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Author Topic: Neighbours [20/10 - Episode 7: Motto Aishite Hoshii no]  (Read 40992 times)

Offline rokun

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
« Reply #20 on: January 30, 2013, 08:36:29 PM »
Somehow Reina and Kuduu cousins makes a good bit of sense :lol: Ah it's nice to see more Kuduu... although I think now that Reina and Sayu are "gay and living together", they should just adopt Kuduu. XD I think that'd be hilarious. XD .......but unlikely I'd guess, lol.

I nailed Fuku-chan right away of course when they were coming out of the alley, although I was a little confused at the sequence of actions there. ^^; It seemed like Kuduu was still holding onto Fuku-chan when the cop came... I guess cause Fuku-chan doesn't look like a troublemaker they let her go? XD Anyhow, I just wasn't expecting a S/mileage member to pop up, lol, though I should have known better with you.

I'm enjoying the continuation of the character introduction (with the main Sayu-Reina thread keeping up...) ^_^

Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
« Reply #21 on: January 31, 2013, 11:38:00 AM »
I'm back guys! :D Quick update with a missing scene. XD

@rndy: Duu and Reina as cousins :3 Makes sense, no? And good guess, Takechan and Fukuchan are indeed doing some kind of bucket list. :lol: More shenanigans will ensue at appropriate times. :3 Also, you'll see what happened at the police station that I left out of the chapter proper, hehe. :3

@Slack: Lol, actually, the message was from Duu in the advice corner. But it does sound pretty ambiguous, yes? XD I'm not really sure if this fic counts as present-day slash fic, I kind of see it more as a sitcom with gay characters...quite a few of them. Of course, that's not all there is, and not everyone is gay here, honest. It only just so happens my main cast is. :lol: Glad you like the supporting cast that have been introduced though, because most of the lulz will be coming from their interactions with the main cast, hehe. I quite enjoy Sayu's advice show too, it's dead useful as a bridging device and I enjoy weaving connections. As for Riho's mysterious admirer, I have a couple of ideas but it really isn't set in stone yet. I enjoy leaving openings for myself because things are always changing in the real world and I would love to see if the future throws up more possibilities at me. :3 Glad you picked up the little things I slipped in though! It makes me feel appreciated when people pick up the little jokes I put in there, hehe. And thanks for correcting me on the Take-chan thing! I'm still picking up S/mileage as characters so I'm not overtly familiar with them as I am with the MM girls. Appreciate any corrections as necessary :D

Robyn: Tanashige is awesome even if they're apart. :P AiGaki isn't so bad lol...we haven't officially met Gaki here yet so you'll see why she's so dense. :P And yup Ishiyoshi for the win, though I felt sad having to cancel their dinner date....oh well, time enough for that! You'll see what really happened at the police station!

Shiawase_Honoo: Yup I love dense people. It's funny as hell. XD Appearances can be deceiving~ But yes, you'll definitely be seeing more of S/mileage ever since I've started to gain a bit more interest in them. XD Hope you like!

rokun: I enjoy seeing Kuduu around too. World needs more 9/10kies in general. XD And I agree, Reina and Sayu should just adopt Duu, though it's unlikely...but eh! Nice idea. I might just use it. ;) And yes, Duu was still holding on to Fukuchan when the cop came. I imagine the scenario went something like this:

~*~
"Ouch, that hurt...thanks..."

Haruka was pulled to her feet by a surprisingly firm grip, and when she stood up she was eye to eye with a pretty girl. The girl looked sweet and innocent, her wavy long hair cascading down to her shoulders and teasing at her simple one piece dress. There was a peculiarly magnetic aura that simply made you want to stare at her, though the girl in question seemed wholly oblivious to it.

Haruka was staring, she couldn't help it. She knew it was a bit rude, but it was as if the girl had cast a spell on her, and a few seconds passed with them standing wordlessly on the pavement. Then a whistle cut through the air.

"Hold it Kudou! What are you doing to that girl?! Release her!"


Huh? Haruka blinked, turning around to see a patrol officer on his bicycle screech to a stop beside them. What was the man talking about? She hadn't had time to respond before the cop's gaze strayed to the defaced wall beyond them.

"Did you do that?!"

"What? NO!" Haruka defended herself vehemently, her grip tightening unknowingly on the strange girl's arm, making her wince. The officer saw the movement and scowled.

"That's it brat, you're coming back to the station with me."

"What? Wait, I didn't do anything! Hey!"

~*~
 Something like that :lol: Poor Duu. So misunderstood. :lol: Glad you like it though!


Ok here comes the missing scene at the police station.... :D

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

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Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
« Reply #22 on: January 31, 2013, 11:50:17 AM »
Missing Scene #1: Chotto Matte Kudasai!


"Eto...Tanaka-neechan?"

"Who's this?"

"Kudou Haruka, your cousin?"

"Oh! Little Haru! I haven't seen you since the last family gathering. What's up?"

"Um...I kind of need your help with something..."


When your little cousin asks you for help with something, you do not usually expect to be bailing them out of police custody. Reina had to suppress a familiar shudder as she stepped through the revolving glass doors into the aging precinct building. How many years has it been since she last came to this place? Long ago, yet not long enough.

Kudou Haruka was her second cousin on her mother's side, and while their families weren't particularly close, their grandmother usually insisted on seeing the whole extended family at least once a year, and so Reina had known of little Haru. 10 years younger than she was, but she had taken a small liking to the brat who sort of reminded her of herself at that age. Reina used to run around playing with the boys when she was a kid too, so she understood the girl's feelings.

Seeing her little cousin was a bit of a shock after 2 years. They had exchanged numbers at the last gathering 2 years ago, and Haru had been tiny then. Reina was not a big person herself, a fact that her girlfriend loved to pieces, and it was comforting that her cousin was even shorter. Time and puberty had changed that though, and now Haruka towered over her, at least physically. There was something sheepish in her manner as the teen waved at her and smiled awkwardly. Reina hid a grin. Reunions were not best undertaken in such a place.

"You the guardian? You look kind of familiar..." The squat and balding officer squinted at Reina suspiciously. The singer had come straight off from work, where she had been recording some tracks with her band members, so she was dressed semi-casually by her standards. Semi-casually by Tanaka Reina standards was still fairly dressed up by most normal people's standards, and she had gone for a slightly punk rock look to match with her younger band members today. The skull-and-crossbones design along with her silver accessories and ripped jeans did not project the most wholesome look, she knew, though her overcoat hid most of that fact. Removing her customary shades, Reina scowled at the police officer out of habit before returning her attention to her cousin. Haruka was now tall and tanned with fairly wide shoulders, and Reina vaguely remembered that her cousin was on the swim team. Her boyishly short hair paired with a lime green and black patterned hoodie and ash-grey jeans gave the 15 year old an edgy, rebellious look.

Reina smirked. The kid looked surly and irritable at the officer next to her. Reina remembered looking much the same when she was her age. Difference being, Haruka had at least not dyed her hair, whereas Reina had gone blond even before she was actually allowed to at school. Still, there was no mistaking the resemblance between the two cousins, at least in outward appearance and aura.

"I'm here to pick her up and bring her home." Reina said curtly, careful to mind her manners but keeping everything short and to the point. She didn't like police stations or the donut-eating officers there. They used to love making her life miserable back when she was still an adolescent, if only because she looked like a delinquent...which she kind of was, but she was never the troublemaking kind. The only kind of delinquency she practiced on a regular basis then was truancy, and even then that was only because she was sneaking off with her crew for jamming sessions. Reina had known for the longest time that she loved music and school was just a distraction for her. Years on she was living her dream, though admittedly she had made mistakes along the way and done a few things she hadn't been proud of, but at least now she had a career and something of a reputation in the industry. Hard won and hard earned.

"Who are you to this kid?" The old man was really annoying, and Reina glared coldly at him.

"I'm her cousin. You can look it up in the family registry if you need to." Calm and coldly confident, that was Reina. She held her chin up proudly and folded her arms, and did not miss the admiring look her cousin shot her. Haruka had trailed along behind her pretty often back when Reina used to attend the family gatherings, but Reina hadn't been back with her family in a while, and only kept in regular contact with her younger brother, who was in high school now if she remembered correctly. She made a mental note to buy the lad a birthday present soon. The date was coming up, and Reina doted on her baby brother even if they used to argue all the time back when they were kids.

