Uwah! I'm soooooooooo sorry I haven't updated in like, forever. ^_^;;; Real life is getting more demanding year by year… And I'm a senior now, and my seniors have stopped coming for Club since they have exams… and we have competitions… @_@ Vicious cycle. Feel free to bombard me via email if you can't stand the wait.
I LOVE ALL OF YOUUUUUU!!!!! I've never had such a well-received fic before… so it was a major ego boost! *heart heart* Thank youuuuuuu!!! I even received an archive request! So I'm really, really happy, and I'll definitely continue this fic all the way to the end! Yakusoku!
So this chapter is dedicated to every single of one you who reviewed, namely: asami, Misura, Uzumaki, Jenken, Airienn de Puck, chibi koneko, Heather, olivia-yuymaxwell, Literary Eagle, SnoOza, Pocky King Windy and Sumire! And of course, not forgetting my beta, Sansele! RanKen forever!!!!!! *waves banners*
Enjoy the ficcy!!!
^_^V
++++++++++++
Review Replies:
Asami: Thankkkkk youuuuu!!!
Misura: Glad you like the morning wake up scene. (Everyone seems to have. ^_^) There will be more Youji in this chapter, and you all will most definitely find out more about Kaede. Your stories rock, by the way. ^_^
Uzumaki: ^_^ Glad you like Kaede, I thought I might have over killed on the dialogue… Thank you for all the wonderful comments!
JenKen: Well, I have thirteen now… @_@ Nearly died out of happiness… Thank You!
Airienn de Puck: Yep, going on! ^_^
Chibi koneko: Well, the wait is over. (For this chapter at least. ^_^;;;) Banner waving is fun isn't it? ^_^
Heather: Well, hope the wait didn't kill you. ^_^ You actually noticed I used "missions" instead of "chapters"!!! Wheeeee!!!
Olivia-yuymaxwell: I'm continuing, I'm continuing. ^_^ Heh, RanKen forever!
Sansele (The beta reader): I know I need to improve. ^^;;; Well, apparently the RanKen bits did improved, based on your comments of this chappie… And Kaede isn't anything like Sho Fei! Different! Different!
Literary Eagle: Everybody seems to have liked it. ^_^
SnoOza: First Hanakimi, now X… I'm worried. O.O And RanKen forever, baka! *smacks* (It's okay, she's my school friend…)
Pocky King Windy: Yep, football is fun! Well, more reviews make me happier… Currently the biggest writing obstacle is school… *sobs*
Sumire: ^_^ Updated! Ta da~~~!!!
++++++++++
Beta read by Sansele
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"……" Speech
(……) Authors Notes/ Comments
[……] Thoughts (in italics)
((……)) Sounds
//……// Telepathy (in italics)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Weiss Kreuz is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss]
[Original characters, plotline, etc are the intellectual property of Draconsis]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candela Studios Presents:
A Draconsis Fanfiction
Beautiful Dream
[Mission 02: Like a Rose]
You treat me like a rose
You give me room to grow
You shone the light of love on me
And gave me air so I can breathe
You open doors that close
In a world where anything goes
You give me strength so I stand tall
Within this bed of earth
Just like a rose
~ A1 – Like a Rose
"No way!"
"Yes way."
"Noooo way!"
"Yes way."
"No- OW!" Youji rubbed his head, glaring first at Kaede, then at the cushion she had chucked at him.
"Yes, Kudou, I painted that, full stop." Kaede smirked at him.
The two were in her room, the blond having volunteered to help her arrange her things. They had just finished hanging a painting onto the wall opposite the window, the afternoon sunlight filtering in through the windows. The brunette lounged in a swivel chair, the desk behind it already littered with various papers.
The painting in question was actually one painting and four sketches, the smaller sketches mounted on either side of the larger painting. The sketches depicted a young fox, either running, hiding, playing or hunting. The main painting showed the same fox, but this time it was asleep on a windowsill, a knocked-over vase of lilies lying beside it.
"You're joking." Youji took a step closer to the painting, scrutinizing it carefully. "It looks professional."
Kaede shook her head. "Bottom right of the main painting."
The blondes' eyes fell onto a signature, written both in Kanji and Romanji. "Akizaki Kaede." He turned back to face her, grinning. "Well, I'll be. You really did paint it."
Kaede nodded. "My first year exam piece."
The male assassin strode across the room, leaning over Kaede, his face extremely close to hers. "Why don't you teach me how to do it eh? Say… with you as a model?" He flashed a winning smile. "Preferably undressed?"
Kaede calmly swiped his legs out from under him, causing him to land in a heap on the floor. "Won't work, Kudou." She stood up, an amused smile on her face. "By the way, I'll be locking my door every night."
Youji sighed, picking himself up from the carpet. "Killjoy."
-~=*[^]*=~-
To: Aniki why_am_i@candela_studios.net
From: akizaki_kaede@nanyo.edu.jp
Dearest Older Brother,
Recently moved up to Tokyo, since my transfer to Nanyo's Tokyo campus got through. Been here for a week already, and I'm settling in quite well. I'm staying with a couple of guys, but don't worry, if they try anything on me, they'll face my wrath, MUAHAHAHAHA.
