Miss Tohru's Dragon Butler
Chapter 3: Meisuke and Waiting
Meisuke hummed tunelessly to herself as she finished hanging up the laundry on the roof of her apartment building. She stood back and admired her handiwork before turning to the sky, smiling under the gentle sun. Her expression shifted to a frown, however, as she took note of the clouds coming in from a distance; a storm would arrive tonight, and all the laundry she had done would be for naught. Hopefully at least SOME of the clothes would be dry by the time Tohru returned from work, but she doubted it.
Meisuke reflected on the past few hours. Yes, Tohru was a strange person, and a bit immature, and CERTAINLY not sociable-how exactly DID she end up with a job at a maid cafe, again..?-, but she was a good one. Tohru was the type to try her hardest or not try at all with absolutely no middle ground, Meisuke could tell that much. After all, Tohru had tried to take her feelings into account, and had even go so far as to try and clean the house before Meisuke had noticed her absence. Plus, the silly, childish things Tohru did were... endearing. Cute, even.
Regardless, Tohru's relative cuteness wasn't the issue directly in front of her. The clothes took that spot. Shrugging in resignation, Meisuke decided to pursue the only course of action she could think of: phoning a friend. She didn't have many-Meisuke wasn't a particularly sociable individual herself, even in her own world-but she could think of at least a couple on whom she could rely.
Thus, Meisuke found herself walking back to Tohru's apartment, unfulfilled but firm in the purpose of getting the laundry done without it getting wet.
...
Thirty minutes. According to Tohru's kitchen clock, that was how long Meisuke had been standing in front of the landline. It wasn't that hard, really; the internet had already told her everything she needed to know about phones, and it wasn't exactly a difficult process once one understood it. However, she wasn't quite sure it was a good idea; she had her own reasons for not calling anyone back home, and she wasn't even sure anyone would know anything of any use. Dragons weren't exactly the poster-children of fashion or... well, clothing in general, really.
After a few more moments of indecision, Meisuke snatched up the phone and, using her magic, connected it to a friend of hers. This was for Tohru, damnit! She'd be damned if the bumbling woman would have to put up with soggy bedding!
Almost immediately, the call was answered.
"Meisuke? Is that you? Man, it's been ages! What've you been up to?"
The dragoness sighed in relief. She wasn't sure how her friend would take being called out of the blue, especially since she hadn't communicated with him recently, but he always seemed to be a lain-back, even-tempered guy.
"Heya, Makoto. Sorry I haven't been in touch lately; some crazy stuff's been going on."
Meisuke heard an interested humming from the other side of the line and deemed it an invitation to continue. She spent the next several minutes filling Makoto in on the details of the night before as well as the events of the day, finishing by asking, "So, what should I do? About the clothes, I mean."
Silence came from the other end of the line before Makoto finally responded, "Well, personally, I think you should just use magic to protect the clothes from the rain."
Meisuke sighed. This had been the response she had been expecting; it was just the perspective of a dragon, after all. It wasn't Makoto's fault if he missed the point.
"That's the thing," Meisuke responded, "I don't feel like it would be right to just use magic to solve problems... not in this world, at least. If I'm going to stay here, I think I ought to do things the old fashioned way: with hard work. I have my pride to think of, after all."
A moment passed. Then another. It almost seemed as though the line had gone dead and Makoto had left her behind. It was to her surprise, then, when Makoto finally asked, "Who are you doing this for, Meisuke?"
The dragoness was taken back by the question. It wasn't really something she considered-she had just assumed the answer was obvious. "Tohru, of course."
"Well," Makoto began, "How do you think she would want you to do it?"
Meisuke considered this question before replying. "Well, as long as it's done," she answered, "Tohru probably wouldn't ca-"
She stopped short. This was the advice she was looking for, she realized, and was exactly why she had chosen Makoto. He was right; Tohru was who the laundry was for and likely who a great many other things would be for moving forward. It didn't matter if her pride wanted to do it the 'right way'. She ought to have been doing it the 'Kobayashi Tohru' way from the start.
Meisuke smiled at this revelation. "Thanks, Makoto," she said, "that's exactly what I needed to hear."
Although she couldn't see his face, Meisuke swore she heard the smile in Makoto's voice as he said, "Anytime, Meisuke. It's what friends do, right?"
