Notes
Happy New Year, KOF peoples! ...didn't mean to make this a New Year fic though, lol (it has nothing to do with the holiday). I just wanted to put out something else before the end of the year. A new drabble series seemed like the best - and funnest - way to do it.
The concept is simple: every KOF contestant at one swanky hotel. (I don't know if any sports organization would actually do this...but it's feasible, right?) With that many fighters crammed in one spot, they're bound to cross paths at the elevators sooner or later. I figured this'd be a good way to tell stories with people who aren't usually together, people who should be together...and people who really, really shouldn't.
...that's it, that's all the setup you're getting. ;) Hope you enjoy!
Kyo Kusanagi, Scion of the Flame and winner of countless King of Fighters tourneys, stumbled into the hotel looking like he'd just had his ass kicked. His hair was mussed; his shirt was untucked; his jeans and jacket were ripped. Breathing hard and straightening his clothes, he stalked through the lobby with a dismal scowl, drawing the attention of a few stray people inside. But he made it to the elevators unquestioned, looking forward to finally getting some peace.
Unfortunately, he got Iori Yagami instead.
The Flame of the End looked positively domestic, wearing a t-shirt and jeans and holding a bucket of ice. He glanced over at Kyo, then turned back to the door with a disgusted little sigh. "Well hello to you too, asshole," Kyo grumbled as he stepped up beside him, both of them waiting for the elevator like anyone else.
"The hell happened to you?"
"The fans happened," he muttered. "Who the hell leaked the news that this's where KOF is staying⁇"
"Tch. Tell me about it. I tried setting one on fire to scare them off, but that just made the rest of them applaud."
"Sounds about right," said Kyo, as the door opened. The two stepped into the elevator and hit their buttons at the same time, his finger landing on 17 while Iori's pressed 21. Great. "What about you? What're you doing down here?"
"The ice machine's broken," Iori growled. "And Vice and Mature are being whores."
Kyo smirked. "Ah, so that's how you pay travel expenses these days."
"...not actual whores," Iori sighed, rolling his eyes, as the elevator started to move.
"Hey, what's the deal with them anyway? I thought they were dead."
"They are dead. And they still won't leave me alone."
"I dunno, man. You don't seem to mind much. You sure hang around with 'em a lot."
"They hang around with me. ...I'm beginning to think they're my curse."
"Sure they are," Kyo snickered.
"Hmph. What about you, then?" Iori countered. "You've been pretty close to your old crew lately."
"Who, Beni and Daimon? Ah, they're just good fighters. And not total pricks."
"'I dunno, man. You hang around with 'em a lot,'" Iori sneered.
"...look, don't start with me, okay? I just wanna get back to my room."
"You started it, actually. And you're lucky I'm just sniping at you. I should be killing you where you stand."
Now Kyo rolled his eyes. "Dude, when are you gonna come off it with that shit? You're starting to lose your credibility."
"And you're about to lose a limb."
"...just try me, asshole."
Iori threw his bucket aside, scattering ice all over the floor. "You wanna settle things now, huh⁇" he snapped, his hands lighting up with purple flame. "Then let's - "
*ding*
"Whoops! Looks like that's my stop," said Kyo, as the doors opened on the 17th floor. He clambered off calmly as Iori scowled, clenching his burning fists with rage. "Some other time, eh?"
"Get back in here, you fuc-"
And the doors shut.
Kyo laughed as he started down the hall, feeling like he'd just won a fight (instead of run away from one). Meanwhile Iori stared at the door for a few seconds, then sighed and started scooping up ice cubes.
Terry walked out of his room wearing a three-piece suit and a grin, heading for a hot date with Blue Mary. Since the tournament staff was springing for lodging this year, he had plenty of leftover cash to treat her to a nice dinner, supposedly at the best place in the city. Like everyone else, she was staying elsewhere in the hotel, but they'd agreed to meet in the lobby to keep up a little mystique.
He was almost whistling as he hit the elevator button. So when it opened and revealed none other than Shun'Ei, he greeted him like an old friend. (Shun'Ei didn't return the favor, but that didn't phase him.)
