Well, I'm officially lagging behind on this fanfiction! I do apologize, but I've been busy (as always). I do try though! ^_^
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"Wake up!" The chocolate rabbit squeaked at Youji. "You need to wake up, you stubborn son of a bitch!" The rabbit started shaking Youji all about, smearing chocolate goop all over his favorite shirt.
"Shut up, rabbit. Rabbits are food, not for talking." He swatted at the impertinent confectionary hare.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ken's voice intruded upon the last blurred remnants of his dream. Youji pushed the looming brunette out of his face.
"Can't a man even dream about fucking talking candy in peace anymore? You'd better have a damned good reason for waking me up; it's not even morning yet. You're going to need to provide evidence of the Second Coming if you want to survive. If there isn't a shining Caucasian man in a bathrobe descending from the skies, you'd better be ready to get a fist in the face." Youji attempted to block out the light creeping underneath his eyelids with a pillow.
"Ko-ishi is not dead and he may be here any moment and we need to pack up and get out of here. Is that as important enough for you?"
The sickly, metallic smell of blood finally registered. He forced himself into a state of semi-awareness. "What happened to you? Somebody beat you in the face with a washing machine?" He frowned at Ken's bloodied face. Ken was too busy jittering all over the place to notice.
"You on drugs?" Youji caught Ken's chin in his hand, looking into his eyes. "Your eyes look fine... Think you can stop bouncing around like that? I've been awake for a matter of moments." His other hand grazed the empty side of the bed. "Where's Aya?"
"Taking care of Omi." Ken was still shivering, looking as if he were considering going into shock. "You seem to be taking all of this well. Were you not listening to a word I said? Ko-ishi, of the big bad mojo, is not as dead as we previously thought him to be, and apparently some of his loyal henchmen share this state of un-dead. He's going to torch the house, we need to get out of here."
That managed to catch Youji's attention the second time around. He grabbed Ken's shoulders, slammed him back into the bed's headboard. "You'd better have a fucking marvelous explanation behind this prank. You wake me up to feed me a line of bullshit like that! And what the hell did you do to Omi?"
"It's not bullshit. I was attacked in a parking lot by a dead man. Fucking hell, Youji, I thought Omi was dead! Do you see me laughing? It's not a joke, we have to get out of here. He threw Omi into a lamp post and all but brained him."
Youji pushed him away, started pulling on a random assortment of clothes. "This is my home. I've spent a shit load of hours trying to make it livable, I've spent even more money trying for the same goal. If anyone wants it they're going to have to go through me first." He started strapping on weapons. Apparently he'd been using some of his time well after all, building up new personal armory. "You want out, you take Aya and Omi with you and get gone. I'm not going to stand by while anyone torches yet one more house of mine."
"I second that sentiment." Aya stepped back into the bedroom. "I'm tired of fleeing from place to place. I'm making a stand."
Ken sighed heavily and pushed past Aya, heading for his first obligation. His main concert was curled up on their bed, breathing shallow and unhealthy. He hooked a chair closer with his foot, dropping down as the very last remnants of energy abandoned him. "Omi?"
Omi started up, eyes flying open. "Ow!" His hand came up to his head, shying away at the last moment. "Oh no! How long was I asleep?" He tried to brace himself for a good prodding at the back of his head.
"Don't do that." Ken caught wavering fingers in his own. "Aya just left a few minutes ago."
"I can't sleep now, I have a mild concussion. When someone has a concussion you have to make sure they don't go to sleep and never wake up. I don't want to go to sleep forever." He slowly sat up, arm muscles shaking underneath the strain of his weight.
"Only a mild one?"
"My head is thicker than previously thought, I guess." He was swept into a fierce hug, biting his lower lip to keep from making any pain sounds.
"I'm glad. I'm glad you have a sturdy skull. I don't know what I would have done if you'd really been dead." He knew his hand was holding Omi a bit too tightly, but he couldn't help it.
"Whether you crush my ribs or not, I'm still not going anywhere." Omi decided to drop a tactful little hint, keeping his eyes tightly closed against the sudden vertigo.
"Sorry." He forcibly pried his hands away, clenching them together in his lap. "Youji and Aya are going to stay. I told them Ko-Ishi was coming to play gleeful arsonist again, and they decided to make a stand. If you tell me what you want, I'll pack some things up for you and get you somewhere safe before the shit hits the fan."
