Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SLAYERS. Borrow, borrow, borrow...
- JUST ANOTHER AU FIC -
Chapter 12: Spot The Chimera!
Morning. Usually he was up and about long before this hour, but at the moment, Zelgadis Greywers still lay in bed under some afghan covers, sleeping like a rock. No pun intended, of course. He fully intended to sleep for perhaps another five more minutes... maybe an hour, Gods, he just wanted to sleep the rest of the day off...
However, the alarm clock had other ideas. As soon as the digital hit 7:30, it went off promptly with a steady, annoying, ear-splitting KKRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGG!!!!
And it produced the desired effect, too. The Chimera leapt up and off the bed, his wiry hair sticking straight up in all directions, slammed his fist on the shut off button, and groaned as he felt what seemed like a herd of African elephants doing a conga march in his head. Hangover, his still rather dazed mind reasonably filled in even as he climbed out of bed, dragged his feet into some nice fuzzy bunny slippers, and proceeded to the bathroom. Aspirin, yeah, a couple of tablets or so, he mumbled sleepily as he frantically went through the medicine cabinet. Where-- oh. There. Does sake produce hangovers? He didn't think it did. But apparently -- Gods, it throbs like hell -- it does. And so, he began, as he unscrewed the cap off the rounded bottle and took one familiar round white pill out, then poured himself a glass of clear water off the faucet, remind myself never to... never to...
. . . . . . Wait a minute, the part of his mind that wasn't being tromped on too hard remarked. He froze, looking up at the round mirror, then back at the pink sink, then over to the now open wooden medicine cabinet, rows of bubble bath, perfumes, flower-scented soap, shampoo, and what just might be a small bottle of feminine wash lined up below your standard aspirin, toilet paper, and disinfectant. This isn't my apartment, his fuzzed out mind processed, then sent out, quite plainly, with enough force to knock the hangover out temporarily to focus on the fact. His response to the situation was remarkably immediate.
He shouted, and fell back on the floor. He was bare-chested, he realized that, even as shock abruptly cleared his reasoning and gave him an idea just whose place and whose bathroom this was--
He heard the door to the adjoining bedroom creak open. Padded footsteps.
"Zelgadis-san?" A very familiar voice called from behind him.
What would you have done in such situations if you find yourself waking up in the apartment of the object of your dreams and fantasies after a long, drunken night out? What else, amigos?
That was the last thought the Chimera was forced to ponder before he promptly fainted.
*~* *~* *~*
*~*
Oh yes, I'm really in for it now, Filia Ul Copt thought wryly as she went about inspecting the latest order of vases and jars that had arrived this week. She'd lost count of just how many times this had occurred to her after almost three weeks of dating the namagomi.
Namagomi. She had to smile, inspite of herself, running her hand over the rim of a glazed blue jar. The name stuck, but she didn't mean it as much now as an insult than as a term of affection. In fact, she found herself needlessly admitting that he'd grown on her, grown to like that obnoxious, taunting but strangely endearing voice, those antics, that smile, and no, he wasn't that bad a kisser either.
Pretty good in fact, she added, blushing, as she set down the article of pottery.
Humming a soft tune, the blonde proceeded upstairs to her office. Amelia sat on her desk adjacent to the doorway, leafing through the mail. The secretary looked up and instantly managed a bright smile, however slightly strained, at the older woman.
"Oh, hello, Filia-san," she greeted.
"Amelia," she smiled warmly down at the young woman. "Say, have you heard from Zelgadis lately? He hasn't come by here in weeks..." The blonde trailed off as she regarded her secretary's rather uncomfortable expression. "Ame, are you OK?"
"No, he hasn't," Amelia replied, trying to retain her smile.
Filia frowned slightly at her friend's strange demeanor. "I see," she acceded finally. "I mean, it's rather unlike Zelgadis to not check on the company this long, and--"
"Don't worry, he'll... be back," Amelia interrupted. "I... have a nice day, Filia-san," she added, her expression decidedly too bright and cheerful that it seemed actually forced.