"Yep!" Meisuke affirmed. "I owe you one, really. Thanks again." She moved to hang up the phone and turn to the task Makoto had suggested when she heard a cough on the other side of the line.
"Something you wanted?" Meisuke asked as she returned the phone to her ear.
"Yes, actually," he responded. "I was just curious... do you think you'll enjoy living with this human?"
Meisuke considered his question, finally answering with determination and confidence, "Yeah, I think I will."
...
A pair of shady men stood before Tohru's front door, grinning maliciously at the entrance.
"Alright," the first said to the other, "I'm not really sure when the lady who owns this place will get back, so let's try to get this done quick."
"Yeah, yeah," the other responded as he wiggled a pair of lockpicks into the handle, "we'll be in in just a second."
Suddenly, the door unlocked. "Huh?" The second man wondered aloud. "But I didn't-"
"Nice job, guy!" The first man said, patting the second on his shoulder. "You were right when you said we'd be in a second! That's some fine handiwork right there!"
The second man started to protest, but was cut off when the door opened. There, standing in the doorway, was a redheaded woman in a formal suit, a strange complement to the run-of-the-mill beer can she carried.
"Y'know," the mysterious woman said, "I probably would've just scared you off gently if you had come at better time. However," she narrowed her eyes at the men, "you came right when I relaxing. Nearly spilled my beer thanks to you guys." She gently set the drink on the ground next to her and advanced on the men.
"Now? I'm feeling kind of irritable, and beating you guys seems like a GREAT way to work out my irritation." Meisuke's face warped into a malevolent grin.
It was at that moment the housebreakers realized they had messed up.
...
Kobayashi Tohru tried and failed to suppress a yawn as she wandered back home from the maid cafe. "Stupid Joui," she grumbled, "who does she think she is, nagging me like that!? I was only five minutes late! It's not like she's the manager or anything!" She would have kept up this grumbling for a good long while had she not stumbled across a rather odd sight.
Two men were sitting on the sidewalk outside of her apartment. Tohru would have labeled them 'shady characters' if not for three things: one, they were unconscious. Two, they were tied up, with a note reading 'arrest me!' taped to them. And three, they were covered in so many bumps, bruises, and lumps that she might have sworn they were textured globes instead of people.
After pausing for long enough to note a police car heading in the men's direction, Tohru decided she had seen enough and carried on to her apartment.
"Welcome back, Miss Tohru!" Meisuke greeted the woman with a smile on her face as she entered the home. "How was work?"
Tohru groaned, a nasty, rattling noise that sounded as though all life were leaving her body.
"That bad had, huh?"
Tohru could only muster a nod, collapsing onto the couch for a few moments before finally raising her head. "So... how were things here?"
Meisuke considered the question for a moment before finally answering, "It was pretty nice, all in all. Nothing really happened, though.
"Mmm," Tohru mumbled, "that's nice."
Tohru paused for a moment and, steeling herself for the response, finally asked, "Do you know what happened to those guys out front?"
Meisuke smiled, cracking open a beer can as she turned on the stove and began to prepare dinner.
"Not a clue."
Tohru shrugged, before her gaze wandered over to a fresh pile of clothing stacked neatly next to the laundry room.
"Oh! You did laundry today?" Tohru inquired.
"Yep."
Tohru thought about this answer for a moment, finally asking, "But didn't it rain earlier...?"
"Mmmhmm."
"So, wait," Tohru said, "how did you keep the clothes dry?" She paused, considering what had happened for a moment before her eyes lit up in excitement and a huge grin began to take shape on her face as she shot up from the couch. "Ooh! OOH! Did you use some sort of sky laser to smash all the clouds and let the sun in during the storm!?"
Meisuke sighed at this. "Of course not! Only an idiot would do something like that!" She declared. "It would attract WAY to much attention, and besides, a simple 'keep dry' spell-which is what I DID use, by the way-would work just as well."
Tohru shrugged. "That works, I guess," she replied. "A sky laser would have been cooler, though."
Perhaps, Meisuke considered, it would be best not to do things 100% the 'Kobayashi Tohru' way.
...
"Uwaaaah! Why is work so HAAAAARD!" Tohru complained as she began the trek back to her apartment. It had been a few weeks since Meisuke's arrival, and while Tohru's life at home significantly improved, her life at work...?