Omi stumbled upright. "I think not. Short of pulling an Aya and drugging me into submission, I'm sticking this out too. I'm feeling better already." He tried to give visible truth to the lie, widening his bleary eyes and forcing himself to stand upright.
Someone knocked on the front door, the hollow raps echoing up the stairs and all throughout the silent house.
"Looks like you're here by default." Ken pulled Omi into a careful hug, brushing a kiss across his forehead. "Stay up here."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"How much of this scare do you want to bet revolves around a hard knock Ken must have taken on his noggin?" The cocky grin Youji wore like armor looked a bit ragged around the edges. "You killed Ko-ishi, right? I mean, what YOU kill usually stays dead, right?"
"He was in several pieces when I was through with him." Aya admitted. "His head being one of those separate pieces."
"So, what's really going on? Some guy shows up, but Ken says he's sure he's killed him, right? It would help if I could hear it all from him again, he can be a tad more vocal than you when it's important."
"He's busy with Omi right now."
"Need to give that kid some tranquilizers." Youji said, referring to Ken.
"Someone certainly wants us dead, that much is for sure. Whether they're all inhuman creatures back from the dead or clever punks hip on their current events, I'm assuming we're going to be up all night, right?" He tossed Aya a gun. Aya dropped it on the bed, nose wrinkled up as if he smelled something foul.
"I don't need it."
"Hey, garroting wire and honkin' big assed swords may be all good on a stealth mission, but this is a direct affront on our territory. You saw how Ken fared against one of them in hand-to-hand combat."
"He was unarmed." Aya decided now would be a good time for arguing. "You'll find when a punch is headed by a set of six inch claws rather than knuckles, a lot more damage is done. Having your skull bones exploding backwards into your brain tends to put most people off their game for a while."
"Blerg! What a pleasant topic to engage in right after waking. I've fought with Ken before, Omi as well. We're the best at what we do. If he had trouble with the guy, I'd probably be dead. I'd say anyone able to throw Omi four yards and manage to actually AIM the kid's flight, all the while beating Ken senseless warrants caution."
"I just happen to have more faith in myself. If you can't depend on your own body and mind and reflexes, being dead is simply the better alternative." He managed to unearth the denim pants he'd been searching for. "If you don't start picking up after yourself, Youji, I'm going to make you stay in the unfinished bedroom, leaking ceiling or no."
Another opportunity for Youji to play the lecher. "You know you'd miss me, babe." He push Aya back on the bed, straddling his lap. "Hey, since we're awake anyway..." He trailed off, biting his lower lip, rocking his hips suggestively against Aya's.
Aya shoved him onto the floor. "Can't you ever be serious."
Youji sighed, watching Aya pull on jeans from his new floor-level vantage point. "Is there no angle at which your ass does not appear to be less than sexy?"
Aya kicked at him, not really intending any bodily harm.
"Can't you ever have fun?"
"Just because we received forewarning doesn't mean we can slack off. Has it been so long that you don't even know how to behave when lives are at stake?"
"Look, now is not the time to be an asshole. You're sitting there telling me the star attraction of every nightmare these past months running may be back from the dead and he's headed this way. This is not a good time for Youji's sanity, try to be a little bit human, if you please."
Aya tersely strapped on his few remaining blades, choosing to forego the last-layer trench coat, his only real armor. Unnerved by his sudden return to his old personality, Youji too finished in silence.
"Your leg going to be okay if something really does happen?"
"Here's for hoping." Aya returned the flat smile, the expression almost frightening on his pale face.
Downstairs, someone knocked on the door. They looked at one another, grabbed up their weapon of choice and headed down the stairs.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Ken was a few steps ahead of them, shoulders squared, claws strapped on, ready for whatever the situation demanded. Youji and Ken deferred to Aya, stepping back as he threw open the door, gun pointed and claws poised.
The doorway was empty; a cursory glance around revealed no one. "There's an envelope." Ken pointed out. There certainly was an envelope, a simple, unassuming thing lying on their doormat.
Aya stooped to snatch it up, katana still out and prepared to act as defense.
"Don't open it." Unexplainable dread overtook Youji. "Don't open it. It's something horrible. Just put it back down and leave it. They'll be back, leave it alone."
Pale hands disregarded the warning, thumbing open the unsealed flap. They drew out a photograph, a hastily snapped Polaroid.
