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rkoldSo, I really need to write up a long post about my adventures in Tokyo and attending Doll Show. It was really rather amazing, though I had a few minor disappointments in the meantime, Ficcage!
I can't remember when I started writing this, it's based on one of the AUs, it's not been betaed so everyone can just deal. lol
Title: >>;;;
Rating: PG/PG-13
Series: Prince of Tennis, sort of technically, though really it is barely connected at this point lol
Fuji Yuuta, shivered in his too light Autumn jacket a small knapsack dangling over his shoulder, as he climbed the stairs to reach street level from Ikebukuro Station. It was probably stupid of him to be spending his hard earned yen on train fare, let alone on video games and a movie, but he hungered for the crowds and lights of the entertainment district, allowing himself to pretend he still belonged to the world of care-free teen-age spending like his former peers. Besides, he told himself, while the Balgus Gran CyberCafe was more expensive than some, it had much better showers. Earlier that evening, luck had been with him, and he'd succeeded in claiming one of the 600 yen lockers in Shinjuku Station. It was a relief to not have to go as far away as Tokyo Station, and meant he would have an extra 20 minutes before needing to be at work at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Digging his hands deeper into his pockets, he frowned as the girl handing out tissues skipped over him, his small spate of fortune appearing to have already come to an untimely end. Even a bonus as small as that was going to be denied to him and his ears flattened angrily against his head, tail slightly puffy and close to his legs as he approached his destination, Green dori.
Missing the light, Yuuta waited in silence, glad for the throng and the momentary increase in warmth from their presence. Taking out his cell phone, he pretended to be texting someone, savoring one of the few remainders from his previous life. Feeling the lightest touch against his already sensitive tail, Yuuta nearly dropped his cell as he turned to search for the offender, but whoever it had been had already melted back into the crush. Scowling, Yuuta returned his cell to the safety of his pocket, the illusion broken, wishing for not the first time that he had not been cursed with a tail. Crossing the street, Yuuta admired all the dining options teeming with patrons, Dennys, Shakeys, Papa Crepes, even a Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendys, all promising a whiff of ordinariness. Fisting his hands, he continued on his quest, knowing it would be all to easy to blow his money on food which would make the night end much too early. His belly gave a disappointed rumble, still aching from his dinner of a single burger from the cheap fast food place he had found while getting his duffle to Shinjuku. Several basement sex shops featuring lurid pictures of girls with tails and ears grinned up at him, blushing the boy walked faster, trying to forget the most common profession of those punished with both ears and tail like himself.
Several moments later, he stood in front of his first goal, the Sega Amusement Center. Yuuta immediately went to the second floor, the UFO Catcher machines not being worth his yen anymore, as they offered only moments long entertainment. Another player was already trying their skill at his favorite shooting game, so the boy headed for the zombie game he enjoyed, giving only a cursory glance to the Taiko Drum Game and Pop 'n Music. That too was in use, so he finally settled on one that involved shooting deep sea creatures and rescuing divers. The graphics were impressive, and the gun mount had good directional movement. It felt relaxing, blowing away demonic sea creatures and losing his sense of self, easily forgetting how many 100 yen coins he fed into the machine. When the game finally ended, Yuuta had one of the top scores and had managed to pass over an hour. Stretching, Yuuta felt a quick sense of accomplishment as he watched his initials scroll by, before exiting the game center to head for the movies.
There were 3 different theatres all within meters of one another, it was just a matter of finding one with the most interesting looking film. Since leaving home, Yuuta had seen a lot more movies than at any other time in his life. Every evening, as long as he had the 1200 yen for a ticket, he went. Sometimes, he'd even seen the same movie more than once, when the theatres were slow about changing their line-ups. This evening, the most promising film was an American one, and Yuuta bought a single ticket, carefully counting out the price in 100 yen coins. The young woman behind the counter had given him an appraising glance, as if silently trying to ascertain whether Yuuta was breaking high school curfew. Ignoring her disapproval, Yuuta walked confidently towards the elevator for the theatre. Alone, he removed his wallet from his pocket, calculating the sum of his remaining money. Biting his lip for a second, he realized he had put too much money into his video game habit having needed to spend some extra to master the new game. Now, he didn't have enough for the popcorn he was planning to treat himself too and his stomach complained bitterly. Upon reaching the floor where his film was actually playing, he searched for a water fountain, drinking deeply in an attempt to appease the ache, promising himself tomorrow he would spend less so he could afford more food.