Well, that was another matter entirely.
"Whyyy?" She continued, dramatically throwing her hand against her forehead. "Why must life be so cruel to someone so adorableeee?" She had been voicing such complaints for a while now, and would likely have done so until she arrived at her apartment had she not been interrupted.
"Kobayashi Tohru."
Tohru turned to the source of the voice. Standing slightly off to the side was a pale, gloomy young man with stern, tired eyes, his long black hair tied into a loose ponytail. A pair of small glasses was perched on the bridge of his nose, and he wore a baggy white t-shirt and sweat pants that seemed to only accentuate his lanky, almost malnourished form. Tohru smiled at the newcomer. "Takeshi! What's up?" She said.
"According to social protocol regarding those who participate in the institution known as 'friendship'," the man began, "it is expected that said 'friends' occasionally engage in mutually enjoyable activities, one of which is to visit a local purveyor of liquor and partake in the substances available at his or her establishment."
Tohru considered his statement for a moment. "Oh!" she finally said. "You're asking if I want to go out drinking, right?"
Takeshi nodded. "This is a passable summary of my suggested course of action, yes."
Tohru smiled. "Well, in that case," she said, "I'm all for it! I just have to call someone real quick to-"
"Hey! Miss Tohru!" Tohru's face lit up as she turned to see Meisuke walking towards her.
"Meisuke!" She cried, leaping forward to hug the dragoness as she approached, whining a bit as Meisuke shook her off. "What are you doing here?" Tohru asked.
Meisuke shrugged. "I was done with all the house stuff and didn't really have anything to do, so I figured since you were getting done pretty soon I would come walk you home."
Tohru smiled, overjoyed that Meisuke would show her so much consideration, and began to say something in response when she was interrupted by a malevolent chuckling. Tohru and Meisuke turned to see the laughter was coming from Takeshi, a disturbing, unhinged smile plastered over his usual apathy.
"Finally!" He declared. "The understated style, the carefully selected color coordination, the casual yet refined posture!" Takeshi broke into outright maddened laughter (to the concern and discomfort of several passerby) before dramatically pointing at Meisuke, declaring, "Mysterious stranger... in you... in you, at last I find a worthy opponent!" He broke off into further maddened laughter.
Meisuke leaned over to Tohru and whispered, "So, uh... is he... um," Meisuke paused, searching for the right word, before awkwardly finishing, "Alright?"
Tohru sighed, rubbing her temples for a moment before replying, "Yeah... I didn't have a chance to mention this, but this is my friend Ooyama Takeshi." She sighed. "He's... really into butlers."
Meisuke chuckled at this explanation. "Huh." She smirked at Tohru. "And here I thought he meant 'rival for your love' or something."
Tohru blushed deeply. "As if!" She declared. "I don't think Takeshi's found another person he can like past toleration, much less love! And besides," Tohru paused, beginning to fidget on the spot as she gave Meisuke a meaningful glance, "There's not much to fight over; I already know who I like..."
Meisuke shrugged, before turning to the still-cackling Takeshi. "Eh... yeah, so I'm Kobayashi Meisuke, Tohru's butler." She gave a half-hearted bow. "Nice to meet you, I guess...?"
Takeshi paused mid-laugh and gave a much more enthusiastic bow. "I am Ooyama Takeshi. It is my most sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance." Takeshi paused, giving Meisuke a once-over before loudly declaring, "I've decided!" He dramatically pointed once more at Meisuke. "Kobayashi Meisuke, will you accompany Tohru and I as we go, as she puts it, 'out drinking' tonight!?"
Meisuke thought about it for a second, exchanging an uncertain glance with Tohru. Finally, Meisuke simply shrugged. "Yeah, sure," she said, "It sounds like it'll be kinda fun! But, uh, just Meisuke is fine."
Takeshi began to leer evilly. "The pact is sealed, then," he said. "Onto the bar!"
Tohru sighed. It was going to be a long night.
...
Tohru unsteadily lowered her glass, a pleasant flush beginning to color her cheeks, sighing in satisfaction. "That's exactly what I needed!" She declared.