"Amelia, are you sure you're--"
The phone in her office rang.
Filia shrugged inwardly, noticing that the younger woman seemed relieved at the interruption.
"That must be Xellos-san," Amelia remarked.
The blond woman stared dubiously at her friend. Better let the issue off for the moment. "I'll go get it." Without further words, Filia headed for the doorway.
*~*
"Hello," a voice greeted tentatively from the other line. Xellos grinned into the receiver.
"It's me, Filia-chan."
"I thought as well. You really shouldn't call so often. I hav--"
"Dinner. With me. Tonight."
A pause. "Excuse me?"
"Pick you up at eight?" He continued. He could just picture her blushing from the other end.
"I..." She hesitated. "I mean, we've already went out the other day..."
"Please? Pretty please? If not I'll just jump off the top of my lonely little building--"
He could hear her snort sarcastically. She was still a delightful thing to irritate. "Fine then, jum--"
"Because I will. See, now, I'm about to jump off. Fi-chan, you broke my heart. Remember that I die for y--" He walked into the wide glass window overlooking the city some twelve stories below. In case she could see all the way up to his office from where she was standing. If she happened to be looking out at the moment, that is.
"Wait!" a suddenly flustered voice cut in. "I was just kidding! Of course, I mean-- *alright*, I'll go out with you."
"That's my Fi-chan! So, see you at eight?"
"Hai. Namagomi..." She put down the phone. Xellos Metallium clicked off his sattelite phone and sat back on the fuzzy pink high back boss chair.
Oh yes, things were going just as planned.
Let's see, this will be... oh, the seventh time they'll be out. Lavish her with attention as usual, be the charming, dashing Mazoku he knew he absolutely was, and look how well things have gone.
Not that he couldn't have any fun on the side, either. He still delighted in teasing her, in fact, the other night she'd almost scarred the poor waiter for life with her latest ill-tempered rampage (ah, you really must do a thing about your temper, Filia-san). Not discounting the fact that he really found it ... refreshing... to be with her.
Refreshing. Now that was an interesting choice of words. Yes, he did find the blond, seemingly demure spitfire entertaining. No, this little mission wasn't so tough to do at all. On the contrary, it was quite tolerable. Likeable, even.
Still, he didn't know how long their little charade will last. He would have to go a little farther with her -- that was the game, the plan, after all -- and he frankly wasn't sure just how soon she'd catch on to it. If he was lucky enough, he'd finally be able to bed her perhaps this weekend...
He lowered his head, eyes opening, dark, predatory slits shaded by long, purple bangs. Remembering that blessed night--
I... missed you, too, Xellos...
--and just how particularly memorable it had been. He had been almost -- what was the word? -- caught up in the moment. He smirked. Ah, so she didn't forget him, either? That made them even. He had originally thought he was the only one who enjoyed their little verbal assaults against each other.
Do you trust me, Filia?
Well, yes, I guess...
Hai, she trusted him. His eyes closed again. It really had been a spur of the moment question. Wouldn't you know, his Fi-chan actually went and admitted it. She really was falling into this thing seriously, whether or not she realized it. He remembered marveling, for a brief moment, of course, at the way her hair glinted gold even in the cold light of the full moon. He'd thought then, without much effort, she looked--
Beautiful night...
--Beautiful.
He leaned back into the chair, silently remembering the memory of that first kiss... Well, not the first; there was this time when he'd tricked her to stand with him under the mistletoe. But this was the first time she didn't abruptly slam some hard object down his face or leveled the venue of a party, Christmas or otherwise, after doing so briefly -- barely managing a peck, actually.
And what a kiss. He really should have tried to kiss her seriously early on. Seems that his little dragon had some surprises, however much he believed she surely hadn't kissed anybody for real since three weeks ago. Such soft lips. Perhaps she practiced on a pillow every night? He made a mental note to tease her about that later on. His smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as he pictured her swatting him with whatever object came in hand, screaming Perverted Raw Garbage at the top of her powerful lungs.
