Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh.
I haven't been writing much lately, since I have to partition time with helping the little boogers at school, chatting on the boards, trying to get by on the tests and essays, and living it up with the frat boys. Thus, giving time of FF.net low priority. *Sniffle*
However, fueled by sights of new GALS! Pictures and video, I decided to press on with Platform, just because I want to. *Smirk*
Without any further ado about nothin', here's the next chapter...
********
The Platform Surfers
Chapter 12
Fly away from here
A week after leading Maron's school to the title, Ran went to the phone in her room. 18 more hours, and she would be departing with her family for Brisbane, wherever that is. Her bedroom was well organized, but that was only because she had all her materials packed in 5 heavy suitcases.
"Hello?" asked Usagi, answering the phone from her desk at Serenity.
"Yo, yo, yo. It's me."
"Ran! What are you up to now?"
"Listen, Usagi...I hate to tell you this, but...I'm going to go on a vacation with my family."
"WHAAAAT!?" She was beyond herself Ran Kotobuki, the leader of the Platform Surfers, taking a break!? Incredible! "Ran, we haven't finished the album! And..."
"Shhh. Usagi, I'm going to be out for only a month and a half. What I want you to do is keep the recordings on hold, because I will return to finish it with everyone. Also, don't set a release date and tour dates for us. I'm going to go to Australia to clear my mind for a while, all right?"
"Ran..." She sighed, and then said, "I hope you know what you are doing. Don't do anything that would come to bite you in the rear end, okay?"
"I'm way ahead of you," she said with a giggle.
"Way ahead of me? Like I should be surprised at that?"
"Usagi, I'll be fine. Australia's one hell of a country. I am in earnest it is correct."
"Well...be safe, Ran. The Lord shines his light on those he blesses. Take care. Send me some pictures when you return!"
"Okay, Usagi! Bye!"
"Bye!"
Ran hung up the phone, and sat on her bed, in deep mediatation. 'I belong to a different family...that can't be...it just can't...' she thought. But the thought of Australia just gave her an immediate piece of mind.
********
"Kobayashi~~! Mail!" Hayama took the letter from one of the maids on the premises.
"Hmmm?" He opened it, "From Kotobuki Taizou," he read, "We have decided to have a month-long stay at your family's condominium in Surfer's Paradise. Please do accommodate us well. Love, The Kotobuki Family."
"Ne? Hayama-kun? What is it?" asked Sana, reading the letter intently.
"My biological sister...will come here..." A sardonic grin crept across his face. It was the first time he had done it, ever. Sana just smiled naively.
********
"It's a wonderful feeling," said Usagi, watching the city from her window at the studios.
"Is it?" questioned Mamoru, sipping some coffee, eating a éclair. "But, you know, Ran on hiatus..."
"What about her, Mamo-chan?"
"It would have been so nice if we could finish that album. And we didn't get to say goodbye. Shall we?"
"Endymion...I think we shall." In a flash, Usagi's casual uniform changed to a long flowing white gown with gold and pearl trim, a white ribbon at the back and white spiraled shoulder pads. The sign of the moon was on her head, two rows of three pearls were on her hair, and a gold-bead bracelet was on her right arm. Mamoru's uniform changed to that of a general, with black armor and cape.
"Sere, you ready?" Endy had a curious look.
"Let's go! Wait...I'm tired of using these white high heels. Endy, are there any white tennis shoes?"
He looked and then, "Oh, the Air Forces Ones you bought yesterday are right here, fresh as a bling-bling, in Ebonic speak."
She laughed, put them on, and said while carrying her heels, "Off to Narita. I'll drive, Endy."
"You? Of all people!" He laughed, and they walked out, locking the studio. Only 3 years ago did she drive recklessly, and now, her refinement had returned for once.
********
"Here we are!" said Taizou, as the family entered Narita an hour later.
"Great," said Ran wearily. She had just begun to find solace, when a mob of 300-plus guys saw her.
"Oh my god! It's her!" said one of them.
"Whom are you talking about?" asked another.
"No, I swear it! It's the...the..."
"The who?" asked another guy sheepishly to his star-struck friend.
"It's RAN KOTOBUKI! THE TOUGHEST GIRL IN JAPAN! SHE'S OVER THERE!!!" he yelled hysterically, pointing to Ran. "GAH! There she is! GET HER! NOW!!!"
