*waves* Hello everyone! Sorry about the delay between chapters
(again, I know). My teachers obviously didn't listen to you, Koneko Bombay!
Hm, this chapter is rather different. I have to warn that there will be
original characters for most of the rest of the story. I apologize! I
always hate original character stories myself…
But it didn't seem very realistic to have Nagi go visit the rest of the world and meet only characters from Weiß and Schwarz, ne? I'll do my best not to fall into the evil original character trap… the things that irritate me most are when people add dozens of them every chapter and give really tedious physical descriptions, etc. I'm going to try to make my characters actual interesting people. Now, I'm not saying I'll SUCCEED… but I'll try ^_^
I do have a solemn promise, though. This will NOT become a self-insert! With VERY few exceptions, those irritate me to no end… and I won't do that to my lovely readers! (even if I am beginning to wonder if I have any… lol)
Well, enough whining, dragon-chan. On with the fic…
The sweet perfume of flowers drifted through the air. Nagi turned his face up to the sky, closing his eyes and basking in the warm buttery yellow sunlight. He glanced through the lattice of the bright white gazebo, peering past the strands of honeysuckle that twined up the whitewashed slats leaving dusty yellow pollen and a lingering sweetness in their wake.
He started slightly at the soft sound of footsteps behind him. As most often happens in dreams, he was not the slightest bit inquisitive about how he had come to be in this place. He was there, and that was reason enough to be there. Though he did not know he was dreaming in the strictest of senses, he knew perfectly well that there could be no expectations brought to this place.
It was with no surprise, then, that he ran to meet the figure approaching him. Omi walked a bit faster, smiling softly at the sight of Nagi. His soft hair ruffled slightly in the gentle breeze as he offered the white rose in his hand to Nagi. Nagi reached to take it, but Omi simply shook his head and brought the flower closer to Nagi's face. Smiling in understanding, Nagi tipped his head down a little, inhaling softly, savoring the delicate aroma. Omi brought the flower a little closer to his face, brushing the petals lightly against Nagi's skin. He giggled a little at the tickling, glancing up at his lover's face. Omi simply smiled and leaned a little closer, burying his nose completely in the sweet scent. Suddenly, he pressed the flower hard against Nagi's nose and lifted a soft hand to gently pinch his mouth shut. The petals gave off a slight oily sweetness as he struggled, gasping for breath. They caressed his face tenderly, traveling gently up his nose. A few petals dropped off the stem, twirling their lazy way towards the ground. They dropped gently to the ground, little patches of white on the grass growing between the slats in the floor. As Nagi began to lose consciousness, he saw Omi's still-smiling face leaning over him, placing a sweet, simple kiss on his forehead. His lips trailed softly across Nagi's face, brushing gently across his skin and tracing the delicate curve of his cheekbone. He whispered into Nagi's ear, his soft breath tickling the sensitive hairs on his neck.
"I love you, koi…"
The words floated through the dark and empty room as Nagi opened his eyes, swiping trickles of sweat from his brow. He gasped, gulping in the cool night air in huge breaths, assuring himself that he was not dead. His lungs burned like fire.
Shuddering, he forced himself to breathe slowly, to calm his mind.
'Only a dream, Nagi. Get a hold on yourself'.
Sweating still, he tore off the twisted bedcovers and shifted his weight to look at the digital clock beside his bed. Blinking, he realized that the clock wasn't there. Nagi tried to clear his brain of the last clinging remnants of sleep's hold over him, searching for an explanation. Would someone have come into his room and removed it? It was possible, he supposed…
Possible, but not likely. Brad and Schuldich weren't exactly the type to come into his room and start redecorating while he slept. Nagi tried to brush off the nagging touches of worry at the back of his mind, telling himself that it was only a clock, that it didn't mean anything.
It was reassuring, though, having that clock by his bed. He liked it, liked knowing that it was by his bed as he slept, counting away the minutes and the hours as he lay on the bed unaware of the outside world. It would be there when he woke up, telling him unobtrusively how long he had slept and what the situation was likely to be if someone heard him. It seemed odd to be without it, not to know what time it was and whether Brad would be awake. Besides, what had happened to it? Where had it gone? Things didn't just get up and move away. Someone had to have moved it. Someone had to have gone into his room and taken his clock. What else had they done? What else was missing?
