A/N: Hey guys! This is to all of you as a reply: Thanks so much to all the new and old readers! I'm so glad you guys like this! *bows* I would have done replies to everyone, but I am really behind for my Trig teacher giving us TWO tests in one week! SO, I PROMISE to reply next time, I am just trying to catch up on lost time. I'm including the explanation of why I use Merlu for Toh, but I PROMISE replies next time! Enjoy! ~lovealways~jj
Tiger of Human: HI! Thanks for reading! I think this is the first time you've reviewed! I'm so glad you liked it! *I know* I am the same way about VOE. At first, I only read stories that explored what might have happened after the series ended...but then I tried an AU or two and I decided I really liked them. Ah, yea the big Merlu/Merle thing. Here's the d.l.:
Japanese American
Ban Van
Selena Celena
Merle Merlu(also spelled Mereru; I don't know where this spelling came from, but I've seen it a lot)
Balgus Valgus
Notice the different spellings? It's because Japanese kanji(the characters)/romaji(the latin alpahbet spellings of kanji) is a syllablic alphabet. The Japanese work off sounds and not strictly letters like we do. When they say "b" it turns out sounding like a "v" in English, thus Ban became Van when it arrived over here. The same thing applies with Merle and Merlu. There is really no "r" sound in Japanese. It starts off as an "r" sound, but then quickly changes to a "l" sound before you end the letter. So, then to translate the name, they just changed it to Merle. (I just think Merlu is cuter!) Another exapmle: My real name is Jordan. To translate this into Japanese, I have to work off the five vowels and the sets of paired syllables. (i.e. ba, be, bi, bo,bu, bya,bye and ect.) My name is Joran and if I had the support for the kanji, i'd write the characters up there for ya'! ;) Ask no more, Merlu makes another appearance in this chappie just for you! (I don't like her all that much, although she is a fun character!) Alas, I am not a teacher in Japan...just a Senior in high school. But I hear if you do the "teacher exchange" program you:
a) don't have to speak the language, just English. (They say you'll learn the language over there)
b) they'll pay you mega bucks in American to do it
c) they'll also pay for your house and car! (How cool is that?) So, I plan on looking into it...my major is definately English and that would be soo much fun! And I could finally get my Van plushie! Hehe. Domo Arigatou! You sound cool too, and you can add me on msn. It's the same as the authour name. *YES* Guys like Van are the greatest...now if only he were real! HEHE. Yes, enough rambling for me too, now that I have ran my word talley up and given everyone a mini basic japanese lesson! (Incase your wondering, that's about all I know...except for needed words and phrases, although I patterend learning some Japanese after the way my French teacher taught me...phrases first, conjugate verbs later! LOL) Anwayz, Thanks and R&R again!
Disclaimer: uhhh...durr...today we have Inu-Yasha to do it for us!
IY: No.
JJ: NOT you too! Van was soo grouchy and wouldn't do it last time!
IY: Doesn't matter. I'm not him!
Jj: But *pouts*
IY: I'M NOT DOING IT!
Jj: FINE! Kagome!
K: Yea?
Jj: Say the magic words!
K: SIT BOY!
Jj: *points at IY's smashed face* Muahahahahhahaha....and BTW, I still don't own any crappin' thing...how I wish I did, I would give Van plushies to every fangirl out there so she could cuddle him at night! LOL
CrAzYqUiRkS: Chapter 4
Hitomi took in a deep breath and smelled something wonderful. It was the smell of the fields. Her nose relayed the message to her brain causing her to dream of endless miles of hunter green grass, a gentle spring breeze, and pink petals whipsing about in the wind. She looked at her hands; she had on a pair of white elbow length gloves. She glanced at her feet. She was wearing a dress fit for a princess! It was the most gorgeous shade of pink with an elegant lace neckline.
"Hitomi!" cried a voice happily.
Hitomi spun around in place with the pink petals floating freely around her, placing one hand behind her ear to push back her now chin length bobbed hair. Her eyes wandered to and fro to find the distant voice.
"Hitomi!" it cried agian.
Hitomi didn't expect it. The voice was calling to her from above. She looked straight up and saw the most beautiful sight. It was an angel coming to her! An angel!
Hitomi let out an excited gasp and clasped her hands together, a smile on her face and her eyes shining with hope.
The figure came closer and closer, the white feathers mixing with the pink sakura petals...
