Even Out of Battle Mode
by Laly Konstantin
disclaimer in chapter one.
Reincarnations:
Ron - Suboshi
Sean - Amiboshi
Rose - Soi
Seit - claims Nakago
Natalie - claims none
Jacob ?
Len ?
___________________________
-back in time a little, for more about Len-
If Len had any say in the matter, she would have been somewhere else. That somewhere preferably being Oregon, having lunch with Hannah, and with a little luck planning which party they'd go to and get drunk at this weekend. Instead, she was draining the last of her gas station coffee, having successfully evaded another gym class.
She sighed, climbing the stairs to the school's entrance and checking her watch. Fifteen minutes left of the day... she could slip into the art room, of course, like she had back when she was dating Richard. Bitchard, as she not-so-affectionately thought of him since he'd dumped her for one of her (ex) guy friends.
Len unhooked her headphonse from around the back of her head, and nodded to the art teacher as she walked in. He didn't look pleased - well, he never looked pleased, and he wouldn't raise trouble about her hiding out in his room. She slipped around the tables to an area in the back, an area frequented both by the most serious students and the not-exactly-students.
'Hey, um.. you,' she greeted Ron, who was staring at a canvas more than he was actually applying paint to it. He looked up, and indifferently returned the hello. She commented on the painting, he complained about the painting, and eventually she sat down. Eventually, he took his brushes over to the sink to rinse them off. Same old... Len sighed.
Ron, returning, made a 'Hmm?' sound.
'Life is boring,' Len informed him.
__________________________________
Natalie muttered to herself. She'd been so thrilled to get the number, so very ecstatic - and when she called, what of it? No one was home to answer. She'd left a message, asking them to call her, and sat down to read the paper and stew about her bad timing for a while.
__________________________________
Keisuke closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sunlight, forming quite an 'it's great to be alive!' sort of tableau. Perhaps it wasn't perfect, but his heart wasn't really in it. He'd been trying to stay cheerful around Yui. A whole lot of good it did, when she probably wasn't even looking at him.
Keisuke mentally kicked himself. That sounds bad, man, really bad, he told himself. Crush was over two years ago, remember? Your best friend's long-term girlfriend, remember? Don't make the readers suspicious.
For her part, Yui couldn't decide what to think about. She wanted to spend a few hours not obsessing over her reincarnated warriors, and let the thing play itself out. She wanted to appreciate being away from home - the relative dullness of college, her part-time job, her family (or lack thereof).
Since she wasn't doing very well... she turned, and realised Keisuke was looking a little troubled. 'Keisuke? What's on your mind?'
He turned his head in surprise, and smiled. 'Nothing, really.'
Yui laughed in frustration. 'Talk. Please?' I'm going a little crazy here, she wanted to add.
'Why do you think your -'
'Please don't make it about the seishi!' she interrupted.
' - um, incredibly handsome and charming friend Keisuke is still single after all these years?' he finished, grinning weakly. Great subject! But if she wanted distraction, she could have it.
Yui tilted her head thoughtfully. 'Hmm. Interesting question... I always figured you weren't looking, really. You're too much of a nice guy, right?'
Keisuke gave her a look. 'What's that supposed to mean?' Girls made no sense, he reminded himself. Hence the dilemma currently being addressed.
'I don't know. You're nice to everyone, but you never seem to take extra interest in anyone. I guess. I can't say I've seen you "in action" a lot - maybe you should talk to Tetsuya about that one.'
'If I were going to learn anything about it from him, I think I'd know it by now.' Keisuke's face turned a little red, for some reason - namely, that he *had* tried to learn by example, and it hadn't helped.
Yui had exactly zero words with which to respond to that, so perhaps it was a good time for Tetsuya's cel phone to ring.
'Great! I thought you might have it,' Tetsuya exclaimed after the customary greetings were exchanged. 'Listen, I just got back to Jacob's, and there's a message from one of those kids.'
Those kids, Yui mused. They're older than I was when you started dating me. 'Who? Can I get the number and call now?'
Tetsuya agreed. 'Natalie, the one... I can't remember. Number 583-2500,' he read off. 'Will you be back soon?'
'Sure. Keisuke and I were just taking a walk.'
Tetsuya turned a little blue - but of course, she couldn't see him. 'Can I talk to him for a minute?' he finally managed. He couldn't help it - a certain switch in his subconcious simply went off sometimes, and his brain started screaming 'MY girlfriend! Mine!'
