Title: Cold November Rain [part 55/62]
Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"
Author: Enigma
Series: Weiss Kreuz
Written: January-April, 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: 6. time: 1030-1350 hours. ++
*****
Late morning found the four florist/assassins gathered as usual in Room 646 of Tokyo General quietly discussing inconsequential issues and studiously avoiding the serious subjects which had haunted some of them individually during the early morning hours. The only one of them who hadn't been disturbed by horrifying unspoken fears was Ken who had slept soundly thanks to medication and simple exhaustion.
Despite the care and highly skilled expertise of the people who performed it, the extensive examination the recovering patient had received the previous day had left him sore and quite tired. During the afternoon Norwegian had returned and with the aid of a respiration specialist, the uncomfortable and disconcerting chest tubes had been removed in what could only be described as a minor surgical procedure which added demonstrably to the drain on Ken's energy reserves. Regardless of the reason slumber hadn't eluded him, however, he was much better off to have been left untouched by the nearly debilitating sorrows his teammates had endured and as a result he was more balanced and relaxed now than they were.
Several times after Aya, Yohji, and Omi had arrived, the room had fallen uncharacteristically silent and the heavy cloak of depression threatened to descend and wrap itself around several of those therein. What the members of Weiss needed was a distraction and luckily it arrived in the person of a woman who had been absent lately.
After several days spent fruitlessly pursuing the truth about Sokoke's death, Manx had taken the time to come by the hospital and when she arrived one of the biggest changes in Ken's condition was immediately apparent. Standing in the doorway with a small smile of approval at the absence of the chest tubes and their accompanying noisy suction device, she asked, "How are you feeling, Ken? Any better now that you're free of at least a little of your hardware?"
"Oh, hey, Manx!" Ken smiled at the redhead from where he was comfortably propped up against the headboard of his bed, glad to be fully upright for the first time in almost a week. With a rueful glance at the heavy cast on his left arm and the bulky bandages on his right thigh, he remarked, "Well, it's an improvement, that's for sure. Now if only they'd let me get out of bed to use the toilet or at least cruise the ward in a wheelchair, I'd feel almost human again."
Nodding in understanding, the high-ranking Kritiker agent replied, "All in good time, Siberian, all in good time." She didn't mention that as long as his sole remaining kidney failed to function properly he would be enslaved by the Foley tubes and dialysis that was replacing his body's normal need for eliminating wastes anyway.
Taking a moment to glance at the other three young men in the room, the youngest of whom was being atypically quiet, she pondered yet again the private report she'd received from Norwegian regarding Nagi. Despite Persia's acceptance of the Schwarz telekinetic as being more than a friend to Omi, neither Manx nor the head physician from Kritiker Medical Center felt they could trust him fully with knowing about the boy's possibly serious medical problems. Between the bearded man's odd handling of Sokoke's death and several other incidents which had gone undisclosed to the four men around her, the blue-green-eyed woman had chosen to err on the side of caution until more answers were available about her boss.
Norwegian's words for her alone warned of potentially disastrous hidden health problems for the diminutive telekinetic who had become so important to all of the members of Weiss in the past few days. The portly physician had recommended that efforts be made to surreptitiously increase the monitoring of Schwarz's activities focusing on such simple things as obtaining reconnaissance photos of the midnight-eyed boy on a regular basis if nothing else. He had also echoed the previous suggestion that after things settled down regarding Siberian's health crisis the Weiss hacker-extraordinaire ought to carefully begin probing Estet's computer records in search of any pertinent information that might assist them from a distance. There was precious little any of the Kritiker operatives could do directly without potentially endangering Nagi based on his own reporting of his home life, but now that he was being brought into their hearts so fully none of them could forget his needs.
With a sigh as she realized that there was nothing she could do about Nagi right at the moment, Manx decided to try to aid the absent fifteen year old's boyfriend and she asked, "Omi? You seem preoccupied. Is something wrong that I ought to know about?"