"So how's KOF treating you, newbie?" Terry asked, as the doors closed. "You liking it so far?"
"I'm not liking everybody calling me 'newbie'," he grumbled. "...especially since I seem to be able to beat so many of them."
"Hah! Yeah, you've definitely got some skills, new blood," Terry admitted, patting him on the back. "'Course, it only makes sense. You're getting taught by Master Tung, the greatest sensei around!"
"True enough. He's a good one," Shun'Ei gave him.
"He taught me in my youth too, you know. And my brother...and Geese...some of the best in the world," he bragged.
Shun'Ei couldn't help but smirk at that. "...yeah, that kinda made me nervous, actually."
"Huh? Howcome?"
"'Cause none of you have won a King of Fighters since it switched over to teams," he pointed out.
Terry blinked. "...oh. Well, uh...yeah, maybe not, but...well it is a team effort, you know."
"You saying all your teams sucked?"
"What? No!" he exclaimed, frowning. "It's just that - "
"Didn't stop K' and Maxima," Shun'Ei went on. "Won three years in a row with different partners, right? Benimaru's won with three completely different teams. There was even that year the Ikaris won. None of them were taught by Tung Fu Rue."
"Hey, who are you even insulting here!?" Terry snapped.
"Nobody, really," said Shun'Ei with a shrug. "I'm just saying, great senseis don't make great fighters. We've gotta do it on our own."
At that point the elevator reached the bottom floor. Before he left, Shun'Ei tempted fate one more time by patting Terry on the back. "Don't worry, champ. I'm sure you'll get another someday." With that he left the elevator and walked off, not even bothering to smile.
Terry stayed dumbstruck so long the doors started to close. Scowling, he stuck out his hand to keep it open, then passed through it in a huff. When he reached the lobby, Mary, in a stunning red dress, grinned as she saw him and waved a hand. The grin turned into a frown as he approached, though. "What's wrong, Terry?"
"Some of the newbies're a little cocky around here," he grumbled.
"Hehe. And you're not...?"
Leona and Kim happened to reach the hotel doors at the same time. They nodded at each other; he held the door for her, she nodded again. They walked silently through the lobby, not speaking or even looking at each other. Then they reached the elevators, and Leona pressed the button.
They waited silently for the elevator to arrive.
When it did, they got in silently, pressing buttons for different floors.
They waited silently for the elevator to rise, each staring straight ahead with dead expressions on their faces.
When it did, Kim got off the elevator, they nodded again, and he walked off.
The door closed, and Leona waited silently again, her expression completely unchanged.
Athena left her top-floor suite late in the evening, humming a happy little tune. She was so glad she'd decided to upgrade to the penthouse suite. Not for her sake (of course), but because she'd organized a meet-and-greet there for all the women of KOF. A few of them grumbled that she was just showing off, but most of them showed up, and they were having lots of fun. The party was still going on, in fact; she was only leaving to make a snack run.
She pressed the elevator button and waited, still humming her song...
...and the doors opened to reveal Xanadu's terrifying visage.
"Aah!" she gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth. Then she scolded herself and smiled. "Mr., uh, Xanadu, right?"
"No..."
Athena blinked. "Oh. I'm...sorry? ...uhm, do you have a top-floor suite too?"
"No."
Now Athena cringed. "Errr...alright then. Lemme just squeeze in here..."
She stepped into the elevator, edging around Xanadu (who did not move). She pressed the button for the lobby, then backed up and waited with a smile.
It was a long trip to the lobby. Athena stayed silent for a moment, not knowing what to say; from what she knew about him, he'd start talking soon enough anyway. ...but he didn't. He simply stood stone still, staring straight at the doors. About five floors down, Athena decided she really ought to say something. "So...how do you like the - "
"Bats."
She blinked again. "Excuse me...?"
"The hotel has a bat problem," Xanadu began, not turning to look at her. "...there aren't enough of them."
