::: A New Tenant :::
by
- GlazedAndConfused -
"..." - denotes speech.
"(...)" - denotes whispering.
Italics denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.
See Chapter 1 for the disclaimer.
Chapter Two ::: Introductions And Explorations
A short while later, everyone was gathered in the kitchen. With the exceptions of Haruka, Keitaro, Kanako and Kaworu, everyone was sat down at the table. Naru and Motoko - not surprisingly - directed scornful looks; the auburn-haired Toudaisei at Keitaro, Motoko at the young teenager, who only countered her glare with his trademark smile of politeness. The ominous glints in their eyes were all too familiar to the kanrinin, who was torn between standing between the Aoyama girl and the teenager, but was also fearful of his own safety, as defending the newcomer would have consequences he'd rather not think about - at all. Kitsune looked on with her usual fox-like expression. Kanako had a look of indifference on her face, as did Su - in fact, the young gaijin and her counterpart, Sarah, were too busy playing to pay attention. The young Maehara girl had a strange expression on her face; one that was a mix between happiness - for whatever reason - and nervousness. She knew that it'd take a bit of time to become accustomed to having another male, other than Keitaro - who she had the biggest of crushes on - living in the dormitory.
"Haruka-sempai," Motoko tried protesting. "I do not see why you have to introduce us to him. We already know who he is; another typical male. Having Urashima living with us is bad enough, but another male... that is just preposterous!"
"That may well be," Haruka replied, ignoring her 'typical male' remark and the last sentence, "but he doesn't know who any of you are, does he?"
"I would rather him know my name, and nothing more."
The older Urashima woman shook her head and extinguished the cigarette in her mouth. She walked over to Motoko, standing behind her while placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is Motoko Aoyama, heir to the Shinmei Ryu school of kendo. I wouldn't get on the wrong side of her if you don't want to end up on the business end of that katana of hers," she said with a smirk." She walked over to Naru. "This is Naru Narusegawa, one of the three Toudai students living here. Like Motoko, she has a short temper, so it's best not to get her annoyed. This is Shinobu Maehara," she said, placing her hand on Shinobu's shoulder. "She is the resident cook here, and also goes to the same school you transferred to." She placed her hands on the shoulders of both Su and Sarah. "These two little devils are Kaolla Su and Sarah McDougal. Su goes to the same school, too." She walked over to Kanako. "This is my niece, Kanako. She is Keitaro's brother, though they are not related by blood. She has no objections to males staying here as far as I know, but she will strongly defend Keitaro if anyone were to pose a threat." She placed her hands on Kitsune's and Mutsumi's shoulders. "These two are Mitsune Konno and Mutsumi Otohime. You can guess why Mitsune is called 'Kitsune'. Mutsumi is one of the Toudai students, alongside Keitaro and Mutsumi." She smiled. "Well, that's the introductions done."
Everyone stood up and left the kitchen, going back to their daily activities. Kitsune went back to lounging around in the lobby, surfing through the channels for any decent soap operas; her bottle of saké at hand. Motoko went back onto the roof to practice her katas. Su and Sarah went back to the room of the former, possibly to create more contraptions of mischief and destruction. Mutsumi decided to go out to the hot springs, with Naru deciding to go out with her in case she had one of her patented fainting spells while outside. Shinobu also decided to go out for a bath with the two Toudai students, leaving only Haruka, Kanako, Keitaro and Kaworu.
"Well, let's go and see which rooms are available for you." Kanako said.
Keitaro went to pick up the young teenager's bags, only for a pallid hand to be placed on his arm. Following the trail of the arm, Keitaro looked up to see Kaworu standing next to him; his trademark smile not leaving his face. "Kanrinin-san," Kaworu started, picking up his bags and other personal belongings. "I know you are in charge of this building, but don't burden yourself with taking my luggage up for me."
With that, they went upstairs in search of a room. Keitaro led the way with Kanako at his side, followed by Haruka.
