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it is here my dudes

ProfAllister wrote:Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:13 am Your victim: Arodyrok

Jigoro is hosting a Christmas dinner for his family (Satou presence is optional) Shizune takes it upon herself to invite the student council. Now a displeased Jigoro has to deal with uninvited guests.

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Dinner Has Been Served

Misha and I move cautiously as we walk up to the Hakamichi residence, treading carefully as if Jigoro might be waiting to ambush us. Shizune, of course, strides right ahead and through the front door, without a care in the world. I don’t know if it’s good or bad that she seems to be the only person not intimidated by her father. I can’t say I’m not anxious about meeting him again, even if my impression of him has softened a bit over time. Still, when Shizune invited us over for a family Christmas dinner, how could we say no?

I take Misha’s hand and clench it tightly, giving her a silent look of resolve. She returns my sentiment in kind. Even Misha doesn’t have to say what we’re thinking: Into the breach. Here goes nothing. There’s no one in the hall, so we just walk carefully down into the dining room, where Shizune is already seated at the family’s large table, taking the end of it across from where her father sits at its head. Hideaki sits to Shizune’s right, and to the right of him, Lilly and Akira. Didn’t know they were coming, but I guess it’s not—

“Who is this? The boy again?” Jigoro says. “Unannounced. And the pink one? Don’t you know it’s rude, to enter a man’s home uninvited?”

Well. This is off to a great start. Apparently ignoring her father’s comments, Shizune motions for me and Misha to sit down on her left. There are indeed enough chairs for us, though that’s just a function of how large the table is. Neither of us moves.

“Hey~! We have names, you know! Mister Shicchan’s dad!” Misha points out. “Not just boy and pink girl!”

“It was actually pink ‘one,’” Hideaki corrects her.

“Right. Names,” Jigoro says. “Guests are called by name. You two are not my guests.”

“Oh dear…” Lilly remarks, looking down. She’s probably doing it to hide the smile forming on her face, and she’s not doing a very good job of it. After their last encounter back at Yamaku, I’m sure Lilly is happy to see Shizune taking a beating for once. Akira looks very uncomfortable, but also unsure what to say or do. She settles for downing the glass of wine next to her plate and refilling it after.

Shizune hasn’t done anything to contradict Jigoro this whole time. She isn’t even looking at us. There’s no doubt in my mind that she did this on purpose, inviting us without telling him… is it a game to get at her father, or to test me and Misha’s reactions, see if we’re up to the challenge? More likely both. I guess it doesn’t matter, it’s all the same in terms of what I should do.

“You’re right, Mr. Hakamichi. We’re not your guests. We’re your daughters’ guests,” I say. “This is her family, and her home, and she invited us into it. If we’re not welcome, then we can go, but we were really looking forward to spending tonight with her.”

Jigoro gives me a brief stare, his eyes squinting in appraisal, before waving a hand dismissively towards the empty chairs.

“Yes, yes, very well. I’ve hosted you without notice several times now, why not again?”

“Thank you, Mr. Hakamichi,” I say, bowing to him before taking my seat.

He doesn’t look at all appeased, but the fact that he let us stay is promising. I sit down next to Shizune with Misha on my other side, another empty chair serving as a buffer between her and Jigoro. Shizune gives us both a pleasant smile, as if this is a totally normal, loving family dinner, and everything is completely fine. Lilly doesn’t seem to share that sentiment.

“My my, I do hope we have enough to go around, with such unexpected company… we didn’t cook for seven,” she says pointedly.

Fortunately, it does look like there will be food enough for everybody. Whether somebody cooked all of this or Jigoro paid to have it made or whatever, I don’t know, but there’s a wide array of food and drink and it all looks delicious. I have a sinking feeling that we won’t really be able to enjoy it at this rate.

“It’s cool, they can have some of mine. I think I want to leave room for more booze anyways,” Akira says.

I’m more than a bit jealous she gets to do that. I’m sure alcohol would make this whole affair go by easier.

“Don’t go drinking yourself sick in my home. Disgraceful,” Jigoro says. “Do young people now have any restraint left whatsoever?”

“Ah, sorry, was just jokin’…” Akira says.

“I believe some among us still have manners,” Lilly says, taking a loud sip of her own beverage with pinky extended haughtily. “Others… do seem a bit given over to petulant whims and fancies.”

While Shizune doesn’t seem to have any interest in butting heads with her father, Lilly is a different story.

“That’s exactly right, Lilly! Too many class reps these days prefer to sit around drinking instead of doing their jobs. It’s shameful~!” Misha translates.

Lilly spits some of her drink out at hearing this, coughing several times after as she tries to regain control of her airways. A good splash of it gets all over her blouse and she just barely avoids spilling the whole glass. There goes her big fancy lady routine, I guess. She does not look happy about that comment, to put it mildly.

“You’ve been drinking back there at that school? Didn’t send you there to engage in such delinquency. Aren’t you all on the student council? Unbelievable!” Jigoro remarks.

“Not… alcohol,” Lilly clarifies, her voice coming back to her. “We rather enjoy our tea, that’s all. We like to drink lots of tea. That’s what Shizune means… isn’t it, Misha?”

Lilly turns her head towards Shizune’s end of the table, as if daring her to contradict that. That’s a dangerous game she’s playing, but somehow I think she’s made the right call. If Shizune were to just come right out and say “yeah Lilly has gotten sloshed in her dorm a few times,” that would be like snitching, I think. It would ruin the fun of the game. Besides, it’s not like we haven’t engaged in our own bouts of rule-breaking, albeit of a different sort.

“Yes, yes~! Lilly is really fond of her tea. Shicchan says, maybe if you cared about your duties as much as your tea, you would have your reports in on time!” Misha responds happily.

“Ahh, the class reports. It must be nice to have so much time to fill them in quickly. Almost as if one had nothing else to do,” Lilly retorts.

Shizune is already signing her response but Jigoro cuts off further arguing, his booming voice easily dominating the conversation.

“Enough petty squabbling. Not becoming of you, of this family. What is this about tea, boy?” he asks, turning to me. “Do you take tea each afternoon, with these girls? Is that what you are?”

I clear my throat before responding.

“…No, I do not. The Student Council doesn’t drink tea,” I answer with a bit of pride. It’s a weird thing to be proud of, but Jigoro’s inherently accusatory tone just brings it out of me.

“So you are drinking alcohol, then? Should’ve expected as much,” Jigoro concludes. “At least it isn’t a woman’s drink,” he adds, as if my drinking tea would somehow be even worse.