*cough* Anyway, it's late autumn here in Tokyo, and it's much cooler than Kyoto. My housemates say it might even snow… Heh. Haven't seen snow falling since Germany. The teachers here are crazy. We get piles and piles and PILES of homework everyday. Well, at least the house has broadband, which is much better than a lousy dial-up modem. Only bad point is, the Internet isn't available most of the time… Computer-addicted people. Tsk tsk.
If your job sends you back here, maybe we can meet up? Ne?
*Hearts*
~Kae-chan
-~=*[^]*=~-
((RING RING))
"What- OW!"
The table shook violently from the shock, the blond man underneath rubbing his head. Dressed casually in an old collared shirt and pants, he crawled out from under the table, glaring at the phone.
[Note to self: Do not stand up if there is a table above you.]
((RING RING))
The ringing was getting louder and more incessant.
Sitting on the floor, Mirai Kagaya twitched. "Answering machine." Nobody bothered him when he had cable problems. All 120 feet worth of it.
The annoying phone immediately stopped ringing, rerouting itself to his answering machine. The static of his pre-recorded message filled the air. "Hello, Mirai Kagaya here. Not in right now, leave a message at the beep, and I'll get back to you." ((beep))
"Blitz, I know you're there." The deep, but still feminine voice chided him from the answering machine.
Kagaya practically flew towards the phone. "MANX-SAN!?" He said in surprise, hitting the speaker button.
The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. "Who else?"
"I don't know… Some female senior who would like to kill me for getting higher marks than her?" Kagaya joked, sitting cross-legged back down on the floor.
Manx laughed. "It's your fault for writing such a good program… as a reminder, Kritiker has dibs on the buying of that software."
"Hai, hai…I know that. Any other reason why you called me today?"
"Yes." Manx's voice sobered up, and Kagaya could recognize the tone she took whenever she was handing out a new mission. "We need you to check up on a group of people. Find out if they're alive, where they currently are, and see if you can get any recent photos of them."
Kagaya slumped. Another information gathering task. The computer next to him opened up a notepad window, ready to take down the names of the targets in question.
"The first one is Crawford, Brad or Bradley, we're not very sure. Codename Oracle, American, black hair, around 27 years of age. Precognition. Second one is Schuldich; German, long, red hair, early twenties, codename Mastermind, telepathy. Third one is Farfarello, Irish, also early twenties. He has white hair, and his codename is Berserker. Check around a few mental institutions, you might find him there. Fourth one is Naoe Nagi, Japanese. He has brown hair, fifteen years of age, codename Prodigy, and his power is telekinesis. Their team name is Schwarz, originally under Estet."
Kagaya frowned. "Wait… Didn't Estet blow itself up, or something like that?"
"They did, we just want to know if these four are alive."
Kagaya blinked, his computer already connected to the Internet and waiting patiently for Google's servers to keep up with its speed. "Do I have job competition, Manx?"
"Blitz, we're going to remove them if they're alive. Your job is quite safe."
The MIT undergrad twitched. "O…kay…" Remove, in Kritiker speak, meant kill, assassinate, or annihilate, depending on how dangerous you were. Computer #1 had already accessed Naoe Nagi's school files, Computer #2 was connecting to the Internet, and Computer #3 was finishing booting up, but sadly, Computer #4 was currently out of order.
"Goodbye, Blitz."
"Goodbye, Manx-san." The phone's speaker button winked out.
Kagaya sat on the floor of his room, the four computers he owned adorning the tables surrounding him. The room was silent except for the sound of three computers typing, and the occasional whir of machinery. He let his eyes go out of focus for a while, finally focusing back onto Computer #1's keyboard, watching the keys depress at his will. Stretching, he stood back up and went off to get a cup of coffee.
"I'm just glad I'm not an assassin."
-~=*[^]*=~-
"Tadaima." Kaede called out as she let herself into the house. Carefully, she put the camera the school had loaned her onto a high shelf, making sure it was out of harm's way. Dumping her bags in a corner, she walked over to the kitchen, pulling open a cupboard and rummaging around for the pack of green tea she had put there yesterday.
Omi poked his out from around the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen, smiling a genki smile at her. "Ah, welcome back." He motioned to the stove with his head. "There's some ramen if you're hungry, just warm it up." His head disappeared back behind the wall.
Kaede walked out to the living room, holding her mug of green tea in one hand and lugging her school bag in the other. "Iie, I had lunch in school." She stopped in her tracks and stared at the pile of thick account books sitting on the table where Omi was doing his homework.
"Oh yes." Omi pointed to the account books. "Aya-kun was wondering if you could do the accounts." He chibied and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, more like ordered you to do the accounts."
Kaede stared at the pile in shock. "You can't be serious."
"Dead serious." Omi smiled and went back to his math homework.
"But my math is lousy! I'll probably mess it up." She gaped open-mouthed at the stack. Images of Aya giving the Glare of Death to the other members of Weiss came unbidden to her mind.
