Here is the prologue and first chapter to my latest fic. Let me
know what you think.
Steven P. Cornett
cornetts@gemair.com
*********************************************************************
"Madam, we have found the subject you were looking for!"
"Show me!"
"Hai!" a young lady responded as she slipped a tape into a VCR
slot. The lady, dressed in a one piece uniform with a slitted skirt
and the kanji for "Light" on her right shoulder, bowed in respect to
her mistress.
The mistress stood to her full height and faced a gigantic
metalic apparatus which more closely resembled a giant moth larvae with
square car lamps on its head than anything else. "Run the video tape!"
A voice, deeply bass and clearly computer generated, resonated
throughout the chamber. "Video tape activated. Generating holographic
display."
Five feet in front of the mistress, who was dressed in a richly
embroidered kimono and bore a striking resemblence to Sakura, a TV
show played in mid air. On it a very loud and obnoxious sounding
man stood to his full height and screamed the words "KIMIKO, COME
BACK!! YOUR SON IS BECOMING A FINE MAN!!!"
"My daughter would be seventeen shortly," the kimonoed woman
said as an aside. "Mastermind! Freeze frame and analyze the figure on
screen. Identify this man!"
"Working," reverberated Mastermind in response. Within a few
seconds it responded. "Figure is Fujimi Fujinami. Current address and
place of employment: Tomobiki High School, Nerima Japan."
The richly dressed woman inquired further of the bio-computer.
"Cross reference family name with the record of any students currently
attending said school."
"Linking to Ministry of Education records now. This will take
a moment." As promised, Mastermind replied within a minute of its
initial response. "Reference Complete. One student: Ryuunosuke
Fujinami, attending class 3-4. Identification records on screen."
In a moment Ryuunosuke's school picture and records appear for
the woman to peruse. She noticed the entry "Sex: Male" on the record
and smirked.
"Obstinate fool! Did you really think you could continue your
delusions forever?!" the lady queried dismissively as the video tape of
the "Wai Wai Wide" show rolls on. "Apparently he must have convinced
himself into believing he was forever beyond my reach. He'll soon
see how wrong he is."
"Shall we recall this one, my lady?" the attendent asked.
"No. I believe the best approach is to lead this child to her
desired reunion," Himiko finally decided. "I will send a message to
this one. Make sure that *she* gets it!"
The lady regarded the student's androgynous face for a moment
as her attendent vanished to await the letter. "Soon my child, we
shall be reunited...and so will your sisters."
**********************************************************************
"Ryuunosuke - Daughters and Their Mothers"
A Urusei Yatsura story by Steven P. Cornett
Ryuunosuke Fujinami, Sakura, Shinobu Miyaki, as well as all
characters and situation from "Urusei Yatsura", are the creation of
Rumiko Takahashi. All rights for the anime are reserved to Fuji
Creative (Japan) and Animeigo (U.S), and for the manga to Shogakukan
and Viz respectively.
Certain plot points (certainly the first scene here) were
inspired by Richard Suzuki's "I Took the One Less Traveled By", which
appeared first in APA #22 and can be found on Sakurambo's UY fanfiction
(link from the Tomobiki-cho website, http://www.tomobiki.com) archieve.
It's a beautiful story, and I highly recommend reading it.
**********************************************************************
Chapter 1:
Ryuunosuke didn't like mornings. She certainly hated this one
for several reasons.
There were the usual reasons for her dislike of sunrises and
the day's beginning they signaled. First, it usually meant that her
father would poison her breakfast with seizure inducing power, insist
on a fight (whether he poisoned her or not), or come up with some other
way to make her life hell, all in the name of making Ryuunosuke Fujinami
the best man *she* could be.
This effort might be considered laudable except for the fact
the Ryuunosuke Fujinami was a girl, Something her breast bindings
reminded her of daily. The pestering of well known class lecher Ataru
Moroboshi was another reminder. The attention she got from many of the
girls in school who thought she was a boy (and sometimes even after they
found out the truth) reminded Ryuunosuke of the damage her father wrought.