I decide to just accept that as the best I’m going to get and decline to follow up any further, focusing instead on the food. There seems to be an unspoken agreement among everyone present to go ahead and dig in, as a way of avoiding any more uncomfortable conversation topics. Even Shizune and Lilly have reached a truce in the wake of Jigoro’s interruption, neither one wanting to give him any further ideas about their un-ladylike behavior back at Yamaku. As always, Jigoro appears to be the most at ease in the room, refusing to allow unwanted guests or silly family bickering to ruin his meal. Hideaki also seems surprisingly calm and unperturbed. I guess out of all of us, he’s the most used to this type of situation.

On the Student Council side of the table, we might have gone silent, but we’re used to communicating without words. One nice thing about Jigoro is that he doesn’t even look up whenever one of us begins signing to another, being fairly used to the practice—and as far as I can tell, he doesn’t actually know sign language himself. How he raised Shizune with that language barrier in place, I still haven’t figured out, but it does allow us to talk in plain sight.

[Do you think we’ll still be allowed to stay over through the week?] I ask Shizune, as that was part of the original plan.

[Of course. If Father lets you eat his food, he’ll let you do anything.] she assures me.

[I don’t know about that. Anything? He probably wouldn’t appreciate some of the things I do to you.] I say.

Misha puts a hand to her mouth and blushes, though Shizune doesn’t flinch in the slightest. She just gives me a little smile, as if to say “nice try.”

[Maybe we should find out. I’m sure you will have a chance to do some of those things while we’re here.] Shizune says, her eyes narrowing with that typical look of competition.

Damn. I guess I should’ve known what I was walking into, provoking her like that.

[I don’t know. There is so much food here, and I’m starting to feel really stuffed… I might not be in the mood. What if I just want to go to sleep?]

[Hicchan! You’re spending more time signing stuff to Shicchan than eating!] Misha tells me. [If you’re not going to eat your food, give it to me!]

Lilly’s head has been cocked to the side this whole time, a giveaway that she’s listening as closely as she can, trying to figure out what is going on. She’s probably deduced that we’re signing and it must be driving her up a wall not to know what we’re saying. Normally Akira might try to distract her but the elder Satou seems to have checked out of this evening, resigning herself to just drinking more wine while trying not to look too sour about how things have turned out.

[If you leave the class president unsatisfied tonight, you’ll regret it.] Shizune says. [Both of you. You have a duty to the council—if you don’t care for the president properly, she can’t serve the student body at full capacity.]

[Full capacity, huh? I think I can arrange that.] I say.

That one gets a twitch out of Shizune as she stifles a laugh. Score one!

“I’m done eating. May I be excused now?” Hideaki announces.

Jigoro nods while finishing the last bites of his own plate. He pushes away from the table and stands up as Hideaki leaves the room.

“I’ll excuse myself as well. Since those still at my dinner table seem more than capable of amusing themselves,” Jigoro says, picking his sword up from its resting place beside his chair. “Business calls,” he calls over his shoulder as he walks out after his son, twirling the sword idly.

Of all the things about that man, I think the one I’ll never get used to is that sword. As soon as he’s gone, Lilly seizes her opening.

“Amusing ourselves, are we?” she asks the table. “Is there something I should know about?”

“Don’t worry, Lilly-chan. We weren’t talking about you. Pinky swear~! Wahaha~!” Misha says.

“Ah. Right. More important things to talk about, I’m sure,” Lilly says.

“Lilly… please,” Akira says, seeming a bit more herself now that Jigoro’s oppressive presence is gone. “Can we… not? Just for one night? This was supposed to be a family occasion. It’s Christmas Eve, for cryin’ out loud!”

“Hmph. You’re right, Akira. It was supposed to be a family occasion. And yet Shizune felt that she simply had to invite her lovers here, without even informing the rest of us. So if things haven’t exactly turned out well, that is unfortunate, but I hardly think I am the cause,” Lilly says, a pout now clear on her face.

[Jealous that you don’t have any?] Shizune says, no doubt playing off the “lovers” comment.

“Shicchan~! I can’t say that!” Misha says, though she’s cracking up a bit.

“C’mon, are we really so bad?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood a bit. I do feel a bit bad for Lilly sometimes, when it’s three against one… even Akira isn’t really backing her up here. And she does kind of have a point, Shizune did just drag us along with no warning. “You probably wouldn’t really want to listen in on our conversations anyways, Lilly. They’re about, uhh… you know. Council business. Boring stuff.”

I try to get the message across in my tone of voice here, though I can’t tell if it works or not. Lilly purses her lips and declines to say anything further, which I take as a tacit admission that I’m right. If we involved her in our talk, she’d just end up fighting with Shizune immediately. The fact that we can talk in sign while she’s around actually helps to keep the peace. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it out loud, I’m sure Lilly knows that as well as I do.

[That’s right. You’re off the council, so you don’t need to know about council business anymore.] Shizune says. [It’s only proper.]

[Can we give her a rest, like Akira asks? I don’t think any of us really want to get into it right now.] I implore Shizune.

“Here, maybe this’ll cheer you up,” Akira says to Lilly in the meantime, pouring a bit of wine into her glass.

“Ah. Thank you, Akira,” Lilly says.

Me and Akira exchange a look, one where I know that the message gets across: You reign your side in, and I’ll try to handle mine. It’s a role we’ve both had to play before. Shizune glares at me for a moment, her expression much the same as Lilly’s. It says: I’m not done yet, but I know the rest of you probably are. I glare right back at her, refusing to back down.

[…Fine.] Shizune relents. [But only because we have… more important things to do, than bother her any more.]

Beside me, Misha lets out an audible sigh of relief.

“Yeah, it is Christmas, isn’t it? Let’s all be cheery for the holidays! Yay, yay~! Remember, we get to open presents tomorrow! Ahahaha~!” Misha says, doing her part to warm the room up. It works pretty well, too. It’s hard to stay angry or upset when she’s around and in her element.

“I’m sure Shizune will be unwrapping a couple presents tonight,” Lilly says.

“Lilly!” Akira snaps.

Lilly sighs in regret.

“…I’m sorry. You’re right, perhaps we should… try to remember what Christmas is really about,” she says.

“I think so,” Akira agrees. “What’s Christmas about to you guys? To me, it’s, you know…”

She punctuates her statement by finishing her wine glass. Christmas is about booze for Akira, no doubt. But then again, it seems like most days are about booze for her, so. I guess she just has a better reason to indulge on holidays.

“I think it’s about giving,” Lilly says, pointedly holding up her own empty wine glass. Akira rolls her eyes, but dutifully refills it. It occurs to me how well this moment sums up Lilly, her actions and her personality—talking about giving while politely suggesting that someone give something to her. That passive aggressive nature of hers, that’s why she has such problems getting along with Shizune, I think. I do hope that one day they’ll learn to communicate in a healthy way.

