Fruits Basket- After the Anime
Chapter 2-Smudged Charcoal Memories
-Talon here. Sorry if this is taking a while to upload, or if it turns out that I end up uploading about 5 chapters at once. has been giving me issues lately… sigh Oh well. BTW, I'm writing these at, like, three in the morning. So if I skip words, or double type something… Sorry. I usually reread it, but I'm known to miss things like that. squee I'm having SO much fun writing this!!! I really hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it! Enjoy!-
Izumi sat up groggily. "Mmm… Hari-chan..?" she murmured, rubbing the sleep from her dark olive eyes. She looked around the room. It was rather plain… A large bed with pink linens was beside her, and the door leading to the balcony was open, revealing the mild fall day. "Oh, yes. I stayed in Tohru's room last night. I live here now…" Izumi said the words as if she had not processed this thought yet. She tilted her head to the side, still staring outside. After a moment, she got to her feet and changed into a white tank top and khaki capris. She ran a lazy comb through her hair before going downstairs. A cheerful Tohru greeted her.
"Good morning! How did you sleep?" she asked.
"Me? Fine… Thank you." Izumi paused. "Er-- How did you sleep, Tohru-san?"
"Oh, fine! Thank you SO much for asking!" The girl smiled and blushed, as if Izumi had paid her a compliment. "Oh, right, I made breakfast a while ago. I saved some for you!"
"Thank you very much, but I've never really been one for breakfasts, to be honest. Tell me when you start lunch, and I'll help you. I tend to combine breakfast and lunch, so I eat more than your average person…" She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. She appreciated what Tohru was doing, she just never ate breakfast.
"Oh, okay! I'll remember for next time. We shouldn't be having lunch for a while, and I have to go to the store. Oh, but don't worry! Yuki already offered to go with me, so you can stay here and unpack some more! Leave it to me!" Izumi smiled.
"I can see why Hari-chan likes you so much… Can you tell me where I might find Shi-chan? Shigure?"
"Huh? Oh. He's probably in his office, writing. You know where it is?"
"Yes, thank you, Tohru-san. I'll see you later!" Izumi waved once and turned in search of Shigure. She knocked lightly, and after the answer came that it was okay for her to go in, the girl slid the door open. "Hey, Shi-chan. Do you have some paper I can use? Not rice paper or anything like that. I don't want to do an ink drawing, but you know, paper." Izumi fidgeted. "No, that sounded weird—"
"Not to worry, my dear, I know what you mean." Shigure reached under his desk and sifted through a stack of different sized, grained, and weighted paper. "One of these is bound to meet you needs," he said cheerfully.
"Shi-chan, you bought these specifically for me," Izumi accused. Shigure laughed, ignoring it. Izumi sighed, smiling thinly. She flipped through until she found the right paper. "Thank you very much, Shi-chan." She rested a brief hand on his head before letting it slide away as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"That sister of Hari's… She's really something," Shigure said to himself before continuing work on his writing.
Izumi went back upstairs to the room she had shared with Tohru, and dug around in a suitcase for a minute or so until she found what she had been looking for—a charcoal drawing kit, which included vine and compressed charcoal, as well as charcoal pencils and a kneaded eraser. She pushed all the other things in the suitcase to the side to remove a board from the bottom. Using clips, she secured the paper to the board and promptly made her way to the roof. The girl sighed as a breath of air gently pushed her hair away from her face. Izumi gazed around at her surroundings. She decided to draw facing the sun, and incorporate it into the sketch. She had finished the sky and was just adding the treetops when an enraged Kyo began noisily making his own way to the roof. Izumi put her tools down and waited for the ill-tempered cat to make his way up.
"That damn Yuki, I swear one day I'm gonna—"
"Going to what?" Izumi asked coolly. Kyo yelped and nearly fell, taking a moment to scramble up onto stable ground.
"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!" he ordered. "What are you doing here?!"
"I live here, too," she reminded the cat. "And if you must know, I thought I would take in some of the scenery. See?" She held up the charcoal drawing by the edges, careful not to smudge the delicate lines and strokes.
