Something different...
So I've been going back and forth about posting this fic for a few days now, and I think I'm just going to do it. *nervous laugh* XD;; (Explanation follows below the fic. ^_~)
Title: Taste/Sound
Author: analine
Pairing: TutixNagayan/Mushishi crossover
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2948
Summary: Nagayan is infected by a mushi that causes him to taste sounds. XD; Some sounds taste better than others though, and it turns out the there's one particular song from the Bleach musical that makes him a bit ill. ^_~ (See further explanation below.)
It was raining, a light but persistent veil of moisture that stretched over the city, blurring the entire landscape into one dismal smudge of grey. It was the rainy season after all, and this was to be expected, but… Today the constant drizzle seemed darker, and more oppressive than normal. Looking at this sky, it was impossible not to feel hopeless, Tuti was thinking.
All the same, he trudged the familiar path up to Takashi’s apartment, and told himself that he had to keep his spirits up.
Maybe Takashi would be better today; maybe he would smile, maybe…
But as he started up the stairs, Tuti could feel it. And he knew… Nothing had changed.
“Tadaima…” He called out into the darkness, sighing after a moment, when he received no response.
“Takashi, come on,” he mumbled, as he made his way down the hallway. He pushed open the door to Takashi’s bedroom without knocking.
“Hey.” Takashi’s voice was soft, and his eyes drifted up to Tuti’s face slowly.
Tuti sighed, frowning, as he sat down next to Takashi on the futon.
“How do you feel?”
“Terrible,” Takashi admitted. “How was rehearsal?”
“Have you eaten anything?”
Takashi shook his head. “I tried, but…”
Tuti stared at Takashi, nodding. “Well, you should try again later.”
Takashi nodded, absently.
“And rehearsal was fine.”
Tuti studied Takashi’s face, trying to decide if the other man looked more exhausted and thin than he had this morning, or if it was just his imagination.
“Everyone’s asking about you though,” he continued. “They want to know when you’re coming back.” Tuti paused, lowering his eyes at Takashi. “They’re worried, and I don’t know what to tell them.”
Takashi shook his head quickly, and his eyes darkened. “I can’t, Tuti. I can’t go back. I can’t. Not with that…” Takashi shivered, and his face turned pale. “Not with that song. It’s…” He swallowed. “It’s disgusting.”
Tuti frowned in concern. “Takashi... It’s ok. I didn’t mean to-”
“I know!” Takashi shook his head again. “I know I sound crazy! But that doesn’t change anything! I don’t expect you to understand, but I’m telling you, I’m not making it up! I can… taste…”
Tuti watched Takashi swallow again, and this time, his face looked a little green. He shuddered, the memory of a week ago - of the last rehearsal Takashi had attended - still fresh in his mind.
“Are you ok?” Tuti asked quickly. “You look-”
Takashi was shaking his head though, and Tuti hopped up, grabbing his boyfriend’s arm to steady him as he stood. He led Takashi across the room to the bathroom door, and let him go in alone.
Tuti sank back against the futon, and felt his eyes cloud over, listening to Takashi wretch and heave for what felt like the hundredth time this week. He really didn’t think he could stand it anymore. He had to do something.
Because even if all if this was in Takashi’s head, it still didn’t change the fact that Takashi was making himself sick, actually sick, and that he had stopped eating days ago. He would have to take him to another doctor, even if he had to drag him there, and even if Takashi hated him for it. Because he just couldn’t allow this to go on.
Takashi emerged from the bathroom a few moments later. He was shaking as Tuti wrapped his arms around him, and helped him back to the futon.
Tuti kept his arms around Takashi’s chest for a long moment, holding him close.
“I’m sorry,” Takashi whispered after a moment. “I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s not your fault.” Tuti shook his head. “I just wish there was a way I could help you.”
“Tuti, I can still taste it.” Takashi whispered. “That song, those notes, the chords. It’s like it infected me, or something. Even if I plug my ears, I can still hear it…” Takashi shuddered. “And I know you don’t believe me. No one believes me. But I can taste it. I really can. Ever since that day.”
Tuti wrapped his arms a little tighter around Takashi’s chest. “I believe you, Takashi. It’s just...”
“But you don’t believe me,” Takashi told him quietly. “You think I’m crazy.”