About two hours later after settling into his new room, Kaworu was sat on his futon, leaning against the wall. Again, he was listening to his portable CD player, humming to the tune of 'Ode To Joy' by Beethoven. His room was darkened slightly, with a few traces of the summer sun filtering through the curtains. He stared up at the ceiling, smiling. This place reminds me so much of the orphanage... he thought, except that it feels a lot easier to settle into. A very quaint little place, too. A slight smirk formed on his almost pure white features. What a colourful bunch it is that live here. Though, I will have to watch my step around Naru and Motoko. He stood up and stretched his arms and legs, then walked over to the balcony, admiring the picturesque view before him. The sun was at it's peak over thenot-so-distant sea,making the blue waters shimmer in the glistening light, adding to the beauty of the scene.Such a lovely view... He stared out for a few moments before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Mitsune 'Kitsune' Konno, the resident fox, grinning at him.
"Kitsune-san?" He said, confused. "How did you get in here without me hearing my door opening?"
"I have my ways; besides, you had your earphones on," the foxy lady replied, placing her hands behind her back. "I can tell you're still slightly in two minds about Naru and Motoko. I wouldn't worry; they're really good girls once you get to know them."
"Hmm," Kaworu agreed in reply. "I don't think that's on their list of priorities, however." Kitsune giggled. "Then again, I suppose we didn't really get off to the best of starts."
"There you go, you have nothing to worry about!" Kitsune exclaimed. After a few moments of silence passed by, she spoke up again. "So, Kaworu-san, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No. Truth be told, I'm not particularly interested in having a girlfriend just yet. Back in Nagasaki, there were a few girls that liked me. Some liked me for my personality. The others liked me for my looks... something I never understood. I don't particularly think I'm that good-looking," he said, still smiling. "Besides, I didn't really have that many friends either."
Kitsune's grin disappeared from her face. "You must have been so lonely," she said in a sympathetic tone; different from her usual carefree, playful attitude. "It must have been unbearable, not really having any friends."
Kaworu shook his head. "That didn't bother me, really," he continued."While I did have two or three friends, I didn't mind being alone, either."
The fox-eyed woman put a hand of genuine sympathy on his shoulder, staring into his crimson eyes. "But... why did you choose to spend most of your childhood alone?"
"I got used to that after living at the orphanage for so long. Loneliness didn't seem to be such a big deal."
"But you must have socialised, surely?"
"Hai, occasionally. I was always the explorative type, wanting to go to new places. This is one of the places I wanted to come to."
Kitsune smiled. "Well, it sure is a nice place..." she said, following his gaze to the view that stood before them. "It reminds me of why I came here in the first place."
"If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"
"I too used to go to Hinata High School. So did Naru. I originally lived in Osaka, but you know how far it is between here and there... so, I moved here to be nearer to school. That was when I met Naru."
"I see. What's the school like?"
"It's not too bad. A quaint little place, really. Have to wear uniform, though."
At that moment, the partition door to Kaworu's room slid open, revealing the stoic kendo girl, Motoko Aoyama; her bokken in hand. Walking halfway into the room, she stood in front of the new tenant with her arms crossed, her porcelain-like face marred by an antagonistic scowl at the fact that he and Kitsune were alone together. "I hope you were not trying to do someting to Kitsune-san, Nagisa." She spoke, noticing the closeness in proximity between the two and emphasising her sentence by tapping her bokken against her shoulder.
"We were just talking, Motoko." Kitsune said.
"As long as it was that and nothing more." She replied, glaring at the teenager who did not seem to flinch even when placed under such scrutiny, which surprised her. "Anyway. I was asked to tell you two that dinner will be ready soon, so I suggest you two come down in time for it." She shot a final glare at Kaworu and mouthed the words, 'Remember, you touch her; you feel my wrath'. This proved to be useless as the younger teenager still smiled at her while brushing some of his grey-brown hair back, making her shudder inwardly as she walked out. Taking this as their cue, the fox-eyed woman and the red-eyed teenager left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Down in the kitchen, Kaworu sat down at the table in between Shinobu and Mutsumi. During the meal, the teenager took the time totake a few glancesat the people around him. He noticed Kanako occasionally staring wistfully at her oniichan. Strange, he thought. Judging by this display, it seems they are more like lovers rather than siblings. He glanced over in Su's direction, and noticed her consumption of almost her own bodily weight - if not more -in food at a fast rate. Wow. Where does it all go? Glancing over at Kitsune, he noticed her taking the occasional swig from her bottle of saké. I don't know how she can drink that much at once and still come back for more.Motoko and Naru stared occasionally at the newcomer, making sure that he 'kept in line'.
