This author note might get annoying if you read multiple of my fics because I'm going to copy/paste it over all updates for maybe the rest of the month.

I really have been neglecting some of my fanfics for about a year and some even two years. I've decided to try to update as many as I can (or as many as I know people want to see). I'm going to be scheduling fic updates but based on the number of hits on the latest chapter (there is a way to see on fanfiction net a huge discrepancy between unique IP visitors and hits and I will make sure that no one is just continually clicking refresh on fics). Right now I am updating fics that have 75+ hits on the latest chapter. That is 46 fanfics at this present time. Once I finish the updates of all of those (hopefully before the end of the month) I will update my stat list (an Excel document) and start again. Hopefully this will explain my updates until the end of the year (although there may be a handful I write just for fun). Thank you for checking out my work. I appreciate every well-intentioned reader. Love the reviews but I still appreciate every well-intentioned reader. Thank you.

Part Five – Chapter Eleven – Cain

5-11-1

Kuon stood in the bedroom he had grown up having and looked to the window. He had seen photographs of this room over the years. He had seen pictures of the nursery and the baby items that his parents had either bought or been given. He could remember how a mobile with stars and birds was above his cot in those pictures. He could remember how many toys were in here and then the toys got replaced with books, mind games, camping gear, bird watching items, then he had had to have special items when he was getting over his disabilities and from that point on, the open possibilities of this room had some dark edge to them.

Still, he'd miss it and all it had was a suitcase and a backpack. He would be moving completely to Japan and trying to find his own future. What had surprised him was that the previous night, Kuu had said that he wouldn't be looking for work immediately in Japan and might take a few years off. It was horrible thinking that he might be the cause for that.

"We're doing it for us," that was the thing that both his mother and father kept telling him.

They weren't doing it for themselves, Kuon knew that much. They were doing it because he had failed them as a son but he didn't want to do that anymore. He wanted to be the son that they felt proud to have. He had already gone through the options, moving with his father meant that he was forcing his parents to change their jobs but ending his own life or running away would make that worse, it might even make his father unable to act for the rest of his life.

Kuon sighed before turning around to find where his father was. He could see his dad at the bottom of the stairs talking to some random men who looked like they could be Hollywood producers, he tilted his head to the side curious and then saw what they were looking at. In two glass cases were his dad's collection of famous movie guns. His dad had spent a small fortune on all of them or he had used a couple of them when doing his own movies. They were worth most likely a lot more than the two men had just paid.

"We were only about to get twenty-five thousand in cash, the rest is going to be through check and you already received our wire transfer, correct?" the man asked and Kuu nodded. "You're not going to regret this, right? Our sale is over. I don't have to worry about you saying that it wasn't enough money or -"

"I'm glad that someone wants to take them off of my hands," Kuu laughed good naturedly before looking at Kuon and giving him a nod of acknowledgment. Kuon sat down on the steps. He had seen his father speak at length about each gun in his collection and why it mattered to the history of filmmaking and now he was just able to give them up?

"You should have kept them," Kuon said as he turned away from his father once the men had gone. Kuu shook his head. "I know why you did it and you shouldn't have."

"Why do you think I did it?" Kuu asked as he closed the door and walked up the stairs to sit on the one just two below Kuon so that he could give his son some space as well as talk to him about it.

"You did it because of me, that we have to move because of me, that you can't have those guns because you're scared of what I might do with one of them," he said and Kuu looked at him again and took a deep breath.

"You're correct," Kuu said and Kuon looked up at him before looking down sadly and bowing his head. "But your life and your happiness is worth much more than those guns. I can't stand them now. I woke up in the middle of the night and had to keep my kid from killing himself, the guns never had the same meaning after that. It's better that it's going to another collector."

"Did you get a fair price?" Kuon asked and Kuu chuckled again.

"Fair to me," he told him before placing his hand on Kuon's knee. "Listen to me, I am happy with my decisions. I am happy that I get to be with my family. I don't regret anything and I'm not going to regret this sale. I was thinking that with a little bit of the money that -"

"You're going to buy more property?" Kuon asked, "You're not selling this house, I know that."

"We could get a puppy and things for the puppy when we go to Japan. I know that you'll be busy with the acting classes and your school work an anything else that you might want to pursue but getting a puppy, adding that puppy to the family, I think that would be really good for you," Kuu smiled and Kuon returned that smile with some excitement. "I thought you'd like that idea."

