Disclaimer: Honestly, you'd know by now if I'd own Weiß Kreuz.
Picaro: Gya~h! Back from hell! Finals are in their full run here and I barely get to use to computer. Sorry about the horribly long time it took me to up-date! ^.^;; Anyway, here it is, the next chapter of ´What he certainly hadn't planned´ and a extra warning for the fact that there´re any clichés left that I've let out in this. ^_~
What he certainly hadn't planned
Chapter 18
The signs scrolled down the screen as Crawford watched patiently.
Jilocasin - French, 31 Years, Telepathy
Kitten O´Loch – Scotswoman, 22 Years, Empathy
Markus Stiller – German, 25 Years, Telekintec Powers
Memoiré – Nationality Unknown, 19 Years, Clairvoyance..
As expected. Naturally all the information in the Estet central system was encoded. The organisation held many members that set great store on not being named there. About half of them didn't even know of this list. Estet didn't like snoopers.
Passing all their security measures, walls, and other grimcrackery to keep out everybody who shouldn´t be there was quite difficult--though not nearly hard enough to withstand Naoe Nagi of Schwarz for long. Now there was just the decoding left. Crawford waited patiently, watching calmly as the signs were one by one replaced by letters. Soon they´d know who exactly they were fighting. At the same time he also kept an eye out in the future. Despite their foolish arrogance, the tracing methods of their former employing organisation were pretty good. Nothing compared to what Schwarz had, but still good enough to become a problem, should they ever get caught.
Not that that was very likely, with Nagi.
Still, better to be careful now than later regret it. The immediate future was clear, though. No problems to come. Once in a while Crawford would tell Nagi a password, but otherwise everything stayed calm.
Schuldig couldn't get rid of the feeling that it was going a bit too smoothly, though. First such a fuss to get hold of them and now nothing? Good joke.
No, they would certainly have set some sort of booby trap or something. It was one of the main reasons they all were gathered here in the middle of the night. If there were a trap, there would be at least one of them who would be able to disable it.
Next to him, Crawford suddenly stiffened for a second before relaxing again. /Something wrong Braddykins?/ No answer.
Schuldig frowned. ´No answer?´ That wasn't a good sign. Normally Crawford always had some sort of equal reply ready for the redhead's taunting. `Didn´t he hear me?´
"Hey… Crawford."
The black-haired American still didn't react. In return Nagi and Farfarello were now watching him. "Schu? Is something wrong?" The German frowned at the boy´s questioning tone. Meeting Farfarello´s single gaze, he shook his head slowly.
"Nein, nothing. Crawford´s just having one of his visions."
Despite the reassuring words, Nagi now also frowned. ´Just a vision?´ It was a open secret that the clairvoyant´s visions tended to be bad ones. Advance warnings, like Schuldig had called them once. Crawford didn´t have _just_ one of his visions.
"Egal [1]. Continue." Seeing the youth´s undecided look, he added. "I don´t think he´d be happy to hear that we were caught just because he was staring holes into the air." Nagi hinted a nod.
"Hai."
The brunette swiftly turned and started attacking the keys with renewed speed. Farfarello cocked his head. /What's wrong with him?/ Schuldig silently shook his head again, taking care that their youngest member wouldn't take notice of it. The least thing they needed was a distracted hacker right now.
/I can't reach him./ The Irish psychopath gave him a questioning look. Normally Schuldig was able to reach any of them immediately. It mighty be a one-way connection, but they always heard him when he wanted them to. Schuldig frowned. /No. I think it's a vision, but it's a damn long one./
The long span of Crawford´s mental absence was disturbing. Schuldig knew him more than long enough to know that a normal vision took barely more than a few seconds, if even that. Usually they had passed as soon as you realized that the pre-cog was having one. (Which was a good thing, if you asked Schuldig. Otherwise some of their trips with Crawford driving would have taken a much more unpleasant ending.) But now it had already taken about five minutes. ´Definitely something wrong.´
/Schu?/
The German reacted immediately. /What is it?/ /His breathing is getting slow./ "What?!" Whirling around, he realized that the turned teen Oracle was really barely breathing.
