HOLY BLOODY HELL. 140+ reviews and still counting. What the... it
would appear I have stepped into the Twilight Zone. Seriously, I
never thought I'd get half that. To quote Kyoujyu/Kenny, "I feel a
bonding moment coming on."
DEAR GAWD, THANK YOU ALL.
After the chapter, prepare yourselves for the longest End Note I've ever written. Ever. Period. Exclamation mark. Booyaka.
CHAPTER TWELVE - - - - - - - - - - - -
It would be so much simpler, reflected Bryan, if he could just shove Tala and Kai into a closet and lock them in there until one or the other confessed their feelings. It had become, in the last couple of days before the March Break, almost unbearable when they met in the halls. On those occasions, the redhead would adopt a faint flush, glance at the bluenette, and then just as quickly look away.
Hiwatari was not quite as bad, but even he couldn't completely eradicate the slight reddening in his cheeks.
Ivan, however, had been adamant in being subtle and taking it slowly. Despite how blatantly obvious it was to Tala's closest friends how the ice-eyed teenager felt about a certain silver-haired junior, 'the worst thing to do would be to thrust them into a blind date', as he so sagely put it Friday afternoon.
"We don't want to scare them off. They have to sort of ease into the whole relationship thing," the diminutive boy had explained.
"Have you been reading Teen magazine lately?"
"It's common sense, Kuznetsov!"
"I don't see why we can't just force them to admit it. Tala's spacing off is getting really annoying."
"You can't rush true love!"
"You're getting really, really scary right about now, Ivan."
In the end, it had been decided that the best time to set up the would-be couple was at their first 'one-on-one' practice session. And so, one bright Monday morning (March 21, to be exact), the deceptively warm-looking sun's rays played upon the forms of Sergei and Bryan bodily hauling Tala out of his front door. Ivan had gone ahead to 'secure' the public field so there would be no interruptions.
By secure, of course, the authoress means 'threatening all the little kiddies to get the hell out of the park.'
Against all expectations (Ivan was, after all, about the same height as an eleven-year-old), the plan worked, and by the time a befuddled and fairly pissed off redhead had arrived at the grassy clearing, it was completely deserted.
Ivan, looking fairly pleased with himself, was waiting impatiently. "Come on!" he hissed to Bryan, loud enough to be heard by the pale- eyed senior, but softly enough for his comments to go unnoticed by Tala, who was muttering dark things about his so-called 'friends'. "Kai will be here any minute! This is it!" The indigo-haired teenager was all but rubbing his hands together in glee.
"And what do we do when he does get here?"
"We wait in the bushes and watch the fireworks! Duh!"
"You realize you're the only one who can actually fit in the bushes."
"...Shaddup. Fine, let's go get ice-cream."
Gesturing to Sergei, who picked up on the plan after a few frantic hand motions and mouthed words, Ivan called over to Tala. The team captain's head was half submerged in the equipment bin situated by the washroom facilities in his search for a couple soccer balls and pylons.
"Hey! Wolf! We're gonna go get something to eat! Have fun, alright?"
Bryan sniggered inwardly, both at the double meaning and at the lovely shade of pink Tala's face had stained. Suddenly, he caught a flash of silver and cobalt hair. Subtly nudging both Ivan and Sergei, Bryan offered his currently fuming childhood friend an innocent grin, and the three exited, stage left.
Enter, Kai. Stage right.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
[Kai's POV]
Why am I here?
I don't particularly dislike soccer, but it's not something I'd spend my time doing or practicing on my own. My presence here might actually have something to do with the fact that Tala will be coaching me, seeing as a strange, fluttery sensation invades my abdomen every time I see him (I sound frighteningly akin to a schoolgirl), but I won't dwell on that thought.
I had trouble enough forcing myself to walk to the park in the first place (my mental dialogue went something along the lines of, 'Yes.' 'No.' 'Yes.' etc, etc).
I can see the distinctive red hair from across the field.
...Why am I suddenly nervous?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Kai strode confidently across the turf, crimson eyes glinting with an arrogant self-assurance that completely masked any misgivings his mind might be having. Tala found himself wondering, not for the first time, what exactly went through the bluenette's head.
Nodding curtly in greeting, the younger teen halted a few metres away from the redhead, a questioning, and almost curious expression on his usually impassive face. Frost and flame met and clashed in a way reminiscent of their first meeting, each battling for dominance in a single, heated glance. Feeling the urge to break eye contact, Tala turned to retrieve the sports gear he had taken earlier.