“Takashi, that’s not it.” Tuti realized he was lying though, because as much as he hated to admit it, he really was starting to think his boyfriend had lost his mind. He wanted to believe him, but…
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Takashi said quietly. “No sane person would believe that ever since last Tuesday I can taste the music of the show! I wouldn’t even believe it myself… If it wasn’t true.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“Nakajima-san is talking about recasting,” Tuti said quietly. “I don’t know what you want me to tell him.”
Tuti watched Takashi cover his face with his hands. “I don’t know either. I don’t know…”
“Takashi, I’m sorry.”
Tuti could feel Takashi’s shoulders stiffen a little and he turned around to face him. “You think I won’t get better?”
“I don’t know what I think, Takashi. But it’s already been a week. And you’re not eating. Even if you were able to sing again tomorrow, your body would-”
Tuti watched Takashi’s eyes flash with panic for a moment before his face settled into a glare.
“Just leave me alone,” Takashi told him softly after a moment.
“Takashi, I didn’t mean-”
“Leave me alone.” Takashi stared at him coldly. “I mean it. Get out.” He pushed Tuti’s hands away from his shoulders. “Get out of my apartment. NOW!”
Tuti blinked, and let his hands fall to his sides. Then he found himself shrugging a little numbly. He wasn’t in the mood, he realized, to fight with Takashi right now.
“Fine.” He stood up.
“Call me if you need anything,” he added flatly as he walked out of the room.
**
Outside Takashi’s apartment, it was still raining, and Tuti took a moment to light a cigarette with one shaking hand before unfolding his umbrella, and starting down the rain soaked street.
He told himself that he was walking aimlessly, though it didn’t take him long to realize that all he had managed to do was walk in one large, wet loop.
He sighed.
He was hungry. Since Takashi had stopped eating, he had begun to skip about every other meal too, and he figured it was catching up to him a little.
A moment later, he ducked into the first ramen shop he could find, discarding his umbrella at the stand by the door, and running his fingers through his wet hair for a second before sitting down at the counter.
He ordered a large bowl of curry ramen, and as he waited for it to arrive, he lit another cigarette, and allowed his eyes to drift to the other end of the counter. The shop’s only other customer was kind of strange looking, Tuti thought to himself, his idle curiosity getting the best of him for a moment.
He couldn’t decide if the man seated at the far end of the bar was a gaijin or not, but he might have been, if Tuti was going to judge by his light colored hair. A second glance at the man’s features though, and Tuti realized that he was Japanese after all. The man nodded to him, and Tuti nodded back, before he went back to staring absently at the menu in front of him.
A moment later, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the man stood up, and crossed the room.
“Can I bother you for a light?”
Tuti nodded and made a small noise of agreement, reaching into his pocket for his lighter. As he did this, the man sat down on the stool next to him.
“Do you mind?” he asked, studying him curiously.
“Not at all.”
They sat in silence for a moment, and Tuti watched the rain gently slide down the window through the slats in the blinds.
Had he not been in such a horrible mood, Tuti was sure he might have been interested in talking to the other man. Outsiders usually had interesting stories, and Tuti had decided just a moment ago that this was how the man seemed to him. An outsider. Not a foreigner, but definitely not someone he would characterize as a normal Japanese.
The ramen arrived a moment later though, steaming in front of him, and Tuti forgot about the man next to him as he felt his mood begin to lift a little. Maybe Takashi was stuck tasting weird things, but… He could still enjoy his ramen, at least, he thought with a smile.
Several moments later, Tuti stopped mid-slurp because he realized that the man next to him was staring at him intently. He might not have even noticed if it weren’t for the man’s brilliant green eyes, only one of which was visible to him right now; the other was obscured by the man’s hair.
“Sorry,” the man told him purposefully. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, no, what is it?” Tuti asked, suddenly feeling a little more inclined to talk than he had a moment ago.
“Well… How should I put this?” The man tapped his hand on the table. “I understand that your friend is having a problem with a certain song. And I’d like to help.”
Tuti blinked, and set down his chopsticks. “What?”
“Let me explain,” the man began.
Tuti blinked again, because he wasn’t sure what else to do, and waited.