Omi shrugged. "If you want to, you can swap with me. I'm doing all of the flower arrangement orders."
Kaede brightened visibly. "Okay! How many orders are there?"
"Thirty-seven. Fourteen of which must be completed by tomorrow." Omi stated in a matter-of-fact voice, filling in the answer to the math question.
Well, it was the lesser of the two evils. Kaede sat down and started pulling her homework out of her file, muttering darkly all the way.
-~=*[^]*=~-
(Aya's Point of View)
Stupid, crazy fangirls. Well, at least most of them have gone home by now. You'd think they'd have some other things to do rather than drool over us all day.
Omi's upstairs doing homework, and Kudou… Well, Kudou is skiving as per normal, so that leaves Ken and me alone in the shop. Plus a few fangirls and the plants.
"Hey, Aya!" Ken smiles at me from where he's watering some gentians. "I'm buying some Donburi for dinner later, that okay with you?" Another dazzling smile.
I give a non-committable mutter, intent on working the register. The customer, one of those crazy schoolgirls – surprise, surprise, they're actually buying something – smiles sickeningly at me before waltzing out of the shop. Really. How can they claim to love me, when none of them have even spoken to me? I slide shut the register, and catch Ken looking at me out of the corner of his eye. But as soon as my gaze lands fully onto him, he resumes watering the flowers, fidgeting nervously. He may even be blushing, but I can't tell, since he's on the other side of the shop.
There's a temporary lull in the business, since the aforementioned schoolgirls have finally packed up and gone home. There aren't any other customers since it's not yet 5 o'clock, the end of work for those with desk jobs. Ken has put away the hose, and has started sweeping the floor. It's actually quiet for once, the only sound being the swish of the broom as Ken sweeps, and the faint ringing of the wind chime from outside the shop.
The afternoon sunlight highlights his hair, and the backdrop of the gentians brings out the colour of his eyes nicely. I don't know why, but I feel more comfortable around Ken than anybody else. Maybe it's because he understands that I'm not a talkative person, and doesn't engage me in conversation just for the sake of talking, letting me be alone with my thoughts.
Maybe it's because when I had just joined Weiss, Ken was the only one who didn't treat me as "the new guy", didn't put up any guards against me. After all, socking someone in the face the first time you meet isn't how a normal person would treat a stranger they would be working with. He told me flat out what he though of me, unlike Omi and Youji who hovered around for a few days before finally accepting me as part of Weiss.
Maybe it's because he's always been nice to me even though he doesn't need to. Like how he'll ask me if I want a drink after a long day in the shop, or how he'll volunteer to help patch me up after missions, or how he'll ask me what I want for dinner, like just now. Even though I've refused and snubbed him so many times, he continues asking. It's not that Omi and Youji aren't nice to me, but with Ken it seems as if he really wants to know if I'm comfortable, not just asking since he's my team mate, co-worker and housemate.
Ken has always been a mystery. It's hard to believe that the Siberian who works with me on a mission is the same person as Hidaka Ken. Sure, they have the same fluidity of movement, the same sensation of being a coiled spring, the same vivaciousness and zest for life (though Siberian's sense of balance, sadly, is often lacking in Ken). But Ken… Ken is trusting, caring, warm-hearted… He's just, well, Ken. Not like an assassin at all. But this still doesn't explain why I get this feeling in the middle of my chest every time I'm with him; this warm, relaxing feeling that makes me feel almost…
Happy.
I thought I'd left happiness behind me a long time ago when Aya was knocked down. Without her, it was as if all the colour had gone out of my world, leaving me with black, white, and monotone grey. Eventually I added another two colours, the silver of a blade and the crimson of spilt blood.
But now… the colour is slowly seeping back into my life. Aya is back, bringing with her the yellow of a summer day, the lime green of a dress, the crystal sparkle of laughter and the pink of health renewed.
But for the deep blue of a pair of eyes, the scarlet hue of a blush, the tan of skin brown from the sun… It was Ken who had brought these colours back into my life, with his smiles and warmth. The incessant burning of his passion clashed with the cold barrier I had hidden myself behind, and slowly, he wormed his way through behind the barrier. This still doesn't explain the feeling I get every time I look at him, each time I catch him looking at me. Maybe it's because he understands me. Maybe it's because he cared. Maybe it's because he never gave up no matter how many times I was horrible to him.
Maybe it's because… I love him.
Do I? Do I love him?
-~=*[^]*=~-
"Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaad! I'm bored!" Schuldich whined as he flopped down onto the table in front of the said precognitive.
Brad Crawford looked down at the German through his glasses, which was quite a feat since he was sitting on a chair and Schuldich was sitting on his worktable. "I predicted you were coming." He said calmly.
"Oh? And you did nothing to stop me?" Schuldich smiled cockily back at the American.
"I docked your pay." Crawford replied very calmly.
//No you didn't.// Schuldich smiled again after checking through Crawford's mind.
"But I will." Crawford pointed to the door. "Out."
Schuldich stood up properly, putting his hands into his pockets and sauntering towards the door. "Fine, fine… Are you using the Internet?" He asked, pausing in the doorway.