"We'll start with some passing," he explained, careful to keep from locking orbs with the slightly shorter boy. "As a forward, you need to be able to receive and relay the ball quickly and efficiently."
Shrugging to show his consent, Kai allowed Tala to point him in the direction in which he was to move. The first few drills were easy, and consisted mainly of running to open space and controlling the ball when it came, before passing it back. They became more difficult and strenuous as the morning wore on, however, and an hour or so later, both teenagers found themselves in dire need of something to drink.
Tala called a ten-minute break, and the two retreated to the shade of an oak tree conveniently placed near the bleachers, where they then sat in an uncomfortable, but uninterrupted silence. It had been easy to keep their distance on the field; the concentration needed had been enough to allow them to forget the tension between them for a while. Now, however, they were seated close together on a wooden bench, and there were no distractions to use as an excuse.
Tired of the awkward quiet, Tala sought for a safe, neutral subject that they could discuss. "So, why did you come to Bakuten?"
There was the slightest of pauses, and then Kai's head snapped up from where it had been supposedly studying the ground. Something unreadable flashed in his scarlet irises, and the tone his voice, when he spoke, was low and guarded. "My parents... my parents were killed. I was sent here to live with my grandfather."
'Oh, good job, Ivanov. Remind the poor guy of his parents' deaths. Way to go.'
"Oh," was all the redhead said aloud.
There was another pause, this one longer. Then the silence was broken again, this time, surprisingly, by Kai. "It's not a big deal, really. Life is not for humans to understand or pre-ordain. Shit happens, and the most we can do as mortals is try to keep up."
It was the most Tala had ever heard the slate-haired boy say in one go, and he was momentarily dumbfounded. His quick wit was all that saved him from saying something entirely unrelated and idiotic (i.e. "...Wurr...?").
"Do you really believe that?"
"Don't you?" The question was uttered softly, as if Kai didn't really expect Tala to answer his query. The redhead, however, pressed further.
"What about fate? Destiny? The ineffable plan? What about God?"
"What about God? How can a great, omnipotent, loving deity exist in a place of such violence and hatred? How can you believe that somebody up there actually gives a flying fuck for what goes on down here? We're destroying ourselves, Tal- Ivanov. And any holy being with a grain of sense would have abandoned us long ago."
"You're an atheist, then?"
"Aren't you?"
"I've never given it that much thought. But really, how can you expect all this," Tala waved a pale hand, fingers outstretched, to gesture to the world around him. "How can you expect all this to be an accident? A mistake? Some sort of anomaly that resulted in the creation of, well, everything? That's like destroying a watch, putting the pieces in a box, shaking it and expecting to pull out a gold, monogrammed Rolex."
"I don't expect it to be anything." Kai's voice was strangely subdued, as if this conversation was more than just a few traded opinions, and was taking more of a toll on him than it should. "The cosmos cannot be categorized as a single entity, it's too big to be understood by mere humans. We can't just take it apart and see how it works.
"But you were asking about God. The real question concerning Him, though, is: has He created us in His image, or have we constructed Him in ours?"
There was another moment of silence, as one teenager contemplated this, and the other wondered why he had even continued the exchange. Finally, Tala spoke again.
"So, you're saying the idea of religion, the idea of divine intervention, was created by man?"
"Precisely. Humans seek comfort, acceptance and purpose, understanding and love. The creation, and adoption, of religion and faith is a safety blanket, something for us to hold on to when there's a storm brewing outside and we're scared.
"God's an explanation. Nothing more, nothing less. And eventually, like all theories, it will be proven wrong."
"That's a very cynical way of looking at things, Kai."
Kai opened his mouth, as if to respond, then closed it again. His eyes had been narrowed in thought, and his brow now furrowed even further. "What are you, my shrink*?"
Aware that he had stepped over an invisible line, Tala shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No, nothing like that. Come on, break's over."
Grateful for the interruption, Kai stood alongside his captain.
There was no more discussion for the rest of the practice, and Tala returned home that afternoon feeling as if he'd missed something important.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
To be Continued
I think I killed Tala. No, seriously. I wanted some contrast in their banter, and, naturally, Kai should be the more cynical one, right? But Tala seemed so... optimistic, almost naïve, in his perception of the world.
I suppose I could say that this is how Tala would have turned out if it hadn't been for the Abbey's influence, but really, I just... Argh.