At one point during the meal, Kaworu reached for the soy sauce. Shinobu reached for it at the same time, and their hands made contact. Looking up at each other, Shinobu blushed a furious shade of red while the former just lightly chuckled, moving his hand aside as if it were no big deal. "Go ahead, you use it first, Shinobu-chan." Of course, this little exchange didn't go unnoticed by Motoko, as she stood up angrily.
"Nagisa, I warned you... keep your hands off Shinobu-chan..." she growled, her eyes emitting a dark red glint.
"Motoko-chan, it was merely an accident. We reached for it at the same time." He coolly replied, closing his eyes.
"You may try to deceive the others with your lies, but you will not deceive me!"
"There is nothing to lie about. It was an accident."
"Enough! You deception has gone on for long enough!" She walked around to him and readied her bokken to attack. As she lowered the long weapon to strike, though, she encountered resistance as it came within a foot of him, with a bright orange, hexagonal-shaped flash emitting from the point of contact. Needless to say, not only was she surprised, but so were the other residents; their thoughts more or less along the same wavelength.
Wow! Do that again!
W-What the...
What was that?
Ara ara...
Hmm...
How is that possible? He didn't even move!
Motoko simply stared in shock, her eyes widened and her mouth slightly agape. After a few moments, she stood back. "What kind of inhuman being are you?! What was that?!" she shrieked, her face contorting into one of fury again.
"This is the sacred light of oneself." Kaworu simply stated."The safeguard of a person's soul; territory where no person should be allowed to intrude. Think of it as a barrier to the mind of an individual."
"What are you talking about, foul being?!"
"It is called an AT-Field."
"B-But... how? How does it form?"
"It comes as a natural occurrence to me."
The kendo girl was at a loss for words. Unable to conjure any coherent thoughts, she simplywalked back over to the opposite side of the table. "Hmph. You were lucky this time, Nagisa." she hissed, taking her seat.
The rest of the dinner period passed with everyone wondering what had just unfolded in front of them, occasionally sneaking glances at the new tenant.
Later, dinner had passed with nothing else noteworthy occuring, other than Motoko keeping an extra watchful eye on the new tenant. It was now night time. Kaworu was laid on the roof overlooking the majority of the small coastal town, idly staring up at the navy blue sky with his head resting on his hands, his earphones in his ears as helistened to'Ode To Joy' again. He looked at the stars, which seemed to sparkle brightly like diamonds. The moon was full, and looked like a silver platter; it's faint light giving the waters of the sea a crystalline appearance. The buildings that were below them were lit up with yellow lights from inside, making the view more beautiful. This place looks even more beautiful during the night... he thought, remaining in the position he was already in. So quiet and peaceful... The only sounds that could be heard were the lapping of the waters of the hot spring behind him on the ground floor against the rocks, the leaves swaying in the gentle summer breeze and the cicadas clicking. He heard the soft shuffling of footsteps coming up the steps onto the balcony from the inside of the old building. The same footsteps made their way onto the roof behind him.
"Hello, Shinobu-chan," Kaworu greeted, his eyes not even so much as leaving the sky.
Shinobu stopped as she neared. H-H-How did he know it was me? She sat down next to him, holding on to his shoulder for support as she did so. "Ano, Nagisa-san..."
"Please, Kaworu will do."
"Okay... um, Kaworu-san... how did you know that was me coming up behind you?"
Kaworu smiled. "I could read your ki signals as you neared; your ki is at peace, yet at the same time nervous. Is it me you're nervous around? If so, then you needn't be."
"H-Hai... gomen." An uncomfortable silence - mainly for the young Maehara girl - passed between the two before Shinobu spoke up again. "What music are you listening to?"
Her male counterpart removed one of the earpieces from his ear and placed it into her ear. "'Ode To Joy' by Beethoven," he replied. For a few moments more, another silence passed before Shinobu broke it, sounding more relaxed. "It's very relaxing."
"Hai. I think music is one of the best creations of man. It revitalises the soul and brings joy to those that listen to it."
"I agree. Ano... Kaworu-san?"
"Hai?"
"About earlier, when Motoko-sempai went to strike you... what was that thing that blocked her attack?"
Kaworu took a deep breath. "It is an AT-Field. I was told that I was born with it, for an unknown reason. It is a barrier that defends me from any form of conventional attack; such as when Motoko-chan tried attacking me."