"Fuck!!"
Now he could also feel the waves of mental struggling.
Suddenly all happened in a rush. One second Crawford was still standing there, blank eyes staring at nothing, the next he let out a sharp strangling gasp as his hands were hectically raised to his throat seemingly clawing at nothing. The next he had already dropped to the ground.
"Crawford!"
Schuldig immediately rushed to his side, trying to make out the source of the American´s problems and undo it. "Scheiße![2]" There was nothing. No sign of the use of telekinetic powers whatsoever. Then he noticed the precog's eyes. Despite his desperate struggling they were unfocused, a clear sign that their leader was still caught up in his vision.
The redhead cursed. ´Whatever's attacking him, it's attacking him inside!´ So there _had_ been a booby trap. Just not for Nagi but for Crawford. Schuldig cursed again while trying to keep the boy's hands down. Crawford's attempts to get air again had gotten frantic by now, frantic enough that the Oracle was in danger of hurting himself if he didn't get restrained soon.
"Somebody's strangling him." Schuldig took himself enough time to throw a glare at Farfarello. "We have to wake him!"
"Farf! Help me restrain him! Nagi, back to the computer! Get that goddamned data! They wouldn't have laid such a trap if it wasn't important!"
The two quickly did as told. While Farfarello was holding Crawford, Schuldig quickly used the chance and dove into the American´s head. ´Damn!´ Closed?! Even while in a vision that damn guy had his mental shields closed tightly. The self-assured expression vanished from his eyes. ´Then the attacker's no telepath.´ That was bad. Really bad. If it were just another telepath launching an attack at their leader, Schuldig would have easily been able to prove to him how unhealthy that was. He also would've been able to detect any telekinetic penetrator with ease. But like this… It was in the middle of the vision.
"We have to wake him!"
Farfarello gave him a questioning look. How were they supposed the wake the clairvoyant in the middle of a vision? They didn´t even know if that was possible. Schuldig grimaced. Crawford had stopped struggling by now, his breath coming in unruly disjointed intervals. What was bothering the German more, though, was the rough, scratching sound that accompanied each breath.
'We have to get him out of it. Now!' Ignoring his worries about what might happen to the American´s mind if he was forcefully torn out of a vision (He'd heard quite a few interesting stories about it, though other people would rather tend to call them nasty.), he bent forward and did something he´d wanted to do more than once in the past.
Crawford didn't react when his hand connected with his face. ´Shit!´ Maybe a bit harder… Still nothing. Schuldig started panicking. Crawford´s breath was barely existent, by now. ´Shit! ShitshitshitshitSHIT!! Come on, you bastard. Wake up!!´ He didn't notice that he had yelled the last words out loud, nor did he notice that Nagi was watching them closely, wearing a worried expression instead of his usual indifferent mask.
Schuldig cursed again, doubling his affords. Wishing somebody to drop dead once in a while was one thing. – Seeing him _doing_ it was something completely different! And nothing the German wanted to watch, if I might add.
"Come! On! Wake! Up!"
Each word was empathized with a slap.
Crawford suddenly decided to hit back.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
About four hours later, Crawford was still wide-awake, though now alone. No wonder… Listless amber-brown eyes glanced at the watch, seeking out the time. The digital display read 4:37. The sleek boy sighed not so silently.
´Past half five… Great. That means that I've been sitting here for over four beaten hours.´ Blinking his sleepiness away, he shifted into a more comfortable position. ´…really great.´
Some minutes passed, where the American oracle just listened to the soft sound of the other one breathing. Finally shifting another bit, he asked quietly. "Are you planning on standing there for a long time?"
At the sound of the soft, yet firm voice, the person who had leaned by the doorframe till now moved, placing himself next to Crawford on the couch. Ignoring the slightly arched eyebrow, he met Crawford´s eyes cooly. "You knew that I was watching you?"
Crawford´s lips quirked slightly at that question, though it was a lot different from what he´d would have given the Japanese redhead just a month ago. "Forgotten? I´m a precognitive. And I also can easily sense when I'm getting watched." Allowing his smirk to widen a bit, he gave the redhead a mildly amused glance. "Though I didn´t know that it was you, Aya."
