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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.

Hi... you all have never seen me. This is actually my first ever post in this forum as I continue to plan and write a full length fan fic. And it's going to be a rushed holiday fluff piece based on another person's prompt. Done probably on Christmas after an all nighter and battling probably severe jet lag. Hampering my already shoddy understanding of grammar and spelling. And making the learning of how formatting works on this site even harder.

I'm sorry in advance

But back into the holiday spirit and not dwelling on the shattered urn that is my life, my prompt is from user monkeywitha6pack. His prompt was "Emi tries to surprise and make Hisao a Christmas Dinner". Well, without further excuses, here is my story. I hope you all have (or had depending how late I get this out and accounting for California time zones) a very merry Christmas.
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Holiday Hunger Humbug

I'll be back around 8:00. Another visit to the cardiologist. I swear one little blip and I'm suddenly about to keel over. Sorry I can't be there for most of Christmas day, I'll try and cut this short. Love you, can't wait till I get to open my presents tonight. <3 <3

Oh don't worry Hisao, I'm gonna have something special for you to unwrap tonight. But also something your never gonna expect...

"Do you ever think the clouds get jealous of the homes during this time?" Rin asked from her cat-like position on the top of the sofa. Just about the only routine she ever does.

"No, why would clouds ever be jealous of houses?"

"Because they are usually so grey at this time of year. Houses light up this time of year. It could be taken as mocking." Why do I ever think asking for clarification will get me so with Rin?

"Well that can go for ever there is a rainy day. I mean then the clouds over Tokyo must feel sad all the time then and-this is not why I brought you here today!"

"Then why did you," shot back Rin as she continued to stare out the window. "I thought the normal thing to do during holiday times was to spend time with one's immediate family. You complained to your mother over the phone I wasn't. My purpose thus is very grey. Maybe that's why I'm thinking about the clouds..."

Okay now I feel slightly bad. When I heard that Rin was apparently gonna stay over in the school during Christmas from Miki while I was giving her my early gift, I knew couldn't just leave her there. She may be difficult, especially ever since that whole exhibit debacle, but we were still friends in my eyes. Still didn't stop me from giving the real reason I was coming home late that day to mom and Hisao. But I knew they would understand. And they did. Now it was time to surprise them.

"Well one reason you are here is that so you won't be stuck huffing paint while everyone is eating good food," I start, soon dragging her into the kitchen. "And another is that you are going to help me make the food we get to eat this year!" I then motion over to the stack of raw ingredients I have already laid out over the table. Had to buy them today while mom is still out on "business" with a friend. I wonder when she'l tell me she's dating nurse. Maybe she'll bring him over. Great now I'm distracting myself.

"I thought it was mothers that cooked during the holidays. And also that hands were required for the process. I meet neither of these requirements." Rin said in her deadpan manner, starring in an unfocused gaze over the loaded table. Why did I bother arranging the indigents for her again?

"Well not this year it doesn't! My mom always makes the dinner but it's about time I start taking that over. Ever since I got with Hisao, I've been secretly honing my cooking skills. I don't want him eating all that fried chicken everyone else during this time. His diet doesn't have room for it and I need him for the long haul!" I strike a valiant pose, thinking back to the time I caught Hisao trying to sneak that fried garbage that was served at the school festival. To think it all started with a rooftop lunch between me, Hisao, and Rin. I think I right word to use there would be picturesque. At least I think so from the way Mr. Nomiya used it in that one art club meeting I attended. Had to see this blind mastermind Rin wouldn't stop talking about.

"Does that mean you're gonna be dragging me to a wedding soon as well? I don't know how many special event interruptions my schedule can take."

"Rin! Why would you say that?!" I said, trying to shoot an annoyed glare at her. Though it probably doesn't register with the cranberry face I now sported.

"Isn't cooking a wife skill? Your mom told me during one of your track meets that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. She never mentioned she was ever a doctor so I asked how she knew and she said it was just 'wifely wisdom' or something. You think Hisao can comment on this when he gets back. I always forget to ask him."

Rin... I want to shake sense into you so bad sometimes. but I need you right now, so it can wait.

"Well you can ask him after he asks you how you helped me make the awesome meal he's gonna eat!" I am definitely going to keep things on track this time I swear. "I read on the internet that a Christmas dinner in America has things like ham and mashed potatoes and and cranberry sauce. These things take forever to get done and we don't have that. So I need you to help me keep track of things so nothing explodes. It can't be that hard right?"