"Only you have it, then?"
"No. That's far from the truth. You have one. Motoko-chan has one. In fact, everybody in this world has an AT-Field." Noticing the confused look on Shinobu's face, he continued to explain. "The AT-Field that every human being possesses is literally a wall that separates your individual identity from other egos and external reality."
"I see..."
Kaworu smiled again, brushing some of his hair behind his ears. "It is very difficult to explain, so I'll just leave it at that." Shinobu nodded meekly in response. "You know, Shinobu-chan, you're a very good cook. I thoroughly enjoyed dinner today; it was exquisite."
Shinobu only blushed in response. "A-A-A-Arigato, Kaworu-san," she replied, meekly.
"You're welcome."
The two shared some more time together, sitting on the roof while talking about their hobbies, favourite subjects at school and other things in general. Looking at his watch, Kaworu noticed that two hours had passed, surprised at how fast the time had gone by after only talking. He stood up, and stretched his arms and legs, then offered Shinobu a hand to help her up. As they started to walk across the narrow ridge, Shinobubegan to loseher balance after trying to walk with her slippers on. Letting out a yelp, one foot was placed over the other and she began to fall, eliciting a loud yelp thatimmediately caught Kaworu's attention. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him, but also began to lose balance himself, hoisting Shinobu into his arms as his feet began to slide down the roofing. Noticing this sudden change in events, the red-eyed teenager readied himself and leapt over the balcony as they neared the edge of the roof, crouching to stabilise his landing. Standing up, he helped place Shinobu back on her feet, dusting himself off.
"A-Arigato... Kaworu-san..." the petite, violet-haired girl said, still slightly unsteady from her near-plunge to the ground. She felt the heat start to rise once again in her cheeks as she stared into his blood-red eyes. T-Those eyes... they're so... warm. And inviting... she thought.
"Anytime." He replied, his smile never seeming to leave his face. "Well, shall we go in? It's quite late."
"H-Hai."
With that, they both went inside and retired to their separate rooms, preparing to go to bed.
Monday morning. Shinobu and Kaworu were ready to leave the inn to start their new school day. The violet-haired girl was wearing her usual school uniform consisting of a white shirt with blue collar, blue skirt, white socks and black shoes. Kaworu was wearing a white button-up shirt and dark blue blazer, complete with trousers of the same colour and black shoes, carrying a rucksack with him. Keitaro and all the others, sans Su, were standing in the lobby to see them off.
"Su's still not up yet..." Shinobu said, worried. "We're going to be la --" She was interrupted by Su's cheerful laughing as the young Molmolian slid down the railing and gracefully hopped off, flying towards Keitaro with her foot outstretched, ready to give him a flying kick by way of greeting. After a few seconds, her foot made contact with the side of his face, making Keitaro stumble forward and fall face-first into none other than Naru's cleavage. The said girl twitched with anger before pulling her arm back and clenching her fist.
"HENTAI NO BAKA!!" she screamed as she landed yet another direct hit and sent the hapless kanrinin flying through the front door and into the distant horizon, leaving a barely visible twinkle in the sky.
"Oopsies..." Su said, standing on one foot with her hands held behind her head. "Nya ha ha! I guess I underestimated my own momentum!" She noticed Shinobu and Kaworu standing togetherby the door. "Ooooh... Shinobu's found herself a lovebird!"
Kaworu just looked on with an amused smile. Shinobu was blushing so much that she would have made the planet Mars look jealous.
"Su-chan!!" she shrieked.
"Shinobu-chan..." Kitsune teased, nudging the youngergirl in the ribs with herelbow. "I didn't know you were reeling in theboys so easily... what's your secret? There must be something you're hiding from the rest of us..."
"I-I-It's not w-what you think, K-Kitsune-san!!" Shinobu shrieked once again, tears spraying from the corners of her eyes like fountains, opening her eyes again as a tanned blur shot past her.
The young gaijin ran out of the front doors, skipping merrily as she went down the steps. "Lovebirds! Lovebirds! Lovebirds!" she chanted, as Shinobu grabbed her bag and ran out of the door after her tanned friend.
"Su-chan, stop that!!" she yelled as they both disappeared down the steps, leaving Kaworu with an expression of bewildered amusement on his face. Heh... at least I won't have to bother about being bored here, with Su as colourful as she is, he thought. "Well, I'm going too," he said to everyone. "Take care."
