Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Obaa-san! ❯ Chapter 1
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Cloud 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Updated On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 442 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Updated On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 442 | Status: Work In Progress
Obaa-san!
By Cloud
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Ok, so this is sort of a "comeback" fic for me... not that I'm an established fic writer, but I've had my share of fanfics before... cheesy as they were now that I think about it.
Honestly, I've always wanted to write this fic during my Haruka/Michiru obsession marathon, but somehow I never got around to write it. So here it is! Be gentle on me, minna-sama, I am but a novice compared to your immortally good fic writers out there. :)
Note: "obaa-san" means "grandmother" for those who don't know :)
Same disclaimers apply. Sailormoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, and Kondansha Ltd. If you feel that homosexuality bothers you, stop right here. I wouldn't want to be blamed for infusing some psychological damage on 'em kids :)
Flames are useless to you and to me; though it really is tempting to use for lighting my father's cigarettes.
[ ] - author's side comments
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Chapter 1
"Are you ready, Michiru?" Haruka asked almost impatiently, digging for her car keys in her pocket.
The lady in question was skillfully securing her braid in front of the living room mirror. "Yes, dear," she answered. "Oh, by the way, did you put my satchel along with the other bags already?"
"You mean with the other two large backpacks that I threw in for you? Yes, I did."
Michiru spun around in her heels, her eyebrow raised. "Well excuse me for being a stylish packer."
A huge sweatdrop loomed heavily on Haruka's head. She mentally slapped her forehead as thoughts of prejudice against women's over-obsession with cosmetics instantaneously swamped her mind.
"Michiru, we're only gonna be gone for two weeks!" she exasperatingly proclaimed. "There won't be any people within a two-and-a-half-mile radius and I'm sure that you could cause any lonely mountain idiot to fall in love with you without having to accessorize. You could do that even if you ran across the mountainside wrapped in multi-layers of wool!"
Haruka's childish persistence greatly amused her partner. To her, this was how Haruka always was--putting up at least a little argument with everything, however trivial the matter may be.
The petite woman gently brushed away a fallen lock of hair from her forehead and crept seductively over to Haruka. "You think so?"
"You think so?" Haruka mocked in a strangely high-pitched voice [is she capable of that?] and made a face as she welcomed Michiru into her arms.
"Of course, however, I prefer the opposite. It is rather bothersome to be running around looking like a mountain goat. So why not lose the clothes? All of it..." She added, her voice suggestively trailing off.
"There's no complaint in that." Michiru couldn't help but laugh. She knew Haruka all too well. Standing up on tiptoes, she reached up and planted a long, lingering kiss on Haruka's lips, enticing a soft moan from the taller woman.
This was one of those mornings that Haruka wished would never end. Her heart and soul screamed for Time to stop, suspending any immediate obligation they had to attend to and be how they are at that exact quixotic moment, not caring if the whole world moved on without them.
"I see promising weeks up ahead." Haruka remarked.
"There won't be anything promising to start with if we don't get going, Haruka. It's a long nine-hour drive to that house my family owns. Look how late we are already!" Michiru glanced at her watch, which read 10:30 am.
"Alright, alright!" Haruka raised her hands in helpless surrender. 'Two weeks alone, two weeks alone, two weeks alone... no need to rush...' she kept repeating the mantra inside her head.
All of a sudden, Hotaru, wrapped in her quilt, came darting through the doorway, followed seconds later by a much slower-paced Setsuna who undoubtedly looked fresh from her bed.
"Haruka-papa!!!!!!"
"Whoa!" Haruka almost toppled forward as Hotaru clung to her waist, somewhat lost in a wave of giggles. "Aren't you the spunky one this morning?"
Hotaru beamed with joy. "Let's just say I'm happy to see you, Haruka-papa." She said.
"Have you been sneaking chocolate bars in her room again, Pu?" Haruka cocked an eyebrow at her best friend.
"Beats me." Replied the older woman and shrugged, feigning innocence. Haruka's eyebrow twitched.
Michiru crouched down to Hotaru's eye level and smiled. "Angel, you will be good while we're gone, won't you?"
"Of course! I'm a big girl now, mama. I can take care of myself!" She exclaimed.
"How about you, Setsuna?" Michiru caught the dark-haired woman yawning heartily.
