what a day!
{ ♥ } As sun filtered in through half shut blinds, lighting the broom closet of an apartment that Tohru called home, a blanket swaddled bundle squirmed about. Thrashing around like a fish out of water, a petite figure fought its way out of its fleece cocoon and groped for the nearest clock. A set of chocolate colored eyes, an unruly mess of silky brown hair, and a canvas of porcelain emerged, lifting a discarded phone up before letting out a soft yawn.
6:02 a.m.
Wiping crust from her eyes, Tohru pushed aside her blanket and leaned in a deep stretch across her thin cot. Since her arrival in Bunkyo, nights had been short and tough on the back. Still, it was more than enough for Tohru to be supporting herself and waiting for her beloved cat to join her once again. After all, she’d lived on much less before; compared to her week long stay in the tent on Sohma property, this one room apartment seemed like a palace -- minus a fiery, carrot head prince. But then again, even the pang of loneliness she felt from Kyou’s absence was instantly alleviated by the simple phone she’d received as a parting gift from Uo-chan and Hana-chan, as Kyou was never further than a phone call away.
”Ohayou, Kyou-kun! Ohayou, okaasan!” Squeaking out a good morning to both mother and beloved, Tohru sprung up on two feet. Padding across cold, concrete tiles on bare feet, she hummed her way through preparing a simple breakfast. A late night shift a few hours prior had freed up her day -- until noon, of course, -- and thus it had been decided that her free time would be spent running errands and familiarizing herself with the district she now called home. An hour or so, however, could be spared for a home cooked breakfast. Heating herself a bowl of rice and pouring cream into a tall mug of heavily sugared coffee, Tohru allowed her mind to wander. What was it like back at home, anyways? Were Yuki’s studies going well at university? More importantly, she figured, would be the status of his finally official relationship with their old high school’s class treasurer, Kuragi Machi. Oh, and Uo-chan had just received a large promotion! The exhilaration that had flooded over the phone still warmed Tohru’s bottomless heart. Come to think of it … didn’t Hana-chan just receive a bit of good news, too? What was it ag--
”Ouch!” Shaken from her daze by a flood of burning coffee washing over her hand, Tohru yelped in surprise. Quickly running the burn under a thin stream of cool water, she used her free hand to mop up the sticky mess she’d left behind with the nearest rag. After a sip off the top of her overflowing drink, she gently set the mug down on a clean section of the countertop with a muted clink. Deciding that getting dressed to face the day might be a bit safer for spacing out, she pulled her flowing, cotton shirt over her head with ease. Reaching for a clean outfit, Tohru absently pulled a dress off its rusted, wire hanger and slipped under the full pleats of the skirt in a fluid motion. Absent minded fingers pushed plastic buttons into their correct holes and straightened the stiff, white collar fixed tightly around her neck. As habit took over for the lack of attention she could pay the simple task, a gentle sigh escaped frosted petal lips. Although she could spend weeks -- no, months, -- on the details of her beloved friends’ lives, now wasn’t the time for reminiscence to weigh down her spirits, not when she’d given her word to everyone back home that she’d do her absolute best!
”I’m almost ready to go, okaasan! Don’t worry, Kyou-kun, I’ll be safe today! It’s a promise!” Giggling softly, Tohru took a long sip of coffee from her still warm mug and reached for the nearly forgotten bowl of rice. Gee, if she’d forgotten to eat again, Kyou would be sure to worry. Last time she’d gotten sick, after all, he’d nearly thrown a fit over her! Guess some girls really can be so lucky, huh? “You’d really like it here, mom,” she murmured, lifting thin, plastic chopsticks to her parted lips. “After I eat, I’ll take you out with me, okay? Hmm … oh, and I’ll take Kyou-kun, too! Let’s all stop by the park, too! I mean, it’s such a beautiful day that it’d be terrible not to!” Though free of the fear of betraying her mother’s memory, old habits seemed to die hard with the stubborn nature Tohru had taken from Kyouko herself. As such, well loved photographs of her mother, her father, and her Kyou had taken up a comfortable residence in Tohru’s faded, leather wallet. A warm smile spread across her delicate features, illuminating her milky complexion as she gently brushed each familiar face with the utmost care.
Ding, ding! An alarm sounded, shaking Tohru from her reverie and jump onto two feet. With a loud crash, her forehead met the ledge of the heavy, stone counter and produced a trickle of blood. Covering the injury with one hand and searching for a bandage with the other, a small seed of worry planted itself in the lining of her stomach. If she spent too long indoors, she’d have no time to accomplish her plans for the day before a ten hour shift at the business center scrubbing floors. Finally finding a clean bandage and an antiseptic wipe, Tohru quickly cleaned herself up and was soon out the door. At least it hadn’t been anything too serious. It wasn’t anything like the flu she’d caught on the train a week or so earlier, afterall! The whole ordeal had left her woozy and even more ditzy than ever -- and been the cause of worry among all her friends and coworkers. And so, with a little bit of comfort to further fuel her, Tohru skipped and twirled and hummed her way through town.
”Ah, what a beautiful sky,” she chirped, walking out of the local convenience store with two arms full of crinkling plastic bags. Already she’d gotten her clothing washed and dried at the laundromat, hoping to avoid the high fee for access to utilities back at the apartment complex, and gotten all the groceries she’d need for the week. The only thing left before taking a break at the park was … what was it, again? Staring blankly off into empty space as she made her way down the bustling street, Tohru racked her brain for the last stop on her list of places to hit. Was it the little noodle shop where she bought ume udon that one time for a worker’s union meeting? No, the next time she’d need to stop by wasn’t for another month or so. Was it to pick up more bleach? It couldn’t be that -- she’d just cracked open a new bottle when she was scrubbing the floors two days ago. But, then, what -- ?
”Oof!” Feeling hollow bones collide with something firm -- almost like … oh, exactly like -- a wall, Tohru cried out in alarm. Crashing down with a loud thud on the cobblestone of the storefront patio, she immediately covered herself with the now untidied folds of her skirt before taking inventory on any damaged goods. Ah, if Kyou had been here … he was always so good about catching her before she could fall. Delighted to find that nothing seemed to be too ruined, save a dent in her carton of milk and a scuffed bag of white, uncooked rice, Tohru gathered everything up in her thin arms and shoved it all back into its respective bag. Whipping her head around, checking for witnesses to her clumsiness, she smiled in relief as she wiped dirt and blood off her scraped palms before standing once again. No sooner than had she taken her first step, however, did she trip once again -- and landed on the well polished shoes of a stranger. Freezing, mortified and blushing as deep a shade of red as a tomato, Tohru scuttled backwards before stammering out a rushed apology. Shooting up as quickly as a sprout in the spring, she immediately lowered herself into a respectful bow.
”I - I am so, so sorry! I’m such a clutz -- I just fell, too! Oh my gosh, are you okay? Did I ruin your shoes? They look really expensive -- goodness, I’m not sure whether I’m more sorry or embarrassed, you see!” Shouting her apology into the ground, feeling the shade of crimson dappling her cheeks deepen as she spoke, Tohru straightened up to meet the eyes of her accidental victim. A guilty smile pulled at her lips, and in response a stinging pain caused her to wince. Wow, a busted up face, scraped knees and palms, and … oh, a torn dress … these would all make everyone worry for days! The only way to get around that would be to avoid telling anyone back at home … it wasn’t like it bothered Tohru herself, much, so it shouldn’t be too hard to hide it, right? “Oh, let me try again!” Giggling, she lowered into a bow once more. “I really hope you’re okay, I am so, so sorry! Honda Tohru-desu. My head just must be off somewhere, you know?”