Oh, and in the spirit of Goldman's brilliant satire, I call the second interlude 'The Unexplained Kai Fragment.' Read the Princess Bride 's sequel, Buttercup's Baby, to understand what the heck I'm talkin' about. Good book.
* Remember, Kai has issues with guidance counselors. He hates being analyzed.
And now, for something I've never done before, but will do from now on!
RESPONSES TO CHAPTER 11 REVIEWS
Undead Warrior: Oooh, nice name. Don't worry, I'm continuing.
The Midnight Shadows: ...See, the problem is, I've only seen the first season of Beyblade and the first two episodes of G-Rev. So, I don't have any clear idea of who Zeo is. Eeeh... Sorry?
Kitsune: It's explained in the first diary entry: the guidance teacher means to skim through every entry to ensure that all the students actually did the assignment. Thanks for reviewing!
Angelgirl10: You know the key?! Oh! Good! Tell me: what is it?!
Midnight Insanity: They say the best compliment one can grant is to pass on your work to another. Thanks so bloody much. Cookies... *drools on computer* *short-circuits the keyboard* Ooooh, crud.
Lyn/Lin: I won't let him burn the darn notebook. After all that time I spent forging his handwriting in it? Ungrateful little phoenix...
Phoenix the 1st: Yes. Angst. Angst is good, if used properly and not overdone. Update? Sure, why not!
Nights Child: Kai... has issues. You can't expect him to be all warm and cuddly and snuggle up to Tala like a good little boy, do you? Nah, he has to resolve, and come to terms and angst for a good while first. No worries, though, I promise, some good fluff will appear in due time. I feel sorry for your brain. The same thing happened to me while I was typing this.
Kai-Jermin: You're in Florida?! You so lucky... Murr. And you're 20?! You can drive?! Lucky, lucky you. Bring on the compliments; they help my ego. *chuckles evilly* Thanks so much for the review.
Lilmatchgirl: Hm... Your name stirs some sort of memory in this empty cavern of a skull of mine. Wasn't it a fairy tale, or something, about a kid who sold matches and became a pyromaniac because her heart wouldn't warm on Christmas or something? Ah, never mind. I'm still learning, but it's great to hear that you think my PoV's are competent. Gracias, senorita!
ENCHILADAS FOR ALL!
DEAR GAWD, THANK YOU ALL.
After the chapter, prepare yourselves for the longest End Note I've ever written. Ever. Period. Exclamation mark. Booyaka.
CHAPTER TWELVE - - - - - - - - - - - -
It would be so much simpler, reflected Bryan, if he could just shove Tala and Kai into a closet and lock them in there until one or the other confessed their feelings. It had become, in the last couple of days before the March Break, almost unbearable when they met in the halls. On those occasions, the redhead would adopt a faint flush, glance at the bluenette, and then just as quickly look away.
Hiwatari was not quite as bad, but even he couldn't completely eradicate the slight reddening in his cheeks.
Ivan, however, had been adamant in being subtle and taking it slowly. Despite how blatantly obvious it was to Tala's closest friends how the ice-eyed teenager felt about a certain silver-haired junior, 'the worst thing to do would be to thrust them into a blind date', as he so sagely put it Friday afternoon.
"We don't want to scare them off. They have to sort of ease into the whole relationship thing," the diminutive boy had explained.
"Have you been reading Teen magazine lately?"
"It's common sense, Kuznetsov!"
"I don't see why we can't just force them to admit it. Tala's spacing off is getting really annoying."
"You can't rush true love!"
"You're getting really, really scary right about now, Ivan."
In the end, it had been decided that the best time to set up the would-be couple was at their first 'one-on-one' practice session. And so, one bright Monday morning (March 21, to be exact), the deceptively warm-looking sun's rays played upon the forms of Sergei and Bryan bodily hauling Tala out of his front door. Ivan had gone ahead to 'secure' the public field so there would be no interruptions.
By secure, of course, the authoress means 'threatening all the little kiddies to get the hell out of the park.'
Against all expectations (Ivan was, after all, about the same height as an eleven-year-old), the plan worked, and by the time a befuddled and fairly pissed off redhead had arrived at the grassy clearing, it was completely deserted.