"Bye," they all replied, with the exception of Motoko, who was just leaning against the door frame with a look of warning on her face.
Later that day...
Keitaro was on course for one of his regular 'emergency landings' after being sent flying into the Lower Earth Orbit by Naru's infamous punches. "Look out beloooooowwwww---!!" he called out to a group of people who just happened to be directly in his landing path, forcing them to look up. Noticing the unidentified-speaking-and-flying-object heading in their direction, they scattered and moved at least eight feet away from him before he crashed onto the hard stony ground. His body blackened and charred, with smoke rising from his body as if he reached terminal velocity whilst on the way down.
"Man, are you okay?" one of the people said, approaching him.
"Ahh... did any get the number of that lorry that just hit me...?" Keitaro mumbled, his voice slightly jarred and slurry. Putting a hand tohis head, he regained his composure as he remained on the ground. "Damn, my head. Uhh... where am I?" He looked around at his surroundings, finding them completely unfamiliar.
"Why, you're in Sendai." spoke another one of the other people, an elderly man.
The kanrinin laughed lightly. "No, seriously... where am I?"
"I am serious, sonny; you're in Sendai."
"S-Sendai?!?!" Keitaro screamed, jumping onto his feet immediately. He hung his head dejectedly. "Damn, I must've really pissed Naru off this time. Getting back is going to take a lot longer than expected now..."
Back at Hinata High School...
The first day at Kaworu's new school came to an end as quick as it started. His introduction to his new tutor group went fairly well for the young teenager, with not many problems arising from other students. He spent most of the breaktime and the lunchtime periods with Su and Shinobu, getting a few looks of envy from some of the longer-serving male students. The lessons themselves went fairly well too. As soon as the piercing shriek of the bell indicated the end of the school day, Kaworu walked out of the classroom and slowly walked down the corridor. He went past the main hall and looked through one of the double doors, noticing a piano in the room on the other side. Opening the double doors, he walked into the room and sat at the piano, placing his duffel bag beside him. Cracking his fingers, he started playing the tune of Moonlight Sonata, humming along as he did so.
This is so relaxing... he thought, it feels as if all is right with the world. Me, alone withthe soft sounds of the piano's ivory keys... I feel at peace.
He played the symphonic notes for a while longer before stopping for the day. Once he finished playing, he could hear gentle clapping from three pairs of hands. Looking around, he could see Shinobu, Su,and a brown-haired girl standing in between them. Her hair was tied in two separate pigtails, and her face was freckled slightly.
"Bravo," said the brown-haired girl. "That was really good."
"It was beautiful, Kaworu-san," Shinobu concurred, clapping politely.
Kaworu stood up and bowed in response, then picked up his duffel bag, walking over to the three girls. "Arigato," he said in reply to their praise. "It's nothing really. Playing the piano has always been a favourite past-time of mine. I guess I just picked it up as I went along."
"It was still beautiful though," replied the brown-haired girl. Kaworu turned to face her, his endearing smile on her face. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly as her chocolate brown eyes locked with his crimson ones.
"Ah, pardon me... where are my manners?" Kaworu replied. "I believe we haven't been introduced to each other yet. My name is Kaworu... Kaworu Nagisa." He bowed politely to the girl in front of him.
"My name is Akiko; Akiko Taichi. Pleased to meet you!" She held out a hand in front of her as if to offer a handshake, to which Kaworu replied by shaking her hand in return.
"Likewise." He brushed a few loose strands of hair back behind his ears. "I was just about to go back to where I was staying. Would you care to join us on the way?"
"Sure, if that's okay with Su and Shinobu." Akiko replied, turning to look at the said two.
"Sure," Shinobu replied.
"Okies!" Su chirped, bouncing about as usual.
"Well, that's settled then." Kaworu then hoisted the duffel bag onto his back and opened the double doors, allowing the three girls to go out before him.
One hour later, back at Hinata Sou...
Su, Shinobu and Kaworu had reached the top of the giant stone steps after seeing off Akiko shortly before arriving. Nothing of much note had occurred between the four, except for further introductions between Akiko and Kaworu, who seemed to get on - as Su put it - like two peas in a pod. Kaworu slid the double doors open and allowed Su and Shinobu to enter before him in an act of chivalry.
