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Author Topic: 私のアホ家族(My Stupid Family)[24/6 - Chapter 25: A Series of Unfortunate Events]  (Read 93191 times)

Offline Kikk4r

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btw i really missed you....

Offline astro18

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:bleed eyes: I can't believe you're really back. I've missed you :bow:

Lol @Biohazard and zombies. I actually just started Walking Dead too haha. *patiently waits for zombie crossover fic*

Ahh poor Riho.. When is the great reveal about her father??

Offline Koei

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 :shocked Could it be !!?!!?!!?!?!  :shocked MY eyes are not failing !?!?!?! :shocked The cheese in the refrigeeta is for me and not for the dog !?!?!?!?!  :shocked Oh my sweet Mentaiko pan !!!! It's real !!! (almost freaked out after seeing the comments and not the post but...) !!!! Estrea-sama !!!!   :cow: This is so refreshing!!! Okaeri ~ !!! I've quite missed your writings !!! I've been following this since the begining and I must say that my hopes for it were dwindling at each passing day...then month... and then 2011 to 2012 !!! But as of today !!! Arigato !!!! HOPES RENEWED !!!! You've made my day a whole lot better !!!!  :bow: :bow: :bow: :cow:

Offline SarangAi

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oh gosh yes yes yes yes yes~~~~  :cow: :heart: :heart: :heart:

I've been waiting sooooo long for this.... i was about to go stalk this thread again and bump it  XD

LOL at mad scientist konkon... she'll forever be cute :D

and awwwww rihoriho is lonely???  she needs a papa now.  comeon mama ai and papareina, figure it out and get back together....  :P :P

thanks for the update!!!! :twothumbs

avii&sig by the wonderful kawaii beam~!

Offline nighell

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Oh my God!  :w00t:
This is probably the best thing that happened over the few last months. I mean the return and of course the update.  :twothumbs  Thank you
HEY I'M NOT A MAN. *fumes* :lol:
Okay Okay  :lol:  I will make Dictionary of the English my favorite handbook, I promise.

I have no words, only emotions :on gay:
P.S.:One more step to the mystery of birth Riho :glasses:
Sorry for my bad English

Offline rndmnwierd

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Awesome placeholder is awesome. Drunken adult antics, lols.

Daww, poor Riho. She really needs some friends.

Offline Estrea

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Look who's back? :D


Kikk4r: I'm not God, but thank you. :D I'll try not to torture you too much and I'm really sorry for going missing for so long! Aww thanks for missing me. It's always nice to see that people actually care about me ;_;

astro18: LOL that pic. Yes I'm back! And no I don't want to write a zombie crossover fic yet. :P Great reveal will take some time. Focusing more on a few other things first. Taking things slow for now...

Koei: Oh, your comment made me chuckle. I saw what you did there! Ahahaha I am honored to have such an enthusiastic reader. :3 I tend to get really erratic with my updating but it helps now that I have a somewhat more stable environment in which to write. :3 Thank you for being so patient! :D And I'm glad I could make someone feel better. :D

SarangAi: Ahahaha thanks for always stalking my threads lmao. Bumping them is like an accusation to make me update. ^^; Yes, Konkon will always be cute! and yes it's hard being in a single parent family, poor Riho. XD Mama and Papa need some time to get back together, cos I don't want them to get together just for the sake of the kid. I have lots planned!

nighell: Hahaha thanks for remembering this story! :D And btw, your English has improved. :P Good work! :D

rndm: Sorry my promised update was two days late, but hey, at least it wasn't 2 weeks or 2 months! XD And yes Riho needs some friends lol. That will come in time!


Time to edit and post. :3

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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Missing You


When you think of the words "summer vacation", wouldn't the things normally associated with it be stuff like beaches, barbeques, ice cream, and ghost stories at night? Even if ghost stories weren't exactly her cup of tea...

Then there's watermelon bashing, festivals, fireworks, and all sorts of other fun activities that could, and rightfully should, have been part of a fun summer vacation. But no, Mama had other plans.

"Homework, honey, or you're going nowhere."

"But, Mama!"

