Title: Cold November Rain [part 59/62]
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: 14. time: 1000-1430 hours. ++
*****
"What the hell are you talking about, Manx?!" Abyssinian snarled coldly, speaking on behalf of all of them as the initial shock caused by the strange situation wore off.
Before the firestorm of emotions could build farther, Norwegian suddenly grinned broadly and turned the clipboard around so that they could see that the top sheet was a release form that indicated that Ken was going to be allowed to go home that very day and he announced happily, "See? She's right, you're *all* going to have to leave!"
The first to recover his composure after the truth was revealed was, predictably, Omi and the genki teen rushed to hug Ken and he proclaimed, "Isn't that great, Ken-kun?"
The brunette regarded him with a somewhat stunned expression on his face and then he began to smile as he patted the boy on the back and said, "Yeah, Omi, that's really terrific news."
Having heard their cue when Norwegian had made the happy announcement that their patient had been granted his freedom after all, Okazaki entered the room with a somewhat embarrassed expression carrying the elegantly boxed cake that Manx had brought for a celebration. The shy man held the package in both hands deferentially as Javanese followed, smirking brightly and carrying cutlery and plates even as Dr. Egami reappeared, too.
Shaking his head in amazement since he'd never known the Kritiker physician to play practical jokes of any sort, Yohji remarked in surprise, "I never would've believed it, but you can be a sadistic bastard when you want to be, Norwegian!" Stepping forward and clapping the much older man on the shoulder in congratulations, he added, "That's one helluva way to tell a patient he's doing a lot better, though."
Not amused in the least, the Weiss field-leader had to make an effort to calm his raging blood pressure and Aya growled, "Well, *I* certainly don't think that was funny in the least, Norwegian!" Glancing at Ken and seeing the radiant smile of anticipation of an impending homecoming, he relaxed his battle stance and accused, "But since this was obviously an orchestrated assault, I doubt that *you* are actually the one in charge of such a cruel joke. Or am I wrong, *Manx*?" Icy violet eyes glared at the other redhead in the room in clear accusation.
The woman was not repentant in the least, however, and she flipped a thick crimson curl over one shoulder as she replied, "Oh, I'm more than happy to take the blame for this one, Abyssinian." Turning to where the two nurses were setting things up on a small table, she added, "But since I went all the way across the city to pick up Ken's favorite cake from that pastry shop he likes so much, I doubt that *he's* angry with me. And *he's* the one who matters the most right now, isn't he, *Aya*?" Her pointed use of both of his names alerted the Weiss swordsman that she thought he needed to back-off and remember that they all had the brunette's best interests at heart.
Chocolate eyes went wide and it was obvious that the claw-wielding assassin was indeed responding favorably to the bizarre turn of events and Ken asked eagerly, "You took the time to go over to Cream just for *me*, Manx?" [1]
Omi, too, had gained a look of anticipatory delight as he peered into the newly opened box and uttered, "Oh, yumm! I haven't had Mocha Almond Torte in *such* a long time! This is a great surprise, Manx!" Despite his enthusiasm for the decadent dessert they were about to share, he turned towards the portly physician and asked, "But there's something I don't understand, Norwegian. When I asked you if there was 'bad news', you said 'yes'. What did you mean? This seems like only good news to me." The expression of confusion on his gentle face was open and honest, his sense of brotherly love for the other teenaged member of Weiss overshadowing his sudden desire for marzipan and coffee-flavored chocolate.
Smiling in his usual jovial manner that made everyone feel more relaxed and reassured, the gray-eyed man chortled merrily and said, "Well, Bombay, we've all enjoyed seeing you four so much lately and now that Siberian is headed home, Javanese, Hideo, and I will all miss you, that's all."
"Oh, I see," the cerulean-eyed teen nodded. Then he frowned as a certain ebony-skinned nurse's image came to mind since he would have been with them at that point otherwise, and the young blond asked worriedly, "Have you heard anything from Korat lately? I just realized that no one's said anything about him since before I went back to school last week. Is he still looking for his sister?"
