heh...whaddya know, i actually updated. well, guess i'll start off with
the usual thank you to my lovely reviewers! ^.^
kitsunecrystalqueen, lefufin, leiko1, tidah, some person, tyde girl, platinum rei, xxxceruleanx'sxx, chibi kitty, child of the stars (nice name! ^.^), soul dreamer, i luv kai, tigerrain, cyndaquil babe, yuii, sarcasmcat, catty hiwatari, tiger rain, makurayami no kyouto, and keisan.
keisan: thanks for the long review. yes, i don't like hilary either, and i thought that was a nice little way of insulting her. i really don't think she'd be the graceful type.
about the ballet thing; i've got alot of respect for people who can do ballet. it's something that i myself could never do. i've done taekwondo nearly half my life, and as far as dancing goes, i'm only suited ot hip-hop and belly dancing. i just don't have the personality for ballet, though it's something i've always wanted to do. i said that once to my friends, and i got laughed at for it; they thought i was joking. -.- so i decided to try ballet out fic-wise, and i myself think rei's personality would lean well to ballet, and would work well with this fic.
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The sixteen year old yawned and stirred as the sound of muffled sobs pricked his ears. He opened his sleep-bleary eyes. His vision was full of tangled raven hair, but his ears heard the soft cries coming from Rei. He grabbed Rei's shoulder, rolling his younger cousin over, and the boy curled immediately into his chest, face buried against his shirt.
Lee rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. "Rei, shh, calm down. Was it another nightmare?"
Rei flinched and shook his head, continuing to cry. While he waited for the fourteen year old to calm down enough to tell him what was wrong, Lee saw fresh tears on the damp fur of Driger. Rei had gotten the plushy on the last day he'd danced. Nai-Nai had given it to him when they'd gone out for a celebratory dinner at the very fancy, and very expensive, restaurant. Now, Rei insisted upon carrying the infernal tiger toy everywhere he went. Because of the emotional and physical torment he'd been through, the plushy had become an emotional crutch of sorts, kind of like a security blanket.
Lee sighed heavily and gave Rei an encouraging squeeze. Rei let out a sharp breath and was quite for another several minutes. Lee was just starting to dose off when Rei's soft voice cut through the early morning silence. "I want to dance again."
The older boy inwardly groaned. They'd been over this a million times. Every single doctor they'd gone to said the same thing. Rei Kon would never walk again. The damage was too severe; it would never heal properly. It had healed as much as it ever would, which meant Rei was going to be crippled for the rest of his life. Yet, every Saturday morning, as soon as Nai-Nai's piano started playing, it was the same thing.
Though, just because the body could no longer do something, didn't mean the soul stopped yearning for it. Ballet was Rei's way of flying, his soul's release, just as karate was his. If he'd never be able to do karate again...."Rei, I-" Lee stopped, unsure of what to say. He merely kissed his cousin's forehead. "It's getting late; why don't you come to karate with me? I'll go get dressed then help you."
Rei frowned as Lee left the bed. He didn't exactly want to go and watch Lee's class, but he didn't want to be stuck at home, listening to Nai-Nai's piano and sulking all day. So he sat up, unbraided his long, silky raven hair, took the soft bristled brush from the nightstand beside the bed, and brushed the knots out of his hair. He left it hang loose like a shiny, smooth black curtain. The front locks were secured back with a clip.
Lee came out of the bathroom, his own hair pulled back, and his starched white karate uniform and third degree black belt immaculate. He flung the blankets aside, grabbed one of Rei's feet, turned him so his legs dangled over the bed, and put his thick socks, which kept Rei's feet from chafing, on. He slipped Rei's nerve-damaged feet into the plastic splints and velcroed the holders shut, then put on the metal braces, which gave Rei's injured appendages the support they needed to hold his body up, and came to four inches below his knees.
Rei sighed a bit, wishing Lee wouldn't baby him and let him do this for himself. But after six months of arguing with his stubborn, mule headed cousin, Rei had given up. He'd learned in therapy how to dress himself, but Lee and Nai-Nai never let him.
Lee slid a pair of wide-legged blue jeans on Rei, who pushed up on his arms, raising his hind end so Lee could pull the jeans all the way up and then fasten them. "I'm not a baby, Lee."