The man grunted, jerking his head to indicate that they should follow him inside. Reina and Haruka exchanged a glance; they might not have met in person for 2 years, but kinship of a different kind connected them.

I didn't do it.

I know.


Once out of sight of all and sundry, the officer launched into a lengthy rant about everything Haruka had apparently been up to. Halfway through the tirade, Reina masked a yawn with one hand and raised an eyebrow at her cousin, and Haruka bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. They were of similar humours, the two of them, and this unexpected reunion simply drove home their apparent similarities.

"Delinquents are a plague on society and need to be given a firm hand." The old man seemed to be quite vehement about it. He was studying Reina with a disapproving look. Reina ignored it. She might not be in a traditionally respected profession, but she was gainfully employed and certainly not up to anything illegal or shameful.

"I understand. I'll keep an eye on her." Reina lied blandly through her teeth. Well, not quite. She had been soundly surprised to have Haruka call her of all people for help. The Kudou side of the family definitely had not liked her and her yankii image, believing it to be a bad influence on their own children. That had not stopped Haruka from trailing her around like a lost puppy every time the kids were left to their own devices at family gatherings. Reina had not been chummy with children, but she hadn't been overtly hostile either. Family was family, after all.

The officer seemed a bit deflated by Reina's lack of challenge to his words. What was he expecting, her to argue with him? Defend her cousin maybe? Reina knew firsthand that arguing with lawmen did no good when they were convinced you were up to no good. They couldn't do anything to you without evidence, but you had best not give them any reason to rag on you any longer than they were allowed to. The only way to prove them wrong was simply not to take the bait and let time prove you right. Of course, this was something she learned much, much later in life, and sometimes she wished she had the sense to hold her tongue back when she was a rash adolescent. Oh well, some things couldn't be taken back, no matter how much she wished it to be so.

"I'll need you to sign the release forms here and here." The man said grumpily, pushing the papers and a cheap ballpoint pen that Reina recognized from her youth. Damn, they hadn't even updated the brand they used here, she thought to herself, and signed off the forms with a flourish. It felt a little strange to be doing this for someone else. Usually it was her mother who had to come redeem her from custody back in the good old days.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my cousin home. It's getting late." Reina said coolly, ready to leave this dingy hole of a place. Haruka's sneakers squeaked on the tile as the younger girl trailed close behind her. Sometimes it felt like some things never changed.

"Ah, you're that Tanaka? I knew you looked familiar!" Reina paused in her footsteps, angling her head around to raise an eyebrow at the balding policeman, who was now eyeing her with open suspicion. Reina twitched. She never paid much attention to the officers who brought her in with tiresome regularity, and ten years was long enough to change some people. Not Reina of course, she still looked almost identical to her 15 year old self, save the fact that she now had short hair to her long then, and pink streaks instead of blond on brown. Sometimes she still got carded trying to buy alcohol at places, which was both immensely flattering and highly annoying at the same time.

"What?" Reina growled. Haruka was looking quizzically between her older cousin and the fat man, smartly not saying anything but openly curious in any case. The policeman was looking between the two cousins as well, and nodded as if confirming a theory to himself.

"I wondered why I hadn't seen you since my senpai retired from the precinct all those years ago. Watch that Tanaka brat, he used to say to me. Always getting into trouble and I had to haul you and your gang in all the time..."

Reina stared blankly at him, then mentally pictured the man with less of a gut and more hair. A lightbulb went off in her head, and she snapped her fingers in recollection.

"Oh! You're the one that Miya always left in the dust when you tried to catch us!" Reina nodded to herself. She always used to get caught due to her lack of speed, but since they could never find anything incriminating on her, they had had to let her go eventually. She studied the older man with a new light. The years had not been kind to him. He had more wrinkles and a bigger beer belly than before, plus a receding hairline that he carefully concealed with judicious trimming and combing.

Haruka gaped at her cousin. Well, that was something she had not known about the woman. Her mother was always saying that Reina was trouble, but never went into detail in case it gave her own children any ideas. Not that it helped her eldest daughter stay out of police custody in the end. Haruka had no idea why they loved to target her in the first place. If she had but asked, Reina would probably have told her that it came down to bad luck and poor timing, plus horrible PR and image issues. The older girl had once been in the exact same position before.

Officer Degawa (yes, that was his name, Reina finally cared enough to remember) did not look happy at the reminder. He had been a mid-level officer back when Reina was still getting her ass hauled in for delinquency. It had come to the point where Reina was personally acquainted with all the active duty officers at the precinct, such was her natural charm. They were always suspicious of her of course, but they could never charge her with anything.

"I was wondering why you suddenly disappeared back then, and now you're here in my precinct." He stressed the word 'my', as if to reinforce the fact that he was in charge here now. Reina shrugged. It didn't matter to her. 5 years ago she had left her hometown and signed on to a record company, and work kept her busy enough that she never really returned except for family events. It was a bit of a surprise to move into Tokyo suburbs and find a familiar, if unwelcome face. Degawa must have moved up the ranks to get this posting. Well, it mattered little to her in any case.

"So? I have every right to be here. If you'll excuse me, it's a school night and my cousin really ought to go home." Reina couldn't care less about the bristling self-importance of an aging, overweight policeman. Her stomach rumbled quietly at the same time. Yes, it was past dinner time and she should probably get Haruka fed before sending the kid home.

Degawa was still looking between Haruka and Reina. Age old paranoia plus a deep seated suspicion that all delinquents never changed their spots prompted the following statement.

"I knew it! You must have disappeared to raise a kid! There's no other reason!"

Reina twitched spastically. Haruka choked on air, a raspy chuckle emerging from her throat. The teen turned aside and clapped her hands to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. That was it, the old man had to be senile. This was just golden!

"The brat's an exact copy of you! I bet you don't even know who the father is, do you?"

Haruka was losing it. Her shoulders shook and short barks of what passed for laughter came in trembling waves as she tried hard to control herself. Reina had a vein popping in her forehead as she grabbed her cousin by the arm and turned on her heel. She didn't have to stay and be insulted, for god's sake!

"Not a word from you, kid." Reina growled under her breath. Haruka took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. Funniest thing that had ever happened today. It almost made everything she went through worth it. Reina, for her part, was insulted on more than one level, but mostly her thoughts revolved around:

Do I look old enough to HAVE a kid?

To calm her nerves, Reina reached for her phone and pressed the speed dial for Sayu's number. She wanted very much to hear her girlfriend's voice, even though she told herself that she just needed to let Sayu know that she would be back late because she was picking her cousin up.

"Sayu? Mm, I'll be back late today, met up with my cousin just now. I need to send the kid home, so don't wait up for me...ha, I know. I will. I'll see you soon."

Turning to her curious cousin, Reina replaced her shades out of habit and tugged the kid along.

"Now why don't you tell me all about what happened over dinner?"

"Hai...Tanaka-neechan..."

============================================================


Ehehehehe. I enjoyed this a lot. XD

Oh, and here's a short omake:


~*~

"So that's what happened. Geez, the nerve of that old man!"

Sayu tried very hard to keep from laughing out loud. She failed. In between guffaws she looked between Haruka and Reina, and then in tears she said:

"You two do look alike..." More laughing, then Sayu straightened and put on her most wounded expression.

"Reina, how could you?! I thought you loved me!"

"Oi! Not you too!"

~*~

:lol:
« Last Edit: February 01, 2013, 09:22:51 PM by Estrea »

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
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Offline Slack

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
« Reply #23 on: January 31, 2013, 12:10:21 PM »
Huh. So Kuduu was the one asking for advice. I guess I just registered "short hair", "ikemen", and "cousin" and assumed it was Take-chan. You can tell Take-chan really does admire her cousin a lot though. She always lists Maimi as her most admired member, after all.

As for the ways all the members address each other, I saw a Google doc spreadsheet recently that showed the names each member used for the others, including several of the trainees. I don't have the link at the moment, but that might be something you may want to keep around in case you want accuracy for a more obscure member's means of addressing the others.