The redhead nodded slowly. "Aa…" Lifting some papers, he continued. "Omi and Nagi managed to decode the data." Crawford arched an eyebrow, his strange warm/not warm amber-brown eyes displaying slight curiousity. Currently, the Oracle was more interested in why the Weiß assassin was here, though, than in the papers. Most likely they would only confirm what he´d already figured out anyway.
But Aya´s presence ‑ that was more fascinating. For once because the other assassin had seated himself next to him, not near enough to invade the precog´s personal space (which Crawford absolutely couldn´t stand) but definitely close enough to count. The American wouldn´t have expected him to do that. From what he could tell, the redheaded leader of Weiß wasn´t somebody to drop grudges that easily. – And one could definitely count Crawford´s playing with Weiß´ trust as a good enough reason to anger the Japanese.
But yet it was Yohji who seemed to be the one who was the most upset with it, and Aya still sat here close to him. Also it was no illusion produced by his sleep-hazed mind.
All the while Aya was sitting there calmly, watching him carefully. Strangely, it was that display of possible care that irritated Crawford the most.
Pushing the strange feeling away, he took the offered paper to put them away after skimming through them absentmindedly. It was as expected. Looking up, he noticed with mild amusement that Aya was watching him questionally.
"Curious?"
He offered him the sheets. Giving them a brief look, Aya shook his head. Lifting a fine eyebrow again, Crawford put them away. "So?"
Stern violet eyes met his gaze and caught it calmly. For a moment Aya seemed to struggle for the right words. Also a new thing on the redhead, Crawford noted with fascination. Normally he was able to predict others people's moves by merely spending some time with them, but the redhead kept surprising him. First he had been able to understand his actions, the moment when Weiß found out who he really was, then there was still that strange devotion the redhead seemed to develop every time he attached himself to something or –one. To predict him, Crawford had to use his gift. Though he´d never let that shine through.
"So what?"
Aya sighed inwardly. Seemed like Brad wanted to be stubborn. "Why are you sitting in the living room at five o´clock?" The American cocked his head ever so slightly. "It isn´t five o´clock yet."
"It´ll be soon."
"I know."
Obviously he didn´t want to answer. Giving the Schwarz leader a serious look that could even be interpreted as a mild frown, he said. "Hn." That made the precog´s lips twich into a quirk ever so slightly. Aya noted it along with the boy's bleary-eyed state.
´He looks like he hasn´t slept at all tonight.´ The thought caused him to frown. He also noted that the black-haired boy looked kinda cute while trying not to fall asleep. More tousled and relaxed. ´Kind of cute.´ No, scratch that! The idea of the cold-calculating Oracle Brad Crawford and the term ´cute´ in the same thought was absolutely impossible.
"You have seen what happened." The Oracle shrugged. "After that I figured that I´d prefer some time alone - thinking." The American blinked, surprised. Why had he added that last bit? He never ever told anyone more than necessary.
Aya raised an eyebrow. "You knew that we were watching?" Crawford smirked at him. "Of course we knew. Schuldig and I at last, that is." The redhead nodded silently. Of course. Hoping to pass by unnoticed while dealing with a telepath and a clairvoyant would've been naïve.
"So… when you… it looked as if you were attacked…What was that?" He tried not to stare at the faint strangling marks that had appeared at the clairvoyant`s throat by now. It really looked as if someone had tried to strangle the Oracle. Back then, earlier that night, Aya´s first instict had been to rush into the room, push the other redhead away and try to help Brad himself.
Just the fact that he probably would've worsened the situation rather than make it better, and that Yohji, Ken, and Omi had been with him had kept him from doing it. Although, if he´d known how, he wouldn´t have given a damn if the three were watching or not. Seeing somebody else you cared about dying and not being able to help was an awful feeling.