“This sort of thing is my specialty.” The man paused, taking a slow drag on his cigarette. “I think I may know what the problem is.”
“You can help Takashi?” Tuti eyed the man suspiciously.
“I’d like to think so, yes.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Ginko. I’m just passing through; a friend of mine mentioned this neighborhood.”
Tuti nodded, not sure if he was more or less suspicious now, after this cryptic introduction. There were only a couple of people who knew about what was going on with Takashi right now, and while Tuti supposed it was possible that one of them had contacted this man, it still seemed far too strange to be true. But he decided to play along anyway.
“And are you… Are you a doctor?”
“No,” the man told him matter-of-factly. “I suppose that might be a close approximation though.” He paused. “I’m a mushishi, but I don’t expect you’ve heard that word before.”
Tuti shook his head, trying to decide exactly was going on.
“I’d be happy to explain later, but…” The man’s eyes turned serious. “If you’ll agree to let me help, I’ll need to ask you a few questions. And we may not have much time.”
**
In the end, it was the fact that the man seemed knowledgeable about Takashi’s symptoms, even the things that Tuti hadn’t told him about, that convinced Tuti to trust him.
Back inside Takashi’s apartment though, Tuti paced back and forth in the hallway, staring now and then at the closed door apprehensively. It had only been a few minutes, but he was worried.
The more Tuti thought about it, the more he wondered if he had made a mistake by bringing the man here, and by leaving him alone with Takashi. Because when he thought about it - a mysterious man sitting down next to him in a ramen shop, offering his help, listening to his explanation of Takashi’s condition calmly, and then claiming to have the ability to magically bring Takashi back to normal - it just didn’t make any sense. It sounded crazy. Not any crazier than everything else that had happened this week, but… still pretty crazy.
Tuti was surprised when the door opened a brief moment later, breaking him out of his thoughts. The strange man gestured for him to come inside.
“The treatment was successful.” He announced calmly.
“Really?” Tuti glanced at the man, and then at Takashi tentatively. “Well… That’s great,” he said quietly, realizing he wasn’t sure how to react to this news.
Takashi wasn’t looking at him, and Tuti wondered, briefly, if he was still angry, though he was sure that their fight hardly mattered now.
Tuti watched the strange man, who seemed to be busy packing up his things, apparently planning to leave soon. Thankfully, the man seemed to sense his apprehension, and turned his attention across the room to them.
“What your friend was infected with,” he told Tuti, “was this.”
In his hand, the man was holding what looked like… Well, Tuti really couldn’t describe it. It looked like a cross between a worm, and… a leaf? Tuti really wasn’t sure. He had never seen anything like it. But it was wriggling in the man’s hands as he placed it in a large glass jar, and secured the lid.
“What is that?” Tuti asked, amazed at the strange greenish glow coming from whatever the man had just placed in the jar.
The man looked surprised. “You can see it?” He tapped the glass with his finger. “Interesting.”
The man paused for a moment, and glanced at Takashi, who was watching what was happening in silence, and then back at Tuti.
“It’s a mushi. A life form that exists somewhere between this world and the next. This one affects the host’s senses. In your case,” he looked at Takashi, “it provided you with the ability to taste things that you should have been hearing. Like music. This is why the song you mentioned was suddenly such a problem. It’s different with everyone though.”
Tuti blinked. “How did…” He wasn’t sure how exactly to phrase his question. “How did this happen?”
“This mushi enters the ear canal on a sound wave. It then travels down the throat, and burrows into the tongue, confusing the senses there. Now that I’ve removed it, there should be no possibility of re-infection.”
Tuti nodded, and glanced at Takashi, because he couldn’t help but wonder if what the man was telling them was actually true.
The man was getting up to leave, though, and Tuti found himself thanking him, and then bowing deeply as they stood in the doorway to Takashi’s apartment several minutes later.
He refused payment, and was elusive as to the details of his contact who had led him to Tuti, but… Tuti found that he really didn’t care. He would accept this, he decided, if it meant that Takashi was back to normal. Besides, he had the feeling that no amount of explanation that would really be sufficient for this situation anyway.
Tuti watched the man disappear down the stairs and around the corner, into the dark misty rain that was still falling.
Then he turned, closed the door to Takashi’s apartment behind him, and let out a long breath.