Hmmm so Miya and Reina got in trouble together, eh? I wonder if some others of the Tanaka Gundan will show up...
( ・e・) :heart: marimari  ● 川o・-・) :heart: Jabronisaur :heart: (・o_・`川 ● ノノl∂_∂'ル :heart: ChrNo ● Never Forget.

Offline Shiawase_Honoo

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
« Reply #24 on: January 31, 2013, 06:19:49 PM »
One of the best omake. rolfed.
Duu and Tanasa-tan are lovely cousin. >w<
Maybe adding Maa-chan for Duu and Tanasa-tan after this would be fun. XD

About S/mileage, I love them! Not as much as Morning Musume, but still love them. Maybe some of my researches can help you.
My oshi-mem in S/mileage are Kanyon, Kananan and Rinapu~. >w<)
« Last Edit: January 31, 2013, 06:25:46 PM by Shiawase_Honoo »

Offline Kuji

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
« Reply #25 on: January 31, 2013, 06:24:08 PM »
Ohohoho...

The adventure of (not really) Duu is hilarious. Poor thing, being judged on looks... though if she's gonna take advantage of her looks to get Valentines choco, then she has to suck up the bad parts of it too. XD Of course, thanks to my "backstage pass" I knew the cousin was Duu but still awesome to see how it goes from the I-sensei letter to the actual call (from jail no less!).

lol, thanks for using my line for Charmy... obviously I complain a lot of how the youngin's are ruining society because I'm an old auntie now.  :sweatdrop:

Fuku effect is amazing. It is just like the movies how some pretty dame totally sets up some dope to take the fall, using her feminine wiles... only, you know... she did it without knowing... kinda. Close enough.

I lol'd at Reina calling Duu "little" Haru. XD Who's the little one now?

Can't wait to see more of the cast... like Phoebe. ;D

Offline XxRoByNxX78

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
« Reply #26 on: January 31, 2013, 07:04:08 PM »
Lol the years truely havnt been kind to that police man huh

 :lol: :lol: Reina having a kid does she look like she is old enough the girl looks like she is highschool still  lol

I love that Reina coudnt care less about the police man and that she use to skip classes just to rock out ahahah

I wannna know more of Tanashige's past

and lol Sayu at the end go little bunny ahahah

Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2013, 08:08:43 PM »
Look, I'm back! XD

Slack: Yeah I have a sheet where they list how all the MM and Berryz members address each other privately, but I'm short of C-ute and S/mileage...well, always time to learn! If you can find the link, I'd be very grateful! As for Tanaka Gundan...well, we'll see, won't we? XD

Shiawase: Omakes are great :D I enjoyed linking Duu with Tanasa-tan too~ Maachan will show up eventually, never fear. XD And I'd be grateful for any information you can provide on S/mileage members! :D

Kuji: Hope you woke up in time for work! You can read this tomorrow :P And yes, the adventures of Duu is great. XD I hope you enjoy this chapter too ;w; You already had a sneak preview anyway :lol: Phoebe huh? XD I'll see what I can do!

Robyn: Yoohoo! Nice to see you again. :D Not much Tanashige this chapter but I'll do my best to fulfill your curiosity! :D


Ok time to edit and post~

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
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Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2013, 08:19:24 PM »
Episode 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie


And we come to the last letter for today! It's from iroiro_tsuma-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! It's my first time writing in and it makes me a bit embarrassed somehow, especially at my age, but I really hope you can help me with a problem I have. Lately my child has been giving me problems and I really want to discuss it with my husband, but he's away for work and won't even come back for a weekend to hear me out. I'm starting to wonder if he has someone else on the side and is cheating on me! How do I convince him to listen and make sure he's not cheating on me?  I'm really at my wits end and really need some advice! Help me I-sensei!

Uwaaa this is quite a different problem from my usual! First, I would like to thank iroiro_tsuma-san for listening to my program! This is a very serious matter and I'm honoured that you are asking me for advice! Let's see now...

~*~*~

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

A hand smashed into the alarm clock, nearly knocking it off the table. Bleary eyes blinked in the gloom, and a messy mop of hair wriggled out from under the covers. The glowing hands and numerals on the face of the slightly abused alarm clock proclaimed it to be 6 in the morning, and its owner yawned as he stumbled out of bed.

"Ohayo..." The lanky boy muttered to the empty room, rubbing at his eyes as he made his way to the bathroom. On the way he almost tripped on a discarded jacket on the floor, and made a mental note to himself to tidy up the house later in the day.

After freshening up, the boy did a fist pump, his reflection mirroring the action with a smug grin.

"Yosh! Ganbatte-ikuta!"

First stop, the kitchen. A new note magnet-ed to the fridge drew his attention when he went to take ingredients from it.

Erio,

Papa has to go Saitama for a case. I won't be back for a few days so don't worry about making dinner for me. Papa has a couple of leads on some ongoing cases in town too, can you help me follow up on them while I'm away? I've left money for expenses on the counter along with the case files. Yoroshikuta!

Papa


A folder and a manila envelope rested on the kitchen counter. Expertly balancing the ingredients taken from the fridge, Ikuta Erio started making his bento for school. Nothing fancy, just egg rolls, meatballs and rice. No vegetables either, just the way he liked it. His mother in heaven would have been displeased, but since he was the master of the kitchen, no one could force him to eat icky veggies. Nya nya nya!

A good half hour later, he was mostly done. Preparation work from the night before totally paid off in this case! Packing it neatly into a box, Erio washed up quickly and set the utensils to dry. When he was finally done, he reached for the folder and sat down at the tiny dining table with a glass of milk and natto with raw egg on rice -- his breakfast.

"Hmm...a missing persons case. Gotta meet with an informer huh, I can do that." He muttered to himself. He skimmed through the rest of the case notes. His father's messy handwriting was decipherable probably only to him, since he did grow up with it. He took another gulp of milk and swallowed.

"Oh, this one's interesting...not many leads huh...Papa's already stopped by the police station. Hm, interesting. I'll have to ask around...and aw crap! I'm running late!"

Hastily depositing his bowls in the sink, Erio quickly packed up and got changed, ready to leave for school. Today was going to be a busy day too!

~*~*~

"Atchoo!"

Iikubo Haruna sneezed for the umpteenth time that day. Morning lectures had been absolutely miserable. Her nose was runny and red, and the rest of her was kind of pale, despite her slightly bronzed skin. She sniffled helplessly into a tissue. She really ought not to have stayed up so late...

"Maybe I better call in sick...I can't go to work like this..." Haruna muttered to herself, flipping out her cellphone as she walked down the long hallways of the faculty building. Even though the weather was already warming up, she was still bundled up heavily due to her illness. That and, lecture halls were always cold, regardless of season. At least in winter she had an excuse to wear overcoats!

"Better text around to see if anyone can cover my shift...maybe Ikuta-kun?"

Rounding out of the faculty building, Haruna was so focused on her text message that she didn't quite pay attention to what was ahead of her. When she reached the bottom of the steps leading down to the main history section, she quite unfortunately bumped into someone.

"Ah! Sumimasen!" There was a loud clatter as items went flying. Haruna herself landed on her bum, woozy from her cold. She blinked in confusion at the easel next to her, then looked over at where another figure was buried under an armful of canvases.

"Are you alright?" Haruna scrambled to her feet and tried to help the fallen person up. The girl groaned.

"Ah...I'm fine...AH! My canvases! Are they alright?"

The mystery girl checked on her precious cargo...which was still in her arms. Haruna didn't know if she should smile or giggle. She chose instead to pick up the fallen easel and bag, dusting them off while resisting the urge to sneeze again.

"Here you go, I'm so sorry for bumping into you..." Haruna apologized to the stranger, who was just a bit taller than her when she finally stood up. Her hair was dark and long, and curly at the ends. Haruna couldn't help but notice that the girl had really long legs. I wish mine were that long too!

"Mm, it's fine. No harm done." The girl smiled brilliantly, then cocked her head to one side. "You look familiar, weren't you in Professor Iwata's class last semester?"

Haruna blinked. "Oh, you mean the one on Art History? Yes, I took it as an extra credit class...oh! You were there too! You did a presentation on Viénot, I remember now!"