"No buts. Now get started, or else..." Ai trailed off menacingly, and an appropriately cowed Riho ducked her head and shuffled off reluctantly to the desk. The only outward sign of her petulance was in the way she scuffed her feet against the floor, but one didn't question Takahashi Ai in full Mama mode twice. Not unless they were prepared for...consequences.

"Aren't you too hard on the kid?"

Ai turned to face her unexpected guest, who was currently sprawled on the couch like she owned it, a thick sheaf of papers in her hand. A casual tee with punk rock designs hugged her slim form, and covered part of the top of her mini-shorts, while a slightly unglamorous pair of reading glasses perched on her nose completed the look. She certainly looked at home.

Ai noted that her toenails were baby pink. Putting one hand on her hip, she frowned at her guest, who, despite the mischievous grin on her face, was a haggard sight underneath the light touches of makeup.

"You, on the other hand, are too hard on yourself. When was the last time you slept?"

"Last night?" The cat-eyed girl blinked innocuously and scratched idly at her temple with the butt of her pencil. Ai glowered at her.

"Reina."

"Fine! This morning..." The idol grumbled, her glasses slipping off her nose. She glared at the giggles coming from a corner. "Shuddap, runt!"

Ai ignored the antics of her "children", sidling up to the pouty Reina and firmly removing both the glasses and the papers from the tired idol. Reina made a half hearted grab for them, but got distracted by the fact that her face was basically level with Ai's chest. She swallowed drily, but the moment passed as soon as it had come when Ai retreated. The damn woman probably hadn't even noticed. She was right.

"I'm confiscating these. You will get some rest. Now." Ai waved said articles in her hand. Reina scowled.

"I have to memorize the script before the next rehearsal!"

"And when is that?"

"...next week..." Reina muttered. "But I have lots of other things to do in between!"

"Yes. And right now, you need sleep." Ai towered over Reina, since the latter was still seated on the couch. They were close to each other, but not so close as to invade each other's personal space. Neither were ready for that kind of contact, not after waking up snuggled into each other the morning after Riho's birthday party. The massive hangover didn't help either. They hadn't really come into close contact since then. Partially because they were still trying to figure out how they fit in each other's lives. Mostly because, well, neither of them knew how to take the first step. It was as if they had gone back to behaving like awkward high school kids.

"Tanaka-san, it's better to just give in..." Riho stage-whispered from the corner she had been banished to earlier. Ai didn't even turn around. She just held up one hand, and Riho eeped and dived back into her homework. Well, sort of, anyway. It wasn't every day that you got to see your normally unassuming Mama bully one of Japan's top idols. This was way more entertaining than doing quadratic equations!

Reina made several more weak protests as Ai all but shoved her into the room. The door swung close, and Reina rubbed at her eyes while suppressing a yawn. She really was exhausted. Standing like this in the room, with all her usual defenses down, Reina appeared younger than her 26 years of age, and even more vulnerable. Ai felt a sudden pang in her heart, but uncertainty squashed her impulse to embrace the idol.

"You work too hard." Reina looked up. Their eyes were level with each other, but Ai seemed somehow...bigger. She could feel the older woman's pain and concern. For her! An irresistible bubble of emotion rose within her, but Reina masked any outer expression of it with another yawn.

"Popularity does that. I have to work hard." Reina leaned against the dresser, letting her shoulders slump inwards slightly. She wasn't hiding, not really. In truth, letting Ai see how tired she was was more of a concession than she had given anyone. Even Sayu.

"You also have to rest. What if you fall sick?" Ai nagged gently, reaching forward to tug on Reina's slim wrist. The contact jolted them both, but neither let it show. They weren't actually kids anymore, despite their mutual hesitance. Neither of them wanted to ruin whatever it was that was slowly rekindling between them. To have found each other, to have acknowledged that there was still something, no matter how small, was precious to them both. If it made them too cautious, too tentative, well, years of separation did that. Trust didn't grow on trees, and neither did it sprout overnight. Ai knew all too well that she had broken Reina's heart before, and that she deserved whatever the woman did to her. To be friends again, maybe even more, well, that would take time.

