Project 59 by Bonez aka HappyNoodleGurl
Chapter 31
The van pulled up to a nice hotel. It was about 20 floors high, and it shimmered in a gold glow. Dib's jaw dropped in awe---it was the Gold Hotel, the most expensive hotel in the city! It was on the edge of town, and only the lucky rich people got to live there. Aki patted him on his head. "Don't think we've got money, it all comes from Headquarters."
He nodded as they jumped out of the van into the cold night. It felt like the temperature dropped a couple degrees in the past 10 minutes. The girls ran up to the swinging glass doors and signled for him to come inside. Following, he walked inside to marvel at its *granduer. (A/N: * Is that a real word? I heard it somewhere ^^")
The lobby was HUGE! It sorta resembled what you thought a movie star's first choice would be---on the floor was mirror-polished French tile, and the walls was as gold as the outside lights glow. The receptionist smiled back at him with a frightful grin. He stuck by Lan as she led them to the elevator.
"Wow! This place is great, who would of thought people like us got to stay in places like this?" he said. Meko pushed the number "20" on the keypad, and the elevator doors shut as the whole thing started ascending. "Yea, but you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
As the elevator came to a stop, they walked out in a small room with a single door. It read "220." Lan stuck a key through the knob, and swung the door open. Dib's mouth fell to the ground. Everything was exactly opposite from the motel----everything in the room was silver and black. It had a futuristic look to it, with the egg chairs and flat plasma T.V.
It was a sweep, and a damn huge one at that. It was as big as his house! Meko ran ahead and jumped on the black half-circle couch and proped her legs on the small glass coffee table infront of it. "Nice, huh?" she said with a wink as she flipped the T.V. on. Aki rolled her eyes. "Is there no help for that child?"
They looked at her whooping at the Angry Monkey Show, and he slowly shook his head. "Nothin' but pills, that's all I know." Aki cracked a small smile on her stone face and laughed just a bit. Not much, just a bit. "Yeah, you know you're really smart for having such a big head." He positioned his falling glasses back up to their original spot.
"Hey! My head's not that big." Aki shook her head in humor. "Say what ya want. Anyway, your room is the 3rd door to the right." She pointed down a long "L" shaped hall. He nodded as she ruffled his hair. "'Night kid," she said to him as she walked off into one of the rooms. He brushed his hair back into position, as he looked around for Lan. He didn't see her.
"Hey, Meko, have you seen Lan? I wanna talk to her." Meko took time out from flipping the channels randomly and turned around. "Mmmyep, she went to her room." He sighed. "Oh......." Finding another random stupid show, she threw the remote down next to her. "It's ok, just go in there! Last room in the hall! She's prolly on her balcony anywhoo." Going to ask her a question, he stopped once he realized she was absorbed into the cartoon that was on T.V.
He didn't want to disturb her, but he was very curious to know what was behind that cheerful smile. After all, he was sad as well. So, mustering up the courage, he went to up and to his right, making an upside down "L" shape. Seeing her cracked door there, he went to knock, but it gently swayed open from a light breeze outside. He opened the door completely and entered her room.
It smelled of roses, and it was very clean and neat. The queen- sized bed was made with a maroon quilt (that looked like Raye's eyes), and a furry brown teddy bear was thrown inbetween the pillows. There was a oak desk to his left next to a dresser, and he looked at the items on it. There was an *arcrelyic (A/N: don't think I spelled it right) rose, several perfume bottles, and other feminine-type stuff.
Then he saw a picture standing there in a black frame with little, red roses engraved around it. It showed Lan clinging on the back of some asian guy. He looked like someone you'd maybe meet in a Role Playing Game, the main character or his best friend. His hair was short, but his bangs were just long enough to have wisps of shining black strands fall into his deep purple eyes. He was thin and tall, much like her, and was wearing baggy blue jeans and a gray shirt.
Dib picked up the picture and furtherly examined it. Lan was in a spaghetti-strap ivory shirt and a short black skirt, much like the one she was wearing now. She didn't have on her glasses, and if he wasn't so into Raye he would've thought she looked good. She wrapped her arms around the guy's neck in a loving embrace, as he supported her on his back. They were both smiling at eachother, oblivious to the camera, lost in eachother's brown eyes. Dib lowered his own, knowing what that love felt like.