On the other hand, he told himself between chuckles, it *was* a little tasteless to tease about, even for him. Perhaps he shouldn't relay it to her. He'd find something arguably more annoying and witty to relate some other time, ne?
Two more nights, give or take. Sleep with her -- and somehow he found this quite an agreeable thought. Get her lovestruck enough to sign the merger. He wouldn't have to go as far as marry her, not that he'd really mind-- hm, now where did that come from? (Xellos: From the hopelessly obsessed, Xellia fanfic author who likes inserting mush even if it's *so* OOC of me? Author: Heh. ^_^;;;)
On that note, will she?
Why was this even bothering him, anyway? Xellos shook his head to clear those drifting thoughts away. A Mazoku's mind isn't one to wander, nor wonder about things as trifling as such. Still, he thought, smling ever so slightly, it was interesting to surmise.
Ah, perhaps... well, perhaps he was beginning to fall into this thing just as seriously as well.
*~*
Amelia sighed to herself, putting down the stack of mail she'd been arranging and rearranging the whole morning just to keep herself occupied. She really didn't feel all that enthusiastic with work at the moment. She knew she should be happy that Filia-san and Xellos-san are dating each other, she'd had a hunch they were destined together, after all. But on the other hand...
Oh, stop it, she scolded herself. It was absolutely selfish and unjust of her to be this depressed when Filia-san and Lina-san both have found that special someone they were destined to be with! . . . Even though her own romantic life seemed a total bust.
Inadvertently her mind wandered back to that morning three weeks ago. She'd been hopelesly dead drunk the night before, she remembered, but how Zelgadis-san had gotten into her apartment, she had no idea. She'd woken up on the couch, hearing the alarm clock ringing from her bedroom. Then, some time later, a shout. She'd rushed to the bathroom and there he was. She managed to call out to him before the lawyer fainted on the spot. Amelia all but totally dragged him back to the bed.
She was making coffee for the two of them when he'd woken up, mumbled an apology, and rushed out of her apartment. He was halfway down the hall when she called out after him to tell him he was still half-dressed, he might catch a cold outside. He'd blushed, hurried back inside to hastily put on his remaining clothing, then practically ran out of there.
That was the last she'd seen of him for the past three weeks. He hadn't even called or visited the company lately, though he had left a rather brief message over the phone, answered by Jiras, that he will be away for some time.
Is Zelgadis-san avoiding me? Amelia thought, her usually cheerful face becoming a worried mask. She sighed again, before turning her attention back to the stack of mail. Work always did cheer her up. Contribute something for the welfare of the company or group, as her daddy always said.
Zelgadis-san...
*~*
Saillune Continental Bistro was a crowded, albeit elegant, polished dining area occupying the entire west second floor wing of the hotel. They served excellent coffee, Zelgadis had to note, wondering why he hadn't gone to this place sooner. Of course, the crowd of people was a minus factor. He didn't like places with too many people; his grotesque golem skin stood out too easily, and he wasn't one for being stared at. Still, he had to admit the place served up to its reputation of serving the finest coffee in all of Saillune. A few more quiet sips and he decided he liked the place. For the coffee, anyway. Not like that Jap--
He hastily put down his cup, head lowered. Not to go into that right now. Business. Hell, he still didn't know how he could face Amelia again, after that fateful morning--
"Only coffee, Atty. Greywers?" the blond, pompous-looking man with too many rings adorning all ten fingers said, raising one eyebrow. The man's voice dripped with carefully-cultured, but still detectably artificial, congeniality.
Of course coffee. Not just coffee, but *great* coffee. Zelgadis looked across the three other men, one blindingly blond, another, a lawyer as well, apparently, with graying hair, and the other a large man with dark hair and a moustache. The company he was with didn't contribute to the ambience, that was for sure. Time to play the cards. The blond bastard, Heigel Something-Or-Other, just flown in some weeks ago and arranged to meet with him, as legal representative of Dragon Crest. Yes, he'd agreed not to divulge the matter yet to Filia, at least until he was sure. But what Heigel had revealed over a letter to him from almost a month ago was enough to alarm him. This wasn't a scam.