Unfortunately, this left him with nothing very diplomatic to say to Keisuke. Since this *was* a longtime best friend he was dealing with, he didn't say any of the undiplomatic things, either - just confirmed that his friends weren't lost in a strange city, would in fact be back soon, and would call that one girl as soon as this conversation ended.
_________________________________
Len and Ron trotted down the supermarket aisle, seeking chips. 'Funyons!' he finally exclaimed.
Len paused to give him an odd look, then spotted her own saviours. 'Fritos!'
The two had left together after school, Len to get the hell out and Ron to get out before he ran into any of the others involved in his current messed-up situation. Their paths home did not coincide for very long, but he'd mentioned the grocery store in passing and Len had asked to come along.
Asked, rather than invited himself. Ron appreciated that. Their conversation had been flowing ever since.
'So wait a minute. You're a sophomore?' he asked her, as she knelt down for a red and golden bag.
'Huh?' she responded, pausing with her hands among the snacks. 'Oh, grade. I'm a freshman, actually.'
'You're a freshman?' he remarked in disbelief. 'I had no idea.'
Len shrugged. 'I get that a lot. Most people think I'm a senior.'
Ron half-winced. 'I always got that too, just because of my height. Freshmen aren't taaall,' he mocked, as Len stood up.
'Are we getting anything to drink?'
'What do you mean, are *we* getting? Do you actually have money to buy those?'
Len looked annoyed. 'Of course I have money! Okay, do *you* want a drink? Because I know I do and I may as well get ditched if you don't and you're leaving before I do.'
Ron shrugged. 'I have Sprite at home, so it'd be silly to buy something here.'
Len's eyes lit up. 'You have Sprite at home? Think I could, I don't know, tag along, and then take one while you're not looking?'
Ron fixed her with an odd look. 'Did you *mean* to say all of that out loud?' This girl was funny. Even with those scary eyes of hers - which he hadn't noticed before, a glinting gold that suggested evil in the form of puppies stealing sneakers - he supposed that she was less dully depressing than his current friends.
That could be a welcome change.
_____________________________
'I'd be thrilled to meet you somewhere tonight!' Natalie said. Joy, joy. She would finally get some answers. 'Oh, but... I'll have to see about getting a ride. Can I call you at this number?'
'Of course,' Yui told her. 'And I'm sure we could pick you up, if that's a problem. What about the others?'
Natalie hesitated. 'I guess that's okay.'
'Okay?'
'Well, to be honest... they won't tell me anything. I don't think I'm really involved in it, so maybe I shouldn't bother you without them around; but, well, I want to know what's going on.'
Just simple curiousity? Yui wondered. Well, perhaps it would be best. If nothing else, she might be able to learn what her seishi were really like this time around, rather than what they were like around *her.*
Yui considered explaining this to Natalie, but decided that could come later. At six o'clock, to be precise, at a coffee shop near Jacob's house. Natalie declared it walking distance from hers, as well. The girl sounded genuinely happy; Yui was starting to like her. Maybe she would understand, then, about trading the stories of past lives for stories of this one.
When Yui and Keisuke arrived at Jacob's, they found Tetsuya on the phone with Seit. Trying to be civil. Trying very hard... Yui took over.
Seit was in on tonight too, after all. It was Keisuke's idea, however, to invite him at seven, not six.
Needless to say, at that point, he and Tetsuya both determined that they would be coming along as well.
___________________________
AN:
::Jacob storms around behind Laly's seat at the computer, and starts to sing.::
Jacob: I work hard for the money.. so hard for it, HONEY... I work hard for the money, where the HELL am I in this fic?
Laly: Ouch. You have a point there. I mean, you're supposed to be a main character.
Let's see. Next chapter should finally *be* a meeting of Yui with her seishi, and I'll see if Jacob can tag along. Anyone who has comments, please make them! I don't know what you people want... if anything... even tell me to stop writing. I think I could do that.
::Seit then approaches, interrupting the rant, and taps Laly on the shoulder.::
Seit: Vilifying me enough, Madam Author?
Laly: Oh, come on! The series character can't trust you! You're *Nakago*!
Seit: And I remind you of your ex.
Laly: Would. You. Kindly. Shut. Up?
Seit: Oh, are you going to write me out, now?