"No. Now stop bothering me."
"Even if I'm going to use your email and send porn to your business associates?"
"You don't know my email password."
There was a short pause. "Well, I do now Braddy-kins. Honestly, using NASDAQ's closing index on your birthday really isn't original."
"I'll dock all of your pay."
"Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht!" Schuldich stuck out his tongue and left the room, noisily closing the door behind him.
Brad ignored the German and went back to his work.
-~=*[^]*=~-
[1] Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht! – [German] Do your worst! I dare you!
-~=*[^]*=~-
"You shouldn't annoy him, you know." Farfarello sat on the couch, calmly cleaning his knives. They looked so pretty when the light reflected off them. "He'll just get mad."
Schuldich paused, the door to his room half open, the golden sunlight making a halo as it shone through his hair. "That's between him and me."
Farfarello shrugged. "Whatever."
The door slid shut silently.
-~=*[^]*=~-
To: Kaede akizaki_Kaede@nanyo.edu.jp From: why_am_i@candela_studios.net
Dearest, most-huggablest, Kae-chan,
You're staying with a couple of GUYS!? You sure that's safe… If they do anything to you, I'll help you give it to them. As for meeting up… I'm not sure if I'll be in Tokyo anytime soon…
The typist's fingers paused. How he did hate to lie to her. But it was a necessary lie…
Be careful when you come back at night, sister. The streets of Tokyo aren't as safe as those of Kyoto. The prices are also much higher. If you need any money to supplement those that you earn, just drop me a mail. Wish you success in finding another part-time job here in Tokyo… competition is stiff.
Yes, it occasionally does snow up there in Tokyo. Hopefully it will snow this year.
Love,
Aniki
-~=*[^]*=~-
"Weiss, deny the dark beasts their tomorrows." The computer-generated video of Persia winked out, leaving the basement in total darkness.
Manx flipped the light switch. "Who's in?"
All of Weiss accepted the mission, including Kaede. Manx handed them the manila folders containing further information, waiting to see how Kaede would fit into the mission plan.
Omi had rapidly digested the information provided. It was a relatively simple mission, get in, finish off the target, and get out. The building plans were provided as well, including the route the guards would normally take. The targets were staying late so they could meet each other in private, making it even easier for Weiss due to the lack of innocent bystanders.
Bombay turned to the newest addition to their team, looking thoughtful. "Kaede, what do you normally do during missions?"
"I reconnoiter the place. I normally go in first and make sure the place is secure for the rest of the team to follow, then fall back and act as rearguard for the rest of the mission, as well as continuing the check the parameters." Kaede's brow wrinkled as she though. "I can finish a hundred square meters in about two or three minutes."
"Mm." Omi continued looking at the data. She was much faster than him at doing recon, and it would certainly lighten the load for the other three. He tapped his fingers on his chin, his mind already working out the fastest escape route. "Okay, here's the plan."
Weiss gathered around him, looking at the copy of the building plans Omi had put on the table. "Tsubasa will secure the area as we progress to the seventh level where the meeting will be taking place. Abyssinian and Siberian will take this route," he traced the route on the plans, "with Balinese covering them while I take out the security system. When Tsubasa has confirmed that the seventh level is secure, Abyssinian and Siberian will move in and finish off the targets while I progress to level five. Tsubasa will re-secure level six, and you all will move down to level five where Tsubasa and I will rendezvous before continuing to secure the escape route. Balinese will secure the rear. Everything okay?"
Watching Weiss nod, Manx felt some of her fears ease. Tsubasa would fit in well with Weiss, her speed easily helping them. Bombay was also shaping up nicely, becoming a great agent for Kritiker.
"Good luck, Weiss," She called out as she left the house, smiling her enigmatic smile.
-~=*[ To Be Continued ]*=~-
Translations:
Aniki – [Japanese] Older brother
Blitz – [German] Lightning, in this case Mirai Kagaya's codename.
Tadaima – [Japanese] A greeting used when you return home.
Iie – [Japanese] No
Donburi – [Japanese] A Japanese dish.
Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht! - [German] Do your worst! I dare you!
……..I sincerely hoped you all like the Aya sap. According to my beta, it's stupendous, but I still feel like committing seppuku or something… I don't believe I wrote that! *goes off to hide*
And Happy (belated) Birthday to Ran-kun!!!!! *Shoves him and Ken into a closet and locks door* Tee hee. The whole of Friday all I heard from the rest of the Weiss-addicted bunch was that it was Ran's birthday… ^_^
Oh yes, I'm thinking of mailing everyone when my next chapter comes out, so if you want to receive notification, tell me in your review! And sign in or leave your email addy!
I'm thinking of writing a RanKen oneshot for Ran's birthday, but it might take a few days… or weeks… or months…
Ran: *Draws Katana*
Err, okay, days then… *walks backwards* So watch out for it…
Oh yes. About the song for this chapter… I think it should be Ran's themesong. Seriously. ^_^ It's really good. (A1 rockkkkkkkk… Sorry. ^_^;;;)
Well, see y'all soon… I hope… and I really will try to write faster! I promise! ^_^;;;
~Draconsis, 3.50pm, 5th July 2003
† † † †
Youji: Ah, looks like I can't go to that new club, Ixora. Dang, heard that a lot of girls went there.