But he hoped to whatever god or goddess it was.
"It's the only thing I find agreeable to drink when conducting business, if you don't mind," the wiry-haired attorney explained, keeping his eyes warily on the blond. "Still, I don't see the point of this meeting. Mr. Heigel, as much as I believe you really are a close relative of the Ul Copt family, there's no reason for me to believe that Saichuro had--" Zelgadis paused, slightly confused, as the man who introduced himself as Filia's fourth cousin smiled a decidedly sickening, all-knowing smirk.
"Oh, but I do have proof, Greywers." Heigel regarded him, cold cobalt blue eyes glinting. The blond turned to the older man beside him, ringed hands gesturing slightly. "Moreau? The papers, if you will."
The gray-haired man nodded slightly, taking out what looked to be documents from a leather briefcase. He handed them to the lawyer.
Zelgadis took it silently, eyes widening as he ran over the text. What in the name of--? "This... This can't be--" he began, flustered and no less surprised.
But there it was. He quickly reread everything, down to the last detail, his eyes returning again and again with a feeling of disbelief and dread -- DEED OF SALE -- RONALD KAISER -- DRAGON CREST. And at the bottom: 'signed, Saichuro Ul Copt'. The document was dated more than twenty years ago.
The Chimera looked back up to the other men, visibly stunned.
"There has been a long-delayed misunderstanding, apparently," the bemustached, dark-haired man put in, his voice resounding in the crowded area. "As an old friend of the late Mr. Ronald Kaiser -- Mr. Heigel's father, as you would understand, I have flown in with him to make sure that justice be served. I do hope that things will go smoothly..."
"But-- this means... I mean, twenty years ago... Dragon Crest belonged..."
"Yes," Heigel confirmed, smiling that benign, yet repulsive, artificial smile. "An unfortunate occurrence, at least on the part of Saichuro. How sad for a man of such integrity to bet the company his clan had run for generations in a poker game; and lose," the blond gave a sympathetic sigh, tipping a crystal glass of white wine up. "Quite miserably, if I might add. And all this in a drinking spree."
Zelgadis put the papers down, gathering himself together. Unexpected. Impossible! But it was there! "But how did we not even know of this for twenty years? Your father -- this Kaiser fellow, you mean he didn't even claim--"
The blond man with that chiseled face, calculating blue eyes waved one hand impatiently, setting down his glass. "Look, my father had been a busy man. Also, the idea of managing the family business, seeing as we lived quite a distance away from the rest of the clan, didn't appeal to him exactly. So he just kept the deed until the day he died. I inherited it, as well as the main lodge in Outerworld."
The Chimera frowned.
Yes, it had been explained to him before, but at the time the idea had been too incredible to really believe. He'd solve it by himself, and save Filia the trouble. The lady had her hands full running everything to keep the company together.
And now this blond upstart who wore large jeweled rings and had a sickening voice, with an equally sickening, superior smile, would take everything away.
He bowed his head, defeated. "When... when would Filia know?" Zelgadis asked in a faltering voice.
Heigel grinned, lips curling. "Why, as soon as possible, if that could be arranged. Being the proper owner, I should take over immediately, am I right?"
The lawyer eyed him levelly, managing to keep calm. He turned to the other two men, who both nodded in agreement.
This is, Zelgadis thought with a mixture of bitterness and a rueful sense of doom, as he, out of ethics, shook hands with Heigel, Moreau and El Di, the beginning of the end.
*~*
Author's Burnt-Out Rantings: Zel/Ame fans forgive me for putting in insinuations of the drunken lust plot device! But hopefully this wasn't too bad. Blame the pure fruitiness of this chapter from juggling three different research papers and projects in a weekend, added with four cups of black coffee downed while listening to Weird Al Yankovic. Might take a while for the next chapter to come out. Hang in there, and thanks! ^_^
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE CRAMMING?