"And you did yours on Vermeer, if I'm not wrong. I enjoyed your analysis on his style and the contrast between the different periods in which his works were done despite the social upheaval in those times. It was very well researched."

Haruna blushed. "Thank you. It really wasn't that good... You did a really good job with Viénot though, ah...how may I address you?"

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Wada Ayaka, 2nd year in Art. I specialize in oil-based and water colour paintings. Nice to meet you."

The girl sketched a small bow, made somewhat awkward by the fact that she was still trying to keep a hold on not only her canvases, but bag and easel as well. Instinctively, Haruna reached out and took the easel from the girl, if only to keep her from dropping everything else.

"Thanks. I was trying to make it to the art building..."

"Oh! I'll walk you there then, you look like you need help." Haruna volunteered immediately. Thank goodness she had a free period. "My name is Iikubo Haruna by the way. 2nd year in History, specializing in Archaeology. It's really nice to meet you, Wada-san...ah--atchoo!"

"Oh dear, have you caught a cold?" Ayaka looked at her in concern, and Haruna nodded ruefully as they made their way across the courtyard towards the art building.

"I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night, but I really wanted to catch the meteor shower and fell asleep on the roof afterwards..."

"Oh! The Arietids right? I was up for that too!"

"Eh!? Wada-san likes astronomical observations too?"

"Mm! I look at the stars every night and pick out the constellations where I can!"

"Ohhhh! I do that too! Did you catch the solar eclipse 2 months ago?"

"Yes! It was only an annular though...the last total eclipse was 5 years ago. We won't see another in Japan for another 20 years..."

"Wow, you're really knowledgeable! No one else I know understands why I get up at strange hours to see these things!"

"I know right! But it's just so interesting! And do you know..."

The conversation continued unabated. If you had not known the girls previously, you would have thought them friends for years, not simply mere acquaintances. By the time they reached the art building, they were chatting like best friends.

"I have to go to class now..." Ayaka apologized as they halted in front of a studio. She smiled at her new friend. "It was really nice talking to you."

"It was really nice talking to you too." Haruna replied, handing the easel back to Ayaka and reaching to open the door to the studio for her. The art student stumbled through with thanks, and Haruna turned to leave with a smile on her face.

"Wait!" A minute later, a voice called out from behind her. Haruna turned.

Ayaka was jogging up to her, phone in hand. The art student seemed a little sheepish.

"The professor's not in yet." She said by way of explanation. The taller girl looked almost shy as she looked at Haruna.

"I was planning to go to the exhibition at the planetarium this weekend, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?"

"The meteorite collection right? I was planning to go alone, but I'd be delighted to go with you!" Haruna gushed. Truly, a woman after her own heart!

They exchanged contact details, and would have chatted more had Ayaka not spotted her incoming professor from behind Haruna. Waving a hasty goodbye, the art student ran back to the studio with a bemused Haruna staring after her. This was turning out to be a wonderful day after all!

Then she sneezed. Oh right. She had to find a replacement for herself at work. Did Ikuta-kun reply yet? As if on cue, her phone beeped.

"Oh good, Ikuta-kun can cover for me! Now, to call Kamei-san..."

~*~*~

"Since I don't have to make dinner for Papa tonight, I might as well work huh? Lucky~" Erio hummed to himself as he tucked the envelope he just received from one of his father's informers into his bag. School was out, and he was already busy on her phone, fingers tapping rapidly on the screen as he texted different people consecutively.

Papa Ikuta was a former detective who went into business for himself, setting up his own private eye business following the passing of his wife several years ago. He did it mostly to give himself more flexibility to care for his son, who was still in elementary school at the time. As a single father, raising a child alone was not the easiest thing to do, and everyone at the station had understood his resignation at the time. Fortunately, Erio turned out to be quite capable, and indeed, one could argue that the son had wound up taking care of the father instead. At the tender age of ten, Erio was already learning how to take on the bulk of the household chores in order to spare his father from worrying about it (and him).

Given his former links to law enforcement, Papa Ikuta was quite well set up with contacts both on the legal and not-so-legal side. That helped with his private eye business, and within a few years he managed to drum up a certain amount of reputation. As his business expanded, he started becoming more selective about his cases due to the piling workload...a workload that eventually his son started sharing if only because the boy helped him file his cases away and had in the process picked up quite the curious streak. He could not be sure when he started unofficially training his son in the business, but as it turned out, Erio appeared to have quite a gift for sniffing out leads and networking with people. The boy had always seemed to be able to befriend anyone and everyone, a talent a good detective could build on. Before Papa Ikuta knew it, he was already capitalizing on his son's unexpected talents, sending him on minor errands that were quite safe, if only for the kid to build experience.

Erio enjoyed the challenge of it. Tracing leads and putting things together was a fun task. Most of the time he ended up dealing with smaller cases like missing pets, and his father paid him a case-by-case wage (which doubled as his allowance). It taught him to be self-sufficient, and he often held several part-time jobs when he had time to spare, since he did not want to be a burden on his father. Occasionally Papa Ikuta left Erio to follow up leads on smaller cases while he tackled the more urgent ones, like right now.

Erio grinned. Knowing people was a great thing. He had contacts of his own that even his father didn't have, mostly because he was in high school, and high school kids had their own network of information, albeit in limited circles. That interesting case his father left him just got more interesting, since he just noticed a possible link from some message boards frequented by high school students. How awesome would it be if he cracked a case without Papa's help? He would be so proud!

With that in mind, Erio whistled merrily as he started off towards the nearest supermarket. Time for some grocery shopping in the meantime. Never a moment to lose!

~*~*~

First things first, iroiro_tsuma-san...I hope it's not pretentious of me to say so, but trust your husband! He could really be busy with work. Maybe if it's difficult to say over the phone, send him an email about your concerns over your child? It's probably best not to accuse him of having an affair without proof in any case, and it might strain your relationship if you said anything rash. My boyfriend is often away for work too, and I learned that I had to trust him even though he's always around pretty girls at work. It's not easy, I understand, but do give him the benefit of the doubt!

Put your case to him clearly and make sure he knows that it's about your child. He could have been tired when you communicated with him the first time, and didn't pay enough attention to you. Don't worry excessively! It's probably the stress from worrying over your child that affected you as well. I hope that everything goes well for you, iroiro_tsuma-san. Good luck!


"So, you get jealous of the girls at work?"

"Well, Reina's always around cute girls. I mean, I'm the cutest and all, but what if you get tempted?"

"Pssht. So full of yourself!"

"You know you love me~"

"Yeah, whatever. Pretty girls, though...huh."

"Well, you did bring one home the other day...what else was I supposed to think?"

"Dammit Sayu, that's my cousin! My very underage cousin! Don't smirk like that, it gives me the creeps!"

"Pity she's all dressed up like a boy though. She has such a cute face! Ah~ If only I could have my way with her~"

"Hentai."

============================================================================


Hurrrr. Eripon centered chapter, with side focus on Harunan and introduction of Dawa! :D Wink wink nudge nudge. :P Did some research on meteor showers and eclipses and artists because I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM. Sorry if I got anything wrong, pulling shit out of my ass is what I do. XD Oh, if you wiki Arietids you can get a general timeframe for when the events are set as well~ I do things very deliberately sometimes. :D

Probably only Kuji will know who the I-sensei corner was about/from. XD To everyone else, yay private eye. :D I love Eripon! And herhis Papa too! :lol:

Not enough Tanashige, I admit. Hope that last bit in the end suffices for now~

Lalala~


P.S. So the title is Uwaki na Honey Pie. I giggled when I thought of it. For more than one reason. Honey~~~~

:lol:
« Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 07:09:36 PM by Estrea »

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2013, 09:33:40 PM »
I have no clue who the I-sensei corner was about. :sweatdrop: But, but Eripon, yay~! I always love how you portray your characters, Eripon the private eye's daughter/protegee is so much win. And the non-sequitur from DawaHaruna was cute

Of course, gotta end with a bit of Tanashige, I love their relationship.


Offline Slack

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
« Reply #30 on: February 18, 2013, 01:02:25 AM »
Slack: Yeah I have a sheet where they list how all the MM and Berryz members address each other privately, but I'm short of C-ute and S/mileage...well, always time to learn! If you can find the link, I'd be very grateful!