The ill-timed question caused all those assembled other than Egami who had been unaware of reason why one of the Kritiker nurses had been removed from the brunette's treatment team to lose some of their glow of happiness.
Norwegian glanced at Manx and then back to cerulean-eyed teen and answered sadly, "I'm afraid that his search hasn't been successful so far, Omi." The fact that he switched to the boy's given name was a signal to most of those listening that this was a more personal matter than one that pertained to Kritiker.
Yohji frowned darkly, concerned about Monique's continued absence not only because he valued her brother's friendship but also because he had found the quirky girl truly unusual in the often too uniform society they lived in and had developed a grudging affection for her. Wishing he could offer to go and help search yet knowing his place was here beside his lovers and teammate, he forced himself to try not to worry over it and said nothing.
Neither Ken nor Aya missed the serious expression which had flickered over the elegant features of their jade-eyed partner, they knew what he was most likely thinking about and they didn't wish to interfere even though they both wished that they could assist in some small way.
Distracted by thoughts of those absent from their group, Omi thought about how much it had hurt when Sokoke died. The lingering questions about the secretary-cum-chef's death remained unanswered to the best of his knowledge. Not wishing to darken the previously festive mood further by asking about it, though, he chose instead to change the subject by asking, "If Ken-kun is getting to go home today, does this mean you got some good results on his most recent kidney function tests, Norwegian?"
Chuckling happily once more as he flipped through a few pages of computer print-outs that included the extensive blood work that had been analyzed at Kritiker Medical Center, the rotund doctor proudly pronounced, "Why yes there most certainly is, my boy! In fact, we've been keeping a close eye on renal capacity and it's gone from a mere 5% a week ago to over 35% now." With a cautionary gesture he explained, "Unfortunately, that isn't enough for you to not come to KMC twice a week for dialysis until further notice, Siberian. However, as long as it continues to improve at this rate, you are most likely looking at seeing a full recovery of kidney function by the end of the year."
"Really?! That's *great*!!" Ken exclaimed delightedly, shocked by the sudden good news since the results of his previous tests had been a closely guarded secret for fear that his only remaining kidney might fail and leave him facing a worse fate.
While Norwegian nodded affirmatively, Omi was semi-quietly going berserk hugging Okazaki and Javanese, thanking them for the their efforts as well as celebrating something far more personal which he revealed by enthusing, "I can't *wait* to tell Nagi-love about this!! He was *so* worried about this since it reminded him of that school friend of his that died of kidney failure and all!" His glomp attack continued as he embraced Norwegian and then peered up at him and asked, "But what about the spinal injury and the rest of it? Is there really *nothing* left unresolved that might cause Ken-kun trouble later, Norwegian?"
Chuckling delightedly and returning the warm embrace firmly, the gray-eyed man answered with a happy shake of the head, "There's nothing left that we know about, Omi." Glancing at the man in the bed who had been receiving congratulatory kisses from both of his lovers, he added, "I really can't explain it, but Siberian has beaten the odds yet again! As long as nothing new goes awry *and* he follows doctor's orders for rest, medication, and physical therapy later, he should be good as new in time for the Spring soccer season with the children he has mentioned so often."
Catching the clear warning in the doctor's tone, Aya gazed at Yohji for a moment. After the blond gave a firm nod and a smile, the scarlet-haired man stated flatly, "You can be assured that Ken will follow your orders to the letter, Norwegian. Balinese and I *both* give you our word on that!"
As always, the violet-eyed man meant every word he said and then some, a fact that would eventually lead Ken to feel confined and overprotected by both of his partners. However, it would be a welcome sensation that would leave behind a cherished memory which would give them all strength during a time of terrible stress and uncertainty yet to come.
