Tsuzuki and Hisoka's names wrong for a while. i.e. Su-zoo-ki and I-sok-aa haha, I'd only heard Tsu says 'Soka's name and I didn't hear the "H" I felt so stupid afterward. Enough babbling, thanks for reviewing!