Cerulean eyes rose from where they had been contemplating a wilted Peruvian iris that the young archer had found laying on the windowsill after a careless hospital volunteer disturbed the floral arrangement while straightening up the room the night before and gazed at her for a moment.
With a soft sigh of unhappiness since Omi feared the flower's fate held an ominous warning that it actually didn't, he answered truthfully, "I'm worried about Nagi, Manx." Glancing at the window which was filled with bright sunlight, he added, "And I've been thinking that I ought to go home soon, too. He's not the only one whose studies are falling behind at this point."
Across the room, the Weiss field-leader shook his head slowly, indicating that he certainly didn't care if the archer's grades dropped while they continued to care for their injured teammate. However, since he understood the teen's feelings and needs, Aya commented quietly, "I'm sure you'll get caught up without trouble, Omi, but come to think of it, Momoe could probably use a hand in the shop." With a gentle yet hidden half-smile, he added encouragingly, "You usually enjoy working with the flowers and creating bouquets. Maybe if you did that for awhile you'd feel better."
In full agreement, Yohji commented thoughtfully, "I'll bet there's a ton of orders waiting to be put together, Omiitchi. And with all the extra flowers that must have been sitting around all week while we weren't there, you can probably go kinda nuts and make some of those really bright ones the fangirls always go for." He chuckled softly when he saw the first hint of a classic genki smile budding on their friend's face for the first time that day and then he commented pointedly, "But we'll get one of the courier services to do the deliveries for a change, all right? I don't think we want you out running all over Tokyo on the shop's scooter when you've got better things to do."
What the former detective really meant was that he was afraid of what could happen to his young friend if he should have trouble with the three-wheeled vehicle and they weren't home to help him with it. But he didn't want to say so since it made Omi sound incapable, something he certainly was not. It was perfectly natural for the eldest member of the group to feel overprotective of its youngest one at this point, they'd suffered so much lately.
Feeling glad that his teammates knew him so well, Omi finally allowed a full smile to blossom on his face and he agreed wholeheartedly, "Okay, Yohji-kun! I'd have felt a little weird trying to do both that *and* go to school, but without any missions to research or execute for Kritiker, I'll have plenty of time to make arrangements *and* help Momoe-san." Deliberately not mentioning the fact that he'd have far more free time than even this implied if Nagi wasn't able to meet him online to chat like usual, the archer then glanced at the other teen present and asked, "Ken-kun? Is it okay with you if I wasn't here so much? I mean, I'll be glad to put off going home for a few days if you'd rather have me stay."
Ken shook his head and smiled warmly at his friend and answered, "Of course it's fine, Omi. Now that I'm feeling better, we can chat on the phone or something and I have to agree with Yohji and Aya, the Koneko needs at least one of us there to stay in business." With a grateful glance at the colorful arrangement in the window, he added, "Flowers can bring so much happiness. I'd hate to think that a bunch of them are busy dying right now without being enjoyed just because I got a little careless."
No one in the room was foolish enough to pick up on the recovering patient's implication that he alone was to blame for the severe injuries he'd suffered, the guilt and sorrow for that were shared among them all.
Clearing her throat and drawing attention back to herself, Manx commented, "It sounds like you'll need a ride home later, Omi. Want to come with me when I'm on my way back to headquarters?"
"Sure, Manx, that'd be great," the Weiss archer agreed then paused and added, "but I'll need to stop by the Hilton first to get my stuff, okay?"
"Of course," the redhead smiled and was about to remark that she was planning to leave within the hour, but she was interrupted.
"When are you two going to go home, too, Yohji? Aya?" Ken asked glancing at both of them before remarking, "Isn't it about time you guys stopped wasting Persia's money on that hotel suite? It must be costing a small fortune to put you up at a place like that."
Instantly angry, Aya growled coldly, "What difference does *that* make, Ken?" Amethyst eyes blazing with fury aimed at a man he felt he couldn't afford to trust any longer, he explained hotly, "That unreliable bastard damned well *owes* Weiss anything we need right now!"
