Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Jaded By Rain ❯ Chance Meetings & Puddles Of Memory ( Chapter 1 )

Jaded By Rain

By, Jamie1317

 

There are times in our lives, which change us forever. They leave us forever touched and imprinted upon. In other words, Jaded…

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Furuba they are copyright to Natsuki Takaya-sensei. My own characters are Ryoko Sohma, Gabriel Sohma, Takamichi Sohma, Taichii Okinawa, Rumiko Young-Li, Chang Wong, Shi Fu-Li, Xiao Fua, Yueh Sohma, and if any other of my characters pop up I'll let you know.

 

PLEASE READ THESE, OR ELSE YOU'LL BE CONFUSED!!!

 

Authors' Notes: ~ Changsha, China is a real place, it's about an 8-6 hour drive north from Hong-Kong. We will be visiting China during the course of this fic, visiting real places. It's essential to the story line. The travel time I looked up personally, and know that and the routes from memory. The place that will be referred to as Phoenix Mountain is a real place, with that name. Because I could not find it on the map, however, I named the tallest (and only) single mountain on the map Phoenix Mountain. The place referred to as Phoenix Mountain is actually called Leshan. ~ yes, yes, more about China. I know that the Quin Dynasty was the last dynasty in China since the 1800's I think. I created the Fua-Li Dynasty, it is purely fictional. ~ I was told that Chinese NEVER EVER have Japanese names. Too bad. Ryoko and Rumiko are both Chinese and yet hold Japanese names. ~ Yueh is a Chinese name, he was born in China, but holds Japanese citizenship because he goes to school there. ~ I will try to have Ryoko speak in a language forgein to us, because to the other characters, when we see her speaking English, it's Japanese to them. I like to emphasize the fact that she is different by having her speaking a language most Americans couldn't translate. The first bit that she says when she appears is not purely Japanese. I would like it to be, but sadly, I'm but a poor high school student taking Spanish classes that corrupt the little Japanese that I managed to teach myself. There is Spanish in what she says, I know it's not authentic, but I needed her to have this forgein air. It detaches her from us, which is the feeling I was aiming for anyway. Later on, she speaks in a language that I do not translate for you because it needs to be mysterious. This language is classified as Elvish. Many different forms of Elvish, that are not copyrighted by me. ~ Sh'mai is my favorite Elvish word. It means " Beloved of my soul." ~ No. There will be no Elves in this fic. ~ I'm a hopeless romantic, and I hope that my work is appreciated. ~ I hate reading these kinds of fics, the ones that pair the Furuba characters with people fanfic writers dream up. But I love making them; this fic is based off of a Furuba RPG. Please, no flames. Comments appreciated. ~ The song that goes along with this fic, for which it is named, "Jaded by Rain" will appear at the end. I wrote this song, it is copyrighted to me, and… without further delay, go forth and read.

 

Chance Meetings:

 

Kyo will never forget that day. Never, because that one day was the beginning of his new life. Not that he knew it at the time, however. All Kyo was concerned about were the semi-normal concerns of every teenage boy; sex, girls, that damn Yuki, homework, teachers, parents (or lack thereof), oh.. and did we mention that damn Yuki? Kyo had his own insecurities, though he'd die before admitting it. So, in other words, Kyo Sohma was a normal sophomore in high school.

Normal?! Normal my fat ass! Okay, I lied. Kyo is anything BUT normal. He's got Asian-tan skin, red/orange eyes, and bright orange hair. Oh, but it's natural. What?! Natural you say? Duh, didn't you know? Kyo Sohma is THE Cat of the Chinese Zodiac. Well, obviously he LOOKS human. You'd like to think that wouldn't you. *Receives glares* All right, all right, on with the story…oh, and he's got 6-pack abs! ^_^;

 

Kyo stares out the window, eyes unfocused as homeroom begins and chimes in another day of school. He doesn't wear the white tie on his uniform and leaves his shirt one, or two unbuttoned. He sighs, another day, another load of homework, same old and same old. ` Gods, doesn't anything ever change around here?' Kyo wonders.

“ Kyo-kun! Kyo-kun!" Sensei's voice starts Kyo abruptly out of his reverie. “ What?!" he exclaims, startled. The class giggles as Kyo turns to face the front of the classroom. Yuki, the Rat, glares at him from his seat for zoning out and looking like a fool. Kyo tries to ignore Yuki for now, he really doesn't need another detention.