Finally he reached down and grabbed her up in his arms...
The angel...the white winged angel...it was Van!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Van..."
A mumble parted Hitomi's lips, but it was just enough to wake Van up from dozing.
He rubbed his head and glanced down at Hitomi. As if on que, a sweet smile spread across her dainty face. Van's gaze wandered over to the clock. "It's 6:00 p.m." Van thought. "Time for takeout," he said stretching his arms a little.
"Mnnnn..." Hitomi groaned. Her eyes fluttered open to see Van smiling back at her. "Did I wake you up? I didn't mean too..." he said sweetly.
"No, no," Hitomi said turning a slight shade of red. "I just had a really nice dream, that's all..."
"Well, are you hungry, cuz I'm springin' for takeout!" Van said with a tremendous stretch and bounce off the bed.
"Oh, you don't need to pay for mine..." Hitomi said with a slight blush.
"Trust me, it'll all work out in the wash...I'm sure you'll have to buy me supper sometime in the near future!" Van said with a nervous laugh.
Hitomi put on a lop sided smile and couldn't help but laugh. "You have to be the most silliest guy I know!" she said bursting into laughter clenching her gut. Van tossed his head to the side and said, "Uhh, I'd be nice to me, because I am buying you supper."
"I can pay for my own supper," Hitomi said narrowing her gaze on him with a mischeivous grin. Van came closer to her and sat on the edge of the bed right in front of her. "Yea, but it wouldn't taste half as good because it was bought with your nasty,old money!" he said teasingly. Hitomi unconciously leaned in a little closer and paused for a second. "I'm outta good retorts, can I take a rain check on that one?" she giggled out. "Yea, but you owe me a favor for it," Van said grinning like the chesire cat falling just a bit closer to her lips. Hitomi was just pulled to him. It was like the whole finger trick someone her back home...
You take your two pointer fingers....
and clasp you hands together pointing those two fingers straight up...
and no matter how hard you try,...
you can't keep them apart....
they always meet....
He was just about to go in for the kill, when Hitomi blushed and jerked her head to the side. "What's good?" she mumbled nervously.
"Udon soup, ever had that?" Van said with a hint of disappiontmnet in his voice. "No, I don't think I have..." Hitomi trailed off wondering if she had upset him. "It's good with tapanyaki...or tempora...you'd like chicken tempora; it's closer to American tasting food."
"That's kewl by me," Hitomi said cheerfully.
Van picked up the phone and dialed the number to the restraunt. Hitomi layed down on the bed with a guilty mind. "He was going to kiss me...at least I think he was...he's probably a ladies man...I should just go on the date with Allen..." She could hear him mumbling their orders. "He's awfully nice to me...I wonder why...and why does he have his degree in English, but is teaching math? And who exactly is his brother?" she continued to think.
"So, what was wrong earlier?" Van called over to her while fixing them lattes.
"Don't remind me," Hitomi said rolling over, stretching, and covering her head with a pillow.
"No, seriously, what was wrong?" he pressed.
"I lost a race," came a stiffled, disgusted mutter from underneath the pillow.
"And that's what you're upset about?" Van said with utter astonishment.
"No..." came a muffle.
"Well, then what?" Van said lifting up the pillow.
"There was kinda a bet," Hitomi said sheepishly.
"Bet?" Van said raising an dark eyebrow. "What kind of bet was this?"
"A bet for a date with a guy that I have to go out on now..." Hitomi said with a sigh.
"Well, that's not so bad," Van said rather quickly.
"That's odd; I would've thought he would've had a different reaction," Hitomi thought to herself.
"You should just go and have fun," Van said grabbing her coffe cup and his taking it to the kitchen sink.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Hitomi jumped off the bed to answer it. "HEY!" said a rather pushy sounding voice, "where's my drunken friend?"
"DON'T CALL VAN DRUNKEN!" yelled a girl in a high-pitched squeely voice while hitting the effiminate guy in the arm.
"Hey!" Hitomi said with a certain amount of excitement, "how are you guys?"
"Probably better than he is! HEY! WAIT!" Dilly said walking over to Van with a sneer on his face. "You're not hung over...how the heck did you accomplish that?"
"She knew a home remedy..." Van said thrusting his head in Hitomi's direction.
"OH REALLY?!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY, VAN????" Merlu said barging by Hitomi getting on her tiptoes with a fist raring to go.