If *that* was the only thing her father did it might be tolerable,
Ryuunosuke sadly thought. He also engaged her to a transvestite ghost
(but s/he got better! ed.) while on an island her father bought for 300
yen.[1]
However, it wasn't until she finished dressing and came out to
the main room (and shop room of the store her father ran inside the high
school) that her main reason for hating *this* morning, and the day that
would follow, became apparent.
"Happy birthday, Ryuunosuke-sama!!" Nagisa chimed. Her half-
ghost transvestite fiancee positively beamed as he pointed out the food
laid out. "I made you a special breakfast just for the occasion"
Ryuunosuke noticed that his father was eating a healthy portion
of the victuals, and figured he wouldn't have doctored her breakfast.
Just to be on the safe side though...
"He didn't add anything to my fish or miso soup while you were
preparing it, did he?" she asked the former ghost.
"I don't think so. I wasn't looking when we set the table,
so..."
...so I'm just going to have to chance it, Ryunnosuke grimly
thought. As she nibbled on the fish she mulled over how the rest of
the day was going to go...
And decided she was going to hate it.
***** *** *****
Lunchtime in Tomobiki High School...
Ryuunosuke sat under a nearby ginko tree and reflected on the
previous morning's proceedings. Things went on as they should at
school, which meant that for the most part that she was bored out of
her skull as the teachers droned on. The other usual rituals went on as
well, such as her father droning on about her duties as a son, and Ataru
trying to glomp on her and get a birthday kiss (with the usual result--
he ended up making an Ataru sized impression on the nearest wall).
Oh, and everyone in class knew that it was her birthday...
Which really pushed the cross-dresser's view of the day from
barely tolerable to irredeemably terrible. Everyone in class 3-4
wanted to celebrate the occasion in grand style, as if it was a happy
day.
But as far as Ryuunosuke was concerned, it was a day like any
other, one of a film reel of unmoving pictures in time, similar to the
days past and not unlike the days to come. Another day where she'd
learn that her father deceived her about the world in some completely
inexcusable way, usually to give himself a comfort in life without
having to share it with his "son". Another day where she'd wonder
what her mother looked like, sounded like, or felt about her daughter.
"If she's in heaven, what does she think of her 'son'?"
Ryuunosuke wondered. She wasn't expecting an answer, and didn't get
one then either. Not that she'd know if her mother had, since all she
had of her mother was a set of pictures with women pampering her as a
young child. All different women, only one of which was her mother
(which one was deluded into oblivion by Ryuunosuke's loony father).
"Ryuunosuke! I bought this in a bit of a rush, but up until a
day ago I forgot it was your birthday. I'm so sorry," Shinobu said
hurriedly as she breezed to his spot, bowed with hand behind her head,
and sat down beside him. She took a moment to catch her breath, and
handed her androgynous classmate her present.
"Yeah, well...I'd have preferred it stayed forgotten. I mean,
to me today is just like yesterday, and will be just like tomorrow. I'll
still be stuck playing a guy when I'm not, and not be able to change it
because of my loony old man. And I'll still find out just how much of
what he told me...about everything...was a lie."
Shinobu listened, not having any words to comfort her friend.
She always knew how much it bothered Ryuunosuke to live the lie she was
operating under, and always admired how she fought for the right to have
any bit of freedom from her father's strict and stupid parental
stewardship. Yet, she also realized just how great a challenge her friend
faced.
"You have to keep pushing your father to get your life back. He
can't control you forever," Shinobu finally suggested.
"I know," Ryuunosuke replied. "I just wonder how much pushing I
can do. I've got so much of his teaching in me to be a 'man', that I
don't think I can ever be a woman if I wanted to. And I *do* want to!"
"You know what else I want?" Ryuunosuke asked her friend.
"What?"
"To know the truth. I want to be able to go through everything
that twisted old man[2] has told me, and finally divide it into what
was the truth, and what was a goddamned lie. I want to finally be able
to enjoy watching a movie, eating cake, and enjoy some of the things he
kept from me that he shouldn't have. And most of all...I want to know
who my mother was!"
"I want to know...whatever it takes to learn the truth!"
***** *** *****
It is often said that "When the student is ready a teacher will
appear." For many years after that day and the events that followed,
Ryuunosuke would wonder about the precision of coincidence between her
vow and the meeting that followed.
But in many of the affairs of the Three, she later realized,
what seems coincidental was merely a tool of the trade.