Sensei, satisfied that Kyo is paying attention, clears her throat again, “ As I was saying class,” Kyo sinks down into his seat. “ We have a new student joining us today. From Changsha, China please welcome Ryoko-san." All eyes turn towards the door as Sensei motions for New Student Ryoko to enter the classroom.

Quietly, as if she is afraid that her footsteps will scar the floor. As if she fears that her very words, when uttered would be the cause of an unfortunate classmate's untimely death. As if she detests the very hands that clutch her school bag so desperately. As if she wishes to be anywhere, anywhere, but in that classroom, she walks up to Sensei's desk and gives a curt bow, straightens and says nothing.

Sensei, noticing the lack of words from her new student, attempts to fill the void caused by Ryoko's silence. “ So, please tell the class about yourself, Ryoko-san. I understand that moving to a new country might be hard for you, but I'm sure that everyone will do their best to help you fit in." Sensei smiles one of those fake teacher smiles that high schoolers come to hate over the years.

From her blue and black Nike sneakers, to her neon-blue hair, Ryoko presents a distinct air of detachment. As if her mind is saying, ` That's not really me down there, I'm just dreaming. Watching somebody else live their life.' She wears the boys' school uniform, a skirt was just too humiliating, also sans the tie. Her neon-blue hair is cut boy-short, Yuki style in fact. Except for two long braids that hang down in front of her ears and as far as her hourglass waist. Her Chinese-Asian-tan skin is a shade or two darker than Kyo's. Her face is not Chinese looking, however, high-cheek-boned yes, but her eyes are not slanted. Her wide-Yuki-sky-blue eyes instantly capture many faces of her classmates when she lifts her proud chin to face the class. She speaks, and her Japanese is a combination of classroom-formal and street-slang, her voice lightly accented. A harmonious contralto, she takes a deep breath, points her voice at the end of her speech and goes for it.

“ Watashi wa Sohma, Ryoko." The class murmurs, so this explains her blue hair and eyes, “ Watashi wa jounhachigou. Watashi wa pie no go, y watashi wa cien y jounhachigou no kilos. Wa pelo estoy azul y wa ojos son azules tambien, naturalmente. Wa ano no Junnynshi-“(* “ I am Ryoko Sohma. I am 17. I am 5 feet, and 117 pounds. My hair is temporarily blue and my eyes are blue also, naturally. My year of the Chinese Zodiac is-“)

Yuki stands suddenly, his chair scraping the floor. His pale, handsome face even paler than usual. “ I'm sure I speak for everyone here, Ryoko-prima-san (* Cousin Ryoko-san), when I say that we here at Kawaia High School take the utmost pride in having you as our new classmate." Only because it is Yuki who speaks, does everyone agree with him. Sensei hands Ryoko a textbook and looks for an empty seat. “ Ryoko-san, your seat will be…there! Next to Kyo-kun by the window.”

“ What?! Why does it gotta be me?!" Exclaims Kyo. Though for all his protests, he loses, and Ryoko sits next to him. Kyo sees that the moment Ryoko is in the safety of her seat, she tries to make herself as small as possible, invisible. He takes out his notebook, pretends to take notes and passes her a piece of paper.

 

Kyo: Yo. So, you're a Sohma too, huh?

 

Ryoko stares at the paper. Kyo thinks for a moment that she doesn't write Japanese yet. She takes more time to respond, he realizes, because she's translating it into Chinese inside her head. She pauses again, mechanical pencil poised to write as she translates her thoughts into Japanese, and then she has to try to remember the characters of katana and hiragana. She can speak Japanese just fine; she's just working on writing it, that's all.

 

Ryoko: Yes. I am Sohma. You are Sohma also?

 

Kyo: Yeah, I guess. If you can say that. Kyo, that's me.

 

Ryoko: It is nice to meet you, Kyo.

 

Kyo: You don't use honorifics?

 

Ryoko: ?

 

Kyo: …-san, -kun, -sensei, -ko, -baka, -kuso…wait. Sorry, those last two aren't honorifics. Just nicknames.

 

Ryoko: Oh, I see now. Like Mr., Ms, Miss, and Mrs.?

