K: Well, I'm in the mood to write some more of this, so here I am! ;
Y: You just want to write in Takao's POV again, and you know it, aibou….
K: Well…. Yeah, that's part of it. The other reasons are since I promised I'd try to update this soon, and cuz' I need to keep my mind off that OSHIRI of a flamer from yesterday…
Y: Haven't we been through this? He doesn't even write anything, so how can he know what he's talking about, ne? Ne? He just wants attention…. He's trying to bait you, aibou!
K: Hai, hai… Demo, he still pisses me off for saying that… Hn. I refuse to answer him via his e-mail. He's stupid enough to go around saying things like that without reason, not write anything himself, and leave his e-mail right out in the open for all who he's flamed to use. That may work on others, but I for one am going to say my two cents, then drop it. nod nod
Y: You do realize that by saying that you make it sound like a big conspiracy? And that makes you seem paranoid?
K: Urusai, Ya-chan.
Y: Hai, hai….
Disclaimer: I own what I own. Bakuten Shoot Beyblade (reg, 2002, or otherwise) is, sadly, not a part of that. Oh well. Tough shit.
Dedication:
Asa-chan (You're quite welcome! I always love a nice Kai/Takao myself. I'm just glad that it made someone happy.)
Ran-chan (blushes You're just saying that… I'm not the best…. smile There are plenty out there who are better. Arigato for your e-mail. That was very kind of you. Hopefully, this chapter will live up to your opinions of me and my other work. ;)
Tsunami Wave (More? How about right now? )
Kyoto Project/Genj' (Yeah, I'm gonna continue this. Not sure if I'll ever finish, you know how I am about that! ; but I sure as hell will try! ;)
Darkspider (sigh I know what you mean! Especially since the 'FIND' option refuses to work with me… glares at button of 3V1LN355 Yep- I know L337 too! Ever heard of the comic MegaTokyo? It's really cute, and Largo knows L337 as well! He's da 'L337 M57H' XP)
Seth (squeals and huggles Tyka plushie Arigato!! This'll go GREAT with my Sora and Yami plushies! I seriously made some puts it on the shelf next to the others glomps you DOMODOMODOMO!!! )
PinkDevil (Aa When are you going to type up that other idea for your new one? You said that you had a good idea even though it had to do with Takao again and I'm anxious to see what it is!! )
Jewel (Well, you'll just have to read and find out, ne? )
Kuro ( Thanks for the advice! I'll try to keep that in mind for all my other fics, too! frowns And stop beating yourself up about that… I'm sure you're a great writer too! And yes, that counts for something- you're trying hard to break that habit and improve yourself, and doing that always counts for something! Tell you what- as soon as I'm done here, I'll go check out your fic, and see if I can help you with anything, k? I might not be much help, mind you, but I'll try my best!)
NT aka Aku-chan (Yes, the piano is evil… I remember when I took lessons a LONG time ago… Then my teacher quit. ; Haven't taken piano since!)
Japime Gurl (Datz okei. Ya can't win 'em all, right? ; Ah well… Thanks for reviewing this one and most of my other fics, though. It means a lot to me. smile smile)
And, to thank everyone, FREE DIGITAL ROOTBEER AND SODA!! tosses a can to everyone And here are some Digi-bentos, too! Rice (fried or plain), Beef or Chicken Teriyaki, Sunomono (cucumber salad), and for dessert- your choice of mochi ice cream, plain mochi, or panda choco cookies! It's an all-out online picnic! Enjoy!
Kirei na Tanin:
Chapter II: Crimson Eyes
Crap. Double crap.In fact, make that triple crap, just for the hell of it…
I sighed, leaning back against the wall near the classroom door. I'd been late by 5 seconds, 5, and the stupid nazi of a teacher had slammed the door in my face and locked me out for the whole hour-long period. I swear- she must have some kind of grudge against me or something… Really, is drawing in class so I can stay awake that big a crime?
Sighing again, I tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in- not easy when your butt's asleep, one of your legs is numb, and you're stuck with nothing to cushion you from the cold, filthy linoleum floor. Not to mention how hard it is too…and is that black mold growing under the water fountain? I swear- I'm surprised no one's died yet from the sheer stupidity of the staff here…
Oh well, I can bitch about it to everyone else later. For now, all I can do is wait for class to end… Good thing we drag around our backpacks- now I can draw instead of being bored out of my mind… Unzipping the second-biggest pocket, I pulled out a worn sketchbook, leafing through the pages until I found a clean spot. I took out my 'drawing pencil' that has literally no eraser, since I used it all, and stared down at the white 3x5 centimeter square that was my canvas.
What to draw…? What to draw….? Hmm…. Glancing over the other random doodles that covered the rest of the page, I realized they were all dragons- my favorite animal, regardless of whether they exist or not. Smiling to myself, I set to work, drawing out a rough 'bubble sketch' as a frame for the new picture. Ever-slowly, the face of a person started to appear… Then the body…. Then the hair….
I glanced at my clothes every once and a while to check how the cloth hung on my body and where all the wrinkles and folds were, trying to capture the same effect in my drawing. Eventually, I blew the lead dust and eraser chips away- coming face-to-face with a crude self-portrait. Sure, it could've been a bit better, if I'd had a mirror or some other way to watch my own reflection, but for what it is, I think it's safe to say that it's one of my better drawings. The position is kind of awkward, but oh well…
Now I needed to title the pic… How about 'Dragon and I'? Nah… too boring…. 'Dragon Master'? Well, now that's modest, isn't it…? Right… Not that either, then… Hmm…. This is hard….