"Tadaima!" the three called as they stepped inside the grand building, slipping their shoes and jackets off.
"Welcome back, you three," Naru greeted.
Kaworu hung his jacket up on the coathangers, then slipped his blazer off. "Well, I'm going to have a quick shower and get changed." He advanced towards the stairs and started to make his way up them. "Oh, Shinobu-chan?"
"Hai?"
"I'll be going out for a little while when I come down; just to get to know the area. So, if you make dinner, don't bother making any for me."
"Okay. But I'll leave something in case you're hungry."
"You needn't concern yourself, Shinobu-chan. I'll fix something up for myself when I come back."
Shinobu smiled sweetly. "Okay, Kaworu-san."
Kaworu smiled back in response and went up the stairs to his room.
Later that afternoon...
Kaworu came back down the stairs, wearing atwo-tone jumperand jeans, complete with a black pair of shoes. Shinobu and Su were sitting on the sofa, with the latter teasing the young Maehara girl for no reason. They both noticed their male counterpart coming down the stairs, and Shinobu couldn't help but stare at him in his new attire. Wow... he looks handsome, Shinobu thought, putting her hands to her cheeks as the blood began to make it's way up to her face. Su just blew a wolf-whistle, making the faintest of blushes appear on Kaworu's pale features.
"Well, I'll be off. See you two later," Kaworu said.
"Bye!"
Three hours later...
The sun was beginning to set, giving the sky a reddish-blue appearance. Kaworu was in the main commercial and retail districtsof the small hot spring town, overlooking the sea. Walking along the balcony that stretched over the river that led to the sea, he stared into the sky, enjoying the serenity that thedark yet peaceful and quietsurroundings provided. This feeling of inner peace came to an end when, lost in his thoughts, he tripped over something and landedon the concrete.Standing up and dusting himself off, he looked at the source. It was the figure of a woman, laid haphazardly in the middle of the pavement. After the contact made between the two, the woman slowly started to stir, before groggily sitting up, her hands beside her on the ground. Looking closely, the woman was revealed to be Kitsune, in an intoxicated state.
"Uhh... wha?" she slurred. "Hey, fancy meetin' you here, Kaworu-kun..."
"Kitsune... are you okay?" Kaworu replied, a concerned look on her face. "How much have you had to drink? By the looks of it, you've had a lot."
"Feh... I dunno... probably about fifteen... twenty, maybe..."she replied, trying to count off on her fingers,"...no idea. I stopped countin'... but by then, I was sorta havin' trouble tryin' to think, let alone count... then I tried walkin' to the little ladies' room... next thing ya know, I fell flat on my arse."
Kaworu rolled his eyes. "Look, I think we'd better get you back to the Hinata," he said, placing an arm around her shoulder and one of her arms aroundhis in an effort to balance her. He then proceeded to haul her back to the old inn.
"I know what ya up to..." Kitsune slurred once again. "Ya wanna get me inta bed, dont'cha? Ya sneaky little devil... I never knew ya haddit in ya..."
Kaworu sighed and carried on walking, not replying.
Back at Hinata Sou...
Everyone else, sans Keitaro - who was still probably stuck in Sendai - were gathered in the lobby, waiting for the two absent tenants to return.
"It's getting late," Shinobu commented. "Kaworu-san's been out for a while..."
"So has Kitsune-san," Motoko commented.
"It wouldn't surprise me if that new tenant is as perverted as Keitaro..." Naru grumbled, clenching her fists.
"Come on Naru," Kanako stated, her emotionless look present on her face. "Look at the age difference... there's no chance that they'll have done what you two are insinuating." Her face then contorted into a glare. "Speaking of which... oniichan still hasn't come back. If he's not back by tomorrow morning, you are going to have hell to pay..."
Naru could only gulp at Kanako's threat, unable to meet her piercing gaze.
"Perhaps you are right, Kanako-san." Motoko replied. "Nagisa is not even of the age of consent."
Shinobu looked out the front door, hopeful that the three mentioned people would soon turn up. I hope they're alright...
One hour later...
Kaworu and Kitsune were almost home when the effects of the fox-eyed lady's intoxication began to kick in.She heldher free hand to her mouth, a queasy look on her face. The younger male noticed this.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I'm gonna be sick..."