"I'll be fine. I'm just trying to get that database fixed A.S.A.P. so that I can have the whole week completely off. No need to worry."
"Oh, how I wish you two would come with us!" the sea-goddess said wistfully.
"It's ok, Michiru-mama. You and Haruka-papa need a vacation; you've been really busy for a long time!" the little girl beamed at her two parents.
Quite true. The pair had been quite a wreck for the past couple of months. Michiru had just finished the fifth album of her career, and the process kept her in the recording studio until wee hours in the morning, working with her guest musicians on the scores, trying to infuse classical juice with contemporary rhythms. But it was as if her labor over those damned scores weren't enough. To add serious insult to injury, she had to put up with their over-perfectionist conductor who always threw a frustrating fit every time something was wrong with the recording. Well, at least every time he THOUGHT something was wrong.
Haruka, on the other hand, had been busy with her racing career, making her way to the top for the season's finals. She could have chosen not to practice anymore though, thanks to her inherent skill behind the wheel. But her need for speed could never have been satisfied if she didn't seriously burn rubber. After all, it had been a few years since her last race. Having numerous responsibilities as a parent didn't actually give her a chance to spend time on the F1 track.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Hime-chan. Take care, alright?" Michiru placed a light kiss on her daughter's head and turned to Setsuna. "Keep her out of the China room." She said in a whisper.
The older woman winked. "Do I have a choice?"
"Big hug now so we can get going." Haruka said as she gathered the little bundle in her arms.
"Uuummmm! I love you Haruka-papa!"
"I love you too, watashi no kawaii himeko(1)."
"Be a good girl, Pu." Haruka teased her friend as she passed her by the door. "Number one rule in this house: NO MEN ALLOWED." Haruka prompted, waving a finger in front of Setsuna's face and looking all together an imposing parent.
The green-haired senshi raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to send you back to when the Universe first began?"
The younger woman chuckled in response. "Hime-chan!," the tall woman called out as she stepped out into the garage. "Keep a good eye on your Setsuna-mama, ne? She might fry her brains to a crisp on that computer again!"
"Eeeeewwwww!!!" the little girl's face scrunched up in disgust.
Setsuna mockingly put her arms on her hips and looked at Haruka in disbelief. "For your information, you're the one who's been burning the wheels off your car like mad for the past few months! I don't see any reason why I should be the one who has to be kept an eye on!"
"Okay, then I'll take care of my tires if that's gonna keep you happy!" Haruka called back, a sly grin nailed to her face.
"Michiru! How in the world do you manage to keep up with this?!"
The aqua-haired girl laughed, "It's a mystery even to me, Setsuna."
"Let's just say there are a few things in this world that are best left unknown." Haruka shrugged, unlocking Michiru's door, then rounding her car to the driver's side.
Setsuna sighed, defeated by nonetheless than her two best friends who conspired against her. "Don't even get me started..."
The car started almost instantly, its perfectly tuned engine worked its magic as it gave off a very soft purr. With all the necessary precautions taken care of, the aircon on and the radio turned up, they were off.
"Take care you two!" Setsuna called, while she and Hotaru waved to the departing vehicle.
********************
A few minutes out into the highway, Haruka noticed the distant expression on Michiru's face. But before she could call her attention, the younger woman snapped out of her reverie.
"Haruka,"
"Un?"
"I feel something."
"Call of nature?"
"Baka." Haruka earned a slightly forceful punch on her arm.
"Ow! Okay seriously, you feel something like...?"
"Like..." the green-haired girl paused, thinking. "Like something or someone is waiting for us up there in that house."
"God, they never give us a break, do they?"
"No, no, it's not evil."
"How are you so sure?"
"You know I'm rarely wrong." Michiru said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"I hope this isn't one of those rare times." Haruka flashed her partner a lopsided grin before turning her attention back on the road.
'You and me both.'
*********************
The landscape was nothing short of immaculate. The structure was located on a valley surrounded by sweet smelling pine trees. Its huge, crystal-clear windows faced northwest, giving the sunset a picturesque angle atop pine-covered mountain ranges in the distance. Below was a lake of clear blue-green waters, which at a distance formed a river that snaked its way through the nearby forest.