Not surprisingly, Yohji agreed and despite there being less fire in his words than in those of the elder of his two lovers, he clearly indicated his own displeasure with their leader, saying, "Well, I don't know if I would've put it *that* way, Aya, but you're right. I'd think that pretty much anything we need to see to it that Kenken recovers fully as quickly and happily as possible ought to be ours for the asking. Don't you agree, Manx?"
The stern expression on the woman's face matched theirs and she agreed unconditionally, "Absolutely." Wishing she could put some of their fears about Persia to rest yet being unable to do so honestly, she stated, "As long as you want them nearby or they want to stay there, I'll see to it that Yohji and Aya have a room at the Hilton, Ken. There's no reason to change anything unless everyone's in agreement."
Trying not to let practical matters sway him as they had momentarily, the brunette nodded then smiled with uncharacteristic shyness and admitted, "Well, if that's true, then maybe it *would* be good if they stayed there a few more nights. I'd be kinda lonely being here by myself all the time if they left."
Emerald and amethyst eyes softened as both Yohji and Aya tried to reassure their lover that he wouldn't be left alone regardless. With the scarlet-haired man claiming one suntanned hand in his own pale ones and gently caressing it even as he himself brushed loose brown hair from chocolate eyes, Yohji assured, "Don't worry, Ken-love, we won't let that happen. You're going to be stuck with Aya and me one way or another from now on. So, until Norwegian says you can come home, too, we will probably take turns hanging around here the same way we have been lately."
"That's right," Aya agreed firmly, then added quietly, "We'll probably plan to go home to help Omi around the shop in a day or so, love, but I'm sure that one of us can be here during the day and the other can visit you in the evenings if you like. That way we're *all* still together, all right?"
The smile that blossomed slowly and spread across Ken's face seemed to outshine the sun and he accepted the offer after a quick glance at the cerulean-eyed boy who had an equally dazzling expression on his own face, saying, "I'd like that a lot, Aya. Thanks." Looking at each of his teammates in turn, he amended, "Thanks to all of you. For everything. This was a pretty shitty piece of luck, but as long as we hang together it'll turn out fine in the end, I'm sure of it."
"Same here," Omi agreed and unhesitatingly moved to where he, too, could lightly touch his injured friend and he added hopefully, "'All for one and one for all' has always worked for us in the past, ne, Ken-kun?"
"Sure enough, Omi," his friend answered, bright smile unwavering as he felt the love and affection the group shared wash over him, renewing his seemingly endless supply of optimism thanks to the reference to the legendary musketeers of the classic Dumas action/adventure novels he loved.
Deciding this was as good a time as any to make her exit, Manx stepped closer to the group and said, "I need to go check on a few things now. Ken, I'm glad to see that you're doing so much better and I'm sure that Norwegian's team will keep me posted on further improvements."
"Sounds good to me, Manx," Ken agreed easily, pleased that there had been a fairly steady stream of improvements lately to share in the first place.
The woman then glanced at the younger of the two blondes and asked, "Omi? Can you meet me downstairs in a half-hour? We'll go past the Hilton then I'll drop you off at the flowershop."
Nodding gratefully that she was giving him a little extra time privately with his teammates before they were separated for a few days, the seventeen year old said, "Not a problem, Manx."
Waving her hand negligently over her shoulder as she walked from the room in much the same way she had exited the mission briefings she had conducted for Weiss over the last few years, Manx called back, "See you boys later!"
"Sure thing, *doll*!" Yohji teased loudly, deliberately annoying her with one of the nicknames she disliked as payment in kind for being reminded that she was their senior in more than rank.
Pausing as it occurred to her to turn around and go back to take Yohji to task for being impudent, she suddenly laughed slightly, shook her head and kept walking. With a smirk as she heard Omi gently chastising his teammate for being rude despite the laughter in his own alto voice, she remarked to herself, "It's good to hear them laughing again."
With a sad sigh, she thought about how close they had come to possibly never being able to laugh again, and it simply caused her to redouble her commitment to seeing to it that Ken had every advantage for a full recovery. As far as Manx was concerned, her best operatives were rapidly becoming her best friends and as long as Weiss needed her to quietly operate in the background insulating them from her superior officer's erratic behavior, she would do so.
