Title: Cold November Rain [part 49/?]
Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"
Author: Enigma
Series: Weiss Kreuz
Written: January-March, 2002
Rating: R
Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)
Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC.
Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html
Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old.
Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.
Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.
Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him?
++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++
{{telepathic speech}}
*****
++ day: 5. time: 0900-1115 hours. ++
*****
Following a leisurely breakfast, Nagi donned his gray school uniform, made sure he had everything he would need to leave straight from Tokyo General after bidding his friends farewell, then quietly accompanied Omi, Yohji, and Aya back to the hospital under cloudy skies.
After Omi surprised Ken with the volume of classic shonen ai manga he'd gotten for him--something the brunette was absolutely thrilled to receive--the group of five assassins spent some time together so that Nagi could relax and talk with all of the members of Weiss for awhile. Their shared experiences of the last few days had fundamentally changed their relationships for the better and at one point Nagi admitted that he now felt as much "at home" with them as he did with his own teammates. This off-hand remark caused the three eldest assassins present to glance at one another meaningfully, yet it had slipped past Omi entirely and the opportunity to open that particular subject was lost yet again.
As Aya indulged himself in rearranging the bouquet that he had brought for Ken, something occurred to him and he removed one of the Peruvian irises so that he could hand it to the Schwarz psychic saying, "Remember that you're always welcome with us, Nagi." Seeing midnight blue eyes smiling shyly in thanks he added firmly, "And should you ever need our help for *anything* make sure to let us know, all right?" Whether the swordsman was hinting at the ongoing unspoken concerns they all shared for the boy's imminent return to his own teammates or not went unsaid, yet it was clear that the offer was intended to be a permanent one of as broad-ranging a nature as possible.
Toying with the delicate blossom in his fingers carefully, the sable-haired youth thought it over for a moment in silence. Recalling the frightening dream the description of which had caused Yohji to unexpectedly offer immediate aid to Schuldich, Nagi asked tentatively, "Even if I need help for someone else, Aya-kun?"
The scarlet-haired man nodded solemnly and then reached out to warmly brush deep chocolate bangs from dark blue eyes as he answered, "Absolutely, Nagi. You were there for us when we needed your help finding Omi a few days ago and we want to be there for you for *any* reason you might need us from now on, understand?"
Shy smile being replaced by one filled with deep and abiding trust, the diminutive telekinetic glanced at the cerulean-eyed teen beside him who was nodding and smiling confidently since Omi was thrilled that Aya had made the gestures that he had. Then Nagi's eyes tracked across the room to where Yohji stood on the far side of Ken's bed so that he could hold his injured lover's free hand, an unspoken gesture of unity which was echoed by the expressions of encouragement on both their faces.
Finally certain that the Weiss field-leader was indeed speaking on behalf of his whole team, the quiet sable-haired boy let the growing feeling of hope in his heart reach its full potential and then he said, "Yes, I think I understand, Aya-kun." Turning so that each of the other young men in the room could see the smile of gratitude that radiated from his alabaster face, he added earnestly, "Thank you all. I hope I never need to take you up on that offer, but it's good to know that if worst comes to worst my friends will be there for me when I need them."
"That's what friends are for, Nagi," Ken stated confidently even as he changed the topic of conversation entirely by adding, "Oh, and friends also see to it that those they care about eat well. Are you going to be able to make some of those changes in your diet that Norwegian suggested or not, Nagi?" The claw-wielding assassin had an innate desire to nurture those around him which had previously been expressed in the care he gave his teammates in the forms of wholesome if not gourmet meals and simple laundry duty performed without complaint. Now that he had become more emotionally attached to the diminutive telekinetic than he had been before, though, he wished fervently that he could do more than simply lay there and try to obtain a promise that the boy would eat well after he left their sides.
Uncertainty darkened previously bright features and Nagi glanced at where Omi had reached for one of his hands and was currently caressing it warmly. Not wishing to lie yet not wanting to cause the recovering patient any unnecessary concern, he responded, "I'm not sure, Ken-kun." With a heavy sigh, he admitted, "I'll probably be able to tell more about what I can and can't get away with after being AWOL once I get home later, but if it makes you feel better, I *will* try to make some changes." [1] Recalling at least one tiny step already taken in the right direction, he added hopefully, "Last evening Omi told me some things about which foods I should try to eat more of so at least I know where to start, right?"