- JUST ANOTHER AU FIC -
Chapter 12: Spot The Chimera!
Morning. Usually he was up and about long before this hour, but at the moment, Zelgadis Greywers still lay in bed under some afghan covers, sleeping like a rock. No pun intended, of course. He fully intended to sleep for perhaps another five more minutes... maybe an hour, Gods, he just wanted to sleep the rest of the day off...
However, the alarm clock had other ideas. As soon as the digital hit 7:30, it went off promptly with a steady, annoying, ear-splitting KKRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGG!!!!
And it produced the desired effect, too. The Chimera leapt up and off the bed, his wiry hair sticking straight up in all directions, slammed his fist on the shut off button, and groaned as he felt what seemed like a herd of African elephants doing a conga march in his head. Hangover, his still rather dazed mind reasonably filled in even as he climbed out of bed, dragged his feet into some nice fuzzy bunny slippers, and proceeded to the bathroom. Aspirin, yeah, a couple of tablets or so, he mumbled sleepily as he frantically went through the medicine cabinet. Where-- oh. There. Does sake produce hangovers? He didn't think it did. But apparently -- Gods, it throbs like hell -- it does. And so, he began, as he unscrewed the cap off the rounded bottle and took one familiar round white pill out, then poured himself a glass of clear water off the faucet, remind myself never to... never to...
. . . . . . Wait a minute, the part of his mind that wasn't being tromped on too hard remarked. He froze, looking up at the round mirror, then back at the pink sink, then over to the now open wooden medicine cabinet, rows of bubble bath, perfumes, flower-scented soap, shampoo, and what just might be a small bottle of feminine wash lined up below your standard aspirin, toilet paper, and disinfectant. This isn't my apartment, his fuzzed out mind processed, then sent out, quite plainly, with enough force to knock the hangover out temporarily to focus on the fact. His response to the situation was remarkably immediate.
He shouted, and fell back on the floor. He was bare-chested, he realized that, even as shock abruptly cleared his reasoning and gave him an idea just whose place and whose bathroom this was--
He heard the door to the adjoining bedroom creak open. Padded footsteps.
"Zelgadis-san?" A very familiar voice called from behind him.
What would you have done in such situations if you find yourself waking up in the apartment of the object of your dreams and fantasies after a long, drunken night out? What else, amigos?
That was the last thought the Chimera was forced to ponder before he promptly fainted.
*~* *~* *~*
*~*
Oh yes, I'm really in for it now, Filia Ul Copt thought wryly as she went about inspecting the latest order of vases and jars that had arrived this week. She'd lost count of just how many times this had occurred to her after almost three weeks of dating the namagomi.
Namagomi. She had to smile, inspite of herself, running her hand over the rim of a glazed blue jar. The name stuck, but she didn't mean it as much now as an insult than as a term of affection. In fact, she found herself needlessly admitting that he'd grown on her, grown to like that obnoxious, taunting but strangely endearing voice, those antics, that smile, and no, he wasn't that bad a kisser either.
Pretty good in fact, she added, blushing, as she set down the article of pottery.
Humming a soft tune, the blonde proceeded upstairs to her office. Amelia sat on her desk adjacent to the doorway, leafing through the mail. The secretary looked up and instantly managed a bright smile, however slightly strained, at the older woman.
"Oh, hello, Filia-san," she greeted.
"Amelia," she smiled warmly down at the young woman. "Say, have you heard from Zelgadis lately? He hasn't come by here in weeks..." The blonde trailed off as she regarded her secretary's rather uncomfortable expression. "Ame, are you OK?"
"No, he hasn't," Amelia replied, trying to retain her smile.
Filia frowned slightly at her friend's strange demeanor. "I see," she acceded finally. "I mean, it's rather unlike Zelgadis to not check on the company this long, and--"
"Don't worry, he'll... be back," Amelia interrupted. "I... have a nice day, Filia-san," she added, her expression decidedly too bright and cheerful that it seemed actually forced.