Though Brad hadn't died, of course. Aya siliently gritted his theeth. Damn! He´d done it again. He had – if just to himself – admitted that Brad had started to become more and more important to him during these past days he´d spent with them. ´Hah! ´Started´ is good!´
Becoming aware that Brad was watching him with a slightly amused, slightly sarcastic look, he quickly redirected his attention to the black-haired boy. ´Boy… ´He wondered how long they could still keep this up. After all Brad wasn´t a boy, and they knew it. He was Crawford, and as the leader of Schwarz, probably one of the most dangerous people to Weiß. Still Aya couldn´t bring himself to view him as an enemy anymore.
Studying him, Crawford intentionally dragged the time before he answered, carefully weighing his words before he spoke. "That… what you have seen is called a backlash syndrom under people with psychic powers. Each type of psychic has his own sorts of backslashes, and what you saw was one of them."
He stroked his fingers over the faint marks, indicating that he was well-aware of them. "Telepaths are very prone to them. Even telekinetics, which are far less psychically stressed have them."
"And precognitives?"
Crawford blinked, pleasantly surprised that the younger man was paying him attention. He hadn´t assumed that it´d interest Aya that much. On the other side, it could also be that his interest was barely reasoned in finding a possible weakness in Schwarz. But that wasn´t very likely. Not with the redhead.
So, instead of avoiding the question, Crawford allowed a smirk to pass his features as he answered. "We don´t tend to have them very often, but when we have, than they´re serious."
He gave Aya a serious look, watching to see if the redhead understood what he was telling him. A fine eyebrow was risen as violet eyes watched him intentionally.
"Serious?"
Crawford nodded. "Serious. That this night was a ´recoiling´ backlash. It means that whatever harm´s done to you in your vision, it also happens to your real body."
"Like what happened to you."
"Yes. Those strangling marks…" He pushed his collar away, granting the redhead an even better sight to the full extend of them. "…are the best proof for it. Another version of such a backslash is what we call a ´loop´. " Aya could feel himself tense at that. ´Another…-?`
Unimpressed, Crawford continued. "A ´loop´ is when a vision's seen more often than once. Normally, that wouldn't be such a big issue, but…" He trailed off. Aya blinked.
"But?"
"… Sometimes these loops don't stop. Dealing with the right issue, they have already caused more than one precognitive to suicide. If they were lucky."
Aya shuddered internally. Despite the casual way Brad was talking about it, there was an air of foreboding attached to his words that made cold shivers run up his spine. It reminded the redhead of the time when he'd witnessed Schwarz's reactions to the other manipulated psychics. There was more attached to this subject than the American was willing to talk about, and Aya respected his wish. Why actually, he wasn't sure.
"If this happened, it was usually called experiencing a ´killer loop´." Amber-brown eyes gave Aya a strange look before his features turned sarcastic once again. "Humorous, isn't it?"
Aya stayed silent. Not knowing how to react to such information, he figured that it was the best choice anyway. Apparently Brad didn´t even expect him to answer. The silence between them stretched, as they both sat on the couch, each one absorbed in their own thoughts.
It was Aya who finally broke the silence. "How did they do it? Attack you in your vision." Crawford shrugged. "It´s actually not that difficult. All they need to have is either a telepath or another clairvoyant. And, according to this-" He pointed at the papers. "-they have both."
He watched Aya raise an eyebrow again. Obviously he had also noticed the catch to it. "Can somebody have two talents at the same time?"
"To that extent? No." Double-talents were very rare, and should one shown up, they were never developed strong enough to be of any practical use. From his earlier ecperience and what Schuldig had told him about the other telepath, Crawford could be sure to say that were two different people who had attacked them.
Aya frowned. "How many files are there?" Crawford didn´t have to check the papers to know the answer. "Four." The redhead gritted his teeth.
"A telekinetic, a telepath, an empath, another telekinetic and one a clairvoyant also." He gave the American a stern look. "That makes five."
"Exactly."
"A free lancer?" Aya frowned. Somehow he didn´t like the idea of Estet recruiting freelances now. Noticing Brad´s amused expression, he gave him a questioning look.
The precognitive smirked. "We must have shaken them quite a bit if they already have to call for help from outside." Taking in the redhead´s surprised look, he continued to explain. "It means that they haven´t managed to re-group properly yet. The lower heads are fighting each other, and it looks like we´re the one thing that can tip the scales."
