auroraexpress | [Bond] Memory Mingle

[ Kyou has received three tokens since he arrived here. He has gotten some of his answers from Isuzu--like his name and the fact that they are related distantly somehow, but she's not exactly the most forthcoming. He's been told quite bluntly that they don't really get along. So this is really his only other route.

His memory starts in a house, Kyou laying on the patio outside in what appears to be a school uniform as he complains about hating living in this house. But he quickly changes his complaints to himself and his inability to be nice to 'her'.

The companion he's complaining to inside the house tells Kyou maybe he shouldn't yell at 'her' if he's just going to regret it later. Kyou says he's not made for being social with people but the other person says he just needs more training. That for the sake of the person that will one day tell him they love him to keep working on it.

He jokingly says there's no one out there like that. His companion laughs and says what if there was. Kyou said he'd ask them if they were crazy. The conversation ends as a third person enters the house and Kyou hides but overhears that this third person is planning on picking 'her' up from her part time job because there are perverts running around.

Kyou has decided to pick her up himself and catches her off-guard in the woods near their house--and she proceeds to smack him in the face with her bookbag from fear. He gives her permission to use his name without honorifics and attempts to apologize.

She tells him she's sorry she hit him because she thought he was a pervert but that 'she likes him. She's always liked the cat from the zodiac. In fact, she wanted to BE the year of the cat. She wants to be friends with him.'

Kyou recalls the words of his companion saying "what if there is someone who tells you they like you" and gets really embarrassed before telling her being the "Year of the Cat" isn't a good thing before heading home, the girl close behind. ]

What the hell was that...

Cat girl? [Yes, she introduced herself as Chiharu but she will forever be known as Cat Girl to him and AFTER this? Yes, she's earned that name ten fold.]

[ She's technically got more than one token, and she's technically disinclined to share memories publicly after the last one ... But maybe one couldn't hurt? Surely? Maybe. ]

[ oh ]

For fuck's sake.

[ There's a DRAGON loose in a PRIMARK ]

[ … altho, to be fair, the dragon is currently in her (mostly) "human" form, complete with veritable cloud of iridescent cotton candy hair. And no shoes. And boy's clothes that are definitely a size or two too small. ]

[ She's lost and looking for somebody she'd gotten separated from in the thick crowds, but mostly she's distracted by being so excited to be there. Look at all these cute clothes! Look at all these shiny new interesting things! Look at the escalators! She tries on so many hats, perching them awkwardly on her twitchy "cat" ears, and fills two baskets to overflowing with clothes she wants. And sparkly nail polish. And a sparkly sequin cat-themed backpack. And — oh! ]

[ There he is! On the floor below! ]

[ The memory ends with Meridian starting to climb over the edge of glass railing, happily calling out a name that gets blanked out. ]

I knew it! I knew I'd remember him!

[ They...know each other? Just recently, if she's being told how to best address him, it seems. But... he came because he was worried about her?

Wait... that means she was going to return to his-- ]

EHHH!??

Yeah, that's about what I feel.

[He has questions. Specifically for Isuzu. Not that she'll answer him...]

Seriously though. What's the deal with cats?

My love for them transcends a lack of memories!

But it seems like you don't like them very much...?

I'll say it does.

...I don't really know how I feel. It feels complicated. I don't dislike them.

Maybe if you were to visit Sunset, you could work through your feelings on the matter.

But more to the point-- uhm... did it...seem like I also stay in that place too? You went through so much trouble on my behalf...

I even hit you. . .

I'm not talking about my feelings to someone I don't know.

Yeah, you were definitely living there. So was I. I'm not really sure why but...yeah.

It didn't hurt. Maybe just my pride a little. But you were obviously spooked. You didn't know I would be there.

Sunset-san is a cat! I'm sure she'd be happy to listen to you if you needed it.

I'm glad it didn't hurt though. Even though I can't remember it myself, it has me feeling embarrassed and bad for having struck you.

I wonder... how it is that we both came to live together though, in the end.