“Well~! I think it’s all about food! Lots and lots of it!” Misha says, holding her arms open wide as if to demonstrate how much tasty food she eats on Christmas.

[What about you?] Shizune asks me.

“Hmm.”

I think for a moment before replying.

“I think it’s about family. That’s what tonight was supposed to be about, right? I know me and Misha aren’t technically family, but still,” I answer.

“Well, let’s face it. Ya might as well be now,” Akira says, tipping her glass towards the two of us.

“Ehehe. I guess~!” Misha tentatively agrees.

I just shrug.

“Family or not, I do enjoy spending time with you. All of you. That’s the only way I know how to say it,” I explain.

Shizune smiles at me, clearly pleased by my performance.

“Thank you, Hisao. That’s very nice of you to say. I… do enjoy your company, as well,” Lilly says cautiously, no doubt wary of stepping on Shizune’s toes. Fortunately, Shizune is done attacking her for the night. Her mind has already moved on to other things.

[And? What is Christmas about to you?] I ask her.

She gives me a devilish grin which simply confirms what I already knew about where her thoughts had gone.

[I know what this one is about.] she says.

[What would that be?] I press.

Her eyes narrow and she gives me a sultry look.

[Why don’t you come to my room and I’ll show you?]

[Opening presents already, are we?]

[I’ve eaten my fill of dinner. Now I need my other serving for the night.]

[Ah, it’s time for bed already? Alright! Yay!] Misha joins in, bouncing a bit in her chair.

“Ahem, well,” I say, clearing my throat and getting up. “We’re going to go, umm. Open some presents now. That we got for each other. In private.”

Technically, this is accurate. Shizune does have something new she wants to try out. Lilly just sips loudly from her wine.

“Well, don’t let me and Lils stop you. We’ll be around,” Akira says. Then, she leans forwards over the table. “And remember—use protection. Every time,” she whispers to us.

Lilly snorts, spitting out wine at this comment, but is too embarrassed to say anything, her face nearly the color of her drink. She’s obviously just waiting for us to leave at this point. Shizune scowls at Akira and pulls me away, beckoning for Misha to follow, which she does obediently.

“Uhh, yeah! Don’t worry, there won’t be any, err, Christmas surprises! Not on my watch!” I call back after me, hearing Akira laugh as we make our way down the hall and into Shizune’s bedroom. Misha is the last one in; she closes the door behind her and immediately pounces on Shizune, pinning her to the bed and pulling her into a deep kiss. At the same time, she lifts her skirt up to expose her panty-clad rear, giving me something to do to get started.

I still don’t feel totally okay doing this right under Jigoro’s nose, but by now I’ve learned that it just comes along with dating his daughter. We did have our first encounter in this very same room, after all. Man does that feel like a lifetime ago. Since then we’ve had sex on the roof, in the council room, on a park bench, in the janitor’s closet… in Lilly’s room that time she went to Scotland… it seems like we’ve gotten rowdy everywhere but in our own dorm rooms. Well, except for the times in Misha’s room. I guess those count, considering where we are now.

Anyways. I rub my hands and lick my lips, getting ready to go to work… this looks to be one hell of a night.

***

A short while later and things are going pretty well. Somehow Shizune always manages to stay completely silent if she wants to, no matter what we do to her. Misha on the other hand… she’s been straining desperately not to let out anything louder than little squeals and whimpers. It’s clearly turning Shizune on, and I can’t deny its effect on me, either. Just when we’re really getting into it, we pay for our brazen behavior as the door to the bedroom opens abruptly.

I gave up trying to convince Shizune about leaving the door unlocked like that. But noooo, it’s always just [It’s no fun if there’s no risk.] Well the bill had to come due sooner or later. I would hope she’ll listen to reason after this, but I don’t think I’m going to survive the next few minutes anyways. Jigoro is standing there, sword at his side, staring impassively at us: his daughter tied to the bedposts, Misha’s ankles tied to hers, with me hilt-deep in… one of them. I suddenly realize that I’m not even sure which one it is.

I guess of all the things to go out doing, this ranks pretty high up on the list. I can only hope that he’ll have mercy and make it quick.

“Hello? Ahh~! Waahhhh~!” Misha yells in shock as she looks over her shoulder to see what’s befallen us. She squirms her hips around in a futile attempt to get off the bed or somehow hide herself, causing me to realize she’s the girl I’m currently engaged with. I bite my lips in response, trying not to react to the sensations she’s causing. “Sorry sorry sorry! Sorry I was so loud, I—”

She starts to apologize when Jigoro holds up a hand, cutting her off. I realize that he actually doesn’t look pissed off. Which is weird, because he always looks pissed off.

“No matter, Misha,” he says. “I couldn’t hear. I just had to see if it were true. I apologize for my indiscretion. Didn’t think it would really be happening,” Shizune’s father explains. “I thought you’d all be sat here playing with dolls or some other tomfoolery. Perhaps swilling tea, like Satou's girl.”

“You had to see if… but how did you… ?” I wonder aloud.

Am I supposed to pull out and grab my clothes here? I don’t know if that’s more or less embarrassing than just standing here with my ass hanging out. I stay put for the time being, more out of indecision than anything else.

“You spoke of your plans right in front of me,” Jigoro goes on. “You thought I wouldn’t notice? Truly bold, Hisao. I must say I’ve… misjudged you.”

So much for the guy not knowing sign language. Honestly, I should’ve known better. And that means Shizune knew all along that he could understand us, and she still went along with that little gag. I shouldn’t be surprised by that, either.

“What… does that… mean?” I ask cautiously.

“I thought my daughter had brought home a simpering whelp just to spite me. I see now that she had… other motivations.”

“So you’re not… going to kill me?”

“I had considered it, yes,” Jigoro says, apparently without irony. “But why would I now that your manhood is laid bare before me?”

Interesting choice of words.

“Not even I managed such a… feat, at such a young age. Most impressive,” he says, turning to walk back down the hall. “Also. You’re hunched over like an animal. Stand up straight and thrust from your hips. If you’re to bed my daughter, I’ll have you doing it properly,” he adds as a parting comment before closing the door, leaving us alone once more.

Huh.

Shizune’s looking at the both of us like she doesn’t understand what we’re waiting for, like we’re supposed to just go back to it.

“Uhh… Hicchan… should we… ?” Misha tries to say, unsure how to put words together in the wake of this development.

I shrug.

“Why shouldn’t we?”

“Hmm~… okay… why not~! Waha—ahhh~!”

Even with a broken heart, I’ve got to be the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.

Wait, Fancopter doing a hetero sex scene?!?

Its a Christmas Miracle!!

In all seriousness that was enjoyable. Well done.

So Jigoro accepted Hisao because he pulled off a 3 way earlier in his life than Jigoro had? To be honest, that raises an entirely new set of questions.