***** *** *****
A young woman, dressed in a sharp business suit that might
distinguish one as a lawyer or other professional walked into view
of the two classmates. She wore a dark brown vest and slacks, and
a white blouse, and walked among the grounds with a purposeful
stride. Shinobu noticed as the woman looked at a picture she
produced from her case, scanned the yard, and focused on Ryuunosuke.
Both girls focused their attention on the approaching lady,
trying to determine what they may have done to get her attention or
what strange adventure was about to start this time (things like that
*did* happen in Tomobiki after all). A silence fell at the large oak
tree until the lady turned to Ryuunosuke and asked "Are you by chance
Ryuunosuke Fujinami?"
The teen queried for slowly stood up to take a good look at
the woman before making an answer. Her face, which was quite pretty
even with the glasses she wore, wore an expression that a person might
wear when performing a truly important task. Important enough that
Ryuunosuke decided to risk answering in the affirmative.
"I'm Ryuunosuke, ma'am. What is it about? Did my loony old
man do something?"
The lady paused before answering. "Not quite. My name is
Kyoko Izumi, and I'm an attorney here in Tokyo. I have a client that's
been trying to find you for some time...she gave me this letter with
instructions that I personally see that you receive it and understand
its contents."
The lawyer pulled out a wax sealed envelope from her case, and
handed it to Ryuunosuke. As the student looked over the envelope, Kyoko
continued, "I've been instructed to make sure you open and read the letter
before I go, so if you would open the envelope so I can be on my way?"
Ryuunosuke abided with the lawyer's instructions and carefully
broke the seal and pulled out the note, then sat down to read it. Shinobu
looked at the letter as her classmate softly voiced over the letter. It
read:
Dear Miss Fujinami:
This firm represents the estate of one Satsuki
Santouji. A Ryuunosuke Fujinami is named as one of the
beneficaries mentioned in the will of the deceased. The
inheritance includes, but is not limited to, substantial
ownership of the Global Triad Corporation.
In order for you to claim this inheritance, we
will need the following from you:
A. Current identity papers, including school identity
papers.
B. A genetic profile to be done by the Nerima
Biologicals Laboratory. It will be necessary for
you and your father to send in a blood sample, taken by
a licenced doctor or nurse, to the lab so that they
may have this test performed.
Please contact us as soon as possible.
Sincerely yours,
Kyoko Izumi, Attorney at law.
Legal Representative, Global Triad Ltd.[3]
"You need a blood test from me and my dad?" Ryuunosuke asked
the attorney.
"Is that a problem? I can recommend a doctor, or you and your
father could go to the laboratory directly. They not that far from
here, and I can arrange to drive you if you wish," Kyoko replied.
"I can the sample taken from our school nurse, if that's all
right."
"I'll have to see her qualifications, but it shouldn't be a
problem. I sense, however, that there's another problem."
"It's my father...he doesn't like doctors very much. He'll
never allow blood to be taken from him," Ryuunosuke added.
"Why don't we go see Nurse Sakura and get started. I'm sure
she can get your father to give a sample," Shinobu helpfully suggested
as she got up and headed back to the school building.
Ryuunosuke shrugged and got up, then pointed out the school to
the attorney. "It's this way. She's on the first floor"
Perhaps this won't be such a bad day afterall, Ryuunosuke
thought as she and Kyoko walked over to see the nurse/priestess.
***** *** *****
"O.K. now, make a light fist. That's right...you'll feel a
little prick when I do this," Sakura narrated as she rubbed the skin
around the vein with alcohol and stuck the needle in to acquire the
needed blood sample. While it was an extremely uncomfortable process,
Ryuunosuke remained stoically silent as the nurse took out the first
vial, stuck in the second, then removed the syringe from the student's
arm and disposed of it.
"There, we're done. Now all we need is to get your father here
to get his sample," Sakura intoned as she laid out the syringe and vials
for the second set of samples, then went to work labeling the first set.
"I'm glad this school has the services of someone who can take
care of the samples on such short notice. This is a matter of no small
importance to my client," Kyoko interjected between sips of tea.