Ivan, looking fairly pleased with himself, was waiting impatiently. "Come on!" he hissed to Bryan, loud enough to be heard by the pale- eyed senior, but softly enough for his comments to go unnoticed by Tala, who was muttering dark things about his so-called 'friends'. "Kai will be here any minute! This is it!" The indigo-haired teenager was all but rubbing his hands together in glee.
"And what do we do when he does get here?"
"We wait in the bushes and watch the fireworks! Duh!"
"You realize you're the only one who can actually fit in the bushes."
"...Shaddup. Fine, let's go get ice-cream."
Gesturing to Sergei, who picked up on the plan after a few frantic hand motions and mouthed words, Ivan called over to Tala. The team captain's head was half submerged in the equipment bin situated by the washroom facilities in his search for a couple soccer balls and pylons.
"Hey! Wolf! We're gonna go get something to eat! Have fun, alright?"
Bryan sniggered inwardly, both at the double meaning and at the lovely shade of pink Tala's face had stained. Suddenly, he caught a flash of silver and cobalt hair. Subtly nudging both Ivan and Sergei, Bryan offered his currently fuming childhood friend an innocent grin, and the three exited, stage left.
Enter, Kai. Stage right.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
[Kai's POV]
Why am I here?
I don't particularly dislike soccer, but it's not something I'd spend my time doing or practicing on my own. My presence here might actually have something to do with the fact that Tala will be coaching me, seeing as a strange, fluttery sensation invades my abdomen every time I see him (I sound frighteningly akin to a schoolgirl), but I won't dwell on that thought.
I had trouble enough forcing myself to walk to the park in the first place (my mental dialogue went something along the lines of, 'Yes.' 'No.' 'Yes.' etc, etc).
I can see the distinctive red hair from across the field.
...Why am I suddenly nervous?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Kai strode confidently across the turf, crimson eyes glinting with an arrogant self-assurance that completely masked any misgivings his mind might be having. Tala found himself wondering, not for the first time, what exactly went through the bluenette's head.
Nodding curtly in greeting, the younger teen halted a few metres away from the redhead, a questioning, and almost curious expression on his usually impassive face. Frost and flame met and clashed in a way reminiscent of their first meeting, each battling for dominance in a single, heated glance. Feeling the urge to break eye contact, Tala turned to retrieve the sports gear he had taken earlier.
"We'll start with some passing," he explained, careful to keep from locking orbs with the slightly shorter boy. "As a forward, you need to be able to receive and relay the ball quickly and efficiently."
Shrugging to show his consent, Kai allowed Tala to point him in the direction in which he was to move. The first few drills were easy, and consisted mainly of running to open space and controlling the ball when it came, before passing it back. They became more difficult and strenuous as the morning wore on, however, and an hour or so later, both teenagers found themselves in dire need of something to drink.
Tala called a ten-minute break, and the two retreated to the shade of an oak tree conveniently placed near the bleachers, where they then sat in an uncomfortable, but uninterrupted silence. It had been easy to keep their distance on the field; the concentration needed had been enough to allow them to forget the tension between them for a while. Now, however, they were seated close together on a wooden bench, and there were no distractions to use as an excuse.
Tired of the awkward quiet, Tala sought for a safe, neutral subject that they could discuss. "So, why did you come to Bakuten?"
There was the slightest of pauses, and then Kai's head snapped up from where it had been supposedly studying the ground. Something unreadable flashed in his scarlet irises, and the tone his voice, when he spoke, was low and guarded. "My parents... my parents were killed. I was sent here to live with my grandfather."
'Oh, good job, Ivanov. Remind the poor guy of his parents' deaths. Way to go.'
"Oh," was all the redhead said aloud.
There was another pause, this one longer. Then the silence was broken again, this time, surprisingly, by Kai. "It's not a big deal, really. Life is not for humans to understand or pre-ordain. Shit happens, and the most we can do as mortals is try to keep up."
It was the most Tala had ever heard the slate-haired boy say in one go, and he was momentarily dumbfounded. His quick wit was all that saved him from saying something entirely unrelated and idiotic (i.e. "...Wurr...?").
"Do you really believe that?"
"Don't you?" The question was uttered softly, as if Kai didn't really expect Tala to answer his query. The redhead, however, pressed further.
"What about fate? Destiny? The ineffable plan? What about God?"
"What about God? How can a great, omnipotent, loving deity exist in a place of such violence and hatred? How can you believe that somebody up there actually gives a flying fuck for what goes on down here? We're destroying ourselves, Tal- Ivanov. And any holy being with a grain of sense would have abandoned us long ago."