Dib slowly placed the picture down, and noticed Lan. To the left of the bed was two sliding-glass doors, and beyond that was a small balcony. She was leaning on the railing, staring up at that North Star. He sighed, and walked over to the doors. Sliding them open and shut, he walked up to her who didn't even turn around until he tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, it's umm, the new guy," he said quietly. Smiling gently, she nodded. "Why yes it is. May I help you?" He joined her at the railing. "No, I just need to recollect on everything." She looked down at the city below and sighed. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your girl, trust me I know what it feels like to loose someone close."
He looked up at the moon, which seemed so close, yet so far away. "So who's the guy in the picture?" Gripping the rail, she closed her eyes. "He.........was my fiancee. We were going to get married in 1 week after that picture, but........." she paused, then continued after straightening out her hair. "..........he was murdered." Dib looked over at her in sympathy.
"That's awful. By whom?" She shook her head slowly and grimaced. "I don't know. He went to everyone of my band's shows, but that time he was sick. Even though he had a cold, he was determined to go. I insisted he stayed, so when I got home from our show I went to our bedroom to check on him.
When I got there, the window was smashed open and bullet holes lined the walls. There he was, lieing on our bed bleeding to death. I dialed 911 as soon as I could on my cell, and ran up to him. Crying my eyes out, I stared into his eyes. They wanted to say something, I could tell, but they never did. He smiled and wiped a strand of hair from my face, then just died. The light in his eyes went out like a candle, and before his arm fell down I caught it and buried it in my face, crying harder than I ever have. I must have stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until the ambulance came. Tanoshii was his name. My beloved Tano........"
Dib felt the hurt in her voice, and noticed she was crying. She let out a shaky laugh and removed her glasses. "Ya know what he used to tell me?" He looked up at her as she wiped the tears from her eyes and placed her glasses back on. "Tano, he worked for the government ya see, and we moved around alot. But everytime we couldn't be together, he'd tell me to look up at the North Star, 'cuz he'd be looking at me from there. He said that I was his home."
Dib flinched a bit, thinking of when he told Raye when he looked at her he was home, and shuddered. "Is that why you're in this line of buisness? Do you think it was a supernatural murder or something?" She shook her head. "No, not really, it's just he always told me to chase my dream-----and this is it right here." He nodded and looked down at the bustling city below.
"Yeah, I lost my mother at a young age. She was hit by a truck and died. After that, I didn't think I could go on until I realized I had to take care of my sister." He chuckled and Lan stared at him confused. "What's so funny about that?" He shook his head. "My sister is scary------ she could beat ME up." Lan laughed a bit as well as he continued.
"Well, anyway everyone in my skool hates me, and Raye was the one true person that loved me, believed in me. And now, she's............" he cut off, as Lan sighed. "..........gone?" she asked, as he nodded, fighting back tears himself. Lan hugged him tightly, comforting him like his mom used to do. "Don't worry, we'll get her back. I don't want you to end up like me, a broken person."
"No you're not," he said as she stopped hugging him. "You've only knew me for no more than 4 hours," she said as he hugged her one more time. "That's all I need." She smiled as he pulled away and walked to the door. "Don't worry Lan, Tanoshii's up there looking down at you now, loving every inch of your perfect image. Goodnight."
Before he could leave, Lan called out to him one last time. "Yeah, and somewhere out there Raye's with him, dreaming of the sweetest dream of you. Hurry up so you can join her. Goodnight." He stopped at her door for a second, then opened it and walked slowly to his room closing the door and drowing out the rest of the world.
-----------------------
A/N: Hmm, seeing as Lan isn't really a MAIN MAIN character, you probably could've done without this chapter. But, luckily since I'm starting another fanfiction completely about her and the quest to solve Tanoshii's murderer, I had to add it in so tough noogies! ^_^ Yet another sad chapter, and expect more to come! The next one should be from Zim's POV, I believe, so don't fret Zim-followers! I couldn't leave him out of this shananagan! **happy smile** Well, I'm gonna go now okies? R&R please!