Aya nodded slowly, giving him a thoughtful look. If those people thought that they were responsible for the detonation back then, and if they further knew about Schwarz's betrayal –it was pretty obvious that those four wouldn´t return to Estet- … It all made sense.
"Weiß and Schwarz are on their hit list."
Brad nodded. "The one who was attacking me mentioned something about being set on me some time ago before the incident with the ritual."
"You think she's the one who´s responsible for this?"
Crawford just shrugged. "Maybe."
He let some minutes pass before he stood up and silently walked in the direction of where the clock was standing. Picking it up, he focused his eyes on the red, glowing digits. Aya watched silently, taking in the way the red glow illuminated Brad's features in one way, then another. The silence stretched.
"Why are you doing this?"
Crawford's hands stopped (he was absentmindedly playing with the clock). Not turning, he asked with a calm voice.
"Doing what?"
"Lying." Brad's hands froze. Actually, the whole Oracle froze at that question. Aya watched for his reaction (or rather the lack of them. For somebody like Brad, you knew more when you watched how he _didn't_ react to something.) The same way Aya also knew that the American had at least not told him the whole truth about his being here.
"… I didn´t lie."
„But you also didn't tell the truth." Crawford still didn't react. It somehow fascinated Aya with the way the black-haired boy was holding the clock. It's dim light covered his face in light and shadows in a way that made him look much more adult. Much more like himself.
Red and black… Like the dark beast he was. Aya frowned slightly at the thought. Thinking of Brad Crawford as a dark beast brought up the thought of what Aya would be doing if Kritiker would ever order them to hunt them down. ´I wouldn't do it.´ The conclusion was as simple as it was final. If they were to face Schwarz on the battlefield again, Aya wouldn't be able to do it.
Not anymore. Not after he knew about the frail other side that was hidden under his oh-so-perfect behaviour and icy proud. Even now, the American's posture was upright as if it were cut out from one of those textbooks. Nothing about him revealed that he had just been caught lying. Aya knew very well that ´thinking´ hadn't been the only thing Brad had done.
In his head, Crawford cursed silently. Damn. Despite the nearly non-existing dim light Aya had noticed them. He didn't need to see to know that Aya had risen an eyebrow at his behaviour.
"Don't you want to deny it?"
Brad shrugged. "If it's true." Aya´s look got critical. "You were doing it again." Of course the redhead had noticed the fine red scratches on his arm, even though Brad had been careful not to let him see. ´He's done it again. He hurt himself again. Why does he keep doing this?´ Outwardly, he just asked. "Why?"
Aya noted that his voice sounded a lot calmer and collected than he really was. Force of habit. Shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly, Brad turned around. The black-haired American teen was facing him now, though he kept holding his head in a way that his raven bangs kept blocking his eyes from being visible. At this moment, Aya would have given much for being able to know what was going on behind those golden-brown depths. But no such luck.
Returning his stare for a silent moment, Brad slowly followed his look, tracing his fingers over the faint scratch marks that were on his forearm near his elbow. After considering a minute, he answered.
"That? They weren't intentional."
His voice sounded strange to his own ears. It was obvious that Aya didn't believe him. "I'm telling you the truth." That statement earned him a thoughtful look. Crawford sighed. ´Well, guess Aya´s right to be suspicious.'
Returning to his seat on the couch , he gave the Weiß assassin a serious look. His next action surprised the redhead.
Lowering his eyes, Brad turned his head away. Staring for a moment into the darkened room, he finally heaved a deep sigh before meeting Aya´s gaze again. "Look, Aya, it's true that I sometimes intentionally hurt myself." He searched for a reaction in the others eyes. "But it's also true that I didn't do it this time." Another doubtful glance. Crawford groaned inwardly.
Raising a hand, he placed it over his other arm. His fingers laid exactly were the scratches began. Aya´s amethyst gaze followed every move. "I _was_ thinking. Over this whole mess and how to get out of it again..."