Takeshi nodded as he similarly lowered his drink. "Indeed. This establishment serves passable refreshments. I will give my compliments to the management at the conclusion of our visit. A respectable course of action." His eyes darted towards the dragoness seated next to Tohru. "Wouldn't you agree, Meisuke?"
Meisuke shrugged, taking another long draw from her beer. "It's pretty good, yeah." She lowered her drink before continuing, "I kinda wish it were stronger, though. It just doesn't have the 'kick' I'm accustomed to, ya know?"
Takeshi grunted in displeasure. "Is that any way for a butler to speak, Meisuke?" He challenged.
Meisuke began to answer him when she suddenly found Tohru interrupting, shouting, "That's right!"
"Uh," Meisuke began uncertainly, "What's wrong, Miss Tohru...?"
Tohru puffed out her cheeks, clearly displeased in her inebriated state by Meisuke's behavior. "It's just not how a butler should talk, yeah?" She reached into her purse, producing a pair of round, swirly-lensed glasses and putting them on.
"Throughout history," she began, holding her finger up informatively, "the role of male house-servant has been occupied by a diverse set of figures and officers, each with their own title and specific responsibilities. However," she paused, taking a drink, "none do so with the same sophistication and reserved panache as the butler!"
Takeshi nodded along with Tohru, adding, "Indeed! Though the history of the butler is long and complex, the subtle intricacies evolved within the tradition are the absolute zenith of servant culture!" He paused, beginning to cry slightly as the alcohol he had began to take its toll. "Oh, if only I could be so gloriously humble and gracious as they!"
Meisuke awkwardly scratched her ear, unsure of how to handle this speech. Finally, something seemed to click, and with a small oh! she asked, "So, wait... does this mean you're both butler otaku?"
Suddenly, her field of view was taken up entirely by the two humans she had decided to accompany for a drink as the sprang into her face. "YES!" they declared in unison.
Meisuke sighed. It was going to be a long night, so she might as well make sure she didn't remember all of it. "Bartender!" She called. "I'd like another beer, please!"
"Us too!" The pair of otaku chorused.
Meisuke nodded in appreciation as she received the drink from the bartender before turning to Takeshi and Tohru. "So how did you two meet, anyway?" She asked.
Tohru paused, thinking about the question-quite a challenge, considering her current state. "Let's see... it was... hm..." She paused, pouting as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I think it was..." Suddenly, her eyes shot open. "Oh! I remember now!"
"Do tell." Meisuke invited, nodding to her.
"Okay!" She paused, thinking for a moment. "It all started about a year and a half ago..."
...
Tohru sighed as she stumbled back home after a particularly difficult shift at the maid cafe. Joui was being irritating as always, the customers were rude and grabby, and she wasn't going to be paid overtime even though she wasn't supposed to work that night!
"Aaaaaaaah!" She whined. "What a waste of a Friday night!" It was her own fault, really; she could have just turned her manager down. However, whenever she did that... her manager just had a way of making you feel like you were kicking a puppy when you didn't give her what she wanted. "Why must life be so cruel to someone so adorableeeeeee?"
"Miss Maid."
Tohru nearly fell, surprised by the sudden call. She turned to its source, finding a bleak-faced young man with small spectacles on his nose and black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Tohru glanced to her left and right, trying to determine if the man was talking to her, finally simply pointing to herself uncertainly.
"Yes, ma'am, you." The man approached her, reaching into his pocket. Tohru assumed a defensive stance, easing into a more relaxed posture only when the man produced a wallet from his pocket. Her wallet.
"Wha...?" Tohru exclaimed. "How'd you get this!?"
The man, unfazed, explained, "You dropped it as you were leaving the maid cafe."
Tohru considered this. She recalled feeling as though she had left something at the store, but didn't recall actually dropping her wallet. Then again, if she had, she wouldn't need someone else to return it. "Oh!" She said after a slightly awkward silence, taking back her wallet. "Thank you so much, mister...?" She glanced up from her wallet, only to realize that her lucky helper had already begun to walk away. "Hey! Wait up!" she cried.
The man paused, glancing over his shoulder at Tohru with disinterest. "What do you want?" He asked.
"To thank you for returning my wallet!" Tohru cried. "What else?"
The man shrugged. "I'm afraid I couldn't care less, ma'am."
Tohru sighed. "Alright, I think we got off on the wrong foot." She extended her hand to the man. "My name is Kobyashi Tohru."