With a roar, the male mob ran at double-speed toward Ran. "Oh, now what...?" she asked, with a hint of a grunt. "What the hell do you guys want now?"
"Ran-sama~~~! We want your autograph!" said one of the guys, as he and the other 299 offered their notepads and pens to her.
"Eh, heheheh, you guys...I have a flight to get to in 30 minutes."
"PLEEEAAASE?" asked the guys, the baby boys popping out of them.
"Oh, what the hell. It's not like I get paid for this..." At that point, each person offered at 10,000-yen bill. "Then again, I REALLY don't mind," she said, with an impish snicker. In 5 minutes, she signed 300 autographs, and not breaking a sweat in between.
"Arigato gozaimasu, Ran-sama~~~~!" said the mob, bowing their heads. Ran rolled her eyes, and then went back with the others. They were at the QANTAS counter, confirming their flight to Brisbane.
********
"That will be five adult tickets, First Class, for Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, sir?" asked the attendant at the counter.
"Yes," Taizou said, nudging Kiyoka a bit, who just smiled.
"Oookay, that will be 1,525,600 ?, sir," he said. Taizou whipped out his obese wallet and paid it quickly. "Arigato, sir, and have a pleasant flight."
"Hey, you guys~~~!" exclaimed Ran, counting her cold, hard cash, then putting it in her pocket.
"RAN!" exclaimed her parents.
"Ran?" said Yamato with a disoriented expression.
Sayo said, "Where did you get that..."
"COLD, HARD CASH?" they said in unison to her.
"Oh, some guys decided to give me this if I gave them my signature, and I got 300 big ones."
"1,000-yen bills right?" asked Yamato, eyes wide open.
"No, more like 10,000-yen, aniki," said Ran naively. Yamato died. "And it's all for me, I guess." Yamato died again.
He would have the strength to resurrect himself on the spot, and he was beyond teed. "RAN! YOU SELFISH LITTLE SISTER~~! (Lucky, too!)"
Ran, unabashed by this turn of events, put a finger of Yamato's chin (a la what Rei did to her), and said, "You behave, aniki, or no cash for you."
Yamato whined a bit, but got up, and said, "Sure, Ran."
With a musical dum-dum-dum-du~~~~m, a voice on intercom said, "Attention! Attention! Qantas Airlines Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, Australia is now boarding! All passengers report to Gate 5 in 30 minutes! Once again, Qantas Airlines Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, Australia is now boarding! All passengers report to Gate 5 in 30 minutes!"
"Well, I guess we should go," said Taizou with a sigh. "After you, my lady." Kiyoka chuckled a bit as she lead the pack, followed by the rest. As they reach Gate 5, Ran looked behind her, and saw two people coming. It was Usagi and Mamoru, dressed rather fancy (save the Air Force Ones).
"Usagi-san? Chiba-san?"
"Hey!" the two said, coming over to her.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"We just wanted to wish you well on your journey," said Mamoru, nodding.
"And why are both of you dressed like that? By the way, did you paint a crescent on your head, Usagi? Looks tacky."
Usagi felt a bit irked and thought of whacking Ran with a mallet, but her cool head stayed cooler, and said, "We just wanted to dress like this." She then saw that Ran was bringing her Kotocaster with her. "Ran, take this with you."
"What's this?" It was a small pendant, with a silver orchid charm on it.
"Tatsuki-san told me to give this to you. He told you to keep it."
"Eh~~~!? But, but, I do have a relationship with him, but, it's, it's..."
"Not that strong. So he wants you to keep this pendant. Wear it with you at all times. If you throw it away into oblivion, you will basically be cursed in loneliness all your life."
Ran paused, and then put it on. "Th-thanks, Usagi-san."
"No problem. Have fun during your trip."
They both hugged together, and as Usagi and Mamoru left, Ran walked past the concourse, showed her ticket, and went into the plane.
Tatsukichi...you love me, don't you?
I do feel the same,
But is it really that strong?
Make me believe it...
As she put her luggage in, and went to her seat, she started fall into a dream, as the plane rolled off towards Brisbane. She had lost all sense of the real world, as she slipped into her world of possibilities, tired, and waiting for that yoke of cursed mental torture to be taken off her shoulders. It would be a long 24 hours or so before the real fun began, if there was any.
*********
END CHAPTER 12
This took me a long time to write. Review...