*****
Later that afternoon, Omi found himself standing in the alley behind the Koneko no Sumu Ie wishing Manx farewell as he shouldered the duffel bag that contained his clothes and the few belongings that he'd gathered from the suite at the Hilton.
"When do you plan to go back to school, Omi?" The redheaded woman asked, glad to see the cerulean-eyed teen seeming a little less distracted and worried over his boyfriend. She added a small smile as she handed him the Yahtzee game he almost forgot in the front seat of her car and then stood nearby simply pleased to see some semblance of normalcy returning to her young friend's life.
With a smile as he contemplated seeing his many school friends again, he answered, "Probably tomorrow or the day after that, Manx." Glancing over his shoulder at the private entrance to the flowershop he added, "I want to have a chance to do a full inventory for Aya-kun so he'll know what we need to order plus get those arrangements done we were talking about at the hospital. I'm looking forward to working with the flowers again."
"I'm happy you've got something enjoyable to do, Omi, you're overdue for a little relaxation," she remarked with satisfaction. But then she frowned slightly and asked, "How do you think people will react to the cover-story for Ken's injuries? I'd hate to think he might be mobbed at the hospital by well-wishers, but as I recall he has a fair number of fans of his own to cope with around here."
Omi shrugged slightly, knowing there wasn't much any of them could do to blunt the reactions of the excitable fangirls that flocked to the shop yet knew there was another group of people who would be more deeply affected by his friend's injuries. With a sigh he admitted, "Well, the schoolgirls who come to the Koneko and 'ooh and ahh' over him on a regular basis will probably get upset about it, but so what? They always do that no matter which one of us is hurt. The people I'm most concerned about are the little neighborhood kids he couches for soccer. They all adore him so much and hearing that he's badly hurt will probably scare them." Shaking his head sadly, he mentioned, "They're too young to be allowed to visit him at Tokyo General, but maybe I'll invite them to come over to the shop tomorrow afternoon and make some get well cards for me to take to him. I always keep some crayons around for them and I'll bet Ken-kun would enjoy seeing some bright happy pictures in his room."
Manx didn't bother to try to suppress the smile these sweetly thoughtful comments invoked.
The very idea that the so-called "genki assassin" would go to the effort to have something as unexpected as arts-and-crafts materials available in the flowershop for their youngest visitors shouldn't have been a surprise, yet it was and it only caused her mood to lighten further. The image of cheerful elementary school-level pieces of artwork decorating the walls of Room 646 of Tokyo General struck her as delightful and she didn't hesitate to say so, "I think that's a great idea, Omi. I know how much he cares about those kids and it would be good to let them encourage him in return, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Manx," Omi assured with a firm nod. With a small chuckle he added, "Come to think of it, though, it wouldn't surprise me if after Ken-kun is allowed to come home some of the kids' moms don't show up here with food for dinner a time or two! All the ladies know he's the one who cooks for us since they run into each other at the market, and unless I miss my guess, they'll assume the rest of us can barely boil water and will want to help us out."
"Really?" The Kritiker agent looked bemused and asked, "Is that true, though? The idea that you three might be incapable in the kitchen hadn't really occurred to me."
The genki smile which had been playing at the corners of the blonde's mouth finally slipped free and he shook his head as he answered, "Well, we're not quite *that* bad, Manx, or we would've starved to death when Ken-kun and I both got hurt a couple of months ago! But Aya-kun and Yohji-kun aren't exactly what I would call world class chefs and we got through that with lots of ramen and carry-out. I can do all right with simple things like stir-fry, rice, and salads, though, so we ought to be okay, I guess."