The movie proved a good distraction, it had guns, car chases, things blowing up and a happy ending. Feeling a minor victory from his choice, Yuuta glanced at his wrist to see if it was after 11:00 and he could head towards the internet cafe. Scowling for a second, as he remembered he'd pawned his watch months ago, he took out his cell. Tail twitching angrily, he realized he had another half an hour to kill and so returned to the gaming center, trying not to think about the fact this made his finances even tighter for the next day. At least his favorite game was free now, and he occupied himself with it, not even noticing the passing of another hour.
Yawning, he was glad his boss, had given him morning shifts all week, since it made falling asleep easier. On days he didn't work, sleep had a tendency to elude him as the events of that night and life with his family would play before his vision. Despite the ridiculousness of it, a part of Yuuta still expected to see them, to have one of his parents or his older brother show up in Ikebukuro or Shibuya or even at the bakery and rescue him. The past somehow completely erased. But no one ever appeared, and from his quick glances at newspapers and overhearing the gossip of some of the bakery's patrons his family didn't even care. Feeling a few tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, Yuuta dug his nails slowly into the fleshy part of his palm, forcing his emotions back under control.
Brushing his bangs out of his eyes as he approached the young attendant at the Gran CyberCafe, Yuuta smiled and asked for the overnight package, already thinking of the hot shower he would take before changing into his pajama bottoms and falling asleep in a chair. To his complete horror, all of the spaces were booked the woman offered one of the hourly cubicles, but that was completely untenable. The hour respite would leave him groggy, and he definitely couldn't afford to stay at the cafe without receiving the discounted package. Not saying a word, Yuuta headed back to the elevator, heart pounding sadly in his ears as his tail gave a small flick.
There was only one solution now, though Yuuta hated contemplating it. When he had gone over budget other evenings, or had just been unlucky, he'd slept curled up in Shinjuku Station. Walking purposefully back to Ikebukuro station to catch a train, the boy was already trying to come up with the positives of not having spent 1700 yen on his lodging. It didn't help much, nor did the box of Pocky purchased from a kiosk give the boy any solace. The wind from an oncoming train whipped his bangs and fur as his ears curled dejectedly against his scalp expression grim as he stepped onto the train.
Arriving in Shinjuku, Yuuta followed the labyrinthine passageways hoping to find a wall to curl up against. Once he had not been as careful about searching for someplace more hidden, and had been awakened by a JR employee and forced to move, something he couldn't risk with a morning shift. It was not going to be a pleasant night even if his sleep was unbroken, and Yuuta prayed he wouldn't smell too horrible or seem too groggy at work. Yagyuu Hiroshi was a good boss, but it was Christmas Cake season. Yagyuu-san and the cake shop were the only bright spots in his new life, and Yuuta still felt lucky Yagyuu had been willing to employ him. But it wasn't just gratitude Yuuta felt for the man, he admired his patience and skill. Blushing even though nobody could read his thoughts, Yuuta also admitted he found the man incredibly attractive. But it was something he refused to dwell on, knowing it was completely hopeless from the start.
Settling into a corner, tail drawn against his ankles, Yuuta flipped opened his phone. Falling half asleep he stared blindly at it, yawning as he let his head fall back against the wall. For a brief ecstatic moment, he imagined the blinking icon on his screen was a new text message, from someone, anyone, before the full weight of how bad this evening had come hit him. The battery was low on his cell phone and there was no possible way for him to recharge it. Quickly inputting the time he needed to wake for work, he closed the phone and his eyes and hoped it had enough power to last through the night.