The brunette wasn't completely satisfied but he accepted what he was offered, saying, "Sometimes 'trying' is the best any of us can promise, Nagi. Just do the best you can and remember that there's always plenty of stuff to eat at the Koneko if you can make it over without getting in trouble."
The residual darkness in Nagi's expression lifted as he blinked in surprise at the open invitation. Even though he had snuck into Omi's room a number of times after Yohji had first encountered the two of them together, he'd only rarely dared to come in through the private entrance in the back late at night when he wasn't likely to encounter Manx or their customers. Granted, he'd arrived there a few times when the other members of Weiss were present and at the time Aya had still been fairly cold to him, but in retrospect Yohji and Ken had never made him feel unwelcome. With the hopeful tone returned to his voice, he asked, "Really, Ken-kun? It would be okay for me to just show up there whenever I wanted to now? Not just after dark when there's no one around?"
Yohji chuckled and interjected, "Of course it is, bishounen! It's not as if your relationship with our Omiitchi is a secret from anyone any longer!" Finding it all too amusing without realizing the irony of the situation since the link between the two young assassins was indeed a very large secret from a certain group of psychics, he added, "Hell, I think the only problem you could run into are the fangirls at the shop! They'd probably all start fighting over who got to talk to Omi's cute friend first, but if you can tolerate giggling females, come on over!"
In the back of his mind Nagi wondered if he actually could handle having girls talking to him or not, he was usually a fairly solitary individual around people his own age and he had liked it that way.
The sable-haired boy wasn't part of the popular crowd at school and didn't play sports. He often missed school due to post-mission exhaustion or the migraines that haunted him from time to time and had never attended any club meetings or anything extracurricular that could be avoided. Then again, after the excruciating experience of watching one of the few people he had dared call "friend" die due to the lack of a kidney, Nagi hadn't wanted to get close to his classmates again, the emotional risk was simply too high.
Thinking about it only a moment longer, the fifteen year old answered shyly, "I never used to be comfortable around strangers, Yohji-kun, but lately I've been getting better at it." With a tiny shrug he glanced at the lovely flower in his hand as he admitted, "I've always wanted to see what the flowershop looked like during the day with people around and the displays all set up outside. Maybe I will come over after Ken-kun gets to go home *and* I think I can do so without being followed by Schu or Farf." The fact that the Schwarz member expected to have only limited freedom after he arrived home almost went without saying, but since Nagi knew it was almost time to go, he decided to bring up the issue at this point.
Glad that none of his teammates was saying anything negative about his boyfriend's "family", Omi said encouragingly, "I hope it won't be too long before that happens, too, Nagi-love. I know I'll miss you terribly but I'm sure that they've been worried about you and might be a little protective of you after you get home."
Nagi laughed dryly and sighed as he shook his head, "That's putting it mildly, koi. I half-expect to be placed under house arrest for being gone so long and it's anyone's guess what I'll owe Schu for stealing his car the that way I did." With an ironic smile he added, "But I still want to go home all the same. I must be nuts, huh?"
"No, you're not 'nuts', love." Omi assured him before looking at his own teammates with a grateful smile, glad once again that fate had given him these three men for his own surrogate brothers. "As long as you feel as strongly about them as I do about my own 'family', I couldn't call you any crazier than I am. So, may I walk you down to the parking lot? It's a little after 10 o'clock already." The last part was added after a quick glance at his watch and a realization that if his boyfriend wanted to be home before noon, he might need to hurry.
"That would probably be a good idea," Nagi agreed then rose and moved to stand near Ken. With a shy smile on his face, he said earnestly, "I hope you feel better really soon, Ken-kun."
The teen in the hospital bed smiled up at the boy warmly and after silently asking Yohji to release his right hand, he held it out saying, "I'm really glad you were able to be here, Nagi. Not just for Omi's sake, but for all of us." As they clasped hands in a warm farewell, Ken unexpectedly added in an almost stern tone, "With Weiss sidelined for awhile I don't know who Schwarz will find to go up against out there, so be extra careful, all right? I can't bear to think of what might happen if you got hurt and we weren't able to be there for you the way you were here for me."
The level of care and concern that washed over the diminutive telekinetic from not only the person who had spoken but from all those present who were agreeing silently in their own ways was phenomenal. A fuzzy, undefined happiness was beginning to spread through Nagi.