"Aya? What is it?" Youji tried to see over his shoulder, gun lowering.
Aya ran an unsteady finger across the photograph, looking back out the open doorway, stepping forward. He peered around, hoping for one glimpse of a retreating form, something he could use as a punching bag for instant venting. Nothing.
"Stay here. I'll be back." He dropped the crumpled picture on the ground, stepping out into the evening sleet, headed for the garage.
"Wait! What the fuck is going on?" Youji dashed after him, managed to grab hold of his shoulder. "Of all times, NOW is the least sensible for you to go and pull something like this. This is how they want you to react." Youji was willing to bet that the latter of those statements was accurate. Anyone who knew even the slightest bit about Aya could easily find a dozen ways to set him off on a rampage. "We need to stick together until we know what's going on. Don't run out now."
Aya turned, "I don't know any other way to react. Don't wait up for me." He shook Youji's hand off, taking the last few steps into the garage, already fumbling keys out of his pocket.
"Youji?"
Youji gave Aya up for the momentary lost cause he'd become and loped back towards Ken.
"Yes?"
"Who's she? Do you know?" Ken held up the picture he'd retrieved from the pavement.
"Shit." Youji whispered before dashing back the other way. He had to reach Aya before it was too late. And it was too late, he realized as he just barely managed to avoid becoming a Youji pancake, Aya roaring away, off to wreak whatever vengeance he could manage.
"Youji! Maybe you could be useful and tell me what the fuck's going on?" Ken dragged him back into the house. "Standing outside like an imbecile isn't going to make Aya decided to turn around and come back."
"I can't tell you." Youji took the photograph from Ken's fingers, staring blankly at the dark haired girl in the picture, eyes closed, slumped over in the back seat of a car as if unconscious or dead. Or in a coma. "I promised him."
"Some promises have to be broken. This involves all of us now. Who is she?"
He took a deep breath. "I'll make this as fast as I can, and then I need to leave, you and Omi are going to be stranded here until I manage to track down Aya. The girl is Aya's sister. She's comatose, was in a hospital up until this picture was taken, and now she's officially been kidnapped. Fairly straight forward. Give me your keys." Youji held his hand out.
"Aya has a sister? Since when?"
"Keys."
"You can't go after him, you dumb fuck. You're just as bad as he is. He did what they wanted, and the next step now would be for all three of us to go chasing after him. Or at least for you to go chasing after him. Aya can take care of himself, that's not a problem. Don't do what they expect, stay here. Who knows what they have in mind for the house once we're out on an Aya-hunt. He'll come back, and if he doesn't, then it's one death instead of four."
Youji hemmed and hawed, wanting to go after Aya, knowing for a fact that it was an illogical desire going on the facts laid out before him. He took a shuddery breath; let it out. "I take first watch." It wasn't a request.
Ken nodded. "Wake me up when you can't stay awake any longer, we'll need someone up and alert at all times from now on." He kicked the door shut, blocking out the steady stream of sleet that had been trying to ice down their carpet. "Thank you for not making this any worse. I need to go keep an eye on Omi now, but believe me, this isn't the end of all topics. When things have calmed down a little I sure as hell want to know what Aya's been doing hiding a sister from us all."
"We all have things we don't want everyone else to know about. It's a matter of privacy and it's not your right to question him."
"Yeah, but I'm pushy like that. Goodnight Youji, don't go falling asleep on us. I'd like to stay alive for a while longer."
Youji sat down on the living room couch to watch the front door, tuning out the steady thudding of Ken's feet blindly making their way up the staircase.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gah, me and my predictable plot twists. How many people saw that one coming? -counts all raised hands- Oh well, this is my lazy project; fanfictions require less effort than other writing projects. They are for amusement purposes only. And stuff like that. Mostly I'm just trying to build things up so I can squeeze in a few more lemons and lots of gore. Whee! I love blood and gore! Maybe a few explosions too... -drools all over her monkey shirt- Well, I've suitably terrorized all the small children and puppies, so I'll be off. Drop me a line at darkhunter@ijustdontcare or akainobaka@mchsi.com My e-mail is evil and unreliable, but if I get an e-mail I'll be sure to reply to it ^_^! Hehe, I like feedbacks too, you know! I CRAVE THEM! It's a scientific law that feedback makes fanfiction writers write more quickly. Or maybe not.