"I know." He replied, motioning for Rei to raise his arms up so he could pull a t-shirt down over his head. That was followed by a dark blue hoodi with a white tiger on the front, back, and claw marks on the sleeves. Lee put Rei's black sneakers on his feet and tied them, then got up and left his side.
Rei fastened a blue choker about his neck and looked up. "Lee, I really wish you would let me do things for my- no." His voice went from calm to firm and defiant as he stared at his bigger cousin, who was pushing a black wheelchair from the corner of the room. "I have my crutches. I don't need that thing." He spat the last two words out as if they were a curse.
"You're slow and you tire easy on your crutches. Just for while we're out, then, soon as we get home, I'll put your wheelchair back in your room."
Rei shook his head. "No. I don't need it."
"Rei." Lee growled, his short patience already beginning to wane.
Rei crossed his arms defiantly. "No." His amber eyes blazed as Lee marched determinedly over to him.
Rei sat in his wheelchair in the spectator area, where parents often watched and waited for their children. He glowered at his cousin on the dojo floor. 'Stupid, arrogant jerk...' He glared at Lee, then looked up at the clock; he was bored, and he was tired of the looks of pity and curiosity people threw his way. He felt like some weird attraction in a freak show.
With a glance at Lee, double checking that his cousin was preoccupied, Rei reached behind him. His wheelchair had a special holder for his crutches. He grabbed one then the other, slid his arms into them and planted the rubber nubs on the tips firmly on the ground and hauled himself to his feet. His could leave his wheelchair where it was.
Rei took off, planting his crutches forward first, then dragging his feet through, swung his crutches forward, and dragged his feet, until he was out the open door and into the hall way of the vast, elegant building, which had, at one time, been city hall, and was now an upscale community center with various activities. Rei made his way down the hall, his Driger plushy tucked up under his loose, long hoodi.
tbc.....
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i seem to leave off in the worst places, ne? i did this one on purpose; this chapter sucks in my opinion, but i needed to set it up like this. i 've got a killer intro for kai planned out. the angst factor will be kicked up a notch next chappie....soon as i get a chance to write it.....and, as always, plz review. ^.^
kitsunecrystalqueen, lefufin, leiko1, tidah, some person, tyde girl, platinum rei, xxxceruleanx'sxx, chibi kitty, child of the stars (nice name! ^.^), soul dreamer, i luv kai, tigerrain, cyndaquil babe, yuii, sarcasmcat, catty hiwatari, tiger rain, makurayami no kyouto, and keisan.
keisan: thanks for the long review. yes, i don't like hilary either, and i thought that was a nice little way of insulting her. i really don't think she'd be the graceful type.
about the ballet thing; i've got alot of respect for people who can do ballet. it's something that i myself could never do. i've done taekwondo nearly half my life, and as far as dancing goes, i'm only suited ot hip-hop and belly dancing. i just don't have the personality for ballet, though it's something i've always wanted to do. i said that once to my friends, and i got laughed at for it; they thought i was joking. -.- so i decided to try ballet out fic-wise, and i myself think rei's personality would lean well to ballet, and would work well with this fic.
&&&&&&&&&&&
The sixteen year old yawned and stirred as the sound of muffled sobs pricked his ears. He opened his sleep-bleary eyes. His vision was full of tangled raven hair, but his ears heard the soft cries coming from Rei. He grabbed Rei's shoulder, rolling his younger cousin over, and the boy curled immediately into his chest, face buried against his shirt.
Lee rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. "Rei, shh, calm down. Was it another nightmare?"
Rei flinched and shook his head, continuing to cry. While he waited for the fourteen year old to calm down enough to tell him what was wrong, Lee saw fresh tears on the damp fur of Driger. Rei had gotten the plushy on the last day he'd danced. Nai-Nai had given it to him when they'd gone out for a celebratory dinner at the very fancy, and very expensive, restaurant. Now, Rei insisted upon carrying the infernal tiger toy everywhere he went. Because of the emotional and physical torment he'd been through, the plushy had become an emotional crutch of sorts, kind of like a security blanket.
Lee sighed heavily and gave Rei an encouraging squeeze. Rei let out a sharp breath and was quite for another several minutes. Lee was just starting to dose off when Rei's soft voice cut through the early morning silence. "I want to dance again."