With the slightest hint of pink in otherwise pale cheeks, the younger teen nodded and promised sincerely, "I will, Ken-kun. Now that I know how hard it is to watch and wait and not be able to help someone you care about who is really hurting, I realize that I never want to cause any of my friends that kind of pain or suffer it myself when I could have prevented it." Realizing the brunette caught his implication of intending to protect his own teammates more vigilantly which might be a difficult thing to accomplish, he amended quickly, "I'll just be *really* careful, that's all."
With a nod of acceptance and a sense of relief that even if he couldn't be sure that the too-thin boy would eat more at least he might not allow himself to become endangered while on a mission for Schwarz, Ken released Nagi's hand with a smile of undisguised fondness.
Stepping up behind the two blue-eyed youths, Aya said simply, "I'm grateful that we had a chance to become better acquainted, Nagi." As the midnight blue-eyed teen turned to face him fully, the violet-eyed man placed one hand on a too-slender shoulder and added firmly, "Remember, whenever you need us, let us know. No matter what, no matter where, we'll be there for you, Nagi."
The unnamed, fuzzy feeling intensified as Nagi combined the man's words with the image of the flower in his hand and he recalled the swordsman describing it as well as himself as "rare and greatly treasured" and he flushed a deeper shade of pink before he answered, "I won't forget, Aya-kun." Keeping his eyes riveted on amethyst ones that he had come to rely on almost as much as he did the cerulean ones sparkling delightedly nearby, he bowed his head slightly in a formal display of gratitude. Trying to find the words to express what he felt and failing, the boy finally said, "I thank you, too, for helping me learn not to lose myself in 'what if' scenarios. Omi taught me to have hope, but *you* taught me to look forward and not behind, Aya-kun."
Less than a week prior, if anyone had suggested to the Weiss swordsman that he might find himself with an almost overwhelming desire to simply gather a member of Schwarz into his arms and give him a hug he might have considered it an impossibility. Now, however, it was all too possible since that was exactly how he felt at that point and if it hadn't been such an emotionally-charged moment he might very well have done just that. Instead, his deep social conditioning told him to return the slight bow which he did even as he replied, "Whatever you've learned from me is nothing compared to what you and Omi together have taught me, Nagi. I honestly don't know how I would've gotten through these last few days without both of you here."
As Nagi found himself very nearly unable to keep the happy fuzzy feeling from overpowering him, he noticed that Yohji had stepped out from the far side of Ken's bed and stood nearby with an amused look on his face. Curious, the midnight-eyed boy asked, "What is it, Yohji-kun? What's so funny?"
"*You* are, bishounen!" The jade-eyed man smiled adoringly and asked, "How can you be so serious when what you really need is a good-bye glomp?"
"A 'good-bye' what?" Nagi asked, suddenly thrown off-balance by the playful look in the tall man's smirk.
"A 'glomp', Nagi! You know, like this!" Without further warning, arms strong enough to send a garroting wire biting through leather and flesh surrounded the much smaller assassin and wrapped themselves firmly around the slender youth, hugging him tightly and letting physical contact say more than mere words ever could. As he moved to hold the boy who had come to mean so much to them all in a more gentle embrace, Yohji whispered very softly in Nagi's ear, "thanks again for saving omi for us. you were the only one who could've done it and i'm damned glad you and he are together the way you are!"
Like a large, rainbow-colored soap bubble soaring on a sunny day, the previously unnamable fuzzy happy feeling rose even farther and danced in the telekinetic's heart. Then it suddenly burst into a myriad of joyous feelings that spun within Nagi before bursting free in the single most radiant smile anyone other than Omi had ever seen. Tossing convention aside entirely, he threw both slender arms around Yohji's neck and clung to him fiercely as he whispered back, "me too, yohji-kun! and you and aya-kun and ken-kun, too!"
Without even thinking about it, the petite psychic had exerted his extranormal powers and instead of crushing the delicate blossom he'd been holding he'd allowed it to remain poised in midair where it spun slightly in an errant beam of sunshine that had snuck past the clouds outside. Along with the iris were multiple bright swathes of color as that same sunbeam broadened and passed through the much loved Venetian vase, bathing the austere room in a kaleidoscope of delightful hues.