I haven't been writing much lately, since I have to partition time with helping the little boogers at school, chatting on the boards, trying to get by on the tests and essays, and living it up with the frat boys. Thus, giving time of FF.net low priority. *Sniffle*
However, fueled by sights of new GALS! Pictures and video, I decided to press on with Platform, just because I want to. *Smirk*
Without any further ado about nothin', here's the next chapter...
********
The Platform Surfers
Chapter 12
Fly away from here
A week after leading Maron's school to the title, Ran went to the phone in her room. 18 more hours, and she would be departing with her family for Brisbane, wherever that is. Her bedroom was well organized, but that was only because she had all her materials packed in 5 heavy suitcases.
"Hello?" asked Usagi, answering the phone from her desk at Serenity.
"Yo, yo, yo. It's me."
"Ran! What are you up to now?"
"Listen, Usagi...I hate to tell you this, but...I'm going to go on a vacation with my family."
"WHAAAAT!?" She was beyond herself Ran Kotobuki, the leader of the Platform Surfers, taking a break!? Incredible! "Ran, we haven't finished the album! And..."
"Shhh. Usagi, I'm going to be out for only a month and a half. What I want you to do is keep the recordings on hold, because I will return to finish it with everyone. Also, don't set a release date and tour dates for us. I'm going to go to Australia to clear my mind for a while, all right?"
"Ran..." She sighed, and then said, "I hope you know what you are doing. Don't do anything that would come to bite you in the rear end, okay?"
"I'm way ahead of you," she said with a giggle.
"Way ahead of me? Like I should be surprised at that?"
"Usagi, I'll be fine. Australia's one hell of a country. I am in earnest it is correct."
"Well...be safe, Ran. The Lord shines his light on those he blesses. Take care. Send me some pictures when you return!"
"Okay, Usagi! Bye!"
"Bye!"
Ran hung up the phone, and sat on her bed, in deep mediatation. 'I belong to a different family...that can't be...it just can't...' she thought. But the thought of Australia just gave her an immediate piece of mind.
********
"Kobayashi~~! Mail!" Hayama took the letter from one of the maids on the premises.
"Hmmm?" He opened it, "From Kotobuki Taizou," he read, "We have decided to have a month-long stay at your family's condominium in Surfer's Paradise. Please do accommodate us well. Love, The Kotobuki Family."
"Ne? Hayama-kun? What is it?" asked Sana, reading the letter intently.
"My biological sister...will come here..." A sardonic grin crept across his face. It was the first time he had done it, ever. Sana just smiled naively.
********
"It's a wonderful feeling," said Usagi, watching the city from her window at the studios.
"Is it?" questioned Mamoru, sipping some coffee, eating a éclair. "But, you know, Ran on hiatus..."
"What about her, Mamo-chan?"
"It would have been so nice if we could finish that album. And we didn't get to say goodbye. Shall we?"
"Endymion...I think we shall." In a flash, Usagi's casual uniform changed to a long flowing white gown with gold and pearl trim, a white ribbon at the back and white spiraled shoulder pads. The sign of the moon was on her head, two rows of three pearls were on her hair, and a gold-bead bracelet was on her right arm. Mamoru's uniform changed to that of a general, with black armor and cape.
"Sere, you ready?" Endy had a curious look.
"Let's go! Wait...I'm tired of using these white high heels. Endy, are there any white tennis shoes?"
He looked and then, "Oh, the Air Forces Ones you bought yesterday are right here, fresh as a bling-bling, in Ebonic speak."
She laughed, put them on, and said while carrying her heels, "Off to Narita. I'll drive, Endy."
"You? Of all people!" He laughed, and they walked out, locking the studio. Only 3 years ago did she drive recklessly, and now, her refinement had returned for once.
********
"Here we are!" said Taizou, as the family entered Narita an hour later.
"Great," said Ran wearily. She had just begun to find solace, when a mob of 300-plus guys saw her.
"Oh my god! It's her!" said one of them.
"Whom are you talking about?" asked another.
"No, I swear it! It's the...the..."
"The who?" asked another guy sheepishly to his star-struck friend.
"It's RAN KOTOBUKI! THE TOUGHEST GIRL IN JAPAN! SHE'S OVER THERE!!!" he yelled hysterically, pointing to Ran. "GAH! There she is! GET HER! NOW!!!"