The house itself was a work of art. The structure was done in an almost Spanish motif (somewhat rare in that part of Japan); it was elevated and no less huge, and the exterior was made of a combination of pinewood and brick, though the latter comprised most of it. At first glance, the whole thing looked like it was a few houses put together with a small, octagonal tower as its crowning glory.
Elegant metalwork could also be noticed as it laced every corner possible-holding up flowerpots, comprised the railings of the rather wide balcony, and accentuated the windows; even holding up the rain pipes. Stained glass windows could also be seen littered around the sides of the house.
And with an essence of tranquility ruling supreme, in short it was almost like heaven.
*********************
It was almost nightfall when a yellow sports car slowed to a stop on the red-bricked driveway at the back of the house. The engine was turned off and two people stepped out of the vehicle.
"This is a house?! It's more like a mansion!" Haruka had to pick up her jaw from the ground just staring at it.
"I have to admit, my parents overdid it a little." The smaller woman sheepishly remarked.
Haruka couldn't believe her ears. "A little? You call a three-story brick house that's even bigger than ours over-doing it???" she grabbed a backpack and Michiru's satchel from the backseat and handed those to their owner. Then she got the two remaining bags out, and hung one on each shoulder.
The other woman laughed. "It's not like we can't afford something like this of our own."
"Hell yeah! But definitely not this big."
"For the record, we rather have a huge family so they thought they needed a place big enough to accommodate us all when we have reunions."
Haruka heaved a sigh. "Thank god there's only the four of us."
'You haven't seen the orchard, the ampitheater, and the garden yet...' Michiru mused.
After getting all the bags from the car, Michiru led Haruka up familiar brick steps that led to the porch. No lights were on, but the light of the full moon illuminated enough for them to see where they were going. Once there, they were faced with two doors. The smaller woman guided Haruka to the one on the left before turning around with her finger on her chin, thinking.
"I wonder if they still keep the key in here." Michiru approached a pot near the steps they came from and tried to tip it a little to see if there was anything under it. True enough, there it was.
"Hah!" she said triumphantly, holding up her prize. "After all these years they never found a better place to hide it."
"Well it's better than under the doormat." Haruka remarked, remembering one incident when the four of them went out to dinner and left the key under their doormat, and came back home with their house in a total state of disarray. Surprisingly, the divisive key was still in the keyhole. The thief knew where to look, it seemed.
'Remind me never again to trust that doormat for anything.' Haruka sternly said to Michiru while the police were all over the place conducting their investigation. Fortunately for them, the thief got away with only minor possessions like a whole jar of loose change they had in the kitchen, a few refrigerator door magnets, some of Setsuna's CD's, one of Michiru's favorite Swarovski crystals, and a couple of small porcelain figurines from the living room.
Moral of the story? Throw away the offending doormat once and for all.
"Well, shall we?" Michiru asked, slinging her satchel over her shoulder.
All of a sudden, much to the two women's ultimate shock, the door opened even before Michiru could put in the key inside its keyhole.
"Holy shhhh..." Haruka jumped back in surprise. Michiru was too pale to even form coherent thoughts inside her head.
"Well whaddya know," Haruka stammered. "Your mansion's haunted!"
The door creaked open inch by inch as the two women held their breaths. They managed to look at each other, looking for some kind of reassurance. Finally, with the door open all the way, within the partial darkness came a voice.
"Welcome home, Michiru."
Michiru almost fainted.
But wait. "I know that voice..." her eyes narrowed to slits as she peered through the darkness. "Haruka, would you please reach out for the switch on that wall over there?"
"Why me?!" the blonde wailed in protest.
"Because I said so!" judging from Michiru's tone, Haruka knew resistance was futile.
"How do I get myself into this mess?" Haruka mumbled. After gathering back her wits, she finally dared to fumble the sidewalls for a light button.
Haruka almost passed out cold when a clammy hand grabbed hers.
"GYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" she shrieked.
The tall woman hastily retrieved her hand back, stumbling backwards, almost loosing her balance. She was shaking so hard it could have measured a 7.5 on the Richter scale.
'God Haruka, you're such a coward! Fight like a man! Well, sort of...' she scolded herself, taking in deep breaths before standing up straight in a fighting stance. "Who's there?" she demanded.
In response, much to their surprise and partial relief, a small light bulb turned on and lit the small entryway. There inside stood the one person Michiru suspected, but never expected to be there.
"Konbanwa." The person bowed low and smiled at them.