**
“What just happened?” Takashi asked him, as Tuti sat down next to him on the futon a moment later.
“Well, I don’t know.” Tuti laughed, a little nervously. “I was about to ask you the same thing. Do you feel any different?”
Takashi nodded. “Yeah, I’m… I think I’m okay.” He paused. “The taste is gone. And I feel okay. I’m hungry.”
Tuti blinked, and then watched as Takashi smiled at him cautiously.
“I don’t really know what he did, but… I closed my eyes, and he put something in my ear. It hurt for a second, but now…” Takashi seemed surprised. “Now I’m fine.”
Tuti nodded. Somehow he was too tired and confused to feel as relieved as he was sure he should right now.
He watched Takashi, because he didn’t know what else to do.
“I’m still mad at you though.” Takashi’s lips turned down into a pout. “You didn’t believe me. You thought I was crazy.”
Tuti’s eyes widened. “You thought you were crazy too!” he protested. “That’s hardly fair.”
Takashi laughed. “You’re right, I did. I didn’t want to admit it, but…” He paused, shifting a little so that he could rest his cheek against Tuti’s shoulder as he closed his eyes. “So I should forgive you, is that what you’re trying to say?”
Tuti smiled. “Of course you should,” he told him softly, realizing suddenly how nice it felt to have Takashi next to him like this. For the past week, even touching Takashi had seemed different, and wrong somehow.
Tuti guessed that this was just how it was when someone was sick, but… Now that Takashi was himself again, the room, and everything around them seemed somehow brighter, and warmer. Tuti was happy, he realized. Really, really happy. He closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. “I missed you,” he said softly.
Takashi leaned a little closer for a moment, and squeezed his fingers around Tuti’s hand.
“I need to eat,” he told him suddenly a moment later and his voice sounded a little wobbly. “I’ll forgive you if you feed me. How’s that?” Takashi laughed weakly. “And if you don’t, I think I’m going to pass out, so...”
“Okay, okay.” Tuti grinned. “What do you feel like?”
“Anything. It doesn’t matter. Anything that’s open.”
Tuti laughed, and thought for a second. “Ramen?”
“Fine. Perfect.” He leaned on Tuti’s outstretched arm without hesitation as they stood up.
Tuti blinked, watching him attentively, and raised his eyebrows at the serious look on his boyfriend’s face. “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just good to be back,” Takashi told him with a smile. “I missed you too.”
Tuti wrapped his arm around Takashi’s shoulder tightly. “Next time come back sooner, okay?”
“Okay,” Takashi agreed quietly, smiling a little wider. “It’s a deal.”
***
Thanks for reading... I know this was weird, so... Please tell me what you think? XD;;
And just in case anyone's curious as to where that came from - I don't know if anyone has seen Mushishi yet (I'm guessing not ^_~) but... It's really, really good. Each episode has this very surreal quality to it, and the animation is really beautiful. If I had to categorize it, I suppose it would fall into the "supernatural" category, and what's kind of intriguing about it is that there is only one recurring character in the whole show, Ginko.
Ginko travels around what seems like an idealized version of feudal Japan, and he's a Mushishi - a mushi expert. ^_~ In the show though, mushi aren't bugs, they're these strange creatures that exist between the living world and the world beyond. XD;;; And they infect people in really interesting, and usually destructive ways. In one episode a man is infected by a mushi that exists inside an invisible rainbow, and so every time it rains he goes crazy and runs off chasing it. In the last one I watched there was a cloud-eating mushi that was inhaled by a human, and until the person could be brought to a high enough altitude (with lots of clouds), it made the person deathly cold. XD;;;; Weird. XD;;; But Ginko goes around to these villages and investigates a different problem in each episode, and cures the people.
Let me just say also - I've never written a crossover fic before, and I think some parts of that may have been a little weak. Like... The parts that don't involve Nagayan. But we'll see I guess. XD;;; I wanted to post it before I was completely out of the mood though.
Oh, and I also took some screencaps so you'd be able to see who Ginko is, and so that maybe you'll be intrigued enough to want to watch the show. :D (You can download the first 20+ episodes on www.animesuki.com ^_^)
Ginko, and a pretty landscape.
Ginko looking cool.