"Hospital?" Reina kidded with a flippant gesture, but the instant frown from Ai made her hesitate. She allowed the older woman to lead her to the bed, though her pulse rate quickened. Ai had to notice, Reina thought feverishly. She has a hand on my wrist, she can't not notice.

If Ai did, she didn't say anything. The bed wasn't made yet, not since she had to physically haul her recalcitrant daughter out for a late breakfast/early lunch. While Ai did allow Riho to sleep in during the holidays, she drew the line at letting the kid sleep the whole morning away. Which Riho had demonstrated a clear capacity to do so on numerous occasions.

"There's only one bed." Reina said suddenly. She sat on the edge, not yet lying down. Ai had knelt down, and was now looking up at her. She still hadn't let go of Reina's hand. Point in fact, she seemed to have entirely forgotten that she was still holding on. Not that Reina was protesting in the slightest.

"Riho doesn't sleep well alone." Ai smiled to herself at the thought. Twelve years old and still a big baby. Well, Riho would always be her baby.

"I'm jealous." Reina meant to say it in a joking manner. Really. But somehow, her tone turned out to be more serious than she intended. The words hung in the sudden silence between them.

A different person, a person like Sayu perhaps, would have seized on the chance to tease Reina. But this was Ai. She never did. Never could, more like. All she did, to Reina's surprise (and secret glee) was blush. Almost 30, and blushing like a schoolgirl! The thought came to Ai, which made her flush harder, dropping her gaze to where she was still holding on to Reina's arm. As she made to let go, Reina reversed her grip to link hands with her, pulling her up to sit next to her on the bed.

"I really am, you know." Reina said conversationally. Ai turned an attentive gaze to her. Reina deliberately avoid the gaze, letting her eyes trace the patterns on the bedsheets instead. She felt Ai squeeze her fingers reassuringly, heard the deep intake of breath from the older woman, and yet was still surprised when Ai suddenly pulled her into a deep embrace.

I missed you. That was what the hug said, even though Ai said nothing. As usual, Ai could pull something totally unexpected out of the bag to surprise Reina. The idol would think she had everything figured out, but here comes Ai who could and would do something that Reina didn't think she was able to do.

She has always been the braver of the two of us. Wrapped in those warm arms, Reina once again felt an impulse to cry. Her shoulders trembled, and already Ai was whispering into her ear, whispering assurances, soothing words...when her presence alone was comfort enough. Was a trigger in itself. Reina buried her head deep into Ai's embrace, unwilling to let her weakness be seen. Her sobs were silent, heartbreaking.

Ai rocked the vulnerable woman in her arms, her own heart squeezed tight at the sight. There was little she could do, but she would give whatever she could. When the sobs resolved into tiny whimpers, Ai stroked the silky hair of her beloved kitten, pressing feather light kisses into her scalp until Reina's breathing evened out. It hurt to see Reina so haggard and worn.

Why are you here, if you are so busy? That was the question she did not let slip from her lips, every single time Reina dropped by on some pretext. Ai never punctured Reina's facade in front of others. It was her own way of protecting the girl's pride.

And if Reina found comfort by being here, Ai would do all within her power to ease her burdens. She owed Reina that much. She loved Reina that much. She had spent so many years away, burying that emotion so deep that she could scarce remember it, but all it took was seeing Reina up close and needing her, even if the girl said nothing, to reawaken those feelings.

"Baka." Ai whispered to the slumbering Reina. Fondly, in exasperation. Tenderly, with love.

So caught up was she with seeing to Reina that she didn't even notice the curious eye peeking through a slit in the slightly ajar door. A curious eye that backed slowly away, quietly amazed.

Mama and Tanaka-san sure are close...

Altogether, a succinct and astute observation. Even if she did miss the point entirely. Too soon for little Riho to step into the world of adults, after all. For all her maturity, she was only 12, and some things were beyond her understanding.

Before she could get caught spying though, Riho tiptoed back to the desk and went back to her homework. She didn't fancy a matching bruise so early into the holidays.