"Amelia, are you sure you're--"
The phone in her office rang.
Filia shrugged inwardly, noticing that the younger woman seemed relieved at the interruption.
"That must be Xellos-san," Amelia remarked.
The blond woman stared dubiously at her friend. Better let the issue off for the moment. "I'll go get it." Without further words, Filia headed for the doorway.
*~*
"Hello," a voice greeted tentatively from the other line. Xellos grinned into the receiver.
"It's me, Filia-chan."
"I thought as well. You really shouldn't call so often. I hav--"
"Dinner. With me. Tonight."
A pause. "Excuse me?"
"Pick you up at eight?" He continued. He could just picture her blushing from the other end.
"I..." She hesitated. "I mean, we've already went out the other day..."
"Please? Pretty please? If not I'll just jump off the top of my lonely little building--"
He could hear her snort sarcastically. She was still a delightful thing to irritate. "Fine then, jum--"
"Because I will. See, now, I'm about to jump off. Fi-chan, you broke my heart. Remember that I die for y--" He walked into the wide glass window overlooking the city some twelve stories below. In case she could see all the way up to his office from where she was standing. If she happened to be looking out at the moment, that is.
"Wait!" a suddenly flustered voice cut in. "I was just kidding! Of course, I mean-- *alright*, I'll go out with you."
"That's my Fi-chan! So, see you at eight?"
"Hai. Namagomi..." She put down the phone. Xellos Metallium clicked off his sattelite phone and sat back on the fuzzy pink high back boss chair.
Oh yes, things were going just as planned.
Let's see, this will be... oh, the seventh time they'll be out. Lavish her with attention as usual, be the charming, dashing Mazoku he knew he absolutely was, and look how well things have gone.
Not that he couldn't have any fun on the side, either. He still delighted in teasing her, in fact, the other night she'd almost scarred the poor waiter for life with her latest ill-tempered rampage (ah, you really must do a thing about your temper, Filia-san). Not discounting the fact that he really found it ... refreshing... to be with her.
Refreshing. Now that was an interesting choice of words. Yes, he did find the blond, seemingly demure spitfire entertaining. No, this little mission wasn't so tough to do at all. On the contrary, it was quite tolerable. Likeable, even.
Still, he didn't know how long their little charade will last. He would have to go a little farther with her -- that was the game, the plan, after all -- and he frankly wasn't sure just how soon she'd catch on to it. If he was lucky enough, he'd finally be able to bed her perhaps this weekend...
He lowered his head, eyes opening, dark, predatory slits shaded by long, purple bangs. Remembering that blessed night--
I... missed you, too, Xellos...
--and just how particularly memorable it had been. He had been almost -- what was the word? -- caught up in the moment. He smirked. Ah, so she didn't forget him, either? That made them even. He had originally thought he was the only one who enjoyed their little verbal assaults against each other.
Do you trust me, Filia?
Well, yes, I guess...
Hai, she trusted him. His eyes closed again. It really had been a spur of the moment question. Wouldn't you know, his Fi-chan actually went and admitted it. She really was falling into this thing seriously, whether or not she realized it. He remembered marveling, for a brief moment, of course, at the way her hair glinted gold even in the cold light of the full moon. He'd thought then, without much effort, she looked--
Beautiful night...
--Beautiful.
He leaned back into the chair, silently remembering the memory of that first kiss... Well, not the first; there was this time when he'd tricked her to stand with him under the mistletoe. But this was the first time she didn't abruptly slam some hard object down his face or leveled the venue of a party, Christmas or otherwise, after doing so briefly -- barely managing a peck, actually.
And what a kiss. He really should have tried to kiss her seriously early on. Seems that his little dragon had some surprises, however much he believed she surely hadn't kissed anybody for real since three weeks ago. Such soft lips. Perhaps she practiced on a pillow every night? He made a mental note to tease her about that later on. His smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as he pictured her swatting him with whatever object came in hand, screaming Perverted Raw Garbage at the top of her powerful lungs.