~*~Bonez~*~
The van pulled up to a nice hotel. It was about 20 floors high, and it shimmered in a gold glow. Dib's jaw dropped in awe---it was the Gold Hotel, the most expensive hotel in the city! It was on the edge of town, and only the lucky rich people got to live there. Aki patted him on his head. "Don't think we've got money, it all comes from Headquarters."
He nodded as they jumped out of the van into the cold night. It felt like the temperature dropped a couple degrees in the past 10 minutes. The girls ran up to the swinging glass doors and signled for him to come inside. Following, he walked inside to marvel at its *granduer. (A/N: * Is that a real word? I heard it somewhere ^^")
The lobby was HUGE! It sorta resembled what you thought a movie star's first choice would be---on the floor was mirror-polished French tile, and the walls was as gold as the outside lights glow. The receptionist smiled back at him with a frightful grin. He stuck by Lan as she led them to the elevator.
"Wow! This place is great, who would of thought people like us got to stay in places like this?" he said. Meko pushed the number "20" on the keypad, and the elevator doors shut as the whole thing started ascending. "Yea, but you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
As the elevator came to a stop, they walked out in a small room with a single door. It read "220." Lan stuck a key through the knob, and swung the door open. Dib's mouth fell to the ground. Everything was exactly opposite from the motel----everything in the room was silver and black. It had a futuristic look to it, with the egg chairs and flat plasma T.V.
It was a sweep, and a damn huge one at that. It was as big as his house! Meko ran ahead and jumped on the black half-circle couch and proped her legs on the small glass coffee table infront of it. "Nice, huh?" she said with a wink as she flipped the T.V. on. Aki rolled her eyes. "Is there no help for that child?"
They looked at her whooping at the Angry Monkey Show, and he slowly shook his head. "Nothin' but pills, that's all I know." Aki cracked a small smile on her stone face and laughed just a bit. Not much, just a bit. "Yeah, you know you're really smart for having such a big head." He positioned his falling glasses back up to their original spot.
"Hey! My head's not that big." Aki shook her head in humor. "Say what ya want. Anyway, your room is the 3rd door to the right." She pointed down a long "L" shaped hall. He nodded as she ruffled his hair. "'Night kid," she said to him as she walked off into one of the rooms. He brushed his hair back into position, as he looked around for Lan. He didn't see her.
"Hey, Meko, have you seen Lan? I wanna talk to her." Meko took time out from flipping the channels randomly and turned around. "Mmmyep, she went to her room." He sighed. "Oh......." Finding another random stupid show, she threw the remote down next to her. "It's ok, just go in there! Last room in the hall! She's prolly on her balcony anywhoo." Going to ask her a question, he stopped once he realized she was absorbed into the cartoon that was on T.V.
He didn't want to disturb her, but he was very curious to know what was behind that cheerful smile. After all, he was sad as well. So, mustering up the courage, he went to up and to his right, making an upside down "L" shape. Seeing her cracked door there, he went to knock, but it gently swayed open from a light breeze outside. He opened the door completely and entered her room.
It smelled of roses, and it was very clean and neat. The queen- sized bed was made with a maroon quilt (that looked like Raye's eyes), and a furry brown teddy bear was thrown inbetween the pillows. There was a oak desk to his left next to a dresser, and he looked at the items on it. There was an *arcrelyic (A/N: don't think I spelled it right) rose, several perfume bottles, and other feminine-type stuff.
Then he saw a picture standing there in a black frame with little, red roses engraved around it. It showed Lan clinging on the back of some asian guy. He looked like someone you'd maybe meet in a Role Playing Game, the main character or his best friend. His hair was short, but his bangs were just long enough to have wisps of shining black strands fall into his deep purple eyes. He was thin and tall, much like her, and was wearing baggy blue jeans and a gray shirt.
Dib picked up the picture and furtherly examined it. Lan was in a spaghetti-strap ivory shirt and a short black skirt, much like the one she was wearing now. She didn't have on her glasses, and if he wasn't so into Raye he would've thought she looked good. She wrapped her arms around the guy's neck in a loving embrace, as he supported her on his back. They were both smiling at eachother, oblivious to the camera, lost in eachother's brown eyes. Dib lowered his own, knowing what that love felt like.