Despite his broad smile, the teen didn't seem completely confident yet Manx decided not to worry over it too much other than to say, "I'm sure you'll be fine then and if the neighborhood ladies want to feed you that ought to help. In the meantime, though, I need to get back to headquarters and see what's going on with the other teams." She sighed and pushed a thick red curl over her shoulder as she commented thoughtfully, "I wonder if most of Grün is still on assignment in Osaka or not? Having that arrogant jerk Calico hanging around the office is annoying as hell, but Persia was saying something the other day about wanting to send them to Amsterdam for additional training soon."
Unaware of the dark relationship between the orange-haired Scotsman and his eldest teammate, Omi innocently asked, "But, Manx, I though that their data analyst was supposed to take over the research on that money-laundering scheme in Shibuya that I asked you about a few days ago. [1] Does this mean I need to plan to work on that case after all?"
Blinking ocean-colored eyes in surprise since she had indeed forgotten all about it, Manx thought for a moment then shook her head and answered, "No, Omi, I certainly don't want you to do anything about it. As I said before, Weiss is temporarily deactivated and I'll just have to find someone else to handle that if it's even still a problem." Looking tired as memories of the hectic recent past flashed in her mind, she remarked, "It seems like much more than a week has passed since Siberian was shot, doesn't it?"
His bright smile had already faded when he thought he needed to go back on duty after all, so the frown that crept onto Omi's lips wasn't unexpected as he answered, "Yes it does." Glancing at the sunny sky and noting a few high, wispy clouds that simply added to the beauty of the cool afternoon, he added with mixed emotions, "So many things have changed since the last time I was even home. I only hope that most of them were for the better *and* that Ken-kun's suffering wasn't in vain."
"What do you mean about Ken's suffering possibly being in vain, Omi?" Manx asked, slightly confused by the dark direction the youth's thoughts had suddenly taken.
Guilt and shame caused the blond teen to look away as he admitted, "I never did get through the drug company's computer system fully that night, Manx. Unless the people at headquarters were able to dig something useful out of my laptop, it's entirely possible that Ken-kun was shot and all those people were killed by Yohji-kun and Aya-kun for nothing." Anger slipped into his voice as he added unhappily, "The greedy scientists who were making those drugs could be set-up in a new place making more of their poison by now and everything we went through could've been for nothing! That just seems so wrong!"
Understanding and sympathy crossed the woman's face and she agreed, "I know, Omi, but don't give up hope. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that the computer experts at Kritiker aren't done working on your laptop yet which is why you never got it back. When I met with them three days ago, they were making a certain amount of headway on it, but I've been too busy to check on it since then." She left unsaid that she'd been too wrapped up in the investigation into Sokoke's death to follow up on the results of the mission that had left one of her operatives fighting for his life. But now that she was thinking of it, Manx felt guilty for having left the matter unresolved.
Realizing what the redhead meant and finding unexpected hope in the lack of information, Omi smiled tentatively and asked, "So we might've gotten what we needed to stop them after all, Manx? Really?" His smile grew as the woman gave him a nod and he sighed with relief and commented, "That would be great and I bet Ken-kun would be really happy to know we probably saved a whole bunch of kids from making the mistake of using those drugs, too!"
"Yes, that's what I was just thinking," Manx commented. She then gave the boy whom she had helped to raise from childhood an even more reassuring smile as she promised, "As a matter of fact, as soon as I get back to headquarters, I'll give them a call and see what they've got. Since I was going to get in touch with Gelb about those money-launderers, maybe I can see if they want to track down any leads on the drug makers your laptop might've revealed, too." [2]
The feelings of hope that were building in the Weiss archer suddenly expanded considerably and with a happy, startled grin, he exclaimed, "That would be *great*! I bet Angora could put together a strike plan against those creeps in Shibuya faster than I could anyway." His grin softened as he recalled the handsome older man with the long golden hair that had helped teach him much of what he knew about computers and he said confidently, "This changes everything! If you're going to have Gelb taking care of things for awhile, I won't need to worry about it. They were around years before Aya-kun joined Weiss and if anyone can finish what we started *they* can! Please let me know if they do anything about those drug manufacturers, though, okay? I really think that Ken-kun would be happy to know about it."