Omi: YOUJI~~~! Baka. It's a mission! Take it seriously!
Ken: *thinking* I've been paired up with Aya.
Aya: …Hn.
Weiss: It's mission time.
Schuldich: Press the "submit review button". You know you want to. *Sexy smile*
† † † †
I LOVE ALL OF YOUUUUUU!!!!! I've never had such a well-received fic before… so it was a major ego boost! *heart heart* Thank youuuuuuu!!! I even received an archive request! So I'm really, really happy, and I'll definitely continue this fic all the way to the end! Yakusoku!
So this chapter is dedicated to every single of one you who reviewed, namely: asami, Misura, Uzumaki, Jenken, Airienn de Puck, chibi koneko, Heather, olivia-yuymaxwell, Literary Eagle, SnoOza, Pocky King Windy and Sumire! And of course, not forgetting my beta, Sansele! RanKen forever!!!!!! *waves banners*
Enjoy the ficcy!!!
^_^V
++++++++++++
Review Replies:
Asami: Thankkkkk youuuuu!!!
Misura: Glad you like the morning wake up scene. (Everyone seems to have. ^_^) There will be more Youji in this chapter, and you all will most definitely find out more about Kaede. Your stories rock, by the way. ^_^
Uzumaki: ^_^ Glad you like Kaede, I thought I might have over killed on the dialogue… Thank you for all the wonderful comments!
JenKen: Well, I have thirteen now… @_@ Nearly died out of happiness… Thank You!
Airienn de Puck: Yep, going on! ^_^
Chibi koneko: Well, the wait is over. (For this chapter at least. ^_^;;;) Banner waving is fun isn't it? ^_^
Heather: Well, hope the wait didn't kill you. ^_^ You actually noticed I used "missions" instead of "chapters"!!! Wheeeee!!!
Olivia-yuymaxwell: I'm continuing, I'm continuing. ^_^ Heh, RanKen forever!
Sansele (The beta reader): I know I need to improve. ^^;;; Well, apparently the RanKen bits did improved, based on your comments of this chappie… And Kaede isn't anything like Sho Fei! Different! Different!
Literary Eagle: Everybody seems to have liked it. ^_^
SnoOza: First Hanakimi, now X… I'm worried. O.O And RanKen forever, baka! *smacks* (It's okay, she's my school friend…)
Pocky King Windy: Yep, football is fun! Well, more reviews make me happier… Currently the biggest writing obstacle is school… *sobs*
Sumire: ^_^ Updated! Ta da~~~!!!
++++++++++
Beta read by Sansele
"……" Speech
(……) Authors Notes/ Comments
[……] Thoughts (in italics)
((……)) Sounds
//……// Telepathy (in italics)
[Weiss Kreuz is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss]
[Original characters, plotline, etc are the intellectual property of Draconsis]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candela Studios Presents:
A Draconsis Fanfiction
Beautiful Dream
[Mission 02: Like a Rose]
You treat me like a rose
You give me room to grow
You shone the light of love on me
And gave me air so I can breathe
You open doors that close
In a world where anything goes
You give me strength so I stand tall
Within this bed of earth
Just like a rose
~ A1 – Like a Rose
"No way!"
"Yes way."
"Noooo way!"
"Yes way."
"No- OW!" Youji rubbed his head, glaring first at Kaede, then at the cushion she had chucked at him.
"Yes, Kudou, I painted that, full stop." Kaede smirked at him.
The two were in her room, the blond having volunteered to help her arrange her things. They had just finished hanging a painting onto the wall opposite the window, the afternoon sunlight filtering in through the windows. The brunette lounged in a swivel chair, the desk behind it already littered with various papers.
The painting in question was actually one painting and four sketches, the smaller sketches mounted on either side of the larger painting. The sketches depicted a young fox, either running, hiding, playing or hunting. The main painting showed the same fox, but this time it was asleep on a windowsill, a knocked-over vase of lilies lying beside it.
"You're joking." Youji took a step closer to the painting, scrutinizing it carefully. "It looks professional."
Kaede shook her head. "Bottom right of the main painting."
The blondes' eyes fell onto a signature, written both in Kanji and Romanji. "Akizaki Kaede." He turned back to face her, grinning. "Well, I'll be. You really did paint it."
Kaede nodded. "My first year exam piece."
The male assassin strode across the room, leaning over Kaede, his face extremely close to hers. "Why don't you teach me how to do it eh? Say… with you as a model?" He flashed a winning smile. "Preferably undressed?"
Kaede calmly swiped his legs out from under him, causing him to land in a heap on the floor. "Won't work, Kudou." She stood up, an amused smile on her face. "By the way, I'll be locking my door every night."
Youji sighed, picking himself up from the carpet. "Killjoy."