"We're neighbors and I'm big boy, I can't take care of myself," Van chided trying to calm her down.
"I don't trust you Americans...I've heard many a story about American women," she said sneering her nose at Hitomi's hot pink track shorts. "You're trying to sleep with him! I SWEAR IF YOU DO I'LL..."
Hitomi flushed a bright shade of red and knotted her face into an angry expression. "WOOOOO-WHOOOOO, let's get them in bikini's and a BIG mud puddle! IT'S TIME TO WRASTLE!" Dilly said with a smile on his face looking for anything remotely similar to what he just stated.
Van just put his forehead in his hand and once agian, tried to calm Merlu down. He reached over and hugged her, "Merlu, you do realize that if I ever wanted to have a child, I'd have to do that..." he said stroking her pink, bobbed hair.
"I know, but--- she----that's----" The more Van stroked her hair, the more she calmed down. "Tell you two what, I'll order you guys some takeout too and we'll all just hang out here for a while? How's that sound, huh Merlu?"
"Uh-huh..." Merlu said almost purring.
"As long as there's fire involved, I'm there!" Dilly said searching for some matches.
"Just don't burn the house down," Van said in a scornful tone.
Hitomi's eyes went stark scared and Van replied, "don't worry; it's completely safe, unless of course he gets carried away..."
That didn't make Hitomi feel much better.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The food arrived at about 6:30 p.m. and everyone immediately dug in. They sat in the floor stuffing their mouths when Dilly said, "HEY! This is boring..."
"We're eating, man," Van said while inhaling more ramen.
"Well, why don't we play Truth or Dare!" he said with a gleam in his eye. "OOOOOooohhhhohwhowhowhwo....I have the perfect dare! SOMEONE DARE ME TO DO IT! DARE ME DARE ME DARE ME!" Dilly jumped up and down in pure excitement, chopsticks and food staying in place somehow.
"I've haven't played that since High School..." Hitomi said with a dreamy look.
"Neither have I," Van replied in a very matter-of-fact tone.
"Then why don't we?" Merlu said showing an actual smile and interlocking arms with Van. "YOU can go first Van..."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ok so kinda a cliffhanger ending, but the update will come speedily I promise! So just review, and I'll get back to you after I write the rough draft on my end of the year college term paper! (GAAAA I can't stand that my teachers are getting harder on me right at the last grading period! I'M SO READY TO GRADUATE! MAY 23 HURRY UP AND GET HERE! lol)
Tiger of Human: HI! Thanks for reading! I think this is the first time you've reviewed! I'm so glad you liked it! *I know* I am the same way about VOE. At first, I only read stories that explored what might have happened after the series ended...but then I tried an AU or two and I decided I really liked them. Ah, yea the big Merlu/Merle thing. Here's the d.l.:
Japanese American
Ban Van
Selena Celena
Merle Merlu(also spelled Mereru; I don't know where this spelling came from, but I've seen it a lot)
Balgus Valgus
Notice the different spellings? It's because Japanese kanji(the characters)/romaji(the latin alpahbet spellings of kanji) is a syllablic alphabet. The Japanese work off sounds and not strictly letters like we do. When they say "b" it turns out sounding like a "v" in English, thus Ban became Van when it arrived over here. The same thing applies with Merle and Merlu. There is really no "r" sound in Japanese. It starts off as an "r" sound, but then quickly changes to a "l" sound before you end the letter. So, then to translate the name, they just changed it to Merle. (I just think Merlu is cuter!) Another exapmle: My real name is Jordan. To translate this into Japanese, I have to work off the five vowels and the sets of paired syllables. (i.e. ba, be, bi, bo,bu, bya,bye and ect.) My name is Joran and if I had the support for the kanji, i'd write the characters up there for ya'! ;) Ask no more, Merlu makes another appearance in this chappie just for you! (I don't like her all that much, although she is a fun character!) Alas, I am not a teacher in Japan...just a Senior in high school. But I hear if you do the "teacher exchange" program you:
a) don't have to speak the language, just English. (They say you'll learn the language over there)
b) they'll pay you mega bucks in American to do it
c) they'll also pay for your house and car! (How cool is that?) So, I plan on looking into it...my major is definately English and that would be soo much fun! And I could finally get my Van plushie! Hehe. Domo Arigatou! You sound cool too, and you can add me on msn. It's the same as the authour name. *YES* Guys like Van are the greatest...now if only he were real! HEHE. Yes, enough rambling for me too, now that I have ran my word talley up and given everyone a mini basic japanese lesson! (Incase your wondering, that's about all I know...except for needed words and phrases, although I patterend learning some Japanese after the way my French teacher taught me...phrases first, conjugate verbs later! LOL) Anwayz, Thanks and R&R again!