"Well, given that this represents good fortune to one of my
charges, I'm quite pleased. Now where *is* that crazy old man. I
sent Chibi to get him a few minutes ago," Sakura replied.
At that moment, Ryuunosuke's diminutive classmate crawled in,
soaked to the bone as if by some freak tsunami. The attorney looked
on in astonishment, while the others immediately guessed the cause.
The daughter of the escapee in question punctuated the point by
putting her hands on her temple and saying "What has that loony old man
done now?!" while rubbing them.
Kyoko kept a wary glance at the drenched student while taking a
sip of tea to regain her composure, and then asked, "Ano...does this
happen here *often*."
Sakura sighed at the latest incident to tarnish the good name
of Tomobiki High School. "Even the lawyers know our reputation...we'll
never live it down at this point. Uh...not that often...but it happens"
"I found Ryuunosuke's pop. He said he won't get his blood taken
by any Nurse or Doctor because every drop is full of the sea, and he
loves the sea," Chibi weakly explained. After a moment spent trying to
wring himself out, he added, "And *how*!"
Sakura took her hand from her temple to announce to those
assembled in her office, "If the old man will not come to us, we will
take the mountain (or the needle) to him!!" With that, she gathered
the syringe package and other necessary items and stode with grim
purpose to the bookstore to find and detain Ryuunosuke's errant father.
***** *** *****
At that moment, the errant father in question was in his home
and workplace enjoying a quiet moment reviewing photos of his childhood.
He looked at the picture of himself as a proud baby, posing as Popeye
the sailor in a t-shirt with the embroidered Kanji for "Sea" on it.
Even then, he mused with a sense of pride, he bore the mark of a man
with a lifelong bond with the sea.
All of his life, from his humble beginnings along the shore, to
his days in high school with Shirowatori-kun and his other friends, to
his days as a enlisted man in the JSDF, he knew he loved the sea. He
may have been married to his wife Masako (Kimiko...or was it Yukie?),
but he was truely married to the sea.
It even gave him his son, to raise to be strong in body and
pious in spirit; loyal only to the sea that gave him (back...don't
thinkthathelookedsobluetheysaidhewasdeaddon'tthinkthatdontthinkthat!!)
life after his wife left him. As long as he did that, and as long as
he made sure his son never diverged from the path...the sea would
renew their strength.
And only strength granted survival, Mr. Fujinami knew.
What a ridiculous notion it was to suggest that he submit to a
*medic* and have blood taken, he thought as he turned the pages of the
album. Didn't they know that the sea was in him as well? How else
would he able to drench Chibi when he came in with the request!
The sea does not respect fools, Ryuunosuke's father nodded
emphatically to himself.
It was at this moment that Sakura bellowed (in a quite deep
voice for such a gorgeous lady, Mr. Fujinami thought), "Fujinami!
We're coming in!!" She strode in, followed by Shinobu, Ryuunosuke, a
quite damp Chibi, and a short haired professional woman he didn't
recognize.
"Kyoko Izumi, Attorney at law. I represent a fairly large
multinational concern, a large portion of which your daughter.."
"My boy!" Mr. Fujinami replied.
"I'M A GIRL!!" Ryuunosuke countered violently, punching his
father through to the other end of the store to emphasize the point.
"Does that happen *sometimes* as well?!" the lawyer asked.
"Between those two...often," Shinobu answered.
"Ah," she ahhed. Regaining her composure, she walked over to
the now recovered father and continued (fingers crossed). "A large
portion of which is to be inherited by your...'son'...after a few
formalities, including a genetic profile test for him and you. That's
why we took a sample of...Mr. Fujinami's blood, and need yours as well.
You'll find that this takes..."
"NO! I won't allow a drop of my blood to be taken!" Mr.
Fujinami sternly (and loudly) replied.
"I was about to say that you'll be amply rewarded." Kyoko
responded. She pulled out a box of snacks to placate the middle aged
teashop proprietor. "I also brought a gift to you both, but especially
to you, in hopes of..."
"Even if it won us the world, I will not have my blood taken
by doctors. Doctors say they heal and then weaken you. The sea is
life, and it flows in my veins, which is a life at Hamayama teashop is
all my son and I will ever..."
"I am a GIRL, you crazy old fool!" his 'son' angrily retorted.