All those glowing things are mushi. XD
More mushi.
Random cool looking stuff:
Title: Taste/Sound
Author: analine
Pairing: TutixNagayan/Mushishi crossover
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2948
Summary: Nagayan is infected by a mushi that causes him to taste sounds. XD; Some sounds taste better than others though, and it turns out the there's one particular song from the Bleach musical that makes him a bit ill. ^_~ (See further explanation below.)
It was raining, a light but persistent veil of moisture that stretched over the city, blurring the entire landscape into one dismal smudge of grey. It was the rainy season after all, and this was to be expected, but… Today the constant drizzle seemed darker, and more oppressive than normal. Looking at this sky, it was impossible not to feel hopeless, Tuti was thinking.
All the same, he trudged the familiar path up to Takashi’s apartment, and told himself that he had to keep his spirits up.
Maybe Takashi would be better today; maybe he would smile, maybe…
But as he started up the stairs, Tuti could feel it. And he knew… Nothing had changed.
“Tadaima…” He called out into the darkness, sighing after a moment, when he received no response.
“Takashi, come on,” he mumbled, as he made his way down the hallway. He pushed open the door to Takashi’s bedroom without knocking.
“Hey.” Takashi’s voice was soft, and his eyes drifted up to Tuti’s face slowly.
Tuti sighed, frowning, as he sat down next to Takashi on the futon.
“How do you feel?”
“Terrible,” Takashi admitted. “How was rehearsal?”
“Have you eaten anything?”
Takashi shook his head. “I tried, but…”
Tuti stared at Takashi, nodding. “Well, you should try again later.”
Takashi nodded, absently.
“And rehearsal was fine.”
Tuti studied Takashi’s face, trying to decide if the other man looked more exhausted and thin than he had this morning, or if it was just his imagination.
“Everyone’s asking about you though,” he continued. “They want to know when you’re coming back.” Tuti paused, lowering his eyes at Takashi. “They’re worried, and I don’t know what to tell them.”
Takashi shook his head quickly, and his eyes darkened. “I can’t, Tuti. I can’t go back. I can’t. Not with that…” Takashi shivered, and his face turned pale. “Not with that song. It’s…” He swallowed. “It’s disgusting.”
Tuti frowned in concern. “Takashi... It’s ok. I didn’t mean to-”
“I know!” Takashi shook his head again. “I know I sound crazy! But that doesn’t change anything! I don’t expect you to understand, but I’m telling you, I’m not making it up! I can… taste…”
Tuti watched Takashi swallow again, and this time, his face looked a little green. He shuddered, the memory of a week ago - of the last rehearsal Takashi had attended - still fresh in his mind.
“Are you ok?” Tuti asked quickly. “You look-”
Takashi was shaking his head though, and Tuti hopped up, grabbing his boyfriend’s arm to steady him as he stood. He led Takashi across the room to the bathroom door, and let him go in alone.
Tuti sank back against the futon, and felt his eyes cloud over, listening to Takashi wretch and heave for what felt like the hundredth time this week. He really didn’t think he could stand it anymore. He had to do something.
Because even if all if this was in Takashi’s head, it still didn’t change the fact that Takashi was making himself sick, actually sick, and that he had stopped eating days ago. He would have to take him to another doctor, even if he had to drag him there, and even if Takashi hated him for it. Because he just couldn’t allow this to go on.
Takashi emerged from the bathroom a few moments later. He was shaking as Tuti wrapped his arms around him, and helped him back to the futon.
Tuti kept his arms around Takashi’s chest for a long moment, holding him close.
“I’m sorry,” Takashi whispered after a moment. “I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s not your fault.” Tuti shook his head. “I just wish there was a way I could help you.”
“Tuti, I can still taste it.” Takashi whispered. “That song, those notes, the chords. It’s like it infected me, or something. Even if I plug my ears, I can still hear it…” Takashi shuddered. “And I know you don’t believe me. No one believes me. But I can taste it. I really can. Ever since that day.”
Tuti wrapped his arms a little tighter around Takashi’s chest. “I believe you, Takashi. It’s just...”
“But you don’t believe me,” Takashi told him quietly. “You think I’m crazy.”