Though, with Tanaka-san so often around, that meant more sweet treats, and Mama being less inclined to keep a constant eye on her! Riho grinned impishly to herself, and snuck yet another pastry. Her cheeks puffed out contentedly as she chewed.

Life was good.

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


A short, serious-like chapter. Not much crack, I'm afraid. Needed to address the adult difficulties. Your usual crack will resume after all the issues have been resolved. :P

* :ph43r: away~*

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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Slowly~ Slowly~ Ai and Reina are coming together again.

....Leaving Riho to take advantage by raiding the pantry~!

Score for the kid! And a small score for the adults.

Bring on more summer love!!

Offline SarangAi

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whoo hoo~~~ that was so fast, i love it  XD

omg i can't decide which of your writing i like more... the crack or the seriousness  :lol:

But I know I definitely loved this chapter~  I do like the slow process of Ai and Reina getting back together, and it's definitely more realistic.  I mean, it won't go:

Ai: I know I got pregnant and left you but I still love you.
Reina: I love you too!
Ai: yay mutual feelings!
-DA END

um yeah... *that was me being high*  :nervous

anyways.. can't wait to see what's next~~  :wub: :wub:

avii&sig by the wonderful kawaii beam~!

Offline KirikomoriHime

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Quote
o~ka~e~riiii  :otomerika:

It's funny since for some reason this fic came to mind last night. I must have some kind of 7th sense or something  :cow: :cow: --slapped--

I'm surprisingly grateful for Pon-chan's perspective in the story. It really clears a lot of things up. And is that GakiShige I detect?
And poor Rihoriho... make friends is hard, I know! :mon POd: BUT IT'S OK BECAUSE IN THE END THEY'RE ALL LIKE MOGI


^No matter how long it's been, I will always love that picture

^ that was the reply I forgot to post on the 23rd and has been sitting open in one of my tabs ever since xD

AND NEW CHAPPIE

I must mention I absolutely adore Riho in this chapter. Not a huge presence but gotta love her PoV. It's so different from, say, Konkon's! Still cute <3

 :byebye:

~ GakiKame, KameShige, TakaMitsii , JunSayu, YajiSuzu, MiyaSaki~

Offline Fushigidane

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Carefully ReinAi's getting back together. :)  :heart:

Offline gracula

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What is this srs bsns fluffy catharsis?



Like everyone's already said before me, I like the pacing. But Riho needs more friends at school. Want to seeee quick!

Quote
Mama and Tanaka-san sure are close...
Mama and Tanaka-san sure like to take long baths and naps...


Oh, innocence.

On another note, Ponchan's Lab!! With Igor Kemeko-jiji! Thank you!

"I'm still blaming Sayu for my lolicon tendencies now." ~Essy

Offline Kikk4r

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Are you sure your not God cuz im not ... xD

btw ReinAi is creep closer to each other everyday that passes :D

Offline Estrea

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Hi I'm back! :D Excited to post!


rndy: Yup, Ai and Reina are taking their time lol. And Riho's such a sweet, innocent child. :D Summer love is the best!

SarangAi: Not so fast an update this time, but here ya go! And yes, if things happened that way we would have no story. :P I hope you like the next chapter!

KiriHime: lololol I can't believe you forgot to post XD But better late than never! Riho is all sorts of awesome, yes. :D

Fushigidane: Yup. :heart: I can't wait until the fluff starts!

grac: More crack for you. You have already sampled some. Here's more. I might have gotten progressively crazier as the time of night (day?) progressed. And you are welcome!

Kikk4r: XD I don't glow or look wise. No halo either. :lol: And yes, ReinAi are getting closer, slowly but surely!


Editing to post! Trembling in excitement! It's 5am! I'm mad!

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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So Long, And Thanks For All The Lulz


Michishige Sayumi has never hated her job more than now.

Talk shows were fun, you know. Normally, she loved them for the chance they gave her to show off/practice sharpening her (verbal) claws on some hapless newbie or hassled host. She typically got lots of camera time due to her wonderlicious ways and ever so entertaining personality. That suited her just fine.