To: Aniki why_am_i@candela_studios.net
From: akizaki_kaede@nanyo.edu.jp
Dearest Older Brother,
Recently moved up to Tokyo, since my transfer to Nanyo's Tokyo campus got through. Been here for a week already, and I'm settling in quite well. I'm staying with a couple of guys, but don't worry, if they try anything on me, they'll face my wrath, MUAHAHAHAHA.
*cough* Anyway, it's late autumn here in Tokyo, and it's much cooler than Kyoto. My housemates say it might even snow… Heh. Haven't seen snow falling since Germany. The teachers here are crazy. We get piles and piles and PILES of homework everyday. Well, at least the house has broadband, which is much better than a lousy dial-up modem. Only bad point is, the Internet isn't available most of the time… Computer-addicted people. Tsk tsk.
If your job sends you back here, maybe we can meet up? Ne?
*Hearts*
~Kae-chan
"What- OW!"
The table shook violently from the shock, the blond man underneath rubbing his head. Dressed casually in an old collared shirt and pants, he crawled out from under the table, glaring at the phone.
[Note to self: Do not stand up if there is a table above you.]
((RING RING))
The ringing was getting louder and more incessant.
Sitting on the floor, Mirai Kagaya twitched. "Answering machine." Nobody bothered him when he had cable problems. All 120 feet worth of it.
The annoying phone immediately stopped ringing, rerouting itself to his answering machine. The static of his pre-recorded message filled the air. "Hello, Mirai Kagaya here. Not in right now, leave a message at the beep, and I'll get back to you." ((beep))
"Blitz, I know you're there." The deep, but still feminine voice chided him from the answering machine.
Kagaya practically flew towards the phone. "MANX-SAN!?" He said in surprise, hitting the speaker button.
The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. "Who else?"
"I don't know… Some female senior who would like to kill me for getting higher marks than her?" Kagaya joked, sitting cross-legged back down on the floor.
Manx laughed. "It's your fault for writing such a good program… as a reminder, Kritiker has dibs on the buying of that software."
"Hai, hai…I know that. Any other reason why you called me today?"
"Yes." Manx's voice sobered up, and Kagaya could recognize the tone she took whenever she was handing out a new mission. "We need you to check up on a group of people. Find out if they're alive, where they currently are, and see if you can get any recent photos of them."
Kagaya slumped. Another information gathering task. The computer next to him opened up a notepad window, ready to take down the names of the targets in question.
"The first one is Crawford, Brad or Bradley, we're not very sure. Codename Oracle, American, black hair, around 27 years of age. Precognition. Second one is Schuldich; German, long, red hair, early twenties, codename Mastermind, telepathy. Third one is Farfarello, Irish, also early twenties. He has white hair, and his codename is Berserker. Check around a few mental institutions, you might find him there. Fourth one is Naoe Nagi, Japanese. He has brown hair, fifteen years of age, codename Prodigy, and his power is telekinesis. Their team name is Schwarz, originally under Estet."
Kagaya frowned. "Wait… Didn't Estet blow itself up, or something like that?"
"They did, we just want to know if these four are alive."
Kagaya blinked, his computer already connected to the Internet and waiting patiently for Google's servers to keep up with its speed. "Do I have job competition, Manx?"
"Blitz, we're going to remove them if they're alive. Your job is quite safe."
The MIT undergrad twitched. "O…kay…" Remove, in Kritiker speak, meant kill, assassinate, or annihilate, depending on how dangerous you were. Computer #1 had already accessed Naoe Nagi's school files, Computer #2 was connecting to the Internet, and Computer #3 was finishing booting up, but sadly, Computer #4 was currently out of order.
"Goodbye, Blitz."
"Goodbye, Manx-san." The phone's speaker button winked out.
Kagaya sat on the floor of his room, the four computers he owned adorning the tables surrounding him. The room was silent except for the sound of three computers typing, and the occasional whir of machinery. He let his eyes go out of focus for a while, finally focusing back onto Computer #1's keyboard, watching the keys depress at his will. Stretching, he stood back up and went off to get a cup of coffee.
"I'm just glad I'm not an assassin."
Omi poked his out from around the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen, smiling a genki smile at her. "Ah, welcome back." He motioned to the stove with his head. "There's some ramen if you're hungry, just warm it up." His head disappeared back behind the wall.
Kaede walked out to the living room, holding her mug of green tea in one hand and lugging her school bag in the other. "Iie, I had lunch in school." She stopped in her tracks and stared at the pile of thick account books sitting on the table where Omi was doing his homework.
"Oh yes." Omi pointed to the account books. "Aya-kun was wondering if you could do the accounts." He chibied and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, more like ordered you to do the accounts."
Kaede stared at the pile in shock. "You can't be serious."
"Dead serious." Omi smiled and went back to his math homework.
"But my math is lousy! I'll probably mess it up." She gaped open-mouthed at the stack. Images of Aya giving the Glare of Death to the other members of Weiss came unbidden to her mind.
Omi shrugged. "If you want to, you can swap with me. I'm doing all of the flower arrangement orders."
Kaede brightened visibly. "Okay! How many orders are there?"
"Thirty-seven. Fourteen of which must be completed by tomorrow." Omi stated in a matter-of-fact voice, filling in the answer to the math question.