[ She doesn't think they are related... ]

Oh. I didn't realize there was an actual cat on the train. Why am I not surprised you found it.

So this memory thing is really weird. When you do it you're actually there re-experiencing everything. When I tell you it doesn't hurt--it doesn't hurt. At all. So don't worry about it.

[He hopes they aren't related either because he was already all 'Oh Shit. She's cute' about her and this memory has made that even worse.]

I have no idea. I have a couple more tokens but not sure if they will work by getting us more answers.

[ She had been curious, earlier, after witnessing one of Kyou's memories what one of her own would be like. She isn't sure what she expected, but-- it does confirm that she had in fact moved in with him--

The memory starts with a phone call while at school. It's her grandfather, telling her that the renovations are done and she can move back home. For some reason though, it just leaves her heart heavy. She doesn't waste time once she realizes, however, and she packs to leave, having made sure to give directions for everything she's leaving undone.

It reminds her of a farther memory back when she was a child... called 'Fruits Basket'. All of the children were dubbed a fruit and called to run and play-- except for Chiharu herself. She was the 'riceball'.

. . . Riceballs don't belong in a fruits basket after all.

At least-- that's what she had thought. Her family is fairly callous and short with her-- it's clear that with the exception of her Grandfather, they don't want her around. It's a lonely feeling-- and worse when she finds out that her aunt had a detective look into her previous living situation. Her cousin insinuates that she must have done something indecent with the men in that house-- until her grandfather strikes him to everyone's shock. He explains that she should be happy and free to live wherever, but that isn't right either-- it causes her to break down. She's supposed to be grateful for what she has... and yet her heart aches, longing to return to the happy place she had been to before now.

. . . And when she finally admits it, the two boys from that very home show up... and bring her back home. Where she had wanted to stay all along.

For some reason... there are tears in her eyes at the end. Sniffling, she lifts her arm up to try and scrub them away. ]

We really did live together, after all...

((OOC: The Anime version of the chapter. It's super pretty so I highly recommend it especially if you wanna cry a little. Also just assume her name is blocked out/redacted/whatever. Only the scenes with her in them should be visible.))

Edited 2019-12-30 04:35 (UTC)

Would you like to see her? She lives with us in Clover, and she's really affectionate.

[ She's really comforted by her presence if she's honest. It's good to have such a cute friend around.]

Maybe I'll take a memory for myself, later. Although I feel like I somehow managed to get a bonus one through your own. Even though it might not explain a lot right now... I think we can look at our memories like puzzle pieces. On their own, they may not seem like much. It's not until you start to piece them together that you make a picture.

So... at the moment, we're at the beginning of our puzzles. We have to start flipping over the pieces and sorting them before we can head into the next step.

No, I'm good.

[She'll probably force him to do that later. Meet the cat. ]

Puzzles, huh? You are...[So weird. Why are you so weird and stupidly cute?] definitely creative...

I've gotten two more tokens that I can use.

Edited 2019-12-30 05:41 (UTC)

Well that explains a few things.

[A lot of things actually.]

No offense, but your family is kind of jerks.

Also, so is that gray haired guy.

[CAN HE JUST FIGHT YOUR FAMILY CHIHARU?]

[Because he wants to fight all of them except grandpa. Grandpa is cool.]

He's gonna be a terrible policeman if he can't even read a girl like you. [Glowering at the screen.] High and mighty jerk. [He has more colorful insults in mind, but he's pretty sure Tohru isn't quite an adult SO.]

[He huffs and looks at Chiharu and gonna reach over and pat her head.] At least you have good friends and grandpa.

....seriously?

[Your life.]

You know, I think I can follow the train of thought for why you learned to kick ass.

Lucky. [He might be a little jealous.]

It looks like you're having fun.

[ Her ears give a happy little wiggle. ]

I was! I am! There was so much everything, everywhere, and there were so many people. And Mao! He's so great.

[ Her life. ]

No kidding. [ Groans ... ] Ugh. Hindsight. I can think of all the things I should've done.

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