With a roar, the male mob ran at double-speed toward Ran. "Oh, now what...?" she asked, with a hint of a grunt. "What the hell do you guys want now?"
"Ran-sama~~~! We want your autograph!" said one of the guys, as he and the other 299 offered their notepads and pens to her.
"Eh, heheheh, you guys...I have a flight to get to in 30 minutes."
"PLEEEAAASE?" asked the guys, the baby boys popping out of them.
"Oh, what the hell. It's not like I get paid for this..." At that point, each person offered at 10,000-yen bill. "Then again, I REALLY don't mind," she said, with an impish snicker. In 5 minutes, she signed 300 autographs, and not breaking a sweat in between.
"Arigato gozaimasu, Ran-sama~~~~!" said the mob, bowing their heads. Ran rolled her eyes, and then went back with the others. They were at the QANTAS counter, confirming their flight to Brisbane.
********
"That will be five adult tickets, First Class, for Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, sir?" asked the attendant at the counter.
"Yes," Taizou said, nudging Kiyoka a bit, who just smiled.
"Oookay, that will be 1,525,600 ?, sir," he said. Taizou whipped out his obese wallet and paid it quickly. "Arigato, sir, and have a pleasant flight."
"Hey, you guys~~~!" exclaimed Ran, counting her cold, hard cash, then putting it in her pocket.
"RAN!" exclaimed her parents.
"Ran?" said Yamato with a disoriented expression.
Sayo said, "Where did you get that..."
"COLD, HARD CASH?" they said in unison to her.
"Oh, some guys decided to give me this if I gave them my signature, and I got 300 big ones."
"1,000-yen bills right?" asked Yamato, eyes wide open.
"No, more like 10,000-yen, aniki," said Ran naively. Yamato died. "And it's all for me, I guess." Yamato died again.
He would have the strength to resurrect himself on the spot, and he was beyond teed. "RAN! YOU SELFISH LITTLE SISTER~~! (Lucky, too!)"
Ran, unabashed by this turn of events, put a finger of Yamato's chin (a la what Rei did to her), and said, "You behave, aniki, or no cash for you."
Yamato whined a bit, but got up, and said, "Sure, Ran."
With a musical dum-dum-dum-du~~~~m, a voice on intercom said, "Attention! Attention! Qantas Airlines Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, Australia is now boarding! All passengers report to Gate 5 in 30 minutes! Once again, Qantas Airlines Flight 911 nonstop to Brisbane, Australia is now boarding! All passengers report to Gate 5 in 30 minutes!"
"Well, I guess we should go," said Taizou with a sigh. "After you, my lady." Kiyoka chuckled a bit as she lead the pack, followed by the rest. As they reach Gate 5, Ran looked behind her, and saw two people coming. It was Usagi and Mamoru, dressed rather fancy (save the Air Force Ones).
"Usagi-san? Chiba-san?"
"Hey!" the two said, coming over to her.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"We just wanted to wish you well on your journey," said Mamoru, nodding.
"And why are both of you dressed like that? By the way, did you paint a crescent on your head, Usagi? Looks tacky."
Usagi felt a bit irked and thought of whacking Ran with a mallet, but her cool head stayed cooler, and said, "We just wanted to dress like this." She then saw that Ran was bringing her Kotocaster with her. "Ran, take this with you."
"What's this?" It was a small pendant, with a silver orchid charm on it.
"Tatsuki-san told me to give this to you. He told you to keep it."
"Eh~~~!? But, but, I do have a relationship with him, but, it's, it's..."
"Not that strong. So he wants you to keep this pendant. Wear it with you at all times. If you throw it away into oblivion, you will basically be cursed in loneliness all your life."
Ran paused, and then put it on. "Th-thanks, Usagi-san."
"No problem. Have fun during your trip."
They both hugged together, and as Usagi and Mamoru left, Ran walked past the concourse, showed her ticket, and went into the plane.
Tatsukichi...you love me, don't you?
I do feel the same,
But is it really that strong?
Make me believe it...
As she put her luggage in, and went to her seat, she started fall into a dream, as the plane rolled off towards Brisbane. She had lost all sense of the real world, as she slipped into her world of possibilities, tired, and waiting for that yoke of cursed mental torture to be taken off her shoulders. It would be a long 24 hours or so before the real fun began, if there was any.
*********
END CHAPTER 12
This took me a long time to write. Review...