I can't remember when I started writing this, it's based on one of the AUs, it's not been betaed so everyone can just deal. lol
Title: >>;;;
Rating: PG/PG-13
Series: Prince of Tennis, sort of technically, though really it is barely connected at this point lol
Fuji Yuuta, shivered in his too light Autumn jacket a small knapsack dangling over his shoulder, as he climbed the stairs to reach street level from Ikebukuro Station. It was probably stupid of him to be spending his hard earned yen on train fare, let alone on video games and a movie, but he hungered for the crowds and lights of the entertainment district, allowing himself to pretend he still belonged to the world of care-free teen-age spending like his former peers. Besides, he told himself, while the Balgus Gran CyberCafe was more expensive than some, it had much better showers. Earlier that evening, luck had been with him, and he'd succeeded in claiming one of the 600 yen lockers in Shinjuku Station. It was a relief to not have to go as far away as Tokyo Station, and meant he would have an extra 20 minutes before needing to be at work at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Digging his hands deeper into his pockets, he frowned as the girl handing out tissues skipped over him, his small spate of fortune appearing to have already come to an untimely end. Even a bonus as small as that was going to be denied to him and his ears flattened angrily against his head, tail slightly puffy and close to his legs as he approached his destination, Green dori.
Missing the light, Yuuta waited in silence, glad for the throng and the momentary increase in warmth from their presence. Taking out his cell phone, he pretended to be texting someone, savoring one of the few remainders from his previous life. Feeling the lightest touch against his already sensitive tail, Yuuta nearly dropped his cell as he turned to search for the offender, but whoever it had been had already melted back into the crush. Scowling, Yuuta returned his cell to the safety of his pocket, the illusion broken, wishing for not the first time that he had not been cursed with a tail. Crossing the street, Yuuta admired all the dining options teeming with patrons, Dennys, Shakeys, Papa Crepes, even a Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendys, all promising a whiff of ordinariness. Fisting his hands, he continued on his quest, knowing it would be all to easy to blow his money on food which would make the night end much too early. His belly gave a disappointed rumble, still aching from his dinner of a single burger from the cheap fast food place he had found while getting his duffle to Shinjuku. Several basement sex shops featuring lurid pictures of girls with tails and ears grinned up at him, blushing the boy walked faster, trying to forget the most common profession of those punished with both ears and tail like himself.
Several moments later, he stood in front of his first goal, the Sega Amusement Center. Yuuta immediately went to the second floor, the UFO Catcher machines not being worth his yen anymore, as they offered only moments long entertainment. Another player was already trying their skill at his favorite shooting game, so the boy headed for the zombie game he enjoyed, giving only a cursory glance to the Taiko Drum Game and Pop 'n Music. That too was in use, so he finally settled on one that involved shooting deep sea creatures and rescuing divers. The graphics were impressive, and the gun mount had good directional movement. It felt relaxing, blowing away demonic sea creatures and losing his sense of self, easily forgetting how many 100 yen coins he fed into the machine. When the game finally ended, Yuuta had one of the top scores and had managed to pass over an hour. Stretching, Yuuta felt a quick sense of accomplishment as he watched his initials scroll by, before exiting the game center to head for the movies.
There were 3 different theatres all within meters of one another, it was just a matter of finding one with the most interesting looking film. Since leaving home, Yuuta had seen a lot more movies than at any other time in his life. Every evening, as long as he had the 1200 yen for a ticket, he went. Sometimes, he'd even seen the same movie more than once, when the theatres were slow about changing their line-ups. This evening, the most promising film was an American one, and Yuuta bought a single ticket, carefully counting out the price in 100 yen coins. The young woman behind the counter had given him an appraising glance, as if silently trying to ascertain whether Yuuta was breaking high school curfew. Ignoring her disapproval, Yuuta walked confidently towards the elevator for the theatre. Alone, he removed his wallet from his pocket, calculating the sum of his remaining money. Biting his lip for a second, he realized he had put too much money into his video game habit having needed to spend some extra to master the new game. Now, he didn't have enough for the popcorn he was planning to treat himself too and his stomach complained bitterly. Upon reaching the floor where his film was actually playing, he searched for a water fountain, drinking deeply in an attempt to appease the ache, promising himself tomorrow he would spend less so he could afford more food.