Aya´s eyes widened slightly. While he was speaking, Brad's fingers had slowly clenched into a fist, pressing roughly over the skin underneath. If he had done this more often that night, it would explain the marks. But what was serious enough to trigger such an obvious sign of nervousness from somebody as collected as Brad?
Noticing his inquiring look, Brad once again moved his head a bit, so that the shadows blocked the view of his face. Like this, it was hard to tell the expression the Oracle held.
"It was exactly a week after my twelfth birthday when they came and claimed me as their property. Ever since then my visions kept getting stronger." A small shuffle of clothes. "Useful, but of course it also had its disadvantages. The bigger the raise in my power, and the longer my visions lasted, the harder it got for me to distinguish between them and the real ´Now´."
He paused for a moment, still not willing to meeting the other's eyes. "That was when I started to inflict myself little wounds, using the pain as an anchor for what was real." A small smirk passed his lips. "Naturally nothing major that could be noticed easily. I always take good care that nobody notices. You were the first one."
"What about your family?" Aya couldn't believe that anyone would be so willing to let go of their child. Especially not at such a young age. The smirk on Crawford's lips grew bitter. "Family? There was nothing like that. My only function to them was as their little prophecy-machine. ´Ooo, Bradley my boy, don't you want to tell me the future so that mommy can quickly go and win the lottery?´" The last sentence was cooed in a fake, over-sugary tone that seemed to express a bit of what the clairvoyant felt on that issue.
"When I finally decided to fake some of my predicaments, they put an advertisement into the net and sold me to the highest bidder, Estet. End of the story." As he ended his speech, Brad's voice was no longer calm and controlled but a heated, angry growl. Seemingly the betrayal of those that were once assigned to protect him and that had used and thrown him away still hurt.
Aya felt immediately bad for asking. Almost bad enough that he failed to notice the strange look in Brad's eyes. Nearly.
"What?"
The confused question combined with the redhead's puzzled expression did it. Crawford couldn't help but start laughing. Aya blinked, even more confused, only to send the precognitive teen into another fit of laughter.
Dark, deep and velvety, Aya liked the sound of the other's chuckles, especially since they seemed to be honest. Still, somehow he couldn't get rid of the raising feeling that it was him the clairvoyant was laughing about. He didn't like to be laughed at.
Aya frowned, making it a hard time for Crawford to keep his just-regained seriousness and not to start laughing again. Seeing the ice-cold leader of Weiß pouting like a little child was a very amusing view.
Trying to conceal his mirth and not quite succeeding, (though he did a remarkable good job) he said. "Sorry. I was just testing how good you have already gotten at seeing through my mask." He didn't sound sorry at all. More complacent. Aya frowned again, nearly sending the Oracle chuckling again. Crawford idly wondered if the redhead had even the slightest clue how obviously he was broadcasting his emotions right then. ´Probably not.´ Smirking ever so slightly, he added as an explanation.
"I lied. I made the story up the second I told it to you. Nothing of it all is true."
Seeing the others half-surprised, half-angered expression, he started chuckling again. "I'm glad to see that I'm not that obvious yet." He smirked at the redhead as he stood up and sauntered to the doorway.
On an afterthought, though, he stopped short in the doorway to throw a last comment to the still-sitting redhead.
"Can't make it too easy for you, ne?"
The question and the way it was voiced startled Aya more than enough to allow Crawford to make a graceful exit.
Chuckling silently to himself, the American carelessly wandered through the empty corridors of the apartment, not really caring where he was going. His little performance had more than succeeded to cheer him up again. Okay, so fooling the stoic leader of Weiß just to prove himself that he hadn't lost his edge yet was more than petty. Still, the black-haired one couldn't help but feel good about it. And a little exercise couldn't do any harm, right?
After all it was him who was supposed to influence the future and not the other way round. Possessing some actor skills came in handy at such situations, and Crawford couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling tat he'd need them much sooner than he'd like.
´… I hope he's not angry at me for it.´ Crawford shook his head at that thought. Nonsense. Why should he care if Aya was angry at him or not? They were just rivals that were working for a limited time together to defeat a mutual enemy. Also he came closer to see through his iron mask than everybody else before had, and it made Crawford feel uncomfortable.