Laly: Don't give me any ideas.
by Laly Konstantin
disclaimer in chapter one.
Reincarnations:
Ron - Suboshi
Sean - Amiboshi
Rose - Soi
Seit - claims Nakago
Natalie - claims none
Jacob ?
Len ?
___________________________
-back in time a little, for more about Len-
If Len had any say in the matter, she would have been somewhere else. That somewhere preferably being Oregon, having lunch with Hannah, and with a little luck planning which party they'd go to and get drunk at this weekend. Instead, she was draining the last of her gas station coffee, having successfully evaded another gym class.
She sighed, climbing the stairs to the school's entrance and checking her watch. Fifteen minutes left of the day... she could slip into the art room, of course, like she had back when she was dating Richard. Bitchard, as she not-so-affectionately thought of him since he'd dumped her for one of her (ex) guy friends.
Len unhooked her headphonse from around the back of her head, and nodded to the art teacher as she walked in. He didn't look pleased - well, he never looked pleased, and he wouldn't raise trouble about her hiding out in his room. She slipped around the tables to an area in the back, an area frequented both by the most serious students and the not-exactly-students.
'Hey, um.. you,' she greeted Ron, who was staring at a canvas more than he was actually applying paint to it. He looked up, and indifferently returned the hello. She commented on the painting, he complained about the painting, and eventually she sat down. Eventually, he took his brushes over to the sink to rinse them off. Same old... Len sighed.
Ron, returning, made a 'Hmm?' sound.
'Life is boring,' Len informed him.
__________________________________
Natalie muttered to herself. She'd been so thrilled to get the number, so very ecstatic - and when she called, what of it? No one was home to answer. She'd left a message, asking them to call her, and sat down to read the paper and stew about her bad timing for a while.
__________________________________
Keisuke closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sunlight, forming quite an 'it's great to be alive!' sort of tableau. Perhaps it wasn't perfect, but his heart wasn't really in it. He'd been trying to stay cheerful around Yui. A whole lot of good it did, when she probably wasn't even looking at him.
Keisuke mentally kicked himself. That sounds bad, man, really bad, he told himself. Crush was over two years ago, remember? Your best friend's long-term girlfriend, remember? Don't make the readers suspicious.
For her part, Yui couldn't decide what to think about. She wanted to spend a few hours not obsessing over her reincarnated warriors, and let the thing play itself out. She wanted to appreciate being away from home - the relative dullness of college, her part-time job, her family (or lack thereof).
Since she wasn't doing very well... she turned, and realised Keisuke was looking a little troubled. 'Keisuke? What's on your mind?'
He turned his head in surprise, and smiled. 'Nothing, really.'
Yui laughed in frustration. 'Talk. Please?' I'm going a little crazy here, she wanted to add.
'Why do you think your -'
'Please don't make it about the seishi!' she interrupted.
' - um, incredibly handsome and charming friend Keisuke is still single after all these years?' he finished, grinning weakly. Great subject! But if she wanted distraction, she could have it.
Yui tilted her head thoughtfully. 'Hmm. Interesting question... I always figured you weren't looking, really. You're too much of a nice guy, right?'
Keisuke gave her a look. 'What's that supposed to mean?' Girls made no sense, he reminded himself. Hence the dilemma currently being addressed.
'I don't know. You're nice to everyone, but you never seem to take extra interest in anyone. I guess. I can't say I've seen you "in action" a lot - maybe you should talk to Tetsuya about that one.'
'If I were going to learn anything about it from him, I think I'd know it by now.' Keisuke's face turned a little red, for some reason - namely, that he *had* tried to learn by example, and it hadn't helped.
Yui had exactly zero words with which to respond to that, so perhaps it was a good time for Tetsuya's cel phone to ring.
'Great! I thought you might have it,' Tetsuya exclaimed after the customary greetings were exchanged. 'Listen, I just got back to Jacob's, and there's a message from one of those kids.'
Those kids, Yui mused. They're older than I was when you started dating me. 'Who? Can I get the number and call now?'
Tetsuya agreed. 'Natalie, the one... I can't remember. Number 583-2500,' he read off. 'Will you be back soon?'
'Sure. Keisuke and I were just taking a walk.'
Tetsuya turned a little blue - but of course, she couldn't see him. 'Can I talk to him for a minute?' he finally managed. He couldn't help it - a certain switch in his subconcious simply went off sometimes, and his brain started screaming 'MY girlfriend! Mine!'
