(no subject)

[kat8cha]

Yukimura settled back onto Niou's couch. Niou had a puppet theatre set up in the living room, and they had moved the coffee table aside. Sanada sat on one side of Yukimura, and Yanagi the other, with Kirihara sitting on the floor with his back to the couch. Jackal was sitting in Niou's father's large leather arm chair, and Marui was sitting braced on the couch's arm. Yagyuu had been snagged earlier in the evening and dragged back behind the puppet theatre. No doubt for help, or possibly for a hurriedly whispered conversation wherein Niou have Yagyuu his last living will and testament.

Yukimura smiled slightly.

"Niou-kun, we're waiting." There was rustling and hurried whispering behind the puppet theatre. Marui, who's legs still shook a little when he walked, snickered slightly.

Kirihara thumped the back of his foot down onto the carpet. "Yeah! Start the show!"

"Shut up already!" Niou shouted from behind the theatre, and an obstinate looking samurai version of Sanada puppet was shoved between the curtains. "TARONDAROU." Roared the puppet, stretching his arms out wide.

Niou did a rather good Sanada impression. Very impressive. The puppet was obviously the Sanapuppet (as Yukimura was rather sure he'd heard it called) and there were no obvious stains, so perhaps Niou had washed it after that terrible affair that had left Niou bruised for days. Sanapuppet had a little cloth kimono thrown over his rikkai jersey (which peeked out at the top) and a little band of white cloth was tied around his cap. A fake plastic sword was attached to the kimono, and stuck to Sanapuppet's side.

"Hmph." Sanapuppet grunted and ducked back behind the red cloth curtains.

"Once there was a princess," Yagyuu intoned, and Yukimura wondered if Yagyuu had been in on the original play. But no, the voice in the youtube video had been undeniably Niou.

Yukimura!puppet, dressed with a pink kimono tossed over his usual Rikkai uniform, slowly rose from behind the curtains. Yukipuppet was dignified, sweet, and smiling. Slowly the puppet began to make it's way across the stage. "Her name, was Yuki,"

"-mura." Marui coughed, discreetly.

"-hime." Yagyuu finished, overpowering Marui's cough and Kirihara's accompanying snicker. Yanagi kicked Kirihara lightly in the side. "She was as beautiful as she was powerful." Two puppets, Seigaku puppets loosely dressed in borrowed kimono crossed the stage, bowing low at Yukipuppet. Yukimura smirked slightly. He liked that. "Many people came from around the world to pay homage to her beauty."

Niou must be knocking on the floor, a low rhythmic thumping started, as Yukipuppet reached the far right of the stage.

"But because of her beauty, she was often troubled." Yukipuppet leaned against the side, one fluffy arm clutching the side of the stage. "She had one loyal samurai," Sanapuppet rose quickly, with a soft 'huff' of air, "who she treasured more than all her ritches."

Yukipuppet 'ran' across the stage to fall into Sanapuppet's arms.

Yukimura frowned. He was amused, and yet, un-amused at the same time. Amused because the story was cute, un-amused because he was the woman. Perhaps he shouldn't let Yanagi disable Niou's webcam the next time Niou hacked into their computer. It would obviously do him good to see where Sanada ended up in the tussle for power. (Note – even when on bottom, Yukimura was always on top.)

"Sanada." Yukipuppet's voice was a mimicked attempt at Yukimura's, but higher, and sweeter. "I am troubled."

Yagyuu, an edge of sarcasm slipping into his gentlemanly voice, stated. "She was troubled."

The muffled thump of someone hitting someone else was heard from behind the stage, followed by another muffled thump. No doubt Yagyuu had hit Niou back. Yukimura chuckled slightly. Ah, his team.

Niou picked up the rhetoric now, and Yukipuppet's arms squeezed Sanapuppet suspiciously tightly. "For several nights Yuki-"

"-mura." Kirihara coughed, only to be kicked once again by Yanagi. "Owwww, Yanagi-senpai!"

"-hime had been visited by a demon." A red eyed puppet with tangled black hair peeked over the edge of the stage. Wiry black wings rose from the puppet's back, and a lose black robe was tossed over him, with holes cut for the arms. Yukipuppet and Sanapuppet clung tighter. "Despite wards, and prayers, the demon kept coming back. He was awed by Yuki-"

"-mura"

"-HIME's power and beauty." The demon disappeared below the stage.

"Sanada." Yukipuppet lay his head on Sanapuppet's shoulder. "Stay by my side, tonight."

Marui wolf whistled, and Jackal took a note from the tip of Yanagi's head, and the way Sanada's fingers had tightened around the cloth of his pants, and smacked his partner in the stomach. Yukimura reached over and grabbed one of Sanada's fists, squeezing it and unclenching Sanada's fingers. Really, Sanada at least got to be a man. Sanada's finger slowly unclenched and, ignored by everyone in the room with any sense (meaning everyone beyond Kirihara who was riveted by the puppet show anyway) Yukimura and Sanada entwined fingers.