"Absolutely." Manx smiled fondly at the boy and suggested, "Why don't you go ahead and get started in the shop, Omi? A pretty day like this one may bring those schoolgirls around before too awfully much longer and you might as well be ready for them, you know."
"That's a good idea," Omi agreed and gave her a brief hug good-bye then said, "I'll see you later, Manx. Thanks for the ride home."
"You're welcome, Omi," she smiled as she slipped back behind the wheel. "I was glad to get a chance to talk with you this way. I hope that if you need anything at all especially while you're staying here alone that you'll give me a call, okay?"
"Okay!" The blond agreed with a wave and stepped inside the back entrance to the flowershop, very glad to be home.
As Manx drove away intending to keep her promises and hoping that things were finally settling down for everyone, the youngest member of Weiss was slipping on his soft yellow apron and looking forward to the pleasurable peace he always felt when he lost himself in flower arranging. However, unbeknownst to him, the situation inside the Koneko was far from normal and Omi was about to be surprised by an entirely unanticipated encounter.
*****
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
[1] This is from way back in Part 12. Bet you thought I forgot all about it, didn't you? Ah, the evils of long-term foreshadowing, ne?
[2] Please note that "Gelb" is German for yellow and is yet another codename with hidden meaning in it. I'm not sure if they will be a significant part of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity or not, but I envision this as a team of four older and more experienced assassins to be the "stand-ins" for Weiss while they are deactivated. After all, it doesn't make sense that Kritiker would leave Tokyo undefended for months on end while Kenken recovers, does it?
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 54 & 55 will be posted together.
This evening's posting run as well as tomorrow's are both joyously dedicated to all those who welcomed the world of "Cold November Rain" back into their lives after last night's posting run.
{dances in a delighted circle since he's currently chained to his computer by Melpomene who insists that the llama get more fic posted ASAP!}
Since I wish to go in-depth with these, please allow me to start with my fanfiction.net friends and I'll cover my email fans tomorrow since I traditionally give them an extra day for such things since that list includes a few folks whose lives are as insane as my own! Plus, there was one letter in particular that struck a deep chord within me and I want to spend some time explaining and reassuring everyone on my policy regarding characters' ultimate fates and my warning lists.
{gets ready to type a *lot* then smiles and jumps in with all four hooves}
Over at fanfiction.net, Part 53 was welcomed first by none other than Yanagi-sen who also sent me the coolest comments directly! Wow, she's the best! I can't wait to start her gift fic *and* her side-story *and* whatever else I come up with for her! {smiles brightly at hopefully Japan-bound beauty} Next, Mr. Peabody arrived to make allusions to the X-Men's Wolverine. Hmm, they both have great claws, ne, Wiesshund? Maybe they're brothers separated at birth? {shakes head "no" then moves on} After the Dog came Madiha whom I apparently have corrupted to the (Yohji-Ken-Aya) mindset. Heheh! Welcome to the Dark Side of the Force, Madiha! Just wait until you see these three in lemony fun soon! I think you'll be glad you came along for the ride! {large hentai grin} Then there was a quick friendly wave from CT to whom I wave back and say "Hope you enjoyed this run, too!" {waves again and moves on} Another quick wave came from a friend of the okami persuasion! So, for silrayn, I, too, pop wolfy ears in addition to my llama ones and wave back. {waves and looks silly with so many ears and also pauses to thank his kitten-koi for looking up "wolf" in her English-Japanese dictionary for him then continues} Next were two wonderful and eye-opening notes from beloved e.e!!
{stops dead, inserts a line break while he falls on his knees in adoration then answers an inquiry with a chuckle}
The significance of all of the room numbers specified in this fic is pretty silly since they're all GW pairings riffs yet they were there for the amusement of specific people, actually. The suite at the Hilton was 535, or Trowa and Wufei together in a mutually loving relationship; this was for Ryoko and Yanagi-sen mostly. Next, was the room Nagi was put into after collapsing which was 121, which is Heero and Duo together and this was for my past GW fans who are reading this and remember me as a writer of their stuff. Then there was a glitch with 119 which was only meant to be the room immediately next door to Nagi's for Aya and Yohji to sleep in, but someone who asked to remain nameless spotted that as Lady Une and Noin together. {laughs at inadvertent yuri ref} Last, after being released from the ICU, Ken was put into 646 which means Zechs (aka Milliardo) being paired with Quatre and was chosen to amuse bearilou if no one else. So, they aren't deep and meaningful to the world of WK, but I hope that answers the question.