I love the notion that Jigoro knew sign language all along and never let it slip. I just wonder if Shizune knew?...

Oodles of fun! I was giggling through the ending. And, I'm always a sucker for an OT3

Lap wrote: Tue Dec 04, 2018 10:22 am Akira's Surprise

Contrary to Mirage's implications, I did not pick and choose who drew what. And even if I had, I had yet to read any of Lap's work, so he was a complete question mark for me. (Full disclosure: I used a random number generator to pull an array of 27 numbers, 1-27. I rerolled once, because the first roll had too many self-referentials (e.g., the 18th number in sequence was 18))

As for the fic itself, I'm inferring that this is a sort of "sequel" to Home. For the most part, structure seems fine. Not a huge fan of the HASD reference, but I'll say this instance is less my dislike of the meme and more wondering why Akira would refer to a euphemism she wasn't around to hear. The awkwardness between Lilly and her parents seems out of place with canon, but I guess that could be a development from "Home"? Finally, it's a little thing, but I was kind of hoping one of the trio to (good naturedly) remind Akira that they're old enough to buy their own booze now.

PKMNthiefChris wrote: Tue Dec 04, 2018 12:36 pm Mission Log: Discovery of the Snow Butterfly

Not much to say about this one. A fun take on the prompt, and always entertaining to take a dive into Kenji's psyche, especially when it's Kenji trying to decipher Rin. The biggest complaint I have here is the conclusory paragraph seems a bit inconsistent and flighty, even for Kenji. Specifically the "driving off a feminist" bit. This was infiltration and intel gathering mission - driving off a feminist would be a tertiary goal, at best. Perhaps instead Rin extracting information and disposing of the no longer useful agent in a single go?

Downix wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:41 pm When The World Stops Cold

A cute little sequence. Kind of difficult to get a read on this Rika. Her words taste... off. Like there's a formality to her speech which doesn't reach her mannerisms. That may be the intended effect, but it's hard to tell, given the relative lack of context.

Mirage_GSM wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:39 pm A Gift of Confidence

It's a little unconventional, but most of that comes from the prompt itself. And while I enjoy making jokes at his expense, I tend to have a bit of an appreciation for attempts to depict Nomiya as an actual human being. It starts with an unconventional lead in, and ends in an unexpected, but rather sweet, conclusion. Nicely done. (Although I'll note that you ignored my correction that the plural of "Still Life" is "Still Lifes" :p)

Bricktycoon wrote: Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:08 pm The Last Leap of 2007

Ending on a cliffhanger like that is utterly, horribly cruel.

That being said, it's a solid hook, sets the stage nicely, and Rin gets to steal the show. Now if only the story actually finished...

Mineoa wrote: Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:37 pmChristmas Presence

As with many others, I'm mildly disappointed that "literally watching paint dry" didn't mean literally watching paint dry.

While the writing is unrefined, the story is relatively entertaining. Hisao's gift resembling a mouse and being revealed to be a computer mouse is an amusing bit of surreality, but that may have been unintended.

My main recommendation to you would be to read more stories. Read them carefully, so you can see the structure and narrative flow. Your biggest issue right now is lack of polish, and a little practice will help immensely.

Hanako Fancopter wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:22 am Dinner Has Been Served

And you told me that you didn't think you could turn your prompt into smut... :p

Contrary to Downix's claim, I'd say that calling that heterosexual is grading on a curve.

The story itself is fun. Don't agree with some of your characterisations, but it's mostly enjoyable. Jigoro does a good job of being petty and over the top, while having his own standard of acceptable behavior. Lilly seems to have a bit of a drinking problem.

Akira, though... I think Akira's where this is weakest. She doesn't act like herself. No harassment of Hideaki being the most obvious issue. But even with Jigoro, I'd argue that a lot of the text strongly implies she vastly prefers Jigoro to her own parents. Her behavior appears to be more how she'd act if she were eating dinner with her own family. I almost expect she'd be doing all she can to enjoy the fireworks (short of grabbing a bowl of popcorn). Less "drinking to get it over with" and more "dinner and a show! (+ drinking)"

(Although I'll note that you ignored my correction that the plural of "Still Life" is "Still Lifes" :p)

I think that must have been in the version the internet ate...
Fixed now, thanks.

Victim: Hanako Fancopter
Prompt: Hanako Misha hot springs


Onsen a Lifetime


“A-are you sure you can’t come, Mimi?”

There is a small shuffling sound in the darkened room as Naomi turns toward me from under the heavy blanket.

“I’m really not feeling up to it, Hana. Today’s a bad day. But you should go enjoy yourself. Check out the rotenburo! This is an extremely exclusive ryokan, so you’ll probably have the whole bath to yourself. I’ll be fine!”

We’re about halfway through our tour of Japan over the Summer break. I never expected Naomi to be the type, but most of our trip has been visiting shrines, temples, and other traditional locations.

And the tea ceremonies. So. Many. Tea. Ceremonies. And so much green tea. It almost makes me miss the nasty leaf water Lilly was constantly sucking down. Almost.

Anyway, here we are somewhere in Gunma, at a really fancy bath house. *Really* fancy. Even the simple yukata they provided for guests is one of the most comfortable things I’ve worn in my life… if a bit more revealing than I’d like.

I knew it was unlikely that Naomi would come, but I wanted to at least try. Come on, Hanako. This whole trip is about trying new experiences and bravely facing the world on your own. Don’t chicken out now!

Steeling myself, I follow the hallway to the changing room, and then step out into the bathing area.

Thankfully, it’s empty. I’m not sure I’m ready to subject myself to a public bath where everyone stares at my hideously scarred body. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start. Naomi ran me through the rules before we arrived, but I think I may have forgotten them in the interim.

First step is… wash? I guess that means it’s time to take the Yukata off. But where do I put it?

“Oh~! There’s someone else here! Lucky~!”

I freeze. The only thing worse than that being the person I think it is would be to learn that there are two people on this planet who sound like that.

“I was afraid I’d have to bathe alone! Can you imagine~? That would be so~ terrible! But now we get to be bathing buddies~!”

Bathing alone? With no one to see my hideously scarred body? Oh, that would be such a terrible experience. I’m being sarcastic here.

I slowly turn my head to look at my assailant. As expected, it’s my classmate. Somewhat less expected, she’s standing at the entrance to the changing rooms, stark naked and shameless. And blocking off the only escape route. It appears that I’m stuck as a prisoner of the bubblegum bimbo.

I can’t help but notice how impressively curvy she is. Even curvier than you’d expect from the way the Yamaku uniform hugs her figure. Unlike my skinny, shriveled, bony ass…

“Shicchan wasn’t feeling well, so I was afraid I’d be here all by myself!” she volunteers. I wasn’t wondering, and I really don’t care.