"Ah, excellent!" The doctor smiled and nodded even as he glanced at Omi who looked just as committed to the proposition of aiding his dear friend to regain his health and then commented, "That's exactly what I was hoping for. If he had anyone less deeply devoted to him than you three, Abyssinian, I would've been inclined to keep him here for another week or so of observation. However, since I'm not afraid of making house calls to the flowershop if I have to *and* I know that he has such an outstanding support network, I felt it was worth the risk."
After being quiet for a fair amount of time, Manx chose that moment to speak up and she added firmly, "I couldn't agree more, Norwegian. Even though they're now on inactive status, I fully intend to drop by the Koneko from time to time myself and anything the boys need I'll be glad to see that they get. Now, however," she caught a hand gesture from her old college friend and smiled before adding, "I think that Javanese is hungry for some of the cake she and Hideo have been slicing up. Shall we celebrate or are there more issues to cover, doctor?"
Casting a clearly hungry glance at the decadent dessert which only now revealed its inner secret of a thick gooey layer of dark chocolate mousse which was covered with slivered almonds sandwiched twice over between three moist layers of mocha cake, Norwegian shook his head. Barely suppressing the urge to lick his lips in response to the marzipan decorations carefully arranged on a glossy chocolate ganache outer shell, he responded, "Celebrating seems the right thing to do to me, my dear. I intend to go over the instructions for my patient's release in detail with his teammates later, but it can keep. For now, let us heed the words of the ancients and eat and be merry!" The way his belly jiggled as he chuckled after making such an archaic pronouncement reminded all those present that the man was the very image of Saint Nicholas and this more than his laughter caused those around him to join in the cheerful sound.
As the room was overrun with happy sounds and pleasant banter as Ken was presented with the first slice of cake--something that made his mouth water as he reiterated that this was indeed his most favorite treat!--dramatic yet harmless cumulus clouds sailed across the sky.
Eventually, someone asked Omi if he was missing class since they thought it was a school day, but the genki youth informed them it was a district holiday and that he'd been looking forward to coming to see Ken since both his school and the shop were closed. This led to a comment that it was particularly convenient since he could help gather the almost countless cards off the walls and the blond had groaned and mentioned that task would've been easier if his boyfriend was there. A moderate use of Nagi's powers would've left the cards in a neat pile in no time and even though the image was a sweet one, it lead to a frown on the previously cherubic features since the Weiss archer felt so lonely for the Schwarz telekinetic.
Luckily, the ever practical nurse from the small fishing village had a solution to the unhappiness in cerulean eyes and wondered aloud if Omi might want to save a piece of cake to give to Nagi later. This suggestion was well received though impractical and before long, an entirely new discussion arose regarding what Okazaki's cat codename might be.
Blushing shyly and looking down, the 30-something year old man insisted it didn't matter and that he was sure whatever Kritiker chose for him would be fine.
Those gathered around--minus Egami who was finding himself more and more intrigued by the intricacies of the secretive organization whose members he had long ago sworn to protect--disagreed and launched into a happy debate over several options. Manx surreptitiously kept track of the types of names the man seemed to like more than others and by the time the conversation moved on to a new topic, she had narrowed her own preferences to several breeds whose natures were calm, predictable, and unquestionably loyal.
The redheaded woman did note one odd thing, however, which was when certain traditionally Asian breeds were mentioned, Aya scowled more deeply than usual as if to say such names shouldn't be considered. Curious about this unexpected observation yet unwilling to make an issue of it there and then, she filed that information away, too, for another day.
After a lengthy and enjoyable going-away party of sorts, the group dispersed slowly.
First to leave was Egami whose pager informed him that an ambulance was en route that had a patient that might need his expertise. With a warm smile, he shook hands with the men of Weiss and playfully announced that he hoped he never saw them darken his door again since that would mean someone had been badly injured. Then, in a voice filled with sincerity and not a small amount of admiration for what they were trying to do for the citizens of Japan, he told them they could always count on his people as well as himself if they needed their services again in the future. He also postponed his departure for a moment to wish Okazaki well and then the surgeon who had worked so hard to save Ken's life was gone.