As she smiled winningly in the camera, Sayumi pondered her options, briefly wondering if she could seize her iced drink and toss it at the tangle of wires snarled around the production crew's feet behind the cameras and equipment. What were the odds of them being shorted out so that the filming could be cancelled? Could they even cancel it? This was a live broadcast, which was why she couldn't wriggle her way out or even pulled strings to get it rescheduled or something.

And damnit, those wires were insulated. Water wasn't going to cut it. Maybe acid?

Sayumi briefly entertained the possibility of snatching the suspiciously sharp hair pins out of fellow guest's pinned up hair (were those even street legal?) and tossing them House of Flying Daggers style at the regrettably insulated wires. Someone might die in the process, but at least it wouldn't be her, and she could probably sneak away in the commotion. Maybe.

The minutes dragged by. Normally, on these live broadcasts, time always felt short. Not this time. Sayumi cursed fate, the producers, her manager (somewhere, the lady sneezed, then cackled to herself for no apparent reason as she inked in yet another entry into Sayumi's already packed schedule book), and most of all her dear beloved cousin, who was in Okinawa right now.

Sayumi devoutly prayed for a typhoon (so soon after cursing people? Oh Kami) so that the trip would be cut short and thus her favoritest person in the world would be returned to her. She was having withdrawal symptoms! Forcing a laugh at a joke someone made, Sayumi was more ruthless than usual with her tsukkomi, disassembling the hapless girl with the titanium (?) Pins of Death in her hair into her atomic components. That made her feel better. For all of two seconds. When was this farce ending again?

If looks could kill, Sayumi's dazzling smile would have shattered every mirror and camera lens in the studio, the shards hopefully piercing everyone else in the studio and leaving her the only survivor in the carnage so she could just leave. Like right now.

But no, there was still the next challenge corner. Fun and games, ho yay.

She could almost scream.

~*~*~*~

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Youth was energy! Energy was demonstrated in screaming! Or so her new friend (met all of 10 minutes ago) had diligently informed her in the most serious way possible.

Riho didn't need much persuasion. She was excited. This was the first time she was at a real beach! In Okinawa no less! Standing on top of the ridge, she and her new acquaintance yelled incoherently at the waves, just because they could. And y'know, youthful energy and all that.

"Yeah! That's how you do it!" The girl next to her giggled. Riho giggled back, feeling giddy for no apparent reason. Her serious facade had been sloughed away precisely 10 minutes 32 seconds ago, when this girl had nailed her in the head with a badly thrown (or well aimed?!) frisbee.

It wasn't so bad. There was no permanent injury. At least none that could immediately be seen. Any normal person would have apologized for braining someone with anything, much less a frisbee, but this Ikuta Erina person was not normal.

In fact, her first words to Riho had been: "THIS IS FATE!"

One does not question a person who declaims such lines with that much fervour. Riho had been kind of overwhelmed by the overpowering energy coming from the taller girl, who had immediately seized on her hands and babbled something about the energy of youth and HOW GOOD IT WAS TO NOT SEE OLD PEOPLE FOR ONCE.

To clarify, her idea of old people was anyone over 25. Reina, had she known, would Not Be Amused.

Riho had been somewhat nonplussed by this overenthusiastic greeting. For one thing, she did not know this person. Well, 10 minutes ago, scratch that, 11 now, she was happily minding her own business and wandering down the road to catch a glimpse of the sea. One flying frisbee and excited ranting from owner of said frisbee later, she still did not quite know what to make of this Ikuta Erina character. There was a lot of smiling and nodding on her part. Bemusement too. How could any sane person (sanity, tis overrated, as Riho would soon discover) be so unrelentingly...obtuse? Exuberant? Irrepressible?

...fun?

Which is why, 8 minutes and 25 seconds after their first meeting, Riho found herself clambering up a rocky promontory with her newfound friend, after having offhandedly mentioned that this was the first time she was at a beach and that she had never seen the sea before. Oh well, if you can't beat them, join them! Riho read that somewhere. She might as well just go with it and see where it led!