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"Wake up!" The chocolate rabbit squeaked at Youji. "You need to wake up, you stubborn son of a bitch!" The rabbit started shaking Youji all about, smearing chocolate goop all over his favorite shirt.
"Shut up, rabbit. Rabbits are food, not for talking." He swatted at the impertinent confectionary hare.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ken's voice intruded upon the last blurred remnants of his dream. Youji pushed the looming brunette out of his face.
"Can't a man even dream about fucking talking candy in peace anymore? You'd better have a damned good reason for waking me up; it's not even morning yet. You're going to need to provide evidence of the Second Coming if you want to survive. If there isn't a shining Caucasian man in a bathrobe descending from the skies, you'd better be ready to get a fist in the face." Youji attempted to block out the light creeping underneath his eyelids with a pillow.
"Ko-ishi is not dead and he may be here any moment and we need to pack up and get out of here. Is that as important enough for you?"
The sickly, metallic smell of blood finally registered. He forced himself into a state of semi-awareness. "What happened to you? Somebody beat you in the face with a washing machine?" He frowned at Ken's bloodied face. Ken was too busy jittering all over the place to notice.
"You on drugs?" Youji caught Ken's chin in his hand, looking into his eyes. "Your eyes look fine... Think you can stop bouncing around like that? I've been awake for a matter of moments." His other hand grazed the empty side of the bed. "Where's Aya?"
"Taking care of Omi." Ken was still shivering, looking as if he were considering going into shock. "You seem to be taking all of this well. Were you not listening to a word I said? Ko-ishi, of the big bad mojo, is not as dead as we previously thought him to be, and apparently some of his loyal henchmen share this state of un-dead. He's going to torch the house, we need to get out of here."
That managed to catch Youji's attention the second time around. He grabbed Ken's shoulders, slammed him back into the bed's headboard. "You'd better have a fucking marvelous explanation behind this prank. You wake me up to feed me a line of bullshit like that! And what the hell did you do to Omi?"
"It's not bullshit. I was attacked in a parking lot by a dead man. Fucking hell, Youji, I thought Omi was dead! Do you see me laughing? It's not a joke, we have to get out of here. He threw Omi into a lamp post and all but brained him."
Youji pushed him away, started pulling on a random assortment of clothes. "This is my home. I've spent a shit load of hours trying to make it livable, I've spent even more money trying for the same goal. If anyone wants it they're going to have to go through me first." He started strapping on weapons. Apparently he'd been using some of his time well after all, building up new personal armory. "You want out, you take Aya and Omi with you and get gone. I'm not going to stand by while anyone torches yet one more house of mine."
"I second that sentiment." Aya stepped back into the bedroom. "I'm tired of fleeing from place to place. I'm making a stand."
Ken sighed heavily and pushed past Aya, heading for his first obligation. His main concert was curled up on their bed, breathing shallow and unhealthy. He hooked a chair closer with his foot, dropping down as the very last remnants of energy abandoned him. "Omi?"
Omi started up, eyes flying open. "Ow!" His hand came up to his head, shying away at the last moment. "Oh no! How long was I asleep?" He tried to brace himself for a good prodding at the back of his head.
"Don't do that." Ken caught wavering fingers in his own. "Aya just left a few minutes ago."
"I can't sleep now, I have a mild concussion. When someone has a concussion you have to make sure they don't go to sleep and never wake up. I don't want to go to sleep forever." He slowly sat up, arm muscles shaking underneath the strain of his weight.
"Only a mild one?"
"My head is thicker than previously thought, I guess." He was swept into a fierce hug, biting his lower lip to keep from making any pain sounds.
"I'm glad. I'm glad you have a sturdy skull. I don't know what I would have done if you'd really been dead." He knew his hand was holding Omi a bit too tightly, but he couldn't help it.
"Whether you crush my ribs or not, I'm still not going anywhere." Omi decided to drop a tactful little hint, keeping his eyes tightly closed against the sudden vertigo.
"Sorry." He forcibly pried his hands away, clenching them together in his lap. "Youji and Aya are going to stay. I told them Ko-Ishi was coming to play gleeful arsonist again, and they decided to make a stand. If you tell me what you want, I'll pack some things up for you and get you somewhere safe before the shit hits the fan."