Next to leave were the two nurses who were finally getting to go home for the first time in well over a week. Neither of them needed long good-byes, though, since after each had a well earned four days of rest, they'd be back at work at Kritiker Medical Center where they would help with Ken's rehabilitation. As they walked out the door, Javanese gently teased Hideo that he would need to give her advice on bedside manner someday since she'd noticed that "her boys" seemed to like him better than they did her. The self-effacing man blushed despite being older and more experienced than she was, yet disagreed quietly before they vanished from hearing range.
Since Manx had dealt with the financial as well as security issues pertaining to the brown-eyed Weiss member's stay at Tokyo General many days prior, there wasn't any of the usual purely administrative paperwork to cope with and before long, the four florist/assassins were getting ready to leave.
Omi had dutifully worked to gather up the many cheerful cards and then left to take all of the bouquets other than the one in the Venetian vase to any elderly patients who might not have anything pretty in their rooms to cheer them up. As Ken had put it quite well when he suggested sharing them, he was on his way home to more flowers than anyone had a right to enjoy at one time and if they could share a little floral happiness with those who had none they should do so.
Once the eldest three members of Weiss were alone with Norwegian, the Kritiker physician made good on his promise to debrief them in detail regarding what was expected of his patient to insure Ken's complete recovery.
Occasionally Ken would ask something or other, but for the most part he remained silent and allowed his two lovers to handle the conversation for him. Yohji and Aya shared solemn expressions as they asked questions and double-checked the dosages of certain painkillers and other drugs that would be required for some time to come.
The topic of Siberian's medications, however, raised an unexpected issue and Norwegian asked, "By the way, Balinese, how have *you* been doing lately? Any more severe headaches I ought to know about?"
Frowning slightly, Yohji peered at the man over the top rim of his sunglasses and answered, "No, I've been fine, Norwegian. Other than those couple of days last week, there hasn't been anything other than the occasional tension headache after a noisy day in the shop." He wanted to mention that he didn't think the headaches were anything to be concerned about since both the blood tests and the brief neurological exam he'd received a week earlier had shown nothing out of the ordinary, but thought better of it as Aya scowled at him.
Chilly amethyst eyes gazed accusingly at guilty jade ones and then the Weiss swordsman commented icily, "Why didn't you mention the tension headaches sooner, Kudou? That will change immediately! There was no reason to allow them to cause you discomfort just because I wasn't there in the afternoons to keep those obnoxious fangirls in line!" His tone warmed only a few degrees as he asked, "You *did* keep those painkillers that Norwegian prescribed for you, right? If he needs to take them again, I'll contact you personally and let you know, doctor." His gaze was perceptibly concerned as he looked at the Kritiker physician and received a nod of agreement in return.
The expression of acute embarrassment on Yohji's face was a rare one but before he could open his mouth to claim he didn't need a nursemaid, the younger of his two lovers spoke up.
With his usual frankness, Ken stated, "We'll *both* see to it that he takes better care of himself, Norwegian. Hell, I totally freaked out that night I woke up and he was passed out in the extra bed in here." Giving the lanky blond a firm gaze that told him not to argue, he added, "I can't believe you think this is no big deal, Yohji. What makes you think that your pain is less important to us than ours is to you?"
Blinking jade eyes in surprise at the intensity of his partners' responses especially Aya's which he never would have expected to hear, Yohji felt a welcome and unanticipated warmth rise within him and he eventually nodded and said, "All right, you guys win. Next time I feel like crap I'll let you know and we'll deal with it, okay?"
Aya's serious expression lightened somewhat and he answered, "That's more like it, Yohji." Hearing their teammate approaching in the hallway as Omi greeted an intern in passing while on his way back, he added, "Is there anything else we need to know or can we take Ken home now, doctor?"
After glancing over the release form which had been signed in all the relevant spots and making certain that everything was in order regarding a schedule for Ken's dialysis and other treatments at Kritiker Medical Center, Norwegian smiled and said, "I believe we're done, Abyssinian. Let me have an orderly bring a wheelchair for Siberian and you can be on your way."