At least the view was great. Riho had been momentarily awed by the vista afforded to her eyes after they reached the top of the ridge. The sea sparkled in the sunlight, making her shade her eyes, but the cerulean captured her gaze again, matched perfectly against the baby blue skies with the puffy cloud sheep skipping across its azure pastures.

Next to her, the taller girl stood confidently, arms on her waist. Her legs spilled model-long out of her tiny denim shorts, her tank top with its Grateful Dead logo flapping in the breeze. Ikuta looked like she stepped out of a shounen manga at the beginning of some adventure. Kind of. Her bright purple flip flops kind of ruined the effect. Or at least necessitated a genre switch.

"Ne Riho?" Already on first-name basis?! Riho mentally exclaimed, wondering when that had happened. She was still calling her Ikuta-san. Well, they did barely know each other...

"Do you know how to get back down?"

Um. The girls looked back down the path they had climbed. It looked impossibly sheer and altogether too high. How they made it up in the first place, no one knew. Beginner's luck coupled with sheer youthful exuberance? Not unlike the kitten that had climbed a tree, they were now trapped at the top with no certain way of getting down.

"Oh dear."

~*~*~*~

Takahashi Ai was fretting.

She was much given to fretting, you see. Some people are like that. She fretted over everything. If she was not fretting, she would fret about that instead.

A certain kitty known as Tanaka Reina just laughed and called her a worrywart. Riho was a sensible girl. She could watch herself for ten minutes in a new place. It wasn't like they were out of Japan anyway. It was just Okinawa.

Reina had paid for everything and all but kidnapped the mother and daughter duo for a short vacation. This was right after she heard from Riho that the kid had never actually been to the sea. For whatever reason, the Takahashi family tended to go on nature hikes during their summer vacations. While that was all very laudable, Reina had been appalled. How could there be a child who didn't go to the beach in the summer? It was unaccceptable!

Therefore she had sought to rectify this error, and made a reservation post-haste. She even managed to clear her schedule, and pushed off whatever she could to her dear beloved cousin. Who, if the way her eyebrow was twitching was any indication, was probably pronouncing the worst of curses upon her right now. Reina smirked. She could deal with that.

Besides, any excuse to spend more time with Ai was good in Reina's books. This being a beach, it would entail swimsuits, and so...

Reina was very glad she was not prone to having nosebleeds. She hadn't seen much of what lay under Ai's clothes ever since, well, before Riho was born. It had been too long. The idol grudgingly admittted to herself that she was still attracted to one Takahashi Ai, who had aged remarkably well (or barely, if at all). She had no idea how the woman kept her figure (if she had but asked, Ai would have pointed unerringly to years of chasing after Riho, who in her childhood was in turns silent and batshit insane, Bipolar, indeed), but damn, she approved.

The deluxe suite Reina had booked had adjoining rooms. No, she did not planned it that way. It just sort of happened, okay? Really. Who was she kidding?

Not that she was planning for anything to happen on this trip. After all, Riho was around. Whether or not she believed that the kid was hers, Reina was not so immoral as to expose the kid to, uh, this and that. She did have some standards.

It was beginning to drive Reina more than a little crazy. Little hamsters were constantly running around the gears inside her head, always spinning and spinning, until it felt like her head was going to burst. There was no doubt she still wanted Ai, craved her company and more besides. That was why she found herself dropping by on whatever pretext she could dredge up, regardless how tired she was. And Ai, bless her soul, never questioned her motives. Reina did have an image to keep up, no matter how shot it might be by now.

They still hadn't done more than friendly hugging. Considering how intimate they used to be (with clothing on, jeez), Reina was acutely aware of the distance and it pained her on some level. It made her restless. But she refused to cave first. No, Tanaka Reina would not grovel for some woman's attention. People grovelled for her attention, not the other way round!

Reina was stubborn like that.

Unfortunately, Ai was probably equally as stubborn, if not more, but for completely different reasons. She was hesitant, naturally. Uncertain as to whether Reina still wanted her (poker faces were a double edged sword), she did not dare to test the waters too much. Rejection would be too much to bear.