Aha, found it.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AnYQCS8c5Y36dEVqaTlQV1V5MXM1ZmFCT3JOY2xzQUE
( ・e・) :heart: marimari  ● 川o・-・) :heart: Jabronisaur :heart: (・o_・`川 ● ノノl∂_∂'ル :heart: ChrNo ● Never Forget.

Offline Shiawase_Honoo

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
« Reply #31 on: February 18, 2013, 04:06:11 PM »
Wow~~~~! Quite a chap.! :wub:
Eripon, high-school student privated detective :inlove:

AyaHaru, the Lovey-Dovey of the year. XD
Just two of them, no one can understand what they are saying any. :lol:


PS. A person who have same ability (Friendly with any and everyone) as Eripon in S/mileage is Kananan. Also, she doesn't even had a fear of reptiles.
She usually makes colded atmosphere because of her Osaka-style humour sense. (5 members in S/mileage except herself were born in Kanto region.)
Kananan herself like to make fun, and little bit evil joke, but no harm. She just love laughing. :lol:

PPS. If you want to know more about S/mileage, you can contact me personally.

PPPS. I ROLFed so hard because of Rinapu~'s trolling. If I don't know her this much, I would end up with just jaw dropped. :rofl:

Darling~~ />w<)/
XD
« Last Edit: February 18, 2013, 06:15:01 PM by Shiawase_Honoo »

Offline H!PShipper

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
« Reply #32 on: February 18, 2013, 05:42:31 PM »
Lmao pedo sayu XD
Detective Eripon
And Iikubo wada Rubu!!
But I can't for the love of me figure out who the heck the message is from. Im thinking it might be someone we haven't been introduced to yet, and its not really their husband but girlfriend, just like sayu calls reina her Boyfriend. I donno lol btw ive been lurking for a couple weeks but I'll try to comment from now on ^^

Offline XxRoByNxX78

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
« Reply #33 on: February 21, 2013, 05:35:16 PM »
Sayu has great advice lol but who knew behind that cute face was a giant perv lol Reina better contain her  :lol: not much tanashige in this chap but i forgive you lol jelly Sayu is funny tho and Reina's cousin best be carefull around her and detective Eripon lol update soon

Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
« Reply #34 on: February 25, 2013, 03:40:38 PM »
I'M BACK. Wow, this took a long time to write. The chapter, I mean. Been working at it in bits and pieces for the last couple of days. XD

rndy: It's ok rndy, all will be revealed in time ohohoho. Eripon is awesome, I know. XD I love Tanashige too!

Slack: Thanks for the chart! And watch as I proceed to ignore it in the next chapter BUT WITH GOOD REASON. :3 XD

Shiawase: Haha yup Eripon is amazing. And nope, AyaHaru is always in their own love-love world. :lol: I'll be sure to get in contact with you when S/mileage members start becoming more prominent in the story! AND THANK YOU FOR NOTICING, HONEY~ :lol:

H!PShipper: Welcome to my threads! Delurking is a good thing, join in the fun! But yes, the letter's from someone who hasn't formally shown up yet. :D As for the details...well, you'll find out, so stay tuned!

Robyn: Yeah, I love lolicon!Sayu. My favorite version of Sayu hehehe~


Time to edit and post! Big chapter this time!

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline Estrea

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Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
« Reply #35 on: February 25, 2013, 03:52:57 PM »
Episode 4: Chu! Natsu Party!


The next message today is from ikemen_shoujo-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! I'm writing in to thank you for your advice the last time. You're very welcome! It worked! But I'm not really sure how to keep it going since my cousin is so much older than me, and I really don't want to end up annoying her by bothering her all the time. That and my mother keeps trying to introduce me to "proper" company and I simply don't have the chance to go look my cousin up sometimes. What should I do?

Ahhh, thank you for writing in again! You seem like a very well-mannered young lady, ikemen_shoujo-san. Let's see what I can do to help this time...


~*~*~

"Ah, yabai! Sayu wants me to come back early today!"

Reina exclaimed to herself as she checked her watch. She had had to attend to something at the office earlier in the morning, but had gotten involved in a meeting. While she was not actually late (yet), she was cutting it a little close. Not to mention that her girlfriend had set several errands for her to fulfill. Definitely cutting it too close!

"Ugh, guess I have to take a taxi..." For someone as notoriously thrifty as Reina, such extravagance was to be reserved for the most dire of circumstances. While this wasn't quite life and death, displeasing one's girlfriend is still an unpleasant prospect. Reina really didn't want to get thrown out to sleep on the couch. She liked their bed a lot, thank you very much.

The occasion which she absolutely could not miss, of course, was their own housewarming party. It was originally going to be a small, intimate affair involving Sayu's older sister and of course Eri. But her dear girlfriend had also (un)fortunately befriended some of their neighbours, which meant that the guest list had more than doubled. Then again, considering the original size of their guest list, perhaps that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Besides, Reina kind of liked parties. Sometimes.

After several moments of frantic shopping (she could be fast on her feet when the occasion demanded!), Reina decided herself sufficiently armed to face an extended inspection by her girlfriend. Thank goodness Eri had offered to help provide the food. Sayu could be a chronic worrier at times, and Reina was secretly grateful for the turtle's presence to ground her girlfriend with. Left to her own devices, Sayu would probably give herself an internal hemorrhage from excessive fussing. Lord knows Reina loved her girl dearly, but Sayu could be really picky sometimes!

The taxi ride home was uneventful, save for that one moment when Reina thought they were going to end up in a flaming fireball due to the driver obviously thinking that he was in Initial D. Seriously, while she did offer him extra to get to their destination by a certain time, that did not mean she wanted to reach it in a casket!

Eventually she did manage to arrive in one piece, if in a slightly green state. Lugging all the drinks took all her arm power and then some, and Reina briefly contemplated calling her girlfriend for help.

"Maa, it's just a few steps. Yosh!"

With a grunt, Reina trudged up the sidewalk and turned into the lobby after nodding at the security guard at his post. There were a couple of other residents also waiting at the lobby, though there was no one familiar to Reina. Not surprising, since she didn't make a point of socializing the way Sayu did. That and with the amount of time she spent at work, Reina occasionally felt guilty about neglecting Sayu. Even though they were technically living together now, she felt like they still didn't see enough of each other. With that niggling at her, she had tried her best to wrangle a few days off from her manager. She really wanted to spend quality time with her girlfriend, dammit!

It was a bit of a squeeze getting into the elevator with all the people while clutching to her bags, and Reina found herself getting annoyed. An inconsiderate person shuffled around in their spot, inadvertently pushing back on Reina, forcing her sideways into another stranger. She hated coming into contact with strangers!

"Excuse me..." She muttered mutinously to the person she bumped into. The only thing she noticed about that person was an oddly familiar looking silver wristwatch that went well with the rest of her business attire. Even as she was wondering where she had seen it, the stranger gasped softly.

"LovendoЯ's Tanaka Reina!?"

Oh shit. Even with sunglasses and a beret pulled on, it seemed like someone managed to recognize her anyway. Reina growled, glaring up at the big mouthed stranger, then stopped.

"...Reporter Charmy?"

The elevator went silent. Then the floor indicator blinked to her floor, the doors opening with a ding! In unspoken accord, the two celebrities made a hasty exit before things got any more awkward.

Reporter Charmy, otherwise known as Ishikawa Rika, couldn't believe herself. What was the Tanaka Reina doing here? With all these groceries? Was she visiting a boyfriend? Was this a potential scoop? Oh, the excitement!

Reina was at a loss for words. She admired Reporter Charmy, being the television addict she was, so it was kind of strange to see the woman up close. Still, she had mixed feelings seeing a reporter so close to home. Privacy, wherefore art thou? She was going to have to be more careful now...can't have the world finding out she was living with her girlfriend, after all!

It was then, to the (dis)satisfaction of both parties, when they found out that not only were they neighbours, but that Rika was also invited to the housewarming party thrown by the Tanaka-Michishige household, along with her girlfriend, a certain Yoshizawa Hitomi...

"So that's where I've seen that watch before!"

"...no scoop? Dammit. A scoop I can't report!"