Mr. Fujinami continued his rant with missing a beat, ignoring
Ryuunosuke's response. "...will ever need. And I think this visit is
a sign that we should return and reopen our teashop. Come along,
Ryuunosuke!"
Ryuunosuke looked slack jawed at her father's latest crazy
decision and snapped back, "Have you lost your mind, old man?! We're
in line for enough money to keep us comfortable for life! We could
build a hundered teashops throughout the beaches of the *world* if we
wanted!!"
"That's not important, Ryuunosuke! All we need is the one by
the sea. We should go now, and make sure no one finds us again!"
"O.K. old man; what are you afraid of? What did you do, stiff
this woman's client for the bill in a restaurant or something?" the
teen asked as her father shifted to a battle stance and she reciprocated.
Kyoko, Chibi and Shinobu instinctively snuck out to the edges
of the room expecting the next knock down between the two. So it came
as a surprise when only one crashing sound came from the store, followed
by...silence. When they walked into the room, they were greeted by an
unconscious Mr. Fujinami, which under the circumstances wasn't all that
unusual. What was unusual was the shocked look on Ryuunosuke's face, and
the figure of Sakura standing over her out-for-the-count father.
After gather herself for a moment, the nurse/preistess walked
over to the door and gathered the necessary equipment for gathering the
blood sample. "I had to end it here to keep it from getting out of
hand," Sakura exclaimed as she found the insertion point in the old
man's arm and rubbed the alcohol on it and extracted the sample.
"If this is not 'out of hand' around here, what is?!" Kyoko
asked as an aside to Shinobu. Shinobu only shook her head as a answer.
***** *** *****
When Sakura came home to the temple after the school day ended,
she was greeted by her mother. The diminutive temple priestess gave
her daughter a slip of paper with a number, and told her that the folks
there asked that she call back.
Sakura walked to the phone in the kitchen and dialed the number.
After a couple of rings, a technician voice could be heard on the other
line giving the typical greeting for Nerima Biologicals. "I just heard
you wanted me to contact you immediately?"
"Ah, yes we did, Nurse Sakura. We just got started on the blood
samples you sent us, and we ran into a slight problem we hoped you
could solve for us, The samples don't seem to be right, and we think
there may have been a mixup," the technician stated.
"A mixup? I don't think so. What seems to be the problem?"
Sakura responded.
"Well, you mentioned that your first sample is of a Ryuunosuke
Fujinami, blood type A, correct?"
"Yes. We had to do the determination at the school when they
moved in. They're a rural family and didn't see to many doctors."
"Ah. Well, that sample matched. The problem is that the other
sample, the one that's supposed to be from her father...it's type B,"
the technician replied. Sakura blanched at this revelation, since
neither of Ryuunosuke's parents could be of that blood type if the
cross-dressing student was type A.
"Ma'am? Is it possible that you've had a mixup in there?"
Sakura held the phone in silence for a few seconds before
finally speaking to the technician. "I took and labeled both samples.
They were the only samples I took today. Is that Mr. Fujinami's
blood that's type B?"
"Let me check...yes it is! If there's no mixup at your end,
then...could Fujinami-san have adopted the child?" Sakura grunted
negatively.
"Ah. Then we don't have a problem at this end or your end,
then," the technician stammered.
"Uh...well...good day ma'am," was the last words from the other
end of the line before the conversation ended.
Slowly, Sakura returned the phone to the cradle, then leaned
against the wall. Ryuunosuke was going to have to know, and she'd
have to tell her.
It was going to be a bombshell to say the least, Sakura
thought.
***** *** *****
Kyoko Izumi received the call from Nerima Biologicals just as
she was calling her client. "Excuse me, I just got the call we were
expecting."
"Could you put it on the line so I can hear it," the voice on
the other end asked.
"Yes Himiko-san," the attorney replied as she set up the three
way call.
"Kyoko-san? This is Ichijiro Nakamura at Nerima Biologicals?
We just confirmed the blood test on Mr. Fujinami, and ruled him out as
the biological father."
"So fast?" Kyoko-san asked.
"Yes. Fujinami-san's has a blood type of B positive, while his
daughter was confirmed to have type A negative. If Ryuunosuke was his
son, she should be AB positive, assuming the mother was either O or A
positive," the representative explained. "Under the circumstances,
should we continue the testing?"
