A/N: Well, here's chapter 2. Glad you stuck around for this one. (I know I
put them both up at once, but you could have gotten bored with the first
one or scared off because of the Original Characters. Thanks for reading!)
~*~*~
Aya walked to the entrance. That last crowd of people had been huge! He shuddered as he thought of all the strange people that had run into him and pushed him out of the way. He checked his watch as he got his hand stamped. Only ten minutes until the first check-in he thought, walking through the gates. He hated being late to something, especially when he was one of the people that had chosen the time, but he didn't want to even consider what Yohji and Manx might do to him if he showed up without Kitai. Of course, they'll probably do just as bad, if not worse when that girl shows up without me.
The solitude of the field was a stark, but welcome, contrast to the bustling, yelling crowds just a few yards away. Aya was glad he was out of there, at least for a little while. After walking a few more feet, he saw something that made his blood run cold. "Kitai!" The blonde girl was up to her eyes in mud, literally. When he called out her name, she looked up hopefully, but when she saw who it was the hope died. Crap! Aya thought, walking closer. He wanted to help her out, but did she really think he would just walk by? As he reached out his hand to the mud, her eyes became frantic, looking everywhere. Her head began jerking, like she was trying to get out. Aya realized with a shock that she was almost out of air. I can't let her die! he thought wildly as he reached into the mud to try and lift her out. For one thing, Yohji will kill me. For another, if she dies . . . then I . . . He broke off that thought. Partly because finding Kitai's arms was taking most of his concentration, partly because he had noticed that her movements had slowed considerably, and partly- mostly- because the direction that thought was taking him scared him senseless.
He smiled slightly as he found Kitai's arms under the mud and pulled upward. The girl took a deep, rasping breath as her nose and mouth were freed from the mud. When Aya had pulled her completely out, she began coughing. He began alternating between rubbing her back in small circles and thumping it gently. After the coughing fit subsided, Kitai leaned against Aya, unable to hold herself up any longer. He gently picked her up and headed to the parking lot of the carnival. He seemed to remember Yohji having a stash of towels and a few blankets behind the back seat.
|~|~|~|
Kitai was still leaning against Aya when they re-entered the carnival. While he had helped her clean up they had had a conversation. She had (while his back was turned) changed into one of Yohji's loose shirts and pants. The clothes were in the van because Yohji had stopped wearing anything looser than two sizes too tight. Aya and Kitai were still talking as they walked up to the meeting area.
"No one's here. That's strange. What time is it?" Kitai asked, confused.
"Why don't you check your watch?"
"The mud completely destroyed it."
"Oh." Aya looked down at his wrist. "We're about thirty minutes late."
"Mm . . . Want to go on a ride?"
"Like what?"
Kitai looked around the carnival, trying to find something fun. That's when she saw it. "How about . . . the tunnel of love?"
It was worth it just to watch the stoic redhead choke.
"To make fun of it? Come on! They probably have a lot of 'Mushy, Mushy Romance'[1] stuff in there!"
"Mushy . . . ? What?"
"Just come on!"
|~|~|
"What if they went into the haunted house to kill each other? They are both professional assassins! They could do that and no one would ever know!"
"Kuri, I'll do this for your own good." Omi grabbed his twin's shoulders and started to shake her. "THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT!!!"
"Are you sure?"
" . . . " Omi wasn't willing to trust his voice with an answer. Sometimes his sister let her imagination get away with her.
|~|~|
"I'm just saying, it could get your place more money if you had more than one roller coaster. People who come for the roller coasters wouldn't be bored stiff after twenty minutes."
"Listen, Lady, I just work here. I don't have a say in what we have or don't have."
"Thanks anyway." Manx and Yohji walked away from the worker, disappointed. They had been trying to convince everyone they could find that more roller coasters would be a good idea. No takers so far, but they weren't giving up.
|~|~|
Ken and Hotaru were on the Ferris Wheel when they caught sight of flaming red hair walking next to a dirty blonde head. "Is that Yohji and Manx?" Kan asked.
"Nah . . . the guy is the one with red hair. Could it be Aya and Kitai?"
"No. For one thing, they aren't getting along, remember? The girl is laughing. Second, Kitai's hair is almost platinum. That girl's hair is too dark."
"Oh." That ended the conversation as they took advantage of the 'romantic setting' of the Ferris Wheel.
|~|~|
When the time came, Manx, Yohji, Hotaru, Kan, Omi, and Kuri were at the meeting place at the entrance.
"They better come this time!" Yohji growled. He, like Kuri, didn't like the idea of Kitai alone with Aya. It wasn't that he disliked or distrusted Aya, it's just that those two could be dangerous when they're alone together.
Before he could continue that line of thought, Aya and Kitai walked up. Kitai was wearing some of Yohji's old clothes, her hair was dirty, and both were covered in still-drying mud.
"WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?!" Yohji demanded. Kitai and Aya both grinned sheepishly.
"Well . . . " Kitai started, "I got mad at Aya and left the park. While I was wandering around I fell into a mud puddle. I started sinking and then Aya showed up and helped me out."
"I'm guessing that's the Reader's Digest version[2]," Manx muttered as she took in their appearances. The others were silent. It wasn't really Kitai's explanation, but the fact that Aya had grinned sheepishly.
~*~*~
[1] - Thanks to my good friend Neko. She says that whenever anything starts getting romantic. With anyone.
[2] - Reader's Digest is pretty much known for their shortened stories.