And lastly, of course, the elephant in the room was Riho. Cutest elephant ever, but ever present and a huge obstacle to all parties. It left little breathing room.

To Reina, Riho would always prick a question: was she really hers? How could it even be possible? Ai's explanation had been almost too succinct, too neat and coincidental, to be true. However, it was also too absurd to be said with a straight face, and Ai had always been a lousy liar. Reina couldn't shake the idea of a man being involved in Riho's conception though (years of social indoctrination would do that to you), and it always gave her pause. She liked the girl, but could she accept the kid as part of their lives? There was no question that she wanted Ai, but wanting Ai meant accepting Riho as well. Reina knew this, and it gave her no end of a headache.

Ai, of course, brooked no nonsense when it came to Riho. Her daughter came first, before even Reina, if she had to admit to herself. 12 years of raising the kid, all that self sacrifice, that hard work, the tears and the joy it brought, Ai could no more give Riho up than she could give her soul away. Her daughter was her pride and joy, her everything. If Reina could not accept the girl, there would be no them.

Neither of them had formally discussed all this, of course, but they still read each other well enough to know that these were the issues. As to how they were going to get over them, well, before that...

"I should really go check on Riho." Ai worried again. Reina rolled her eyes.

"Hai hai, okaa-san."

Ai hit Reina over the head. Not gently too. Reina growled and counterattacked. It might have ended with sweaty limbs and mussed hair. Panting, too.

Sadly, no clothes were removed. There was a moment of intense gazing though.

Needless to say, they were sort of delayed before they went out of the hotel...to find no Riho on the sidewalk. Or anywhere in sight.

Now Reina was starting to panic, but Ai was deadly calm. She pulled out her phone.

"I thought you didn't have reception out here?!" Reina was slightly shrill, but she forced herself to at least look calm.

"Hotel wireless." Ai said tersely. Reina, being techno-dumb, wisely said nothing.

"There we go!" Ai cried out triumphantly a minute later. Reina blinked, catching herself mid-pace and circled back to Ai's side. She leaned in to look at the display on Ai's phone. A pulsing red dot was on the screen, located on some sort of map.

The old Ai might have launched into an extended explanation about the capabilities of GPS and tracking systems, but the new mother-of-Riho was a lot more practical. Probably a great deal more practiced in handling crisis. Mothers had to learn that the moment a baby is born. After all, was not birth in itself a great crisis?

"Let's go." The worry was real, etched in broad lines across Ai's face. Reina jogged to keep up, wondering what could be wrong if they had located Riho's position. Ai did not explain. She did not have time to explain.

All that mattered was getting to her daughter's side before anything precipitous happened.

~*~*~*~

"Careful..." Ikuta called as Riho tried to climb down again. She slipped, but the KY (as Riho mentally labelled her) caught her arm before any serious harm was done. All she suffered was a skinned elbow and sandy legs. With a little help, they scrambled back to the top of the ridge again.

"We could wait until someone passes by." Eripon offered. She had insisted that Riho call her that, but Riho couldn't make the mental switch over so quickly or easily. Her mind was quite occupied by the present crisis, you see.

Unfortunately, except for the occasional seagull, there didn't seem to be any passerbys. This being Okinawa, most tourists were concentrated at the beaches, and the locals probably didn't come by this spot that often either.

Riho was actually starting to get worried until she spotted two familiar figures in the distance.

"Mama!!!" She got up and started waving frantically. The figures doubled their speed.

Next to her, Eripon also stood. She squinted. She had not told Riho this yet of course, but her eyesight could rival a hawk, and while she was unfamiliar with Riho's Mama, she could very clearly see the person next to her.

Ikuta Erina was a fashionable sort of girl. She knew the latest trends, kept up with the news, knew her celebrities etc. She could hardly fail to miss the trademark scowl and the off-centered eyes.

As the couple drew near, the fangirl inside one Ikuta Erina must have woken up, because suddenly she became extremely animated and inexplicably started doing a full body wave, all while yelling:

"TANAKA-SAMAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Reina was not amused.

