Maneki Neko by Just Ruth
Title: Maneki Neko
Author: Just Ruth
Disclaimer: Supernatural is the property of Eric Kripke and the CW. His universe is being borrowed for entertainment purposes only. You think anyone would pay me for this?
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Characters: Original
Summary: It really wasn’t a good idea to steal the statue from the restaurant.
Notes: written for picfor1000 from this picture
Word count: 1000
Symbols: < > = Japanese
Special thanks to randomstasis for an awesome beta
*****
Tom O’Rourke shifted nervously. Where was Bart? His older “frat” brother had left him standing at the counter with the hostess while he ‘picked up something.’
< “He’s cute,”> a passing waitress giggled. Unlike the hostess’s traditional kimono, split-toed socks and sandals, she wore a shorter kimono and sensible shoes.
<“Ayumi!”> The hostess squeaked, her pretty face starting to color up. <“Don’t say that, he can hear you.”>
< “You worry too much, Megumi, he doesn’t understand.”>
< “Forgive me,”> Tom said in Japanese, < “but I do understand a little.”>
< “Oh!” > Megumi put both hands to her mouth.
< “At least it wasn’t bad!” > Ayumi laughed. < “Good for you, Kitsune-san!”>
Tom blinked. “Kitsune-san?”
“A fox spirit just . . . your hair.” Megumi blushed. “It means nothing.”
Well, at least she thinks I’m cute. Megumi was the prettiest girl that ever wanted to speak to him in his whole nineteen years.
The youngest O’Rourke boy rarely got compliments; they went to Jimmy and Ryan who had their Dad's dark hair, blue eyes and unblemished skin. Tom was the family freak no matter what Mom said; a throwback, with Grandfather Quinn’s brick red hair, penny brown eyes, hundreds of freckles and pointed ears that he kept hidden.
“Hey, Tommy!” Rich, well dressed and unfreckled, Bart grabbed his arm and dragged him out to his dark blue Jag.
“Did you get it?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah, Good distraction job! ” He tossed a small wooden statue into Tom’s lap. “I snatched this practically under her nose while you were hooking up with the chink.”
“Bart!” Tom looked down at the wooden cat. It looked old and felt warm to the touch. “ You stole this! We can’t do that!”
“Jesus, Tom, could you be more of a wuss?” Bart sneered. “The Alphas have a reputation to uphold. We are going to win the scavenger hunt. This is “Something from a Chinese Restaurant,” and it’s better than any crud the other losers ‘ll get.”
Tom shifted his grip. Jimmy warned him not to let his old frat brothers talk him into ‘something stupid.’ He could argue that the Bento Box was actually a Japanese restaurant, but Bart already treated him like an idiot.
“I’m sorry,” Tom murmured to the statue. “I’m really, really sorry.”
It had to be his imagination that the cat’s eyes glowed briefly.
Bart pulled over as a line of fire trucks roared past.
“Shit, now we’re going to be late!” he growled.
Tom looked back. The trucks were heading the way they had come - toward the restaurant. An inexplicable chill crawled up his back.
****
Bart cranked the starter and swore as the engine flooded, coughed and died.
“Damn it!” Bart slammed his hands on the wheel. Things kept getting worse. Once the engine started, the back wheels slewed into the ditch. “Are you pushing?” he yelled at Tom.
“You want to try?” Tom shouted back.
“Just push,” he growled. He hit the gas. Tom shoved and this time the wheels caught. The Jaguar fishtailed as it skidded back on the pavement.
Tom ran for the passenger door as Megumi’s scooter buzzed up behind them.
“Kitsune-san!” She cried, “You have to give her back! Uncle says the fire in the kitchen started because she is angry!”
“The fuck…?” Bart sputtered.
“Your place burned?” Tom exclaimed.
“Yes!” Megumi nodded. “Lady Ryoko has been our family guardian since we left Takekuma.”
“You namedthat thing?” Bart scoffed. “Sorry, honey, we need it.”
“Bart, if her uncle is upset . . .”
“Oh, boo hoo!” Bart yelled. “This is important! Get in, Tom. We need to get back to campus.”
