Chapter eighteen. This is turning out to be a monster fic. Maybe not to some, but anything above twenty chapters is a big fic to me.

I remember someone once asked me if I had Livejournal. At least I think it was Livejournal since likes to censor websites and email addresses in reviews and PMs. I forgot to reply until now. Sorry. I don't have Livejournal. Always wanted to get one but I don't know anyone who has it, don't know how to get it, or how to use it. Heh, heh, I have the computer literacy skills of a six year old.


Salesman

XX

Kurogane rested his head in his hands. There was boredom written all over his face. His eyes roamed over the mostly uninteresting, and horribly cramped, room with a sense of weariness. Next to him, Fai sat, his legs crossed on top of the table and his arms propped behind him.

His gaze wandered over to the small fan circulating unforgivably hot air around the room. Its place on a metallic rack of shelves had become cluttered with cardboard boxes of useless things and assorted junk whose sole purpose was to take up space. He glanced at Fai, who was looking at something far more interesting, and frowned.

What is it that you want most in this world?

Is it good food? Good wine? Money? Fame and fortune? Friends and family? Is it love? Success? Recognition?

What is it that you want most in this world?

Kurogane scowled. There was something slightly disturbing about their job. He did not like it, but he disliked going hungry even more. A rumbling stomach was always annoying. He disliked having to rely on kid and the princess to get some decent food. He disliked turning up with nothing every time that irritating manjuu bun excitedly asked him what he had brought home.

What is it that you want most in this world?

"Well, what do you think?"

He glanced at Fai, who was looking at him as if he expected some sort of response. He was not sure what for. He had yet to be poked, teased, labelled as something morbidly cute or subjected to some stupid act of idiocy.

"The advert. What did you think about the advert?" Fai grabbed the remote resting next to him and switched off the television.

"It's stupid," he replied without much thought. He had not paid much attention to the bright, brash, flashing colours blaring out of the idiot-box and the advert that he was supposed to have been watching largely uninterested him. He knew what they were supposed to be selling.

What is it that you want most in this world?

It was a stupid advert for stupid people willing to spend money buying something stupid.

"Kuro-min, you'll never sell anything like that," Fai admonished, though he smiled all the same and slipped off of the table.

Kurogane sighed and picked up a pile of leaflets. He should be grateful that they had been able to pass through so many peaceful worlds. They could not always expect to land in such tranquil and peaceful countries. Even if the work was uninspiring, it was better than a land wracked with war or suffering from disease and famine.

Then again, being bored to death was not that bright a prospect either.

XX

Fai was admirably energetic despite the summer heat wave. Even decked in light clothes – white and soft blue to reflect the heat, breezy and well ventilated – the sun was unforgivingly harsh. Even the flowers had wilted, the air seemed to waver and simmer with heat, and throughout the streets was the steady hum of air conditioning turned all the way up, blowing from the houses.

As he walked down the sleepy neighbourhood, Kurogane trailed behind him, cursing the wind for its absence and hoping for a little rain.

Fai stopped ahead of him and gestured to the other side of the road. Kurogane rolled his eyes and nodded.

They would spread out. Divide and conquer. He would tackle one side of the street and Fai the other.

When he glanced to the opposite side of the road, the man was already making his way up the pathway - little neat squares of grass on either side, blocked off by a white fence - and ringing the doorbell.

He could imagine the look of annoyance on people's faces as they grudgingly answered. Everyone, apparently, hated door to door salespeople. They were of a low and untrustworthy breed, just like lawyers, charity workers, and Jehova's witnesses.

"Excuse me, would you be interesting in purchasing the Dream Machine?" Fai had a disarming smile. He was talking unusually fast, faster than he should, in an attempt to say everything before the door was shut on him.

"Just input a few conditions and you can create your own perfect world fully geared towards your enjoyment!" he gushed. "There's no distinction between this world and the Dream world whilst your in the machine! It's tried and tested and absolutely foolproof! You can live you wildest fantasies and achieve your greatest dreams of ultimate happiness for only - "

The door slammed shut.

The Dream Machine.

Technically, it was perfect. It was the latest model to hit the streets and they were supposed to be selling it for a limited time only reduced price. A machine that lets one live their wildest dreams with optional pain stimulators in order to allow one to fully appreciate happiness. It offered both mental and physical pleasure - the ideal life.

Yet Kurogane did not like it one bit.

Even so, work was work. Divide and conquer.

XX

"Good morning! Would you be interested in - "

"No!"

XX

"Hey. I'm from Dream Machine inc. Would you - "

"Not interested."

XX

"This is Dream Machine inc! How would you like - "

"Get the fuck of my lawn before I fucking blow your bloody brains out!"

XX

"Mornin' This will only take a moment - "

"Mommy! There's a strange man outside the door!"

XX

"Good morning Miss, I'm here - "

"Ah, you must be the male stripper we hired! Come in! Come in!"

"Huh? What? W – wait! Help! Kuro-chan!"

XX

Divide and conquer.

He never knew being a salesperson could be so risky. The thought of danger, of a challenge, would have exhilarated him if the circumstances were not so undeniably stupid.

"Why the hell is it so hard to sell things? Why the hell are people so damn rude? And…and why the hell is it so hot?" Kurogane growled, massaging his temples with his fingers.