Suddenly, Nagi became wildly impatient with his idle contemplations. He sat up quickly, moving his feet out of their warm haven of blankets, wincing at the anticipated shock of the cold smooth tile of his bedroom floor.
His toes came into contact with a thick plush rug. He froze for an instant as the sensation registered, then jerked his feet back onto the bed. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, his heart pounding as a surge of adrenaline surged through his veins. Slowly, he eased his frame off the bed, noticing as he did so that the sheets were softer than the ones he remembered putting on his bed last week. He stumbled across the room, managing to avoid slamming his feet against all but one piece of furniture. Cursing under his breath, he reached the far wall finally and ran a trembling hand over the plaster, searching for a light switch. It wasn't there.
His last doubts vanished. He definitely wasn't in his room. Suddenly a brief, sharp sound pierced the stillness, and the room was flooded with light. Nagi blinked frantically, trying to see through the temporary blindness. His pupils adjusted quickly, and he soon made out the faint impression of a human figure. As the spots covering his vision faded, he saw that the visitor was a small woman with dark brown hair.
She smiled and moved towards him, high heels making no noise on the thick rug. Automatically, Nagi began to back away, searching the unfamiliar ground behind him for obstacles. The woman stopped and held her hands palm up towards Nagi in the classic gesture of peace.
"Hello…" she checked her clipboard "Nagi. My name is Aiko. I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now."
Nagi snorted at the comment. Well, we know who wins the Understatement of the Year award, don't we? He chose not to say anything, though. He'd learned long ago that it didn't pay to speak your mind, especially to strangers.
She seemed to be waiting for him to speak. When he chose not to, she continued almost seamlessly, her too-perfect speech marked by only the slightest hesitation. Nagi watched her brightly painted lips move over brilliantly white teeth as she said something else. Nagi had always wondered how women managed to do anything without smudging their makeup. Somehow it wasn't surprising that this woman could deal with it, though. He couldn't imagine those perfectly white teeth smeared with lipstick. She simply wouldn't allow it to happen.
He brought himself back to the present moment then. She was looking at him a bit oddly. Hm, he must have forgotten to listen again. He tilted his head a little, managing to look apologetic and quizzical at the same time. It worked pretty well on people who didn't know him… they usually ended up feeling sorry for him.
The woman… what was her name? Aiko… Aiko was fooled easily. Her puzzled expression faded, and was replaced by a gentle smile. She repeated her previous statement. Apparently she was one of those people with the rare gift of being able to repeat herself without sounding impatiently condescending. Without the slightest hint of annoyance, she moved on in her little speech.
"Nagi, you are in a place called the Singer Institute for Children and Adolescents."
Well, that name was certainly vague enough. Odd how long it was possible to talk without giving any real information.
"We work to help people who need it. It has come to our attention that you may benefit from some time here. We hope we can help you."
"I'm afraid I must apologize for the unpleasant way in which you awakened. We make every effort to ensure that our visitors are attended to when they wake, but…"
Here she shrugged a little, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled, inviting Nagi to join in with her mild amusement.
"These things do happen. I hope you can forgive us. We will, of course, attempt to facilitate your needs and wishes from this point onwards."
It would be like kicking a puppy to refuse her apology. Nagi inclined his head graciously, dismissing the utter panic he'd felt as a minor mishap. He waited patiently for her to continue, hoping that this time she might accidentally let some actual information slip out. Alas, she was too smart for him.
"Well, I'd better be going now, but I hope I've managed to make you feel a little better. Your Individual Personal Training Coordinator should arrive soon. Until then, simply make yourself comfortable. There's a washroom on your right-hand side and food on your bedside table. I hope to meet with you again soon."
She slipped out of the room before he could respond. His indignant murmur was answered only by the resolute tapping of her shoes on the floor of the hall.
Blinking, Nagi tried to make sense of what had just happened. He realized that he knew absolutely nothing about his situation.
Where the hell was he?