 

Kyo: Right. Hey, you're getting the hang of this.

 

Ryoko: Thanks Kyo. Naw, I don't see any need to use them. I never have. So... what are baka y kuso? Swears?

 

Kyo: You really are good at this. Well, technically, baka means `stupid' or `idiot'. But kuso is `damn' or `damnnit'. How could you tell?

 

Ryoko: Wa da geh…

 

Kyo: Your what?

 

Ryoko: Sorry, Chinese. My…Onii.

 

Kyo: Your brother? Why does he know Japanese? Did he teach you?

 

Ryoko: No, not really…

 

Kyo: Then who taught you?

 

When Ryoko doesn't pass the paper back, Kyo looks up at her. He notices for the first time, that her eyes are dead, they have no life in them. People's eyes are a life all their own, being happy or sad or shocked or in love. Usually you will see people with dead eyes who have been through horrors they'd rather not discuss. He could see too, that she looked to be on the verge of a tear-filled breakdown. Kyo didn't think he could handle that, he never was able to handle tears well.

Ryoko had been on the verge of telling the entire class what her year of the Zodiac was. He realized that that was why Yuki had so rudely interrupted her. He too, had noticed that she was a Sohma, and possibly a member of the Zodiac. Though, that was impossible, all the spaces were filled, weren't they? Or, was it possible that there had been double of one year? And if so, which year? Blue eyes, was she a Rat? Before Kyo could ask, the bell rang, all the students filed out to go to morning break.

Yuki, Ryoko, and Kyo were suddenly the only ones left in the empty classroom.

“ Please forgive my rude interruption, Ryoko-san." Yuki softly apologized, “ You see, I wished to stop you before you called attention to the Zodiac. I see that you are also a Sohma." Ryoko nods, “ Yes, I am a Sohma. My father… he is the Dragon.”

Ryoko could not for the life of her understand the boys' confused expressions. “ Your d-dad is t-the Dragon?!" Kyo exclaimed. “ Impossible! There's no way that you're Hatori's daughter!!" Yuki, too, muttered something along those lines.

Ryoko's eyes widened, “ No, no. You misunderstand. The name of my father is Takamichi Sohma, my mother is... was an outsider, Rumiko Young-Li. My father is 49 this year, I think. And he's a real estate agent in China. We're, we must be, thinking of different Dragons.”

“ Yeah." “ Quite right." The boys both agree. Different Dragons. Whew, that was weird.

Yuki has recovered somewhat from his shock enough to ask, “ So, you know about the curse. Are you part of the Zodiac as well?" His deep purple eyes lock onto her dead blue ones. Almost willing her say no. Though, if there are two Dragons, then nothing is impossible. Ryoko bows her head, tucking her chin, so that her shirt collar muffles her reply. Kyo sighs, “ C'mon. We won't know if you don't tell us. Look, fine, I'll tell you what we are." Yuki shoots Kyo a glare, and Kyo tries to ignore Yuki for the second time since they arrived at school.

“ Yuki here, he's the Rat. Our older cousin that we're staying with, he's the Dog, not to mention a pervert. And I… I-I'm.." Kyo swallows, he really hates admitting he's the Cat, “ I'm the Cat.”

Though Ryoko's head stays tucked into her shirt collar, her entire posture changes. Kyo knows that Yuki's too oblivious to notice, however, when Ryoko's blue eyes come to life. As if she somehow finds hope and comfort in either knowing their Zodiac forms, or knowing that a Cat exists, Kyo doesn't know which. But a small flame of something Kyo can only call `hope' burns brightly in Ryoko's eyes. “ Watashi wa…Nezumi." (* I am… Rat.)

Yuki was once again too oblivious to the rest of the world, to notice her pause. But Kyo noticed. And he also noticed that Yuki's eyes mirrored Ryoko's `hope'. There was another Rat, someone else who would be able to understand him. Poor Kyo felt left out. Yuki had someone now, but Kyo knew he never would. Was it too much for him to hope for another Cat?

“ Kyo! Let's go, it's time for class." Yuki called to Kyo over his shoulder as the bells rang again. Yuki was escorting Ryoko around for the rest of the day, and if Kyo didn't know better he'd think that Yuki was going to permanently attach himself to Ryoko's right arm. “ Yeah, whatever.” he muttered.