The older boy inwardly groaned. They'd been over this a million times. Every single doctor they'd gone to said the same thing. Rei Kon would never walk again. The damage was too severe; it would never heal properly. It had healed as much as it ever would, which meant Rei was going to be crippled for the rest of his life. Yet, every Saturday morning, as soon as Nai-Nai's piano started playing, it was the same thing.
Though, just because the body could no longer do something, didn't mean the soul stopped yearning for it. Ballet was Rei's way of flying, his soul's release, just as karate was his. If he'd never be able to do karate again...."Rei, I-" Lee stopped, unsure of what to say. He merely kissed his cousin's forehead. "It's getting late; why don't you come to karate with me? I'll go get dressed then help you."
Rei frowned as Lee left the bed. He didn't exactly want to go and watch Lee's class, but he didn't want to be stuck at home, listening to Nai-Nai's piano and sulking all day. So he sat up, unbraided his long, silky raven hair, took the soft bristled brush from the nightstand beside the bed, and brushed the knots out of his hair. He left it hang loose like a shiny, smooth black curtain. The front locks were secured back with a clip.
Lee came out of the bathroom, his own hair pulled back, and his starched white karate uniform and third degree black belt immaculate. He flung the blankets aside, grabbed one of Rei's feet, turned him so his legs dangled over the bed, and put his thick socks, which kept Rei's feet from chafing, on. He slipped Rei's nerve-damaged feet into the plastic splints and velcroed the holders shut, then put on the metal braces, which gave Rei's injured appendages the support they needed to hold his body up, and came to four inches below his knees.
Rei sighed a bit, wishing Lee wouldn't baby him and let him do this for himself. But after six months of arguing with his stubborn, mule headed cousin, Rei had given up. He'd learned in therapy how to dress himself, but Lee and Nai-Nai never let him.
Lee slid a pair of wide-legged blue jeans on Rei, who pushed up on his arms, raising his hind end so Lee could pull the jeans all the way up and then fasten them. "I'm not a baby, Lee."
"I know." He replied, motioning for Rei to raise his arms up so he could pull a t-shirt down over his head. That was followed by a dark blue hoodi with a white tiger on the front, back, and claw marks on the sleeves. Lee put Rei's black sneakers on his feet and tied them, then got up and left his side.
Rei fastened a blue choker about his neck and looked up. "Lee, I really wish you would let me do things for my- no." His voice went from calm to firm and defiant as he stared at his bigger cousin, who was pushing a black wheelchair from the corner of the room. "I have my crutches. I don't need that thing." He spat the last two words out as if they were a curse.
"You're slow and you tire easy on your crutches. Just for while we're out, then, soon as we get home, I'll put your wheelchair back in your room."
Rei shook his head. "No. I don't need it."
"Rei." Lee growled, his short patience already beginning to wane.
Rei crossed his arms defiantly. "No." His amber eyes blazed as Lee marched determinedly over to him.
Rei sat in his wheelchair in the spectator area, where parents often watched and waited for their children. He glowered at his cousin on the dojo floor. 'Stupid, arrogant jerk...' He glared at Lee, then looked up at the clock; he was bored, and he was tired of the looks of pity and curiosity people threw his way. He felt like some weird attraction in a freak show.
With a glance at Lee, double checking that his cousin was preoccupied, Rei reached behind him. His wheelchair had a special holder for his crutches. He grabbed one then the other, slid his arms into them and planted the rubber nubs on the tips firmly on the ground and hauled himself to his feet. His could leave his wheelchair where it was.
Rei took off, planting his crutches forward first, then dragging his feet through, swung his crutches forward, and dragged his feet, until he was out the open door and into the hall way of the vast, elegant building, which had, at one time, been city hall, and was now an upscale community center with various activities. Rei made his way down the hall, his Driger plushy tucked up under his loose, long hoodi.
tbc.....
&&&&&&&&&&&
i seem to leave off in the worst places, ne? i did this one on purpose; this chapter sucks in my opinion, but i needed to set it up like this. i 've got a killer intro for kai planned out. the angst factor will be kicked up a notch next chappie....soon as i get a chance to write it.....and, as always, plz review. ^.^