It was simply too risky for his taste. ´He seemed truly worried about me… I really hope he's not too upset. ´ Argh! Gritting his teeth, Crawford quickened his speed.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Still in the living room, Aya was anything but upset. More relieved, if had to admit it to himself. He'd wish nobody such a life as the leader of Schwarz had described, especially not to Brad. Don't ask what he'd thought about the last part a month ago though.
Sighing silently, the redhead stood up, stretching his stiffened muscles. ´Strange…´ He hadn't even noticed that he'd tensed over conversation. No wait, that had happened some where between where Brad had looked at him that strangely and when he'd sat down close enough that the redhead had been able to clearly feel his presence next to him. It felt as if he were so close… He just had had to go and ruin it, hadn't he?
´Calling him a liar… Just what was I thinking doing that?!´ Reflecting back, Aya was pretty sure that it had been that command which had upset the Oracle. ´How stupid of me.´ And there he had been hoping for so much more of the outcome of this meeting.
´Baka, baka, baka! What did you think?! That he'd break down crying just that you can go and comfort him? This is not one of those horrible mushy soaps on TV, you idiot! It's real life!´ Of course it was real life. Knowing this, Aya had tried to expect as little as possible from this encounter. Still, he couldn't help but still feel a bit disappointed.
´Such a good chance wasted.´
After chasing the others back into their rooms and returning to his own, Aya had spent much time thinking about this issue. It was painfully obvious that he wanted something from Brad by now. If even the others were slowly beginning to notice… He clearly remembered the strange looks he had received from Yohji and Omi after he'd nearly run into the room were Schwarz was assembled. Hell, even Ken had noticed and had been giving him a worried look! So, after a hard time giving himself headaches over the issue, he'd decided that he had no other choice left than to simply trying his luck with the precognitive. After all, the intangible clairvoyant had managed to do something that nobody else had done for a very long time: Fascinate him enough that he was actually starting to feel again against his better knowledge.
Well, his first try had surely been a ´great´ success.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Behind the closed door of his room – he ignored the fact that he was actually the visitor and the other occupant the owner – Schuldig chuckled to himself.
´So the red kitty really is interested in Crawford.´ A mischievous smirk formed on his lips, as jaded green eyes sparkled with glee. ´Maybe I should help him a bit in attaining what he wants.'
Ooh yes, he could already imagine the stiff American's stunned expression…. And that Fujimiya boy seemed to be serious about him. He grinned. As soon as they'd meet the next time, he'd have to take him to the side and talk to him, offer him some advice…. Maybe even some practical help… After all, Crawford deserved it. He'd just tried to help him when he'd slapped the clairvoyant repeatedly, there hadn't been any need to hit back that hard.
The German redhead was practically beaming with anticipation as he went back to bed. That the counter strike could have been a mere, intentional reaction didn't account to him.
Not if there were so many more amusing options.
_ _ _ _ _
End Chapter 18
[1] - Doesn´t matter.
[2] – Shit!/Fuck!
*grins* A bit a different ending than one would've expected for this chappie, ne? Blame it on my confused mind and please forgive me the awful way this chapter was written in, I promise to be better next time.
Thanks and huggles for reviewing to: Rei Eien, Elfsong, The Mgician of Black Chaos, futagoakuma-tenshi01, Lil Yu Jah, Aysen, Rose (Thanks for buggin´ me out of my w block!^_~), Dje (^___^), weee, bea-chan, S.Wing, stray cat, Ryuje-naoe (other things to do with a straightjacket-trenchcoat….*blush* ^.^), futagoakuma-tenshi02, Shuo ri (Wha! Don´t say such things to me. It could give me even more strange ideas!… Oops, too late.^.~), PinkSpider, shirogane (^_^;) and Kyra. – To your question… I´m not answering it here ´cause it contain some spoilers for the stories further progressing. If you want, I´ll mail it to you instead. So this was enough rambling for one chapter!
Want to read the next chapter soon? Then please review! The more reviews I get the faster I´m working. ^^
PS: Am searching for somebody who's able to speak/read Japanese. If you do, please mail me!^.^