"Let me check with my client, Nakamura-san," Kyoko replied.
After a moment of silence, she responded. "My client indicates that
we need no further testing on Fujinami-san's sample, but that you are
to continue the contracted testing on Ryuunosuke's sample."
"We will do so. Thank you, Mrs. Izumi," the representative
concluded.
"Everything is turning out as I expected. Call me again when
Ryuunosuke's results come in," Himiko concluded.
>From the chamber where Mastermind performed its computations,
Himiko mused at the quick confirmation of what she knew to be true of
Ryuuosuke's 'father'. She was amazed, but after all this time, not
surprised at the swiftness in which the truth revealed itself.
Perhaps the unity of the Three was already at work, she thought
as she looked at the metallic shrimp shaped biocomputer.
***** *** *****
Shinobu noticed Nurse Sakura walking into the Jipango restaurant
before Ryuunosuke or any of the other classmates did. She also quickly
noticed that something was not well from the somber expression she
carried as she stood by the entryway, and from the way she was looking
at her classmate, she concluded that it had something to do with the
person whose birthday was being celebrated.
"Sakura-san, we were getting worried when you didn't show. Did
something come up?" Shinobu inquired after walking over to her.
"Not really...no," she said somberly (and in a deeper timbre of
voice than usual).
"Then?"
"Could you get Ryuunosuke to come out here? I just learned
something from the lab she should know," Sakura explained.
Shinobu immediately shared Sakura's somber expression. She knew
from her own family what such expressions and phrases from health
professional typically meant. "Is Ryuunosuke...?"
"No. There is nothing threatening her health. I just...need
to speak with her for a moment. It is about her father."
"Oh no," Shinobu exclaimed, then nodded and strode inside to
get her classmate. Within a minute Ryuunosuke meet with the School
nurse and walked outside to discuss the matter.
Shinobu walked back over to the table where Mendou, Ataru,
Megane and his gang, and the other classmates and aliens were assembled
to celebrate Ryuunosuke's birthday. Everyone there was singing, eating
the delicacies that were ready, or cooking food on the grill.
After a few minutes passed by, Sakura stepped into the restaurant
with the same somber expression as before. Ataru recognized her next.
"Sakura-sensei!!" Ataru said as he glomped on her the instant
he saw her. "We were beginning to think you got lost or something."
"Sakura-sensei isn't related to Ryouga Hibiki, Moroboshi. I'm
sure there was some business she had to attend to, since she can find
me and this party with no trouble," Mendou retorted as he also glomped
onto the nurse/shinto priestess.
"The only trouble *I* have is you two lowlife lechers!" Sakura
yelled as she took each of her two improptu suitors and smashed them
into each other. The statement was true enough; even if she hadn't
heard from Mendou and Nagisa about the site or lost her way, the two
Mendou blimps hovering a quarter mile apart from each other at opposite
ends of the restaurant with a sign hung between them reading (in big
bold english letters, no less) "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYUUNOSUKE, AND MANY
MORE!" would have served as a clue!
It was just after the "dimmer twins" fell in a heap around Sakura
that the person named in the mega-banner walked with a very serious
expression. Instead of returning to the table, she strode purposefully
to her father. "I need to talk to you, old man!"she said.
"Ryuunosuke, my son, are you ready to talk about going back to
recreate the teashop? I've already discussed my resignation with the
principal; we can go anytime." Mr. Fujinami bellowed.
"That's just it; I'm not going anywhere!" Ryuunosuke responded.
Mr. Fujinami looked shocked for a moment, then took a grim
expression as he stood up and walked into the open space where his
'son' now stood. He slowly took up a battle stance to spar with Ryuunosuke
again; he tensed for a moment before flying in a spinning kick to knock
out the 'boy' until he could persuade her to go with him, or take her
anyway.
"This is for the best Ryuunosuke! We've been away from the sea
we both love for too long and...eh?!" He ehhed as the kick only hit
thin air. As he looked around, he heard a kind of laugh from behind
him.
