Fall Classic
Fall Classic
A Tenchi Muyo fic by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
November 19, 2000
Tenchi doesn’t belong to me, but to Hiroki Hayashi, Masaki Kajishima, AIC and Pioneer. This fic was written to make you smile, not for commercial purposes.
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"That was wonderful, Sasami! You make the best soup!" Washu rose from her place at the table as she spoke, and started to walk out of the room.
"Thank you Washu-chan, but isn't it your turn to wash the dishes?"
"Oh, no! I forgot!" Washu became a blur as she ran back and forth to the kitchen, carrying dirty dishes and empty serving bowls. Soon sounds of frantic activity sounded from the next room, accompanied by splashing. Within minutes Washu emerged, looking slightly frazzled.
"All done! I must get downstairs, and NO one is to disturb me. Do you understand?"
"But Washu-chan, I wanted to--" began Mihoshi. Her words were cut off abruptly by the look on the red-headed scientist's face.
"Do YOU understand me? I said no one. I meant no one."
"Y-yes!"
*****
It was a lovely fall day, and the residents of the household soon gravitated outdoors. Tenchi and Sasami raked leaves while Ayeka and Ryoko sat on the steps sipping hot mulled cider.
Mihoshi wandered around for a while. She began helping with the leaves, but they tended to make her sneeze, so she went back inside, intending to find the book she'd been reading earlier in the day.
As she passed the stairway, Mihoshi put her hand on the wall where the door to Washu's lab should be. A scream was heard by everyone outdoors. When they crowded into the house, they found Mihoshi sitting on the floor, her curly blond hair a little frizzed around the edges, and smoke coming from her fingertips.
Everyone was so busy helping Mihoshi onto the couch and attending to her that they didn't notice the cabbit. RyoOhki was staring at the wall, a curious expression on her little face. She cautiously put out one paw and tapped it. Nothing happened. A gentle head butt got the same results, and a harder one made the portal appear. The little creature miyaed happily and headed down the stairs.
*****
The laboratory was in semi-darkness, and Washu wasn't anywhere near her work area. RyoOhki followed a flickering blue light to the area Washu reserved for relaxation, and found her reclining on a couch. Her laptop was in front of her, but Washu wasn't working the keyboard. Instead, she was watching the images on the screen.
"Miya?"
Washu looked up. Annoyance flitted across her face for a second, but then she patted one of the couch cushions.
"Come on up. At least I know you won't talk my ears off or touch the keyboard."
RyoOhki hopped up onto the couch and peered at the screen. She saw a lot of green grass, and people wearing uniforms. Then a voice came from the speakers.
"And we're back to the action, fans! The people of New York are truly excited about this, the first Subway Series in years!"
"Miya?"
"It's baseball, dear. Haven't you ever seen baseball?" The cabbit just looked at Washu, who couldn't help chuckling. "They play it here too, you know, but I love following American baseball. I've watched it for years. You sit, and I'll explain it to you."
*****
RyoOhki and Washu emerged from her laboratory in the early evening.
"You missed dinner," commented Sasami.
"That's all right, dear. We had a little snack." As Washu spoke, RyoOhki ran across the room and jumped into Sasami's arms.
"You smell like butter." RyoOhki just miyaed happily. She had no idea where Washu had come up with the hot dogs and buttered popcorn, but she was quite content. What made her even happier was that her friend's team had won the game.
*****
Washu found RyoOhki waiting by the stairwell the next day. She marveled that the cabbit remembered what time the game started, and then corrected herself. Surely anything created by the greatest genius in the universe would be highly intelligent.
"Do you want to come downstairs with me?"
"MIYA!"
Some time later, the two friends sat trying to analyze what was happening on the screen.
"I just don't understand it. Are they TRYING to lose? Why would the Mets keep loading the bases?"
"Mi-ya-aaaa" was the only answer Washu got.
"Ah, what the hell. Let them do what they want. I need another beer."
Later, a tipsy Washu and a carrot-stuffed cabbit came up the stairs to join everyone else. No one knew why they were so happy, but they didn't feel like asking. It was best to keep Washu in a good mood, and whatever it was that was making her feel that way, they liked it.
*****
RyoOhki was waiting at the door at 1 p.m. the next day, but Washu laughed and picked her up rather than opening the portal.
"Day off dear! They'll play again tomorrow."
"Miya?"
"That's right. No game today. Let's see what everyone else is doing."