"I hate using a wheelchair after I've been able to get up and walk the way I did this morning," Ken complained. Upon recalling the incident with the wet floor which his teammates were unaware of and wanting to keep that a secret, he quickly added, "But since it's probably hospital policy, I'll behave and use one anyway."
Even as Omi walked into the room wearing a bright expression, happy to have made several senior citizens' rooms substantially cheerier, Yohji smiled adoringly and patted the brunette on the head saying, "Good boy! Get used to being babied, Kenken! Norwegian's counting on us to take good care of you and that starts now."
"We'll take *excellent* care of him," Aya corrected with a hidden smile of his own that was strictly for Ken's eyes.
"That's for sure," Omi chirped, beaming at everyone on the room and then quickly getting the last few things together even as Norwegian arranged for the wheelchair.
Before long, the men of Weiss were moving through the corridors of Tokyo General looking very much like the close-knit family that they had become. Several nurses, interns, and volunteers took the opportunity to wish Ken the best and he smiled up from his spot in the wheelchair and thanked them for everything. Carrying the antique vase full of gentians with great care, Aya remained silently alert keeping a watchful eye on his teammates pleased that they were finally at this point. Yohji pushed the chair carefully and occasionally made a remark or two to Omi who carried the stack of greeting cards in one hand and a duffel bag of clothes and miscellaneous items in the other.
When they arrived at the ground floor, the brunette commented that he couldn't wait to feel the sun on his face again for the first time in over two weeks and everyone around him felt glad that it wasn't raining again. November had been particularly dismal and to be able to see the bright blue sky as they rolled outside was heavenly for all of them.
While Yohji went to get the car, the remaining threesome chatted quietly together discussing what to do for dinner since Norwegian's decision to release Ken had been utterly unexpected. Unfortunately for the chocolate-eyed teen, there were still significant restrictions on his diet in deference to the healing kidney and in the end Aya insisted that they simply get home first and then decide what to do about it later. Touched by his scarlet-haired lover's practicality, the recovering patient agreed easily enough and simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the sunshine for a few minutes.
The throaty rumble of a well-tuned engine warned them of the arrival of Yohji's roadster and Ken opened his eyes in time to see his first lover pull up smiling broadly in response to Omi's playfully extended thumb as if hitchhiking home.
It took a fair amount of maneuvering to arrange the cast-laden man comfortably in the sporty car but it had been done plenty of times in the past for each of them. After placing the duffel bag, cards, and the cane that Ken had held on his lap into the trunk and turning the wheelchair over to a candy-stripe-clad volunteer, they pulled away and started making their way home to the Koneko no Sumu Ie.
As Tokyo General Hospital receded behind them, Omi asked thoughtfully, "I wonder if we'll ever wind up here again or not? It's been a nice enough place but I'd guess anything like this we might need in the future will probably be taken care of at KMC like usual though, right?"
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Aya fought the slight chill he suddenly felt and then remarked with a growl, "I'd prefer to think that we'll be more careful in the future and not need to seek care for 'anything like this' in the first place, Bombay!"
Cerulean eyes dipped down sadly and before the younger blond could answer, the elder one quietly commented, "Take it easy, Aya." Glancing over and seeing troubled violet eyes gazing at him, he added pointedly even as he looked in the rearview mirror and saw Ken giving Omi's shoulder a comforting squeeze, "Omi didn't mean that he thought Ken might get hurt badly again. Besides, you and I aren't going to let that happen anyway, are we?"
"Of course not," the swordsman growled with less anger, then sighed and forced himself to calm down before adding, "I'd rather that *none* of us ever end up badly injured again, Yohji, but I guess that's too much to hope for."
"Yeah, I'm afraid so," the wire-wielding assassin agreed and then placed a cigarette between his lips out of habit.