"Again?" Kaworu rolled his eyes and walked over to the nearest rubbish bin in case she began to throw up on the pavement. Holding the sides of the bin, she hung her head over the hole and began to be sick, the retching sounds making passers-by want to feel sick themselves. After the worst of the episode had gone by, she raised her head and took deep gulps of the fresh air in an attempt to make herself feel better.
"Gah... I guess that saying is true. There really is too much of a good thing... now my mouth tastes like a litterbox." She took a few more deep breaths, before standing up and leaning on Kaworu for support. "Ahh... I feel a bit better now. Let's get goin'."
The red-eyed teenager threw his arm around her shoulder to support her again, and they resumed their journey back to Hinata Sou. "Once we get back, we'll get you a glass of water to wash the taste out."
Back at Hinata Sou...
"That's it," Naru said. "I'm going out to look for them; we've been waiting for long enough."
"I concur," Motoko agreed. "It is nearly 12.00."
They were interrupted by the faint sounds of a person singing drunkenly. Advancing to the double doors, they noticed two familiar silhouettes approaching. Kitsune was singing in drunken glee while Kaworu was doing his best to support her.
"...and if one green bottle, should accidently fall... CRASH! ...There'll be 9 green bottles, sitting on the wall..." sang the fox-eyed woman as Kaworu opened the door.
"What took you two so long?" Naru asked.
"I had a bit of trouble trying to get her on her feet," Kaworu replied. "All she needs now is just some water and rest."
"I'll take her from here," Motoko stated as Kaworu helped shift Kitsune's dead weight onto the kendo girl. "Arigato for your deed, Nagisa," she continued, "but that doesn't mean that I am not keeping my eye on you."
"If you say so." He stifled a yawn. "I think I'll go up to bed now. Me, Su and Shinobu-chan have school in the morning."
"Goodnight," everyone said as he made his way up the steps.
Later that night...
"Ahh... home at last..."
Keitaro finally managed to make his way up the last of the stone steps. Although he was glad to finally have arrived back at home after his unscheduled 'trip' to Sendai, what he wasn't happy at was having to splash out on transport. It was either spend on a quicker way to get home and walk it - he certainly didn't prefer the latter. "Bang goes my money, though..." he complained, tears slowly cascading down his cheeks as alone bit of lint floated out of his wallet. "Guess I'll just have to double the rent for next month..."
He slowly made his way to the front door. "Huh? Oh, no... they've locked the doors. Now I'll have to try and get in through the window..." He walked over to the nearest tree, and made his best attempt to climb up. Once he reached the top, he made slow, tentative movements so as not to lose his balance and fall off. He noticed that his window was literally opposite him, so he readied himself and attempted to jump in via the window. Unfortunately, the forces of gravity didn't seem to take pity on the poor kanrinin, and he fell three floors to the ground- just as he wasinches awayfrom the window.
"Aaaaaa--!!"
He landed on the ground with a dull thud. He tried standing up but felt a shooting pain make it's way through his ankle.
"Itee (ouch)... I think I twisted my ankle... now how am I going to get in?"
::: END CHAPTER TWO :::
::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::
Another chapter done and out of the way. Evangelion fans would know that 'Ode To Joy' was the tune Kaworu was humming when he first met Shinji. It is also the same tune played when Misato and the other NERV colleagues find out that he is an Angel after he synchronises with Unit-02, and after that looooooooong moment of silence passes between him and Shinji, before Unit-01 is controlled to kill him in Episode 24.
And for anybody who hasn't noticed already, I've reposted Chapter 1 with some edited parts. I've also included Kaworu's AT-Field, but I won't be including any of his other abilities, e.g. levitation.
A few messages;
St.Jack: I only noticed myself after reading the first chapter again that I did make Kaworu a tad too sardonic. Hope I've remedied that, though. And the 'comma-itis' thing has been a habit of mine for ages. You're right, it's not so much a crossover... just more a sort of bringing a character into a new world, if you could call it that.
urmomlolz: I also noticed the similarities between the first paragraphs of the first chapter of this and the second of your fic - creepy, eh.
Feedback of any kind is welcome, be it praise or flame. :)
And, yet again, don't blame me for any formatting errors that may crop up... no matter how many times I edit them, QuickEdit always finds a way to make a new one...