“I told her to stick to the fish~, but she insisted on trying the chicken.”

Again, actively not caring. I’m just glad that I only have to deal with one of you harpies.

“...Oh,” she says, something suddenly dawning on her, “this is your first time, isn’t it?”

How can she tell? Is it that obvious? My body rebelling against my mind, I stupidly nod.

“What was that~? I couldn’t hear you.”

I didn’t say anything. How could you not notice that I nodded? And how could you not hear? The only sound is the water from the hot spring gurgling as it flows by.

Also, how are you so comfortable talking to a classmate while completely naked?

Without any other choice, I speak up.

“Y-yes. I’ve never done this before.”

God, I hate my stammer.

“Well that’s obvious~! Wahahahaha~!”

Tactful, she is not. Bitch.

“I’m sure you’ve done bathing at home, but this is bathing at an onsen~! It’s an entirely different kind of bathing altogether~!”

“It’s an entirely different kind of bathing?” I repeat, dubiously.

“It’s an entirely different kind of bathing~!” she affirms, nearly simultaneously.

“First things first,” she begins, advancing menacingly, “let’s get you out of that robe~!”

Wait, what?

Before I know what’s happening, the other girl spins me around and removes my yukata in one impressively fluid motion.

“You’re supposed to leave this in the changing room~! That’s how I knew this was your first time! Wahahahaha~!”

I brace myself for her revulsion at my scars, or unkind comments, but she seems completely oblivious. Is she that airheaded? Only Lilly’s acted this unaware of my scars, and, well, she’s blind.

Seconds later, she emerges from the changing room, shameless as ever. At least she seems to be as oblivious about my ugliness as she is of her own immodesty.

“Okay~! Okay, okay, okay~! Now it’s time to wash! Sit down on that stool, and I’ll clean your back~!”

She half shoves and half ushers me to one of the wash stations, barely allowing me to sit down on my own. Once I’m settled in, with my hair draped over my bad shoulder, she starts soaping up my back. This feels surprisingly nice.

Up until she stops. With her hand over my scarred shoulder. Slowly, carefully, her hand explores its way down my arm. Finally, she speaks, with a rather unexpected question.

“Ikezawa?”

How could she not recognise me? What the hell is wrong with this girl? I briefly consider lying and pretending to be some other disfigured teenager, but that seems pretty likely to blow up in my face.

“H-hi, Misha.”

“It is you~! Ahahaha~! Serves me right for not introducing myself~! Hahaha~!”

...And now I think I know why Hakamichi is deaf.

Without warning, Misha envelops me in an aggressive hug. I am acutely aware of her bare chest against my back, as well as the position of her hands.

“This is even better~! We’re not strangers, because we know each other! That makes us even closer than bath buddies~!”

Hooray. What fun. I literally cannot contain my excitement.

“Back to washing~!”

Without a single thought, she’s back to soaping up my back. She knows who I am now. Why isn’t she asking about my scars? Every time, it’s all the same - ‘I’m so sorry’ ‘Does it hurt?’ ‘I can’t imagine what it’s like’. But from her? Nothing.

“So~! Since we know each other, that means it’s time for girl talk~! Let’s start simple for now. What brings you to this ryokan~? Shicchan said it was very~ exclusive! And very~ very~ expensive. You must know someone pretty~ important to get a room here~!”

“Y-you’d have to ask Naomi about that. We’ve been travelling together over the break.”

“Inoue~? The one in our class? That makes sense. You can’t tell by the way she acts, but she’s the daughter of someone very~ important! Very very very very~ important~!”

That makes me vaguely curious about the background of my travelling companion. It wouldn’t be appropriate to pry, though. I should ask Mimi directly.

“Where were you travelling?”

It occurs to me that Misha’s hands have left my back, and she’s now rubbing my tummy and… other parts. It feels nice. Not in a sexual way. More like…

Like a mother washing her child.

Damnit! Not now! Don’t you dare start crying now. Not where someone can see you.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you~?”

Shit. She noticed.

“N-no. I’m just a little sensitive, so try to be gentle.”

“No worries~! I’m just about done~! Let’s just put your hair up, rinse you off, and you’re all done~!”

“Put my hair up?”

I don’t know why that thought bothers me. She’s seen my scars. For that matter, she’s felt them up. But habit wins out, I guess.

“You forgot to bring something for it? No worries~!”

She shoves her forearm in front of my eyes, which I just now notice is adorned with a rainbow of elastic bands.
“Hair ties~! I grabbed extra when I went back into the changing rooms~!”

Displaying an agility and grace I have never seen from the Student Council president’s lumbering behemoth, she effortlessly gathers my hair and ties it up in a neat bun. The ease with which she accomplishes this leaves me dumbfounded. I instinctively put my hands up to examine her handiwork, but can’t find a single hair out of place.

“O-okay. Now it’s your turn, Misha. Once I rinse off.”

I don’t really have a choice in the matter. There’s no way I’d let myself be in her debt. I can only imagine the horrible things her other half would extract from me if I did.

“Okay~! Okay, okay, okay~!” she replies in her bubbly manner as she sits herself down on a neighboring stool, for all the world resembling a pink-haired Renaissance painting.

It only takes a moment to rinse off the soap, then I get to washing the back of my unexpected companion.

“You said you were travelling~, right, Hanachan?”

Ugh. Should have seen that nickname coming. This girl really has no boundaries, does she?

“Mm-hmm.”

“Where have you seen so far~?”

“W-well, we started up north, in Hokkaido…”

“How did you like Hokkaido?”

“I-it was nice. Very pretty.”

“Yeah,” she says dreamily, “I think so, too.”

The whole we've been talking (and whenever her hands weren't … occupied), Misha has been signing like some kind of spastic animatronic. Up until now, I could ignore it, but it’s starting to get in the way.

“Uhm… I think this would be easier if we were quiet for a little.”

“Why would- Oh~! Sorry~! I’ll be quiet!”

Now that she isn’t flailing about all over the place, I manage to complete her back without much trouble. The next step is a little trickier. In order to reach around to wash her front, I practically have to press my chest against her. How did I not notice her doing the same to me?

I am not feeling up another girl. I am returning the favor and washing her the way she washed me - like a mother washing a child.

Unfortunately, she seems to be really enjoying the way I’m rubbing her, which makes it that much harder to believe what I’m telling myself. Thankfully, it doesn’t take me long to finish.

“O-okay. I think I’m done.”

“Mmmm… You did a good job, Hanachan~! I can put my own hair up - you rinse off and then you’re ready to get in the water~!”

We both finish around the same time, and are therefore ready to enter the water proper. I gingerly dip my toe in to test it; she goes right in.