~*~*~

"Kanon-chan~ You're not off work yet?" A long haired girl whined to her best friend as she scuffed the floor with her shoe. A full table of snacks and pastries were arrayed before her. Half the plates were already empty. The girl's tongue flicked out and licked the crumbs off her fork.

"Not yet, I have a last batch to finish and then send off! And Riho-chan! How are you going to finish all those!?" Suzuki Kanon, on a rare break outside the kitchen, scolded her gluttonous roommate. The cat-like high school girl grinned impishly, sticking the fork into her mouth.

"I'll be fine~ Maa, if I can't finish, I can always invite the rest of the staff to help me out~ Ne, Ikuta-san?"

"With pleasure~ Oh, and you can just call me Erio! You're that Sayashi Riho Kanon-chan always talks about, right? Pleased to meet'cha! Do you mind if I call you Riho?"

The cheerful waiter stopped by Riho's already full table, delivering a new bottle of lime soda. So far, there were already two empty bottles, one orange and one apple. Erio deftly cleared those with a flourish, smiling charmingly at Riho. Riho seemed a little taken aback by the boy's forwardness. Though she didn't look like it, she was quite shy by nature and it had taken weeks of Kanon-chan nagging at her to stop cooping herself up in their room to study and actually get some fresh air. Naturally, Riho had found herself gravitating straight to where she knew her best friend and roommate would be.

"Erio-kun? Hmmm..." Riho pursed her lips, then snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Ah! You're that ikemen-kun Kanon-chan was talki--mmpfrgh!!"

Kanon had one hand clamped over Riho's mouth, glaring down at her gagging best friend. Riho turned innocent eyes up at her, flailing in an attempt to explain herself without being able to talk. Erio seemed amused by the byplay between the two girls, shifting the tray he was holding onto his other arm. He flashed his most winning grin at them.

"Now ladies, I'm sure there's more than enough of me to go around..."

Riho broke out of Kanon's grip to roll her eyes dramatically at the flirtatious boy. "Oh please, I barely know you." She eyed him from the top of his streaked blonde hair to the bottom of his black leather shoes. "Flashy...I don't dislike it though. You get points for being Kanon-chan's friend." Riho shot the boy a smug smirk of her own. "But you have a long way to go to impress me, boy."

Erio returned the scrutiny with one of his own. What? He was never one to back down from a challenge, especially not one from a cute girl. Giving her a deliberate once over -- and noticing that she seemed to shrink a little under the scrutiny, though she did keep her chin lifted proudly -- he let his eyes travel down from her glossy straight hair that fell around her shoulders, the pink straps of her dress peeking through the curls. The lacy one piece she was wearing did not hug her curves too tightly, but didn't hide her figure either. She appeared innocent and cute without being excessively childish, and there was some maturity written in around those eyes. Riho's eyes narrowed a little when she noticed Erio's eyes lingering a bit longer around around her chest, and she shifted to make it less prominent. Not that she was anywhere near as well endowed as Kanon-chan, but it didn't make her comfortable to have anyone staring at it either!

Erio raised a hand in mock surrender at the gesture. He pointed at the charm necklace around her neck instead.

"I was just looking at that. Did you get it off the net?" He named a couple of indie labels off the web, and Riho nodded cautiously, her reserve melting slightly as Erio launched into a slight tangent to engage her in conversation. It worked, and when Riho cracked a smile at something funny Erio said, the boy suddenly grinned.

"So, how much do I rank on that scale of yours now?"

Riho rolled her eyes again. "Not enough, you can stick to calling me Sayashi-san for now."

"Aw, don't be a spoilsport Riho!"

"That's Sayashi to you."

"Scrooge."

"Casanova."

"I prefer Romeo, actually."

"Well, I'm not your Juliet."

"Damn."

Kanon watched the back and forth between her best friend and her suave colleague. On one hand, she was glad that Riho-chan was out and about and actually talking to people, rather than being buried under her books the whole time. The girl literally had no life outside of school and studying, so it was nice to see that she was clicking with the hyper-social Erio. It had taken her quite a while to crack Riho's shell when they first met, and it was only now that Kanon realized how good a job she managed. Riho was effectively flirting with Erio, though the girl didn't seem to realize it herself at all, and Kanon wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She was broken out of her reverie when Erio sauntered up to her with that cocky grin of his still firmly in place. Kanon instinctively took a half step back and ducked her head to avoid meeting the taller boy's gaze, suddenly finding the hem of her apron very interesting. Erio casually slung one arm around Kanon's shoulders, leading them towards the kitchens as he expertly balanced his full tray on the other arm.

"You still have that big order from Kamei-san, don't you? I'll help out."

"T-thanks, Erio-kun."

"S'all good. Can't let my Kanon-chan do everything alone after all!"

Kanon smiled gratefully up at the boy, who returned it just as warmly, though with a playful wink at the end as he detached himself from her to drop off the empty glasses and bottles. With a small sigh, she shrugged off the sudden mood that had overcome her, focusing back on work. Time to get busy!

~*~*~

"Uso! You're a real celebrity!"

"Didn't you say the same thing when you first met Ishikawa-san?"

"Down to the facial expressions and everything. I have it on video too."

"Ai-chan! You're mean!"

Reina watched the back and forth between the gaggle of girls next to the kitchen counter, feigning only the politest of interests. She was holding a bottle of her favourite vegetable juice, and was contemplating going for something stronger. She hated having her home invaded by strangers, but since this made Sayu happy, she would grit her teeth and bear it. Just this once.

Eri had been the one to introduce Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa to her, and it had been Niigaki who had the classic "OMG you're a celebrity!" moment, much to the amusement of the other two. Takahashi had simply greeted her normally, with a slightly apologetic air for her friend as well. Reina nodded a tad stiffly, turning around to look for her missing girlfriend. What she saw made her grind her teeth together irritably.

"Ne, Reina-chan, if you squeeze that bottle any harder, it's going to explode on you."

The friendly voice of Sayu's sister interrupted her annoyed gaze, and Reina turned back to look up at Michishige Sayuri. Both Michishige sisters were taller than her, of course, and that didn't bother her too much. Besides, she genuinely liked the older Michishige sister as well, even if she was kind of an airhead sometimes.

"You want anything to drink? I'll mix up something for you." Sayuri was their unofficial bartender for tonight. The Michishige women were notorious for their alcohol tolerance, and Sayu's elder sister had volunteered to be in charge of the bar for the day, even bringing in her own stash for the party.

"Why not?" Reina, on the other hand, was a bit of a lightweight with alcohol, a fact that Sayu had discovered early on. In fact, that had been the main reason how their relationship got a much-needed jumpstart. There might have been tears, slurs, and some drunken groping involved. Needless to say it was all very dramatic and part of why both of them technically disagreed over just when exactly their real anniversary date was. It was all rather complicated, but at least it eventually worked out in the end.

"Sayumi's a little flighty, but she does love you very much." Sayuri murmured as she mixed up something mild for her sister's girlfriend. She knew Reina wasn't a strong drinker, and so took appropriate precautions. Couldn't have one of the hosts passing out so early in the evening. That would be somewhat embarrassing.

"Sure." Reina grumped, taking a sip from the cup proffered to her. "Then why is she flirting with Tall and Dashing over there?"

"I don't think flirting is the right word, Reina." Eri drifted over with a glass of her own in her hand. "Ishikawa-san is right there, and if Sayu's still in one piece it means she definitely isn't flirting with Yoshizawa-san."

"Reporter Charmy doesn't look that scary."

Eri shot her a look. "You don't want to know. Trust me, you really don't want to know."

"But who would have thought there would be so many lesbians out here? What's their story?" Reina jerked her head in the direction of Takahashi and Niigaki, who were chatting and eating with the relaxed air of an old married couple. Eri suppressed a cough.

"They'renotactuallydating...or so Gaki-san says. Ai-chan doesn't seem to worry about the details that much..." They watched in relative silence as Ai yawned and rested her head on Risa's shoulder. The younger of the two didn't react at the gesture, shifting only a little to make sure the older was comfortable. Reina smirked.

"Not dating my ass."

"You don't have an ass, darling." Came Sayumi's sugary sweet voice from behind, the taller girl leaning down to peck at Reina's cheek affectionately. Reina growled, digging her elbow back on reflex, but she was already smiling.