The movie proved a good distraction, it had guns, car chases, things blowing up and a happy ending. Feeling a minor victory from his choice, Yuuta glanced at his wrist to see if it was after 11:00 and he could head towards the internet cafe. Scowling for a second, as he remembered he'd pawned his watch months ago, he took out his cell. Tail twitching angrily, he realized he had another half an hour to kill and so returned to the gaming center, trying not to think about the fact this made his finances even tighter for the next day. At least his favorite game was free now, and he occupied himself with it, not even noticing the passing of another hour.
Yawning, he was glad his boss, had given him morning shifts all week, since it made falling asleep easier. On days he didn't work, sleep had a tendency to elude him as the events of that night and life with his family would play before his vision. Despite the ridiculousness of it, a part of Yuuta still expected to see them, to have one of his parents or his older brother show up in Ikebukuro or Shibuya or even at the bakery and rescue him. The past somehow completely erased. But no one ever appeared, and from his quick glances at newspapers and overhearing the gossip of some of the bakery's patrons his family didn't even care. Feeling a few tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, Yuuta dug his nails slowly into the fleshy part of his palm, forcing his emotions back under control.
Brushing his bangs out of his eyes as he approached the young attendant at the Gran CyberCafe, Yuuta smiled and asked for the overnight package, already thinking of the hot shower he would take before changing into his pajama bottoms and falling asleep in a chair. To his complete horror, all of the spaces were booked the woman offered one of the hourly cubicles, but that was completely untenable. The hour respite would leave him groggy, and he definitely couldn't afford to stay at the cafe without receiving the discounted package. Not saying a word, Yuuta headed back to the elevator, heart pounding sadly in his ears as his tail gave a small flick.
There was only one solution now, though Yuuta hated contemplating it. When he had gone over budget other evenings, or had just been unlucky, he'd slept curled up in Shinjuku Station. Walking purposefully back to Ikebukuro station to catch a train, the boy was already trying to come up with the positives of not having spent 1700 yen on his lodging. It didn't help much, nor did the box of Pocky purchased from a kiosk give the boy any solace. The wind from an oncoming train whipped his bangs and fur as his ears curled dejectedly against his scalp expression grim as he stepped onto the train.
Arriving in Shinjuku, Yuuta followed the labyrinthine passageways hoping to find a wall to curl up against. Once he had not been as careful about searching for someplace more hidden, and had been awakened by a JR employee and forced to move, something he couldn't risk with a morning shift. It was not going to be a pleasant night even if his sleep was unbroken, and Yuuta prayed he wouldn't smell too horrible or seem too groggy at work. Yagyuu Hiroshi was a good boss, but it was Christmas Cake season. Yagyuu-san and the cake shop were the only bright spots in his new life, and Yuuta still felt lucky Yagyuu had been willing to employ him. But it wasn't just gratitude Yuuta felt for the man, he admired his patience and skill. Blushing even though nobody could read his thoughts, Yuuta also admitted he found the man incredibly attractive. But it was something he refused to dwell on, knowing it was completely hopeless from the start.
Settling into a corner, tail drawn against his ankles, Yuuta flipped opened his phone. Falling half asleep he stared blindly at it, yawning as he let his head fall back against the wall. For a brief ecstatic moment, he imagined the blinking icon on his screen was a new text message, from someone, anyone, before the full weight of how bad this evening had come hit him. The battery was low on his cell phone and there was no possible way for him to recharge it. Quickly inputting the time he needed to wake for work, he closed the phone and his eyes and hoped it had enough power to last through the night.