Ryoko turned to wave to Kyo with her left arm. Her sleeve fell a little ways as she raised her hand. The morning sun shone off the bracelet on her wrist, glinting, no, sparkling off the black and white round beads.

 

Puddles of Memory:

 

“ Foolish girl! You dare to beg, to beg me? Ugly, disgusting, freakish creature!" A voice, cold and hard, and emotionless, “ I'm the only one who has ever shown you love, and THIS is how you repay me? FREAK!! DISGUSTING BITCH!”

" Ryoko? Ryoko?" Yuki's soft voice pulled Ryoko back. Back to the light, away from the voice in her head. Away from the sound of rain on the roof, and back to afternoon sunlight hitting her face. " Ryoko? Are you crying?" Yuki bent over, leaning on the desk, " What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Ryoko knew he couldn't hear the voice, no one ever could. The voice that haunted her in the dark hours between sunset and sunrise. It was always soft at first, and then the screaming started. She lay on the desk, face buried in her arms, tears leaking out of her eyes despite her efforts to dam up her feelings. She wiped her tears away, and tried to put the now silent voice out her thoughts. " I'm fine. I just fell asleep, and…I had a nightmare." Yuki nodded. Nightmares, he understood. After all, he had plenty of them himself.

" School's over. C'mon, I'll take you home." Ryoko nodded, picked up her bags, slung them over her shoulder, and left with Yuki. " I should warn you, the man you're about to meet isn't the smartest of people. In fact, it's best if you just ignore him for the most part. His mind is never out of the gutter, but other than that, he's harmless." Ryoko smiled, " So," she changed topics, " what's for supper tonight?"

Yuki smiled a devilish smirk, " Leeks." He grinned.

 

" I'M NOT EATIN' NO STINKIN' LEEKS!!!!" Was the sound that greeted Yuki and Ryoko when they came through the living room door? Yuki laughed quietly to himself,

" Kyo hates leeks, and that's-" " Why you make them?" Ryoko finished Yuki's sentence for him, anticipating his words. It was just as bad as if their hands had accidentally touched while going for the same thing on a buffet table, Yuki blushed like mad. " Yes, th-that's why." His embarrassment adorable as he tried to hide the fact that he was, in fact, embarrassed in the first place.

As Yuki went to go find Shigure, the Dog, to tell him that Ryoko was going to be staying with them, Ryoko stayed in the living room. Her blush caught her off guard; ' Do I like him?' She asked herself. ' Of course I do. He's handsome as all Hell, Jesus.' Ryoko tried to surpress a whistle; Yuki was cute of course, but. Kyo... the Cat. ' What about Kyo?' Ryoko thought, ' Indeed, what about him?' Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, " Well now, who's this lovely young lady?" Ryoko turned…

IT was standing in the doorway. IT was smiling at her, as if IT hadn't done anything wrong. IT was pretending, IT was…no. The man lounging in the doorframe was not IT, he was this... Shigure, the Dog. That was right, IT wasn't here, IT was dead.

 

After a rather eventful supper, filled with Shigure's laughter, Kyo's rants, and Yuki's unending blush, Ryoko went up to her room. She lay down her bags, unrolled her futon, and set up her things. ' Her ' room. That these four walls, ceiling, and floor, and windows now made up HER room. Ryoko felt safe. She felt like there was a small flame burning within her heart. A flame that said, " You're safe now. You're safe here. Rest, and be at peace."

Ryoko needed to go out for a run. To feel the wind on her face, the cold on her skin, her breaths tighten in her chest. She told Shigure she was going out, he nodded, busy typing.

 

Step, step, breathe, step, step, breathe, step, step, breathe. The unending beat that counted out Ryoko's run, her feet slapping the ground in time to her rhythm. It was dark out now, hard for Ryoko to make out the path in front of her. But she had no fear, she somehow felt safe.

Here, she was safe. Here, she was herself. She wasn't a lie, she wasn't obligated to smile, and she wasn't fake. She had just told the biggest lie of her life, and gotten away with it too. Step, step, had to, step, step, had to, step, step, had to.

She'd had to lie; she'd had no choice. Or else, IT would happen again, IT would come back for her, across the veil. Shigure looked just like IT, hair tucked behind his ears, brown eyes delving into her. His smile, his face, his…NO! Ryoko picked up her pace, and ran faster through the woods.