Well, it was the lesser of the two evils. Kaede sat down and started pulling her homework out of her file, muttering darkly all the way.
Stupid, crazy fangirls. Well, at least most of them have gone home by now. You'd think they'd have some other things to do rather than drool over us all day.
Omi's upstairs doing homework, and Kudou… Well, Kudou is skiving as per normal, so that leaves Ken and me alone in the shop. Plus a few fangirls and the plants.
"Hey, Aya!" Ken smiles at me from where he's watering some gentians. "I'm buying some Donburi for dinner later, that okay with you?" Another dazzling smile.
I give a non-committable mutter, intent on working the register. The customer, one of those crazy schoolgirls – surprise, surprise, they're actually buying something – smiles sickeningly at me before waltzing out of the shop. Really. How can they claim to love me, when none of them have even spoken to me? I slide shut the register, and catch Ken looking at me out of the corner of his eye. But as soon as my gaze lands fully onto him, he resumes watering the flowers, fidgeting nervously. He may even be blushing, but I can't tell, since he's on the other side of the shop.
There's a temporary lull in the business, since the aforementioned schoolgirls have finally packed up and gone home. There aren't any other customers since it's not yet 5 o'clock, the end of work for those with desk jobs. Ken has put away the hose, and has started sweeping the floor. It's actually quiet for once, the only sound being the swish of the broom as Ken sweeps, and the faint ringing of the wind chime from outside the shop.
The afternoon sunlight highlights his hair, and the backdrop of the gentians brings out the colour of his eyes nicely. I don't know why, but I feel more comfortable around Ken than anybody else. Maybe it's because he understands that I'm not a talkative person, and doesn't engage me in conversation just for the sake of talking, letting me be alone with my thoughts.
Maybe it's because when I had just joined Weiss, Ken was the only one who didn't treat me as "the new guy", didn't put up any guards against me. After all, socking someone in the face the first time you meet isn't how a normal person would treat a stranger they would be working with. He told me flat out what he though of me, unlike Omi and Youji who hovered around for a few days before finally accepting me as part of Weiss.
Maybe it's because he's always been nice to me even though he doesn't need to. Like how he'll ask me if I want a drink after a long day in the shop, or how he'll volunteer to help patch me up after missions, or how he'll ask me what I want for dinner, like just now. Even though I've refused and snubbed him so many times, he continues asking. It's not that Omi and Youji aren't nice to me, but with Ken it seems as if he really wants to know if I'm comfortable, not just asking since he's my team mate, co-worker and housemate.
Ken has always been a mystery. It's hard to believe that the Siberian who works with me on a mission is the same person as Hidaka Ken. Sure, they have the same fluidity of movement, the same sensation of being a coiled spring, the same vivaciousness and zest for life (though Siberian's sense of balance, sadly, is often lacking in Ken). But Ken… Ken is trusting, caring, warm-hearted… He's just, well, Ken. Not like an assassin at all. But this still doesn't explain why I get this feeling in the middle of my chest every time I'm with him; this warm, relaxing feeling that makes me feel almost…
Happy.
I thought I'd left happiness behind me a long time ago when Aya was knocked down. Without her, it was as if all the colour had gone out of my world, leaving me with black, white, and monotone grey. Eventually I added another two colours, the silver of a blade and the crimson of spilt blood.
But now… the colour is slowly seeping back into my life. Aya is back, bringing with her the yellow of a summer day, the lime green of a dress, the crystal sparkle of laughter and the pink of health renewed.
But for the deep blue of a pair of eyes, the scarlet hue of a blush, the tan of skin brown from the sun… It was Ken who had brought these colours back into my life, with his smiles and warmth. The incessant burning of his passion clashed with the cold barrier I had hidden myself behind, and slowly, he wormed his way through behind the barrier. This still doesn't explain the feeling I get every time I look at him, each time I catch him looking at me. Maybe it's because he understands me. Maybe it's because he cared. Maybe it's because he never gave up no matter how many times I was horrible to him.
Maybe it's because… I love him.
Do I? Do I love him?
"Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaad! I'm bored!" Schuldich whined as he flopped down onto the table in front of the said precognitive.
Brad Crawford looked down at the German through his glasses, which was quite a feat since he was sitting on a chair and Schuldich was sitting on his worktable. "I predicted you were coming." He said calmly.
"Oh? And you did nothing to stop me?" Schuldich smiled cockily back at the American.
"I docked your pay." Crawford replied very calmly.
//No you didn't.// Schuldich smiled again after checking through Crawford's mind.
"But I will." Crawford pointed to the door. "Out."
Schuldich stood up properly, putting his hands into his pockets and sauntering towards the door. "Fine, fine… Are you using the Internet?" He asked, pausing in the doorway.
"No. Now stop bothering me."
"Even if I'm going to use your email and send porn to your business associates?"
"You don't know my email password."
There was a short pause. "Well, I do now Braddy-kins. Honestly, using NASDAQ's closing index on your birthday really isn't original."
"I'll dock all of your pay."
"Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht!" Schuldich stuck out his tongue and left the room, noisily closing the door behind him.