Disclaimer: uhhh...durr...today we have Inu-Yasha to do it for us!
IY: No.
JJ: NOT you too! Van was soo grouchy and wouldn't do it last time!
IY: Doesn't matter. I'm not him!
Jj: But *pouts*
IY: I'M NOT DOING IT!
Jj: FINE! Kagome!
K: Yea?
Jj: Say the magic words!
K: SIT BOY!
Jj: *points at IY's smashed face* Muahahahahhahaha....and BTW, I still don't own any crappin' thing...how I wish I did, I would give Van plushies to every fangirl out there so she could cuddle him at night! LOL
CrAzYqUiRkS: Chapter 4
Hitomi took in a deep breath and smelled something wonderful. It was the smell of the fields. Her nose relayed the message to her brain causing her to dream of endless miles of hunter green grass, a gentle spring breeze, and pink petals whipsing about in the wind. She looked at her hands; she had on a pair of white elbow length gloves. She glanced at her feet. She was wearing a dress fit for a princess! It was the most gorgeous shade of pink with an elegant lace neckline.
"Hitomi!" cried a voice happily.
Hitomi spun around in place with the pink petals floating freely around her, placing one hand behind her ear to push back her now chin length bobbed hair. Her eyes wandered to and fro to find the distant voice.
"Hitomi!" it cried agian.
Hitomi didn't expect it. The voice was calling to her from above. She looked straight up and saw the most beautiful sight. It was an angel coming to her! An angel!
Hitomi let out an excited gasp and clasped her hands together, a smile on her face and her eyes shining with hope.
The figure came closer and closer, the white feathers mixing with the pink sakura petals...
Finally he reached down and grabbed her up in his arms...
The angel...the white winged angel...it was Van!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Van..."
A mumble parted Hitomi's lips, but it was just enough to wake Van up from dozing.
He rubbed his head and glanced down at Hitomi. As if on que, a sweet smile spread across her dainty face. Van's gaze wandered over to the clock. "It's 6:00 p.m." Van thought. "Time for takeout," he said stretching his arms a little.
"Mnnnn..." Hitomi groaned. Her eyes fluttered open to see Van smiling back at her. "Did I wake you up? I didn't mean too..." he said sweetly.
"No, no," Hitomi said turning a slight shade of red. "I just had a really nice dream, that's all..."
"Well, are you hungry, cuz I'm springin' for takeout!" Van said with a tremendous stretch and bounce off the bed.
"Oh, you don't need to pay for mine..." Hitomi said with a slight blush.
"Trust me, it'll all work out in the wash...I'm sure you'll have to buy me supper sometime in the near future!" Van said with a nervous laugh.
Hitomi put on a lop sided smile and couldn't help but laugh. "You have to be the most silliest guy I know!" she said bursting into laughter clenching her gut. Van tossed his head to the side and said, "Uhh, I'd be nice to me, because I am buying you supper."
"I can pay for my own supper," Hitomi said narrowing her gaze on him with a mischeivous grin. Van came closer to her and sat on the edge of the bed right in front of her. "Yea, but it wouldn't taste half as good because it was bought with your nasty,old money!" he said teasingly. Hitomi unconciously leaned in a little closer and paused for a second. "I'm outta good retorts, can I take a rain check on that one?" she giggled out. "Yea, but you owe me a favor for it," Van said grinning like the chesire cat falling just a bit closer to her lips. Hitomi was just pulled to him. It was like the whole finger trick someone her back home...
You take your two pointer fingers....
and clasp you hands together pointing those two fingers straight up...
and no matter how hard you try,...
you can't keep them apart....
they always meet....
He was just about to go in for the kill, when Hitomi blushed and jerked her head to the side. "What's good?" she mumbled nervously.
"Udon soup, ever had that?" Van said with a hint of disappiontmnet in his voice. "No, I don't think I have..." Hitomi trailed off wondering if she had upset him. "It's good with tapanyaki...or tempora...you'd like chicken tempora; it's closer to American tasting food."
"That's kewl by me," Hitomi said cheerfully.