"Well," Kuon coughed trying to look away so that his excitement was masked. "I mean I do love animals." He took another breath in before turning in the direction of the kitchen, "Is mom okay with it?"

"I think she's definitely happy about it," Kuu laughed. "But I had to remind her that you're the one who's going to pick it out. Sound good?" he asked and Kuon nodded as he imagined a tiny puppy running around. At least he would have somebody who he could take care of who didn't try to take care of him at the same time.

5-11.2

It was on their second day of moving to Japan that Kuu had taken Kuon out to the pet shelters so that they could find a puppy to give a home to. It was a little early since a lot of their items hadn't arrived from overseas shipping and they were still settling in but Kuon seemed to recharge at the idea of having his own dog and that had energized and motivated Kuu into finding one as soon as possible.

The dog that they had adopted was a small, three month old beagle puppy. Kuu had been expecting something like a retriever or hound or even a husky but Kuon had heard the tiny Beagle whining and as soon as he had picked him up the dog had become loving and affectionate. Seeing the smile on Kuon's face as he realized that the puppy wanted him was worth it by itself. He just wanted to create more memories for his son like that.

Kuon had named the little puppy Cain and given him a red collar and lots of toys and other supplies. Kuu looked over at him as he sat in the grass with Kyoko, Cain on his lap. Sometimes a dog was all that one needed to forget about the hard parts of life.

"He's adorable!" Kyoko squealed as she reached out to pet him and Cain exposed his belly to her. She quickly rubbed it and heard the dog panting happily. "He's such a good dog. I don't know if I would be able to have a dog but he's adorable."

"There were a lot of low maintenance dogs there," Kuon informed her. "It's just that I'm looking for someone like Cain. A dog that loves to play and loves company and is sweet and looks non threatening."

"This sweetie here could never be threatening," Kyoko sad and then randomly hugged Kuon. "I'm so happy that you live here now," she told him, "and we can see each other a lot more of the time."

"Definitely a benefit," Kuon told her and Kyoko grinned having heard that. "I'm a little nervous about going to school. I've been working really hard on my Japanese but conversational Japanese is a lot easier than doing it in a school setting. I've never lived in any country for an extended period of time where English wasn't spoken everywhere."

"There are still people who speak English and when you came before, you spoke really well in Japanese. I know that I'd get jealous of all the people who want to come to you and all the friends you'll make. You'll fit in even if you are an American," she tried to reassure him and he shook his head.

"You're kind to say that but I know I'm going to be the boy who is either sticking out because he's a quarter Russian, only a quarter Japaense, and half American or I'm going to be noticed because I'm the son of Shuuhei Hozu. I've seen this happen before."

Kuon looked to her with a smile. He didn't want to say how they had allowed him to do the test to get in from Los Angeles (though he would be tested again on his first day before classes) and he had had aced all of the tests. He knew that he would be able to pass the entrance exam that he still had to take.

"Still, you'll be in class and able to make friends which is a new type of adventure, right? Right?" she asked eagerly and Kuon nodded, he was scratching the lazily spread out Cain behind the ear. Kyoko had being so positive and supportive of him but for some reason, Kuon wished she wasn't. She wasn't paying much attention to herself and that's who he cared about more so.

"You have to send me a picture," Kyoko said suddenly as she stood and pointed to him.

"Of what?" kuon asked confused.

"You in a school uniform. You have to wear one here and you're going to look so stunning in it. All the other boys will be jealous of you, I know it, I just know it," Kyoko tried to encourage him and Kuon laughed again.

"Sure," he said as he saw her eager expression. At least there were small things that he could make her happy. He saw Cain trying to catch his own tail and took comfort in watching him and feeling the still calm of the world around them.

"Also," Kyoko announced, "Don't make plans for this weekend, we're throwing you a welcome party and I worked really hard on it and I don't want you missing out.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Kuon said and Kyoko laughed happily. At least he had somebody out there for him, the world got a lot more difficult trying to navigate it all alone.

End of Part Five – Chapter Eleven

Thank you for reading

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Ten

Erlynn Dela Cruz, Guest, Kaname671, Merlenyn, misherukuro