Standing close by with his heart filled to overflowing with a combination of joy for the way his beloved had been taken into the hearts of those he treasured as his family and a leaden sorrow for the need to let that same handsome boy leave him, Omi sniffled slightly. With a supreme effort, he refused to let so much as a single teardrop escape and when his eldest teammate released his flushed boyfriend from the warm embrace, the younger blond was able to produce a genki smile and ask in mock-accusation, "What did Yohji-kun *say* to you, Nagi-love, to make you blush like that?"
The dark-eyed boy opened his mouth to answer, but the elder blond beat him to it by commenting teasingly, "I just asked him how soon you were going to make it up to him for falling asleep on the couch last night, Omiitchi!" As both boys' eyes went wide with embarrassment and surprise, he added with a saucy wink, "Come to think of it, though, you can both honestly say you slept together in a hospital bed, a hotel bed, *and* the couch as well, right? That's a helluva lot better than most high school kids can claim, ne?"
"*Yohji-kun*!!" Omi's voice squeaked in heightened embarrassment and even as his cheeks blossomed into a lovely pink shade of their own, he reached out a hand for his boyfriend and said, "Come on, Nagi-love! Let's get out of here before he gets even *more* hentai on us!"
Even as he was practically dragged down the hospital corridor by the older teen, Nagi blinked in shock and telekinetically pulled his treasured iris back into his free hand before anyone noticed it was trailing them in midair like a pixie trying to conceal its true nature behind petals.
They made their way past Javanese and waved good-bye not wishing to interrupt as she spoke at length for some unknown reason with nurse Okazaki. Hideo glanced up and shyly waved back unaware that it would be quite awhile before he encountered the sable-haired teen again, much less that their reunion would be under most peculiar circumstances. Neither Manx nor Norwegian were present that morning to wish farewell since they were meeting in nearby Yokohama with the Kritiker Research Labs scientists that were to perform the chemical analysis on Sokoke's remains, a sad reality that neither boy needed to be thinking about.
Laughing a little as the shock wore off in the elevator, Nagi admitted the truth of what Yohji had confided in him and Omi had been relieved, then had giggled slightly wondering if Aya would take the jade-eyed man to task for being so silly during such a poignant moment.
Arriving in the parking lot and unaware of violet and jade eyes upon them from the sixth floor solarium, the two young lovers walked towards the flame red Ferrari hand-in-hand once more. Stopping by the car to pull out the keys which had gone unused since their arrival, Nagi smiled sadly at his boyfriend, then opened the door and said quietly, "Since I'm wearing everything I had with me when I left home there isn't much to worry over taking with me when I return, is there?"
"I guess not, love," Omi admitted with a sigh, then glanced at the deep blue iris and asked, "But, um, won't they ask where *that* came from if you carry it home, Nagi?"
Midnight blue eyes turned towards the exotic blossom and with a sad nod of his head, Nagi agreed, "Yeah, I guess so, but I kinda wanted to keep it. Aya-kun gave it to me and all."
Brightening, the cerulean-eyed teen smiled and suggested, "Then why not let me take care of it for you, love? I can press it in a book and save it for you that way."
"It'll keep that way?" Nagi asked in confusion. Having grown up on the streets of Tokyo lost and alone there were so many tiny things he'd never experienced like the joys of flattening flowers and being able to preserve their beauty for months or even years if handled carefully. Other simple pleasures that were usually learned at a parent's knee were equally lost to him, but right now, Nagi needed a bit more botanical know-how.
"Sure it will!" Omi answered confidently then shrugged a little and added, "That nice thick volume of manga that Yohji-kun bought for me the other night ought to do a great job of it, come to think of it! And you can have the flower back as soon as you think they won't give you a hard time about it, too, love!"
Smiling once again, the shorter teen accepted the offer and then handed the treasured iris carefully to his boyfriend saying, "Thanks, koi. You always know what to do, don't you?"
The seventeen year old sighed and shook his head even though his smile didn't fade and he disagreed, saying, "Not always, love. Like right now, I know you need to go, but I hate to say good-bye." Holding his arms outstretched, he invited his beloved into a warm embrace that gained him silent nods of approval from the two men watching from high above.
In actual fact, Aya hadn't given Yohji any grief at all over his unexpected way of showing Nagi how he felt before the young telekinetic left their sides since the scarlet-haired man himself had come so close to embracing the boy. They hadn't planned to stay there watching over the young couple like a pair of unseen guardian angels, yet for the moment two of the deadliest men in the city simply stood and watched as the boys far below gave in to the inevitable and kissed each other good-bye.
