Konichiwa, minnasan! I bring you here today a very *special* edition of…. Chapterhood, with my co-host Reha! Yay! *starts clapping*
Reha: Wohoo!
And her muse… Kika!
Reha: he's not so much a muse as she is an annoyance. *mutters darkly*
Kika: Damn straight!
Avalan: *rubbing temples* oh dear.
Kika:*pounces on Avalan* Hey hot stuff, what's shakin'?
Avalan: *screams like a girl*
Reha: *shakes her head* Here we go…
*mutters off-side to reha* does this count as muse-abuse?
Kika: *snickers* That was an interesting sound you just made...care to do it again so I can record it?
Reha: Oh god I hope so...maybe then they'll lock her up...but then I won't have my muse anymore...oh well, not like she does any work
Heh. -_-' that's muses for you, look pretty and take up precious air.
Reha: That's a good way to describe it...maybe we can just kill um and stuff um, that way they still look pretty but the air is saved!
Kika: *is trying to get Avalan to scream into a microphone*
Yay! *eyes struggling musues*
Avalan: *escapes in record time after hearing the two authoresses comments and runs far, far away*
Kika: *pouts* I've lost another one!
Avalan: *cackles from in the distance*
Oh dear, I believe my muse has gone insane… oh well, onto the reviews!
Reha: ^___^ Funfunfunfunfun
Yup yup yup, and look who's first! Why, it's YOU!
Reha: I KNOW! I feel special!
Reha: Hee hee. Heero's such a nut. They're all nuts.
Reha: *sings* I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…
*ignoring her* thankyou for reviewing yet again! I've made Treize the bad guy… cuz I could, and I thought he made a really cool suave, caniving businessman. Hee hee!
Avalan: *has reappeared, and is hiding behind Soulsearch* Plus, you're insane.
*hisses at muse*
Avalan: I rest my case.
ShadowEyedCat: *cackles insanely as she drags muse by his feet into a corner* But I love cutting it off! *drops muse then kicks him further into the shadows* I'm going for a record no da!
JMJV: I may be a cliffie lover, but I'm a cliffie lover with your entire Hikaru No Go collection. *mwahahahahahahahahaha!!*
Scarlettrose: Here's a reason to visit!
Vic: Oh please, the cliffy is not that interesting… you've already seen it *hint hint* and the only reason it stop there is if I kept going any further I'd have to keep going for several more pages.
Disclaimer: I own the plot, but not the characters. Poor little Soulsearch no da…
Avalan: -_-; Suffer. Suffer the little children.
They do!! *sobs into his shirt*
Heero shot Duo a nasty look. "That 'thing' is the only way any of you are using the Internet from now on."
"You're kidding me. It looks more like a torture device." He muttered in reply, running a hand over the metal frame.
Wufei stood near the door, eyeing the large piece of machinery dubiously. He could see the VR helmet, but he didn't understand why the whole metal frame, had to keep the occupant suspended about three feet off the ground, with their arms and legs spread-eagled. On this one, he had to partially agree with Duo. It was surprising.
"The more uncomfortable you are, the more detached you become from your body, which makes it easier for your subconscious to accept what it sees in the VR helmet as real… plus it has a much better video and 3D card." Heero explained.
"Of course, that's the most important part…" Duo muttered again, almost totally immersed in his own world.
Wufei 'hummed', and stared impassively at the machine for a while longer before he stepped further into the room.
*~*~*~*
There was a small black tear painted under his left eye. That was the only sign of mourning that Sandrock allowed himself, but that didn't keep his wide indigo eyes showing the depth of his sadness. He stared across at 01 from under his black bowler, his dark bangs hiding most of his pale forehead.
Heero was feeling very uncomfortable. He knew that he had to say something to the boy across from him, but he didn't know what. He knew that 'how are you?' might end in another bout of water-works, but he didn't know what else to say.
"So… how have you been?"
Sandrock smiled wanly. "I've been coping. The office workers keep trying to get me to take over my father's position immediately. In the past, I would have declined until I finished school…. But now," his face hardened into a look of fierce determination, "I think I might accept."
Heero shook his head, his grey and crimson fringe revealing more of his eyes and forehead for a moment. "Not advisable."
Sandrock opened his mouth of object, but 01 cut him off. "Taking complete control would only make you more dangerous in his eyes. Treat him like nothing's wrong between you two. Let him unofficially run the business for a while until you feel you're 'emotionally prepared'. Just don't do that."
Sandrock squirmed in his seat. The advice rubbed him wrong. He wanted Treize to feel justice, and he wanted it to happen now. He never wanted to see the twisted bad of contempt again.