On the other hand, he told himself between chuckles, it *was* a little tasteless to tease about, even for him. Perhaps he shouldn't relay it to her. He'd find something arguably more annoying and witty to relate some other time, ne?
Two more nights, give or take. Sleep with her -- and somehow he found this quite an agreeable thought. Get her lovestruck enough to sign the merger. He wouldn't have to go as far as marry her, not that he'd really mind-- hm, now where did that come from? (Xellos: From the hopelessly obsessed, Xellia fanfic author who likes inserting mush even if it's *so* OOC of me? Author: Heh. ^_^;;;)
On that note, will she?
Why was this even bothering him, anyway? Xellos shook his head to clear those drifting thoughts away. A Mazoku's mind isn't one to wander, nor wonder about things as trifling as such. Still, he thought, smling ever so slightly, it was interesting to surmise.
Ah, perhaps... well, perhaps he was beginning to fall into this thing just as seriously as well.
*~*
Amelia sighed to herself, putting down the stack of mail she'd been arranging and rearranging the whole morning just to keep herself occupied. She really didn't feel all that enthusiastic with work at the moment. She knew she should be happy that Filia-san and Xellos-san are dating each other, she'd had a hunch they were destined together, after all. But on the other hand...
Oh, stop it, she scolded herself. It was absolutely selfish and unjust of her to be this depressed when Filia-san and Lina-san both have found that special someone they were destined to be with! . . . Even though her own romantic life seemed a total bust.
Inadvertently her mind wandered back to that morning three weeks ago. She'd been hopelesly dead drunk the night before, she remembered, but how Zelgadis-san had gotten into her apartment, she had no idea. She'd woken up on the couch, hearing the alarm clock ringing from her bedroom. Then, some time later, a shout. She'd rushed to the bathroom and there he was. She managed to call out to him before the lawyer fainted on the spot. Amelia all but totally dragged him back to the bed.
She was making coffee for the two of them when he'd woken up, mumbled an apology, and rushed out of her apartment. He was halfway down the hall when she called out after him to tell him he was still half-dressed, he might catch a cold outside. He'd blushed, hurried back inside to hastily put on his remaining clothing, then practically ran out of there.
That was the last she'd seen of him for the past three weeks. He hadn't even called or visited the company lately, though he had left a rather brief message over the phone, answered by Jiras, that he will be away for some time.
Is Zelgadis-san avoiding me? Amelia thought, her usually cheerful face becoming a worried mask. She sighed again, before turning her attention back to the stack of mail. Work always did cheer her up. Contribute something for the welfare of the company or group, as her daddy always said.
Zelgadis-san...
*~*
Saillune Continental Bistro was a crowded, albeit elegant, polished dining area occupying the entire west second floor wing of the hotel. They served excellent coffee, Zelgadis had to note, wondering why he hadn't gone to this place sooner. Of course, the crowd of people was a minus factor. He didn't like places with too many people; his grotesque golem skin stood out too easily, and he wasn't one for being stared at. Still, he had to admit the place served up to its reputation of serving the finest coffee in all of Saillune. A few more quiet sips and he decided he liked the place. For the coffee, anyway. Not like that Jap--
He hastily put down his cup, head lowered. Not to go into that right now. Business. Hell, he still didn't know how he could face Amelia again, after that fateful morning--
"Only coffee, Atty. Greywers?" the blond, pompous-looking man with too many rings adorning all ten fingers said, raising one eyebrow. The man's voice dripped with carefully-cultured, but still detectably artificial, congeniality.
Of course coffee. Not just coffee, but *great* coffee. Zelgadis looked across the three other men, one blindingly blond, another, a lawyer as well, apparently, with graying hair, and the other a large man with dark hair and a moustache. The company he was with didn't contribute to the ambience, that was for sure. Time to play the cards. The blond bastard, Heigel Something-Or-Other, just flown in some weeks ago and arranged to meet with him, as legal representative of Dragon Crest. Yes, he'd agreed not to divulge the matter yet to Filia, at least until he was sure. But what Heigel had revealed over a letter to him from almost a month ago was enough to alarm him. This wasn't a scam.