As the tender kiss broke, Nagi rested his forehead against Omi's for a moment as he said the most important thing he could think of, "I love you, Omi."
Running the fingers of the hand that wasn't occupied protecting a fragile blossom through silken, sable locks, the Weiss archer answered, "I love you, too, Nagi." With a discontented sigh he added, "Stay safe for me please, love? I'll worry so much while we can't chat online every night for awhile."
"I know, me too," the younger teen said with a shrug then they pulled apart slightly as a security vehicle drove past seeking those who might need some assistance yet kept going without giving the two boys a second glance. Nagi decided to take the opportunity to force himself to actually get inside the car and as he put on his seatbelt, he noticed the iris carefully held in the blond's gentle hand and simply smiled all over again.
Nibbling at his lip nervously, Omi asked as he pushed the car door shut firmly, "Do you think there's any way for you to let me know how it goes after you get there? Not that I think there's anything horrible to worry over or anything, it's just that…?"
There was no need for him to finish the sentence and, as expected, Nagi simply shook his head unhappily. "No, I really doubt that there is, koi, I'm sorry. If at all possible, I'll slide you a note online from school as soon as I can get to the library there, but that's probably the soonest I'll be anywhere near a communication device without being watched."
"Ah, of course," the blond boy nodded and shrugged before bringing back the best smile he could find as he heard the roaring purr of a finely tuned Italian engine coming to life at his boyfriend's command. As Nagi tilted his head up for one last kiss through the open window, he added with renewed confidence, "Then I'll just hope for the best, all right?" Not allowing an answer, he met his beau halfway and they shared one last, tender kiss that left them both smiling once more.
As Omi stepped back so that the Ferrari could gracefully ease its way out of the parking slot it had been in for so long, Nagi nodded and offered the best possible answer he could think of, "Ganbatte, koi!"
The genki response he received might've been due to any number of things not the least of which was a random observation that Nagi looked damned good driving a powerful yet sleek machine like this one and Omi waved happily, calling above the throaty rumble of the engine, "Ganbatte, love!! See you soon!"
"Hope so!" Nagi called back them focused on driving so that he could return the sports car as unblemished as it had been when he'd "borrowed" it in the first place not because he hoped for leniency for his actions but simply out of fondness and respect for the vehicle's owner.
As he watched the beautiful and undeniably sexy European car move in and out of puddles of sunshine, Omi realized his smile had changed and he sighed and commented to no one, "I wonder if Yohji-kun will ever get a chance to drive a car like that one? I bet he'd absolutely *love* it!"
Far above, two figures moved away from a wall of windows and returned to the bedside of the one they cherished, each lost in thought and yet hopeful that they hadn't just sent their now treasured young friend off to face some horrible punishment for simply doing the right thing.
*****
Roughly a half-hour later, after carefully parking the Ferrari in its assigned slot at the underground parking deck which the residents of the Schwarz penthouse used, Nagi slowly stepped out of the car and wistfully ran a hand over the leather-encased steering wheel before closing the door.
Not willing to put off the reunion that he was actually looking forward to regardless of the risks involved, he silently thanked his inherent abilities to do things like drive without experience as he stepped into the elevator that would take him home. The ride up was slow and seemed more unpleasant than usual since Nagi had become accustomed to having Omi nearby at all times recently and the first twinges of loneliness for his boyfriend washed over him.
With a sigh not unlike that of a condemned man, the sable-haired boy carefully rechecked the mental shields that had held him in good stead during his absence and found them to be as tight as ever. Blissfully unaware that a certain emerald-eyed redhead had been successfully dream-hunting almost every night in search of the "flavor" of almond, he pulled his house key from a pocket of his uniform and quietly unlatched the door.
After taking a deep, steadying breath and desperately hoping that Crawford might be somewhere else, Nagi opened the heavy wooden door and was about to announce his presence in the traditional Japanese fashion when he was greeted by billowing black smoke in his face.
Blinking suddenly stinging deep blue eyes frantically, he stepped into the front foyer far enough to see Farfarello sitting casually on the couch playing with several frightening looking knives and the tortured remains of a whole pineapple as if he didn't have a care in the world.
On the far side of the large living room was the entrance to the kitchen which was obviously the site of whatever conflagration was causing the inky pall of greasy smoke to flood the penthouse, carrying with it the horrid stench of burnt flesh. With a cry of fear, Nagi launched himself forward when he heard Schuldich begin to shout a string of obscenities in German, Japanese, and English even as various crashes echoed through the rooms.