Ai was not amused either. Because in the midst of all that flailing, the KY Eripon actually managed to slam quite hard into Riho, who, despite all the balance her dance training afforded her, was unable to maintain her footing on the rocks, and thus slipped and fell.

Down the ridge. Pointy rocks. Hard sand at the bottom. The works.

Horror couldn't even begin to describe the look on Ai's face. She might have screamed. She might have put one foot forward, hands outstretched as if to catch her falling daughter.

Reina surprised herself. She was never much of an athlete. That was usually more Ai's department. She had pretty good stamina from singing and performing for years, but that was a different kind of exertion.

If you had asked her to duplicate the feat, she could never have done it again. If not for the quick actions of a certain idol wota, those moments might have been lost forever. As it was, they were preserved for posterity in her phone, complete with 15 different straps of varying size and shape dangling from it. How she managed to stuff that into her pocket was an eternal mystery. Did she even have a pocket? Was she Doraemon in disguise? Hammerspace?

But that is beside the point, and this is what happened:

Reina flew forward. She might have momentarily achieved warp speed. Her feet actually left the ground. A frame by frame replay of the video might reveal that she had actually tripped on the kerb as she made her mad dash, propelling her at a seemingly impossible angle and velocity towards her target.

Mechanics aside, Reina was hurtling through the air. Her sole concern was to catch the kid somehow. Her secondary concern might have something to do with the slow torture and deliberate murder of the one that pushed her, but that would be un-idol-like and she had no Sayu to help her hide the body, so that was out.

Warp speed was, unfortunately, quite difficult to control for any extended period of time, particularly without the aid of a computer, and Reina wasn't even that good at math to begin with. She might have flopped, flapped her arms like a chicken, and half stumbled inelegantly for the last few feet. Fortunately, the angle from which the phone was recording this was conveniently blocked by Riho's form tumbling towards Reina.

It was not a fun fall. Fortunately, Riho avoided most of the protruding rocks on the cliff face, but there were the unavoidable scrapes against abrasive rock. She might also have caught her lip on something. She most certainly did hit her head. In any case, she was thankfully unconscious when she landed squarely on top of Reina, who did not so much as catch her as she did cushion her landing.

Idol and idol-in-training whumped against hard sand. There was a long moment of silence following it. Eripon continued filming avidly, even when Reina, miraculously conscious despite the impact and none the worse for wear for the numerous scrapes and cuts she had gotten, slowly tilted her head up and fixed the wota with the most murderous glare known to mankind.

With the possible exception of the Michishige Shattter O' Doom, as mentioned previously.

A normal person might have felt a chill, a sensitive might have wet themselves, but the KY was completely unfazed. She even waved back, and continued filming. Reina slumped. It was too much effort to even move.

On the bright side, having Ai fawn over her sounded like a good idea. Reina decided woozily, before her better judgement decided that unconsciousness sounded like a grand idea, and she joined her 'daughter' in that blissful oblivion.

What dreams may come, they alone will know.

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

Lack of sleep, reading Douglas Adams (I just finished Book 4!) and extended discussions with grac might have resulted in this.

I HOPE EVERYONE IS HAPPY.

 :wigglypanda:
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 03:30:23 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 gracula

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"I'm still blaming Sayu for my lolicon tendencies now." ~Essy

Offline Koei

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*sigh* ... ... ... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!
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...
...

Ok now that I've calmed down from the news of an update lets comment shall we?

Loved it; both the crack as well as the seriousness!! The way Reina is dealing with having a daughter is quite interesting as well as Ai's complete devotion to Riho. Go on Estrea-sama! And I can't help but wonder...by now Risa must have finished Sayu's apartment right? or is the sly bunny still changing her mind?  :P

Offline rndmnwierd

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OhgodEripon! :lol: :lol:When I said I wanted Riho to have a friend, I had no idea that the KY would come into play. And yet, it is so totally perfect!

And how the hell can you make a dramatic fall so hilarious? You genius, you! It's been a while since AA, so I had forgotten how awesome you are at dramatic crack.

Offline Fushigidane

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XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD damn Eripon :doh: :doh: anyway this chapter was full of excitement :w00t: :thumbup

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