What "everyone else" was doing made both RyoOhki and Washu very happy. They were playing a rather lopsided game of baseball. The cabbit immediately ran up, grabbed the ball, and took off with everyone in hot pursuit. Washu simply sat down in the grass and laughed.
"Smart girl. VERY smart girl."
*****
Sasami was cleaning up the kitchen when an extremely unhappy cabbit ran in and jumped onto the counter. RyoOhki miyaed pitifully, little tears coming from her eyes. Sasami dropped what she was doing and picked up her friend.
"What's the matter?"
The cabbit just yowled, and Sasami was wondering if something was terribly wrong when Washu came into the room and took RyoOhki from her.
"She's just a little upset, Sasami. I'll take care of it." Washu ignored Sasami's protests and carried the cabbit back down to her lab, where she put her down on the couch.
"We don't always win. The Yankees are ahead, 2-1, and they need two more wins. You think they can win, don't you?"
"Miya!"
"Then don't be a sore loser. Just wait for tomorrow."
RyoOhki crawled into Washu's lap and purred. The scientist rubbed her head and smiled. The cabbit had become as much of a fan as she was.
*****
After win number three, Washu paced around the lab. She was enjoying this Series, of that there was no doubt. Something, however, bothered her. Something was missing. Then she realized what it was.
She missed being part of the crowd. She missed the crisp fall air, the taste of the hot dogs and beer, and the excitement of watching every pitch from HER angle, not that of a cameraman. That was enough to make her decide what to do. She picked up RyoOhki, who had been half asleep on the couch, and hugged her.
"How'd you like to go for a little trip tomorrow?"
"Miya?"
"I think they're going to win it tomorrow. Let's go to New York!"
*****
"Lunch is ready!"
Everyone ran for the table, with the exception of Washu. She stood at the door, RyoOhki at her side.
"None for us, thank you! We'll see you later."
Amid shouted questions about their destination, RyoOhki leaped into the air, transformed, and disappeared with Washu.
*****
"You mustn't land. We can't afford to have anyone see you." Washu sat with a chart of the baseball park on her computer screen, looking at it thoughtfully. Then she pointed a fingertip at it.
"Can you manage to put us right there? I'll fix it so no one can see us."
"Miya!"
Seconds later a slight breeze rustled through the Yankees' locker room. A couple of the players grumbled about the air conditioning being up too high, but most of them ignored it.
An invisible Washu walked through the locker room, enjoying the sight of her favorite ball players in various forms of undress. She had decided earlier to go directly to the door and upstairs, but found the temptation to do more than look a little too much for her when she passed her favorite player. He had the cutest rear end.
"OW!"
"What?"
"Hey, you okay?"
"Somebody pinched my butt!"
Everyone anywhere near Derek Jeter backed away a couple of feet.
"Not ME, man!"
*****
Washu made her way down to the stands, taking a seat that afforded the perfect view of the field. The attendants were too busy seating people to realize that a row that normally held fourteen seats now held fifteen. What one of them did notice was that the red-headed lady had a very realistic stuffed animal in her lap, and he pointed it out to a friend.
"I'll never figure out why grown people go around carrying toys."
The game began, and Washu got a beer and a hot dog from one of the vendors. She surreptitiously shared it with the cabbit, who chewed and swallowed without taking her eyes from the field.
As the game went on, RyoOhki became more and more excited, and it became increasingly difficult for her to sit still. Washu had to pick her up more than once and whisper into her ear to sit still before they were both ejected from the stadium.
By the time the game ended, neither of them cared, nor did the fans around them. The cabbit perched on top of Washu's head, miyaing wildly, while the scientist danced on her seat. The Yankees had won, and nothing else mattered.
Then they saw the security guard looking at them.
"Uh-oh."
"Miya?"
Washu simply ran.
*****
They didn't get home until the next day. Both of them were dirty, disheveled, and exhausted, but they looked extremely happy. Ryoko was the first to run up when they landed in front of the house.
"Where have the two of you been?"
"At the World Series!"
RyoOhki miyaed happily from her resting place in Washu's arms.
Tenchi looked confused. "But it ended yesterday. How come you took so long getting back?"
Washu just shook her head. "You've got to be kidding! We've been celebrating with the people of New York!" She pushed past everyone and headed for the house. "Excuse us. We need a bath, and some sleep."
As she entered the house everyone could hear the question Washu was asking the cabbit.
"Want to do it again next year?"
"MIYA!"
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my thanks to Andrew (MageOhki) for suggesting the story. The story is dedicated (sort of) to my friend Michelle, who goes on and on ad nauseum about how cute Derek Jeter's butt is.