Or it at least it sounded like a laugh to Shinobu, although
there also seemed to be sobs combined in it for some reason. It seemed
to combine a the mirth one might find in hearing a long unspoken
punchline with years of sorrow and frustration. And for some reason,
it came from Ryuunosuke.
Which would explain the frustration, filled up due to years of
lies and evasions over even the simplest of questions about her life.
But what was funny about any of that, Shinobu asked herself.
"It's over, old man! I ain't playing your game anymore,"
Ryuunosuke intoned after her laugh/sobs had died down. "I just found
out the truth about you. You lied about being my 'caring' father."
"I am your father. Everything I told you, even about Shiitake
mushroom and movies, was for your own good. A father must always do
what he must to properly raise his son," Ryuunosuke's father droned.
"You think it's about a mushroom, old man? About all your
other lies, Old MAN?!" Ryuunosuke retorted. Her voice was starting
to rise, taking on a cold anger the others had never heard before,
and by now everyone at the table was looking at the cross dressing
teen and her father.
"This is about THE lie, OLD MAN! The one you told me when you
said you were my father!" Ryuunosuke continued. "That's right, old
man, I just found out. The people testing our blood...they just told
Sakura there's no way in *Hell* you could be my real father!"
"I..I am your father. I...I've always been your father," the
old man stammered.
"haha*sob*ha...Keep thinking that, you pathetic old loon...
*sob*," Ryuunosuke said as her anger at her 'father' surfaced again.
"I thought...hahaha...that this was going to be a terrible day...
hahahaha...but I just got the greatest gift of all; the fact that you
aren't really my father...the fact that YOU lied to me about
*EVERYTHING*...and that I NEVER HAVE TO LISTEN TO A ROTTEN LYING WORD
YOU SAY TO ME **EVER AGAIN**!!!"
Ryuunosuke watched as the middle aged teashop proprietor stood
stricken, with his hands to his sides, shaking. He finally sniffled a
bit, then quietly said, "Please come back son. We can stay here for a
while...everything has been hard on your father too."
Fujinami's 'son' stood by the door and stared at her father
for a long moment. In her gaze was the only parent she ever knew;
the one who raised her from the beginning. He was also the one who
made her dress and act as a boy even though though she wasn't; he was
the one who obliterated every trace of her mother's existence; and now
he was the one who begged her to retain in a role he had, to
Ryuunosuke's estimation, lost any further right to claim.
At that last thought, Ryuunosuke's expression hardened, and
years of frustration supplied the vemon for the next few words she
spoke, "You can't say you're my father; You never could. I *hate* you,
you lying old man."
She then ran out of the restaurant as quickly as she could.
After a moment of shocked silence, Sakura and Shinobu ran out after
her. A few minutes after that, everyone else shambled out the door
except Mr. Fujinami.
Ryuunosuke's putative father remained in place until he felt
someone tap on his shoulder. "Hey," the owner said after Mr. Fujinami
turned around to face the man. "Everyone else left without paying.
Someone owes me 17280[4] yen, and since you're the only one left, I
guess you're elected. The dishroom's this way; come on!"
Any intelligent person would have stammered about how it wasn't
his bill. Mr. Fujinami just looked shocked as he was led in to wash
dishes.
[1] About $2.80US last time I checked. The Yen-dollar rate varies
like a yo-yo, so your mileage may vary. Bottom line is...Ryu's
father bought the island for chump change!
[2] Ryuunosuke's pet phrase for him is "Hentai Oyagi", which literally
translates to "perverted old man". Given the fact that Mr.
Fujinami is not a pervert, but a nutjob, the term "twisted (or
looney) old man" is more appropriate ("looney dad" is
Animeigo's chosen translation for the phrase.)
[3] Thanks to June "KaraOhki" Geraci for the form of legal letter
used to notify someone of an inheritance. It turns out she was
a legal secretary...excellent training for writing fanfiction,
if "Change of Scene" is any indication. ;-)
[4] About $156.17US as of September 1, 1999.
Thanks to June "KaraOhki" Geraci, Sean Gaffney, and Todd "Lorien"
Hill (the author of the great UY lemon epic "The Prince and the
Letcher") for pre-reading this, and for all the helpful comments
they've made on this so far.
Comments, flames, grunts and loud noises to:
cornetts@gemair.com