Rin just looks over all the ingredients again and shrugged. It might has well been a thumbs up coming from her. But it didn't matter because I am determined to make this Christmas the best on for both me and Hisao. And I would be because of my cooking. Time to get to work!

***

"How can anything with this much sugar still be considered a sauce and not a sweet jelly?" I double check the measured out amount of sugar. It looks like it could fill an entire snow globe.

"Maybe the cranberries also feel like clouds and need more than normal," Rin chimed in with after nudging another piece of bread onto the metal tray in neat order. It would be baked and cut up for stuffing later "Sugar is sparkly in light so maybe it's food Christmas lights."

"More like this recipe came from an American website no doubt. They always tend to blow up portions. I'll just use half. Can't hurt that much right?"

***

"Wait, I'm suppose to use milk and heavy cream?" Stupid google translate, getting grammar all wrong. I really should had taken Lilly up on those English tutoring lessons. "No matter, it says it's optional anyways. I just need to use two cups then... Rin?"

"What?"

"You said what we had in the fridge was whole milk right?"

"Yes."

"Well it's not! It's two percent." I said actually looking at the bottle in my brief moment of going between mashed potato bowl to still cooking cranberry sauce."Why did you say it was whole?"

"The milk box seemed completely intact to me."

***

"What do you mean cook the vegetables until they become invisible?" I ask Rin already starting to stir the onions and celery into the melted butter.

"That's what it says. What else does translucent mean?" Rin asks blankly not even looking up from the paper.

"I... that's a science word Hisao used one time... I'll just go until their soft."

"I think the cranberries are going translucent as well. At least the bubbles popping off are."

"EEP, they're done!"

***

"Okay, so maybe the American's were right about the sugar amount. It's very... tart. But, we'll make up for it with sweet honey ham! All I need to do to start is score the meat all over."

"Did it compete in a sport? Seems a bit late to be award anything to it." Rin said, somehow keeping a straight face as she stirred the slowly heating cream.

"Well I don't if there are organized sports for pigs but all I know is I gotta o give this thing quarter inch incisions all along it. Now only call me over when it's time to drop in the spinach, I need to figure out what a quarter inch is on a knife."

***

"I don't think the ham is suppose to look like those paper flowers the boy does in the art club. Unless that was your plan. In which case maybe you should have invited him over to help instead because his stuff looks better."

"Yeah I can see I cut too deeply. Just continue brushing on the honey thing, I'm sure it's thick enough to cover some of it up. You're painting skills should be helpful here then."

"Usually when I paint the stuff stays on the canvas. Or wall. Or general surface of application."

"...So it's too thick then."

***

"Okay... well the spinach came out good..."

I looked over all of the finished products of the day. The extremely tart cranberry sauce. Note to self, really use a lot of sugar. Next was the not so smooth mashed potatoes. Another note to self, use whole milk, cream, and add in at the end "incrementally" instead of all at once by accident. But the stuffing was good... in the places it wasn't burnt because I forgot I turned up the tempature for the ham. Not that it mattered in the end because the ham was a half glazed mess.

All still edible but nowhere near as good as it should be for Hisao. For mom. For anyone really.

"God I really messed up Christmas didn't I? I wouldn't want to eat this!" I pount towards Rin who just looks just as disinterested as she started. I drop my head into my arms and try to think of a way to salvage all of this. But I can't can I? Now Hisao gonna regret staying away from his family, mom not gonna trust me to cook ever again, and-

"I think it doesn't matter if you want to eat it," Rin said before going to sit down next to me. She sniffed the ham for a second before going for a fork. "I think it's a matter of if we want to eat it."

"What?" I looked at Rin, trying to decipher what she actually is saying. Better than throwing a pity party for myself.

"There were times when you brought up rice balls that were overcooked and felt like they were angry for being in my mouth." She popped a loose hanging bit of meat into her mouth in a motion that never ceased to slightly amaze me. "Normally I would just spit something like that out because I'd feel bad for it. Like I do for the clouds."

"Geez, thanks. I don't usually try to make my food pissed off before i serve it." I stir up some mock anger from inside of me, quickly breaking down into a little giggle at the thought of angry little rice balls. "I still don't see your point though. You saying my cooking has always just sucked?"

"No, it's just that you had an off day. And I could tell you being really busy that day from amount you were sweating. And the fact you were later than usual as well. Too many clouds passed. Anyways, I could see that you tried really hard on those rice balls to get them to me. Even though I don't like it when you force me to eat. So I forced myself to like it. And it was easy because I was with you. You make things sweeter when you're around. Like Christmas lights for sad clouds. Now that you made a sad could, we just have to Christmas lights for it to be good."