Omi stumbled upright. "I think not. Short of pulling an Aya and drugging me into submission, I'm sticking this out too. I'm feeling better already." He tried to give visible truth to the lie, widening his bleary eyes and forcing himself to stand upright.
Someone knocked on the front door, the hollow raps echoing up the stairs and all throughout the silent house.
"Looks like you're here by default." Ken pulled Omi into a careful hug, brushing a kiss across his forehead. "Stay up here."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"How much of this scare do you want to bet revolves around a hard knock Ken must have taken on his noggin?" The cocky grin Youji wore like armor looked a bit ragged around the edges. "You killed Ko-ishi, right? I mean, what YOU kill usually stays dead, right?"
"He was in several pieces when I was through with him." Aya admitted. "His head being one of those separate pieces."
"So, what's really going on? Some guy shows up, but Ken says he's sure he's killed him, right? It would help if I could hear it all from him again, he can be a tad more vocal than you when it's important."
"He's busy with Omi right now."
"Need to give that kid some tranquilizers." Youji said, referring to Ken.
"Someone certainly wants us dead, that much is for sure. Whether they're all inhuman creatures back from the dead or clever punks hip on their current events, I'm assuming we're going to be up all night, right?" He tossed Aya a gun. Aya dropped it on the bed, nose wrinkled up as if he smelled something foul.
"I don't need it."
"Hey, garroting wire and honkin' big assed swords may be all good on a stealth mission, but this is a direct affront on our territory. You saw how Ken fared against one of them in hand-to-hand combat."
"He was unarmed." Aya decided now would be a good time for arguing. "You'll find when a punch is headed by a set of six inch claws rather than knuckles, a lot more damage is done. Having your skull bones exploding backwards into your brain tends to put most people off their game for a while."
"Blerg! What a pleasant topic to engage in right after waking. I've fought with Ken before, Omi as well. We're the best at what we do. If he had trouble with the guy, I'd probably be dead. I'd say anyone able to throw Omi four yards and manage to actually AIM the kid's flight, all the while beating Ken senseless warrants caution."
"I just happen to have more faith in myself. If you can't depend on your own body and mind and reflexes, being dead is simply the better alternative." He managed to unearth the denim pants he'd been searching for. "If you don't start picking up after yourself, Youji, I'm going to make you stay in the unfinished bedroom, leaking ceiling or no."
Another opportunity for Youji to play the lecher. "You know you'd miss me, babe." He push Aya back on the bed, straddling his lap. "Hey, since we're awake anyway..." He trailed off, biting his lower lip, rocking his hips suggestively against Aya's.
Aya shoved him onto the floor. "Can't you ever be serious."
Youji sighed, watching Aya pull on jeans from his new floor-level vantage point. "Is there no angle at which your ass does not appear to be less than sexy?"
Aya kicked at him, not really intending any bodily harm.
"Can't you ever have fun?"
"Just because we received forewarning doesn't mean we can slack off. Has it been so long that you don't even know how to behave when lives are at stake?"
"Look, now is not the time to be an asshole. You're sitting there telling me the star attraction of every nightmare these past months running may be back from the dead and he's headed this way. This is not a good time for Youji's sanity, try to be a little bit human, if you please."
Aya tersely strapped on his few remaining blades, choosing to forego the last-layer trench coat, his only real armor. Unnerved by his sudden return to his old personality, Youji too finished in silence.
"Your leg going to be okay if something really does happen?"
"Here's for hoping." Aya returned the flat smile, the expression almost frightening on his pale face.
Downstairs, someone knocked on the door. They looked at one another, grabbed up their weapon of choice and headed down the stairs.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Ken was a few steps ahead of them, shoulders squared, claws strapped on, ready for whatever the situation demanded. Youji and Ken deferred to Aya, stepping back as he threw open the door, gun pointed and claws poised.
The doorway was empty; a cursory glance around revealed no one. "There's an envelope." Ken pointed out. There certainly was an envelope, a simple, unassuming thing lying on their doormat.
Aya stooped to snatch it up, katana still out and prepared to act as defense.
"Don't open it." Unexplainable dread overtook Youji. "Don't open it. It's something horrible. Just put it back down and leave it. They'll be back, leave it alone."
Pale hands disregarded the warning, thumbing open the unsealed flap. They drew out a photograph, a hastily snapped Polaroid.