Dib slowly placed the picture down, and noticed Lan. To the left of the bed was two sliding-glass doors, and beyond that was a small balcony. She was leaning on the railing, staring up at that North Star. He sighed, and walked over to the doors. Sliding them open and shut, he walked up to her who didn't even turn around until he tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, it's umm, the new guy," he said quietly. Smiling gently, she nodded. "Why yes it is. May I help you?" He joined her at the railing. "No, I just need to recollect on everything." She looked down at the city below and sighed. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your girl, trust me I know what it feels like to loose someone close."
He looked up at the moon, which seemed so close, yet so far away. "So who's the guy in the picture?" Gripping the rail, she closed her eyes. "He.........was my fiancee. We were going to get married in 1 week after that picture, but........." she paused, then continued after straightening out her hair. "..........he was murdered." Dib looked over at her in sympathy.
"That's awful. By whom?" She shook her head slowly and grimaced. "I don't know. He went to everyone of my band's shows, but that time he was sick. Even though he had a cold, he was determined to go. I insisted he stayed, so when I got home from our show I went to our bedroom to check on him.
When I got there, the window was smashed open and bullet holes lined the walls. There he was, lieing on our bed bleeding to death. I dialed 911 as soon as I could on my cell, and ran up to him. Crying my eyes out, I stared into his eyes. They wanted to say something, I could tell, but they never did. He smiled and wiped a strand of hair from my face, then just died. The light in his eyes went out like a candle, and before his arm fell down I caught it and buried it in my face, crying harder than I ever have. I must have stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until the ambulance came. Tanoshii was his name. My beloved Tano........"
Dib felt the hurt in her voice, and noticed she was crying. She let out a shaky laugh and removed her glasses. "Ya know what he used to tell me?" He looked up at her as she wiped the tears from her eyes and placed her glasses back on. "Tano, he worked for the government ya see, and we moved around alot. But everytime we couldn't be together, he'd tell me to look up at the North Star, 'cuz he'd be looking at me from there. He said that I was his home."
Dib flinched a bit, thinking of when he told Raye when he looked at her he was home, and shuddered. "Is that why you're in this line of buisness? Do you think it was a supernatural murder or something?" She shook her head. "No, not really, it's just he always told me to chase my dream-----and this is it right here." He nodded and looked down at the bustling city below.
"Yeah, I lost my mother at a young age. She was hit by a truck and died. After that, I didn't think I could go on until I realized I had to take care of my sister." He chuckled and Lan stared at him confused. "What's so funny about that?" He shook his head. "My sister is scary------ she could beat ME up." Lan laughed a bit as well as he continued.
"Well, anyway everyone in my skool hates me, and Raye was the one true person that loved me, believed in me. And now, she's............" he cut off, as Lan sighed. "..........gone?" she asked, as he nodded, fighting back tears himself. Lan hugged him tightly, comforting him like his mom used to do. "Don't worry, we'll get her back. I don't want you to end up like me, a broken person."
"No you're not," he said as she stopped hugging him. "You've only knew me for no more than 4 hours," she said as he hugged her one more time. "That's all I need." She smiled as he pulled away and walked to the door. "Don't worry Lan, Tanoshii's up there looking down at you now, loving every inch of your perfect image. Goodnight."
Before he could leave, Lan called out to him one last time. "Yeah, and somewhere out there Raye's with him, dreaming of the sweetest dream of you. Hurry up so you can join her. Goodnight." He stopped at her door for a second, then opened it and walked slowly to his room closing the door and drowing out the rest of the world.
-----------------------
A/N: Hmm, seeing as Lan isn't really a MAIN MAIN character, you probably could've done without this chapter. But, luckily since I'm starting another fanfiction completely about her and the quest to solve Tanoshii's murderer, I had to add it in so tough noogies! ^_^ Yet another sad chapter, and expect more to come! The next one should be from Zim's POV, I believe, so don't fret Zim-followers! I couldn't leave him out of this shananagan! **happy smile** Well, I'm gonna go now okies? R&R please!
~*~Bonez~*~