Distractedly sucking on the white cylinder which remained unlit since he had the top up and didn't want Ken's newly healed lung to be troubled by the smoke, Yohji tried not to worry about the pain and suffering that the future might hold for them. For once, he refused to allow the simple fact that an assassin's life is not meant to be a happy one dampen his spirit and he simply enjoyed the uneventful drive home, something that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that ignorance truly *is* bliss.
*****
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
[1] This is a reference to "Love Mode" and on the off-chance that you are familiar with that marvelous manga by Yuki Shimizu, "Cream" is the cake shop that Aoe-san's darling Naoya works at. Hmm, wouldn't it be fun to have that poor, angst-ridden bishounen encounter Omi? Talk about being able to put a pair of tragic pasts against each other to see whose life has been worse, ne?
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 58 & 59 will be posted together.
In accordance with my current commitment to give credit where credit is due and to thank the wonderful people who welcomed this fic back after its over-long Easter Break, this evening's posting run is dedicated to all those who have written me directly regarding it this week!
{pulls out the Horn of Friendship, plays a jaunty tune that shows how pleased he is that this list is as long as it is!}
Before I start naming names, I will add my usual cautionary note that, unfortunately, AOHell occasionally sees fit to eat my messages instead of delivering them to me, so if you sent me a note and your name doesn't appear here, I apologize profusely and beg your forgiveness. Also, another small warning my long-time fans already know by heart, I'm notorious for sending out Parts of the story to the whole world first and going back to send private thank you notes later. So please don't be surprised if it isn't until a day or more *after* the final posting run ends that you hear from me directly. I hate being behind on answering my email since there's so many cool notes I want to respond to, but there's only so many hours in the day and even when I cheat the Sandman like I did today--something I already regret--I'm still barely able to get everything done.
{looks repentant yet helpless as he yawns again, then starts making his list of dedicatees to honor publicly all those who chose to support him privately}
The first name on this list should come as no surprise to anyone at all since she's been one of my greatest sources of encouragement and I adore her for that as well as respect her for being an incredible writer herself, the one, the only, Yanagi-sen!!
{does the "wave" as if he was at a football game then smirks to himself, sits down and types more!}
Beloved Yanagi-sen has been an ever faithful font of fun since I first "met" her on-line via a shared interest in GW fanfiction. Since then, we've both been seduced to the WK world as well and I think we're both exceptionally happy about it. As for me, though, I've gotten more smiles, laughs, chuckles, and "ah ha! here's a great idea for a new fic or a twist in an ongoing one since *she* pointed this out!" moments than I can count. I could rave on and on about her, but since she got an entire posting run dedicated to her earlier in this fic, I'd best move on to the next honoree after mentioning something important. Please note that when Yanagi-sen's giftfic "Skill With a Blade" appears I hope everyone will take heed that it is NOT connected to the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity at all! Poor Omi and Nagi shouldn't have to cope with the side-effects of *that* plot for more than one story!
{shakes head sadly, knows that one won't be for the faint of heart, then moves on}
Next on my hit parade of frequent commentators is my crazy little brother who often sends brief snippets of "preferred descriptors" when he likes some of my word choices along with absolute groaner puns he either comes up with himself or finds at a humor newsgroup. Since he and I chat about fics on the phone on a regular basis, he often keeps the "review" part short and sweet preferring to make me laugh with a joke planning to go into detail later. Notes from him are always filled with the unexpected and that, too, makes them worthy of being placed highly on this list.
{quietly feels grateful he's not the only loony in the family then moves on}
Next up is a young lady who seems like a member of my family without actually being one and that's my kitten-koi, Ryoko. She'd never even seen WK until after I got her hooked on CNR and now she's a huge fan enjoying the adventures of the Weiss kittens on DVD as well as in fanfiction! Her personal grudge against Calico runs deep and I must say that if you wanted a loyal and darling reader for a friend you'd be hard pressed to do better than my kitten! She's defended me against flamers, cheered me up when I was down, and even tolerated my absence from the IM chats we often share just to get this fic posted for everyone to enjoy. I'm looking forward to writing a new GW piece about Trowa and Wufei to give her something new for her great page Sweet&Sweet soon to show her how much I appreciate her support, too!