Tom reached in and grabbed the statue. “No. This was a really bad idea. We need to give this back.”
“What?” Bart jumped out of the Jag. “Have you lost your mind? I can’t believe you’re Jimmy’s brother. He was the coolest guy in Alpha history. Do you actually want to be a loser?”
“Better a loser than whatever you are,” Tom snapped, handing the cat to Megumi. Bart gaped a moment, then charged. Tom grabbed him. Bart’s fist slammed into his jaw. He kicked him savagely when he fell.
“I .” he panted between kicks. “Am. better than you and your whole damn family will ever be!”
“Gimme that!” He snatched the cat from Megumi, shoving her so hard she fell against her scooter.
Throwing the statue into the passenger’s seat he gunned the engine, speed increasing with his fury. “Losers! Damn it!”
He was an Alpha. A winner. He would always be . . .
Something growled at his elbow. He glanced down - and screamed.
*****
“Are you all right?” Megumi helped Tom to his feet.
“Never mind me!” Tom wheezed, his ribs aching. “What about you?” The left side of her face was lividly bruised.
“I can’t think about that - we have to get the Lady Ryoko back.”
Tom righted the scooter. “Ok, but I’m driving.”
They had barely started down the road when a crash echoed through the night.
Bart’s Jaguar was a crumpled mass at the bottom of the hill. It burst into flames as they caught up. Megumi pulled out her phone and dialed 911.
A small, mostly white Japanese bobtail climbed up on the road. It washed its face, sat up and raised one paw. It froze into the statue of the beckoning cat.
The cell phone slid from Megumi’s hand to clatter on the road.
Tom swallowed hard.
****
“Singer Salvage,” The older man barked into the phone - the beige one that was for customers as opposed to the black phones that were for other matters.
< Singer-san, please forgive my calling so early in the morning. >
< There is nothing to forgive, sir. Please tell me how I can help you. > Bobby Singer switched languages effortlessly.
< My name is Sato Mashiro. My family has been the guardian of The Lady Ryoko for decades . . . >
-fin-
Author: Just Ruth
Disclaimer: Supernatural is the property of Eric Kripke and the CW. His universe is being borrowed for entertainment purposes only. You think anyone would pay me for this?
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Characters: Original
Summary: It really wasn’t a good idea to steal the statue from the restaurant.
Notes: written for picfor1000 from this picture
Word count: 1000
Symbols: < > = Japanese
Special thanks to randomstasis for an awesome beta
*****
Tom O’Rourke shifted nervously. Where was Bart? His older “frat” brother had left him standing at the counter with the hostess while he ‘picked up something.’
< “He’s cute,”> a passing waitress giggled. Unlike the hostess’s traditional kimono, split-toed socks and sandals, she wore a shorter kimono and sensible shoes.
<“Ayumi!”> The hostess squeaked, her pretty face starting to color up. <“Don’t say that, he can hear you.”>
< “You worry too much, Megumi, he doesn’t understand.”>
< “Forgive me,”> Tom said in Japanese, < “but I do understand a little.”>
< “Oh!” > Megumi put both hands to her mouth.
< “At least it wasn’t bad!” > Ayumi laughed. < “Good for you, Kitsune-san!”>
Tom blinked. “Kitsune-san?”
“A fox spirit just . . . your hair.” Megumi blushed. “It means nothing.”
Well, at least she thinks I’m cute. Megumi was the prettiest girl that ever wanted to speak to him in his whole nineteen years.
The youngest O’Rourke boy rarely got compliments; they went to Jimmy and Ryan who had their Dad's dark hair, blue eyes and unblemished skin. Tom was the family freak no matter what Mom said; a throwback, with Grandfather Quinn’s brick red hair, penny brown eyes, hundreds of freckles and pointed ears that he kept hidden.
“Hey, Tommy!” Rich, well dressed and unfreckled, Bart grabbed his arm and dragged him out to his dark blue Jag.
“Did you get it?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah, Good distraction job! ” He tossed a small wooden statue into Tom’s lap. “I snatched this practically under her nose while you were hooking up with the chink.”