But he hoped to whatever god or goddess it was.
"It's the only thing I find agreeable to drink when conducting business, if you don't mind," the wiry-haired attorney explained, keeping his eyes warily on the blond. "Still, I don't see the point of this meeting. Mr. Heigel, as much as I believe you really are a close relative of the Ul Copt family, there's no reason for me to believe that Saichuro had--" Zelgadis paused, slightly confused, as the man who introduced himself as Filia's fourth cousin smiled a decidedly sickening, all-knowing smirk.
"Oh, but I do have proof, Greywers." Heigel regarded him, cold cobalt blue eyes glinting. The blond turned to the older man beside him, ringed hands gesturing slightly. "Moreau? The papers, if you will."
The gray-haired man nodded slightly, taking out what looked to be documents from a leather briefcase. He handed them to the lawyer.
Zelgadis took it silently, eyes widening as he ran over the text. What in the name of--? "This... This can't be--" he began, flustered and no less surprised.
But there it was. He quickly reread everything, down to the last detail, his eyes returning again and again with a feeling of disbelief and dread -- DEED OF SALE -- RONALD KAISER -- DRAGON CREST. And at the bottom: 'signed, Saichuro Ul Copt'. The document was dated more than twenty years ago.
The Chimera looked back up to the other men, visibly stunned.
"There has been a long-delayed misunderstanding, apparently," the bemustached, dark-haired man put in, his voice resounding in the crowded area. "As an old friend of the late Mr. Ronald Kaiser -- Mr. Heigel's father, as you would understand, I have flown in with him to make sure that justice be served. I do hope that things will go smoothly..."
"But-- this means... I mean, twenty years ago... Dragon Crest belonged..."
"Yes," Heigel confirmed, smiling that benign, yet repulsive, artificial smile. "An unfortunate occurrence, at least on the part of Saichuro. How sad for a man of such integrity to bet the company his clan had run for generations in a poker game; and lose," the blond gave a sympathetic sigh, tipping a crystal glass of white wine up. "Quite miserably, if I might add. And all this in a drinking spree."
Zelgadis put the papers down, gathering himself together. Unexpected. Impossible! But it was there! "But how did we not even know of this for twenty years? Your father -- this Kaiser fellow, you mean he didn't even claim--"
The blond man with that chiseled face, calculating blue eyes waved one hand impatiently, setting down his glass. "Look, my father had been a busy man. Also, the idea of managing the family business, seeing as we lived quite a distance away from the rest of the clan, didn't appeal to him exactly. So he just kept the deed until the day he died. I inherited it, as well as the main lodge in Outerworld."
The Chimera frowned.
Yes, it had been explained to him before, but at the time the idea had been too incredible to really believe. He'd solve it by himself, and save Filia the trouble. The lady had her hands full running everything to keep the company together.
And now this blond upstart who wore large jeweled rings and had a sickening voice, with an equally sickening, superior smile, would take everything away.
He bowed his head, defeated. "When... when would Filia know?" Zelgadis asked in a faltering voice.
Heigel grinned, lips curling. "Why, as soon as possible, if that could be arranged. Being the proper owner, I should take over immediately, am I right?"
The lawyer eyed him levelly, managing to keep calm. He turned to the other two men, who both nodded in agreement.
This is, Zelgadis thought with a mixture of bitterness and a rueful sense of doom, as he, out of ethics, shook hands with Heigel, Moreau and El Di, the beginning of the end.
*~*
Author's Burnt-Out Rantings: Zel/Ame fans forgive me for putting in insinuations of the drunken lust plot device! But hopefully this wasn't too bad. Blame the pure fruitiness of this chapter from juggling three different research papers and projects in a weekend, added with four cups of black coffee downed while listening to Weird Al Yankovic. Might take a while for the next chapter to come out. Hang in there, and thanks! ^_^
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE CRAMMING?