A/N Shameless cliffhanger, I know. Sorry! ^_^
I write faster when I'm encouraged by reviews… *hint hint*
But it didn't seem very realistic to have Nagi go visit the rest of the world and meet only characters from Weiß and Schwarz, ne? I'll do my best not to fall into the evil original character trap… the things that irritate me most are when people add dozens of them every chapter and give really tedious physical descriptions, etc. I'm going to try to make my characters actual interesting people. Now, I'm not saying I'll SUCCEED… but I'll try ^_^
I do have a solemn promise, though. This will NOT become a self-insert! With VERY few exceptions, those irritate me to no end… and I won't do that to my lovely readers! (even if I am beginning to wonder if I have any… lol)
Well, enough whining, dragon-chan. On with the fic…
The sweet perfume of flowers drifted through the air. Nagi turned his face up to the sky, closing his eyes and basking in the warm buttery yellow sunlight. He glanced through the lattice of the bright white gazebo, peering past the strands of honeysuckle that twined up the whitewashed slats leaving dusty yellow pollen and a lingering sweetness in their wake.
He started slightly at the soft sound of footsteps behind him. As most often happens in dreams, he was not the slightest bit inquisitive about how he had come to be in this place. He was there, and that was reason enough to be there. Though he did not know he was dreaming in the strictest of senses, he knew perfectly well that there could be no expectations brought to this place.
It was with no surprise, then, that he ran to meet the figure approaching him. Omi walked a bit faster, smiling softly at the sight of Nagi. His soft hair ruffled slightly in the gentle breeze as he offered the white rose in his hand to Nagi. Nagi reached to take it, but Omi simply shook his head and brought the flower closer to Nagi's face. Smiling in understanding, Nagi tipped his head down a little, inhaling softly, savoring the delicate aroma. Omi brought the flower a little closer to his face, brushing the petals lightly against Nagi's skin. He giggled a little at the tickling, glancing up at his lover's face. Omi simply smiled and leaned a little closer, burying his nose completely in the sweet scent. Suddenly, he pressed the flower hard against Nagi's nose and lifted a soft hand to gently pinch his mouth shut. The petals gave off a slight oily sweetness as he struggled, gasping for breath. They caressed his face tenderly, traveling gently up his nose. A few petals dropped off the stem, twirling their lazy way towards the ground. They dropped gently to the ground, little patches of white on the grass growing between the slats in the floor. As Nagi began to lose consciousness, he saw Omi's still-smiling face leaning over him, placing a sweet, simple kiss on his forehead. His lips trailed softly across Nagi's face, brushing gently across his skin and tracing the delicate curve of his cheekbone. He whispered into Nagi's ear, his soft breath tickling the sensitive hairs on his neck.
"I love you, koi…"
The words floated through the dark and empty room as Nagi opened his eyes, swiping trickles of sweat from his brow. He gasped, gulping in the cool night air in huge breaths, assuring himself that he was not dead. His lungs burned like fire.
Shuddering, he forced himself to breathe slowly, to calm his mind.
'Only a dream, Nagi. Get a hold on yourself'.
Sweating still, he tore off the twisted bedcovers and shifted his weight to look at the digital clock beside his bed. Blinking, he realized that the clock wasn't there. Nagi tried to clear his brain of the last clinging remnants of sleep's hold over him, searching for an explanation. Would someone have come into his room and removed it? It was possible, he supposed…
Possible, but not likely. Brad and Schuldich weren't exactly the type to come into his room and start redecorating while he slept. Nagi tried to brush off the nagging touches of worry at the back of his mind, telling himself that it was only a clock, that it didn't mean anything.
It was reassuring, though, having that clock by his bed. He liked it, liked knowing that it was by his bed as he slept, counting away the minutes and the hours as he lay on the bed unaware of the outside world. It would be there when he woke up, telling him unobtrusively how long he had slept and what the situation was likely to be if someone heard him. It seemed odd to be without it, not to know what time it was and whether Brad would be awake. Besides, what had happened to it? Where had it gone? Things didn't just get up and move away. Someone had to have moved it. Someone had to have gone into his room and taken his clock. What else had they done? What else was missing?