As would be expected of a hot spring, it’s pleasantly warm, and within seconds I understand why bathing in them is so popular.

“Sorry I didn’t recognise you right away, Hanachan. I can’t see very well without my glasses.”

That explains a lot.

Wait a minute. Has she always had green eyes? I think I’d notice that. On the other hand, most of my interactions with her have had to do with trying to be in the same space for as little time as possible.

“D-don’t worry. I wasn’t insulted.”

With that, the atmosphere settles into one of awkwardness - I’m perfectly content to stay quiet, while she’s clearly uncomfortable and wants to talk about something.

After a couple minutes, Misha gets a look in her eye, as if she had an idea, and begins floating toward me.

“You know what makes a soak in the hot springs even better, Hanachan~?”
Why are you coming closer? Please respect my personal space.

Having closed to striking distance, she makes her move. Quick as a mongoose, she has me locked in a full-body hug from behind, with her legs hooked around my waist. So much for escaping.

“Once you have one of Misha’s famous massages, you’ll feel brand new~!”

I can tell that resistance would be futile, and I know I’m too awkward to speak in protest, so I let her have her way with me.

I’m expecting something rough, but am pleasantly surprised by how gentle she is, probing my shoulders for just the right spot and then applying just enough pressure to make it feel… well… amazing.

This girl has no barriers, and no respect for societal convention, but she also has the remarkable ability to make you stop caring as well. I barely know this girl, and I’ve barely let anyone other than Lilly touch me, but right now there’s a part of me that hopes she’ll never take her hands off me.

As I relax, something in the back of my consciousness realises that her legs have released me and I’m free to go, but my body makes it clear that I’m completely captive to her.

“Hey, Hanachan…”

“Mmmm?”

My head feels full of cotton candy, so I’m barely thinking about what I’m saying.

“You ever wish you had someone who was like a friend, but not~? The kind of person who you could tell your deepest darkest secret? Something so secret, you couldn’t even tell your best friend~?”

“Secret? What might that be?”

The airy, carefree way I ask that feels so unnatural. That tiny bit of “me” left in my head is screaming for me to get a grip.

“It’s something that I can’t tell anyone never ever ever~!”

She sighs out of frustration, then begins speaking again.

“But that’s not important right now. I should be paying attention to you. It’s rude to complain like that.”

The massage continues in silence for a moment, but her loss for words quickly evaporates as she blindsides me with another unexpected question.

“Hanachan, has anyone told you how pretty you are?”

The little me in my head is screaming at me as I blithely respond without a care in the world.

“N-never. Not since the accident.”

You idiot! Don’t tell her that! She’ll use it against you! They always do!

“That’s… really sad~, Hanachan. I’ve always thought you were very pretty. With your beautiful hair, slim figure, big boobs~. Not a fat ugly land whale like me…”

Well, that’s wonderful. The half-blind half-wit thinks you’re pretty. I’m certain that you can trust her judgment.

Now, that’s not entirely fair. She may not be able to see well now, but I’m sure she’s talking about how I look to her when she’s wearing her glasses. Except I’ve never seen her wearing glasses...

Also, I’m starting to think she might not be quite as shallow as I initially thought. Either way, I don’t think she’s capable of lying, so there’s that.

“Y-you’re not ugly.”

“Ahaha~ I know you’re just saying it to be nice, but thanks anyway!”

“I’m serious - I’ve always been jealous of how perfect you and the president look.”

Why are you telling her this? You’re giving her weapons and she will hurt you!

“Aww, that’s probably true for Shicchan, but it’s the make-up doing all the work for me~.”

That’s categorically not true. You aren’t wearing any make-up right now, and still look amazing. And that’s beside the fact that you still have your whole face.

“You know, Hanachan~... It’s probably a little weird for me to say this, but… you have nice skin.”

Okay, that’s a new one.

“Even where it gets… ‘different’,” she says, her fingers tracing the area where my scars start, “it’s still nice, in its own special way~.”

Yeah, that’s a little weird. To be fair, it’s so weird that I can’t imagine her making it up, so it’s genuine, at least.

Around this time, I realise that Misha isn’t massaging me anymore so much as stroking my back. Much as I’m enjoying myself, I can’t let myself become complacent.

“O-okay, Misha. N-now it’s your turn.”

Wordlessly, she complies, turning to present her back to me.

As with the washing, my half of the process is done in silence, since Misha can’t sit still while talking. I’m not going to say anything, but her skin feels rather nice itself. Her soft exterior hides a surprisingly strong set of muscles underneath it - I guess she *is* the Student Council pack-mule, after all.

To be honest, I don’t have the first clue how to do a massage. I’m really just kind of squeezing handfuls of her. She seems to be enjoying it, though. And I don’t mind it too much myself. Be that as it may, my hands are getting tired.

“S-say, Misha?”

I can’t believe you’re doing this…

“W-would it be alright if I hugged you?”

She looks at me with a rather surprised expression, which quickly dissolves into good-natured laughter.

“Wahahahaha~! Okay~! I’m never one to turn down a good hug!”

In a moment, she wraps her arms around me while I snake mine under hers and around her torso. I hugged Lilly a few times, and a couple of the grown-ups from the orphanage, but those always felt so… formal. Something that was proper to do. There’s a warmth here that those hugs lacked.

Lost in the moment, I close my eyes, and I can smell Mommy’s famous curry cooking in the pot, and can almost hear Daddy announce that he’s home from work as the door shuts. And then everything starts shaking.
“Hana-chan~.”

Misha’s voice is soft and musical. I open my eyes to see that the sky’s turned a brilliant shade of orange.

“I think you fell asleep. It’s probably time to end the bath, okay~?”

I nod, then notice that my face is wet. Must be the steam from the hot springs.

“Let’s rinse off and get dressed, okay, Hana-chan~? It’s almost time for the best part of a ryokan~! The food~!”

Hanako Fancopter wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:22 am Dinner Has Been Served

And you told me that you didn't think you could turn your prompt into smut... :p

Contrary to Downix's claim, I'd say that calling that heterosexual is grading on a curve.

The story itself is fun. Don't agree with some of your characterisations, but it's mostly enjoyable. Jigoro does a good job of being petty and over the top, while having his own standard of acceptable behavior. Lilly seems to have a bit of a drinking problem.

Akira, though... I think Akira's where this is weakest. She doesn't act like herself. No harassment of Hideaki being the most obvious issue. But even with Jigoro, I'd argue that a lot of the text strongly implies she vastly prefers Jigoro to her own parents. Her behavior appears to be more how she'd act if she were eating dinner with her own family. I almost expect she'd be doing all she can to enjoy the fireworks (short of grabbing a bowl of popcorn). Less "drinking to get it over with" and more "dinner and a show! (+ drinking)"

I did manage to make it lewd lol. You guys had more faith in me than I had in myself xd

I think you're right about Akira. I felt that her lines and interactions were weak as I was writing them--I definitely think making her more jovial and animated, with teasing of Hideaki, would have been better.