Kyo blinked. "It's okay I guess…" he muttered uninterestedly. "What you need in there is some action. Like there." He pointed to a spot, his finger a few inches from the paper. Izumi tensed, eying his hand. "What if you added a couple of birds, fighting each other to the death for the right to take worms from the ground below?? Now THAT would be interesting!! And here—" he pointed "—and here—" this time he actually touched the paper "—some nice big blood splat-OOF!" Kyo was knocked off balance as Izumi swiftly rabbit-punched his face. "THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" he cried.
Izumi glared. "You smudged it. Now I'll have to erase, and draw that part all over again…" Her gaze sharpened even more. "And if you REALLY want blood splattered, I'd be SO very happy to oblige…" Izumi gently put the board down and walked slowly toward Kyo.
"Just forget it!! I didn't mean to smudge the damn thing, okay?! It was an accident, geeze…" Kyo made a face and left. Sure, he wanted to sulk on the roof. But he did that to avoid confrontation. He made Izumi mad, and he didn't really want to fight her at the moment. He'd try again later when she'd calmed down.
"…" Izumi looked down at her drawing. What Kyo had smudged was actually a section she had planned on smudging anyway. "…Maybe I overreacted?" she wondered aloud. She thought about it for a short moment before shrugging it off and working on her piece again.
:-:-:
"Damn, what's her problem?!" Kyo complained, heading toward the kitchen for something to eat. "I mean, seriously. It was an accident, and only a fingerprint, at that… Geeze…" He sighed, not expecting anyone to be in the kitchen when he went under the cloth hanging in the doorway.
"Oh, Kyo!!" Tohru stopped short and scurried away from him. "See?! I'm being alert when I'm alone, just like you told me to! And a good thing, too, otherwise we might have bumped into each other, and then you'd be a cat, and you'd be upset, and, and… um… Hi." Tohru blushed, knowing Kyo usually didn't like it when she rambled like that. Kyo stood still, wide-eyed, watching her.
"Y-You really don't have to worry too much about that while we're at home—"
"Oh, no!! I know you don't like being transformed, and you DID tell me to be alert… Uh, was that not right?" Sometimes, Kyo confused her. He was moody and often said things he didn't mean.
"No, I just…" Kyo rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Oh, forget it. It doesn't matter. Not really." Tohru blinked. Kyo looked away, making a face. "I know, I know, I'm an idiot! But… you CAN relax at home. Just sayin'."
"Oh… Well—" Tohru was cut off by a shrill whistling. "THE TEA!!! I FORGOT ABOUT THE TEA!!!" She groaned and sharply turned to grab the kettle off the stove across the room, but slipped on the floor.
"Hey, look out!" Kyo made a dive for Tohru, to catch her. He did, but ended up transforming in a cloud of orange smoke with a loud POOF. His clothes lay empty on the floor, and he himself was crushed underneath Tohru. "…"
The girl quickly got off him, crying. "I am SO sorry!!" she apologized. "I'm so clumsy, I—I should have paid more attention! I'm sorry, oh, I'm so sorry!"
Kyo sat up and shook his head before facing her. "It's okay… You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who chose to try to catch you, after all…" In his mind, Kyo was freaking out. Why do I keep DOING that?! I've done it before, and I know I'll transform, so WHY?! Idiot! He shook his head again, trying to clear it. "Er… I'm going to leave so when I change back I'm not—"POOF"—naked." Tohru screamed, turning around and covering her eyes. Kyo sighed. "Sorry. Guess it's a little late…" He picked his clothes up and went to leave but ran into Shigure.
"OH! Kyo, you pervert! What were you doing in the kitchen with Tohru-kun like that?! You're disgusting!" Shigure teased.
"MORON! She slipped, and I— Well, I transformed, and then I changed back! You know!! Ugh, sometimes I want to hurt you…" Kyo promptly left, slipping into the nearest empty room for some privacy.