The man glared at her outstretched hand, before finally bowing low at her instead. "My name is Takeshi Ooyama." He glared up a Tohru from his bow. "And I have no interest in maids."
"Wha...?" Tohru mumbled. "But weren't you just at the maid cafe? Otherwise, how did you get my wallet...?"
Takeshi rose from his bow, nodding. "While it is correct that I dined at your maid cafe tonight, and in fact have been doing so every Friday night for the past several years," he said, "it is not out of interest in maids."
"Then why?" Tohru asked, exasperated at this odd man's behavior.
"Because," he declared, dramatically throwing his fist into the air, "I am after... the FULL OTAKU LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE!"
"Is that supposed to look cool or something...?" Tohru muttered.
Takeshi turned once more to Tohru. "I have no interest in maids, this is true. However," he said, "Maid Cafes are an important facet of Otaku culture! Thus, I visit a maid cafe and dine there every Friday Night to ensure I am getting the proper experiences."
Tohru considered this. Now that she thought about it, she could vaguely recalled his weekly appearances at the cafe. He was always there Friday nights, like he said, and had never actually appeared to enjoy the experience. He would simply sit in silence and snarl at the wait staff when they tried to talk to him. They WOULD have disliked him as a result, but... to be honest, he was otherwise polite, quiet, paid his bill, tipped well, and had never harassed anyone in the store. In fact, he would occasionally shout at OTHER customers for harassment.
"Well," Tohru said, "what do you like, then?"
Takeshi smirked, raising his hands to the heavens. "What else? The symbol of refinement, grace, masculine elegance! The epitome of decency and culture! I am an otaku for butlers!"
Takeshi paused, turning to Tohru as she stood stock still, rooted to the spot. "Is something wrong, Miss Kobayashi?" he asked, a small frown displacing his grin.
Tohru slowly reached for her purse, withdrawing a pair of round glasses with swirls on the lenses. "Butlers, you say...?"
...
"Huh," Meisuke muttered as Tohru's story came to a close. "And that's how you guys became friends? By geeking out over butlers?"
"Pretty muuuuuuuch," Tohru agreed as she began to pass out under the influence of perhaps one too many beers. Soon, her light snoring could be heard throughout the bar.
Meisuke shrugged, turning to Takeshi. "Well," she said, "As interesting as that story was, I think it took Tohru out with it. It's about time I get her home." Takeshi nodded, a light blush from the drinks dusting his cheeks as well, and he stood up to help Meisuke get Tohru out of the building.
Outside, Meisuke had a glance around her, ensuring that nobody else was around before turning to Takeshi. She smiled at the man, saying, "Thanks for the help. She might not look it, but Tohru can be super heavy, y'know?"
The man simply nodded in response, familiar with the task of helping Tohru home.
Meisuke sighed, looking at the sky for a moment and smiling as she realized how dark and clear it was. "Listen, you seem like a good guy and the apartment's kind of a long way from here, so..." She brought a finger to her lips with a wink. "You can keep a secret, right?"
Takeshi merely nodded again.
"Alright then!" Meisuke said with a smirk. "Stand back!"
Takeshi looked on in wonder as, with a flash of light, Meisuke unfurled her dragon form. After marveling for a moment, he shrugged and helped situate Tohru on her back.
"You're taking this surprisingly well," Meisuke noted.
Takeshi shrugged. "You are Tohru's butler, and she has good taste. I doubt she would settle for any less than the best." He gave a small, knowing grin. "Though she does seem to have some... esoteric inclinations."
Meisuke laughed as she began to take off. "That she does."
***End of Chapter 3***
A/N: I decided there wasn't enough Koboozeyashi going on in the last chapter, so I upped it just a TEENSY bit here. Ah well, I thought it was fun. ALSO, THANK YOU for reading this story! I normally hate the *my first fanfiction/first on this site* A/Ns, but it really is and I want to make it clear how blown away I am that anyone cares about this story enough to read it! So THANK YOU!
Also, this chapter ran waaaaaaaaaaay longer than I was expecting.
Also also, this site has some weird things with formatting for documents I hadn't noticed until I was rereading everything for errors on the site itself, rather than in the program I normally read and write in. Sorry for not noticing sooner, but honestly, they were some WEIRD glitches!