Ah! That's it! I smiled, adding one last detail to the doodle, then leaned back, admiring my work.
"I dub thee 'Masamune'!"
Lunch had to be, by far, my favorite part of the school day. No more pretending to listen to teachers drone on and on about useless crap I could care less about- at least until 5th period, anyway…. And better yet, I could finally get some food. Wonderful, delectable food….
I made a bee-line toward the nearest snack-cart; the one sitting under a cherry tree on the edge of the quad. Upon my arrival, I immediately spotted my heart's desire- instant udon. Pointing to it and placing my order, the clerk nodded and placed it atop the counter where I eyed it hungrily.
"250 en, please."
Digging through my pockets, I brought out my money, carefully unfolding the en notes and making sure not to drop any coins. 100…… 200….. 230…. 240….. Wait- My eyes widened in horror and I gasped a bit. Where's the other 10 en?! I knew I put it here somewhere!!
I stuck my hand back into my pockets, fishing around for the missing coin. More students were coming, and the sales-lady began to grow impatient.
"Is there something wrong?"
Crap!! Where'd it go?! I paused for a second, giving the woman a pained smile, then went back to frantically searching for the missing money. Where, where, where, where, WHERE!?
"Hey- hurry up!" someone shouted from behind me, and I started to sweat.
Shit! They're getting restless! I guess I'll just have to go without udon, then… maybe I can get instant ramen? I think it tastes gross, but it's cheaper…
Just as I open my mouth to change my order, I heard a THUD to my left and blinked as a person dusted himself off, having just jumped out of the tree. He stood up fully, walking up to me with a blank, emotionless look, then turned to the counter where the rest of my money was, slamming down a coin. Glancing at me one last time with those haunting red eyes, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
What the-?
"Oi- here's your udon. NEXT, PLEASE!"
Eh? I turned around, only to have my udon shoved roughly into my face, and pushed out of the way by the impatient guy who had been standing behind me. A bit dazed, I shook my head and muttered under my breath. Looking around for my savior, I sighed as I came up empty-handed. Who was that guy, anyway? Why did he do that for me?
Admitting defeat, I shuffled over to the hot-water dispenser, fixing up my lunch. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks and a few napkins, I headed toward the place where the gang and I usually eat lunch. Upon my arrival, Rei turned to me with a puzzled frown.
"Hey- what took you so long, Takao?"
"Yeah," Kyojyu piped up, "You're usually the first to the food cart- did you get stuck in line?"
Blushing faintly, I manage to mutter a small, "No…"
Max had a strange look on his face. Scratch that- he had THE look on his face. The one that always means trouble and embarrassment is coming…
"So then, was it because you were meeting someone? A girl perhaps?"
"WHAT?!" I shouted, thoroughly mortified. "Of course I didn't!! What the hell are you thinking?!"
He just smiled wider. "Oh, not a girl? What about a guy then?"
I really, really hate him right now. He's lucky Rei's here to protect him, or else I'd have to kick his ass. Unfortunately, Rei's here, and Rei can easily kick my ass, so I was left to seethe in silence.
"NO, Max. I was not meeting anyone. I just had a little…. Money trouble, that's all…"
Great- now they're all sweatdropping. What kind of friends are they?! All they do is tease me!! I feel a pout coming on….
Finally, Kyojyu spoke. "You didn't have enough again? Who bailed you out then, Takao? If all of us were here the whole time…."
Well, might as well tell them. There's nothing to hide, right?
"I'm not sure… The guy just came out of nowhere- well, he jumped out of the tree, actually…. Anyway, he came up to me, put the money on the table, and left before I could even thank him! Hell, I don't think I've ever met him in my LIFE!"
Well, at least now they're taking me seriously…. They're all deep in thought, wondering why someone would do that for lil' ol' me. I, for one, am stumped, so I think I'll just let them ponder it for a while. I'm gonna start on my udon…
Just as I raised the noodle-laden chopsticks to my mouth, Kenny looked up. "Do you remember what he looked like? Maybe I can find out who he is for you so you can thank him…"
Sighing, I set the bamboo sticks back in the Styrofoam cup. Bye bye, udon… I know one of Kyojyu's brainstorming sessions would take forever, so I gave up on eating anything.
"Well, I was too confused to get a really good look at him, but I know he had crimson eyes….. his hair was short in the back, I think, but his bangs were long… He had two-tone blue hair… The bangs were lighter than the rest. He was wearing dark pants and a dark shirt and vest…. Sleeveless, too… And he had something around his neck….. something wh-" I stopped.
Something white around his neck. A white scarf. Just like whoever had been following me earlier…. Was he stalking me?! What the hell?!
"Takao?"
"I….. I have to find out who he is. I just have to…."
K: Well, there's chapter 2! Ah… I feel much better now….
Y: Just as long as you don't start ranting and raving again…. --;
K: sticks her tongue out at her, then turns back to all the happy, picnicking readers You guys know what'll make me even happier, though? Sly grin Yep- REVIEWS. You know where the button is….