"Says you, Ms. Ironing Board."

"Sometimes I can't tell that they love each other." Eri stage whispered to the elder Michishige, who only giggled. Sayumi wrapped her arms loosely around the previously-sulky Reina from behind, whispering something that made the tiny yankii scowl in mock annoyance.

"But sometimes we can." Sayuri murmured. Her baby sister squealed when her tiny girlfriend twisted around and pulled her down onto her lap, her milk-white skin flushing as Reina whispered something back. Their eyes met, and it was as if they did not notice the world around them.

"I almost feel like I'm intruding..." Eri averted her eyes, letting her gaze fall upon where the Yoshizawa-Ishikawa couple were mingling with the Takahashi-Niigaki pair. There were a few other residents from the floor who were drifting around the pot-luck party table, and everyone appeared to be at least enjoying themselves.

"Drink for you?" Sayuri suggested smoothly, and Eri was about to accept when the door bell rang. Glancing over at the couple who were ostensibly hosting the party, Eri shrugged and decided to answer it herself. After all, what were best friends for?

~*~*~

"Sorry to make you come along with me, Riho-chan..."

Kanon apologized to her best friend, who shrugged as best as she could while carrying a platter wrapped in aluminium foil before her.

"Well I probably need to work off the calories from earlier anyway." Riho joked easily, careful not to tip the platter as she walked. "Besides, I haven't come out into town since term started, and this is a weekend!"

"You could have gone downtown instead of visiting me at the cafe." Kanon shot a glance at her sometimes-incomprehensible roommate. Riho grinned.

"And miss all the amazing snacks? No way!!"

"Erio-kun's right, I have no idea how you manage to eat so much and stay so slim. One day your metabolism is going to slow down, and I will laugh when it happens."

Riho looked horrified at the mere thought, and Kanon enjoyed a laugh at the girl's expense. Riho did manage to finish almost everything she ordered earlier on her own, though she did also invite the rest of the staff to share with her tea-time. Or early dinner. Kanon could not be sure.

Riho recovered from her shock to start grinning strangely all of a sudden, and she bumped a shoulder into Kanon's, almost making the slightly shorter girl stagger.

"What?"

"Say, about your ikemen-kun..."

"I can't believe you said that in front of him! Honestly, Riho-chan!"

Riho did not look very sorry. If anything, her grin got broader.

"He is kind of cute. Is that why you like him?"

Kanon gaped like a fish for a second or two, and very briefly considered whacking Riho with the boxes she was carrying. That smirk was getting on her nerves, and irritation, NOT embarrassment, was fuelling the red on her cheeks.

"Erio-kun's just a friend. It's not what you think, Riho-chan!"

"Reaaaaally. Sure, be that way. We'll see." The cat-faced girl let the matter drop, but the smug look never quite vanished from her face. Kanon heaved a sigh. Where did that stoic girl she first met disappear off to? And the worst part of this? She probably only had herself to blame.

The walk from Kame-ya (the cafe) was not particularly long, but it wasn't a short one either, and both girls were glad to see their destination after a good 20 minutes or so.

"Let's see the address...ah, here it is!" Kanon doublechecked the note she brought with her, and took the lead confidently after confirming the details. Riho trailed behind her, looking around with apparent curiosity.

"Hmm...this is it, I think?" Kanon stopped at the door, checking the note again to be sure. Once confirmed, she rang the door bell. A minute or so later, the door opened with a smiling Kamei Eri at it.

"Suzuki-chan! You made it it in time I see!"

"Hai, Kamei-san! Pastries and desserts as requested!" Kanon hefted the two boxes she was carrying, and Riho shuffled a bit closer to her friend with the tray. Eri's eyes fell on her.

"And who's this?"

"Ah, this is my friend from school, Sayashi Riho-chan. Riho-chan, this is Kamei-san, my boss."

"Very nice to meet you, Kamei-san." Riho bowed precisely at the correct degree, somehow managing to keep her balance perfect even with the tray in the way.

"And the same to you. Now girls, come on in and put these inside!" Eri stepped out of the way, shooing the two high school students in. Riho and Kanon looked around curiously before being showed where to place their burdens. Kanon gave Riho precise instructions on what to do, since the rich girl obviously had never worked a day in her life. At least she could follow basic instructions which mostly involved staying out of the way; with Riho helping Kanon hold on to her things while the capable 15 year old laid everything out to perfection.

As Riho stood obediently by the table quietly watching the people mingling around the apartment, someone bumped into her from behind, almost making her drop what she was holding.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Riho turned around to apologize as well. There was an awkward pause as the younger girl cocked her head to one side, uncertain if her apology had been accepted. The slightly taller woman was staring at her in a way that made her feel slightly uncomfortable, and Riho shifted uneasily on her feet.

"Ah, Sayu~ Meet my employee and her friend!" Eri leapt to the rescue unknowingly, gesturing at Kanon and Riho as she stood beside the still frozen Sayumi.

"Ah...how...nice..." Sayumi murmured, her eyes still fixated on a clearly jumpy Riho. "Do introduce us."

"That's Suzuki-chan over there, she's my pastry chef. And you're...what was it again..."

"I'm Sayashi Riho. I'm just helping Kanon-chan out today." Riho bowed quickly, biting her lip uncertainly though she kept the rest of her face neutral.

Sayumi plastered on a broad smile. "Why don't you girls stick around for a while? This is a party after all, and I'm sure you would want a break after bringing all those things over."

"Is that really alright?" Kanon had finished with her setting up, and was now standing next to Riho. The two girls looked over at Eri, who shrugged.

"Hey, the host has spoken. Suzuki-chan, have you taken your break yet? Who's back at the cafe?"

"Ah, Er--I mean Ikuta-san's running the floor with Takagi-san and Uemura-san. Kanazawa-san took over my place in the kitchen. And no, I haven't taken my break yet, it was busy in the afternoon and I had to rush this order..." Kanon looked a bit sheepish. Eri nodded.

"You might as well take your break here then. I'll give them a call back at the shop. You're closing today, right?"

"Yes! Thank you very much, Kamei-san!"

"Kanon-chan, why didn't you say something? I would have saved some food for you earlier!" Riho scolded her best friend, who only chuckled awkwardly.

"Are you two still students?" Sayumi interjected smoothly, turning her best charming smile at the girls. Without even so much as a ring of doom, a conversation was struck up between the two high school girls and Michishige Sayumi, lolicon-in-denial.

~*~*~

At some point Yoshizawa might have ended up in an arm wrestling contest with Tanaka, and Ishikawa sought refuge by the bar counter, striking up an instant camaraderie with the older Michishige over the appreciation of good alcohol. Takahashi might have wandered over to join the younger Michishige in cooing over the cute little party crashers, and Kamei was busily swapping lame jokes with Niigaki over pie and shochu. Everyone else (not that many, really) milled around aimlessly, chatting among themselves.

Eventually Sayashi found herself alone and cornered by Michishige the Younger, her buddy nowhere in sight. A desperate text SOS only delivered a terse apology in return. The girl swallowed nervously, the hairs on her arm standing on end for no obvious reason, save maybe for that oldest of instincts, self-preservation...

~*~*~

"...so I was telling that guy to take his stinking foot out of his big mouth and shove it up his goddamn ass, and he was like 'Ishikawa...'"

"Sayu doesn't love me!"

"Don't fuckin' interrupt me, chibi."

"She only loves me cos I'm small!"

Michishige the Older had to remove the bottle of whiskey from the counter before Ishikawa could use it to clobber the obviously smashed Tanaka, who was blubbering into her beer. Then she turned to check that her cellphone was still on and recording. On a whim, she whipped out her portable charger and hooked it up. Couldn't have her phone dying on her halfway through recording blackmail material!

~*~*~

"Ai-chan, you need to stop drinking."

"Why can't I~ This is good~ You want some too, Risa-chaaannnn?"

"Stop that! Wait, what are you doing, Ai-chan! That's not...!"

"Ehehehe, Risa kawaii!"

"Stop it! Ai-chan!"

~*~*~

"Yoshizawa-san~ Are you having fun so far?"

"Pretty good, Shige-chan! Great drink selection by the way!"