But before the telekinetic could get much past the couch where the Irishman was alternately watching the television and mutilating the fruit, there was a muffled explosion from the kitchen and everything seemed to stop as Schuldich's voice rose an octave and he screamed shrilly, "NOOOO!!!!"
*****
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
[1] On the off-chance someone doesn't know this abbreviation, AWOL is primarily military in use and stands for "absent without leave." It's pronounced "a-wall", something your humble writer has been far too often during the penning of this Angst Epic due to Real Life throwing him as much angst as he has given the characters herein. Gomenasai.
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 48 & 49 will be posted together.
This evening's posting run is dedicated to an exceptional young woman who really made her old man proud tonight, my darling daughter Amanda!!
{smiles delightedly, truly amazed that one of *his* kids can be so graceful and captivating on stage!}
As you may recall, I mentioned not too long ago that a great deal of my time lately has been eaten up taking my eldest to and from various rehearsals, going on costume buying expeditions, and more, all in the name of Amanda's first ever dance concert. Well, tonight was the big night and all those hours and hours of hard work really paid off for her! She performed a solo that was quite impressive as well as a couple of ensemble pieces where she wasn't lost in the crowd in the least! After the show, Lauren and I met her with a bouquet of flowers, hung around for a too-brief cast party, then took her out for ice cream sundaes at Ruby Tuesday's before surprising her at home with a trio of cheerful helium balloons, too!
{knows full well he spoiled the chibi tonight, but she deserved it as you will discover in a moment}
For a kid with attention deficit disorder who needs constant prodding and supervision to have brought home a report card with only A's and B's on it recently and to then top it off with a stupendous performance like this is quite an accomplishment. The expression of joy and self-confidence in her bright blue eyes was worth every last bit of financial expense and lost fic writing time over the last grading period. I hope that she never forgets the feeling of elation that came when the audience applauded loudly to show how much they enjoyed the show!
{stops smiling non-stop for a moment, then pouts a little and looks like a chibi-llama who doesn't want to have to tell you about the following, but, hey, it's one of those facts of life one must cope with so why fight it?}
Since the week after Easter is the traditional time for Spring Break for the public schools in our area, I must do my duty as a "good son" and haul my kids to the Coast to see my parents for a little less than a week soon. Yes, believe it or not, the llama has parents and they live on the North Carolina Coast but not on the beach itself, mores the pity! Instead, they live near a river which attracts oodles of mosquitoes but it's not the worst place in the world despite being a "yaoi-free" zone. I don't have access to a computer there much less the internet, so if at all possible, I'll try to finish the last one-third or so of Part 51 and speed edit it as well as the monumental Part 50--arghhhh! can you believe it?! this is going *past* Part 50?!?!?!--and post them for you before I have to leave town Monday morning. If something too horrible should happen and I fail to have it up by, oh, say, 10am April 1st, please forgive me, it's not an April Fool's Day joke, it's just Real Life butting in where it's not wanted again. After I get back from the Coast, there will be an intermission notice posted only at fanfiction.net with an estimate of when more fic might be available along with whatever else occurs to me to mention.
{smirks and explains}
In other words, there'll be a note to let you know I didn't get eaten by a river shark, in case you were worried. Um, yeah, those are real, it's a tidal saltwater inter-coastal waterway technically more than a river, but the upside is that there're dolphins in there, too, sometimes and they always inspire Erato if we see one!
In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Easter or other Spring Holiday if you don't celebrate with bunnies and baskets. Here's hoping I get a chance to share the rest of the Reunion at the Schwarz Penthouse really soon, I kinda have the feeling a few people might think this is the worst cliffhanger I've come up with yet as it is right now!
{hopeful expression as he bids you--}
Adieu!
~~~E-sama the Llama~~~
(who did something else fun today and offers a riddle about it: what happens when three foolish men, a chainsaw, a ladder, some rope, and a very large, decidedly dead tree all get together in the same place? the answer: a huge mess! but it was better to trash my front lawn and driveway under semi-controlled conditions than to let it wait. as one of the guys put it so aptly, "This sucker never would've last through hurricane season!" after we discovered it was pretty well rotted through in the top twenty feet of trunk or so! see the kinds of things that keep me from writing? Real Life, what a kick in the head!)
Posted 31 March 2002 ~4:00am