Chapter 51

(Kane and Clara)

Very carefully, Kane placed another card with the small circle he was creating with them. The playing cards he had leaned against each other near the bookshelf, taking the shape of a large circle, now with half of the deck of playing cards already been used. With steady hands he placed another few cards in the shape of a bottomless triangle, leaning them against each other. The office door opened with Clara entering. She was wearing her usual, a nice skirt, blouse, along with a cheerful face. Kane glanced over to her with two more cards in his hands.

"Good morning, Clara." Kane told her, sounding well rested for a change.

"Riachu!" she responded. Kane blinked, looking at her wrist where her bracelet usually was, though typically went unnoticed. Clara soon realized she had forgotten it the moment she spoke.

"I'm sorry for not being very bilingual," Kane jokingly apologized to her. "but I'm not good with the Pokemon language."

Clara looked embarrassed, quickly leaving the office with Kane hearing the sound of her running through the hall of his home. Not even a minute later she returned, raising her hand to show her bracelet was on.

"Got it!" she said, sounding more excited than usual. "Would we be able to get to reading, sir? I really want to know what's going to happen next. Ever since I've been introduced in the story I've been remembering bits and pieces about my past! I'm so happy I could-"

"Did you take you medicine?" Kane interrupted her, calmly placing two more cards down with the circle growing. Clara felt herself get embarrassed.

"Um...no, not yet..." she told him, turning around to leave again. "Sorry..."
"It's alright Clara." Kane told her. "I just want to make sure everything is being taken care of. Your recovery has a lot to do with that medicine you have to take."

Clara turned her head, giving him an acknowledging nod, then proceeded to leave the office for a second time. The sound of her walking down the hall was heard. Kane chuckled to himself, nearly completing the circle of cards he was working on. After a few more minutes, Clara came back.

"Okay!" she told him, sounding giddy and excited. "I took my medicine and I'm ready to continue with the story."

Kane didn't look at her, though nodded slowly with his hands calmly placing more cards down. Clara watched him, curious as to what he was doing.

"Might I ask you something, Clara?" Kane said to her. Clara stood there with her hands together, nodding her head awkwardly. Realizing he couldn't see her with his eyes focused on the cards, she knew she had to vocalize herself.

"Yes, sir." she told him. Kane laughed, finally taking the time to move his head in her direction.

"No need to call me sir, Clara." he assured her. "Remember, just call me Kane."

"Yes Kane." she responded, followed by an adorable laugh. It made Kane chuckle.

"How well do you remember the innocent with Emie getting upset?"

Clara frowned, looking down at the floor with the wheels in her head turning.

"It's still a little fuzzy," she told him, "but I remember that everyone was really shocked. I didn't get to know Emie very well yet, I don't think at least, but she didn't seem like the kind of person to get mad like that." Clara started laughing to herself with happy memories of her and Otto playing together when she was still a Pikachu coming. "To be perfectly honest, I was more focused on playing with Otto to really get to know anyone besides him."

Kane gave another understanding nod, placing down the last of the two cards of the deck, finishing the circle he was striving to create. Even so, it was the beginning of something that would take time.

"It feels like Matt and everyone were in Pewter city for a really long time." Clara told Kane. He stood up from the card circle, glancing at the other decks of cards on his desk, being many many more stacks to use.

"Some things take time, Clara." Kane told her. "Pewter city was certainly a long stop, but a very life changing one."

Clara watched Kane walk over to his desk, sitting down and grabbing for something in his drawer, pushing aside the dirty magazine with the sexy anthropomorphic fox on the cover.

"Life changing sir-um, I mean, Kane?"

"Yes." he said seriously. Pulling out some paper, setting it down on his desk, next to the multiple letters he had received recently. He leaned back with a pen between his fingers, looking at Clara with a half smile "The events in Pewter city began to sculpt Matt and his friends more than they realized it would."

Kane then closed his eyes, signing.

"That includes both of the good and bad that came with the events, I suppose." Kane sighed, now glancing down at the parchment on his desk. Clara's eyes widened, quickly sitting down in the leather chair which had been designated to her, moving her slender tail to her lap.

"Can we please read more!" she nearly begged. Kane laughed at her eagerness.

"Of course we will." he told her. "But first need to write something, if that's alright with you."

"Okay." Clara said positively, waiting patently for Kane as he clicked the pen in his hand and began writing, taking one last look at the letters he'd received.

Dear Readers,

Let me allow myself to apologize for two things. One, I'm sorry if this story arch feels as if it's been dragging on forever. I pray you all haven't lost interest in the events that have taken place. Please understand that I DO have a plan for all of this, just be patient. I promise this will all fall into place soon enough. Secondly, I'm sorry for so many of the Kane and Clara chapters recently. I assure you there won't be this much all the time. We're just in a 'delicate' section of the book, thus making it almost a requirement to check back on Clara and I on a frequent basis.

