A/N: Copy and paste this into your URL bar, and press enter! http://quiz.ravenblack.net/blood.pl?1083838011 Come on, you know you want to….

Children of the Harvest

Tuesday's Child

"Karen, Karen, Karen! What are we going to do with you?"

The 19-year-old paused, her sniffling subsiding. Reaching a hand up to tuck her platinum blonde bangs back into the mainstream of her mocha colored hair, she rested her head on her mother Sasha's shoulder.

Closing the lids to her emerald green oculars, she mumbled to herself, "Things weren't always this way," as she desperately clung to her thoughts of the past.

"Come on, everybody! Get out on the floor!" a woman's high-pitched voice sang as Naoki's Dynamite Rave began to blast.

7-year-old Karen was already a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) champion. Orbs iced over, a symbol of intense concentration, she gracefully stomped on the designated arrows on the dance pad as they scrolled on the screen. Boldo, an African-American DDR character with a purple afro danced on the screen along with her.

As the song came to an end, Karen swiftly executed the last group of combos, and watched as her score totaled on the screen. An 'A' she noticed. A few thousand points less than normal. Her lips curling in disgust, the child muttered, "Pathetic,"

Going to slam the green-square button on the machine so she could choose the song for the Final Stage round, Karen paused, and glanced around.

The usual crowd wasn't surrounding her, and for that she was glad. Karen didn't like the attention. With all the eyes on her, she felt clumsy, and ready for failure.

She never did- fail, that is. The lowest thing she had ever received, even as a novice, was a 'B'. She did do worse than normal with spectators, pressure she supposed.

But where's my father? Karen couldn't help but wonder, her eyes shifting around the tavern. Her father and her shared a special bond, and she loved him dearly. He always came to watch her dance…So where was he now?

She spotted him, and her eyes narrowed in anger; even jealousy. He was off in some corner, getting drunk, visiting with his friends, and flirting with pretty tourists. "Disgusting…"

Leaving the machine, without even bothering to finish her game, she slipped out of the tavern unnoticed, save a pair of ever-watchful eyes.

Six years later…

Her father was an official drunkard. Over the years he had become more and more obsessed with booze, and had even taken to wasting the family's hard-earned money on it.

This just, well…to put it bluntly, pissed Karen off. Though Karen herself was…quite a alcoholic, even a this…young age (Ehe -.-; Shut up Seta - A.N.). She didn't go around getting drunk and blowing money away like there was no tomorrow now did she? (Again, shut up ¬.¬)

Her father and her mostly ignored each other, but they occasionally got into frays. Now, Karen crept cautiously down the stairs, and began to exit the front door.

"Where are you going?" a curious voice inquired.

Karen froze, and slowly spinned on her heels, and came face-to-face with the vineyard worker Kai. He had only been hired a few weeks ago. She had completely forgotten he slept on the couch. "Nowhere," she muttered curtly.

"Look," he put his hands in the air. "I'm not going to rat on you. I just asked a simple question,"

Karen eyed him. Why did he even want to know? Finally, mentally shrugging, she replied offhandedly, "To the beach, most likely,"

"Oh," there was a long pause. "Can I come to?"

"No!" Karen snapped, and glared at him. Just who did he think he was?

"I was just asking," Kai mumbled despondently. "I just thought we could be friends,"

Friends. Hmph. People have confirmed her suspicions time and time again there was no such thing as friend. "Yah, well, think again," the teen huffed. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be going," she called over her shoulder as she fled.

The beach…There was something mysterious about it that drew her back, time and time again. It was sort of her safe haven, her little bubble that no one could penetrate. Safe in my own skin so nobody wins, she recalled the lyrics to a familiar song.

Maybe it was the beautiful serenade of the crashing waves lapping onto the beach, or maybe it was the chirps of the crickets. Maybe it was the soft scraping noises the palmetto fronds and other bushes and trees made as they scraped against the jagged rocks. Or maybe it was a mix of it all, jumbled together to form some sort of melody. Whatever it was, it made Karen feel safe…And somewhat special.

It was in the lone solitude that the beach provided that Karen danced. Under the light of the grave-faced moon, she showed off her unsurpassable skill. And only the bugs and the fish were around to see it, for Karen never danced in public anymore.