Michiru freaked out.
"OBAA-SAN?!?"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
By Cloud
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Ok, so this is sort of a "comeback" fic for me... not that I'm an established fic writer, but I've had my share of fanfics before... cheesy as they were now that I think about it.
Honestly, I've always wanted to write this fic during my Haruka/Michiru obsession marathon, but somehow I never got around to write it. So here it is! Be gentle on me, minna-sama, I am but a novice compared to your immortally good fic writers out there. :)
Note: "obaa-san" means "grandmother" for those who don't know :)
Same disclaimers apply. Sailormoon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, and Kondansha Ltd. If you feel that homosexuality bothers you, stop right here. I wouldn't want to be blamed for infusing some psychological damage on 'em kids :)
Flames are useless to you and to me; though it really is tempting to use for lighting my father's cigarettes.
[ ] - author's side comments
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Chapter 1
"Are you ready, Michiru?" Haruka asked almost impatiently, digging for her car keys in her pocket.
The lady in question was skillfully securing her braid in front of the living room mirror. "Yes, dear," she answered. "Oh, by the way, did you put my satchel along with the other bags already?"
"You mean with the other two large backpacks that I threw in for you? Yes, I did."
Michiru spun around in her heels, her eyebrow raised. "Well excuse me for being a stylish packer."
A huge sweatdrop loomed heavily on Haruka's head. She mentally slapped her forehead as thoughts of prejudice against women's over-obsession with cosmetics instantaneously swamped her mind.
"Michiru, we're only gonna be gone for two weeks!" she exasperatingly proclaimed. "There won't be any people within a two-and-a-half-mile radius and I'm sure that you could cause any lonely mountain idiot to fall in love with you without having to accessorize. You could do that even if you ran across the mountainside wrapped in multi-layers of wool!"
Haruka's childish persistence greatly amused her partner. To her, this was how Haruka always was--putting up at least a little argument with everything, however trivial the matter may be.
The petite woman gently brushed away a fallen lock of hair from her forehead and crept seductively over to Haruka. "You think so?"
"You think so?" Haruka mocked in a strangely high-pitched voice [is she capable of that?] and made a face as she welcomed Michiru into her arms.
"Of course, however, I prefer the opposite. It is rather bothersome to be running around looking like a mountain goat. So why not lose the clothes? All of it..." She added, her voice suggestively trailing off.
"There's no complaint in that." Michiru couldn't help but laugh. She knew Haruka all too well. Standing up on tiptoes, she reached up and planted a long, lingering kiss on Haruka's lips, enticing a soft moan from the taller woman.
This was one of those mornings that Haruka wished would never end. Her heart and soul screamed for Time to stop, suspending any immediate obligation they had to attend to and be how they are at that exact quixotic moment, not caring if the whole world moved on without them.
"I see promising weeks up ahead." Haruka remarked.
"There won't be anything promising to start with if we don't get going, Haruka. It's a long nine-hour drive to that house my family owns. Look how late we are already!" Michiru glanced at her watch, which read 10:30 am.
"Alright, alright!" Haruka raised her hands in helpless surrender. 'Two weeks alone, two weeks alone, two weeks alone... no need to rush...' she kept repeating the mantra inside her head.
All of a sudden, Hotaru, wrapped in her quilt, came darting through the doorway, followed seconds later by a much slower-paced Setsuna who undoubtedly looked fresh from her bed.
"Haruka-papa!!!!!!"
"Whoa!" Haruka almost toppled forward as Hotaru clung to her waist, somewhat lost in a wave of giggles. "Aren't you the spunky one this morning?"
Hotaru beamed with joy. "Let's just say I'm happy to see you, Haruka-papa." She said.
"Have you been sneaking chocolate bars in her room again, Pu?" Haruka cocked an eyebrow at her best friend.
"Beats me." Replied the older woman and shrugged, feigning innocence. Haruka's eyebrow twitched.
Michiru crouched down to Hotaru's eye level and smiled. "Angel, you will be good while we're gone, won't you?"
"Of course! I'm a big girl now, mama. I can take care of myself!" She exclaimed.
"How about you, Setsuna?" Michiru caught the dark-haired woman yawning heartily.
"I'll be fine. I'm just trying to get that database fixed A.S.A.P. so that I can have the whole week completely off. No need to worry."