"Oh, my. Uhm...bats can be cute, I suppose..."
"You don't understand," he went on, shaking his head (but still not looking). "The bat is the animal for the ages. The beginning and end of all things. Any building whose attic isn't swimming with bats is a dire, unholy place."
"You've...you've been in the attic...?"
"There are bats that can swim, actually. We call them The Creatures. But most bats fly through the air, like any liberated being. It should be the goal of all things to take to the skies, from the holiest bat to the most pitiful unicorn. For we have claimed all the knowledge we can from the surface. All that is left now is to rise above the Earth, seek knowledge in the planes of the ether...and pray it doesn't burn us to cinders for finding it."
...whoa. Holy shit.
At that point, somewhere around floor 10, the elevator stopped and opened to let on another passenger. But the woman looked inside, shrieked, and stayed there, letting it pass. (Xanadu continued talking the entire time.)
"Do you know the mockery of the clouds?"
An outright stare. "...uhm...what?"
"The Great Cloud Conspiracy," he said reverently. "Surely you've heard of it."
"Err...well, no, I can't say that I have..."
"Hmm. You may have become part of it," Xanadu deduced. "Are your eyes violet?"
"...yes?"
"Is your hair flowing?"
"I think so."
"Are your wrists slender, your arms toned?"
"You could look at me, you know."
"Is there a birthmark at the top of your inner thigh?"
"Well don't look at that."
The elevator dinged. Athena looked at the counter; floor 1. Thank god. "Well, it was really nice chatting with you, Mr. - whoeveryouare - "
"Have the clouds ever rained on you?"
"...er, yes, but - "
"Hailed on you?"
"Yes, but I really - "
"Punched you in the face?"
"...what⁇"
The door opened. No one was out there; they would close again soon. But Xanadu would not stop talking. She couldn't leave without getting around him, and she knew he'd take offense. She just didn't know if he'd rip out her heart or his own.
"Ahh, good. You're safe," said Xanadu, nodding (but still not turning around). "You must stay vigilant, though. The Conspiracy is always afoot, and the bats won't help you forever. Did I ever tell you about the time I...?"
Athena Teleported straight through him and into the lobby, just as the doors started closing. "Sorry! Gotta go...!" she tossed over her shoulder, as the doors eased shut.
It didn't even slow him down.
OhcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohCRAP...
Shingo Yabuki had just gotten back, and he really needed to pee. But at his door, he found out that he couldn't find his card key, and he didn't know anybody else on this floor. Why hadn't he met more people during these things⁇ His only option now was the public restroom, back down in the lobby. ...well, that or the fern down the hall.
He ran back to the elevators and stabbed the Down button about ten times. Not that it made them go any faster, of course. Shingo watched the counters desperately, trying to will them to get lower. C'mon c'mon c'mon... COME on... YES‼
The door opened to reveal Gang-Il and Luong, sticking their tongues down each others' throats.
Shingo's jaw dropped. He wanted to bolt - but he couldn't look away. The two were all over each other, tangled in a mess on the wall and groping each other under their clothes. She had already unzipped her pristine white-and-purple dress, and he had taken his shirt off (or else not worn one at all). They kept going for several seconds before noticing Shingo; they eyed him for a second, then went right back to it, letting the door close.
"...still gotta pee," he mumbled, stabbing the button again. The sex dungeon wouldn't be back up for a while, but the other elevator was close now. Shingo watched, fit to burst, as it crawled to his floor. 5 floors left...4...3...2...1...!
The door opened to reveal Billy Kane and Ryuji Yamazaki...sticking their tongues down each others' throats.
"...that's it, I'm going in the fern."
End Notes
...oohhhh, I'm gonna catch some flak for that one. XD
Well, I got in one last story. Five of them, even! With that, I'm gonna go on a brief hiatus. Something like a month, I think. I've got like fifteen new games to play since the holidays, and I can't multitask to save my life anymore. When I come back, I plan to start at least one longfic; here's hoping it's one of the ones in my profile, lol. :P
See you next time!