Van picked up the phone and dialed the number to the restraunt. Hitomi layed down on the bed with a guilty mind. "He was going to kiss me...at least I think he was...he's probably a ladies man...I should just go on the date with Allen..." She could hear him mumbling their orders. "He's awfully nice to me...I wonder why...and why does he have his degree in English, but is teaching math? And who exactly is his brother?" she continued to think.
"So, what was wrong earlier?" Van called over to her while fixing them lattes.
"Don't remind me," Hitomi said rolling over, stretching, and covering her head with a pillow.
"No, seriously, what was wrong?" he pressed.
"I lost a race," came a stiffled, disgusted mutter from underneath the pillow.
"And that's what you're upset about?" Van said with utter astonishment.
"No..." came a muffle.
"Well, then what?" Van said lifting up the pillow.
"There was kinda a bet," Hitomi said sheepishly.
"Bet?" Van said raising an dark eyebrow. "What kind of bet was this?"
"A bet for a date with a guy that I have to go out on now..." Hitomi said with a sigh.
"Well, that's not so bad," Van said rather quickly.
"That's odd; I would've thought he would've had a different reaction," Hitomi thought to herself.
"You should just go and have fun," Van said grabbing her coffe cup and his taking it to the kitchen sink.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Hitomi jumped off the bed to answer it. "HEY!" said a rather pushy sounding voice, "where's my drunken friend?"
"DON'T CALL VAN DRUNKEN!" yelled a girl in a high-pitched squeely voice while hitting the effiminate guy in the arm.
"Hey!" Hitomi said with a certain amount of excitement, "how are you guys?"
"Probably better than he is! HEY! WAIT!" Dilly said walking over to Van with a sneer on his face. "You're not hung over...how the heck did you accomplish that?"
"She knew a home remedy..." Van said thrusting his head in Hitomi's direction.
"OH REALLY?!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY, VAN????" Merlu said barging by Hitomi getting on her tiptoes with a fist raring to go.
"We're neighbors and I'm big boy, I can't take care of myself," Van chided trying to calm her down.
"I don't trust you Americans...I've heard many a story about American women," she said sneering her nose at Hitomi's hot pink track shorts. "You're trying to sleep with him! I SWEAR IF YOU DO I'LL..."
Hitomi flushed a bright shade of red and knotted her face into an angry expression. "WOOOOO-WHOOOOO, let's get them in bikini's and a BIG mud puddle! IT'S TIME TO WRASTLE!" Dilly said with a smile on his face looking for anything remotely similar to what he just stated.
Van just put his forehead in his hand and once agian, tried to calm Merlu down. He reached over and hugged her, "Merlu, you do realize that if I ever wanted to have a child, I'd have to do that..." he said stroking her pink, bobbed hair.
"I know, but--- she----that's----" The more Van stroked her hair, the more she calmed down. "Tell you two what, I'll order you guys some takeout too and we'll all just hang out here for a while? How's that sound, huh Merlu?"
"Uh-huh..." Merlu said almost purring.
"As long as there's fire involved, I'm there!" Dilly said searching for some matches.
"Just don't burn the house down," Van said in a scornful tone.
Hitomi's eyes went stark scared and Van replied, "don't worry; it's completely safe, unless of course he gets carried away..."
That didn't make Hitomi feel much better.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The food arrived at about 6:30 p.m. and everyone immediately dug in. They sat in the floor stuffing their mouths when Dilly said, "HEY! This is boring..."
"We're eating, man," Van said while inhaling more ramen.
"Well, why don't we play Truth or Dare!" he said with a gleam in his eye. "OOOOOooohhhhohwhowhowhwo....I have the perfect dare! SOMEONE DARE ME TO DO IT! DARE ME DARE ME DARE ME!" Dilly jumped up and down in pure excitement, chopsticks and food staying in place somehow.
"I've haven't played that since High School..." Hitomi said with a dreamy look.
"Neither have I," Van replied in a very matter-of-fact tone.
"Then why don't we?" Merlu said showing an actual smile and interlocking arms with Van. "YOU can go first Van..."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ok so kinda a cliffhanger ending, but the update will come speedily I promise! So just review, and I'll get back to you after I write the rough draft on my end of the year college term paper! (GAAAA I can't stand that my teachers are getting harder on me right at the last grading period! I'M SO READY TO GRADUATE! MAY 23 HURRY UP AND GET HERE! lol)