Some of you have wondered if I'm actually like this in person. Yes, I actually am. I'm not some fat, balding man writing this in my basement. I am who I say I am, trying my best to portray myself as the person that is truly me. Everything I've said about myself is true, which includes both 'good' and bad traits I possess, and even how I act. As much as this might sound like a load of excrement, I am a fairly nice person with, what I've been told a 'very wonderful personality with other great qualities.', to which I respond mostly with: 'Whatever...'

On that note, I'm also a huge self-pessimist, hating pretty much the majority of things about me. I'm the kind of person who sees the glass half empty when it pertains to myself, even when it's completely full and overflowing. I've had some of you actually tell me not to be so hard on myself, which I find rather thoughtful. Maybe during this journey I'll learn to be positive about me as a person, but in the meanwhile, all I have to say is: whatever...

I also want to give a big thank you to Knotty, who is also the person I describe her as. She's been a very good friend that has been helping me with the Japanese culture in Pewter city and other aspects of the story. She's also the one who demanded their be a 'sexy' Gengar in Flame of Life, as (I think) I've stated before. Thus, Laurence was born with myself doing a majority of the character development on him with Knotty fan-girling over him ever since. When she does, I feel compelled to joke about her sexual hangups, though I honestly have no room to speak, I know.

One last thing. A few people were wondering about the sexy magazine I joked about. For those of you who are wondering, yes, I am a furry. Big surprise considering the aspects of this story, the large hints I've dropped, as well as the pendant with the paw print on it that I wear. I suck at sarcasm in these letters...

Anyway, thank you all for the constant support you've been giving me, enjoying the story that I constantly feel is flawed and could be better. I know I'll have at least one person telling me the story is fine so I'll stop myself here. You're all wonderful.

-Krimson Kane

Kane stood up from the desk, grabbing the book he'd been reading to Clara and heading over to his reading chair. Before doing so, he took one last glance at the circle of cards he had created, knowing there was still more work to be done. He sat down with the large tome in his hands, turning it the chapter they were on. Kane opened his mouth.

The sound of his phone going off in his pocket made him stop, realizing he had just received a text message. He sighed, feeling bad for keeping Clara on the edge of her seat the entire time as he reached into his pocket. Kane pulled out his phone, checking it to see he had a message. It was from Knotty.

"You should prolly answer the door :D" it read. Knotty had always found it fun to say "prolly" instead of "probably" in her texts. Kane looked up at Clara, hitting the reply button on his phone, about to text Knotty back.

"Would you mind opening the front door for Knotty?" he asked her kindly. Clara ears twitched with her tail doing the same as she stood up.

"I was unaware that she was stopping by again." Clara told him, quickly making her way out of the office door.

"Neither did I." Kane laughed. Clara left the office, leaving Kane alone in the room with the book in his lap with his phone still in his hand. He started responding to her.

"Clara's on her way downstairs." he texted back. Not even a fifteen seconds later he got a response from Knotty.

"Okies xD" was her response. She also was known to say Okies instead of 'Okay'. Just another thing she did when she texted. A minute later, both Clara and Knotty entered the room. Knotty still had her phone in her hand, giving Kane a friendly smile, noticing the book in his lap.

"You haven't read past the part where Emie goes to the ninjutsu school, have you?" she asked, almost worried he had. Kane shook his head.

"I was actually about to start reading that one." he told her. "You came just in time."

"Awesome," she told him, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. She made Clara seem uneasy, making her motion towards the empty chair she typically used.

"Wouldn't you rather sit in a chair?" Clara asked her awkwardly. Knotty shook her head, happy where she was.

"I'm fine sitting on the floor." she told her. Once again, sitting on the floor was a Knotty thing that she was known for doing. Clara looked at Kane unsure, finally sitting down on her chair, feeling bad for having Knotty sit on the floor.

"She's fine, Clara." Kane told her reopening the book. Knotty gave him a joking dirty look.

"Gee," she said purposely sounding sarcastic. "thanks for making me sit on the floor."

"You're welcome." Kane joked back. "Now, can I get back to the story?"

"Oh no," Knotty said jokingly. "I just felt like staring at you awkwardly."

Kane raised his brow, unable to resit.

"If you would be staring at anyone it would be Clara, you pervert.." Kane teased. Knotty sneered back at him with a smug grin. Clara looked at Kane confused, feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation forming.

"You're the one who has her living with you, Mr. Furry." She teased.

He just rolled his eyes at her, looking down at the book, soon reading the next chapter.