“Takashi, that’s not it.” Tuti realized he was lying though, because as much as he hated to admit it, he really was starting to think his boyfriend had lost his mind. He wanted to believe him, but…
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Takashi said quietly. “No sane person would believe that ever since last Tuesday I can taste the music of the show! I wouldn’t even believe it myself… If it wasn’t true.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“Nakajima-san is talking about recasting,” Tuti said quietly. “I don’t know what you want me to tell him.”
Tuti watched Takashi cover his face with his hands. “I don’t know either. I don’t know…”
“Takashi, I’m sorry.”
Tuti could feel Takashi’s shoulders stiffen a little and he turned around to face him. “You think I won’t get better?”
“I don’t know what I think, Takashi. But it’s already been a week. And you’re not eating. Even if you were able to sing again tomorrow, your body would-”
Tuti watched Takashi’s eyes flash with panic for a moment before his face settled into a glare.
“Just leave me alone,” Takashi told him softly after a moment.
“Takashi, I didn’t mean-”
“Leave me alone.” Takashi stared at him coldly. “I mean it. Get out.” He pushed Tuti’s hands away from his shoulders. “Get out of my apartment. NOW!”
Tuti blinked, and let his hands fall to his sides. Then he found himself shrugging a little numbly. He wasn’t in the mood, he realized, to fight with Takashi right now.
“Fine.” He stood up.
“Call me if you need anything,” he added flatly as he walked out of the room.
**
Outside Takashi’s apartment, it was still raining, and Tuti took a moment to light a cigarette with one shaking hand before unfolding his umbrella, and starting down the rain soaked street.
He told himself that he was walking aimlessly, though it didn’t take him long to realize that all he had managed to do was walk in one large, wet loop.
He sighed.
He was hungry. Since Takashi had stopped eating, he had begun to skip about every other meal too, and he figured it was catching up to him a little.
A moment later, he ducked into the first ramen shop he could find, discarding his umbrella at the stand by the door, and running his fingers through his wet hair for a second before sitting down at the counter.
He ordered a large bowl of curry ramen, and as he waited for it to arrive, he lit another cigarette, and allowed his eyes to drift to the other end of the counter. The shop’s only other customer was kind of strange looking, Tuti thought to himself, his idle curiosity getting the best of him for a moment.
He couldn’t decide if the man seated at the far end of the bar was a gaijin or not, but he might have been, if Tuti was going to judge by his light colored hair. A second glance at the man’s features though, and Tuti realized that he was Japanese after all. The man nodded to him, and Tuti nodded back, before he went back to staring absently at the menu in front of him.
A moment later, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the man stood up, and crossed the room.
“Can I bother you for a light?”
Tuti nodded and made a small noise of agreement, reaching into his pocket for his lighter. As he did this, the man sat down on the stool next to him.
“Do you mind?” he asked, studying him curiously.
“Not at all.”
They sat in silence for a moment, and Tuti watched the rain gently slide down the window through the slats in the blinds.
Had he not been in such a horrible mood, Tuti was sure he might have been interested in talking to the other man. Outsiders usually had interesting stories, and Tuti had decided just a moment ago that this was how the man seemed to him. An outsider. Not a foreigner, but definitely not someone he would characterize as a normal Japanese.
The ramen arrived a moment later though, steaming in front of him, and Tuti forgot about the man next to him as he felt his mood begin to lift a little. Maybe Takashi was stuck tasting weird things, but… He could still enjoy his ramen, at least, he thought with a smile.
Several moments later, Tuti stopped mid-slurp because he realized that the man next to him was staring at him intently. He might not have even noticed if it weren’t for the man’s brilliant green eyes, only one of which was visible to him right now; the other was obscured by the man’s hair.
“Sorry,” the man told him purposefully. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, no, what is it?” Tuti asked, suddenly feeling a little more inclined to talk than he had a moment ago.
“Well… How should I put this?” The man tapped his hand on the table. “I understand that your friend is having a problem with a certain song. And I’d like to help.”
Tuti blinked, and set down his chopsticks. “What?”
“Let me explain,” the man began.
Tuti blinked again, because he wasn’t sure what else to do, and waited.
“This sort of thing is my specialty.” The man paused, taking a slow drag on his cigarette. “I think I may know what the problem is.”