"Rin..." I looked at her through my watery eyes. I moved over to give her a full hug, a bit awkwardly as she still had a leg jutted out but I still made it work. "That has to be the most nonsensical thing you've ever said that actually made sense. Thank you."

"Hey! Sorry I'm late, I figured I would see if I could pick up some KFC for us to eat and the lines were..." Hisao burst throughout the door with a KFC bad dangling from one of his hands. The other held a covered box. He stopped in his tracks seeing my hugging Rin behind all the food we had made. His face dropped when he seemed to finally understand the scene before him.

"You cooked dinner already? I'm sorry Emi, I should have known you were planning something like this. Maybe we can save this for tomorrow for breakfast and-"

"No, don't worry! I think you'll see soon enough we're gonna need extra food. I think I failed in providing us a whole Christmas meal here." I finally let go of Rin to help Hisao get the bag of food onto the table. I concede to you this year colonel, but just wait until next Christmas. I give him a kiss and a deep hug.

"Well I'm sure it can't be all bad if it's with you. Besides, you left room for my dessert at least."

Hisao set the box from his other hand down onto the table, making it clear it was a bakers box. He lifts up the top to show a tradition strawberry cake. Atop the elegant white frost was a circle of strawberries surrounding a jolly looking Santa sitting on a script of name.

"Merry Christmas Emi."

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And that was my story. Please tell me if it was any good or not, look forward to my big project in the works for here, and have a very happy new year. Peace to you all, I'm gonna overdoes on Advil and sounds of the ocean to try and sleep now.
-Brister XD

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

That was fantastic, thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed writing it.

I'll come back on and comment on everyone else's properly soon, just wanted to respond to my Santa whilst I had a few minutes.

And that was my story. Please tell me if it was any good or not, look forward to my big project in the works for here, and have a very happy new year. Peace to you all, I'm gonna overdoes on Advil and sounds of the ocean to try and sleep now.
-Brister XD

First of all: Welcome!
I think it was a good story, though since my cooking skills are as good as non-existant I can't say much about the intricacies of it
About the only thing that stood out to me was the tenses - most of the story is past tense but in two or three places you slipped into present.

Good Luck with your project, and Merry Christmas!

Another KFC reference FTW!

Okay, this one is posted on behalf of an old hand here - you can find some of his writings here.

Writer: Vekter
Victim: Feurox
Prompt: A Silent Jive under Miseltoe and Snow - I’d like to see Hisao and an likely character enjoying each other’s company before leaving Yamaku for the holidays

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Hisao sighed as he turned a page in his textbook. Studying on the last day before vacation wasn’t really what most kids would do to relax, however, he was out of recreational reading and the library had already closed. Plus, the last thing he wanted was to get rusty before the new term starts.

“The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”, he muttered, jotting the note down on the study book next to him. Just spending time doing something constructive was enough to distract him. Most of the student body had already left for winter break, but his parents wouldn’t be by to pick him up until the next day. For once, Hisao had the dorm common room to himself. Peace and quiet, no Kenji ranting, no rough housing.

“Hey Nakai, term’s over. You can put the pencil down.” He started at the sudden sound and turned to see Suzu Suzaku sitting next to him. “Mind if I join you?” She waved a light novel in her hand. Hisao read the cover, something about a girl named Haruhi, one of the popular books among the students.

Hisao nodded. “Sure, I could use some company.” He paid her little mind as he went back to his book. Despite not interacting with her much, it was definitely nice to have someone else nearby.

A few pages of notes later and he heard an odd sound, followed by a thud against his shoulder - Suzu had dropped her book on her lap and fallen asleep, her head landing squarely on his shoulder. Hisao sighed; he knew he couldn’t get much studying done like this, but he didn’t want to wake her up. After all, she looked quite peaceful.

Hisao put his textbook to the side and did his best to unseat her from his shoulder, then grabbed one of the many blankets around the room and covered her up. ‘She’s kind of cute when she’s asleep…’ he thought, grabbing her book and flipping through a few pages. The story seemed interesting - something about a girl with magical powers she didn’t know she had and the impact she had on the world around her.

‘Seems interesting enough. Maybe she’s right, I can study later.’ He sat and read in relative silence, Suzu napping peacefully. It made for a nice scene with the snow falling outside, both of them warm and relaxed, enjoying each others’ company.

Short and Sweet. Some nice implications that don't push too far and fit the spirit of my prompt, really is just a calm, slice of everyday interaction between relative strangers. Thank you Vekter and Thank you Prof for posting this on their behalf. Beautifully done.