"Aya? What is it?" Youji tried to see over his shoulder, gun lowering.
Aya ran an unsteady finger across the photograph, looking back out the open doorway, stepping forward. He peered around, hoping for one glimpse of a retreating form, something he could use as a punching bag for instant venting. Nothing.
"Stay here. I'll be back." He dropped the crumpled picture on the ground, stepping out into the evening sleet, headed for the garage.
"Wait! What the fuck is going on?" Youji dashed after him, managed to grab hold of his shoulder. "Of all times, NOW is the least sensible for you to go and pull something like this. This is how they want you to react." Youji was willing to bet that the latter of those statements was accurate. Anyone who knew even the slightest bit about Aya could easily find a dozen ways to set him off on a rampage. "We need to stick together until we know what's going on. Don't run out now."
Aya turned, "I don't know any other way to react. Don't wait up for me." He shook Youji's hand off, taking the last few steps into the garage, already fumbling keys out of his pocket.
"Youji?"
Youji gave Aya up for the momentary lost cause he'd become and loped back towards Ken.
"Yes?"
"Who's she? Do you know?" Ken held up the picture he'd retrieved from the pavement.
"Shit." Youji whispered before dashing back the other way. He had to reach Aya before it was too late. And it was too late, he realized as he just barely managed to avoid becoming a Youji pancake, Aya roaring away, off to wreak whatever vengeance he could manage.
"Youji! Maybe you could be useful and tell me what the fuck's going on?" Ken dragged him back into the house. "Standing outside like an imbecile isn't going to make Aya decided to turn around and come back."
"I can't tell you." Youji took the photograph from Ken's fingers, staring blankly at the dark haired girl in the picture, eyes closed, slumped over in the back seat of a car as if unconscious or dead. Or in a coma. "I promised him."
"Some promises have to be broken. This involves all of us now. Who is she?"
He took a deep breath. "I'll make this as fast as I can, and then I need to leave, you and Omi are going to be stranded here until I manage to track down Aya. The girl is Aya's sister. She's comatose, was in a hospital up until this picture was taken, and now she's officially been kidnapped. Fairly straight forward. Give me your keys." Youji held his hand out.
"Aya has a sister? Since when?"
"Keys."
"You can't go after him, you dumb fuck. You're just as bad as he is. He did what they wanted, and the next step now would be for all three of us to go chasing after him. Or at least for you to go chasing after him. Aya can take care of himself, that's not a problem. Don't do what they expect, stay here. Who knows what they have in mind for the house once we're out on an Aya-hunt. He'll come back, and if he doesn't, then it's one death instead of four."
Youji hemmed and hawed, wanting to go after Aya, knowing for a fact that it was an illogical desire going on the facts laid out before him. He took a shuddery breath; let it out. "I take first watch." It wasn't a request.
Ken nodded. "Wake me up when you can't stay awake any longer, we'll need someone up and alert at all times from now on." He kicked the door shut, blocking out the steady stream of sleet that had been trying to ice down their carpet. "Thank you for not making this any worse. I need to go keep an eye on Omi now, but believe me, this isn't the end of all topics. When things have calmed down a little I sure as hell want to know what Aya's been doing hiding a sister from us all."
"We all have things we don't want everyone else to know about. It's a matter of privacy and it's not your right to question him."
"Yeah, but I'm pushy like that. Goodnight Youji, don't go falling asleep on us. I'd like to stay alive for a while longer."
Youji sat down on the living room couch to watch the front door, tuning out the steady thudding of Ken's feet blindly making their way up the staircase.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gah, me and my predictable plot twists. How many people saw that one coming? -counts all raised hands- Oh well, this is my lazy project; fanfictions require less effort than other writing projects. They are for amusement purposes only. And stuff like that. Mostly I'm just trying to build things up so I can squeeze in a few more lemons and lots of gore. Whee! I love blood and gore! Maybe a few explosions too... -drools all over her monkey shirt- Well, I've suitably terrorized all the small children and puppies, so I'll be off. Drop me a line at darkhunter@ijustdontcare or akainobaka@mchsi.com My e-mail is evil and unreliable, but if I get an e-mail I'll be sure to reply to it ^_^! Hehe, I like feedbacks too, you know! I CRAVE THEM! It's a scientific law that feedback makes fanfiction writers write more quickly. Or maybe not.