"Anything for you, Yuki-"

No one was foolish enough to speak up at this point.

"-hime." Sanapuppet squeezed Yukipuppet and then let go, the two of them walked to center stage. Yukipuppet lay down, and Sanapuppet crossed his arms in front of his chest, keeping watch.

"Sanada swore to keep a constant vigil, his spirit was strong… but the demon's magic was stronger, and the flesh… is weak." The demon began to slowly poke his head up over the edge of the stage, and Sanapuppet slowly collapsed to lie besides Yukipuppet. The demon, obviously modeled after Kirihara's demon form approached the two puppets. The demonic puppet hovered, his arms out stretched, before a tragic scream ripped through the room, shocking everyone. Marui fell off the arm of the chair, and Sanada squeezed Yukimura's hand. Kirihara half turned to grab at Yukimura's legs. The demon rose so that a bit of wrist showed, his arms out stretched. Yukipuppet and Sanapuppet started awake.

"I CURSE YOU." The puppet screeched, high and terrible, and sounding nothing like Kirihara even when he was in devil mode. "Because you love another, I curse you!"

Something fell behind the stage, a couple of metal things tossed around in the bowl, clanging and terrible, and Yukipuppet slumped onto the stage again, before the demonic puppet disappeared behind the curtain.

"Yuki-hime?" Sanapuppet gathered the limp Yukipuppet in his arms. "YUKI-HIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE." Sanapuppet clutched the limp puppet to his chest, and disappeared behind the curtain.

Silence. Slowly Marui picked himself up off the floor, but he moved to sit on the couch's arm now, one arm steadying himself on the couch back behind Yanagi. If his hand might brush near Yukimura's shoulder, well, that happened sometimes. Yukimura took a deep, steadying breath, which he knew was echoed by everyone in the room. Watching this on youtube did not prepare you. Yanagi, Yukimura knew, had seen the video all the way through, but Yukimura had not seen more than the first few seconds. Kirihara had not watched the video at all, and neither had Sanada.

"Yuki-hime had been cursed with a terrible sleeping sickness." Sanada puppet pushed through the curtains, his arms clutched tightly across his chest. He wore black now, with a pink band wound around his arm. "Sanada had heard that the demon had been brought forth by a witches magic, so he set off to speak with his childhood friend, a wizard of tremendous knowledge, and power." A solemn looking Yanagi!puppet poked through the curtains now, a small plastic book clutched in his arms.

"Renji." Sanapuppet bowed low, "Yuki-hime has been cursed by a terrible demon, and now lies in her bed, unable to wake up."

"I have heard that is so, Genichirou." Yanagi!puppet moved forward, and offered Sanapuppet the plastic book. "I know a great deal of demon's curses, and believe I can cure Yuki-hime."

"Renji!" Sanapuppet took the book, and rose, hopeful. Yukimura did not understand how Niou could make bits of felt and cloth so very emotional. "How can I cure her?"

"The cure to the demon's curse will require a quest, Genichirou, and several objects to be acquired. You will need to capture a lion's roar, the poison of the two-headed peach snake beast, and either a silver or a gold cup won from a dragon's lair. Gold would be best, but silver will do. I will give you three objects which will help." Yanagi!puppet lay one fluffy arm on Sanapuppet's shoulder. "Be quick, for if the curse is not broken by the next full moon, Yukihime may be trapped in sleep forever."

"I will go." Sanapuppet's arms tightened around the plastic book. "And I will return, Renji!"

Sanapuppet moved away, down the stage, and Yanagi!puppet bowed his head before disappearing downwards.

"Sanada gathered three other companions. A glutton," Marui!puppet bounced up, all fluff and roundness, dressed in cheerful pink with a smear of color across his mouth. Jackal hiccupped, choking on some laughter. "A strongman." Jackal!puppet appeared, and flexed his fluffy arms. This time Marui and Kirihara both laughed, while Yukimura hide a smile behind his hand. "And a waif."

A very normal looking Kirihara!puppet appeared on the scene. Kirihara's breath caught slightly.

Yukimura nodded. If Kirihara had remained a villain, he would have punished Niou extremely hard.

"The four unlikely companions set off, first to find the Lion of Kyushu, who had a roar that had shocked the neighboring nation into silence. The puppets wandered along the stage, Jackal!puppet and Kirihara!puppet holding an intricate dance, with Marui!puppet occasionally bouncing off of Jackal!puppet. Sanapuppet walked in between all of this, moving ever forward, his face fixed ahead. They reached the side of the stage, and looked around the edge.

"Rrrrrrrrrrrroar!" A fake sounding lion's roar echoed through the room, somewhat muffled, as if through a wad of cloth. "Rrrrrrrroar!"

"I will catch the lion's roar." Sanapuppet said decisively, one arm lying against his plastic sword.

"Good." Marui puppet crossed two rolly polly arms. "I'm not going in there! Even a glutton, I mean a genius, draws the line somewhere. Challenging that lion is crazy."