A/N: How'd you like this one? Sorry it's so short. My muse took a vacation. Please review!
~*~*~
Aya walked to the entrance. That last crowd of people had been huge! He shuddered as he thought of all the strange people that had run into him and pushed him out of the way. He checked his watch as he got his hand stamped. Only ten minutes until the first check-in he thought, walking through the gates. He hated being late to something, especially when he was one of the people that had chosen the time, but he didn't want to even consider what Yohji and Manx might do to him if he showed up without Kitai. Of course, they'll probably do just as bad, if not worse when that girl shows up without me.
The solitude of the field was a stark, but welcome, contrast to the bustling, yelling crowds just a few yards away. Aya was glad he was out of there, at least for a little while. After walking a few more feet, he saw something that made his blood run cold. "Kitai!" The blonde girl was up to her eyes in mud, literally. When he called out her name, she looked up hopefully, but when she saw who it was the hope died. Crap! Aya thought, walking closer. He wanted to help her out, but did she really think he would just walk by? As he reached out his hand to the mud, her eyes became frantic, looking everywhere. Her head began jerking, like she was trying to get out. Aya realized with a shock that she was almost out of air. I can't let her die! he thought wildly as he reached into the mud to try and lift her out. For one thing, Yohji will kill me. For another, if she dies . . . then I . . . He broke off that thought. Partly because finding Kitai's arms was taking most of his concentration, partly because he had noticed that her movements had slowed considerably, and partly- mostly- because the direction that thought was taking him scared him senseless.
He smiled slightly as he found Kitai's arms under the mud and pulled upward. The girl took a deep, rasping breath as her nose and mouth were freed from the mud. When Aya had pulled her completely out, she began coughing. He began alternating between rubbing her back in small circles and thumping it gently. After the coughing fit subsided, Kitai leaned against Aya, unable to hold herself up any longer. He gently picked her up and headed to the parking lot of the carnival. He seemed to remember Yohji having a stash of towels and a few blankets behind the back seat.
|~|~|~|
Kitai was still leaning against Aya when they re-entered the carnival. While he had helped her clean up they had had a conversation. She had (while his back was turned) changed into one of Yohji's loose shirts and pants. The clothes were in the van because Yohji had stopped wearing anything looser than two sizes too tight. Aya and Kitai were still talking as they walked up to the meeting area.
"No one's here. That's strange. What time is it?" Kitai asked, confused.
"Why don't you check your watch?"
"The mud completely destroyed it."
"Oh." Aya looked down at his wrist. "We're about thirty minutes late."
"Mm . . . Want to go on a ride?"
"Like what?"
Kitai looked around the carnival, trying to find something fun. That's when she saw it. "How about . . . the tunnel of love?"
It was worth it just to watch the stoic redhead choke.
"To make fun of it? Come on! They probably have a lot of 'Mushy, Mushy Romance'[1] stuff in there!"
"Mushy . . . ? What?"
"Just come on!"
|~|~|
"What if they went into the haunted house to kill each other? They are both professional assassins! They could do that and no one would ever know!"
"Kuri, I'll do this for your own good." Omi grabbed his twin's shoulders and started to shake her. "THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT!!!"
"Are you sure?"
" . . . " Omi wasn't willing to trust his voice with an answer. Sometimes his sister let her imagination get away with her.
|~|~|
"I'm just saying, it could get your place more money if you had more than one roller coaster. People who come for the roller coasters wouldn't be bored stiff after twenty minutes."
"Listen, Lady, I just work here. I don't have a say in what we have or don't have."
"Thanks anyway." Manx and Yohji walked away from the worker, disappointed. They had been trying to convince everyone they could find that more roller coasters would be a good idea. No takers so far, but they weren't giving up.
|~|~|
Ken and Hotaru were on the Ferris Wheel when they caught sight of flaming red hair walking next to a dirty blonde head. "Is that Yohji and Manx?" Kan asked.
"Nah . . . the guy is the one with red hair. Could it be Aya and Kitai?"
"No. For one thing, they aren't getting along, remember? The girl is laughing. Second, Kitai's hair is almost platinum. That girl's hair is too dark."
"Oh." That ended the conversation as they took advantage of the 'romantic setting' of the Ferris Wheel.
|~|~|
When the time came, Manx, Yohji, Hotaru, Kan, Omi, and Kuri were at the meeting place at the entrance.
"They better come this time!" Yohji growled. He, like Kuri, didn't like the idea of Kitai alone with Aya. It wasn't that he disliked or distrusted Aya, it's just that those two could be dangerous when they're alone together.
Before he could continue that line of thought, Aya and Kitai walked up. Kitai was wearing some of Yohji's old clothes, her hair was dirty, and both were covered in still-drying mud.
"WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?!" Yohji demanded. Kitai and Aya both grinned sheepishly.
"Well . . . " Kitai started, "I got mad at Aya and left the park. While I was wandering around I fell into a mud puddle. I started sinking and then Aya showed up and helped me out."
"I'm guessing that's the Reader's Digest version[2]," Manx muttered as she took in their appearances. The others were silent. It wasn't really Kitai's explanation, but the fact that Aya had grinned sheepishly.
~*~*~
[1] - Thanks to my good friend Neko. She says that whenever anything starts getting romantic. With anyone.
[2] - Reader's Digest is pretty much known for their shortened stories.
A/N: How'd you like this one? Sorry it's so short. My muse took a vacation. Please review!