"Oh, how I wish you two would come with us!" the sea-goddess said wistfully.
"It's ok, Michiru-mama. You and Haruka-papa need a vacation; you've been really busy for a long time!" the little girl beamed at her two parents.
Quite true. The pair had been quite a wreck for the past couple of months. Michiru had just finished the fifth album of her career, and the process kept her in the recording studio until wee hours in the morning, working with her guest musicians on the scores, trying to infuse classical juice with contemporary rhythms. But it was as if her labor over those damned scores weren't enough. To add serious insult to injury, she had to put up with their over-perfectionist conductor who always threw a frustrating fit every time something was wrong with the recording. Well, at least every time he THOUGHT something was wrong.
Haruka, on the other hand, had been busy with her racing career, making her way to the top for the season's finals. She could have chosen not to practice anymore though, thanks to her inherent skill behind the wheel. But her need for speed could never have been satisfied if she didn't seriously burn rubber. After all, it had been a few years since her last race. Having numerous responsibilities as a parent didn't actually give her a chance to spend time on the F1 track.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Hime-chan. Take care, alright?" Michiru placed a light kiss on her daughter's head and turned to Setsuna. "Keep her out of the China room." She said in a whisper.
The older woman winked. "Do I have a choice?"
"Big hug now so we can get going." Haruka said as she gathered the little bundle in her arms.
"Uuummmm! I love you Haruka-papa!"
"I love you too, watashi no kawaii himeko(1)."
"Be a good girl, Pu." Haruka teased her friend as she passed her by the door. "Number one rule in this house: NO MEN ALLOWED." Haruka prompted, waving a finger in front of Setsuna's face and looking all together an imposing parent.
The green-haired senshi raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to send you back to when the Universe first began?"
The younger woman chuckled in response. "Hime-chan!," the tall woman called out as she stepped out into the garage. "Keep a good eye on your Setsuna-mama, ne? She might fry her brains to a crisp on that computer again!"
"Eeeeewwwww!!!" the little girl's face scrunched up in disgust.
Setsuna mockingly put her arms on her hips and looked at Haruka in disbelief. "For your information, you're the one who's been burning the wheels off your car like mad for the past few months! I don't see any reason why I should be the one who has to be kept an eye on!"
"Okay, then I'll take care of my tires if that's gonna keep you happy!" Haruka called back, a sly grin nailed to her face.
"Michiru! How in the world do you manage to keep up with this?!"
The aqua-haired girl laughed, "It's a mystery even to me, Setsuna."
"Let's just say there are a few things in this world that are best left unknown." Haruka shrugged, unlocking Michiru's door, then rounding her car to the driver's side.
Setsuna sighed, defeated by nonetheless than her two best friends who conspired against her. "Don't even get me started..."
The car started almost instantly, its perfectly tuned engine worked its magic as it gave off a very soft purr. With all the necessary precautions taken care of, the aircon on and the radio turned up, they were off.
"Take care you two!" Setsuna called, while she and Hotaru waved to the departing vehicle.
********************
A few minutes out into the highway, Haruka noticed the distant expression on Michiru's face. But before she could call her attention, the younger woman snapped out of her reverie.
"Haruka,"
"Un?"
"I feel something."
"Call of nature?"
"Baka." Haruka earned a slightly forceful punch on her arm.
"Ow! Okay seriously, you feel something like...?"
"Like..." the green-haired girl paused, thinking. "Like something or someone is waiting for us up there in that house."
"God, they never give us a break, do they?"
"No, no, it's not evil."
"How are you so sure?"
"You know I'm rarely wrong." Michiru said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"I hope this isn't one of those rare times." Haruka flashed her partner a lopsided grin before turning her attention back on the road.
'You and me both.'
*********************
The landscape was nothing short of immaculate. The structure was located on a valley surrounded by sweet smelling pine trees. Its huge, crystal-clear windows faced northwest, giving the sunset a picturesque angle atop pine-covered mountain ranges in the distance. Below was a lake of clear blue-green waters, which at a distance formed a river that snaked its way through the nearby forest.
The house itself was a work of art. The structure was done in an almost Spanish motif (somewhat rare in that part of Japan); it was elevated and no less huge, and the exterior was made of a combination of pinewood and brick, though the latter comprised most of it. At first glance, the whole thing looked like it was a few houses put together with a small, octagonal tower as its crowning glory.