{yawns about eight times in a row, gets a fresh glass of ice water to try to stay awake then goes faster on the rest of the list since the night is fleeting and the time for science lectures approaches}
A name that appears here which was on my fanfiction.net friends list as well is that of the amazing Beth. This lady is astounding! She's got a family to care for, a job that keeps her hopping, and yet finds time to write to me long and wonderful letters which I find more inspirational and reassuring than I think she knows. I hope to include a side-story or an epilogue just for Beth before the CNR tale is truly told, but for now, may I simply say that she's fabulous and anything with her email listed as "sender" is sure to get opened and read very quickly!
Another crossover fan whose name appears on both of these lists is Cat whom I consider to be one of the best things to happen to me since decaffeinated Earl Grey tea! Keep in mind, I simply *love* a good cup of tea that smells like bergamot, therefore it's not hard to infer that I also love Cat along with her adorable GW chibis! I'm incredibly grateful that she's following my fic and whenever she writes to me either directly or at fanfiction.net, I get a huge smile on my face! The fact that I seem to have given her a few smiles, too, is quite nice and that fact gives my muses and me energy to go forth bravely on the new pieces of the continuity knowing Cat and Chibi-Wufei will be along for the ride!
{moves on to more email friends with a sleepy yet grateful smile}
Next is a sweet friend who pops in from time to time, the ever darling Cody! Always with a quick cheerful word of encouragement or an observation, Cody makes me smile a lot and is, sadly, one of the people that are waiting to hear from me at length.
Another adored note-writer is mei-chan whose words of encouragement regarding the way my detailed coverage of the day-to-day was as enjoyable to read as the big events showed me that it really *was* worth it to go to this level of almost obsessive detail! Thanks, mei-chan, and I promise you that Calico *will* pay the price for poor Sokoke's death, it'll just take awhile!
A writer who I am honored to acknowledge as one of my readers here is the wonderful Portia! She's been a great supporter of this endeavor going so far as to bribe my muses with brownies one cold Winter day and that really helped when Melpomene was being cantankerous! Since I happen to know she's a die-hard Brad-Schu lover, you can bet there'll be more of those two bishounen for her to enjoy in "Power Failure" and here's hoping I get a chance to go enjoy some of her new works soon, too! Geez, there's times when my "I will not both read and write fanfiction at the same time to avoid accidental plagiarism" rule really bums me out!
As everyone found out last night, Issini has made quite an impression on me and I was glad to hear that she felt better after my reassurances that none of the series characters would die here.
Last but not least on this list is a new friend by the name of Bright Shadow. I can't begin to find the words to say what this person made me feel when I opened an incredibly long and well-considered letter from them. There were things in it that made my heart ache with gratitude such as the fact that this kind soul *appreciated* my hard work spent writing the first 18 Parts or so without feedback, a fact that I thought had gone unnoticed by the public. Yes, it *is* terribly hard to write alone that way, but before this fic I had always prided myself on not posting an unfinished epic. Now that I've done it this way, I can see there's both pluses and minuses to this approach but the fact that Bright Shadow noticed made me warm and happy.
{smiles at the long list of friends, then YAWNS and notes that he hasn't written his intro comments for the science class, then frowns about *that*, then signs-off with a promise}
Well, team, it's past time for me to wrap this up and share it with the world. For better or worse, I plan to be back shortly with the final three Parts all in one posting run for you! Here's hoping you all enjoyed my salute to my readers and that you, too, got a smile out of Kenken's "going-away" party!
Adios!
~~~E-sama the Llama~~~
(who is apparently insane to try to do this when he knows what he faces in a few hours, but after the review count went so wondrously high at fanfiction.net today, skipping a night of posting runs was out of the question! arigatou, minna-san!)
Posted 25 April 2002 ~5:15am