“Bart!” Tom looked down at the wooden cat. It looked old and felt warm to the touch. “ You stole this! We can’t do that!”
“Jesus, Tom, could you be more of a wuss?” Bart sneered. “The Alphas have a reputation to uphold. We are going to win the scavenger hunt. This is “Something from a Chinese Restaurant,” and it’s better than any crud the other losers ‘ll get.”
Tom shifted his grip. Jimmy warned him not to let his old frat brothers talk him into ‘something stupid.’ He could argue that the Bento Box was actually a Japanese restaurant, but Bart already treated him like an idiot.
“I’m sorry,” Tom murmured to the statue. “I’m really, really sorry.”
It had to be his imagination that the cat’s eyes glowed briefly.
Bart pulled over as a line of fire trucks roared past.
“Shit, now we’re going to be late!” he growled.
Tom looked back. The trucks were heading the way they had come - toward the restaurant. An inexplicable chill crawled up his back.
****
Bart cranked the starter and swore as the engine flooded, coughed and died.
“Damn it!” Bart slammed his hands on the wheel. Things kept getting worse. Once the engine started, the back wheels slewed into the ditch. “Are you pushing?” he yelled at Tom.
“You want to try?” Tom shouted back.
“Just push,” he growled. He hit the gas. Tom shoved and this time the wheels caught. The Jaguar fishtailed as it skidded back on the pavement.
Tom ran for the passenger door as Megumi’s scooter buzzed up behind them.
“Kitsune-san!” She cried, “You have to give her back! Uncle says the fire in the kitchen started because she is angry!”
“The fuck…?” Bart sputtered.
“Your place burned?” Tom exclaimed.
“Yes!” Megumi nodded. “Lady Ryoko has been our family guardian since we left Takekuma.”
“You namedthat thing?” Bart scoffed. “Sorry, honey, we need it.”
“Bart, if her uncle is upset . . .”
“Oh, boo hoo!” Bart yelled. “This is important! Get in, Tom. We need to get back to campus.”
Tom reached in and grabbed the statue. “No. This was a really bad idea. We need to give this back.”
“What?” Bart jumped out of the Jag. “Have you lost your mind? I can’t believe you’re Jimmy’s brother. He was the coolest guy in Alpha history. Do you actually want to be a loser?”
“Better a loser than whatever you are,” Tom snapped, handing the cat to Megumi. Bart gaped a moment, then charged. Tom grabbed him. Bart’s fist slammed into his jaw. He kicked him savagely when he fell.
“I .” he panted between kicks. “Am. better than you and your whole damn family will ever be!”
“Gimme that!” He snatched the cat from Megumi, shoving her so hard she fell against her scooter.
Throwing the statue into the passenger’s seat he gunned the engine, speed increasing with his fury. “Losers! Damn it!”
He was an Alpha. A winner. He would always be . . .
Something growled at his elbow. He glanced down - and screamed.
*****
“Are you all right?” Megumi helped Tom to his feet.
“Never mind me!” Tom wheezed, his ribs aching. “What about you?” The left side of her face was lividly bruised.
“I can’t think about that - we have to get the Lady Ryoko back.”
Tom righted the scooter. “Ok, but I’m driving.”
They had barely started down the road when a crash echoed through the night.
Bart’s Jaguar was a crumpled mass at the bottom of the hill. It burst into flames as they caught up. Megumi pulled out her phone and dialed 911.
A small, mostly white Japanese bobtail climbed up on the road. It washed its face, sat up and raised one paw. It froze into the statue of the beckoning cat.
The cell phone slid from Megumi’s hand to clatter on the road.
Tom swallowed hard.
****
“Singer Salvage,” The older man barked into the phone - the beige one that was for customers as opposed to the black phones that were for other matters.
< Singer-san, please forgive my calling so early in the morning. >
< There is nothing to forgive, sir. Please tell me how I can help you. > Bobby Singer switched languages effortlessly.
< My name is Sato Mashiro. My family has been the guardian of The Lady Ryoko for decades . . . >
-fin-