Stepstepmyfault, stepstepmyfault, step, step, my... fault…

Voices, shades, called out to Ryoko as she raced down the path, back toward the light, the house, and a warm, hot shower.

Backtosafety, backtosafety, backtosafety, the beat of her feet pounding harder now. The voices whispered, shouted, and laughed at Ryoko as she desperately tried to close the distance between herself and the house;

 

Look at her, poor thing.

 

Can't hide it, girl. Can't run from the truth.

 

You're only fooling yourself.

 

Inconsiderate, he cared for you. Loved you. How many actually care for us?

 

It's her fault.

 

That's right, her fault. Her fault. Her fault.

 

" Leave me alone!"

 

She's right, he deserved what he got.

 

That bastard.

 

'They' said it was bomb, his body all torn and broken.

 

Does she even remember?

 

What do 'They' know?

 

He was using her. Using US. He deserved that end. He deserved what he got.

 

Remember his name, his name?

 

" Stop it!"

 

Taichii Okinawa.

 

You know, he looks just like that Dog.

 

I wonder-

 

" SHUT UP!"

 

Ryoko finally rounded the bend in the path. Leaving the voices behind as she stepped into the yard. Her hair was plastered to her face, sweat pouring down her back, and her sports bra sticking to her dark skin.

" Do you have to yell?" Kyo's voice drifted down from the roof. Ryoko, trying to catch her breath, looked up to see him staring at her. " Sorry..." " Meh, don't apologize. I know how it is." Ryoko looked up at Kyo; she was finding him more than just moderately attractive. ' Chill Ryoko.' She told herself silently, ' You can get some action AFTER you get rid of the voices in your head.' Ryoko was so preoccupied with her own thoughts, that she completely missed Kyo's invitation. " What?" she asked again.

Kyo sighed. Women.

" I said, do you want to come up here with me?" he blushed a little as he said it, and Ryoko wondered if he knew. If he could tell, just by looking at her, by smelling her scent.

She agreed to visit with him on the roof for awhile, but not for too long. She didn't like being alone with men. They were unworthy of her trust, or, as the case may be, unworthy of trust in general. Especially around members of the opposite sex. Zodiac or no Zodiac, men were always wired for sex. Ryoko was, for once, happy to not understand what went on in the minds of men.

 

" So..." once Ryoko had actually gotten onto the roof, the situation was awkward. She was alone, with a boy. ' The last thing I need is to get knocked up on the roof.' Ryoko thought before she sat down next to Kyo. " So" she started again, " Was there anything that you wanted to talk about Kyo?"

Kyo blushed at her absence of honorifics. She didn't hate him, that much was clear. So, the lack of honorifics made him feel as though they were lovers. It was embarrassing. ' So THIS is why Yuki has been blushing all evening.' Kyo thought. For once, understanding Yuki's feelings. Though in a small, and what he thought was an insignificant way.

He grinned; he was going to scare the shit out of Ryoko.

" So, Ryoko." He decided that starting out nonchalantly was the best. Then, he dropped the big one, " What's it like being the Cat?" Her reaction was hilarious.

" What. The. Fuck. How did you know, you bastard?!" Kyo snickered evilly at Ryoko's shocked expression. He hurriedly explained about seeing her beads at school that morning. He explained, also, the 'hope' he had seen in her eyes. " That was me, wasn't it? You somehow... found 'hope' that there was another Cat." Ryoko nodded, hugging her legs to her chest. And before Kyo could ask:

" I lied to Yuki and to Shigure because of...reasons of my own. I just... want to be accepted here. I want people to give me a chance. And to get that chance, I need to pretend to be the Rat. Because if I wasn't, well…" Kyo nodded, he understood. No one noticed you if you were the Cat, but then, no one cared about you either. " Wish I could do that." Kyo said.

They sat on the roof in silence for awhile more. Ryoko turned to Kyo, " Kyo." Not understanding his blush, the lack of honorifics, " Can I see your Cat form?" the question knocked Kyo's socks off. No one wanted to even see his human form, much less the rest of him. " I-I can't. Not that I wouldn't want to...I mean... oh Hell! I can't change at will, that's what I mean." His blush spreading from his cheeks and his neck, down beneath his black shirt. Ryoko's eyes followed his blush, and, for reasons of temptation, couldn't help but look a little bit lower.