"Ano....have you seen a cute little girl about yay high around?"

"Nope, been watching TV."

"Oh...thanks..."

A few seconds later, Yoshizawa moved her legs off the coffee table, shifting them so a terrified Sayashi could crawl out from underneath.

"Thanks..."

"Any time, kid."

~*~*~

"So I was like BAM! IN YER FACE, MUTHAFUCKA! and then..."

"Risa-chan doesn't love me!"

"No one interrupts the ISHIKAWA!"

Tanaka clapped gleefully as Ishikawa bullrushed the obviously buzzed Takahashi, who was hugging a bottle of Umeshu to her chest while bemoaning her unloved state in full operatic aria. Michishige the Older was taking bets with one hand and dealing crack, I mean, alcohol, with the other. Yoshizawa had to rescue her colleague from her girlfriend's chokehold, which prompted another dramatic scene where Takahashi sang, tearfully, Desdemona's final lines in Shakespeare's Othello verbatim while swooning in Yoshizawa's arms.

"Do you smell...what the ISHIKAWA is cooking?"

"Kyaaa! Ishikawa-sama!"

~*~*~

"Sayashi-chan~ ♪ Found you~ ♪♪"

"Eep!"

~*~*~

"What if Sayu dumps me for a younger girl?"

"Then you break her fuckin' legs and show her WHO'S BOSS!"

"What if she doesn't love me anymore?"

"Are you questioning me, chibi!"

"Is it because I'm getting old?"

"And that's Ishikawa-sama to you."

"Why doesn't Sayu love me anymore, Ishikawa-sama?" 

"Better."

~*~*~

"Thanks for helping me carry Ai-chan home, Yoshizawa-san..."

"You're welcome. I better get back before Rika breaks anything else..."

"People or furniture?"

"Just be happy that it's only bruises on Ai-chan this time."

"Oh, I am."

~*~*~

"Oi, what the fu---what's a damn brat doing under the table?"

Frantic shushing signs and eyes on the verge of mental breakdown persuaded Tanaka to keep her silence. For all of 2 seconds. Which happened to be enough, as Michishige the Younger swept by with all the grace of a typhoon. Ishikawa slung down another shot of whiskey neat as Sayashi peeked out like a terrified bunny between the two drunkards.

"Atten--HUT! Brat! What is your favourite drink!"

"Eh?! Uh...um...it's cider, ma'am..."

"Louder!"

"Cider!"

"ONE. MORE. TIME. With FEELING!"

"CIDEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

~*~*~

Tanaka was face down in a puddle of juice. At least something that looked like juice. Ishikawa blinked owlishly at the nervously sweating Sayashi, who was wondering if it might have been safer to stay with the lolicon...

"You like cider you say?"

"Hai, Ishikawa-sama."

"Do you want cider?"

"Thank you, but not really, Ishikawa-sama..."

"I said, DO YOU WANT CIDER?"

"No...I mean, yes....Ishikawa-sama."

"Good girl. Ore-sama will give you cider. This is good cider. This is ice cider from America. Take it. Love it. FEEL IT."

"Hai, Ishikawa-sama..."

~*~*~

"Otsukare, senpai..."

"Hey, take a look at this."

"What about the cameras?"

"Someone's been loitering outside the gate for the last hour or so. Some young punk."

"Should I go chase him away?"

"Nah, let's just put a call in to the police box. We pay tax for a reason!"

~*~*~

"You're still here?"

"Ah, you're that nice onee-chan from earlier. Thanks for letting me hide..."

"Dammit, you need to go. It's way past your bedtime, kid."

"But the door..."

"Shit, Shige-chan's coming. Quick, fire escape now!"

"Hai! Oh, could you return this to Ishikawa-sama please?"

"Sure, now get a move on!"

Yoshizawa only just managed to shove Sayashi out through the fire escape when Michishige the Younger came in, and covered her presence in that area by lifting the bottle the kid had handed her to her lips. The bunny eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then flounced away. Yoshizawa sighed, lowering the bottle, then froze and stared down at it.

"Wait a minute, this is..."

~*~*~

At the bottom of the fire escape, a 16 year old girl leapt from the ladder, landed perfectly, and then tottered forward with a silly grin on her face.

"It's really warm tonight....hic..."

~*~*~

Have you ever sat down and spoken to your mother, ikemen_shoujo-san? Sometimes if you have a proper conversation with her about what is going on in your life, misunderstandings can get cleared up. Your parents aren't mind readers, so you need to give them a chance to understand you! I understand it's really difficult now since parents sometimes don't give us a chance since they think they know best, but you need to show that you can be mature too!

As for your cousin, well, start slow and maybe text her first before you go looking? I'm sure she'll make time for you when she can, ikemen_shoujo-san! Good luck, and I hope to hear good news from you next time you write in!



"Sayu, do you still love me?"

"Reina! I saw the cutest girl just now!"

"You don't love me..."

"She has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen...!"

"Sayu doesn't love me anymore..."

"And when she smiles it's soooo cute, just like a hamster!"

"Is it because I'm getting old?"

"I wish we could adopt her!"

"Is it the wrinkles? Do I have wrinkles?"

"Oh Reina..."


=================================================================================


Yay alcohol. All hail Ishikawa-sama! I borrowed grac's drunk!Rika for lulz. I hope I did her justice!

What Ai-chan sang while drunk: O, falsely, falsely murder'd! / A guiltless death I die. / Nobody; I myself. Farewell / Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell! -- from the final act of Othello. :lol:

I hope Riho made it home safe...heh. XD

I hope everyone likes the chapter bwahahahahaha.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 06:29:11 PM by Estrea »

永遠に咲き続ける花なんていない、すべてはいずれ枯れて朽ち果てしまう。

Currently writing:
- Lilium-related things. God save my soul.

On Hold:
- Everything Else. Too many to list.

I'm also on AO3!
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea

Offline Shiawase_Honoo

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Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
« Reply #36 on: February 25, 2013, 05:31:44 PM »
I...I can't breath...really...I... XD
I can't leave any comment for this chap :lol:

You're not only bring S/mileage into your fiction, but also some members of Juice=Juice. Sayube-, Aarii, and Kanatomo (TTvTT

I hope RihoRiho can reach to her dorm safely. By the way, where's Kanon-chan? XD

Offline rokun

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Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
« Reply #37 on: February 25, 2013, 10:28:31 PM »
^ I was wondering where Kanon-chan too :lol: She seemed to have disappeared after Sayu appropriated her RihoRiho... Some defender she is. :P

The last part certainly wound up a bit more random than I was expecting lol, but it was funny. Poor Duu, getting arrested again for loitering/trespassing (if I spotted it right XD)... We did kind of leave off right when the party was winding down, but not quite at its end yet, so it'd be interesting to hear how the night turned out for everyone. XD Maybe next episode will be the next morning?

Oh, Ishikawa-sama is scary XD and poor unloved Ai-chan and Reina... You know what that means, they should take refuge in each other *nudge nudge* XD XD XD no... please don't do that in this story >.>; lol (though that doesn't necessarily mean I can't....  :ph43r: )

Offline H!PShipper

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Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
« Reply #38 on: February 26, 2013, 02:45:03 AM »
Lmao hilarious omg
Drunk Rika is amazing?
Drunk anyone is amazing, really. Lol
I was thinking that the person who write last time was Rika but I'm not too sure, Yoshi doesn't seem to travel or anything. Anyway, this was fun and enjoyable to read. Great job. I'm a huge TakaGaki fan so I really like just the little interactions between them in this chapter. Hopefully you'll show more of them cause I love a Dense/blind to love Risa anyday lmao

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
« Reply #39 on: February 26, 2013, 03:08:55 AM »
OMG why won't this grin go away?  :lol:

I love this chapter in every way possible. I love how it starts off all coherent, then, as the alcohol gets passed around, even the chapter itself gets more crazy and random. Does that make any sense? I'm not even sure if you meant it that way, but still. XD

But wait...
Quote
"Someone's been loitering outside the gate for the last hour or so. Some young punk."

"Should I go chase him away?"

"Nah, let's just put a call in to the police box. We pay tax for a reason!"
Duu? XD Oh god, I had just gotten myself under control, too. XD :lol:

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