Elegant metalwork could also be noticed as it laced every corner possible-holding up flowerpots, comprised the railings of the rather wide balcony, and accentuated the windows; even holding up the rain pipes. Stained glass windows could also be seen littered around the sides of the house.
And with an essence of tranquility ruling supreme, in short it was almost like heaven.
*********************
It was almost nightfall when a yellow sports car slowed to a stop on the red-bricked driveway at the back of the house. The engine was turned off and two people stepped out of the vehicle.
"This is a house?! It's more like a mansion!" Haruka had to pick up her jaw from the ground just staring at it.
"I have to admit, my parents overdid it a little." The smaller woman sheepishly remarked.
Haruka couldn't believe her ears. "A little? You call a three-story brick house that's even bigger than ours over-doing it???" she grabbed a backpack and Michiru's satchel from the backseat and handed those to their owner. Then she got the two remaining bags out, and hung one on each shoulder.
The other woman laughed. "It's not like we can't afford something like this of our own."
"Hell yeah! But definitely not this big."
"For the record, we rather have a huge family so they thought they needed a place big enough to accommodate us all when we have reunions."
Haruka heaved a sigh. "Thank god there's only the four of us."
'You haven't seen the orchard, the ampitheater, and the garden yet...' Michiru mused.
After getting all the bags from the car, Michiru led Haruka up familiar brick steps that led to the porch. No lights were on, but the light of the full moon illuminated enough for them to see where they were going. Once there, they were faced with two doors. The smaller woman guided Haruka to the one on the left before turning around with her finger on her chin, thinking.
"I wonder if they still keep the key in here." Michiru approached a pot near the steps they came from and tried to tip it a little to see if there was anything under it. True enough, there it was.
"Hah!" she said triumphantly, holding up her prize. "After all these years they never found a better place to hide it."
"Well it's better than under the doormat." Haruka remarked, remembering one incident when the four of them went out to dinner and left the key under their doormat, and came back home with their house in a total state of disarray. Surprisingly, the divisive key was still in the keyhole. The thief knew where to look, it seemed.
'Remind me never again to trust that doormat for anything.' Haruka sternly said to Michiru while the police were all over the place conducting their investigation. Fortunately for them, the thief got away with only minor possessions like a whole jar of loose change they had in the kitchen, a few refrigerator door magnets, some of Setsuna's CD's, one of Michiru's favorite Swarovski crystals, and a couple of small porcelain figurines from the living room.
Moral of the story? Throw away the offending doormat once and for all.
"Well, shall we?" Michiru asked, slinging her satchel over her shoulder.
All of a sudden, much to the two women's ultimate shock, the door opened even before Michiru could put in the key inside its keyhole.
"Holy shhhh..." Haruka jumped back in surprise. Michiru was too pale to even form coherent thoughts inside her head.
"Well whaddya know," Haruka stammered. "Your mansion's haunted!"
The door creaked open inch by inch as the two women held their breaths. They managed to look at each other, looking for some kind of reassurance. Finally, with the door open all the way, within the partial darkness came a voice.
"Welcome home, Michiru."
Michiru almost fainted.
But wait. "I know that voice..." her eyes narrowed to slits as she peered through the darkness. "Haruka, would you please reach out for the switch on that wall over there?"
"Why me?!" the blonde wailed in protest.
"Because I said so!" judging from Michiru's tone, Haruka knew resistance was futile.
"How do I get myself into this mess?" Haruka mumbled. After gathering back her wits, she finally dared to fumble the sidewalls for a light button.
Haruka almost passed out cold when a clammy hand grabbed hers.
"GYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" she shrieked.
The tall woman hastily retrieved her hand back, stumbling backwards, almost loosing her balance. She was shaking so hard it could have measured a 7.5 on the Richter scale.
'God Haruka, you're such a coward! Fight like a man! Well, sort of...' she scolded herself, taking in deep breaths before standing up straight in a fighting stance. "Who's there?" she demanded.
In response, much to their surprise and partial relief, a small light bulb turned on and lit the small entryway. There inside stood the one person Michiru suspected, but never expected to be there.
"Konbanwa." The person bowed low and smiled at them.
Michiru freaked out.
"OBAA-SAN?!?"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*