Kyo noticed her wandering eyes, and turned beet-red. She was looking right at his package for Gods' sake! Knowing this, and despite the fact that he was trying not to get a hard-on, he did anyway. Ryoko smiled, all she had to do was embarrass him, right? Kyo closed his eyes, he knew it was coming, but it still made him change, " Kyo, how big is your package?"

 

*POOF*

 

" Awwww. Kawaii!" Ryoko picked up Kyo the Cat, cuddling him. " You're so cute!" Kyo blushed uncontrollably, ' Women, what is it with them and cute things?' Kyo asked himself. " A tabby-tom Cat. Adorable." This time, Ryoko couldn't suppress the whistle,

" Gods, you're hot." She thought his Cat form was hot, what did she then think of his human form? Kyo didn't want to imagine it, but his mind got away from him,

' What… would she think of my…true form?' This moment of seriousness banished the blush from Kyo's furry face. ' Gods, there's another Cat.' The full realization finally hitting Kyo. ' And she likes me. Maybe even lov-'

 

*POOF*

 

Kyo's eyes opened to possibly the most awkward position in his life. Ryoko was lying underneath his naked, tan body. His groin was positioned (just his luck), exactly where it should be for *certain* activities, but certainly not for getting to know the new Cat. Strangely, he didn't want to move. Ryoko's body felt warm beneath him, her pulse pounding in his ear. Her chest moving up and down with each breath stirred something primal in Kyo, made him ache in places he was sure he shouldn't be aching in.

" Sh'mai." Ryoko whispered, a long-forgotten word, in a language no longer known in the tongues of Men. Lyrical, and softly spoken, Kyo did not hear her words. The words of ancient times, and ancient ways, before the curse. " Ore… aine. Alcalima. Elye-nna… Lomion, met." Her eyes wide and staring at the dark, starry sky above them.

Kyo attempted to move, then stopped. It felt too good to move. He tried moving forward, sliding his body along Ryoko's. And stopped. They both groaned, it felt too good. So they lay there, too afraid to move, or too shy to try. Him, naked. Her, wearing a sports bra and gym shorts. Poor Kyo. His hard-on just got worse.

" I didn't mean to do that." Kyo started. " It's all right. I know. It's not your fault." Even though the words were for a completely different situation than this, they still went straight to his heart. " It's not your fault. It's not your fault." The voice of Ryoko resounding in his very soul, he felt, somehow, forgiven. Not simply forgiven for being naked on top of her, but forgiven for being the Cat, forgiven for his mother. Forgiven for everything.

Ryoko could feel his breath in her ear. She shivered slightly; she didn't want to remember the last time she had been this close to a man. Because remembering was dangerous. Remembering hurt. Forgetting was the only option, if she forgets, then maybe, IT won't have happened. But she knows this is impossible. IT did happen. She has the scars to prove it. Not that she looks at herself anymore, no, she can't. She's disgusting. And she always will be. She's accepted that fact.

But, some small thing was stirring inside of her heart. A part of her that she had closed off since she was fourteen. She quickly drove any possibility that she might come to love Kyo out of her mind. Loving him was out of the question... right? No, not right. She felt something for him, but was too afraid to admit it. Too afraid of IT. She'd stick with Yuki for now, he was a harmless boy, and Kyo was a man. And that difference, from a boy to a man, was all there was between a shy touch and IT. Between a sweet, closed-lip kiss, and frenching. Between a girl's first ache at being touched, and a woman's pain at being taken.

She closed her eyes, as good as this felt, it was time to end it. Before they got some crazy idea into their heads and fucked on the roof. " I won't look. Get your cloths."

So Kyo did, gathered his cloths as Ryoko went back down into the house. He lay on the roof for a long time afterward. Taking in all that had happened and his feelings about the situation. Kyo hopped down to his balcony, and walked down to Shigure's study. He ignored Shigure's, " Don't you go having sex on my roof Kyo." (No honorifics because they were family and had know eachother for practically ever.)

He went to the bookshelf. It was time, he'd decided. It was time. Time to put Shigure's romance novels to good use.