Fruits Basket:
Chapter 4
Giving one final frustrated sigh, Alicia gave up trying to sleep, she looked at her watch.
"It's only 6!" She exclaimed to herself, only an hour had pasted since her the last time she'd woken up. Letting her arm fall limp she battled with herself on if she should get up, or try again. Realizing that no matter how many times she tried, there wasn't going to be anymore sleep coming out of her. No matter how hard or long she tried. So pushing back the covers from one of the spare futons Kazu-san had, she pulled on her socks and got up. She hated wondering around other people's hoses, but she really had to use the bathroom and since Kazu-san hadn't told her where it was last night she was left to snooping for it.
Alicia put her ear up to the door next to her listening to see if anyone was in it, when she didn't hear anything she opened the door.
"Strike one." She muttered as she moved on to the next door, about five doors down from the first door she finally found the bathroom, happy to see that it wasn't a whole in the ground Alicia did what she needed to do. Soon though, she realized she wasn't equipped with the proper stuff for an over night stay. So she took some toothpaste and put it on her finger using that as her toothbrush, the pulling her ponytail holder off her wrist she finger combed her hair and pulled it into a messy bun.
"Whelp," she muttered. "That's as good as it's going to get." She gave a fake toothy grin and moved on from that room. The next thing she needed to find was the kitchen, maybe if she was lucky she could cook Kazu-san something too.
Surprisingly Kazu-san was already up, sitting at the low to the floor table drinking coffee and reading the paper. "Good morning," he smiled.
"Oh good morning." She said a little awkwardly, as she bowed and stood there.
"You can make some breakfast ya' know."
"Right," Alicia smiled with a nod and went to go start making her breakfast; which was just some toast with jam and butter on it with a cup of milk.
Sitting down across from Kazu-san she happily started chopping down on the food. After a while she sat there and looked at the paper that Kazu-san had finished reading. Then another thing clicked, she could read, speak and understand Japanese!
"Holy crap," she muttered as she looked over what the paper was saying.
"Yes the fish market is a very astonishing place." Kazu-san smiled, Alicia had been looking over the article about the fish market.
Giving him a smile she pointed to the paper. "May I see it?"
"Of course help your self. And you do realize that you can have more then some toast right?"
"Yes thank you, but I'm full." She said as she looked over the paper she read over everything not leaving anything going unnoticed, Japanese newspapers where so much more interesting then American papers with little characters all over the place.
About an hour later Alicia sat the paper down and smiled. "Anything good in the paper?" Kazu-san joked.
"Oh so you think your funny now?" She smiled.
"Good morning Kazu-san, Alicia-chan," Tohru smiled as she walked in with Yukie and Kyo.
"Good morning everyone." Kazu-san smiled. "Are you here to take her away already?"
"Hu?" Alicia asked.
"Tohru-chan, Yuki-san, and Kyo-san have volunteered to take you shopping." Kazu-san smiled.
"What shopping what for?" She asked.
"Well you don't wanna be in those same clothes for ever do you?" Kazu-san asked.
"Besides you need stuff like toothbrush, a hair brush…other things…" Tohru said.
"Oh god you're ain't going to turn into my mother are you?" Alicia whined.
"Hey you never said anything about "other things"," Kyo said.
"Relax that's why Tohru invited Uo-chan and Hana-chan." Yukie said as he hit Kyo over the head.
"Come on, they're waiting for us at Hachiko Plaza."
Alicia got up and then stopped. "That's the place with the dog right?"
"Yeah," Tohru nodded.
"Cool!" Alicia smiled as she slipped on her shoes and followed Tohru. "Kazu-san do you want me to pick up anything while I'm out?"
"Nope, just have fun." He smiled and waved them off.
Everyone meet up at Hachiko Plaza then headed to The Takashimaya Times Square, one of Tokyo's largest indoor malls.
"Alright I think it's time to eat!" Uo-chan smiled pointing to a nearby restaurant.
"Oh god bless you, Uo-chan." Yukie muttered as he dragged himself to a booth. "Come on Kyo," Yukie called as he looked back at Kyo.
"Is it against the law for girls to carry their OWN bags!" Kyo asked. "Tohru-chan's and Alicia-chan's bags I don't mind, considering they only have two and Alicia-chan is the reason we're here," he muttered. "BUT DAMN IT UO-CHAN CARRY YOUR OWN DAMN BAGS!" Kyo yelled.
Alicia walked up to Kyo and took her bags. "Better?" She asked.
"Yeah, but you didn't have to take your bags. I don't mind those." He muttered.
Everyone ordered food and just talked. Alicia felt right at home, but she still couldn't believe she was sitting with the Fruba characters it was just too hard to believe, but it was too hard not to believe it, because here she was laughing at Kyo with Uo-chan.
"Are you girls almost done?" Kyo complained, for the 6th time.
"Uo-chan, I'm tired too, and I think I got enough stuff to last the rest of the year." Alicia laughed lifting up the bags that she had lined up her arms.
"Alright, but is there anything you can think of before we stop all together?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.
Alicia started to think when something shinny and sharp caught her eyes. She quickly crossed the way and looked into the window that was displaying a Yumi daikyu. (A/N; Yumi is a style of Japanese archery, and daikyu is the Yumi longbow. Google it if you don't understand)
"Oh my god," she muttered rushing inside and asking to see it. Once it was in her hands it felt like it was made to be there. "Do you realize how hard it is to find such a beautifully made daikyu in America?" She asked as she tested out the bow by pulling the string back.
The store man smiled. "That's because my family has been making bows and arrows for over 500 generations. Our family takes great pride in making our bows" He smiled.
"It's beautiful, your family should great pride, an art of crafty any weapon is a dying craft." She smiled as she let her finger tips trace every curve of the wood. Alicia smiled as she held out the bow in her hands and bowed her head.
"You know, not many people, Japanese or other wise, take notice of the art and quality of the way a weapon is made." He smiled rubbing his chin. "I can tell by the way you move, you where an archer in a past life where you not?" He asked rushing back behind the counter.
"Not that I know of, unless one of my ancestors took it up as a very secret hobby." She said thoughtfully.
"Interesting," he muttered looking over a chart. "What is your surname girl?" He asked.
"Hashimoto," She said. "It was my father's surname, why?" She asked as all of her friend's faces fell.
The store man smiled up at her. "It just so happens that Hashimoto is the surname of one of Japan's finest archers." He smiled pointing to the list.
"Oh wow, creepy." She said.
"Creepy? What you mean creepy! It's an honor!"
"Well it's creepy that I would love archery so much and share the same surname as one of Japan's greatest archers." Again everyone's faces fell and they all kinda laughed.