“You can help Takashi?” Tuti eyed the man suspiciously.
“I’d like to think so, yes.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Ginko. I’m just passing through; a friend of mine mentioned this neighborhood.”
Tuti nodded, not sure if he was more or less suspicious now, after this cryptic introduction. There were only a couple of people who knew about what was going on with Takashi right now, and while Tuti supposed it was possible that one of them had contacted this man, it still seemed far too strange to be true. But he decided to play along anyway.
“And are you… Are you a doctor?”
“No,” the man told him matter-of-factly. “I suppose that might be a close approximation though.” He paused. “I’m a mushishi, but I don’t expect you’ve heard that word before.”
Tuti shook his head, trying to decide exactly was going on.
“I’d be happy to explain later, but…” The man’s eyes turned serious. “If you’ll agree to let me help, I’ll need to ask you a few questions. And we may not have much time.”
**
In the end, it was the fact that the man seemed knowledgeable about Takashi’s symptoms, even the things that Tuti hadn’t told him about, that convinced Tuti to trust him.
Back inside Takashi’s apartment though, Tuti paced back and forth in the hallway, staring now and then at the closed door apprehensively. It had only been a few minutes, but he was worried.
The more Tuti thought about it, the more he wondered if he had made a mistake by bringing the man here, and by leaving him alone with Takashi. Because when he thought about it - a mysterious man sitting down next to him in a ramen shop, offering his help, listening to his explanation of Takashi’s condition calmly, and then claiming to have the ability to magically bring Takashi back to normal - it just didn’t make any sense. It sounded crazy. Not any crazier than everything else that had happened this week, but… still pretty crazy.
Tuti was surprised when the door opened a brief moment later, breaking him out of his thoughts. The strange man gestured for him to come inside.
“The treatment was successful.” He announced calmly.
“Really?” Tuti glanced at the man, and then at Takashi tentatively. “Well… That’s great,” he said quietly, realizing he wasn’t sure how to react to this news.
Takashi wasn’t looking at him, and Tuti wondered, briefly, if he was still angry, though he was sure that their fight hardly mattered now.
Tuti watched the strange man, who seemed to be busy packing up his things, apparently planning to leave soon. Thankfully, the man seemed to sense his apprehension, and turned his attention across the room to them.
“What your friend was infected with,” he told Tuti, “was this.”
In his hand, the man was holding what looked like… Well, Tuti really couldn’t describe it. It looked like a cross between a worm, and… a leaf? Tuti really wasn’t sure. He had never seen anything like it. But it was wriggling in the man’s hands as he placed it in a large glass jar, and secured the lid.
“What is that?” Tuti asked, amazed at the strange greenish glow coming from whatever the man had just placed in the jar.
The man looked surprised. “You can see it?” He tapped the glass with his finger. “Interesting.”
The man paused for a moment, and glanced at Takashi, who was watching what was happening in silence, and then back at Tuti.
“It’s a mushi. A life form that exists somewhere between this world and the next. This one affects the host’s senses. In your case,” he looked at Takashi, “it provided you with the ability to taste things that you should have been hearing. Like music. This is why the song you mentioned was suddenly such a problem. It’s different with everyone though.”
Tuti blinked. “How did…” He wasn’t sure how exactly to phrase his question. “How did this happen?”
“This mushi enters the ear canal on a sound wave. It then travels down the throat, and burrows into the tongue, confusing the senses there. Now that I’ve removed it, there should be no possibility of re-infection.”
Tuti nodded, and glanced at Takashi, because he couldn’t help but wonder if what the man was telling them was actually true.
The man was getting up to leave, though, and Tuti found himself thanking him, and then bowing deeply as they stood in the doorway to Takashi’s apartment several minutes later.
He refused payment, and was elusive as to the details of his contact who had led him to Tuti, but… Tuti found that he really didn’t care. He would accept this, he decided, if it meant that Takashi was back to normal. Besides, he had the feeling that no amount of explanation that would really be sufficient for this situation anyway.
Tuti watched the man disappear down the stairs and around the corner, into the dark misty rain that was still falling.
Then he turned, closed the door to Takashi’s apartment behind him, and let out a long breath.
**
“What just happened?” Takashi asked him, as Tuti sat down next to him on the futon a moment later.