"You're an atheist, then?"
"Aren't you?"
"I've never given it that much thought. But really, how can you expect all this," Tala waved a pale hand, fingers outstretched, to gesture to the world around him. "How can you expect all this to be an accident? A mistake? Some sort of anomaly that resulted in the creation of, well, everything? That's like destroying a watch, putting the pieces in a box, shaking it and expecting to pull out a gold, monogrammed Rolex."
"I don't expect it to be anything." Kai's voice was strangely subdued, as if this conversation was more than just a few traded opinions, and was taking more of a toll on him than it should. "The cosmos cannot be categorized as a single entity, it's too big to be understood by mere humans. We can't just take it apart and see how it works.
"But you were asking about God. The real question concerning Him, though, is: has He created us in His image, or have we constructed Him in ours?"
There was another moment of silence, as one teenager contemplated this, and the other wondered why he had even continued the exchange. Finally, Tala spoke again.
"So, you're saying the idea of religion, the idea of divine intervention, was created by man?"
"Precisely. Humans seek comfort, acceptance and purpose, understanding and love. The creation, and adoption, of religion and faith is a safety blanket, something for us to hold on to when there's a storm brewing outside and we're scared.
"God's an explanation. Nothing more, nothing less. And eventually, like all theories, it will be proven wrong."
"That's a very cynical way of looking at things, Kai."
Kai opened his mouth, as if to respond, then closed it again. His eyes had been narrowed in thought, and his brow now furrowed even further. "What are you, my shrink*?"
Aware that he had stepped over an invisible line, Tala shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No, nothing like that. Come on, break's over."
Grateful for the interruption, Kai stood alongside his captain.
There was no more discussion for the rest of the practice, and Tala returned home that afternoon feeling as if he'd missed something important.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
To be Continued
I think I killed Tala. No, seriously. I wanted some contrast in their banter, and, naturally, Kai should be the more cynical one, right? But Tala seemed so... optimistic, almost naïve, in his perception of the world.
I suppose I could say that this is how Tala would have turned out if it hadn't been for the Abbey's influence, but really, I just... Argh.
Oh, and in the spirit of Goldman's brilliant satire, I call the second interlude 'The Unexplained Kai Fragment.' Read the Princess Bride 's sequel, Buttercup's Baby, to understand what the heck I'm talkin' about. Good book.
* Remember, Kai has issues with guidance counselors. He hates being analyzed.
And now, for something I've never done before, but will do from now on!
RESPONSES TO CHAPTER 11 REVIEWS
Undead Warrior: Oooh, nice name. Don't worry, I'm continuing.
The Midnight Shadows: ...See, the problem is, I've only seen the first season of Beyblade and the first two episodes of G-Rev. So, I don't have any clear idea of who Zeo is. Eeeh... Sorry?
Kitsune: It's explained in the first diary entry: the guidance teacher means to skim through every entry to ensure that all the students actually did the assignment. Thanks for reviewing!
Angelgirl10: You know the key?! Oh! Good! Tell me: what is it?!
Midnight Insanity: They say the best compliment one can grant is to pass on your work to another. Thanks so bloody much. Cookies... *drools on computer* *short-circuits the keyboard* Ooooh, crud.
Lyn/Lin: I won't let him burn the darn notebook. After all that time I spent forging his handwriting in it? Ungrateful little phoenix...
Phoenix the 1st: Yes. Angst. Angst is good, if used properly and not overdone. Update? Sure, why not!
Nights Child: Kai... has issues. You can't expect him to be all warm and cuddly and snuggle up to Tala like a good little boy, do you? Nah, he has to resolve, and come to terms and angst for a good while first. No worries, though, I promise, some good fluff will appear in due time. I feel sorry for your brain. The same thing happened to me while I was typing this.
Kai-Jermin: You're in Florida?! You so lucky... Murr. And you're 20?! You can drive?! Lucky, lucky you. Bring on the compliments; they help my ego. *chuckles evilly* Thanks so much for the review.
Lilmatchgirl: Hm... Your name stirs some sort of memory in this empty cavern of a skull of mine. Wasn't it a fairy tale, or something, about a kid who sold matches and became a pyromaniac because her heart wouldn't warm on Christmas or something? Ah, never mind. I'm still learning, but it's great to hear that you think my PoV's are competent. Gracias, senorita!
ENCHILADAS FOR ALL!