Brad ignored the German and went back to his work.
[1] Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht! – [German] Do your worst! I dare you!
-~=*[^]*=~-
"You shouldn't annoy him, you know." Farfarello sat on the couch, calmly cleaning his knives. They looked so pretty when the light reflected off them. "He'll just get mad."
Schuldich paused, the door to his room half open, the golden sunlight making a halo as it shone through his hair. "That's between him and me."
Farfarello shrugged. "Whatever."
The door slid shut silently.
To: Kaede akizaki_Kaede@nanyo.edu.jp From: why_am_i@candela_studios.net
Dearest, most-huggablest, Kae-chan,
You're staying with a couple of GUYS!? You sure that's safe… If they do anything to you, I'll help you give it to them. As for meeting up… I'm not sure if I'll be in Tokyo anytime soon…
The typist's fingers paused. How he did hate to lie to her. But it was a necessary lie…
Be careful when you come back at night, sister. The streets of Tokyo aren't as safe as those of Kyoto. The prices are also much higher. If you need any money to supplement those that you earn, just drop me a mail. Wish you success in finding another part-time job here in Tokyo… competition is stiff.
Yes, it occasionally does snow up there in Tokyo. Hopefully it will snow this year.
Love,
Aniki
"Weiss, deny the dark beasts their tomorrows." The computer-generated video of Persia winked out, leaving the basement in total darkness.
Manx flipped the light switch. "Who's in?"
All of Weiss accepted the mission, including Kaede. Manx handed them the manila folders containing further information, waiting to see how Kaede would fit into the mission plan.
Omi had rapidly digested the information provided. It was a relatively simple mission, get in, finish off the target, and get out. The building plans were provided as well, including the route the guards would normally take. The targets were staying late so they could meet each other in private, making it even easier for Weiss due to the lack of innocent bystanders.
Bombay turned to the newest addition to their team, looking thoughtful. "Kaede, what do you normally do during missions?"
"I reconnoiter the place. I normally go in first and make sure the place is secure for the rest of the team to follow, then fall back and act as rearguard for the rest of the mission, as well as continuing the check the parameters." Kaede's brow wrinkled as she though. "I can finish a hundred square meters in about two or three minutes."
"Mm." Omi continued looking at the data. She was much faster than him at doing recon, and it would certainly lighten the load for the other three. He tapped his fingers on his chin, his mind already working out the fastest escape route. "Okay, here's the plan."
Weiss gathered around him, looking at the copy of the building plans Omi had put on the table. "Tsubasa will secure the area as we progress to the seventh level where the meeting will be taking place. Abyssinian and Siberian will take this route," he traced the route on the plans, "with Balinese covering them while I take out the security system. When Tsubasa has confirmed that the seventh level is secure, Abyssinian and Siberian will move in and finish off the targets while I progress to level five. Tsubasa will re-secure level six, and you all will move down to level five where Tsubasa and I will rendezvous before continuing to secure the escape route. Balinese will secure the rear. Everything okay?"
Watching Weiss nod, Manx felt some of her fears ease. Tsubasa would fit in well with Weiss, her speed easily helping them. Bombay was also shaping up nicely, becoming a great agent for Kritiker.
"Good luck, Weiss," She called out as she left the house, smiling her enigmatic smile.
Translations:
Aniki – [Japanese] Older brother
Blitz – [German] Lightning, in this case Mirai Kagaya's codename.
Tadaima – [Japanese] A greeting used when you return home.
Iie – [Japanese] No
Donburi – [Japanese] A Japanese dish.
Mach! Du traust dich ja nicht! - [German] Do your worst! I dare you!
……..I sincerely hoped you all like the Aya sap. According to my beta, it's stupendous, but I still feel like committing seppuku or something… I don't believe I wrote that! *goes off to hide*
And Happy (belated) Birthday to Ran-kun!!!!! *Shoves him and Ken into a closet and locks door* Tee hee. The whole of Friday all I heard from the rest of the Weiss-addicted bunch was that it was Ran's birthday… ^_^
Oh yes, I'm thinking of mailing everyone when my next chapter comes out, so if you want to receive notification, tell me in your review! And sign in or leave your email addy!
I'm thinking of writing a RanKen oneshot for Ran's birthday, but it might take a few days… or weeks… or months…
Ran: *Draws Katana*
Err, okay, days then… *walks backwards* So watch out for it…
Oh yes. About the song for this chapter… I think it should be Ran's themesong. Seriously. ^_^ It's really good. (A1 rockkkkkkkk… Sorry. ^_^;;;)
Well, see y'all soon… I hope… and I really will try to write faster! I promise! ^_^;;;
~Draconsis, 3.50pm, 5th July 2003
† † † †
Youji: Ah, looks like I can't go to that new club, Ixora. Dang, heard that a lot of girls went there.
Omi: YOUJI~~~! Baka. It's a mission! Take it seriously!
Ken: *thinking* I've been paired up with Aya.
Aya: …Hn.
Weiss: It's mission time.
Schuldich: Press the "submit review button". You know you want to. *Sexy smile*
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