“Well, I don’t know.” Tuti laughed, a little nervously. “I was about to ask you the same thing. Do you feel any different?”
Takashi nodded. “Yeah, I’m… I think I’m okay.” He paused. “The taste is gone. And I feel okay. I’m hungry.”
Tuti blinked, and then watched as Takashi smiled at him cautiously.
“I don’t really know what he did, but… I closed my eyes, and he put something in my ear. It hurt for a second, but now…” Takashi seemed surprised. “Now I’m fine.”
Tuti nodded. Somehow he was too tired and confused to feel as relieved as he was sure he should right now.
He watched Takashi, because he didn’t know what else to do.
“I’m still mad at you though.” Takashi’s lips turned down into a pout. “You didn’t believe me. You thought I was crazy.”
Tuti’s eyes widened. “You thought you were crazy too!” he protested. “That’s hardly fair.”
Takashi laughed. “You’re right, I did. I didn’t want to admit it, but…” He paused, shifting a little so that he could rest his cheek against Tuti’s shoulder as he closed his eyes. “So I should forgive you, is that what you’re trying to say?”
Tuti smiled. “Of course you should,” he told him softly, realizing suddenly how nice it felt to have Takashi next to him like this. For the past week, even touching Takashi had seemed different, and wrong somehow.
Tuti guessed that this was just how it was when someone was sick, but… Now that Takashi was himself again, the room, and everything around them seemed somehow brighter, and warmer. Tuti was happy, he realized. Really, really happy. He closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. “I missed you,” he said softly.
Takashi leaned a little closer for a moment, and squeezed his fingers around Tuti’s hand.
“I need to eat,” he told him suddenly a moment later and his voice sounded a little wobbly. “I’ll forgive you if you feed me. How’s that?” Takashi laughed weakly. “And if you don’t, I think I’m going to pass out, so...”
“Okay, okay.” Tuti grinned. “What do you feel like?”
“Anything. It doesn’t matter. Anything that’s open.”
Tuti laughed, and thought for a second. “Ramen?”
“Fine. Perfect.” He leaned on Tuti’s outstretched arm without hesitation as they stood up.
Tuti blinked, watching him attentively, and raised his eyebrows at the serious look on his boyfriend’s face. “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just good to be back,” Takashi told him with a smile. “I missed you too.”
Tuti wrapped his arm around Takashi’s shoulder tightly. “Next time come back sooner, okay?”
“Okay,” Takashi agreed quietly, smiling a little wider. “It’s a deal.”
***
Thanks for reading... I know this was weird, so... Please tell me what you think? XD;;
And just in case anyone's curious as to where that came from - I don't know if anyone has seen Mushishi yet (I'm guessing not ^_~) but... It's really, really good. Each episode has this very surreal quality to it, and the animation is really beautiful. If I had to categorize it, I suppose it would fall into the "supernatural" category, and what's kind of intriguing about it is that there is only one recurring character in the whole show, Ginko.
Ginko travels around what seems like an idealized version of feudal Japan, and he's a Mushishi - a mushi expert. ^_~ In the show though, mushi aren't bugs, they're these strange creatures that exist between the living world and the world beyond. XD;;; And they infect people in really interesting, and usually destructive ways. In one episode a man is infected by a mushi that exists inside an invisible rainbow, and so every time it rains he goes crazy and runs off chasing it. In the last one I watched there was a cloud-eating mushi that was inhaled by a human, and until the person could be brought to a high enough altitude (with lots of clouds), it made the person deathly cold. XD;;;; Weird. XD;;; But Ginko goes around to these villages and investigates a different problem in each episode, and cures the people.
Let me just say also - I've never written a crossover fic before, and I think some parts of that may have been a little weak. Like... The parts that don't involve Nagayan. But we'll see I guess. XD;;; I wanted to post it before I was completely out of the mood though.
Oh, and I also took some screencaps so you'd be able to see who Ginko is, and so that maybe you'll be intrigued enough to want to watch the show. :D (You can download the first 20+ episodes on www.animesuki.com ^_^)
Ginko, and a pretty landscape.
Ginko looking cool.
All those glowing things are mushi. XD
More mushi.
Random cool looking stuff: