Author's Notes-- (1:00 AM 9/25/2004) You would not believe how afraid I am, as I am posting this. I know I'm going to be beaten heavily by some angry readers, as I haven't updated in... about a year and 7 months. Meh. I'm thinking it's gonna' be a bit difficult to continue, as the story is no longer that fresh on my mind. I went back and read a lot of comments I made about things to include, and am now wondering how the hell I could do that. This chapter has been complete for a while, but I have neglected it. Sorry. Oh well, after much time...

Disclaimer-- It's all mine. Everything. Because I am God.

Warnings-- Language (as always), shounen ai references (BradxSchu, YoujixSchu, NagixOmi, and a gesting reference of KenxRan), OOC (Aya chan, Asuka... everyone, perhaps), etc.

blah -- Thoughts (ex: What should I say, now?)
"blah" -- Dialogue (ex: "Your mom.")
„blah" -- Visably Foreign Dialogue (ex: „Wie ghet's?")

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Somewhat Damaged by Seph Lorraine

Act III: Scene III: Learning Something New

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Ken stumbled lazily into the commons room that morning, taking a seat at an abandoned table far away from his usual seat with Omi, Nagi, and the two liscentious seniors. He sighed wearily and began to scowl down at the table top before him. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this tired.

His past professions had never allowed for soporific mornings such as this. As cause of this, he was unaccustomed to this suddenly tired feeling that overwheled his muscles and mind. Something about knowing that Aya now knew he actually had secrets was taxing on his mind. He hadn't been pleased about the idea of threatening the older man's sister in the first place, but now it appeared as if he would have to go on as if he had every intention of acting on his words. All for the sake of his own selfish security.

His head hit the table with a thump.

There was absolutely no way to manuever around it. His hand came up to lightly tug against the silver loop in his ear, and a small smile crossed his enervated features. She would be so disappointed in his negativity, were she there with him. Though, she wasn't.

His hand dropped back to his lap, lifelessly. His gaze darkened.

And it was all his fault.

- - - - - - - - -

Ran's mind was a torrent of panicked emotion. Which was very unusual, as it was indeed -Ran's- mind that was full of this sudden terror. It wasn't everyday the redhead actually ran into a tree on his walk to the English wing of the Language building for first period.

Whose brilliant idea was it to plant that tree right in the middle of the yard anyway? Didn't they know that it was just an injury waiting to happen? The redhead growled angrily, pushing himself out of his molded indent in the trunk of the tree, and walked around the agonising organism towards his English class.

He took his seat, as usual, five or six minutes before the bell would ring and opened his black notebook. He was always the earliest to class in the mornings.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was deathly tired and nearly distraught. He flipped open the notebook, pulling out a pen and began to write every thought that littered his mind. It was a regular excerise he performed, originally assigned by the guidence cousilor his freshman year as a way for him to 'release the Ran within him'. At first it had sounded stupid and a waste of time, but as the year moved on, he had found that he had been able to handle the first year without his sister better than he could have thought.

He sat there scribbling random thoughts for nearly ten minutes until he noticed the classroom around him was now loud and busy. Students were roaming from desk to desk to talk with one another. They needlessly bothered each other with trivialties of gossip, shallow "How are you?"s, and last night's homework.

Violet eyes scanned the room feeling more iscolated than ever, These poor ignorant fools. They have no clue of what goes on around them.His gaze fell to open black notebook on his desk.
He reached forward and closed it.

The bell rang.

"Good morning, class," spoke a short balding man near the board up front. He heavily dropped his briefcase upon the desk with a thump and opened it, pulling out a thick stack of papers. "This morning's assignment is a simple review of what we've been covering the past three weeks--"

Ran resisted frowning. He had missed most of his lessons since earlier in the year when he had been deported to the alternative school.

"--I'm handing out a newspaper article that I would like you to read and analyse. Remember, active reading involves a pen! I want to see these papers covered in notes and underlines when you turn them in with your written analysis. You analysis must be two full pages, front and back, black or blue ink only-- no glittery green colours like last time, Ms. Patel!" He handed a stack of papers to the first desk in each row, the students each taking one and passing them back. "Remember to cover diction, language devices, tone, imagery, figurative speech, selection and presentation of detail, parallelisms, modes of discourse; whatever you can find. I want to hear all of it."

The now very thin stack of papers was handed to him, and he took one and passed them on. He set it down before him, atop his single black notebook and glared at it. He read the title dully beneath his breath, "Candidate for Prime Minister of Japan Assassinated."

"This article I pulled from the BBC news archives. It's dated the 17th of November last year 1, just a few weeks over a year ago. My brother-in-law, living in Japan, mentioned something about it to me this past weekend on the phone, so I figured that while I had it up on the screen I would go ahead and assign..." 2 The teacher continued, though the class was no longer listening.

Many in Japan this 17th of November mourn the loss of a potential candidate for the election of Japan's new Prime Minister. Many upset voters, civilians, and active politicians were outraged at the news of Musashi Tokoyama's untimely passing on the night of the 15th of Novmeber, when Tokoyama was found shot to death in his Tokyo estate. Though, the police have publicly announced just this morning that they do, indeed, have a suspect.

One guard, badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds, and a surveillance tape recording the actual crime have given critical evidence to this shocking new case. Yukito Asahina, the only security guard to have survived the assault on Tokoyama's home, retells the night to police and reporters, "He came in really suddenly and shot my partner twice in the head. He then aimed his gun at me and fired three times into my chest. He must have been in a hurry, as he didn't even stop to see if I was dead." Asahina was lucky to have survived, as one bullet pierced painfully close to his heart.

"He ran past me, as I felt myself fall to the ground, and into Mr. Tokoyama's private quarters behind my post. I heard the gun fire, and Mr. Tokoyama's yell as his body fell to the floor. Then he ran out, right past me, as quickly as he could and left. By then the police were already getting there." Asahina is a loving husband and father of two, all three family members of which were very happy to hear that Asashina will be alright.

Tokoyama, as many Japanese voters are aware, was leading in the polls for Japan's Prime Minister and was well on his way to success. The motives and where-abouts of the killer are unknown at the moment, but outraged voters had this to say: "I cannot imagine who would want to ruin such a wonderful man. He has done so much for our economy! It makes me sick!" says one woman to BBC reporters in Japan. "Tokoyama san will be well remembered for all the great service he has done for our country. He will be grately missed," says Fujimoto, a 35 year-old employee of Tokoyama.

Indeed, the loss of Musashi Tokoyama is a great one for this island nation. Tokoyama is well-known for his many acts of public service, and for decreasing the population size of Japan's major prisons and correctional facilities. National Security officials in Japan assure the public that they are working around the clock to track down and capture Musashi's killer; now thought to be a member of a larger conspiracy ring (possibly responsible for the deaths of seven Japanese goverment officials in the last decade). Meanwhile, elections in Japan will continue as planned.

Musashi Tokoyama will be greatly missed.

Ran began his assignment.

- - - - - - - - -

Nagi was annoyed.

"--but if I don't do the science report, I'll have a really low grade!"

He was very annoyed.

"--if I don't do my European History essay, though, Herr Evans might not like me anymore!"

No, he was far beyond that.

"--I think if I work fast I can get the maths done, and maybe part of the science! But wait! That leaves no time for the essay! Oh my god! And my Latin story! I haven't written my Latin story!"

He was homocidal.

"Oh my Gods! I'm doomed! How am I supposed to do all of this in the next twenty minutes!? I haven't even read the section on the Spanish Inquisition, yet! How am I supposed to write an essay about it!?" Omi shrieked, jumping up and scattering papers all across the lunch table. He was, no doubt, having a panic attack.

This had been going on for the past hour and ten minutes.

Youji blinked and rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Spanish Inquisition? Everybody knows -that-! Just write that you didn't expect them." 3

"No, you idiot! I have to know about the -real- Spanish Inquistion!" The chibi's face was quickly darkening in shades of fuscha.

"It was real?"

The freshman ignored him and beat his head against the table, "Oh my Gods! I'm doomed!"

Nagi growled lowly. He had been waiting for some attention from his boyfriend all day, and when lunch period finally came, providing an hour and a half of free time, what did he get?

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME!!" The small blond howled.

Schuldig smirked widely from his seat beside Youji, "It sounds like the bishounen's got himself into a little more than he can handle..." A 'tut tut' sound followed the comment.

"Just because I have a little extra credit to do doesn't mean--"

"Extra credit!?" Three incredulous voices shrieked in unison.

Omi blushed, "Er... Yea... So?"

Nagi was definately going to kill him.

- - - - - - - - -

Ken all but threw himself into his seat at the front of the class room for his English lesson. He had skipped lunch to go back for one last oppurtunity to run over the objects that filled his dorm room, and to file a request for the window's replacement, and a new lamp for his bedside table (he managed, now knowing what the object's names were). He smirked briefly. He had gone over all of the small yellow flags of paper, though there were two terms that currently confused him. During the rather -active- night, some of the terms had been thrown into disorder. He could not now remember which term meant closet: 'closet' or 'light switch'. Both pieces had somehow wound up stuck to the door over the course of the night.

Crawford spared him a glare, seemingly in a much calmer, more relaxed mood without the impetuous German around to rile him up, "Good afternoon, Mr. Hidaka."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Crawford."

"How are you today?"

Ken paused a moment in thought, considering the possible consequences of being truthful in his response. He quickly dismissed the thought upon remembering he didn't know how to express 'completely horrible and wishing I wasn't here right now'.

"I'm fine, and you?"

Crawford glanced up from the Spanish textbook at Ken's pause, interested, "I'm fine as well." He answered simply, looking back at his book, "Has your day been well?"

Another pause, "Very well, sir. Has your day been well, as... as well?

The maths teacher frowned, still looking at the book, "Well as well?"

Ken frowned. The maths teacher seemed even more dull than usual without the German present. It was strange.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Crawford marked the page and nodded to the brunett, "My day has been terrible."

A questioning glance from the Japanese man.

"Terrible means 'not well at all'." He responded.

Ken took a minute to absorb the information, whilst at the back of the classroom the door closed. No one glanced at the owner of the approaching footsteps. They knew who it was.

"Schuldig." Crawford spoke monotonously.

The German smiled smuggly and pranced up to his spot on the desk beside Crawford, "Aw, Braddy! D'ju miss me?"

"You're not needed here any-longer. Fujimiya will be along shortly--"

"But I'm not here to -teach-. I'm here to amuse." And things were suddenly back to normal.

Ran walked in precisely two minutes before the bell rang, all but slamming the door behind him. He took his usually graceful steps to the front of the classroom, bowed, and shot the brunett a cold violet glare, "I want to talk to you." He spoke in crisp Japanese.

Ken frowned, „Dou shite desu ka." (trans: "Why?") 4

"There is something I want to know." He continued in Japanese.

"Aa... I would never have guessed."

"About your relations with my sister." Ran's violet eyes were icy.

"What about them?" Ken resisted rolling his eyes.

"What are they?"

„Nani?"

"You heard me." The redhead's voice was cold, his eyes reflecting that same chill.

Ken had to admit, the senior did put up a good show; were he anyone else it would have worked quite well. Unfortunately, his previous endeavors had required a firm obstinance against such fronts, "Demo, what do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Crawford cleared his throat, "Excuse me, gentlemen--" And was completely ignored.

"I'm afraid I don't." The younger boy simply sat, his face a neutral façade; he had fronts of his own. When in doubt of what to do: deny and feign confusion.

"Stop fucking with me, Hidaka." Sharply enunciated English. Everyone understood that.

Schuldig raised a thin red eyebrow, "Hmph. And I thought our relationship had problems."

Crawford shot him a glare, now interested in the exchange.

"Am I fucking with you, -Ran kun-?" A smirk from the brunette. This wasn't a wise course of action to take, and he knew it. However, he couldn't help it that something about the redhead made him ready to object everything he had to say. It was as if the other man was -begging- for it.

And he wasn't about to deny him something so enjoyable to himself.

"Hidaka." Warning tones.

Ken rolled his eyes, complying a bit, for his own sanity, "She's in a few of my classes-- she had them changed specifically for that reason, but you'll have to ask -her- about that. Nothing really, other than that."

"I remember perfectly what you said last night."

„Nein, Ran. Für die endliche Zeit, werde ich mit dir nicht schlafen." (trans: "No, Ran. For the last time, I will not sleep with you.") The younger man shook his head animatedly, switching tounges purely for the German's pleasure-- he was the type to enjoy this kind of humour. It wasn't as if Ran would understand it anyway.

As predicted, Schuldig promply burst into raucous laughter, slumping against the front desk and clutching his sides.

The American threw his partner an inquisitive glance, "What did he say?"

The German continued to laugh wildly, "If only you knew, Bradley! If only you knew! Haha!"

The stone-faced Fujimiya merely dismissed the comment, whatever it had meant, and simply stared at the brunette, "You threaten her, but does she know this?"

Ken, whom had been chuckling along with Schuldig at his own comment dropped it instantly, "No. She'll not know anything about it. Hopefully you won't give me any reason to act on it." His brown eyes looked up and locked gazes with Ran's, "You must understand that I harbour no ill-will for either of you, personally. You obviously know I have secrets to keep."

The older man was silent. This man sitting before him was threatening his life, and his sister's. An innocent girl. Yet, there was an understanding, somehow and despite however irrational it seemed when looked at from a logical perspective. Almost the eerie sort of honour one convict finds in another. No real analogy could be made, and he wasn't about to attempt.

It was time to quiz, anyway.

Crawford, recovering from the strange disorder in the room, tapped the desk once more. Noticing all eyes were on him once more, he slipped a sheet of paper from an old manilla folder and set it upon the brunette's desk. The implications of what was to be done were obvious. It was a handout quiz, a sheet of paper showing images of all the classroom objects imaginable, and when flipped there was the picture of a bedroom. He had to lable each.

How funny that in the last five minutes he had forgotten everything he had learned about the English language. However, he had learned something else: teasing Ran was fun.

- - - - - - - - -

Aya Fujimiya stared hard at the piece of paper before her, her brow knitting in concentration, "Okay, okay, I got it!"

"Got what?" Her roommate, a rather pretty junior looked up from her magazine. Her short dark hair was arranged stylishly, only lightly reaching her eyes as she watched the energetic girl before her. She lay on her stomach with her legs crossed in the air, "You've been studying that sheet for the past hour, what is it?" A French accent was evident in her more mature voice. 5

"It's a list of Japanese vocabulary words!"

"Oh..." The girl rolled her eyes and looked back to the latest edition of Teen Vogue.

"Asuka! Listen to me!" Aya frowned, plopping down beside the other girl and shoving the slightly wrinkled paper in the other girl's line of vision, "You read the English definition, and I'll recite the word!"

Lifting herself up to sit normally the French girl sighed, "Is this another one of your boy-schemes, Aya?"

"Well... It'll help me get in touch with my culture! And my background!"

"You're just an American, accept it."

"But my family is from Japan! My brother speaks it fluently! Why can't I!?"

"Because he's actually -from- there. You are not." Asuka snatched up the sheet, frowning at the complicated words, "How am I supposed to know if you're saying this right, anyway?"

The braided girl glared, "Just begin."

"OK, Monday."

"Getsuyoubi."

"Um, sure... Afternoon."

"Gogo."

"Red."

"Akai...? Wait, no! Aoi! Or... No..."

"I think it was right the first time."

"Damnit! This is hard."

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Notes--
1 Can't be to sure about dating this. I don't really know much about Japan's government. I'm just running on my Western education.

2 Two things: (1) My English teacher practically adores her brother in law. He's been the inspiration for all of her stupid assignments throughout the year. Ugh! (2) I've actually set some dates to this fic, as it was kind of confusing me. Ken came to school on the 28th of November in this fic, exactly six months to the day after "Kase's death" from the memory in chapter nine. The rest is all for laaaaaaaater!

3 Ho-ho! I bet you didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition! "No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition!" :D

4 "Why?" in Nihongo can be either "Naze desu ka." or "Dou shite desu ka." I am currently confused on whether there is a specific scenario of use for either? As if one were polite and one informal (which I haven't seen)? If anyone happens to be knowledgable on the subject I would appreciate hearing to the difference in their uses. I am using „Dou shite desu ka." because I have heard it most commonly used.

5 Have I mentioned I -really- love linguistics? Yes, I am a nerd.

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Thank you to my reviewers: All of you, and those who will not read this, who have read and reviewed this fic in the past. There are far too many of you who have reviewed since the 20th of February 2003 for me to name and respond to you all. I am most honoured my your messages left on the review page, in my e-mail box, and even the ones who contacted me personally by AIM. Your messages were very much appreciated.

Thank You All.

- - - - - - - - - (Meanwhile, lurking by the pepsi machine...)

Miri: It's been a while...

Seph: Yea...

Miri: (glares) Aren't you feeling guilty!? At all!?

Seph: (weeps) Please don't hurt me!

Pepsi Machine: (Can falls out)

Seph: Yay!

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The Review Button: My bonnie lies over the ocean! My bonnie lies over the sea! My bonnie lies of the "Go" button! Please click to return bonnie to meeeeee! :D