Unfortunately, this left him with nothing very diplomatic to say to Keisuke. Since this *was* a longtime best friend he was dealing with, he didn't say any of the undiplomatic things, either - just confirmed that his friends weren't lost in a strange city, would in fact be back soon, and would call that one girl as soon as this conversation ended.
_________________________________
Len and Ron trotted down the supermarket aisle, seeking chips. 'Funyons!' he finally exclaimed.
Len paused to give him an odd look, then spotted her own saviours. 'Fritos!'
The two had left together after school, Len to get the hell out and Ron to get out before he ran into any of the others involved in his current messed-up situation. Their paths home did not coincide for very long, but he'd mentioned the grocery store in passing and Len had asked to come along.
Asked, rather than invited himself. Ron appreciated that. Their conversation had been flowing ever since.
'So wait a minute. You're a sophomore?' he asked her, as she knelt down for a red and golden bag.
'Huh?' she responded, pausing with her hands among the snacks. 'Oh, grade. I'm a freshman, actually.'
'You're a freshman?' he remarked in disbelief. 'I had no idea.'
Len shrugged. 'I get that a lot. Most people think I'm a senior.'
Ron half-winced. 'I always got that too, just because of my height. Freshmen aren't taaall,' he mocked, as Len stood up.
'Are we getting anything to drink?'
'What do you mean, are *we* getting? Do you actually have money to buy those?'
Len looked annoyed. 'Of course I have money! Okay, do *you* want a drink? Because I know I do and I may as well get ditched if you don't and you're leaving before I do.'
Ron shrugged. 'I have Sprite at home, so it'd be silly to buy something here.'
Len's eyes lit up. 'You have Sprite at home? Think I could, I don't know, tag along, and then take one while you're not looking?'
Ron fixed her with an odd look. 'Did you *mean* to say all of that out loud?' This girl was funny. Even with those scary eyes of hers - which he hadn't noticed before, a glinting gold that suggested evil in the form of puppies stealing sneakers - he supposed that she was less dully depressing than his current friends.
That could be a welcome change.
_____________________________
'I'd be thrilled to meet you somewhere tonight!' Natalie said. Joy, joy. She would finally get some answers. 'Oh, but... I'll have to see about getting a ride. Can I call you at this number?'
'Of course,' Yui told her. 'And I'm sure we could pick you up, if that's a problem. What about the others?'
Natalie hesitated. 'I guess that's okay.'
'Okay?'
'Well, to be honest... they won't tell me anything. I don't think I'm really involved in it, so maybe I shouldn't bother you without them around; but, well, I want to know what's going on.'
Just simple curiousity? Yui wondered. Well, perhaps it would be best. If nothing else, she might be able to learn what her seishi were really like this time around, rather than what they were like around *her.*
Yui considered explaining this to Natalie, but decided that could come later. At six o'clock, to be precise, at a coffee shop near Jacob's house. Natalie declared it walking distance from hers, as well. The girl sounded genuinely happy; Yui was starting to like her. Maybe she would understand, then, about trading the stories of past lives for stories of this one.
When Yui and Keisuke arrived at Jacob's, they found Tetsuya on the phone with Seit. Trying to be civil. Trying very hard... Yui took over.
Seit was in on tonight too, after all. It was Keisuke's idea, however, to invite him at seven, not six.
Needless to say, at that point, he and Tetsuya both determined that they would be coming along as well.
___________________________
AN:
::Jacob storms around behind Laly's seat at the computer, and starts to sing.::
Jacob: I work hard for the money.. so hard for it, HONEY... I work hard for the money, where the HELL am I in this fic?
Laly: Ouch. You have a point there. I mean, you're supposed to be a main character.
Let's see. Next chapter should finally *be* a meeting of Yui with her seishi, and I'll see if Jacob can tag along. Anyone who has comments, please make them! I don't know what you people want... if anything... even tell me to stop writing. I think I could do that.
::Seit then approaches, interrupting the rant, and taps Laly on the shoulder.::
Seit: Vilifying me enough, Madam Author?
Laly: Oh, come on! The series character can't trust you! You're *Nakago*!
Seit: And I remind you of your ex.
Laly: Would. You. Kindly. Shut. Up?
Seit: Oh, are you going to write me out, now?
Laly: Don't give me any ideas.