As for the story you wrote with my prompt... it's amazing that you ended up with it and the story is amazing too. It was most excellent and I shall treasure it!

I'm glad I didn't get that prompt. My story would have been a lot shorter and ended with Hanako having to do something...

ProfAllister wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 5:50 pm ...Not a huge fan of the HASD reference...

Okay, I Iay awake in bed for a half hour trying to figure out what HASD was. Google was no help (I assumed you weren't referring to the Humanist Association of San Diego...), but eventually I twigged to Healthy Adolescent Sex Drive. D'oh!

Yeah, I know that the only time Lilly mentioned that phrase in canon was to Hisao, but it's such a cute phrase I can't help but feel that she would have used on more than one occasion, especially when talking with her sister about boys & dating & etc. Especially etc.

Here's my little contribution to this excellent annual event. Many thanks again to ProfAllister for organising it for us all. My victim is Path with the below prompt. I was tempted to go full yaoi on it but refrained in the end.

Mutou and Nurse leave the Yamaku Holiday Staff Party to have a party of their own.

Rooftop Repartee

Some bright spark had decided if we had the staff party the week after the student's Christmas party they could save money and time on decorating for both events. They neglected to notice that the staff was an order of magnitude smaller than the student population so we were currently stood awkwardly about in the practically empty gymnasium. The decorations had been nice a week ago but were now definitely starting to look a bit shabby as they were mostly craft paper made by the student council. I did have to admit those two girls must have really worked hard to make that many paper chains and posters. No wonder they never turned up to class.

I take another sip of my one allotted can of beer and grimace as the room temperature liquid rolls across my tongue. Over in one corner I can see Nomiya has managed to corner the Librarian and has one arm against the wall beside her head. Poor Yuuko looks like she's never been this uncomfortable in her life. With how nervous she normally is, that's really saying something. I contemplate going over to try and rescue her from the cretinous art teacher but that man really knows how to hold a grudge.

"What an ass." The voice echoing my own thoughts belongs to the school nurse, who also happens to be one of the few people on the staff with whom I actually get along fairly well. He must have used his name when we were first introduced, but I've long since forgotten it. I don't think I've ever heard anyone call him anything apart from 'Nurse'.

I nod in agreement with his earlier statement as across the room Yuuko manages to extricate herself. As she scuttles to safety in the girls lavatories, she bumps into a table of drinks, apologising profusely to thin air. Nomiya looks unfazed and glances around in search of his next target.

Knocking back the last of the can I suppress another grimace of displeasure.

"I don't know how you can stomach that stuff" my companion complains as I place the empty can on a nearby table.

"Yeah it's pretty poor"

"Come on, let's blow this party. I've got a bottle that'll be much nicer than anything we'll get here."

I raise an eyebrow, "Medicinal?"

The Nurse's face breaks out into his characteristic grin, "Of course!"

***

A few minutes later we emerge in the cool air on the rooftop of the main building. The faint strains of some forgettable pop song from the seventies drift over from the gym. Nurse unwraps the brown paper around the package we stopped in his office to retrieve and passes me a bottle. The amber liquid inside glints appetizingly in the moonlight and I whistle appreciatively as I read the label. This whisky is older than a lot of our students.

The cork comes out with a satisfying thunk and brings with it scents of smoke and vanilla. Nurse has pulled a pair of glasses from the package and I pour a measure into each before re-corking the whisky. We clink glasses together in a wordless toast and I take a mouthful. It's absolutely heavenly. I close my eyes and lean my head back. As I savour the taste I hear a soft chuckle from Nurse as he sits on one of the nearby benches.

"So what's this I hear about you dating a students mother?"

Nurse grins at me coyly, "Yeah something like that. "

"You sly dog. Who?"

"Ibarazaki"

"The fastest thing on no legs?"

Nurse nods, "Yeah that's her. We're having to be careful about it though as I don't thing she's ready to accept someone new dating her mother yet."

I lean back on one of the fences bordering the roof, being sure to avoid the flimsy looking section as Nurse continues, "I'd hoped she might hook up with that Nakai kid in your class, but despite my prompting it doesn't seem to have happened."

"Looks like he prefers his legless girls a little taller and darker skinned," I remark wryly.

"Kapur?"

I take another sip before responding, "Yeah, looks like they're an item, or if not yet, definitely soon."

"Good for Nakai. Not bad going considering how miserable and withdrawn he was when he arrived."

"Mm," I murmur in agreement as my foot comes into contact with something that definitely doesn't feel like part of the roof. Looking down and squinting in the dim light I see it's an empty bottle, and a quick check of the area turns up three more rolled into the gutter nearby. "You drink up here a lot then?"

My companion shrugs, "No, not really, why?"

I kick the bottle I've stood on over towards him as response, "There's three more of these in the gutter there."

He picks up the bottle and shakes his head, "No, I've never even seen this brand. You reckon maybe it's a student?"

"Who knows," I shrug, "either way, probably worth getting the janitor to start locking the door up here, and probably fix that fence. It's a miracle no-one has fallen through it if people are drinking up here."

"We're drinking up here."

"So don't fall through the fence then," I taunt him.

The nurse just grins in response.

We lapse into companionable silence for a while and just sip our drinks. It's a nice view, the surrounding scenery just visible in the moonlight. It's actually one of the reasons I took the job.

As we reach the end of our glasses, Nurse stands up and stretches, "I'd better head off anyway, I promised Meiko I'd drop by with some fried chicken."

"I'd ask if you prefer leg or breast but if I judged right at the last track meet you don't have to choose." I leer at him as he bats my head playfully.

"You want me to leave the bottle with you to have another?" he offers in a transparent attempt to change the subject.

Much as I would love another taste, I'd feel bad drinking his expensive whiskey on my own so shake my head, "Nah, think I'll head back down as well, maybe see who's about."

Perhaps I'll even ask Miss Miyagi for a dance.

Well, I've finally posted mine, and it was a doozy. Profallister was my victim - I assumed they knew this, what with being the one to make the selections and all, so I had to think long and hard about how to subvert their expectations. I ended up with this absolute unit of a fic (posted in my one-shot thread): Project Blue Curtain.

I hope people enjoy!

Hisao slinks along the corridor, head down, a hunted expression on his face. He has arrived at his classroom just after school is due to start but before Mutou usually makes an appearance, hoping that he will be able to avoid the unsettling encounters that have been a feature of the last few days. However he forgot to account for the other person who follows the same schedule.