"I could handle the lion." Jackal!puppet flexed his arms again. "Wrestling a lion takes strength!"

The three bickering puppets disappeared under the edge of the stage, their bickering fading away. Kirihara!puppet stood center stage… quickly he ducked beneath the curtains, returning with a large sack. "I will best the lion." Kirihara!puppet stated to the crowd. "I will catch his roar, and Yuki-hime will be so proud of me! I will prove myself to her! Then she will make me her samurai, instead of that big guy!" Kirihara puppet snuck across the stage to where, Yukimura suddenly realized, a slumbering rather lion-like Tachibana puppet lay. As Kirihara nearly reached the lion, the lion let out a loud roar.

Kirihara puppet opened the sack, and the lion's roar cut off into a squeak. "I got it!"

"The sack was one of the three items given to the quartet by the wizard Renji. It could capture the sounds of any being in existence, but it must be closed immediately less the sound escape." Kirihara!puppet wrestled the bag shut. "And it must not be opened again until they had reached their destination." Kirihara!puppet nodded, like he could hear the narrator. Then the puppet returned to the three bickering puppets, who had made their reappearance.

"Look!" Kirihara!puppet lifted the sack. "I got the lion's roar!"

"I will get the lion's roar!" Sanada!puppet shouted. "Because I- what?"

Kirihara puppet danced around, waving the sack back and forth. "I got it! The lion's roar!"

"Eh?" The glutton moved over. "You? But you're a waif."

"And you're fat." Both Kirihara's, puppet and real, snapped. Yukimura felt a surprised laugh slip through his lips.

Marui pocked Yanagi in the shoulder. "Yanaggggggiiiii. Kick him."

Yanagi shook his head, his lips twitching upwards in a way vaguely like Sanada's at the moment. Jackal wasn't suppressing his grin. "The puppet is rather rotund, Marui."

"Shut up!" Marui!puppet snapped, "I'm just big boned. And if you have the lion's roar, prove it." Marui!puppet snatched the sack away, one arm slipping through the drawstring.

"Don't open the sack!" Kirihara shouted, not the puppet this time. Marui!puppet turned to the audience, the sack hanging off one arm.

"What?" Marui!puppet questioned.

"Don't open the sack." Sanada grunted this time, glaring at Yukimura when Yukimura squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"Hmph." Marui!puppet looked like he was still going to open it, but the sack was taken away by Jackal!puppet.

"The wizard told us not to open it, Marui, and he's always right." Jackal!puppet dropped the sack off to the side. "You know what happens when you go against him."

"Yeah!" Marui!puppet wobbled indignantly. "He's why I'm fat!"

"See?" Jackal!puppet said placating. "You don't want to get fatter, do you?"

Marui!puppet deflated slightly. "But, how do we know the waif got the roar?"

Sanapuppet picked up the sack. "I do not hear a lion. And the waif would not lie." Kirihara and his puppet!twin both puffed out their chests. "We go to the two headed beast's lair now."

With the held of the wizard's magic wrist bands, Jackal!puppet and Marui!puppet defeated the two headed peach snake beast, which looked remarkably like a mutated version of Kaidoh and Momoshirou, and stole it's 'venom'. The venom was some green fuzz, which the strong man got to carry, just like Kirihara!puppet was carrying the sack. At the dragon's lair, Sanapuppet faced off against the dragon Echizen, in a battle of wits, and swordplay.

Sanapuppet lost.

"But, but, but." Kirihara gasped, "YUKI-HIME."

Sanapuppet rose from his defeated stance on the edge of the stage. "Fear not! For I will battle on and on until I am dead, and even then, I will not abandon Yuki-hime."

The dragon slithered along the stage. "You are a worthy opponent." The dragon said sibilantly. "I will give you a piece of my silver treasure, but not of my gold."

Sanapuppet brandished his plastic sword in a two-handed grip. "GOLD OR NOTHING DRAGON. I FIGHT TO THE-" The glutton hit Sanapuppet over the head, and Sanapuppet collapsed to the floor again.

"We'll take a silver cup." Marui!puppet said carefully. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule."

Holding all three objects, and with Sanapuppet slung over Jackal!puppet's shoulder, the adventurers returned back to where Yanagi!puppet waited, and Yuki!puppet lay on the edge. They handed the bag, poison, and cup over. Yanagi puppet turned around, and whispered some things, before turning to Yukipuppet and walking over holding the cup. Sanapuppet seemed to rouse, just as Yanagi!puppet pressed the silver cup to Yukipuppet's 'mouth'.

"Will it work?" Sanapuppet questioned. "I did not defeat the dragon and win the gold cup. Will silver really do?"

Silence, the puppet frozen in anticipation. Slowly, Yukipuppet rose, it's arms held wide.

"Sanada." Yukipuppet said.

"YUKI-"

Yukimura coughed. "-mura."

"HIME!"