"Oh, my… I believe I've made him angry!" Shigure laughed. Tohru, still red with embarrassment, went and took the kettle off the burner and poured the steaming liquid into cups. She sighed. One day, she might not look away in time, and then… MENTALLY SCARRED FOR LIFE.
"Uh… Shigure, I'm going to take my tea upstairs and do some cleaning, if that's okay. If you see Kyo, feel free to tell him where I am, or if you get hungry, well, you know where to find me…" Tohru stammered.
"Of course, of course…" Shigure waved a carefree hand, smiling. "You don't have to ask permission, you're very welcome to take anything you like upstairs!"
"Oh! Thank you, Shigure!" Tohru gave him one of her joyous smiles and handed him his tea before going upstairs. In truth, Tohru wanted to do some studying for a test; not that it was something to hide, she just didn't want Shigure to offer to… "help".
:-:-:
Izumi, lacking breakfast but also lacking the appetite for an entire meal, decided to raid the kitchen for snacks. She spied the rice cooker and decided to see what sort of ingredients she could add to a rice ball. Let's see, she thought. Oh, there's pickled plums in here! Great, I'll use those. Quickly, and a bit sloppily, Izumi fashioned herself a snack. She was just finishing the last of what she'd made when Yuki came in.
"Miss Honda?" he asked in his soft voice as he entered the kitchen. He was holding an armful of leeks.
"No. Sorry to disappoint you. I've been on the roof for a while, and she was gone when I came down." Izumi studied Yuki thoughtfully. After Kyo had upset her and she'd reacted with that punch, the girl was wondering if maybe she wanted a duel. And Yuki was better than Kyo. She'd seen him fight a few times before, and came to realize that this was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. "Oi, Yu-Yu. What say you we have ourselves a battle?"
"…'Yu-Yu'?" Yuki made a face, but let it go more or less. "Honestly, you sound like that stupid cat. Don't tell me you have a grudge against me, too?"
"Oh, nothing like that. I'm just curious as to what it'd be like to fight you, is all. I've seen you, and… You seem skilled enough." Izumi grew thoughtful. "Then again, you've never seen me, so it'd be a bit unfair…"
"No. Maybe it would be interesting. I haven't fought anyone other than Kyo in a while. I could use practice." Yuki smiled thinly. In but a few moments, the two were outside and taking up positions to lead to an honorable spar. Kyo, who had of course made his way to the roof, could see this. It sparked his interest, and he got closer to the edge for a better look.
"Oh… I hope they're not angry with each other…" he heard Tohru fret below him. Kyo nimbly leapt onto the balcony beside her.
"Nah. If they were pissed, they wouldn't be stretching and smiling like that. They're just doing it friendly like," Kyo explained.
"AAAAHH!!!! OH, KYO! You startled me!" Tohru exclaimed. "Still, I'm glad they're not really having a disagreement."
"Eh… Still, it should be entertaining to watch. Who d'you think will win? My money's on Yuki. Then again, it'd be nice to see him get his ass kicked for once…" Kyo remarked.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly say…" Tohru's voice faded as the spar began.
:-:-:
Yuki lunged at Izumi, swiping a chop at her ribs. She pushed his hand away easily and landed a her elbow heavily in the middle of his spine. Yuki winced and threw his elbow up at her, forcing her away and keeping her from doing more damage. Izumi, deciding to try something, came at Yuki head on with a punch. Yuki, seeing this move many-a time from Kyo, raised his foot for a devastating kick to the face. Izumi stopped dead, leaning backward.
"No way! That would have sent me flying for feet!!!! Why's SHE still standing?!!" Kyo shouted in disbelief. Tohru had her eyes covered, not caring for violence.