"H-hello Hisao," she says with a shy smile. A shy, adorable smile that plays on her full, kissable lips as she looks up at him with violet eyes that he can not help but stare into, drowning in their limpid depths. "Are you... looking forward to the p-party?"

Her words jolt him out of the reverie he had fallen into. "Not really. I'm tired after the exams, I'll probably sleep through it."

Hanako looks crushed. "O-oh no you can't! It could be our last chance t-to..." she trails off as she sees Mutou appear at the top of the stairs.

"We better get inside before he decides we're late," Hisao says in relief and hurries through the door. He is aware of the stares that track his progress to his desk but keeps his eyes down until he has taken his seat. Seeing that Shizune and Misha are absent he breathes a sigh of relief as he gets out his school supplies and feigns interest as Mutou takes off on another of his flights of fancy.

***

Hisao jolts awake to the sound of laughter and is surprised to see that several of the girls have gathered around Miki's desk; the classroom usually empties quickly on Saturday lunchtimes. He is packing his bag when he notices Hanako walking over to the group and shyly tugging Miki's sleeve. His heart falls when they all turn to look at him in response to what she says. Miki stands and sashays over to him, the sway of her hips mesmerising him. "Hey Hisao, what do you think of these party costumes?" she asks, throwing a copy of Tiger Girl magazine onto his desk. It is open to a page of pictures that has him blushing and hurrying out of the classroom in search of a quiet lunch. "You better turn up tomorrow, my stocking's not going to stuff itself!" she calls as he disappears down the corridor.

"My my Hisao, what has you in such a fluster today?"

He is surprised to see Lilly's elegant form appear around the corner, lustrous blonde hair framing her face and cascading down her back. He wonders what it would be like to run his fingers through those gleaming locks, how she would feel if he took her into his arms and...

"Hisao?"

"Err, oh s-sorry Lilly I didn't expect to run into you here. How did you know it was me?"

She giggles, "you have a distinctive gait and I do believe that you are the only one in the school who uses that particular brand of shower products." She leans into him conspiratorially and whispers, "Akira has provided me with some... Christmas cheer. Come to my room tomorrow night, I can promise you a memorable after-party." With that she glides off towards his classroom, an enigmatic smile on her lips.

He stares after her, eyes wide with disbelief, and decides to abandon his trip to the cafeteria. He retreats to his room, locks the door, switches the kettle on and scans his collection of instant ramen to see what takes his fancy. He sits on his bed with the noodles and a fresh library book and settles in to wait until sleep takes him.

***

When his alarm clock wakes him at the usual time he dresses in his running kit and walks through the dawn to the track. The morning run is the fixed point of his day, the companionship he shares with Emi has helped them both through the ups and downs of the last few months. He smiles when he sees her already stretching, her sole concession to the season being a stripy elf hat in place of the beanie she started wearing as winter drew in. With a nod he joins her in warming up and then launches into the day's programme.

As usual they do not speak until they are cooling off, when Hisao brings up the strange behaviour he has been on the receiving end of
recently. "Oh Hisao!" The bell on her hat rings merrily in time with the laughter that shakes her body. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed, it's no surprise you get teased a lot. Also there's more girls than boys in the school so being single makes you a target, and what better place to show off a conquest than the Christmas party?"

He frowns, "I'm not an accessory to be shown off! You're single too, have you hunted down a trophy date?"

She shrugs, "nah, don't want any dead weight slowing me down, I've got a shot at junior nationals this spring." She starts jogging towards the medical building. "I'm off to see Nurse, you coming?"

"Not today, I don't want to risk another... encounter so I'm heading to my room."

"Coward!" she jeers, her beaming smile taking the edge off the jibe. Hisao watches her disappear before trudging back to a hard earned shower, the tinkling of Emi's bell fading into the distance.

***

Hisao finishes his book and stretches, noticing that daylight has faded into twilight. It feels like months since he has been able to enjoy a full day of solitary reading and it has gone a long way towards helping him recover from the stress of the week. Starting to feel restless, he steps over to the window and sees that it is snowing. As he watches the snowflakes floating gently through the still air he is suddenly filled with nostalgia. Nostalgia for childhood Christmases, for the parties thrown by his grandparents when they were alive, for hanging out with Mai, Takumi and Shin and laughing at couples setting off to be fleeced by avaricious restaurateurs. With the nostalgia comes a desire for human contact, a need to be with people that he has not felt since his stay in the hospital. He thinks about the Christmas party and the expectations of the girls. He likes them well enough, enjoys their company when they are not being weird, is acutely aware that they are all desirable in their own way. He just does not feel a connection with them, not like he does with the one though he has never felt confident enough to pursue it.

His mind made up, he opens his door and hears the muted sound of Christmas karaoke. He heads to the cafeteria with a smile on his face, hoping to find the human warmth he has developed an unexpected craving for.

***

He is standing in front of the cafeteria door, excited and appalled by the prospect of pushing it open and walking in, when the music changes and a rich contralto voice starts singing 'All I want for Christmas is You'. Steeling himself, he grabs the sprig of mistletoe hanging over the door and makes his way into the room. He pays little attention to Hanako's singing, Emi and Rin's elaborately choreographed dance routine and Miki's barely existent Christmas costume. He scans the room, hoping to see... There! Mistletoe in hand, heart beating frantically, he strides through the centre of the room, dodging slow-moving couples, towards the figure leaning against the wall. He holds the mistletoe up and leans in for a kiss, savouring the manly scent of garlic and the rough texture of the stylish scarf.

The sudden silence in the room is broken by the sound of a dozen glasses being dropped in unison.

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NoticeMeOppai wrote: Hisao has somehow made it to December without committing to any of the girls (or falling off a roof) but now the Christmas party is coming up and more than one girl has started hinting they're expecting something special.

Thank-you for the fabulous prompt, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! It was interesting to work out what sort of Hisao would get through to December without falling into a relationship (or onto a hard pavement), and unrequited love was one of the pieces in the puzzle.

Okay, it could take me some time to get through Crafty's story, so for now:

Rooftop Repartee:
Nice story, though I always feel sad when Nomiya is portrayed that way

All I Want For Christmas:
Hmm. Honestly I was expecting it to be Iwanako.
You did a very good job disguising the target of his affections ("kissable lips", "lustrous hair", "gleaming locks", blushing over pictures etc) - maybe a bit too good...

Scroff wrote: Tue Dec 25, 2018 5:43 amAll I Want for Christmas

I guess it's my prejudice against Kenji showing--I figured out that the object of Hisao's affections was male, but Kenji never occurred to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I was thinking, Lelouch? Takashi? Taro??

Lots of fun, in any event.