Even as the sun was sinking, the fiery heat had not abated. Their working hours were over and yet again they had come way after making a totally profit of zero. Nothing.

They stopped by the coast where the seagulls were drafting lazily through the sky and large grey rocks crowded between the dirty beach and the foot of the stairs leading up to the pathway. Even the waves hardly shifted, as if everything had decided to give up trying.

"It's hot," Fai groaned and flopped across the bench overlooking the waters. The weather was uncommonly humid. The air was too still for his liking. He shifted restlessly on the bench, trying to fight the discomfort of summer.

Kurogane, although sitting in a more dignified position, grumbled in accordance.

He too was feeling the heat waves. His brow furrowed in annoyance, finding fault with the weather for being too hot. His skin was covered by a light sheen of sweat that made him feel slightly sticky and uncomfortable. He sat against the bench, wiping away the drops of sweat beading his brow.

Fai fanned himself with a hand. "The Dream Machine is absolutely flawless. It's almost the equivalent of paradise. We should have sold every last one of them by now," he spoke in a daze.

The heat of summer had washed over them with a sense of lethargy. His words slipped out of his lips lazily. It was not worth the energy to be exuberant.

"Apparently, the people here aren't as stupid as usual."

"What do you want most in this world?" he tilted his head back, towards as impossibly blue sky, as he echoed the advert. He was not looking at Kurogane. His eyes were lost to the sky. "I always figured that there must be something that people want, something that drives them to keep on living. What do people want most in the world?"

Kurogane glanced at him, if only fleetingly.

What is it that you want most in this world?

"That's so obvious, even an idiot like you should know the answer," he spoke roughly. "Most people want to be happy of course."

He saw Fai look confused at that. It did not seem quite right. He could understand the want to be happy. Everyone wanted to be happy. Yet it seemed sickly sweet. Like eating too much candy, having nothing but happiness all of the time would get sickening.

Or maybe it was just sickening for the people watching.

"So the most important thing in the world to you is to be happy?" he glanced at Kurogane.

"Not really."

"But - "

"I said most people," he explained and then frowned when he found that a further response was still expected of him.

What did he want? Good food, of course. A warm bed was always welcome. Alcohol was never turned down either. Strength, a purpose in life…something that would not bore him to death.

What is it that you want most in this world?

He wanted to go home. He did not want to go home. When had he begun to feel that way? As if this journey would go on forever? As if there was nothing more than the four - five - of them travelling through space and time. As if he needed nothing more than that constant routine.

What is it that you want most in this world?

"I don't care if I'm happy or not. It's not the most important thing to me anyway," he looked at Fai, watching him expectantly and, for once, quite attentively. Did he not know what he wanted in life? Or perhaps Fai had a clear idea of what he wanted but was not sure if he was allowed to have it. Maybe he thought that he did not deserve to have it.

He was tempted to skewer the mood by making some irritable aside, but he had no energy to think up a grouchy remark.

He tried staring out to sea and not thinking about it.

"Y'know," he continued, a little awkward, trying to remember what he was talking about, "well…if the people around me aren't wallowing in depression or anything, then, well, I don't really care, about my happiness, I mean."

"That kindness is going to come around and bite you someday," Fai smiled softly.

"Like I care!" he snapped challengingly.

Who said he was kind anyway? He had no compunction killing anyone who came for him, he did not care for heroics, or if he was seen as the bad guy or not, he did not believe in shallow ideals spoken be cowardly leaders. If he did something good, like rescuing a kitten from a tree or something, it would only be because doing otherwise would be annoying, or he had been nagged into helping. Only an idiot, or possibly a madman, would think him kind.

Yet Fai was smiling like a fool, as if he could read his thoughts. As if he knew a secret he would not care to divulge. That look annoyed him for some reason.

"You should watch out, Kuro-min, if you're too kind someone will only end up betraying you."

Though his tone was teasing, Kuorgane took his words with absolute seriousness. He knew more than to judge Fai's mood simply by how he appeared on the surface.

"That's stupid."

"What?"

"You're the kind of moron who'd get killed saving a cat from a speeding car or something stupid like that."

"I don't think so," Fai's smile faltered just a little, just enough for him to catch, but the crack was sealed quickly and replaced by a grin. "I only seem kind. I'm not really like that, you know."

"You're a bad liar," he muttered.

A brief, strained silence fell over them. The seagulls had moved away now, becoming no more than black specks in the distance. Sunlight seared them. It pierced them with its rays.

"You'd jump out and save me, right, Kuro-tan? From the speeding car," he said teasingly.

Normalcy had returned again. It was a little disappointing.

"I wouldn't practice that theory any time soon," Kurogane snorted.

Fai's grin widened as he stood up. His hands reached for Kurogane's, fingers wrapping around wrists, pulling the reluctant man to his feet. Kurogane batted him off, looking obligingly disgruntled.

Fai withdrew his hands and placed them behind his back, away from view. "Well then, why don't you practice your kindness by buying me a few drinks instead?" he grinned.

"On second thoughts, maybe you should try that speeding car theory," Kurogane murmured, heading for home.


And there you have it. I've calmed down now, although I still have pink bunny rabbits dancing around my head.