A rustle in the bushes captured the attention of her acute ears. Her limbs fell stiff as she turned around to see where the noise came from. A sheepish Kai stepped out from the bushes.

Karen's face turned beet-red, and she looked like she was about to explode. "What did you think you were doing?" she hissed, more than a hint of malice edging into her voice.

"I don't know," Kai quietly answered, shrugging his shoulders limply.

"This isn't Broadway, you know," she put her hands on her hips.

"Yah…I know…I just…"

"Just what? Just wanted to be friends?"

"Yah…"

"Well, go make friends somewhere else. God knows why you'd want any…"

Kai paused. "You don't want any friends?" he asked, clearly taken-aback.

"No," Karen snapped for the second time that evening. "Not anymore,"

"…You've been hurt, huh?"

"No!" Karen said quickly. "It's just that…Just that…Just that," she trailed off, knowing she was beaten.

"You're not alone, ya?" Kai frowned wistfully as he bent down to pick up a piece of driftwood that had been washed up on the shore. Winding up his arm, he let it go, and watched it soar off into the horizon and plop down somewhere in the ocean, and his warm chocolate oculars, so vibrant with a passion for life, he captured her gaze. "You…We could both change that," he suggested, idly scratching a bug bite on his leg.

"…"

"So will you? Be my friend, that is?"

"…"

Kai glanced at her sharply, a crisp frown on his face dripping with bittersweet emotion. "Be that way," he blandly said, as he turned to walk away.

"Fine…"

He turned back around. "Excuse me?"

"I said fine…I'll be your friend…" she growled as she whisked by him.

Kai watched as her angelic figure stormed off, a small smile on his face. He had a chance for a new life…A new friendship and maybe…Future love…

Seven years later; back the present…

"It's not my fault!" Karen exclaimed out of the blue. "He started it!"

Sasha lifted her eyes heavenwards. "I'm sure he did…But you can't take the bait like that! You need to learn to control yourself…!"

Karen stared bitterly at her mom. How dare she even say that! Her mom knew fully well what her dad was like…And Karen was not about to become a submissive little bitch. "Whatever…" she whisked off.

Kai was lounging on the couch, reading a magazine. He looked up when Karen came down the stairs, and grinned, setting the reading material down. "Hey, Karen," he greeted her warmly.

"Hi, Kai," she sighed warily.

Kai frowned inwardly. For seven damn years she had resisted any and all of his approaches. Tonight was the night he made his final move. If she didn't accept him…Well, he didn't know what do if it came to that…But he was sure he'd think of something.

"So, umm, Karen…Wanna go to the beach or something?"

Karen looked over, slightly surprised. "I suppose," she said cautiously.

Kai grinned cheekily. "That's great!" he tried not to sound too enthusiastic, but to no avail.

Karen raised a brow, but said nothing. "Lemme go get my sandals," she said. "Wait outside…"

"Alright!"

Karen shook her head laughing as she closed the door behind him. What a goober…It was cute in a way though…

A nasty thought crossed her mind. She could lock him out, and then go up to bed…

But then, remembering that happy-slappy look on his face when she agreed to go with him, she couldn't bring herself to do such a horrible thing.

Flip--flopping out the door, she noticed Kai a bit up the path, standing under a large oak tree. Her lips curled into a smile, which she didn't even notice.

"Heeeey!" she waved, and jogged over.

"Heh, heya," he waved back. "Ready to go?"

"Yup,"

He grabbed her hand, much to her shock, and merrily led the way. Squirming a bit uncomfortably at first, she finally relaxed as they made it to the nexus outside the vineyard. "Let's go somewhere else!"

Karen's eyes widened. "The only reason I agreed to come was cuz' it was the beach," she pouted with protest.

"Yah, yah, we can go there in a bit!" Kai grinned.

Just what are you up to? Karen wondered to herself, cocking her head to the side, examining his moon-struck features.

Kai chuckled to himself as he began to jog, and then run, his sandals pounding the moist dirt. Karen huffed to keep up with him, it being harder for her for she was being drug behind him. Finally 'catching up

She started to giggle a bit herself.

Maybe things were ok after all…