Suddenly, Nagi became wildly impatient with his idle contemplations. He sat up quickly, moving his feet out of their warm haven of blankets, wincing at the anticipated shock of the cold smooth tile of his bedroom floor.
His toes came into contact with a thick plush rug. He froze for an instant as the sensation registered, then jerked his feet back onto the bed. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, his heart pounding as a surge of adrenaline surged through his veins. Slowly, he eased his frame off the bed, noticing as he did so that the sheets were softer than the ones he remembered putting on his bed last week. He stumbled across the room, managing to avoid slamming his feet against all but one piece of furniture. Cursing under his breath, he reached the far wall finally and ran a trembling hand over the plaster, searching for a light switch. It wasn't there.
His last doubts vanished. He definitely wasn't in his room. Suddenly a brief, sharp sound pierced the stillness, and the room was flooded with light. Nagi blinked frantically, trying to see through the temporary blindness. His pupils adjusted quickly, and he soon made out the faint impression of a human figure. As the spots covering his vision faded, he saw that the visitor was a small woman with dark brown hair.
She smiled and moved towards him, high heels making no noise on the thick rug. Automatically, Nagi began to back away, searching the unfamiliar ground behind him for obstacles. The woman stopped and held her hands palm up towards Nagi in the classic gesture of peace.
"Hello…" she checked her clipboard "Nagi. My name is Aiko. I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now."
Nagi snorted at the comment. Well, we know who wins the Understatement of the Year award, don't we? He chose not to say anything, though. He'd learned long ago that it didn't pay to speak your mind, especially to strangers.
She seemed to be waiting for him to speak. When he chose not to, she continued almost seamlessly, her too-perfect speech marked by only the slightest hesitation. Nagi watched her brightly painted lips move over brilliantly white teeth as she said something else. Nagi had always wondered how women managed to do anything without smudging their makeup. Somehow it wasn't surprising that this woman could deal with it, though. He couldn't imagine those perfectly white teeth smeared with lipstick. She simply wouldn't allow it to happen.
He brought himself back to the present moment then. She was looking at him a bit oddly. Hm, he must have forgotten to listen again. He tilted his head a little, managing to look apologetic and quizzical at the same time. It worked pretty well on people who didn't know him… they usually ended up feeling sorry for him.
The woman… what was her name? Aiko… Aiko was fooled easily. Her puzzled expression faded, and was replaced by a gentle smile. She repeated her previous statement. Apparently she was one of those people with the rare gift of being able to repeat herself without sounding impatiently condescending. Without the slightest hint of annoyance, she moved on in her little speech.
"Nagi, you are in a place called the Singer Institute for Children and Adolescents."
Well, that name was certainly vague enough. Odd how long it was possible to talk without giving any real information.
"We work to help people who need it. It has come to our attention that you may benefit from some time here. We hope we can help you."
"I'm afraid I must apologize for the unpleasant way in which you awakened. We make every effort to ensure that our visitors are attended to when they wake, but…"
Here she shrugged a little, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled, inviting Nagi to join in with her mild amusement.
"These things do happen. I hope you can forgive us. We will, of course, attempt to facilitate your needs and wishes from this point onwards."
It would be like kicking a puppy to refuse her apology. Nagi inclined his head graciously, dismissing the utter panic he'd felt as a minor mishap. He waited patiently for her to continue, hoping that this time she might accidentally let some actual information slip out. Alas, she was too smart for him.
"Well, I'd better be going now, but I hope I've managed to make you feel a little better. Your Individual Personal Training Coordinator should arrive soon. Until then, simply make yourself comfortable. There's a washroom on your right-hand side and food on your bedside table. I hope to meet with you again soon."
She slipped out of the room before he could respond. His indignant murmur was answered only by the resolute tapping of her shoes on the floor of the hall.
Blinking, Nagi tried to make sense of what had just happened. He realized that he knew absolutely nothing about his situation.
Where the hell was he?
A/N Shameless cliffhanger, I know. Sorry! ^_^
I write faster when I'm encouraged by reviews… *hint hint*