"He.. Heero, can you teach me?" Sandrock said taking the conversation to a more personal note by using his name.
"mm?" Heero looked up from where he had been watching Shinigami and Shenlong competing at a game of pinball and yelling at one another as their secretary stood behind them, still in a suit while her bosses wore denim and t-shirts, holding a pile of forms and frowning. "What do you want to learn?"
"How to fight."
Heero blinked, then focused his attention on the fragile seeming boy opposite him. "Negative, it will only arouse suspicion."
Sandrock thumped his hands down on the table, and stood up. "I don't care about suspicion! My father is dead, and the person who killed him is so close I could spit on him! I just want to know that I'm not an easy target for him as well! I don't want to be a victim or someone that needs protection! I want to know that I'll be alright, and that Treize wont…" Sandrock sat down, his voice cracking, and sobbed bitterly into the sleeves of his black coat.
01 stared impassively down at him, unsure what to do or say. He hadn't breathed or blinked the whole way through. No training could prepare him for that sort of thing.
A waitress, clearly uncomfortable with what she had to do, timidly approached their booth, her drinks tray held against her chest like a safety device.
"Um… sir, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave…" she murmured, looking down at her shoes.
Sandrock nodded miserably and wiped his nose on his sleeve, all traces of dignity gone. Triton ushered his friend to his feet and shot 01 a glare that promised a slow and agonising death.
Shinigami watched the scene with his heart twisting, poked Shenlong on the arm and offered him control of the pinball machine. He smiled wearily at his secretary, and brushed past her to the door.
*~*~*~*
01 stared miserably after Shinigami. He tried to keep friends, but his training kept getting in the way. He had no idea what to do in situation with excessive emotions. His brain just froze. Here was the boy that captured wanted criminals and serial killers, could handle at least twenty kinds of guns and knew everything from kick boxing to Tai Chi. That didn't stop him from being a bastard.
Cursing his inability to remove his foot from his mouth, 01 allowed himself a rare display of emotions by sighing and lowering his head into his hands. How was he supposed to protect Sandrock if he couldn't keep Sandrock from blowing up in his face?
Heero resigned himself to his fate, and stood up, determined to follow Sandrock and tell him that he would after all teach the boy. It was the least he could do.
01 poked his head out of the door to the chat room, but saw no one. Shinigami had obviously gone to comfort the boy, but would not leave his business partner for too long. They still had things to deliberate over. Because of this, 01 believed that they would not leave the circle of light at the doorstep. Odd.
01 peered suspiciously back inside, and to his surprise, Shinigami was once again playing pinball.
Sandrock and Triton were nowhere to be found.
*~*~*~*
Duo joined the two huddled figures in the circle of light outside the bar.
"Hey," Shinigami started, shoving his pale hand into his armpits, "Don't worry about Hee-kun, okay? He's just doin' what he thinks his best for you."
"I know that," Sandrock sniffled.
"Hey, how about this? I'll teach you."
"What? But Duo, your health…"
"Ah," Shinigami said, waving it off, "That's what the internet's for. Just trust me. Deal?" Duo retrieved one of his hands and held it out.
Sandrock hesitated for a second, then clasped his gloved hands with Shinigami's.
"Deal."
"Great. Now you two get goin'. It's been a long night, and I don't want Shen-kun to beat my score, now do I?" Shinigami winked one large lilac eye at the two, then disappeared back inside.
He felt a small pang of pity for 01, who was still sitting in his booth, his head lowered into his arms. Duo steeled himself, then walked back over to the game corner.
He gave Marissa, their long-suffering secretary a weary smile, then bodily shoved Shenlong aside.
Wufei gave an indignant squeak, and glared daggers at his partner.
He was surprised to see that Duo was staring past the machine, and quietened down.
"Hey, Shenlong? What was Fubble Inc.(1) offering us for becoming one of our sponsors?"
Shenlong raised a thick eyebrow. "Ten-thousand a month, two copies of all their online games and a free ten-month subscription to whichever games we want."
Duo smiled at Wufei. "I say we take it."
Yay! No cliffie for Soulsearch-y!
Kika: wow, is this a first?
Avalan: wow, is that the first time that you haven't had one in this entire story?
It just might be… hm… man I need a hobbie. *sigh*
Avalan: Isn't writing your hobbie?
Kika: *pounces on Avalan* Fancy meeting you here.
Oh yeah! It is! Go me.
Kika: maybe you need another one. Like becoming a suicidal manic.
(1): Heh. I just made this up. The game in the next chapter is a mixture of my favourite RPG game, Neverwinter Nights, and whatever other randomness comes out of my head at the time. Once again, go me.