{smiles, reads last line from e.e, and points to a piece of Chichiri fanart that keeps him company when writing and smirks, no da, then goes to the last two lovely ladies there to thank as of 2:30am Eastern Llama Daylight Savings Time}
Next I came across Cat's reviews and I found myself smiling as I saw her remark about darling nurse Hideo Okazaki. I have to admit that he's something of a mystery even to me, though. I see him as being in his early 30's yet so short and slender that he's mistaken for being much younger and his extreme politeness due to being from a rural area makes him even more remarkable. Overall, I didn't have the heart to kill him in this fic and as soon as I realized that Korat leaving meant it created a slot for him, poof! there he was in KMC in my head almost immediately. Another interesting thing Cat mentioned was how this fic might actually fit into the series continuity and I thought that was really cool! I don't usually think about those things after I rewrite destiny so thoroughly, yet I think there may be something to those ideas and I appreciate that they were shared here.
{stays in an adoring position on the floor for the last fanfiction.net reviewer since she's so special}
Last but never *ever* least, the wonderful Beth left me a note that made me laugh out loud! "Holy Tomes, Batman! 62 parts!" Bwahahahahahah!!! This is almost *exactly* what I thought when the final count appeared before me! Wow, are we both the product of American popular culture or what?! As for the issue of using cat codenames for various characters: everyone who is directly Kritiker here will have one from me if at all possible in homage of Koyasu-sama naming them; ie: Manx, Persia, Birman, etc. These are all cat breeds and even though I'm not sure about the sad paper-airplane-making guy that lures Aya back into action halfway through the series, I think his was, too. All my OC's which are Kritiker will have feline names but not all of them will get given names and this may not make any difference, but the breeds *are* being chosen carefully to fit they way I see someone in my mind as I write. When Grün becomes more of a force to be reckoned with rather than only Calico, they will be given identities and if it becomes confusing in the future I may assemble a "Who's Who" list for easy reference. Regarding poor Nagi's fate, well, I'm very sorry, Beth, but that'll remain a mystery until "Power Failure" hits this summer. Gomenasai for being a little too good with my literary devices!
{hangs head and looks sorry, then mentions darling Midori even though she won't read this for quite some time}
Allow me to also acknowledge the return of Midori, reviewer-extraordinaire! I can't begin to say how refreshing it is to find someone as dedicated to encouraging a fanfiction writing llama as Midori is! Every review from her here is a "blast from the past" for me helping to remind me of where this story has gone and at times reminding me of ideas I'd almost forgotten about having. I hope that she's having a lot of fun and will eventually read these words of praise for herself, but in the meantime, I just wanted to publicly thank her which is precisely what the original "Hall of Fame" complete with "Wufei's Disco Ball of Honor" was all about!
{yawns tiredly and realizes that was one *very* long dedication note, but these folks are great and deserve a round of applause, so he claps then says good-night}
Thanks for sticking with me for another night here at the Angst Theatre! I plan to return tomorrow with the answer to the burning question of just who Omiitchi is about to run into inside the usually safe and placid environs of the Koneko no Sumu Ie and all I'll say right now, is that it *isn't* a stranger!! At least, it isn't for *him*!
{winks, laughs evilly and then vanishes into the night after calling a farewell over his shoulder}
Ciao!
~~~E-sama the Llama~~~
(who is worse than the Energizer Bunny with going on and on and on about his reviewers and how much he adores them, but why not? they are, after all, some of the finest people on the planet and they keep him writing when he might otherwise slack off!)
Posted 23 April 2002, ~4:00am