Yuki's eyes widened. His foot… It hadn't hit anything at all. Izumi grabbed his foot around the arch. She smirked, not a bruise on her face. "I see you still favor that move. You're so predictable, Yuki." Almost viciously, she used his poor one-legged balance to her advantage and tossed him to the ground. Yuki ignored the growing pain in his back and got up. Yuki decided to get serious; he wouldn't hold back anymore. Yuki was very fast, and that would be handy now. He couldn't let that stupid cat watch him lose…
"I didn't think it would be an advantage that you'd seen me fight before… I guess I was wrong. I'll just have to… Mix things up a bit." Yuki darted in zigzags and odd angles at Izumi, successfully landing a right hook. He was surprised to find that she smiled.
"Oh, I see… Intimidate with speed, right? Yuki, what you don't realize is that you pull away too quickly and eliminate about half of the force behind your hits. I barely felt that! Really, that couldn't have knocked out a puppy!" Izumi faced him, serious. "Come on! Really hit me. I can take it. Or throw it back at you. Depends on if you do it right." She raised her hand, signaling for him to come at her. Yuki scowled. He was being treated like a student. He was a black belt, damn it! He didn't need a lesson. He lunged low, intending to kick Izumi's knees from beneath her. He didn't have to. Izumi dropped flat to the ground just as Yuki kicked; it went right over her. She grabbed his ankle and pulled him straight into her fist. He put his guard up in time, but it didn't change that she was still besting him. The two made their ways to their feet, hopping away from each other to assess and regroup. The hit Izumi had strategically placed early on was beginning to cause pain in the surrounding muscles. Yuki put on his bravest face and pretended he was fine. Then Izumi did something strange…
She sat down on the ground, placing a hand on each knee. "I surrender," she said calmly, as if it didn't bother her that she had been winning.
Both Yuki and Kyo stared at her in disbelief. "WHAT?!?!"
"I give up. I surrender. What's so hard to comprehend?" She got up and dusted herself. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck. "I haven't done this in forever… Aha! I'm sore all over!" Izumi smiled. Kyo was hanging over the railing, unable to believe what was happening.
"But Miss Izumi, you were winning… If you'd hit me like that again, then you would have won…" Yuki stammered. Never had he had a sparring partner just… Give up.
Izumi smiled and winked. "Uh-huh. Just like you said. And I could have easily done just that. Except…" She cast a glance at Tohru. "I can name at least one person who would have been upset had I actually successfully landed that last blow you mentioned. I didn't want to do that. The feelings of others are much more important than personal revenge, or pride." This she said while looking at Kyo. Then she turned back to Yuki. "You understand me, don't you?"
"…I think I do." Yuki looked down. He knew his and Kyo's fighting upset Miss Honda, but he'd never done anything to check his shortness with Kyo for her sake. Neither had Kyo, but who could blame him? He was just a stupid cat, after all… But Yuki himself… There was no excuse. "I… I refuse to accept your surrender. Don't try to argue. I don't care how you phrase it, or what excuses you use, Miss Izumi, but I have no right to call that a victory." Without a gap, Yuki called up to Tohru, "Miss Honda, you said you wanted to go shopping today. Why don't we leave now?"
"O-Oh, but Yuki, aren't you hurt?! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you—"
"Who cares if he gets hurt? Let him do what he wants…" Kyo said dully, turning back inside. Tohru thought for a moment, then ran downstairs to put her shoes on.
"Have fun, you two. Oh, and don't worry about lunch. I'll scrape up what's there and make something out of it." Izumi gave Tohru a reassuring smile as she left with Yuki. Once they were out of sight, Izumi sighed and cracked her knuckles. "Cooking… Cooking… When's the last time I tried cooking?" She couldn't remember, but strode confidently into the kitchen nonetheless, ready to make an edible meal.
:-:-:
-GUESS WHO FOUND FRUBA MANGA ONLINE?! xD Yes, ME! I'm into volume 5. It's not very far, considering the series is about 23 volumes, but I think it's a decent progress. Even though it shares many details and whatnot with the anime, there are some important scenes the anime leaves out. So, I'm trying my very hardest to make sure this whatchamathingy is accurate for all y'all kiddies. Please, leave reviews. I want suggestions, should I come up with writers' block. Er… At least it wouldn't be Shi-chan-style writers' block. ; -